Fine Dining in Ipoh @ Citrus Wine & Dine
May 8, 2010 | 25,158 views
Citrus Wine & Dine – Remains as one of our favourite restaurant in Ipoh for good Western food, or rather “Modern Euro Asia Cuisine”, as printed on their menus
Tomorrow’s the BIG day for all the mothers. Instead of having her cooking/’ta-pau-ing’ (taking away)/paying for the meals, why not be a filial child and bring her out for a decent meal instead?
If your argument borders on the lines of absurdity (NO good restaurants in Ipoh, Fine-dining in Ipoh sounds like I have to mortgage an arm and a leg, Ipoh’s too jam-packed with people, yadda yadda …..), then shame on you. Really. Okay, maybe the last one IS somewhat true, as I bear witness to unbelievable congestion in Ipoh these few days, with no clue as to why.
Braised Lamb Shank with Oriental Bean Sauce (RM35/USD10.95) – A clever burst of flavours from the East and the West. Or in this case, from down under as well?
I wrote about Citrus Wine & Dine before, way back in 2008. The restaurant situated in Ipoh Garden East, facing the main road of Jalan Perajurit en route to Tambun/Sunway City has been around for a good few years now. This huge building, occupying a lot of its own, also houses another eatery named Wan Stop Cafe (previously Sharon’s Laksa), that serves forgettable food ranging from Portuguese-style Grilled Seafood, and the likes.
Deep-fried batter-coated Brie Cheese with Grand Marnier Dried Fruits Chutney (RM20/USD6.30)
The menu remains unchanged since our last visit, and truth be told, I have been visiting Citrus for a good many times. They offer value-for-money lunch sets (RM18/USD5.60++ inclusive of soup of the day which is freshly made, a choice of main, a dessert which is usually one of their signature desserts, albeit at a smaller portion, and coffee or tea) and the fact that they provide ample parking spaces for free renders a quick lunch here beats a rush hour scramble in Greentown anyday.
Lightly tossed with olive oil, the pasta was far from soggy, and thankfully not swimming in oil. The three big prawns were inviting both to the eyes and the palate. Spaghetti Aglio Olio with King Prawns (RM26/USD8.20)
I chose their pasta, for I was in the mood for something lighter that evening. I once had their Aglio Olio with Sea Scallops before, and the experience turned out well. Hence, I figured that the King Prawns version would be far from disastrous, and I was proven right.
Succulent, juicy and firm prawns with the heads and tails attached, and the shells removed. The prawns were lightly pan-fried with finely-minced garlic and pepper, with a dash of chili flakes to perk up the senses. I succumbed to the suggestion of freshly-grounded peppers on the pasta and the prawns, for I prefer my pasta with a slight peppery tinge.
3 Way Chicken (RM35/USD10.90) – A medley of Yakitori Chicken, Roasted Chicken Thigh with Smoked Duck, and Lemongrass Chicken
If you can’t live without your MEATS, go for their steaks or lamb. They offer Australian Wagyu Ribeye from RM80 (100g) onwards, and Australian Black Angus Ribeye & Black Truffle at a very enticing price of RM60/USD18.80 only. The Australian Lamb Shank was fork-tender, as the hefty portion of lamb was braised (with much TLC, I expected!) in an interesting Oriental Bean Sauce, instead of the usual buttery-rich brown sauce. But I could not tell the difference from a few mouthfuls, hence judge for yourself. The lamb shank was served atop a bed of mashed potatoes that did well in soaking up the savoury gravy, and lots of boiled vegetables.
3 Kings (RM55/USD17.20) – A symphony of Roasted Cod Fish, Brown Buttered Sea Scallops with Teriyaki Sauce, and Grilled Unagi
Fish & Chips (RM19/USD5.90) – Deep Fried Dory Fish with Fries
The fresh-catch selections had some hits and misses. The Fish & Chips fared well, although presented in a lacklustre fashion on the table. The fish was fresh, sweet and juicy even after the whole batter-coated and deep-frying process. And the accompanying mayonnaise with finely-chopped gherkins added a pleasantly tangy flavour to the fish.
