Malaysia’s first-ever New England specialty lobster house serves up divine lobster dishes in classic and localised flavours
When it comes to tasting the latest global food trend, Malaysians are a privileged, albeit spoilt lot. Kuala Lumpur’s food scene is undergoing a boom as new establishments are popping up on a monthly frequency, and dining out in Kuala Lumpur entails choosing from a growing list of restaurants (most of which will not likely be stroke off).
But should you wish to make a beeline to ‘must-visits’ or ‘most worthwhile’ restaurants, one we would recommend is Pince & Pints.
This lobster restaurant and bar hailing from Singapore launched its flagship outlet in 2014 to flourishing response, and recently expanded its first overseas location to none other than KL. The eatery boasts a no-frills lobster-only menu, served in a sophisticated and rustic New England lobster house atmosphere that sits up to 55 people.
We hopped onto the occasion of sampling the city’s first one-of-a-kind concept, going so far as to indulge in all the dishes on the menu, namely the famous lobster roll, classic whole lobster, and the localised lobster noodles and chili lobster with mantou (fried buns). Not only is Pince & Pints big on flavour, they are also generous with portions, and pride themselves on fresh, quality lobsters – twice weekly, up to 5,000 wild-caught lobsters from the waters of Boston or Canada are air-flown, skilfully handled and stored in state-of-the-art deep sea tanks.
Our feast began with the lobster noodles and chili lobster. Exclusive to the KL outlet, the lobster noodles came piping hot with large chunks of shell-on lobster, lightly seasoned and stir-fried with ginger and scallions, atop a bed of fresh egg noodles and a side of chilli oil. The dish brought comfort food to a whole new level, and we slurped indulgently on the silky noodles, paired well with toothsome nuggets of lobster meat that came off the shell in a few nudges.
We then moved on to the chili lobster with mantou that’s inspired by trademark Singaporean flavours. Shell-on lobster is cooked in a tart and sweet sauce of Roma tomatoes, ginger, lemongrass, garlic and egg in a special chilli house blend, accompanied with golden pillows of fried mantou to soak up every drop of the lip-smacking gravy that goes well as a dipping sauce with anything, really.
The two star dishes were served last. For true lobster lovers, the live whole lobster is a must, and to enjoy its sweetness and freshness, diners can opt for it grilled or steamed. Both versions are served with a side of creamy herbed butter gravy, mesclun salad dressed in a sour cherry and balsamic vinaigrette and straight cut fries. We prefer the smoked flavour of the grilled lobster, and enjoyed the fleshy chunks to the last, finger-licking morsel!
If you prefer not to get your hands dirty, the menu’s superstar, the lobster roll, is made to enjoy, one hearty bite at a time. A whole lobster is steamed, marinated with mayonnaise and salt, then stuffed into a “top split” homemade bun; buttered and pan-fried to an aromatic, light crisp. We’re happy to forget about the calories or our diet for this: each buttery mouthful of the succulent roll is so divine that you’ll be close to tears come the last few bites!
True to its name, Pince & Pints also offers an impressive array of drinks from the bar, carefully curated according to accents of sweet, sout, bitter or dry, for perfect starts and delicious endings to meals. Some noteworthy drinks are the cocktail Highway Run Into the Midnight Sun (Gin, Vodka, fresh lime, cilantro, sugar), the mocktail Sarikei Sour (pineapple gum, fresh lemon, honey pineapple), the traditional root beer float and refreshing cold pressed juices.
Reservations are compulsory. Visit www.pinceandpints.com.my for more information.
