Rocking good meal at Rock Bottom

The evening sun is still bright as I drive my friends to Puteri Harbour for dinner so I take a detour into Kota Iskandar for a drive-through to let them admire the magnificent buildings around Dataran Mahkota.

Facade of Rock Bottom Kitchen & Bar, Puteri Harbour

Since the state administrative center moved to Kota Iskandar, not many people have reason to visit simply because most of our necessary administrative work could be completed quite conveniently at the one-stop Urban Transformation Center or UTC in Galleria Kotaraya.

Looking back, I don’t know if it was this detour which delayed our meal at Rock Bottom Kitchen & Bar and in turn, increased our appetite because we did justice to all the food we ordered from the menu!

As its name suggests, Rock Bottom Kitchen & Bar is essentially a restaurant and bar.

A glittering wall behind the bar at Rock Bottom!

At the entrance, one of the first things that grab our attention is a long bar set up to a glittering backdrop of a mirrored wall and decorated with liquor bottles. The other must be the wide screen at the back of the dining hall, which is playing non-stop music videos.

We are shown to our seats designed in a classic circular sofa around a round table and when my eyes adjust to the light, I’m pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by wall posters of the King of Rock ‘n Roll himself – Elvis Presley!

After a quick scan of the wall décor, we study the menu and discover a wide range of European dishes with a number of Indian-inspired items.

Crab Claw Salad - look out for them firecrackers!

This is probably because Rock Bottom is among the brands under the Olive Tree group of restaurants that specializes in North Indian cuisine. 

There is also a Bar Menu for snacks and promotions and a Beverage Menu with lists of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

We are simply spoilt for choice but after conferring over our preferences, we decide on sharing the dishes so that we can taste a wider range of items.

We start with an appetizer of Crab Claw Salad (RM32) and in our excitement, we probably missed out on reading the small print with ingredients which – we soon discover – includes chopped chilli, those small firecrackers hidden in the salad that kind of exploded in our mouths!

Whole prawns in the Seafood Spaghetti Olio

This fiery kick certainly whet our appetite for the rest of the meal.

Tossed in garlic, chilli flakes and white wine, we find prawns, squid, clams and scallops in the tasty Seafood Spaghetti Olio pasta (RM40). The pasta is al dente, cooked to our preferred bite even without our giving any instruction when the order was placed!

The traditional braised lamb shank on a bed of mashed potatoes looks like what we expect from a serving of Lamb Shank (RM57) and it even feels tender under my knife.

We help ourselves to small portions and eat in silence, savouring its taste while we gently bop to the beat of the music videos.

When we finished, all that was left was a lean, long bone!

After tasting the lamb, we all agree that there’s something about this serving where the meat is not only soft and succulent but the savoury gravy is just right. 

It is quite amazing how we gradually polished off the meat and potatoes, leaving just a lean, long bone!

Outlet Manager, Narayan, says burgers are popular here and recommends the barbecued beef burger (RM38). Layered with onion rings, tomato and cheese slices, the tender minced beef patty is topped with barbecue sauce and served with a side of potato fries.

Rock Bottom's Barbecued Beef Burger

It’s an easy-to-eat item for youngsters – and there are many kids with their families in the restaurant – who seem rather at home here. 

One little girl, who’s clearly an aspiring dancer, is so captivated by the music videos that she’s dancing in front of the screen and even mirrors the artiste’s every move!

Kent, the Outlet Manager for the Olive Kitchen & Bar, which happens to be located just next door, graciously recommends the Chicken Tikka Masala (RM37). 

We agree that a bit of rice will be interesting as this serving comes with fragrant chat rice, a juicy chicken breast with a side of creamy sauce.

The table suddenly seems too small for all the items but the serving staff is efficiently clearing away empty dishes and even offering to change our plates as we savour different dishes and get various flavours mixed up on the side plates.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Then it’s time for dessert. While the choices are limited, the size and quality of the servings more than makes up for it.

The block of Chocolate Brownie (RM18) topped with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, is deliciously rich and moist. 

And we also like the slices of Caramelized Banana (RM18), topped with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, swimming in a boat of brandy and Kahlua coffee liqueur.

Feeling full and relaxed, we are tempted to linger over drinks long into the night but instead, we wisely choose to stretch our legs and take a leisurely walk on the promenade to enjoy the balmy breezes at Puteri Harbour before calling it night.

Chocolate Brownie [Foreground]
and Caramelized Banana [Background]

Rock Bottom Kitchen & Bar is at Lot LG-13, Lower Ground Floor, Puteri Harbour, Persiaran Puteri Selatan, Puteri Harbour, 79000 Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

Open daily from 12pm to 12.45am (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), 12pm to 1.45am (Thursday, Friday, Saturday).

For reservations, Tel: 607 – 509 6617 and 6017 - 774 5929.