CHASING FOOD DREAMS: Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson

Fun in the Sun & a Fine Eight Course Degustation Dinner

After our family time in the room, we were feeling peckish again. After all, when one relaxes, there’s nothing that comes to mind more than food… ha ha ha!

It was time for cocktail hours again so we decided to fill our tummies with little bites and cocktails while we waited for dinner. Since it was only 5pm, we took a leisure stroll to the Lighthouse Club to snack on their cocktail hour at Lighthouse Bar, available from 5pm to 7pm.

As it was a Saturday, there were more hungry diners who shared the same thoughts with us. This round, the small bites were all laid out buffet style and there was plenty of hot and cold bites to choose from. From canapes, mini sandwiches, spring rolls to cakes, profiteroles, cream puff, fruits and more, there’s plenty to enjoy along with our cocktails.

There’s nothing more fun than to have a staycation with good friends!

The weather took a sudden change and gloomy clouds loomed over the sky. We did managed to catch the sunset though before the sky open up and the rain poured down. So we just simply hang out and enjoy some relaxing moments with everyone…

Before we know it, it was time for dinner at Wave Dining. As mentioned in my earlier post, we had our breakfast here. During the evening, Wave Dining turns into a gastronomical fine dining venue where diners can feast on Chef’s Degustation menu as well as a la carte menu. The fine dining experience is further enhance by the beautiful glittering lights of the night view.

The Chef’s Degustation menu changes seasonally and that evening, we dined and wined with their 8-Course Degustation Menu priced at RM238 nett per person. The Degustation menu comes with a glass of Red or White House Pouring Wine or Mocktail as well as coffee or tea at the end of the meal.

Complimentary Amuse Bouche of Brie cheese with Apple Compote & Cracker.

The 8-Course Degustation offers two choices with every course of Raw, Soup, Crab, Prawn, Fish, Mains and Dessert. Since it was me and my other half, we opted to try everything from the courses happily.

Starting with the Raw course, there is a choice tuna or salmon. The Tuna Tataki, Citrus & Soy Dressing had light gingery marinated tuna cubes served on a seaweed disc with rolls of fresh cucumber and carrots. The small dots of citrus soy dressing was bitey and delicious when paired with the tuna.

The second choice was Salmon Pastrami, Toasted Sourdough, Brown Butter & Lemon Cream, a lovely presentation of thinly sliced smoked salmon served with crunchy croutons, micro greens and creamy citrusy lemon cream. The salty salmon is so good with the citrus sauce while the light crunch from croutons gave the dish a lovely contrast of textures.

From the Soup course, the Gazpacho, Scallop & Extra Virgin Oil has such a light and refreshing flavor on the palate. The chilled tomato and vegetable soup was sweet and lightly tangy while the cubes of poached scallops was a nice elevated touch in jazzing up something so classic.

The Spicy Seafood Soup is pretty much drool worthy too as the hot bisque had such a robust seafood essence that is moreish and tasty. Scallop and prawn jazzed up the soup nicely with a golden crusty buttery toast.

The Crab course had us enjoying crab without all the hassle. First choice of Soft Shell Crab Spring Roll was sort of a deconstructed spring roll with a crispy golden soft shell crab stuffed into a cylinder of crispy spring roll pastry. Bits and bobs of briny globules of salmon roes with micro greens, cream sauce and cucumber completed the dish.

The second choice from the Crab course was Capellini, Crab & Sea Urchin. The dish is also my favorite as the twirl of chilled angel hair pasta with truffle is so aromatic and sublime. Fresh sweet crab meat and bits of sea urchin added much lavishness as well as flavor to this perfect dish.

From the Prawn course, we had Minced Shrimp, Wakame & Crema Di Balsamico, a medley of minced prawns with finely minced onions mixed in a creamy sauce is crowned with a dollop of tiny black caviars. A drizzle of syrupy balsamic vinegar and crispy strips of cucumber along with the crispy pastry ring added flavor and texture to the dish.

The Seared Prawns, Smoked Chili Salsa & Air Dried Duck, looked rather simple at sight. The prawns were delicious and tasty while the smoked chili salsa sauce added a gorgeous piquant kick of flavor to the dish. The only thing I didn’t find was the air dried duck, somehow that was missing.

The Grouper Confit, Beetroot & Smoked Prawn Butter was the first choice from the Fish course. The grouper was well cooked with a nice seared and was accompanied by beautifully sculptured carrot and potato, asparagus and broccoli. A smoky buttery sauce goes well with the fish.

The second course of Salmon, Foie Gras & Red Wine Butter seemed somewhat similar to the first course except this was salmon instead of grouper. The menu read foie gras and red wine butter but I didn’t see any foie gras. The salmon was passable with the butter sauce though I felt it would have fared better with a heavier touch of seasoning.

