Prime, Le Meridien Hotel KL

I've heard so much about Prime at Le Meridien that when The Father wanted to head over for its 'Ralph's Goulburn Valley Beef' promotion that ran from January - February, the Husband and I readily tagged along. 

Known for its incredible ambience, exquisite steak and equally exquisite prices, we've read so many rave reviews that our expectations were sky-high. I'm not a fan of steak, but I was pretty sure a restaurant of that calibre would create decent non-steak dishes too.

Entrance to Prime 

Luscious lounge area

Sleek and stylish table setting

Upon first impression, I could see why so many people are taken by the restaurant. The ambience exudes class and elegance, and the decor is sleek, sophisticated and extremely tasteful while still radiating warmth. I sank into one of the high plush leather chairs, and felt all the stresses of the previous week leave my body as I perused the classy surroundings and admired the huge open glass kitchen, which managed to be bustling yet calm at the same time.

Love the big, open kitchen

No hiding here!

We were immediately attended to, and handed four thick leather-clad menus, which we took our time perusing. The Father already knew what he wanted, and was fixated on his steak. I had a harder time choosing as this truly was a meat restaurant, and the seafood dishes they had on offer were rather ordinary stuff for rather extraordinary prices.

As much as I enjoy fine dining, I really hate paying RM80 for something like salmon when I know I can have it for less than half the price at an equally fine restaurant elsewhere.

Bread and butter that's out of this world!

We were served two types of freshly baked bread to start, accompanied by three types of butter - one infused with spinach, one salted, and one mixed with poppyseed, which I have to say were simply out of this world! The brown walnut bread was especially excellent, and so tasty even on its own, and all three varieties of butter were soft, ultra-creamy and so distinctive. I would have happily munched on bread all night, except, well, man cannot live on bread alone and all that...

Fresh Irish Oysters (RM70 for 1/2 dozen)

The Parents ordered a platter of fresh oysters to start, which came on a two-tiered platter accompanied with six different dressings! They finished this in the time it took me to write down the description, and when I looked up, all I saw were empty shells and satisfied smiles on their faces. It must have been really good, that's all I can say.

Australian crab cakes, chili flakes, garlic sauce and mango salsa (RM55)

The Husband and I opted to share a platter of crab cakes, which were a good size and pack full with delicious, juicy crab meat. I also really enjoyed the mango salsa - the sweet and slightly tangy flavour of the mango were a perfect pairing to the savoury crab cake and created a lovely burst of flavour in my mouth.

Our bottle of Reserve Perrin Cote Du Rhone
- earthy, elegant and well-balanced

Smile for the camera!

Simply the Best (RM125)

For her main course, The Mother ordered a platter called 'Simply the Best', which consisted of a Lamb Cutlet with rosemary-flavoured tomato fondue, a Charcoal-grilled Lamb Noisette on wilted spinach and a skewer of Lamb Loin with garlic cream and roasted baby potato. Let me say this, it was a BIG portion, and definitely worth ordering if you're a fan of this meat.

The various bits of lamb were well-cooked and seasoned, but all in all, nothing too spectacular, and the portion size was a bit of a turn off for The Mother who was expecting delicate-sized meat and not huge chunks of lamb enough to feed an army. Thankfully, she had both The Father and The Husband who were more than willing to help her finish her meal.

Lamb Shank (RM80)

Moving away from my traditional seafood, I ordered the slow-braised lamb shank, which came with saffron risotto and a crispy garlic bread. Thankfully, the portion was far more reasonable (and by that, I mean Jo Lene-sized, although I suspect it may not be quite enough if you have a voracious appetite like The Husband), and I really enjoyed this dish. The lamb was juicy and tender and fell off the bone the way it should, and the risotto was flavourful, creamy and rather lovely. It was my favourite dish of the evening.

Tenderloin with caramelised onion and Foie Gras pudding, green pea puree
and Yukon croquette with shallot confit (RM128)

The Father and The Husband both decided to order from the 'Ralph's Goulburn Valley Beef'' promotion menu. The Father opted for the tenderloin, which unfortunately arrived looking a little like aeroplane food - a huge chunk of meat on a white plate separated into four portions (seriously?) with a side of Foie Gras Pudding that neither looked nor tasted appetising.

The meat itself was chewy and rather tough and tasteless, and he had to drench it in sauce to make it more palatable. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't excellent either, which is really what you'd expect for paying RM128 for it. I wasn't a fan of the presentation nor the taste, and it was a real disappointment after all the hype we'd heard on Prime's excellent steak.

Striploin with mascarpone cheese potato cake, carrot confit
and jumbo asparagus with Sarawak peppercorn sauce (RM88) 

The Husband's Striploin fared much better. It was simply and elegantly presented, and the meat was tender and juicy although I still felt like it was lacking in flavour. And again, for that price, it really wasn't worth it.

Sauces to go with the steak 

Creme Brulee (RM25)

After our mixed experiences when it came to dinner, we decided to at least end our meal on a sweet note. I went for my usual favourite - the Creme Brulee, which I learned was made from creamy Tahitian vanilla beans. Served with fresh berries and fruits, this redeemed the night for The Father and me. Creamy, smooth, rich and elegant, it was the best Creme Brulee I've ever had, and each bite left us in speechless delight.

Chilled Mango Cheesecake (RM30)

The Husband felt the same way about the Chilled Mango Cheesecake, which consisted of layers of crumble, coconut cream jelly and a lovely mango-mousse in the middle topped with sweet, fresh mangoes on top. It was smooth and rich and the combination of flavours were quite heavenly. There was no doubt that desserts were the best part of the evening. 

I really, really wanted to like Prime and to rave about it the way others have. Unfortunately, I'm a very practical person, and as much as I love the fine-dining experience, I hate the idea of spending more than RM1000 for an equivalent meal that I could easily get elsewhere for less than half the price and double the taste! I don't mind forking out a fortune if the food is worth it - but with the exception of dessert, this really didn't quite hit the mark for me. 

(The Hedonist's Ratings)

Food: 3/5    Ambience: 5/5     Service: 5/5     Price: 2/5

Prime
Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur

2 Jalan Stesen Sentral

50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (+603) 2263 7555