Last week, Cristallo Di Luna in Pacific Regency Hotel Suites launched an all new menu, comprising of western classics with a Malaysian twist in some of the dishes. The launch included a total of 18 delectable dishes and it was food galore time for me to try out what’s new and cooking, while enjoying the glimmering KL city at night from the 34 th floor.
Appetizer – Salad
1. Timbale of Smoked Chicken and Avocado with Chili Mango Salsa, Watercress and Hazelnuts Salad. 
It may seem like a typical chicken mayo salad but the robust smoky flavor with added smoothness from the avocado and thin layer of mayo with crispy watercress will tantalize your taste buds.
2. Warm Seared Scallops and Prawn with Ruby Red Grapefruit, Orange and Frisee Salad, Piquillo Coulis. 
The prawns and scallops are grilled to perfection and with the use of red pepper coulis as light dressing, the freshness of this seafood combo is accentuated. When you encounter bits of grapefruit or orange which are not quite visible in the picture, it adds another sweet and sour fruity flavor to the refreshing salad.
3. Re-Invented Buffalo Mozzarella Stuffed in Roma Tomato, Pine Nuts, Arugula and Basil Emulsion. 
Savoring the textures are the fun part for this dish. The mozzarella used here has a different texture as opposed to the sliced circular, smooth mozzarella. It is more bumpy and lumpy, while the crunch from the pine nuts and the intense basil emulsion complete the dish.
4. Carpaccio of Tuna, Nicoise Sald with Balsamic and Basil Oil
This dish topped with cherry tomatoes and olives is simple. The seared tuna is not bad albeit I would like it just a little more seared – maybe about 0.3cm – 0.5 cm at the circumference.
Appetizer – Soup
5. Kaffir Scented Lobster Soup with Sea Scallop, Coconut foam.
This intense lobster bisque is something that will be rousing my cravings from time to time and it is my favorite among all the dishes. It was pretty exciting to see one big lobster in the pot when I was scooping the soup. The addition of coconut foam is a lovely tropical twist to this classic deep-hued soup. Pop in a few scallops to double up the seafood frenzy.
6. Alive Farm Free Range Chicken Consomme with Seafood Abalone Ravioli.
With an Asian twist to the classic Italian ravioli, chunks of juicy abalone are the stars in this dish. The chicken consomme though was too mild.
Mains – Poultry
7. Pan Seared Duck with Foie Gras, Citrus Spiced Plum, Roasted Sweet Potato, Kai Lan Stem, Crispy Leave and Jus. 
Heavily infused with the taste of foie gras, this fusion dish with kai lan and plums is an intriguing dish. At one point, I thought the dish was getting a bit heavy and that’s when I found out the use of the plums (hiding behind all the duck meat) – cooked till tender to add a sweet balancing tone to the dish.
8. Alive Farm Free Range Almond Chicken Roulade with Garlic & Thyme, Silken Pumpkin Puree, Sous Vide Baby Vegetables, Cafe au Lait Sauce.
The grilled, crisp chicken roulade is resplendent of colors, sitting on golden pumpkin puree, orange cafe au lait sauce, adorned with baby vegetables with a sprinkle of almonds. It would have been nice if the roulade had something wrapped within so it would be an adventure trying to see what’s hiding inside.
9. Grilled Marinated Alive Farm Free Range Chicken Supreme, Roasted Meditarranean Vegetables in Tomato Case, Confit Garlic Puree, Basil Scented Oil and Jus.
Oops – I missed out on this one as there were too many dishes to sample.
Mains – Meat
10. Grilled Tenderloin of Black Angus Beef, Pommes au Dauphinoise, Fricassee of Wild Mushroom, Glazed Baby Onions, Truffle Scented Oil. 
The contrasting flavors of buttery mushrooms and sourish glazed baby onions are splendid toppings to the tender, medium rare tenderloin.
11. Confit Canon of Lamb, Cream Celeriac, Asparagus, Pine Nuts Crumble, Mint Jelly, Honey Grain Mustard and Jus.
Another supple medium rare meat oozing with meat juices every time I dug my knife into it. The pine nuts crumble added an unusual nutty flavor to the lamb, best eaten with the accompanying mint jelly and mustard sauce.
Mains – Fish
12. Grilled Salmon Fillet, Asparagus-Bean and Sesame Salad, Lebanese Eggplant Puree and Red Capsicum Coulis and Caviar.
Occasional salty pops from the caviar added an extra flavor from the sea. The sauces are balanced with rich eggplant puree and light capsicum coulis.
13. Oven Baked Cod Fillet, Mascarpone and Asparagus Orzo Risotto, Flying Fish Rose, Saffron Butter Sauce.
Fans of creamy dishes will love this dish because it is all about creaminess – from the cod fish which is velvety in texture, to the cheesy risotto and the buttery sauce. Having said that – the dish might be too creamy for some.
Dessert
14. “Teh Tarik” Ginger Panna Cotta, Kaya Butter Toast.
This one is my favorite among all the desserts. There is a twist in everything here. The panna cotta is given a Malaysian twist using the teh tarik flavor, while the teh tarik itself is given a twist too with an unique ginger flavor. The only thing is – it’s too sweet for me but I think the sweetness is on par with the ones you would get at a mamak store.
15. Chilled Strawberries, Passion Fruit and Mango Soup in Pavlova Bowl.
With an interesting mix of fruity flavors, this dessert needs a bit of DIY as the strong passion fruit/mango juice is poured into the bowl just before consumption.
16. Chocolate Spiced Torte, Lemon Sherbet, Light Hazelnut Custard.
The chocolate cake is nicely adorned with a chocolate stick though the taste is rather standard.
17. Espresso Creme Brule with Vanilla Foam.
The espresso creme brule has a powerful taste, even stronger than a typical espresso and it’s an excellent substitute for those who like to enjoy coffee after dinner.
18. Avocado & Mint Charlotte, Caramelized Kumquat and White Chocolate Shavings.
The peculiar duo of avocado and mint didn’t strike me too much as avocado itself is quite bland and the weak mint flavor remained in the background.
More Information
Cristallo Di Luna Facebook
Address: Jalan Punchak, Off Jalan P.Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (In Pacific Regency Hotel Suites)
Tel: +603 2332 7777
Opening Hours : Mon – Thu : 5 pm – 1 am. Fri – Sat : 5 pm – 3.00 am. Sun: 5 pm – 1 am.
