The Fine Dining by Victoria Station

Victoria Station has long established itself as a household name as one of the longest serving when it comes to steak houses in Kuala Lumpur, but unbeknownst to many, they established a sister restaurant, one that serves fine dining French cuisine which seeks to bring Paris to your doorsteps. This establishment is simply known as The Fine Dining.

Located on the upper level of Victoria Station on Jalan Ampang, The Fine Dining is helmed by Executive Chef Jean-Luc Lundy, who has numerous titles to his name including the Benson & Hedges 5 star Award for Bagatelle. Chef Jean’s expertise can be seen through his interpretations of dishes using French techniques giving classical cuisine a slightly modern twist. Jean-Luc Lundy was born in France and worked as an apprentice chef at Maxim’s Poitiers, then Carlton hotel in Cannes and Potbelly et Chabot in Paris. He opened his own venture in Sydney named Bagatelle, which were awarded 5 stars for food, wine list and 2 rubans for service in Australia. When asked what his philosophy towards food was, he replied: –

“My philosophy for cooking in any cuisine and particularly French is freshness of products and products that come from a free chemical environment. I really enjoy making new dishes, it makes my life sparkle and I would sat dessert is my favourite dish to make as it is so precise in every aspect of the making.” – Jean-Luc Lundy, Executive Chef of The Fine Dining. 

The Fine Dining is located above Victoria Station on the upper floor. Where Victoria Station is designed to feel like you are actually in Victoria Station in London, The Fine Dining takes a different direction with its simplistic and modern setting, perfectly minimalist where the concentration is focused on the dishes themselves. With a small but intimate dining area, The Fine Dining is perfect for business meetings and small family occasions.

The Dining

The first soup course was the Crème of Zucchini with Enoki Mushrooms, a well thought out classical dish with a modern twist. The mild and buttery flavour of the zucchini soup is well balanced with the presence of the enoki mushrooms adding texture and umami flavours. The enoki was planted on a small dollop of mashed potato, giving the soup some volume and adding to its richness.

The second soup course, the Cappuccino Morel Soup was quite the interesting twist. This dish is served in a cappuccino cup and if not by its strong aroma, could easily be mistaken for a warm cup of coffee. This dish was layered with morels on the bottom, and bodied with a flavourful mushroom consommé. This dish is then topped up with servings of egg white foam, giving it a nice contrast of textures.

The first entrée that was served was the Duo of White and Green Asparagus in a Mousseline Sauce, a very light but understated dish. The contrast of flavours of the white and green asparagus plays well with the mild flavour of the mousseline sauce with drops of basil oil. This dish is very well balanced and the flavours of the white asparagus are especially pronounced and are able to shine.

The second entrée to be served was the Tartar of Oyster in an envelope of Apples, a modern take on a classical dish. The metallic taste of the oyster is sealed in the apple jelly, giving it a great contrast of sweet, tangy and briny. Umami flavours of the sea and land are made more prominent with the fresh seaweed and enoki mushrooms.

The third entrée to be served was the Scallops with Witloff. The perfectly seared scallops are dressed with a side of edible flowers and witloff (endive), which make the perfect spoonful of crunchy vessels. The lime dressing is perfect for the fresh scallops and adds a nice zesty but creamy flavour to the dish.

The fourth entrée to be served was the Prosciutto of Duck with Rock Melon. This dish is a great take on a traditional Italian appetiser. Usually served with parma ham, this dish takes a pork free approach by replacing the rich flavour of a prosciutto with the deep flavours of the duck. This dish works remarkably well and is balanced with the sweetness of the thin slices of rock melon centred with a scoop of rock melon sorbet.

The next dish to be served was the palate cleanser, the Sangria Granita. Chef Jean has truly taken some classical European dishes and taken a continental approach. The granita consists of the fruity flavours of the sangria with a sour punch, opening up your taste palate to savour the main course.

The main course, and star of the night, was The Tomahawk TFD Style. This hefty serving of prime cut tomahawk is grilled to perfection, with the right amount of pink on the inside. Served medium rare, the meat is still succulent and juicy, which is achieved through proper grilling and resting. Served with a side of charcoal bread and homemade tomato sauce, the dish is allowed to sing whether being served on its own, or complimented with three of Victoria Station’s iconic house sauces, their black pepper, mushroom and brown sauce.

The dessert of the night was the Mango Flambé, a traditional French dish with an Asian fruit twist. The mango is flambéed in bourbon imparting a strong perfume which adds to the fragrant and fruity aroma from the mango, altogether caramelised in the pan before being served with a dollop of home made vanilla bean ice cream.

At most restaurants, you would get a nice cup of coffee to end the meal, which is nothing spectacular, except at The Fine Dining. Here, they serve you an Irish Coffee. Usually quite a simple drink to make, this was taken to a whole new level. Caramel is made from scratch using brown sugar, which is then used to coat the glass itself. When asked what his favourite dish to prepare Chef Jean-Luc replied: –

“If I have to make a special dish for friends and family for a special occasion, it would be a Bouillabaisse Marseillaise which is a seafood dish. It is a costly dish but it will let me have plenty of time to seat with my friends and family during the meal itself.”

The Fine Dining Experience

The Fine Dining offers a great selection with its latest menu that can only be born from the passion of a great chef, and best of all, it’s pretty much a steal for the quality you get for its very reasonable pricing. Do try out the special menus, a great place for classical french cuisine.

_{| PHOTOGRAPHY BY:VICTORIA STATION & NICHOLAS NG  | WEBSITE: THE FINE DINING BY VICTORIA STATION |}