Editor’s Note – December 2022


Dining Review – Pearlite Bukit Jalil

        View this post on Instagram            A post shared by Tim Chew (@timchew1311)

We recently visited Pearlite Kuala Lumpur which is a semi-fine dining restaurant located across from Pavilion Bukit Jalil that specialises in modern Asian and fusion cuisine with creative twists. Now I rarely venture to this part of the Klang Valley although I used to pass this area on my way to work at MEASAT (Astro) each workday many years back as I tend to stick to my neighbourhood of Petaling Jaya and surrounding areas like Damansara. However, the lure of having very non-halal semi-fine dining was just too strong and thus I made the trip over.
Pearlite is derived from the word “Pearl” as an emblem of purity, and “Lite” refers to the restaurant’s staff taking great joy in becoming an exceptional gem of the culinary world. Pearlite’s food concept is to use fusion techniques to merge different culinary cultures to create a unique, cutting-edge, and imaginative culinary experience.
Pearlite aims to provide its guests with a distinct experience that includes high-quality food, attentive, courteous service, and great value, in a warm dining atmosphere.

Stepping in, we were amazed by the collection of Bearbricks in the display cases and art on the walls

As all the seats at the restaurant are at the kitchen counter, you get a good view of the chefs preparing your meal

Pearlite has three (3) menu options:

3-Course Dinner Menu- RM118+ per pax
6-Course Dinner Menu-RM388+ per pax
9-Course Dinner Menu-RM488+ per pax

Starting off the meal, housemade complimentary bread is served with housemade compound butter using Malaysian ingredients including a local buah that has a taste reminiscent of truffle. The Amuse Bouche (pictured above) was next featuring Cameron Highlands pumpkin that was roasted and pureed, wrapped in crispy popiah skin and garnished with yuzu pearls – a little preview of the creative dishes that were to come!

Lay On The Bay – Nyonya asam pedas, crudo, apple
A well-balanced and appetising starter featuring flavours from Malacca which were mildly spicy with some tang, 

The Sleeping Piggy – Aged-pork, sweet basil mint, orange
The orange came in the form of a gel “blanket” over the pork, with crispy pork skin sprinkled liberally over it creating a variance in textures and flavours. I love pork and this dish was well executed.

Lonely Thirsty Prawn – Wild Caught Tiger Prawn, Tomyam, Oat Crackers
This was my partner in crime’s favourite dish of the evening. The very fresh tiger prawn was served with a thick tom yum reduction, with some oat crackers. Those of you who are Chinese might recognise this as a play on a popular prawn dish served at banquets and in Chinese restaurants.

The Pinky Island – Hokkaido scallops, cauliflower, beetroot
The cauliflower was slightly charred and provided a nice texture to the dish while the beetroot came in two (2) forms – a gel and foam. The scallops were cooked perfectly and went well with the beetroot get and foam. I’m not a fan of beetroot or cauliflower but I enjoyed this elegant dish.

A refreshing palate cleanser followed before the Kingdom of Duckula (my main) – aged duck, aligot, fruit puree, raspberry pearl
This was my main and I always enjoy duck breast and this one had loads of flavours thanks to it being aged and perfectly cooked. The aligot (mashed potatoes with cheese) was delightful, while the raspberry pearls rounded up and balanced the dish.

Dynasty of Aromatic (her main) – Grain-fed Angus beef MB5, sze chuan beef jus, fried rice cracker, mapo tofu cheese
This was her main (I stole some to try) and it was delicious with just a hint of Sichuan spiciness. The beef was tender (MB5!) and flavourful while the crispy crackers and mapo tofu with cheese puree provided balance and a variance of textures. Good combination of flavours!

The Snowy Heaven – Kaffir lime, granita, rose cookie
Finally to cap off a playful meal was the dessert and the petit fours (not shown). The dessert was refreshing and I think girls would definitely appreciate the lightly torched meringue on top.

After dinner, the lights are switched back on for guests to admire and take some photos or videos with the amazing collection of Bearbricks (view my Instagram reel at the start of this feature). Don’t forget to snap a nice pic at the “photowall” (below) before calling it a night.
Overall I’d say that Pearlite is a fun and interesting dining experience providing residents of Bukit Jalil and surrounding areas with an option for birthdays, anniversaries, dates and special occasions especially if you’re a Bearbrick fan. Reservations are required.

Pearlite is located at:
C-5-01 Pusat Bandar Bukit Jalil, Jalan Jalil Utama 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
*Ample parking is available inside Pavilion Bukit Jalil which is literally a few meters opposite the restaurant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pearlitekl
Telephone: 019-999 9508

Thanks for having us over!

PETRA Lifestyle to Launch Roberto’s Pronto and Central Kitchen

Italian food aficionados will soon be able to purchase homemade pastas, sauces, and other authentic Italian ingredients from Roberto’s Pronto, an Italian deli store under PETRA Lifestyle that is scheduled to open at the beginning of 2023.
In order to serve the nearby communities, the deli in Ara Damansara will also carry a variety of cheeses, cold cuts, olive oil, meats, etc. It will also offer Roberto’s renowned pizzas as part of the takeaway menu. Customers will be able to place pizza orders through food delivery apps.

“Our vision for Roberto’s Pronto is to emulate a typical neighbourhood grocery store that you can find in an Italian village. We want to offer authentic Italian food ingredients and fresh Roberto’s pizza to Ara Damansara and Subang areas.” 
PETRA Lifestyle President Roberto Guiati

PETRA Lifestyle President Roberto Guiati
The plans were unveiled during the second anniversary celebration of Roberto’s 1020 Osteria at Bangsar Shopping Centre. 
“Apart from the deli store, our central kitchen will also be operational in view of the expansion plans that we have for the Roberto’s and Luce restaurants. The central kitchen will allow our F&B group to maintain the high quality and standards of the food served at our restaurants in a more cost-effective way,” added Roberto.
Meanwhile, PETRA Group Chairman and Chief Executive Datuk (Dr) Vinod Sekhar said Roberto’s 2nd year anniversary is a milestone as it proved that with tenacity and hard work, it can sustain and come this far. 

PETRA Group Chairman and Chief Executive Datuk (Dr) Vinod Sekhar (right)

“We started this venture when Malaysia and the rest of the world were in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. While other businesses were closing down, we saw an opportunity in F&B to create something special that would go beyond the pandemic. This journey has taught us perseverance, and it has also showed that we are capable of establishing a successful, unique, authentic Italian restaurant brand in Malaysia and take it around the globe from here. Our determination to forge ahead despite the challenging times, creating employment and revenue opportunities, stimulate the economy and lift people up with us while doing so, is the reason we are here.”
PETRA Group Chairman and Chief Executive Datuk (Dr) Vinod Sekhar

Photo credits: PETRA Group and author’s own shot with the Vivo X80 Pro