Classy Champagne Sundays at Shook! Starhill Gallery, Bukit Bintang

Weekend brunches are a luxury to most of us. What more if it is a champagne brunch! Myself haven’t been to many, and was most fortunate to be on the invite list for the launch of the newest champagne brunch on the block just last Sunday.

Sundays at Shook! in Starhill Gallery, Bukit Bintang are now sparkled up with a touch of sophistication. The champagne of choice here is the superb Piper Heidsieck, which was awarded 91 points by Wine Spectator. For wine lovers, Cloudy Bay; one of  the best known “new world” wines will be served.

Though I’m not much of a drinker, I insistedly took a sip of the Piper Heidsieck & was rewarded with the excellent taste of smooth luxury in my mouth. Hhmm..

A charming bartender goes around with her little cart of sins, shaking up some hardcore cocktails as she merrily went round the dining tables.

And she shook up quite a mean Dry Martini, as attested by UnkaLeong.

Fresh oysters from the Pacifc Ocean are freshly shucked on the spot upon order & sent to our table. Yes, the buffet here is a tad different. Food is bought to your table, ensuring a touch of personalised service & absolutely hot piping food.

Occasional personalised service from the Chefs themselves. Nice! 😉

The dim sum cart. All items are HALAL.  :yes:

Freshly cut sashimi, deep fried tempura & freshly grilled skewered meat made their rounds throughout the duration of the brunch.

Prawn Cocktails with Melons…

The buffet spread showcased a good selection of desserts, appetisers, salads, soups & rustic bread. Fresh garden leaves, with a medley of fresh dressings, mediterranean inspired appetisers, a lovely cream of broccoli soup & a platter of gourmet cheese had most guests returning for several rounds.

Myself? I had to refrain from wolfing down loaves of bread & spoiling my appetite for the mains ..LOL.

A must stop over at the buffet table is the sacred “King of Cheeses” – the famous Brie de Meaux.
A French Brie cheese, Brie de Meaux has a thin, fluffy and white crust which reveals a straw yellow heart that is deliciously soft and creamy with a nutty flavour and a slight aroma of fermentation. At once strong yet refined, Brie de Meaux can be savoured and appreciated with most wines. Not surprising since its legendary appeal dates back to the 8^th Century when French Emperor Chalemagne loved it when he first tasted it at a monastery in Reuil-en-Brie.

From the desserts spread…

The main course is by order, with the menu being split into 2 sections, a Limited Order menu and Unlimited Selections Menu.

Limited Menu, choose ONE (1) per diner from the below:

Seafood Grill Platter – Seabass Fillet, Butterfish, Prawns and Flower Crab, Served with Grilled Lemon and Dill Butter Lemon Sauce.

Chin- Chin Tenderloin –Wok Seared Tenderloin With BBQ Sauce served on a bed of Sautéed Onions.

Live Sea Bass From e Tank – Tailor Made To Order.

Grain-Fed Beef – Medallion Tournedos Rossini.
– a beef steak with foie gras, well-loved and made famous by the Opera legend and composer of the 18^th Century, Giacchino Antonio Rossini himself!

Glazed Codfish with Honey Served on a bed of Asparagus and Crispy Onion Rings.

Steamed CodFish With Enoki Mushroom, Black Fungus.

Gyuniku Teppanyaki – Grain Fed Beef Teppanyaki Served with Garlic Fried Rice.

Mixed Grill Platter – Lamb Chops, Beef Steak, Sausage and Chicken Breast,Served with Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Onions With Black Pepper Sauce.

*****************************

Unlimited Selection Menu below:

Papardelle Pasta With Creamy Danish Blue Cheese Sauce And Filet Mignon.

Teppanyaki Kuruma Ebi – Teppanyaki of Tiger Prawn served with Garlic Fried Rice

Teppanyaki Kaisen- Teppanyaki of Mixed Seafood served with Garlic Fried Rice
Risotto flavored with Seafood Bisque Topped With Seared Prawn

Steamed Organic Seabass Fillet With Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime and Chili Paste

Wagyu Beef Burger Served with French Fries and Sautéed Mushrooms

Seared Salmon Steak With Braised Fennel, Grilled Asparagus And Herbs Butter Sauce

Open Face Asparagus and Cured Salmon Fritta Gratinated with Goat Cheese served with Bubble and Squeak and Rocket Salad

Udon Suki Seafood and Vegetables Noodles in Dashi Pot served in Claypot

******************************************

Chef Wai, whom I met during the Midsummer Nights Festival dinner, is now the Head Chef for Shook! and all the Feast Village outlets.

He tipped me about an excellent foie gras & truffle & beef dish available as part of the champagne brunch, which turned out to be the Medallion Tournedos Rossinion in the limited selection menu.

Well, both of us made excellent choices that day, with me happily devouring my flaky fresh sweet Cod (delicious!) and UnkaLeong coincidental ordering the Medallion Tournedos Rossinion. A beef lover, he couldn’t be happier lapping up the thick velvety foie gras & the perfectly medium tenderloin.

My Honey Glazed Cod:

From the unlimited selection menu, he ordered the Papardelle Pasta With Creamy Danish Blue Cheese Sauce & Filet Mignon. Not a fan of stinky cheese, I shuddered from the thought of a plate of tangled heap of thick pasta reeking of pungent cheese.

Fortunately for us, the chef churned out a plate of lovely papardelle with the right balance of pungency from the cheese. The ace was the filet mignon; again, ideal for the beef lover. A tip here, eat this when it is HOT.

