Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar, The Gardens Residences, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia

Address:
The Gardens Residences Level 6,
The Gardens, Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia

Opening Hours:
Lunch (Mon-Fri): 12pm-2pm 
Dinner (Mon-Sat): 6pm-10.30pm 
Closed on Sunday

Time Visited:
A day after New Year's Day, Monday (Public Holiday)

Attire worn:
Casual

Item(s) Ordered (Photos taken as inconspicuous as possible with my phone):
The Discovery Seasonal Lunch Set which consists of my chosen 
1) Cold Somen Noodle with Boston Lobster, Avruga Caviar and Baby Cress 
2) Aged 120 Days Black Angus Beef Striploin with Truffle Mash
3) Belgian White Chocolate Glace with Raspberry Coulis and Ciku
and end it all with coffee

I usually have my reservations in visiting fancy upscale restaurants as this one because being a lone diner of one, it kinda feels odd dining in places such as these and sometimes you just have to wonder whether do you need a reservation to dine at these places or can you just walk-in. But on that day after New Year's day, I decided to take my chances in being a walk-in diner of one.

I took quite a while before I braved myself to walk in there. Over at the front, there were no maitre d to greet me and so I walked on further in. At the bar area, there's a mixologist making drinks and as I was approaching the dining area, a waitress started to attend to me. I said I wanted a table for one and they ask me under what name? I said I didn't have a reservation. They then ask me to sit at the front there and wait a moment while they prepare a place for me. After a little while of waiting, they showed me in and it was all prepared for with 2 small pieces of Set menus to choose from as well. I then decided to go for the seasonal menu as my choice with the preferred items as listed above before the pictures.

Aside from a little awkwardness felt at the beginning, the rest of my dining experience here was excellent. I never felt out of place after I sat down. They attended to me every step of the way and were very hospitable and attentive. Your glass of water will never be empty and you won't have a finished plate in front of you for more than 5 minutes. When I sat down, a welcome drink was already served and present in front of me. Can't really recall what the drink was since it was a while since I ate there and I have a really bad and faulty memory but it's definitely a very refreshing drink.

Before any of the items on the menu was served, like any upscale restaurant, I was given bread to eat while I wait. I was even asked if I wanted a refill of the bread and of course I declined. If I were to eat more bread I'm sure I wouldn't be able to enjoy any of my meal any longer since I'll be stuffed. LOL.

The appetizer that I went for was the Cold Somen Noodle with Boston Lobster, Avruga Caviar and Baby Cress. Though small in size as it may look, yet it's enough. The presentation as expected was impeccable and certainly is eye catching. Every ingredient in it seems to be vital for the dish. If you just take away one of the ingredient, I'm sure it would taste differently and not as nice. Caviar provided a bit of a sweetness to it and the lobster some chew to it with the smooth somen complementing the ingredients well.

Next came my main dish which is the Aged 120 Days Black Angus Beef Striploin with Truffle Mash. It tasted heavenly and produces a succulent feel on the meet. Not very chewy but just a little bit of bite to it and it's juicy. I think they've put some wine in it. It has some sweet taste to it. Certainly a great experience in eating it. I can't remember how the Truffle Mash was since again, my memory had failed me on that. LOL.

I ended the meal with the Belgian White Chocolate Glace with Raspberry Coulis and Ciku as dessert. Though it may look simple with just a cup mountain with some red sauce at the bottom (which is the Raspberry Coulis) yet it's flavors were complex when I dug into it. There were chunkful of White Chocolate Glace hidden, blending well with the ice cream factor. Eating on it's own already proves to be heaven sent yet if you scoop it up with some raspberry coulis, it will give off a different taste with the sweetness of the raspberry being the stronger taste. And when you eat it with some Ciku as well, you'll get another type of taste where it provides a more excellent unique mixture. All of it really worked well together and it's like a well oiled machine that you can taste each individual ingredients even though together yet taste differently if there's one of it less. Also, altogether, it's a really well balanced taste. Not something overly sweet nor too bland/not enough sweetness.

Total Wallet Damage:
RM176. Though the price may seem dear, if you take a look at what they gave, it's actually quite a bargain. And the taste and dining experience of this place was well worth the RM176. There's 6% GST incurred. Wait a minute. I just realized I was charged the 1 liter bottle of water called Sole Still which costs RM24.53. Should've finished the RM26 bottle of water and take it home. LOL

Final Verdict:
9.5/10. Okay. Aside from that sneaky RM26 bottle of water, this place is well worth visiting especially for an occasion. The food was more than great, the service was tip top, and the ambiance was nice. Price-wise may be expensive for an everyday meal, but for a once in a while treat, it's perfect. In fact, if you scrutinize on the items, you'll fine that it's worth the money. I would highly recommend eating here for a once in a while treat. Currently, it's Chef Daniel that churns out these delectable dishes for the Set Lunches.