Having been through the various phases of the pandemic lockdown for more than a year, Malaysians are welcoming the opening up of most, if not all, businesses with open arms, albeit with cautious enthusiasm. And with this positive development and hopeful sentiment, spanking new restaurant and bar WIP On The Park was recently launched. We felt lucky to be invited!
At the media launch of the WIP On The Park at Marc Residence, KL, the ‘First Lady of F&B’ in Malaysia, Michele Kwok, expressed her gratitude that she and her team could finally unveil this specially-designed chic venue to the public. It had been a tough pandemic year but the ever positive seasoned entrepreneur shared: “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going…”
Your urban tropic garden is open
With its lush tropical garden setting that immediately brings a cool sense of calm upon entering WIP On The Park, one is transported to the tropical jungles of Malaysia with the clever ‘greening’ of the surroundings to evoke the ‘natural’ ambience of the jungle. On top of that, the dress code for the afternoon was green – a perfect combination.
Food by chef Sapna
Queen of Spice celebrity chef Sapna Anand welcomed everyone and briefly introduced the dishes for the day – a selection of their best cosmopolitan cuisine and spiced-up dishes from Mediterranean to Asian. The food presentation was simple but tastefully done, with white-winged ‘jungle fairies’ carrying each exquisite dish to feast the many eyes – including the ‘eyes’ attached to the digital devices.
The Oxtail Consomme was just divine, as the clear and smooth broth swirls in the mouth and oozes exotic flavours from the meat, vegetables and spices. This was our clear favourite!
The Paneer Tikka looked like cheese, but tastes like superior tofu – super smooth texture that melts in the mouth…Perfect. We thought the Wagyu Truffle Pesto Burger was amazing too – you don’t get to have wagyu beef in your burger that often, do you? The soft and tender wagyu makes the burger extra special and makes for a great crowd-pleaser.
The Tom Yam Fettuccine combines the flavours of Thailand with Italy’s noodles. However, it was a tad on the dry side for me to fully enjoy it. I thoroughly enjoyed the meat, the seafood platter and the Niçoise Salad – they were close to heavenly perfect, and I happily devoured them, guilt-free!
Drinks at WIP On The Park
Beautiful food is not complete without nectar, so I picked the crowd favourite Carbenet Mojito. It did not disappoint – just enough punch to enhance the enjoyment of the spread. A perfect end to a perfect afternoon. But not before we took a tour of the rest of the venue down below, where the cosy Balvenie Distillery room is. We were served their 12-year-old whiskey and it was smoothly smoky in taste and texture. Exquisite!
Just outside the restaurant is the very popular drinks bar, where bartenders whip up all sorts of cocktails in a flash for their ever-thirsty clients. My husband and I did not stay on for drinks this time, but we will surely be coming back here for more on our future date nights soon. We thought the place is great for date nights and friends’ get-togethers, but families with older kids will have a great time here as well!
Do you need more inspiration for a great night out? Have a look at our post here about more great dining venues!
