Food Review – Christmas Menu at Grill 582, Best Western Premier Dua Sentral


[Food & Beverage – Christmas Special]
Not many people actually know where the slightly more than a year old Best Western Premier Dua Sentral Hotel actually is and even fewer knows that it contains a hidden culinary gem that is Grill 582.
You cannot access the hotel from the Mahameru Highway although it looks like it’s just off the highway on Google maps. The best route is to use either Jalan Syed Putra or Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin near the old KL Railway Station then turn onto Jalan Sultan Sulaiman then down to Jalan Tun Sambanthan, pass the Holy Rosary Church and you’re there!

Grill 582 is well-known for its steaks but this time round Yee Ying and I headed over to try out their special Christmas eve set menu
I love the rather romantic ambience of Grill 582. Perfect to bring your date for an intimate night out.
For those of you who prefer more privacy, there’s a private room which seats up to a dozen people
If you order a steak at Grill 582 you’ll get to use one of these beautiful steak knives which are imported.
We were seated at a table with a great view of the open kitchen
You have a choice of still or sparkling water
Cured Duck Breast, Pomegranate and Orange Vinaigrette – Ying who’s not a fan of duck rated this dish as her favourtie of the night! Tender and juicy duck breast balanced out with a sweet and sour vinaigrette and with the pomegranate to give a burst of flavour and texture when you bite it. This was a little dish that was just bursting with flavour! Great start to the meal!
Puree of Red Lentil, Feta Cheese and Smoked Olive Oil – I’m quite glad that this dish was not the normal pumpkin soup as I’ve had pumpkin soup at almost every Christmas menu tasting this year. This was a most heartwarming soup that combined the earthy flavours from the lentils, some creaminess from the feta cheese and a little olive oil to balance it out. There was not a drop left in the bowl after I was done with it.
The puree was paired with the De Bortoli Semillon Chardonnay 2011 which was quite easy to drink and not too dry. This helped to cut through the rich taste of the puree and was a good match.
Cranberry Sorbet – a seasonal sorbet to cleanse the palate before the main course. Squeeze the lime over it to add a little sourness to balance the slight sweetness of the sorbet.
If you do not want to order a bottle of wine, fret not as Grill 582 has a wine cart where the sommelier will push the cart over to your table and you get to choose the glass of wine you want

Ying enjoying her wine. I don’t quite understand why girls are so crazy about wine and champagne but I guess it’s one of those inexplicable facts of life.
Grill 582’s sous chef Arini Darsom making sure every last detail of the dish is perfect
Pan Seared Barramundi, Togarashi Crust and Fennel Emulsion – a little East meets West here. The fish was fresh and the crust absolutely delicious from the Japanese spice mixture! I couldn’t stop eating the creamy mashed potatoes while the fennel emulsion lent a slightly green taste to balance out the flavours.
2011 Torresella Pinot Grigio from Italy lent its fresh, crisp, slightly floral and sweet flavours to complement the fish. Another easy wine that’s easy to drink.
Slow Roasted Turkey Breast, Brussels Sprout, Chestnut and Pumpkin, Morel Jus – What’s Christmas without turkey eh? The turkey was a roulade surrounding the chestnut and pumpkin stuffing and was prepared sous vide style to seal in the juices and prevent the meat from drying out. Generally not a big fan of Brussels sprouts though but it’s important to eat your greens and these went nicely with the morel jus.
The turkey was paired with the 2009 Trout Valley Pinot Noir from New Zealand. I can drink really smoky single malts or spicy cognac but I’m such a baby when it comes to wines so I was really happy that the turkey was paired with this Pinot Noir which was easy to drink and had a subtle hint of spice.
Bread and Raisin Pudding, Stewed Berries and Eggnog – what a Christmasy dessert! It was not too sweet while the eggnog lent a nice creaminess while the berries balanced out the dish with some sour flavours. In fact the sweetness actually came from the port which was accompanying this dessert!
Cockburn’s Port from Portugal – this was rather sweet and had hints of dried plums and fruit. Went remarkably well with the dessert and lent another dimension to the dish
Chef Arini Darsom is the same age as me but she’s got 8 years of professional culinary experience under her belt!
Turrón and Christmas Cookies – turron is a traditional Spanish almond candy and is made from honey, sugar, egg white and nuts. Coffee or tea was served with this little dessert and I must say that the sweetish turron went so well with my unsweetened coffee! The candy canes were a nice touch and we took them home as we were too full to eat them.
Grill 582 has been opened for slightly more than a year but it bagged two (2) awards at the recently concluded Malaysian International Gourmet Festival 2013!

The Christmas Eve set menu is priced at RM150.00++ per set inclusive of one (1) glass of wine or RM250.00++ per set with wine pairing, available only on 24 December 2013, from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
To add to the Christmas mood, carollers will be performing some well-loved Christmas carols at the hobby and restaurants of our hotel on 24 and 25 December 2013. Santa Claus will be making an appearance and we hear that he’ll be giving out presents to the children.

tomcat says – If you’re a wine lover, I suggest you go for the full wine pairing as one glass won’t be enough. If you’re planning to visit the restaurant on Christmas eve make sure you call ahead to make a booking to avoid disappointment.
Romantic Ambiance: 8.5/10
Parking: Ample parking in the hotel’s basement after working hours

Grill 582 is located in:
BEST WESTERN PREMIER Dua Sentral
8, Jalan Tun Sambanthan,
50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Phone : +603 2272 8888
Email : duasentral@bestwestern.com.my or fb2sentral@bestwestern.com.my
More info at https://www.facebook.com/bwp2sentral or http://www.bestwesternmalaysia.com/hotels/dua-sentral-2

Photos shot with the Sony NEX-5T. More info at https://timchew.net/2013/10/01/sony-new-camera-2013-launch/ or http://www.sony.com.my

Relaxing at Punch Bar & Lounge after dinner