Tangerine Restaurant Kuala Lumpur Review: Both Tasting Menus

Our Tangerine Restaurant Kuala Lumpur review revisits a dinner on the 51st floor of THE FACE Suites, where Ian chose the eight-course meat menu and I tried the six-course vegetarian menu. Chef Siti Arini Darsom’s cooking gave us plenty to talk about, from grilled avocado with yuzu to smoked leek pasta and Wagyu cheek. Tangerine is currently advertised by THE FACE as a private event venue, so this account of its former tasting-menu service is a record of our visit, not a current dinner recommendation.

Tangerine Restaurant Kuala Lumpur: The Dining Room

The view across Kuala Lumpur was part of the appeal, although the large paintings facing the glass wall held my attention longer. Dark, reflective surfaces and bold artwork made the room memorable without taking anything away from the food.

The carpet was the one design choice I never warmed to in a dining room. Looking out over the Klang Valley also gave us a moment to think about the scale of a city whose ingredients must arrive from elsewhere every day. A beautiful view can do that: send your thoughts beyond the table.

Chef Siti Arini Darsom and Her Cooking

Chef Siti Arini Darsom was behind the tasting menus we tried. Her French-influenced cooking made room for ingredients and combinations that kept the meal from becoming predictable; the vegetable courses in particular had the same attention as the meat dishes.

Across both menus, I noticed care in the small decisions: the texture of a garnish, the acidity beside a richer component, and the way a sauce met the main ingredient. Some plates worked better than others, and the truffles were a disappointment, but the kitchen’s ambition came through clearly.

The Tasting Menus We Tried

At our dinner, the meat tasting menu could be taken as four, six, or eight courses. Ian chose eight, while I took the six-course vegetarian menu. We were told the menu changed roughly every three months. These choices describe our visit and should not be taken as a current menu.

Tangerine Restaurant Food Review: Both Menus

We followed both menus course by course. Their shared dishes made the differences especially interesting: Ian’s Wagyu in bean consommé met my radish version at one point, while the kitchen gave the vegetables their own moments elsewhere.

Sunchoke Amuse-Bouche

The opening bite was sunchoke chips fried in truffle oil, with Indian yogurt vinaigrette and tomato salsa. The sweet, nutty sunchoke had enough acidity alongside it to make a promising start.

Bread and Truffle Butter

Four kinds of warm bread arrived in a metal basket with truffle butter. We particularly liked the soft bun that reminded us of a donut; the butter melted into it before we had finished comparing the others.

Semolina Balls and Coffee Mousse

Deep-fried semolina balls were unexpectedly soft and absorbed the coffee mousse quickly. A hint of coconut and fresh tarragon kept the combination interesting.

Lentil Croquette

The Indian-inspired lentil croquette came with a bean dip and seasoned tomato base. Even Ian, who usually avoids beans, appreciated their sweetness against the tomato.

Grilled Avocado and Yuzu

We shared grilled avocado with baby kale, caramelized walnuts, and yuzu granita. The avocado held its shape, the kale brought salt, and the granita gave the plate a sharp, cold lift. It was one of the vegetarian menu’s clearest successes.

Scallop

Ian’s Hokkaido scallop was seared and tender. Compressed green pear added texture and drew out its sweetness, while dun pea oil rounded out the sauce.

Asparagus, Macadamia, and Pecorino

Slow-cooked asparagus still had a welcome bite. Macadamia nuts added crunch, and Pecorino chips with cured egg yolk supplied the salt. It was a good example of how substantial the vegetable dishes could be.

Wagyu Carpaccio in Bean Consommé

A clear, double-boiled curry bean broth was poured around Ian’s Wagyu carpaccio. Flying fish roe nearly disappeared into the soup; pickled daikon and radish brought the freshness the beef needed.

Radish Carpaccio in Bean Consommé

My parallel course had radish carpaccio, pickled daikon, and the same bean broth, with a touch of gold on the plate. The presentation was lovely, although it was the least compelling vegetable course for me.