The 3 Kings platter did not shine as expected. The Grilled Unagi (freshwater eels) on a bed of mashed potatoes tasted uncannily like those served in common Japanese fast food restaurants, and the seared sea scallops were not as juicy and sweet as expected. Thankfully the roasted cod was tasty, presented as a rather thick slab on a bed of broccoli and carrots.
The 3 Way Chicken on the other hand, was good, but definitely for one who really, really loves his/her chicken. A little overwhelming when you have not one, not two, but THREE servings of chicken cooked in three diversely different manners. The rolled chicken thigh meat with smoked duck was the best, served with a mere drizzle of gravy which was not necessary anyway. The meat was tender, and still juicy. The Lemongrass Chicken had a stalk of lemongrass ‘pierced’ through the centre, evoking my resentment before I even dig in. But the chicken was good, in its defence. The Yakitori Chicken was forgettable though.
Aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, the Panna Cotta (RM6/USD1.90) was served in a cocktail glass, but a little too brimming with the strawberries puree, we had a tough time scooping out the custard beneath
Ginger Creme Brulee (RM6/USD1.90) – A very tasty end to the feast
But Citrus does serve some good desserts, although not as extensive as say, Indulgence. The Panna Cotta was indeed a lovely & wobbly Italian creation combining milk, cream and sugar, topped with luscious puree of strawberries that was thankfully not cloyingly sweet, but instead lent a tartness to the dessert. The Creme Brulee (it’s light green in colour, possibly from the addition of ‘pandan’/screwpine leaves extract?) was our favourite though, as the faint hint of gingery flavour added dimension to the otherwise simple egg custard with a layer of torched sugar on top.
On the whole, the dinner at Citrus was a most satisfying experience, and the tip-top service plus comfortable (almost homely) dining environment played a vital role as well. I will definitely return whenever I crave for a substantial, decent and unforgettable meal in Ipoh, for I believe aside from Citrus or Indulgence (or maybe Italia Mia) we do not have much choices now, do we? 🙂
CITRUS WINE & DINE
No 38-46, Laluan Ipoh Perdana,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 605-5451010
Business hours : 11.30am – 3.00pm, 6.30pm – 11.00pm.
Closed on Mondays.
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to Citrus Wine & Dine in Ipoh.
“Happy Mother’s Day to All the Mothers in the World”
## P/S : For more dining options in Ipoh for celebrations and such, hop over the the Ultimate Ipoh Food List compiled and updated by Motormouth. ##
I am looking at it see whether got citrus juice or not leh….hehe! Nice foods 🙂
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yean Reply:
February 10th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Any valentine’s dinner set?
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The 3 kings is definitely not worth the money….the scallops have good texture, mash potatoes gravy is definitely MSG loaded and overwhelms the tiny piece of unagi….the cod is bland and lacking taste
U are better off with their steaks/pasta
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 8th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Agreed. I should have gone for the Black Angus, or Wagyu instead. After all, the prices ain’t that far-fetched.
Maybe next time then.
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your food looks good.. talking about steak, I had a T-bone steak at Jake’s last night.. Was a little disappointed with it.. The Black Angus Rib-eye is a better deal..
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 9th, 2010 at 11:03 am
I thought Jake’s has been serving reasonably good steaks all this while?
I heard positive raves about this place.
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Oh my those king prawns! And I love spaghetti aglio olio.. but funny you should consider pasta as a ‘lighter’ option of a meal… pasta has always been the heavy meal for me! *LOL!
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 9th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Aglio Olio with mere olive oil, and lots of chopped garlic is considerably lighter than say …. a carbonara, or even a seafood marinara. Don’t you think so? 🙂
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[…] Citrus Wine & Dine – A Fine Dining Restaurant in Ipoh | Motormouth From Ipoh – A Ma… […]
The spaghetti you ordered looks so attractive to me, especially with the big prawns it served. I think RM26 really worth it 🙂 And of course, I really like the other dishes as well. Haha.
