MediTeca, Fraser Place - For Tapas & Wine Lovers

ATTENTION FOODIES!!! If you've been craving for Southern Europe Cuisine, DO NOT MISS THIS!!!

Ever since I've been back, I hardly got the chance to enjoy myself to SUCH an extent! MediTeca satisfied every fiber of my being in terms of Southern Europe cuisine! Great ambiance, soothing music, amazing food, addictive wines, friendly service and relatively affordable price!

It's a Mediterranean Restaurant, Wine and Tapas Bar located in the Fraser Place, which is about 5 minutes walking distance from KLCC.

With all the great comments above, here are some evidences to back it up:

The Bar

The entrance with some of their products on the counter.

The ground floor dining area; minimalistic, with a beautiful combination of modern and rustic design, as well as delicate table settings.

A wine cooler, right behind our table.

The upper floor:

Ground floor view from the upper floor.

We were using our iPhones so the quality of the pictures kinda sucks (sorry Apple!), but ANY photos taken would pale in comparison to the real deal. The ambiance, atmosphere, and design were AMAZING. These pictures hardly do it justice.

Before everything else, complimentary breads were served with olive oil and vinegar:

Served along with olive oil and vinegar bottled in a small sprayer
(I've got no idea why but it was kinda inconvenient.)

Despite the breadsticks being slightly too hard, we enjoyed it.

And here comes our poisons of the night:

A beautiful shot of the 'poisons' taken by Ms. Kelly.
From left to right; Marsanne Roussanne Viognier, Rosé, Pinot Noir.

Left: Turkey Flat Marsanne Roussanne Viognier, 2011 (Australia). (RM 45/glass)
Right: Saint Clair Marlborough Pinot Noir, 2011 (New Zealand). (RM 36/glass)

Frankly, I'm not a fan of red wine, especially towards Pinot Noir because it tastes spicy to me. Unexpectedly, the Saint Clair Marlborough is quite to my liking; a bouquet of ripe cherry and blackcurrants, with raspberry and hints of vanilla on the palette and fine tannin, making it an easy wine to go with most dishes of the night (apart from the Foie Gras and Malaga Salad).

Maybe it was the young age which makes it less spicy and complex? Beats me.

The Marsanne Roussanne Viognier was a good blend of white that I enjoyed as much as the Pinot Noir. It had a refreshingly sweet scent of orange blossom and a subtle pear flavor. Having a sip to wash down the Malaga Salad is probably one of our wisest decision of the night! 

Turkey Flat Rose 2012 (Australia). (RM 45/glass)

An accidental, artistic shot taken by me! 

My main reason for dining in MediTeca is because they are serving the Rosé, by glass. I'm a partial to Rosé and was so delighted when I saw it in the beverage menu in their website and immediately called for a reservation!

Slightly pale and light with a balance of decent dryness and sweetness, the Turkey Flat gives out an aroma of mixed berries and an herbal-raspberry on the palette with a clean and crisp finish; best wine of the night, in my opinion. It was so good that both of us decided to have it go with every dishes - from tapas to dessert!

I've mentioned a few dishes up there and it's time to reveal them:

Creamy Pumpkin and Ginger Soup with Truffle Croutons (RM 18)

I've read some great reviews about this, but when I try it  for myself I was STILL blown away. 

The soup was so fine there is hardly any pumpkin bits in it. It was creamy but not overwhelming while the mild flavor of ginger spiced up the soup making it really addictive! And finally, the clever accompaniment of truffle croutons cements its position on the "The Best Soups in Town" list. I wanted to order another SO BAD, but held myself back for other dishes. Tough decision though.

Almond Soup with Shrimp Carpaccio, Sauteed Prawns and Sultana Puree (RM 22) 

After pouring the almond soup

Looks and sounds tempting and delicious, turned out to be just alright and nowhere near fantastic. The shrimp carpaccio was too raw for me that it actually caused my throat to go all itchy after a few bites. Sensitive foodies beware! However, the sautéed prawns were quite juicy with a satisfying tender texture. I didn't think the almond soup went well with the crustaceans, but it tasted fine on its own. It was quite unique nonetheless.

It is probably a wrong move for the waiter to serve the almond soup second as it is a cold dish and was less flavorsome than the pumpkin soup.

