We got there at dusk but there was just enough light left for us to snap a couple of pics before dinner. Of course having the Leica C with it’s F2.0 lens helped greatly as well. Both The Club at Saujana and the Saujana Hotel are on the edge of a beautiful lake with a fountain.

My partner-in-crime for the night

The Club at Saujana has it’s own large swimming pool.

Beautiful palm tree-lined pathways line the hotel

No this is NOT the swimming pool but a pond with some beautiful landscaped greenery around it. In fact I thought it was really nice that there was a lot of greenery around it the hotel.

And the pond is right next to the al-fresco dining area of The Restaurant and it adds a nice calming ambience. However as the night we visited was rather warm we decided to dine indoors in the cool aircon.

Now this is the interior of The Restaurant which has dark wood contrasting against the white table cloths and shiny cutlery. Stylish yet inviting and I think a nice romantic place to bring your partner.

On one side of the wall right after the open kitchen is the wine rack where a multitude of wines are stored. Don’t know much about wines? Ask the server there to recommend you a good one to go with your meal.

Right at the back is a private room that fits 20 pax and can be closed off for added privacy. See the glowing blue table? There’s a mini-open kitchen behind it where the chef can show off his skills to the diners.

This is the table setting for the specially prepared MIGF menu.

Now to dinner. An Amuse Bouche to start off the meal.

Salmon Carpaccio – Horseradish Panna Cotta, Marinated Radish, Yuzu Sorbet. Salmon served in three different styles! There was the Salmon Tartar with and onions, and a little piece of salmon which had some herbs encrusting it over the salmon carpaccio. The Horseradish Panna Cotta really added some zing while the Yuzu Sorbet (the thing that looks like a scoop of green ice cream) provided some quite interesting citrus flavours. Unlike any citrus fruit I’ve eaten before actually. The thinly sliced radish added a difference of texture when eaten with the salmon. Certainly an interesting dish and a creative way to showcase so many flavours in one dish!

Foiegrass Crème – Foiegrass, Duck Roll, Granny Smith Apple – had to borrow this pic from The Restaurant as for the life of me I have no idea where my own pic went. In the glass was a scoop of foie gras crème (think really rich ice crème) and smoked duck on top of a jelly made out of the Granny Smith apples. Wow! The richness of the foie gras was balanced out with the saltiness of the smoked duck and the sweetness of the jelly with all three having different textures. On the other side was a piece of smoked duck rolled around some foie gras mousse and a roll of smoked duck on top of a cracker, and the whole thing was topped off with delicate slices of Granny Smith apples. Please sir, can I have some more?

Grilled Hokkaido Scallop – Sweet corn Velouté, Young Sweet Corn. Scallops in a corn sauce? Sounds off right but this was a really REALLY hearty and heart-warming dish! The sweetness of the sweet corn sauce (which I thought was more like a really delicious soup) went so well with the scallops that even I was amazed. And as Chef Alexander likes to play with different textures there were pieces of young sweet corn (like baby corn) in the sauce.

Pan-Fried Seabass – Bouilla Baisse Sauce, Garlic Moussline, Ratatouille Vegetable. I loved the crispy skin of the seabass and the fish went so well with the sauce. I avoided the garlic though as it was our date night so well you get the picture. Everytime I eat Ratatouille I keep thinking of the little mouse cooking in the kitchen in the animated motion picture of the same name.

We had the Anakena Sauvignon Blanc to complement the fish.

Smoked Rack of Lamb & Confit Lamb Shoulder – Eggplant, Potato Fondant, Backed Potato Strudel. I absolutely hate it when restaurants overcook my meat and so I was very pleased to see the gorgeous pink colour of the perfectly cooked lamb rack. The baked potato strudle was a surprise I used it to mop up any remnants of the delicious sauce. The lamb was juicy and flavourful while the little crispy eggplant rolls provided a difference in texture! Not a single morsel bar the bones were left on this plate by the time I was done with it.

We opted for a glass of Chilean Merlot to complement the lamb – not too spicy or overpowering as to overwhelm the lamb.

Ultimate Chocolate Brownie – Iced Milk Mousse, Nougat Ice Cream, Berries. We were very fortunate that Chef Alexander had some time to personally complete the dessert in front of us!

Chef Alexander completing the dish by pouring the chocolate fudge on top.

When they said “ultimate” they really meant it! Rich flavours balanced out by the dark earthy taste of the chocolate with bursts of acidity from the berries. This dessert is nothing short of decadent!