YOU have to be at Ce La Vi Kuala Lumpur before dark so that you can take in the 360º view of the cityscape. You can then enjoy a cocktail at the Ce La Vi Lounge Terrace and drink in the layers of colours as the sun sets.

We arrived at 7pm for dinner at the Ce La Vi Restaurant, on the 37^th floor of the Ilham Tower, but there was still enough light to catch this splendid view. The restaurant adjoins the Ce La Vi Lounge, Club and Cigar Room.

The interior of the restaurant is Asian-inspired, stunning in its light fixtures and wall art. The menu is about contemporary Asian cuisine – Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Malaysian – with deluxe versions of local favourites such as curry laksa mee and char kwayteow with king prawn or lobster. Of course western classics are on the menu, too.

Spicy Tuna Tartare Tacos turned on the heat at the start of our dinner, with crunchy taco shells filled with chopped raw tuna, korijan, shallots and ginger. Then it was on to the foie gras fried rice with slow cooked egg and cranberry (RM98), a very popular dish here. Buried in the very tasty rice were bits of asparagus, carrot and cabbage, topped with a runny egg with the yolk dripping down the rice. So egg yolk with fried rice, paired with cubes of panfried foie gras made for a delicious meal. There was a even a generous piece of foie gras to savour on its own.

Another main course was braised wagyu beef cheek with red miso, caramelised shallots and spring onions (RM128). It glittered with gold leaf on it. I was pleasantly surprised by the firm but tender texture of the beef cheek, which is usually cooked to a mushy mass in other restaurants. It sat in a dark, sweet and complex sauce which could also be enjoyed with the foie gras fried rice, too.

Baked cod with teriyaki, red miso and negi (Japanese spring onion, RM) made for soft, creamy and melty bites. A pink condiment of powdered dried shrimp, sugar and salt at the side gave it added umami.

From the cocktail menu by Ce La Vi’s mixologists we chose citrus jii and timang burung. Yuzu, gin and lemon made up the absolutely delightful citrus jii (RM50) that had just the right sweetness balanced with lemon and refreshed with tangy yuzu. A slice of orange peel with Ce La Vi stamped on it and a sprig of rosemary completed the cocktail.

Timang burung (RM55) is a more glamorous cocktail of dark rum, Sarawak pineapple, apple and passionfruit, garnished with a long bird tail carved out of apple. I found this a little sweet, as expected with the fruit juices and rum.

We loved the lightly sweet and creamy yuzu cheesecake on a fine, crispy lemon tuille with a fruit compote of pomelo, peach and mango (RM38). Chocolate wasabi balls served with hot green tea were a fitting finale to our dinner.

Ce La Vi’s first skybar is at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Ce La Vi Kuala Lumpur opened in October last year. This luxury lifestyle brand is now also in Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, and is in the process of expanding to Dubai, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo.

Ce La Vi is at 37^th floor, Ilham Tower, Jalan Binjai, Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03 2733 3163. – May 11, 2019.

* Eu Hooi Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects of it, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published  a cookbook ‘Fresh Ingredients’ and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.