Velvet Cinemas By GSC Offers A Perfect Blend Of Cinema & Cuisine

Mont Kiara is a hotspot for cafe hopping and food. Thanks to GSC (in partnership with Alliance Bank), 163 Retail Park introduced its only cinema in the neightbourhood not too long ago. Combining movie and dining experience, Velvet Cinemas by GSC offers a cinematic escapade with gastronomy experience.

Upon entering the venue, you’d notice the juxtaposition of old Hollywood charm with contemporary designs in Velvet Cinemas. The retro-themed boutique cinema also features framed photographs and posters of iconic cinematic moments that would resonate well with any movie geek.

The best part? The in-house restaurant and bar counter aren’t limited to those coming to fill up the cinema seats. Foodies can also leisurely enjoy its selection of Western cuisine here. Ranging from light bites to heavier mains, Velvet Cinemas is truly a communal space where one gets to enjoy personable conversation while having a hearty meal.

We kicked things off with the Tea-Smoked Duck Salad. It is an Asian-inspired XO-marinated salad topped with Italian dressing. While the duck slices were cooked to perfection, the overall salad was a tad too dry for our liking.

For meat lovers, the Grillhouse Platter comes with seasoned chicken wings, grilled lamb brochette and jumbo chicken sausages with Velvet’s signature dip. We opted to pair these meat-heavy eats with our salad for a better balanced meal.

If you prefer seafood, the menu also offers Ocean Trio (calamari fritti, Cajun prawns and fish brochettes), Surf & Turf (chicken wings, fish fingers, onion rings, cheese sticks), as well as Fish & Chips (battered, deep fried fish).

Don’t sleep on their burger selections though. The Double Wagyu Burger (pictured right) is a two wagyu beef patties serving, that includes fried egg and cheddar cheese together with sweet potato fries.

Between this and Bagel Dagwood Club, we’d recommend the latter. The combo of roasted chicken breast and streaky beef with egg, lettuce and tomatoes was simply *chef’s kiss*. We personally felt that the Bagel Dagwood Club was tastier, had great texture and wasn’t all dried out like the Double Wagyu Burger.

While the aforementioned mains were lip-smacking good, the Lancashire Lamb Hotpot (pictured left) emerged as the winning dish. The braised lamb shoulder stew with thinly-sliced potatoes is the perfect comfort food one could ask for. The tender meat literally melts in your mouth. Because the broth was so addictive, we paired it with the Pappardelle Oxtail Ragout and was pleasantly surprised it went well with the pasta dish.

Our dining experience wouldn’t be complete without tasting the desserts here – and Velvet does not disappoint. Although both look similar with strawberry toppings, the Green Tea Panna Cotta is a green tea infused Italian custard with pistachios while the English Trifle consists of ladyfingers layered with vanilla custard.

They’re creamy, smooth and custard-like, making it very easy to eat. We also like that it wasn’t too sweet. As a matcha lover, we instantly gravitated to the Green Tea Panna Cotta. Besides the green tea flavour, the crumble also gave this dessert a soft and crunchy balance.

While the menu provides the standard options of coffee, tea and soft drinks, the signature drinks here are the mocktails selection and Galaxy Yuzu Lemonade. These drinks complement our meal beautifully but guests are also welcome to order it as a refreshment, or perhaps to accompany your movie-watching experience.