Melur & Thyme at Suria KLCC: Restaurant Review

Crossing kopitiam charm with contemporary flourishes, Melur & Thyme blossomed this month at KLCC, offering one of this mall’s most intriguing new options in a long time.

Melur & Thyme’s air-conditioned interior and alfresco roadside area both boast an understated elegance with inventive elements, a testament to an East-meets-West restaurant that strives to meld nostalgia with novelty. Last Friday’s opening evening proved more peaceful than expected; Melur & Thyme is hidden on a seldom-traversed corridor somewhere on KLCC’s Isetan wing.

Fois Gras Burger

Melur & Thyme’s prices are reasonable; the menu’s costliest choice is the foie gras burger (RM39 before taxes), featuring a house-minced beef patty marinated with herbs and spices, grilled to respectable tenderness and topped with a little liver, not much. Sufficient foie, for what it costs.

Tapas

Tapas are a treat; folks can sample a multitude. We skipped the Western one (lamb meatballs, crumbed goat cheese, salmon croquettes) and focused on Eastern fare like this “Devil Red Curry,” duck braised with chili and coconut milk (RM15, with bread or rice).

Quail

Quail, prepared with lime leaves, lemongrass, onion, garlic, galangal and ginger (RM11), makes for a juicily addictive treat. Use your fingers, then lick ’em.

Hits and Some Misses

Some misses should be noted though: the Penang char kuey teow (RM18) with shredded duck meat is commendable for its bouncy prawns, but its cockles tasted stale; somewhat surprising, since this was Melur & Thyme’s first night in business.

A Take on Peking Duck

This take on Peking Duck (RM29) employs ‘roti jala’ instead of the thin pancakes. Lots of crunchy veggies complement the fleshy, flavorsome meat, though to be sure, the combo tastes very little like Peking Duck. No harm in that.

Pasta

This look familiar? Melur & Thyme is run by folks behind Hartamas’ now-closed Duck N Such. The carbonara spinach tagliatelle with smoked duck (RM28) shows substantial improvement, coated in a creamy duck egg sauce that’s moreish to the max.
Entry on Duck N Such: July 5, 2012.

Striving for Halal

Melur & Thyme is seeking a halal certification, so beverages are limited to the likes of this watermelon honey juice and caffe latte.

Head to Chinoz On The Park for your Cocktail Fix

No matter; for our cocktail fix, it’s easy enough to ease over to, say, Chinoz On The Park.

Sangria Goes East (dry sake, white wine, shochu, citrus fruits), Zen-Ti-Ni (vodka, ginger essence, lime), Crime of Passion (cane spirit, creme de cassis, passion fruit) and Shocking Pink (cacacha, apple juice, pitaya, chocolate blanc, fresh cream).