Skewers of Beef Strip Loin with Red Wine Reduction (RM 6 each OR RM 16 for 3)

The moment they went into our mouths, we immediately regretted only ordering one each - it was so juicy, so tender, so flavorsome that it's even better than a regular steak! The strip loins are really well marinated with red wine while the garlic cloves are so well cooked that it's ridiculously soft as if it was a layer of fat in between of the meats! Ms. Kelly preferred to have the beef without the garlic though.

Using rosemary as seasoning is another brilliant choice as it creates a beautiful harmony with the red wine sauce and just elevated the flavor of the meat into perfection! We savor every bit of this wonderful dish including the mash soaked in the red wine reduction! Not to mention washing it down with the Pinot Noir or the Rosé... that's the moment when the phrase "C'est la Vie!" resonate in our bodies and hearts!

Malaga Salad with Cod, Potato, Orange, Onion, Black Olives and Yogurt (RM 14)

That's a salad. Not a dessert.

It's okay, Ms. Kelly and I thought it was a dessert of some sorts too when this salad without any greens was served. The oranges just went beautifully with the cod, it blew our expectations (and minds) out of the ballpark.

Being "unearthly" as it is, the salad turned out to be really satisfying! The oranges were really fresh, sour on the first bite but finishes with a lingering sweetness. It was a great initiator on the palette and balanced the rest of the ingredients!

The potato served as a base texture for the dish and the onions were subtly sweet. I personally enjoyed the olives as the sourness it gave from time to time surprised me every time. Finally, the top layer of yogurt was a satisfying ornament which also lifted the flavor of the dish a little. Even the sauce on the side was a great accompaniment for the cod!

This is a dish that can be eaten as a whole but each ingredients can also be savor on its own. Ms. Kelly also suggested that having it with the mash from the beef skewer tasted great!

Braised, Fried and Sauteed Baby Octopus (RM 18)

Sounded promising but the deep fried one was really disappointing; it basically tasted very floury and salty, separated from the baby octopus. The other two were decent but not superb.

Mille-feuille of Foie Gras, Goat Cheese and Caramelized Apple (RM 30)

Served cold. A very well prepared foie gras, literally melted in our mouths! The goat cheese was an ideal match with the liver; it elevated the flavor of the dish by giving it a little saltiness, while the caramelized apple gave a little taste of sweet and sour as well as texture.

It's quite creative and very different from the foie gras dishes I usually have.
Highly recommended for foie gras lovers!

Yes, it's the skewers of beef strip loins again. We actually decided to skip mains but went for another portion of these AMAZING skewers! This time we went for the 3-sticks portion and finally satisfied our cravings for them - on that night at least.

Just when I thought that Ms. Kelly's tummy was filled after the skewers, she eagerly pointed at the Yogurt Mousse with Mango Cream when I passed her the dessert menu. I was really surprised but it seems like she is utterly satisfied with the dinner, as much as I did, anyway.

Dessert:

Yogurt Mousse with Mango Cream (RM 16)

I know it looks good (thanks to Kelly's photography skills), but the flavor is kinda off putting. We're not sure what went wrong; maybe the yogurt was too strong or the mango too mild? There just wasn't any harmony between the ingredients. Not recommended.

Warm Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla Ice-cream (RM 18)

Recommended by the waitress and it just wowed us. Crispy on the outside and soft inside, amazingly flavorsome with all the gushing chocolate after a cut. The perfect fondant to go with vanilla ice-cream and pistachios bits on the side! A true sweet ending for such a wonderful meal.

MediTeca is one of the restaurant that all the foodies will never want to miss! Creative and delicious dishes; romantic, modern and relaxing ambiance; great music selections and well adjusted volume that totally blend in with the ambiance; suggestive, friendly and welcoming service. The only flaw is that there is no view as its on ground level, but that's just nitpicking.

Whether it's for a regular gathering or couples' dining; whether you're after a few glasses of drinks & snacks or a full meal, MediTeca can easily accommodate these desires and ensure you a pleasurable dining experience.

Overall Ratings:
Food:                9/10
Creativity:       8/10
Ambiance:       9/10
Service:            8/10
Pricing:             9/10

Feel free to refer to the website for their full menu, from tapas to dessert, as well as the beverages. Also, this is their Facebook Page for those who're interested.

Kuala Lumpur
Address: Lot 163, Fraser Place, Jalan Perak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Contact: +603-2181 2426
Operating Hours: Mon - Sat, 11.30am - 12am

Credits: 
Authro: Ang Joonkie
Companion of the night: Kelly Teong
Editor: Harrison Tan

Photos of the day: