Barramundi and tiger prawn

I wore a troubled expression one morning.  “I’m in a dilemma,” I said to my husband.

He stopped shaving his head and looked up.  “What is it?”

“I’m not sure how to put it,” I hesitated.  “Do you believe that you can love two people at the same time?”

“Errr….yes….I suppose,” he replied, bracing himself for my impending confession.  “Go on.”

Lobster bisque

“I don’t know what to do!” I wrung my hands in anguish.  “My hairstylist has moved to a new establishment, but if I move with him, I feel like I’m being disloyal to the existing hair salon where my hair colourist is.  I love them both.”

He held my hand, looked me in my face tenderly, and said, “Salad for dinner tomorrow night?”

Blue swimmer and soft shell crab

That night, we went to Pacifica to celebrate the only affair that mattered. Ours.

As far as appearances go, either you love Pacifica or you hate it.   The look is decadent with sheer curtains surrounding every table to offer you some semblance of privacy if you so need it.  Service is attentive and somewhat indulgent.   The glass bowls set in the wall used to house live fish, but now, the bowls only reflect one’s own image.

I whispered to Bald Eagle, “This place is perfect for an affair.”

Halibut fillet steak with Cafe de Paris butter sauce

If I had to generalise, I’d classify Mandarin Grill (in Mandarin Oriental) as the place to go to for steaks and grills, and Pacifica as the place to go to for seafood.   Not entirely accurate, of course, since one can find seafood, steaks, lamb, etc on both menus although the seafood menu at Pacifica is more extensive than at Mandarin Grill.  A wide variety of fish and shellfish is available at Pacifica.  One can easily be spoilt for choice in a sea of monkfish, lemon sole, halibut, cod, kingfish, barramundi, Scottish salmon, mulloway, seabass and lobster.

My lobster bisque (with XO cognac and mustard greens) was thick and rich and flavourful, its texture and colour quite different from that served at Mandarin Grill.  If I had to choose, this would be my favourite.  If I had to complain, I’d say that the portion was too small for the price paid.  If I had to be really picky, I’d say that I detest really deep soup bowls where finger acrobatics are required to maneuver the soup spoon to the depths of the ocean.  He had the blue swimmer crab cake and soft shell crab fritter, but I can’t really say much about it considering that I had a measly mouthful.  He seemed quite pleased with it, though, so perhaps it was remarkable.

He had the barramundi for mains while I ordered the halibut.  I found the halibut fillet steak a little too flaky, but in terms of flavour, it was clean and fresh.  I was more impressed with the Cafe de Paris butter sauce, a herbaceous butter sauce that appeared to have been cooked with earthy and distinctly flavoured chanterelles.  His barramundi and tiger prawn was simply magnificent.  Both fish and prawn were firm to the touch while the prawn was crisp and fresh.  The barramundi had a more complex flavour compared to the halibut, and overall, its pairing with parsley cauliflower mousseline, carrots and almond made for a delicious meal.

Sultan Lounge is beyond the glass wall

Prices are on the high side, and if we hadn’t used our MO elite club card, we’d have ended up paying through our noses.   (Email me if you’d like to know more about the card.)  If you haven’t been to Pacifica, it’s definitely worth a visit.  Plus with rumours abounding on Pacifica’s lifeterm (I can’t vouch for anything at this point), it may be wise to visit it soon.

Pacifica
Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-23808888

Dinner:
6pm – 1am
Monday – Saturday
Last order at midnight
Closed for lunch and Sundays

Dress code: Formal