PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAWhen was the last time you ate at a restaurant and couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks to follow? (A)LURE, as its name suggests, is one of these venues. Overlooking the hotel’s pool area, the bar and restaurant’s interior is light and breezy with soft beiges and shades of aqua. Bed-sized ottomans near the bar provide a great spot to watch the sashimi chefs in action via a mirrored dome on the ceiling above. (A)LURE’s style flows through to the restaurant section where a terrace fitted with glass louvres boasts beautiful river views.
One glance at the menu and anticipation builds. The made-to-order sushi and sashimi bar prepares exceptional Japanese delights like the Nigirin sushi platter and wagyu beef tataki. But don’t go too silly, there’s more to come on the main menu. Entrees alone leave you salivating for more with the likes of oysters, crayfish ravioli, seared tuna on crushed potato and chicken parfait. For mains, (A)LURE’s hook, line and sinker translates to a delectable seafood tasting plate, while the pressed confit pork belly with crisp tiger prawn or grilled beef fillet and marron tail will leave you floating towards heaven. Finish off with the hot Valrhona chocolate fondant and you may find yourself wanting to book a room upstairs. Absolutely, positively divine.
Karen Bilsby-Butler, March 2007