I had to refrained from ordering my favourite food, the burger that afternoon. And here they used Wagyu for the patty! Resistance was painful! Luckily, we were pretty stuffed with the dim sum, chicken skewers, raw slivers of fish & tempura that constantly made their rounds in the lively dining area of Shook! so I didn’t order it in the end.

A journalist at the next table ordered it, and I unshamelessly queried if he liked it. Sadly, he finds it a bit dry for Wagyu. But fret not, he had given his feedback to the kitchen & the dish would most likely be improved.

Another friend ordered the Seafood Platter (Limited Menu) and he said the crustaceans had not died in vain. 😉

Stuffed from the mains, we moved on to desserts.

Unlimited Servings of Baskin Robbins Ice Cream and Japanese Ice Cream

Vanilla – Made with Fresh Cream and Real Vanilla
Very Berry Strawberry – Strawberry Ice Cream with Pieces of Real Strawberries
Chocolate – Extra Rich Chocolate Ice Cream
Praline and Cream – Vanilla Ice Cream with Praline-coated Pecan Pieces and a Caramel Ribbon
Rum and Raisin – Rum Flavoured Ice Cream with Yummy Raisins
Azuki Matcha – Green Tea Ice Cream served with Red Bean
Wasabi – Creamy, Infused with Fresh Wasabi Flavour
Goma – Refreshing Sesame Seed Flavoured Ice Cream

WASABI ice cream! Naturally, this was my 1st choice the moment I spied it on the menu. But  it’s snowy tint was deceiving. I had expected it to be sweet & mild but it was akin to eating frozen wasabi. Yes, it was that strong. I left it untouched after a few spoonfuls. Heheh.. I like my desserts to taste like desserts 😉 .

I then consoled myself with a Green Tea ice-cream, which was wonderfully well-balanced in flavour, plus a Cocoyam – Yam Ice Cream and Coconut Cream which was smooth & creamy. Both desserts were not too sweet. *happy*

The drinks menu.

Crepe Suzette Cart
Strawberry Coulis, Passion Fruit Coulis, Mango Coulis, Mix Berries Coulis, Raspberry Coulis
Almond Flake, Freshly Whipped Cream, Tangerine Sauce
Beverages
Champagne, Wines and Beer
Piper-Heidsieck Champagne
Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir and Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Carlsberg Draft
Cocktails
Classic Mojito
Blue Pineapple Mojito
e Perfect Margarita
Primo Berry Margarita
Coconut Margarita
Japanese Slipper
Lychee Martini
Mocktails
Strawberry Delight
Roselle Bumbung
Mojito Iced Tea
Mixberries Iced Tea
Tropical Fruits Iced Tea
Mint Fruit Tea – Mixed Fruit Tea and Mint Syrup
Ice Blossom – Osmanthus Flower Tea and Lime Juice
Lemon Lime Punch – Lemon and Lime Juice
Blue Hawaiian – Pineapple Juice and Blue Curacao
Cranberry Mojito – Cranberry and Lime Juice, Mint Syrup
Cocoyam – Yam Ice Cream and Coconut Cream
Durian Milkshake – Durian Ice Cream and Milk
Sweetcorn Milkshake – Sweetcorn Ice Cream and Milk
Kaffir Colada – Calamansi Juice and Coconut Milk
Smoothies
Banana, Blueberry, Strawberry
Selections of Coffee and Tea
Freshly Brewed, Cappuccino, Café Latte
English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Peppermint
Iced Hazelnut Coffee
Iced Lemon Tea
Selections of Soft Drinks and Juices
Pepsi, Pepsi Light, Root Beer, 7up
Orange, Mango, Pink Guava, Green Guava

*************************************

Food prepared in the open kitchen.

Shook! took a a step further to ensure mummies and daddies enjoy their relaxed & stress free Champagne Brunch. A specially created Kids’ Funland at Shook! a few metres away from the dining area are especially for the little ones.

Seriously, you don’t think that will be all right? I mean, leave your kids at the play area & they will remained occupied til you finish your leisurely brunch?
No no, the kids gets to make pizzas! And better still, they go around the tables serving it to you! 😉

Don’t hurt their feelings, do take a slice *wink*

Disclaimer:
The actual pizzas from kitchen are professionally made by the Chef.

Verdict: A brunch worth paying for considering the champagne & the main courses available.
All the mains are in good sized portions & you can order as many as you prefer from the Unlimited Selection menu.
From the Limited Menu, do opt for the Medallion Tournedos Rossinion or Cod or Mixed Grill Platter.
The buffet spread may not have as much variety as we normally see at buffets but Shook! prides itself on the quality of choices provided.
For the 1st week of the brunch, we did find the service a tad slow for the main courses to reach the table. Food, however, did came piping hot.
Service was exemplary. Our champagne flutes were only filled when it was empty (UnkaLeong said that should be the right way), the wait staff was helpful & on the whole the food was satisfying enough.

For reservations, kindly contact +603-2782 3875 or email [email protected]
RM248++ per person with unlimited flow of Piper Heidsieck Champagne.
RM198++ per person with unlimited flow of Cloudy Bay wine.
RM138++ per person with unilimited flow of fresh juices and soft drinks.
RM70 ++ per child aged 6 to 12.

Shook!
LG1 Feast Village Starhill Gallery
Tel: +603 2782 3875  E-mail : [email protected]
Website: www.ytlcommunity.com/shook