Friday, March 25, 2016

Up and Above European Cuisine @ Jalan Cantonment, Penang

Henry Tan | 1:15 PM | | Be the first to comment!
Up and Above European Cuisine is now open! It is located at Jalan Cantonment, which is opposite of Canton Square (Maybank and Public Bank). We went in the evening and we were lucky to get a parking space right infront of Maybank. But please do remember to put the parking coupon cause it is in the red zone (Full Day). 

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Right beside the busy junction of Jalan Cantonment and Jalan Kelawai
Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Very clean and neat decoration at the entrance.
Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Looking up and above!
It is quite easy to spot Up and Above European Cuisine restaurant especially when waiting in the queue for the traffic light. They have the cute wall painting of a little girl looking out the window for the Eiffel Tower. I supposed the Eiffel Tower signifies that the restaurant is up and above, literally. The tables are quite limited at the ground floor, but there's more upstairs! To avoid disappointment, it is always best to call in for reservation first

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Ground floor
As usual, while we are waiting for our meals, homemade wholemeal bun and truffle butter were being served to fill our stomach. According to the young talented chef, Thomas, the European Cuisine in Up and Above are more towards French cuisine, and hence, all of the meals are being made start from scratch.  

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Roasted Tomato Bacon Soup (RM16)
Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Mushroom Soup (RM17)
We tried two of their soups, Roasted Tomato Bacon Soup and Mushroom Soup. As usual for girls, Roasted Tomato Bacon Soup will be a good pick as it is a little sourish to spike the appetite, but I found it brilliant to add bacon in the soup to increase the tastiness and makes it flavorful too. On the other hand, the Mushroom Soup was warm, thick and creamy, it is definitely fulfilling on a rainy day! However, we preferred the Roasted Tomato Bacon Soup as it gives the "kick" to kick start the whole course meal.  

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Prawn & Prosciutto Ham Salad (RM33)
Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Smoked Duck Salad (RM25)
Next up was the salad. Prawn & Prosciutto Ham Salad was good as I personally like arugula (rocket salad) a lot. The saltiness from prosciutto (dry-cured ham) and the pink-peppercorn dressing balanced up the bitterness of arugula, the confit date tomato and the beet root added more different texture and taste. The second salad we tried was Smoked Duck Salad whereby the smoked duck was heavenly delicious! How I wish I could have a mixture of smoked duck, prosciutto and arugula salad! That would be perfect for me! 

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Braised Pork Cheek with Red Wine (RM38)
Here comes the main course! Starting with the Braised Pork Cheek with Red Wine which serves with crush potato, charred onion and asparagus. After hours of braising with red wine, the pork cheek was meltingly tender but added with the crunchiness of asparagus and aroma of charred onion, which make it an scrumptious meal

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Lobster Ravioli in Crab Bisque (RM65)
We tried one of the most expensive pasta in the menu, which was Lobster Ravioli in Crab Bisque. Just with the combination of lobster and crab, one could tell how luxurious it is! Ravioli with the lobster filling soaked in the rich, creamy and hearty crab bisque. To me, be it soup or gravy which harness the sweetness and freshness of seafood will always be very appetizing!  

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Roast New Zealand Lamb Saddle of Loin (RM98)
Then here comes the highest price of main course from the menu, Roast New Zealand Lamb Saddle of Loin! The juicy and flavorful roasted lamb loin comes with ratatouille, potato, green pea puree and poured with lamb jus. Ratatouille caught my attention the most because it was great to complement with the lamb loin as it acts as appetizer to keep you eating! It is definitely a savory meal that will tickle your taste buds with delight!   

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Braised Australian Beef Brisket (RM68)
Then we had Braised Australian Beef Brisket that comes with butternut puree, French bean, onion chip, confit tomato on vine and beef jus. The beef brisket was delicious but the onion chip is the main highlight! Usually what I have seen is just onion ring, but it is my first time to come across such a crispy and aromatic onion chip that looks beautiful for the presentation of the food too! Thomas told us that it takes time to bake such a thin crispy onion and I supposed skill and experience are needed too for me to try out myself! 

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Sous Vide Flavourful Herb Chicken (RM30)
Sous Vide Flavorful Herb Chicken came up next, whereby the boneless chicken serves with mash potato, king oyster mushroom, baby carrot and chic jus. Another delightful dish that one could not ask for more, the boneless chicken was really tender but portion might be a little too small for a big eater like me! 

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Seared Artisanal Smoked Salmon (RM58)

A magical dish that appears in the smoke! Quite a fancy dish that you should bring anyone that you would like impress to try it out! It comes with zucchini, onion pickle, caramelized apple, potato and vanilla cream foam. 

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Pan-fried Barramundi (RM39)
Last one from the main course was Pan-Fried Barramundi that serves with clam, celeriac puree, oyster mushroom and lemongrass foam. We were impressed by the delightable food presentation and the use of aromatic lemongrass foam. Again, it is something rare in Penang and uniqueness/differentiation is what you need in order to stand out of crowds.  

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Tarte Tatin (RM18)
At the end of the course meal, we had all three different desserts. Tarte Tatin which made of apple tart with rich aroma of cinnamon, almond tuille, vanilla ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. As usual, hot and cold is a perfect match for dessert!

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Creme Brulee (RM12)
Creme Brulee comes in a pair with two different flavors - vanilla cream brulee and orange cream brulee even though both looks exactly the same! The creme brulee with a thin layer of hard caramelized sugar was done perfectly but we find it a bit too small portion to get full satisfaction. 

Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Rashberry Mousse Cake with Fruit (RM28)
Up and Above European Cuisine
Up and Above - Rashberry Mousse Cake with Fruit (RM28)
Lastly, Rashberry Mousse Cake with Fruit that looks so appealing! Sourish rashberry balanced up with the sweetness of chocolate ice cream. The caramelized walnut are the ones that makes me happy though! 


Overall, Up and Above European Cuisine is a good place to dine, given that the ambitious and passionate owner/chef, Thomas, who seeks for perfection and delivering the best to the customers. So here you go, another good option to choose! 

Up and Above - Order wine to celebrate! 


37-D, Jalan Cantonment,
Pulau Tikus, Penang.



Till then! ;)
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