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All the portions are too small for me. I guess that is why it is called fine dining right? :p
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I take it that you dislike lemongrass?
mmmm… the food looks yummy! 😀
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I’d give anything for that deep fried cheese now!! >.<
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those prawns are real big !
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The fish fillets were small, serving of fries was much more bigger than the mains, do u think so?
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J2Kfm Reply:
May 12th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
hey mimi, the fillets were not that small, really. Sufficient for one person. Comparatively speaking, the fries were in abundance, hence you see the tinier fillets sitting on top the fries?
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LOL i agree wid mimi leh
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Haha.. a lot of ppl told me to avoid Indulgence & if one really absolutely must dine in a fine manner, then it’s Citrus.
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Dude, you are complaining about traffic in Ipoh? You can’t be serious. I have always thought that Ipoh is one of the best places to drive in West Malaysia. Things must have changed since I last drove down there!
I see the food looks really yummy too, but where’s the wine?? Hehe.
I was thinking a Soave would go really well with the King Prawn spaghetti and a Chateauneuf du Pape for the lamb shank. Making my mouth water di.
You take some very wicked pictures by the way!
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J2Kfm Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Hi Shaun,
One of the best places to drive in West Malaysia? Erm … in comparison to the smaller towns, I highly doubt so. On festivities, long weekends or public holidays, visiting the hot spots (Jusco, Greentown, old town, and around town area) is a nightmare. Really. Maybe most of us are not used to getting choked up in traffic, and remember we don’t really have that many alternative routes, compared to say … Kuala Lumpur.
And no alternative public transportation like LRT to avoid the roads either.
You’re a wine connoisseur? Haha, sorry to admit, I’m not much of a drinker myself.
But thanks for visiting and dropping a comment.
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Shaun Lee Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 1:12 am
Apologies for the late reply! I didn’t receive an email notification of your replies. Sorry about that!
I am actually going to be in Ipoh this weekend! Will update you on the traffic. Lol.
In the mean time, care to tell where best to eat?
Thanks.
Shaun
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 8:14 am
Haha … that’s alright Shaun. Coming down for work or play?
Best to eat?! Now that’s a rather vague question. It all depends on what type of cuisine you’re craving for.
Shaun Lee Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 6:45 pm
It’s probably more play than work. I am going for a forum run by the Lasalle Centre at St Michaels Institution. And now you probably think I’m weird!
I always eat at the same places in Ipoh eg, the Fire Hill dimsum and the famous chicken rice. But I am feeling adventurous this weekend. So surprise me please! Lol.
[…] Citrus Wine & Dine (NEW!!) and the Value for Money Lunch Sets […]
better not venture out of your shell ppl, u won’t enjoy food in this exotic world
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 16th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Now pink, I don’t wanna think of that comment as a spam comment, or even with the slightest hint of being derogatory, but exotic WORLD?
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Shaun : Then go for the other dim sum outlets in Ipoh. Ming Court, Yoke Fook Moon, Sun Kim Aik or even Ying Fa will be good starts. Ming Court and Yoke Fook Moon on the same road as Foh San. Sun Kim Aik on Jalan Lahat. Ying Fa is rather obscure, a corner lot in old town, near to Medan Kidd ex-bus station.
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Shaun Lee Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 12:52 am
Hey thanks for that. I have taken those names down on my phone. Will ask an Ipoh local to take me there if time permits!
Dude, is there anyway for me to get notifications when you reply to comments?
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[…] (Tammy Tan) * On the road connecting Ipoh Garden East to Sunway City, Tambun. Once you have passed Citrus Wine & Dine on your right, go forth a short distance. Tammy’s Kitchen is on the row of shops same side as […]
[…] Only opens for dinner, from 4pm – 11pm. GPS : 4.620651,101.133892 Right before you reach Citrus Wine & Dine on your right, if you’re coming from Ipoh Garden East towards Tambun’s […]
[…] positioning themselves against giants like Indulgence, Secret Garden, Brewster’s and even Citrus Wine & Dine to a certain […]
[…] you, aside from Indulgence, Citrus and Brewster’s (back then was operating in old town, then moved to Greentown and now closed), not […]
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things on your blog.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on ipoh. Regards
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