MIGF 2018 Menu at 2OX, Kuala Lumpur

[MIGF 2018]

 

2OX is pronounced as “two ox” in reference to two (2) oxen which are also referred to as bullocks in certain countries (hence the name bullock carts). The establishment is a 90-seater modern French with a Mediterranean twist cuisine bistro, and is takes up two (2) lots along the redeveloped The Row KL (formerly Asian Heritage Row) along Jalan Doraisamy (next to Sheraton Imperial KL Hotel) in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

2OX was established in 2015, and was soon known as one of Kuala Lumpur’s most authentic French eateries (although I must add that there weren’t too many authentic French eateries in KL at the time, less than 10 actually). The cosy bistro and bar is reminiscent of a chic Parisian café along the banks of the Seine.

The light and airy interior has been designed with clean lines, white marble tables, dark wooden chairs and a very Instagrammable and eye-catching mural that draws the eye to the centre of the restaurant. The bistro is actually a pretty versatile venue and is suitable for a romantic dinner for two, lunch/ dinner with clients, a rendezvous with friends, or even private events!

  

 

 

 

The kitchen is helmed by Chef Phillip Murray Dominic who recently returned from an extended trip to Europe. Chef Phillip’s new menu is curated from a wealth of fresh ideas he gained from that fruitful experience. He trained at top restaurants in France, Italy and Austria, honing his expertise in Southern French and Mediterranean cuisines. His menu includes the use of fresh ingredients, bright and robust flavours, brought together with a Mediterranean twist.

Now on to the MIGF 2018 menu at 2OX:

 

Amuse-Bouche

Grilled Octopus with Tomato and Hazelnut Oil Chilled Soup – Sea Salt and Porcini Froth

This was basically Chef Philip showing off his skills in making an exquisite amuse bouche which combined various flavours and textures – a hint of things to come! We enjoyed the smoky octopus and then washed it down with the shooter which was simply bursting with piquant, rich, savoury and earthy flavours! Wow! Talk about a great first impression indeed!

 

Starter 

Tiger Prawns Torchons with Marinated Trout Roe, Crispy Seaweed, Piquillo Pepper Gastrique and Candied Pine Nuts

Paired with Lavila Sauvignon Blanc Cotes De Gascogne 2016, France

We had the MIGF 2018 menu with wine pairing, and the first pairing was the tiger prawns paired with a very refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. The wines are of decent quality for the pricing (additional RM80 on top of the MIGF menu) and paired well with the dishes, enhancing the flavours! Oddly enough, I’m not a huge fan of wines, however I really like wine pairing dinners as I feel that the wines add a whole new dimension to the dishes.

This bright and colourful starter was the most Insta-friendly dish on the MIGF menu and is simply beautiful to behold. Taste wise, it was delicious with the umaminess of the trout roe quite literally busting on the palate, complementing the fresh prawns which were so sweet, while the candied pine nuts just balance everything up! An elegant, pretty, and well-balanced starter indeed!

  

 

Main Course 1

Emmental and Hazelnut Gratin Seabass Fillet

with Braised Cauliflower and Smoked Shallot Veloute

The best part of this dish was the skin of the seabass which was encrusted with Emmental (cheese!) as well as hazelnuts – providing tons of flavour to the beautifully cooked seabass. The veloute sauce provided a hint of smokiness which was quite interesting as usually the smoky element is added to meat dishes.

 

 

Main Course 2

“Tongue & Cheeks” (Beef Two Ways)

18 Hours Braised Angus Beef Cheeks, Josper Grilled Ox Tongue, Tomatillo Relish and Parisian Gnocchi

Paired with Domaines Barons De Rothschild Legend Bordeaux Rouge 2015, France

The wine was a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and was quite full-bodied, making it an ideal pairing with the beef. The melt in the mouth beef cheeks were in start contrast with the more chewy texture of the ox tongue. Nevertheless, both were delicious and went well with the tomatillo relish and the red wine which was quite full-bodied and added an extra dimension to this dish. The Parisian gnocchi was there to make this a bit more of a substantial dish – something I really appreciate as I sometimes have to stop by McDonald’s for supper on the way home from some expensive/ fine-dining dinners due to the incredibly small portions.

 

  

Dessert

Walnut and Carrot Cake

served with Cinnamon Brown Butter Crème Fraiche and Banana Dulce

Paired with Dow’s Fine Ruby Port, Porto, Portugal

The best part of this hearty dessert was the chocolate ball on the top which went oh so well with the port (which tasted like a sweet prune juice)! The walnut and carrot cake was complemented by the cinnamon brown butter creme fraiche which added lots of richness (do go easy on it!).

  

The Full MIGF Menu at 2OX is priced at RM140 nett per person without wines, and RM220 nett per person with wines.

  

  

It is an incredibly affordable and value for money menu, featuring a four-course (I don’t count the amuse bouche as a full course) menu which includes TWO (20 main courses! If you were to try get something similar during normal days at a French restaurant/ bistro in Kuala Lumpur, it would probably cost double or more, hence this is a very good opportunity to celebrate a special occasion with your loved one with some good food and wines, in a very presentable setting!

 

 

2OX is located at:

54, Jalan Doraisamy,

50300 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

 

Telephone: 03 2692 2233

Website: http://www.two-ox.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2OXKL/

For more info on MIGF, head over to http://www.migf.com/

 

 

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All the photos above with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro watermark were shot with my Huawei Mate 10 Pro. The rear cameras of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro are a 20 MP Monochrome + 12 MP RGB, with f/1.6 aperture, OIS (Optical image stablization), BSI CMOS. Dual-LED flash. PDAF + CAF + Laser + Depth auto focus, 2x Hybrid Zoom.

I did make minor edits to the photos using the stock apps (that came with the phone) to adjust the lighting, white balance (for the portrait pics as the interior had warm yellow lighting) and to crop the photos. However to be entirely honest, I’m a very lazy person when it comes to editing/ post-processing photos, and with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, its artificial intelligence (AI) function automatically identifies the scene and adjusts the camera settings to best suit it. Incredibly convenient and it saves me a huge amount of time and effort!

For more info, head over to https://consumer.huawei.com/my/phones/mate10-pro/

 

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