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I was out of the office yesterday to attend a meeting with some folks from Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC). After the meeting, we went out for lunch at Bistro Cascata located within the compound of Cyberview Lodge, Cyberjaya.

For those who are unfamiliar with the geography of Cyberjaya, here’s a location map of Cyberview Lodge to help you find your way. The restaurant proper is located towards the back of the hotel compound, past the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Garden. While walking through the garden, we caught sight of an Iguana roaming freely and feeling right at home. Its been a while since I’ve been to the place and I took my time to look around. It hasn’t changed much since my last visit. The garden was well kept and looked just as beautiful as it had been four years ago. However, the condition of the pools have deteriorated somewhat.

Back to the Bistro. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect since our host hadn’t mentioned the name of the restaurant and the type of food we were having. Walking into the Bistro, we were greeted with the sweet heady aroma of freshly bronzed garlic in olive oil. It was immediately obvious that we were going Italian for lunch. The place is open for lunch and dinner with a choice of buffet and ala carte menu. Our host explained to us that the ordering ala carte would be slower than having the buffet. We rounded the buffet spread once before deciding.

The buffet spread consisted of two choices of soups, a selection of five precooked dishes (eel in tomato sauce, beef on tomato, tempura vegetables, some pastries), a basket full of freshly baked breads in all shapes and sizes, two flavours of thin crust pizzas, a complete cold salad bar (with about 20 choices), large tiger prawns and mussels, and a desert table of choices of cakes, puddings and fruits (a lot of choices here including fresh strawberries). The buffet kitchen was also ready to take orders for the standard selection of pastas.

Since the desert table looked tempting, we decided to go with the buffet. First round for me consisted of the five pre-cooked selection and something from the cold salad bar. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste. The beef was juicy and cooked to the right degree. The eel and tempura was obviously japanese, which means the Bistro was one of those fusion places. The food fromt he salad bar was fresh and the dressings they had available went well with what I had on my plate.

For the second round, I tried the pizzas, and the pumpkin soup with crushed black pepper and a slice of garlic bread. The smell of black pepper seeds in the soup was a little strong for my taste and the garlic bread was dissapointingly cold and stiff. However, the pizzas made up for it with its crispy crusts and ample toppings. I’m not sure of the specific flavours, but I think one was sate chicken and the other was something with pepperoni. In addition to that, I also tried the carbonara from the kitchen. It was good, cooked with just the right amount of cream, black mushrooms, ham, garlic, and olive oil. YUM!

As for the prawns and mussels from the cold salad, they were too troublesome for my taste. I didn’t enjoy the prospect of peeling the prawns or trying to pry the fleshy bits from the clam shells.

And last of all was, of course, the desert. Although it had looked tempting initially, it was an anticlimatic finish to the meal. I regretted basing my decision on the desert spread. The cakes were dry and stiff from over-exposure, what I thought was chocolate mouse turned out to be Tiramisu, and the cheesecakes were crumbly. Our host seemed to enjoy the fruits but since I didn’t try it, I’ll refrain from comment.

So that was the meal. Since I wasn’t the one paying and it wasn’t nice for me to ask, I don’t know how much the meal cost for the four of us. However, going by hotel rates, I suspect that it was on the pricey side. You might like to call them up and ask (No, I don’t feel like calling them at the moment. Maybe later).

The meal was mostly enjoyable and the food was good, save for the desert. The setting was classy and conducive for conversation. Perfect for business luncheons and dinners. I do recommend it if someone else is paying ;)

Bistro Cascata
Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa
Persiaran Multimedia,
63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor

Tel: 03-8312 7000
Fax: 03-8312 7001

Opening Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday from 11.00am - 10.30pm