Duck in Beurre Blanc Sauce

Handmade smoked leek pasta sat with cured Moulard duck in a creamy beurre blanc-style sauce. The sauce’s slight tang suited the duck, and the pasta was cooked well. Fresh truffle shavings appeared generously on top.

The truffles, however, gave us little aroma or flavor. There was already plenty happening in the sauce, so the dish remained enjoyable, though the garnish did not add what we expected.

A Note on Moulard Duck

Moulard duck is a cross between Muscovy and Pekin ducks. The duck course reminded me of the Peking duck we tried at Red Rose in Bangkok, even though the preparation here was quite different.

Jadeite Cabbage

Poached Napa cabbage filled with white radish did not make the strongest first impression. Once I tasted it, the clean, juicy layers became one of my favorite parts of the vegetarian menu. Ian’s plate briefly stopped being the most tempting one at the table.

The dish brought the Jadeite Cabbage sculpture to mind, a motif we had also encountered at Vesper Bar in Bangkok. Here, the cabbage earned its own place in my memory without any help from the reference.

Foie Gras

Foie gras is a contentious ingredient, and I left Ian to it. I did try the mushrooms and cranberry brioche served alongside; their savory and tart notes made sense next to the richer centerpiece.

Palate Cleanser

Guava sorbet and banana foam refreshed the palate after the richer courses. The banana softened the guava’s sharpness without covering it up.

Wagyu Cheek and Roasted Parsnip

Ian’s Wagyu cheek came with tender baby leek and roasted parsnip. The cheek was softer still, while the roast on the vegetables kept the plate from becoming too sweet. The menu described the beef as grain-fed for 300 days.

Smoked Leek Capellini

My smoked leek capellini was cooked al dente and served with wild mushrooms and Pecorino Romano. The pasta and mushrooms already had a satisfying savory depth. Freshly shaved truffles, once again, contributed almost no discernible aroma or flavor to us.

Why the Truffles Disappointed Us

Truffle aroma depends on the variety, ripeness, freshness, and storage. We cannot tell which of those affected the truffles at our dinner; we can only report that the shavings on two dishes added little to the taste. For a garnish that commands so much attention, that was a missed opportunity.

Selection of Fine Cheese

A selection of five cheeses came with several accompaniments. I especially liked the semi-dried grapes and honey, though I kept thinking how well local Trigona stingless bee honey might have worked with the goat or blue cheese.

Chocolate Luxe

Dark chocolate, raspberry, and tangerine jelly concealed a white chocolate semifreddo. Breaking into it revealed the colder center and balanced the fruit’s sharper notes with the chocolate.

Pavlova and Jackfruit Gelato

A small Pavlova with rhubarb ganache moved between tart and sweet, with cardamom in the rhubarb reduction. Jackfruit soy ice cream sat beside it and made me think again about how differently jackfruit can behave in desserts.

In this ice cream, the jackfruit reminded me more of bread than fresh fruit. It was an unusual finish, followed by a few smaller sweets.

Our Verdict on the Tangerine Dinner

Tangerine’s tasting menus were memorable for the vegetable cooking as much as for Ian’s meat courses. I would happily revisit the grilled avocado and cabbage; he had the scallop and Wagyu cheek to remember. The muted truffles and a cool initial welcome kept the dinner from being flawless, without diminishing how much we enjoyed Chef Arini’s cooking.

There was a small service mix-up: the vegetarian menu was not offered to us at first because the team did not expect us to want it. We already knew about it and asked. Today THE FACE promotes Tangerine for private events, so anyone interested in dining there should consult the venue directly about what is actually available.

Tangerine Restaurant Review Card

• 9.3/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9.3/10
• 9/10
  SERVICE – 9/10
• 9.4/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.4/10
• 9.5/10
  FOOD – 9.5/10
• 9.3/10
  DRINKS – 9.3/10
• 9.3/10
  VALUE – 9.3/10

Practical Details

Tangerine Restaurant Kuala Lumpur FAQ