By the Main course, I was already feeling quite full. However, it didn’t deter me from enjoying the Low Temperature Beef Cheek, Star Anise & Cinnamon tremendously. A generous hunk of fork tender beef cheek is gorgeously braised till it has absorb the dark rick flavors of the brown sauce aromatized with star anise and cinnamon. Served with velvety mashed potatoes and bits of vegetables, I really enjoyed this dish a lot.

The Duck Breast & Berry Gastrique was also delicious and a sight to behold. Crispy skin duck with a juicy meat is served with a sunshine smear of pumpkin mashed and luscious fruit berry gastrique. The savory, sweet, tangy and fruity notes worked so well together. Choosing a main dish is pretty hard since both are equally sumptuous.

The Dessert course had us enjoying Frozen Nougat & Red Fruit Coulis. This one tasted of Christmas flavors with its sweet, earthy and fruity flavors. The cold nougat is stuffed with dried fruits and sits on a red velvet crumb and served with assorted berries.

The next dish of Chocolate, Mascarpone Cream & Vanilla Ice Cream is also very pretty at sight. Consisting of an array of elements of chocolate crumb, mascarpone cream, vanilla ice cream, berries and dots of custard and berry coulis, it’s a sweet ending with the mixture of textures and flavors.

Coffee and Tea was served at the end of the sumptuous 8-course Degustation meal.

My little one ordered his Meatball in Cream sauce pasta and happily polished off every strand of pasta as well as the meatballs.

After that full course meal, we decided to walk it off with an evening stroll. We passed through the lobby in the main building and found it quiet during that evening. It was a nice change from the bustling activities we saw earlier in the day.

We passed the Hibiscus Lounge and found that to be quiet too. Maybe everyone is in their room enjoying some private R&R and chilling out to the evening. The Hibiscus Lounge offers a laid back ambiance where one can enjoy cocktails and bites while playing a game of pool. There is also a live band there in the evenings. More details here.

Then we took the elevator up to Sky Lite Bar on the 13th floor to catch the night view of Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson! Isn’t this an amazing sight…

The Sky Lite Bar offers guests a fancier lounge with an amazing night view to chill during the evening. I took these pictures earlier during the day when it wasn’t operating yet. Simply unwind to a list of wines and other beverages while chilling out with family and friends in this beautiful ambiance.

Then it was time to hit the sack then. We wanted to enjoy our final evening in our comfortable bed in bliss and we also plan to wake up early for another dip in the pool as well as to go check out all the outdoor activities the resort offers.

Time sure flies when you’re having a good time. We woke up around 8am and had our breakfast at the Lighthouse Club again. I enjoyed my Something Fishy so much, I ordered it again.

Then we worked it off with a visit to the Archery located at the main building of the resort. Little one and other half had lots of fun practicing their archery skills. All outdoor activities are charge separately and not included in the rooms. More details here.

My little one and other half also tried the Yoyo Car, a cute and jiggly car that one can maneuver around the area. It’s pretty fun and unique too. More details here.

Me, I got really excited when I saw that Lexis Hibiscus had Ninebot Segway and knew right away that I am going to try that. Its’ not that difficult to master but it does take quite a bit of balance to be able to maneuver it. Once I managed to maneuver it, I was off… with all my safety paddings and helmet… hehehe. More details here.

Love it so much because I literally took off and zoom around the hibiscus flowers, enjoying the view it has to offer with the sunny blue sky. The view is simply mesmerizing….

There is also various bicycles and tandem bicycles for rent as well.

The most thrilling outdoor activity has to be the helicopter ride to catch the bird eye view of the resort!

Available during weekends and public holidays only, book yourself and your loved ones a ride of a lifetime with Hibiscus HeliPort. I didn’t go up simply because I was afraid of heights but my other friends went and they absolutely loved the experience. The normal rate is RM250 per pax and there was a promotional rate of RM200 available when we were there.

Next to the resort is Hibiscus Walk. Open to resort guests as well as public, there is a row of stalls offering Malaysian street food to everyone.

One can also buy some souvenirs or enjoy more R&R with a wellness centre there. More details here.

We didn’t managed to go to the beach as we wanted to enjoy our pool time before we checked out. So we headed back to our room and spend the rest of the time there having loads of fun time.

It was certainly a very unforgettable experience. Although the price for the resort is on a higher end, don’t forget it comes with two king beds, private dip pool and sauce. The room is very spacious and the facilities are excellent. It is really a perfect getaway from the city for a few days. Those seeking family time or romance will definitely enjoy Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson. My little one is already asking when we can go back to the resort for our next staycation!

Thank you Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson for your warmest hospitality and for showing us how fabulous a staycation can be at the resort. We will be back for sure…

LEXIS HIBISCUS

12th Mile, Jalan Pantai,

Pasir Panjang,

71250 Port Dickson,

Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Tel: +606-660 2626

Fax: +606 - 660 2628

Email: reservations@lexishibiscuspd.com

Website: www.lexishibiscuspd.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LexisHibiscusPD

GPS Coordinates: 2.4200488, 101.8732716

Read about my Lexis Hibiscus Staycation series: