Raintree @ Menara CIMB ~ Ex-Cook

By Aiman Azri

Sprouting up recently inside Menara CIMB, Raintree is a fresh oasis for Thai and Western cooking, blending both with a vibrant, feel-good perkiness. There's even an alfresco area for a splash of extra sunshine and breeziness to brighten up many workday meals.

We were here to sample Raintree's best-sellers, beginning with its popular Thai-tinged starters - naturally, a salad and a soup. The Thai Beef Salad (RM 23.90) is perfect for a balanced, nourishing lunch, with lots of red meat and crisp greens lightly accented with olive oil, parmesan cheese and a Thai dressing. The Seafood Soup with Tomato Broth (RM 21.90) is slurp-worthy too, its tomato base enlivened by Thai herbs, with more than sufficient squid and prawns to munch on.

On the Western front, the Grilled Salmon (RM 35.90) is a can't-fail crowd-pleaser, with its crispy exterior and moist, supple flesh - the fish is complemented with two sauces, a creamy lemon that brings a zing to the salmon, and a mix of tomato and tom yam for a punch and a kick.

Pizzas here emerge from the flames of a wood-fired oven, catering to customers who love their pizzas thin and crispy. A plain Pepperoni (RM 29.90) is simple but satisfactory, while the rest of the range includes the Margherita, the Vege Delight and the speciality Salmon pizza.

Raintree's kitchen commander, Chef Jas, has a personal hand in crafting these two pasta pleasures: The Spaghetti Soft-Shell Crab (RM 35.90) adds a substantial crunch to an aglio olio recipe with distinct nuances of olive oil, while the Spaghetti Green Curry (RM 37.90) is notable for being blanketed in the unmistakable Thai-spiced gravy, enhanced further with seafood.

There's still more to try, from mieng kam and Thai fish cakes to burgers, quesadillas and lamb shank.

Desserts also marry Eastern and Western elements: The Red Ruby Water Chestnut (RM 13.90) is that Thai classic that's terrific for cooling down, served here with a contemporary look, while the Choco Romano (RM 13.90) lets you dunk ice cream wafer sandwiches into a decadent dip of chocolate and coconut milk, for an indulgent end-of-meal treat.

Raintree's Apple Juice (RM 12) and Citron Presse (RM 15), a mix of Sprite and lime, will do the trick for quenching the thirst, but if you need a stiffer drink, there's a wide selection of beers, cocktails, liquors and Champagne. On Friday evenings, Chef Jas sets up a barbecue on the balcony, with an array of beef, squid, prawns, chicken wings, fish and satay to celebrate the start of the weekend. Live bands perform Wednesdays and Fridays.

Thanks to Raintree for having us.