The Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) is known as one of the best venues in Borneo to have a conference/concert/party/meeting etc (you name it). I’m not the only one saying so, but some close friends also testified for that. In fact, one friend also said ‘Regardless of how much I dislike the current government, I have to thank them for coming up with BCCK’. That to me, proves how worthwhile BCCK is to many. If you do take a look around Borneo, you’d also notice how some states are already planning their very own convention centre to imitate the success of BCCK.
Nonetheless, one of the hidden gems of BCCK is the less talked about Raintree Restaurant. Yes, the more favorable traits of BCCK is its superb sound system, its top notch facilities, and it’s excellent staff, but not many know of a small dining place called the Raintree at the far end of the centre.
I have always loved the location of the Raintree Restaurant. It has a unique ambiance, while being less hectic compared to it’s competitors. The list of dishes are also huge, and quality of service is top notch. Everytime I go there, regardless of whether it’s packed or not, I’ll be treated like a king. As for pricing, well, it’s really not as expensive as you think. Mind you that I always prefer to pay a little more for better service.
Last, Tuesday, I was invited to taste some of the dishes available for The Raintree’s up-coming Christmas 5-course dinner. The ever unique decorated Raintree was already drenched in Christmas mood, and Christmas tunes played at the background. Perfect for an intimate dinner with my other 5 blogger friends.
First in the line was the Blinis Tower of Lobster Medallion, smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche, paired with Warm Ravioli of Duck Confit and Pumpkin Puree (photo above). The name of the appetizer is definitely a mouth full, but I wouldn’t care less as it does taste delicious in my mouth. My favorite in this appetizer was the Blinis Tower of Lobster Medallion, which I think taste a little like one of my favorite Chinese local cakes, with a small twist to make it more appetizing.
Loved it, and wished I had more.
Second dish was the soup. I’m a huge fan of mushroom soup, and I was a little bit disappointed when I was told that the soup would be the Cream of Cauliflower with colorful Peppers and Crouton(photo above). However, that disappointment of mine was soon changed as the soup was not too bad. It was rich and warm, but then again, I’d still trade if for mushroom soup, as I’m always biased towards what I like to eat.
A refreshing change in menu was clearly depicted in the Exotic Ginger-Lime Sorbet (photo above). The ginger taste was evident, but it wasn’t that horrible ginger taste you usually get when you accidentally ate ginger. (I’m not a huge fan of ginger). For me, this was more welcomed, as the mixture of ginger and lime just gave me that ‘Uuuhhhhh…..’ of satisfaction.
For the main course, there was a choice of Slow Baked Turkey Roulade with Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil (photo above), served with Sauteed Brussels sprouts, Caramelized Chestnuts and Crandberry Sauce . I was looking forward to a whole turkey, but was told that fine dining rarely features such a thing. *sigh* Anyway, the turkey was a little dry for me, but like I always say, taste is subjective.
The second option was the Slow Grilled Marinated Sirloin on Spicy Potato, Wilted Spinach with Blue Cheese, Buttered Carrot, Brussels sprouts and Beef Jus (photo above), and the beef won hands down if pitted against the turkey. Maybe I had too high hope for the turkey. Maybe it was my love for beef, but the beef was just perfect. It was juicy, and done mild. The beef needed no additional sauce as it was just lovely by itself. It’s like that Gardenia bread you sing along to. You know, the ‘So good… you can even eat it on its own‘ jingle? No? Here’s the BM version. I bet it will ring a bell.
Anyway, with myself still craving for more turkey, the dessert came. It ws a delighful looking Christmas pudding with Raspberry White Chocolate Parfait. Don’t ask me what ‘Parfait’ exactly means, I’m as clueless as you are, and I am lazy to Google it up. What I can say is that this dish (photo below) was too beautiful to destroy, but once you put it in your mouth, you can bet you’d finish it all up! For those with a sweet tooth, you’d enjoy this.
The dinner set above will be available at the Raintree at BCCK this coming 24th December 2011, and you can expect to pay RM125++ for it. If you want my advice, go for the beef, Definitely! On top of that, if you decide to come from 7:30PM -10:00PM, you’d be entertained live by the RBS Quartet. Now, that doesn’t happen often.
One last thing before you dial 082-392988 to book your place at the Raintree (highly advisable), please note that the portion seen in the photo above is the ‘blogger portion’ for the food tasting session. The real portion I understand, will be bigger. So, Christmas at the Ririk Kingdom anyone?