Showing posts with label new menu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new menu. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 03, 2023

BOWLED OVER BY SIXTEEN


In years past, Les Deux Garcon was a reliable outpost for flaky croissants and freshly baked scones as well as hearty breakfast fare. Now the cafĂ© is simply known as Sixteen – a trendier name in keeping with changing times but fret not, familiar staples such as Almond Croissant (RM12) and Raisin Roll (RM10) remain just as good.

The refreshed interior includes a little green nook next to the entrance: assorted potted plants clustered together with some hung overhead beside the glass picture window. Outside the walkway are more oversize pots of foliage, evoking a sense of tranquility.

Instead of run-of-the-mill ‘big breakfast’ fare of sausages, eggs and beans, we feasted on Golden Harvest (RM23) comprising two slabs of delicious sweetcorn fritters. 

Adorned with a rosette of smoked salmon and a wobbly poached egg alongside pineapple salsa and chilli oil, this new offering was akin to bursts of heartwarming sunshine albeit on the palate.
Striving to please office workers and residents from the nearby suburb, Sixteen has various poke bowl-inspired creations for lunch. Red and basmathi rice amp up the healthy, wholesomeness factor in place of white rice.
 
The Taste of Delhi (RM35) creation took us on a culinary passage to India, featuring tender cubes of lamb in an aromatic and mildly rich curry with fluffy, pea-studded pilau basmathi. Cucumber mint raita, boiled egg, diced fried tofu and crunchy papadum added textural appeal to the stellar serving.

Daun kesum (polygonum minus) was the key herb flavouring Sixteen’s special house recipe of Ayam Kesum Chilli (RM25). The bowl of Spanish rice complemented by the fragrant chicken curry was scrumptious. Tempeh, hardboiled egg, pineapple salsa, fried tofu and ulam (blanched long beans and raw local herbs) provided further enhancement in terms of textures and flavours.
 
A cohesive combo of red rice with diced seared tuna, avocado, edamame, and cucumber formed the Japanese-influenced Nippon (RM36). More alluring nuances were discernible with the inclusion of wakame, pickled ginger, spicy mayo, furikake and mildly sweetish gyoza sauce (concocted using soya sauce, lemon juice, honey and chopped spring onion).
 
Fruity-sweet pomegranate seeds and the judicious use of honey soya sesame dressing made the Buddha Bowl (RM23) comprising red rice, fried tofu, tempeh, wakame, edamame, black beans, lettuce and mushroom into a winsome vegetarian-friendly meal.

Baked fresh on premise, the splendid Scone - served with house made Strawberry Jam and Cream (RM7), and buttery Marble or Orange Cake (RM6 per slice) are compelling dessert choices, ideal as a self-pampering treat or for wrapping up your visit to Sixteen on a subtly sweet note.

For reservations and more information call SIXTEEN, tel: 03 7980 0200. Address: 16, Jalan 2/109E, Desa Business Park, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: 8am to 930pm daily

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, June 19, 2020

NEW MENU FEEDS ALL AT HOTEL MAYA KUALA LUMPUR

One menu integrating signature specialities from Still Waters (Japanese and Cantonese), Maya Brasserie (all-day dining) and Ramah Tamah (deli) makes it debut at Hotel Maya KL, to provide a seamless dining experience in the new normal.
 
Sharmini Morganasundram, General Manager of Hotel Maya KL said “a lot of thought has been put into this initiative, to ensure diners can enjoy their preferred cuisine at affordable prices whilst maintaining safe social distancing guidelines.”
 
The expansive selection lists Malaysian favourites, Western choices, Japanese and Chinese specialities, and even healthy vegan fare. 
 
 
Deftly prepared appetisers such as Wok-Fried Shelled Tiger Prawns with Butter, Golden Oats, Curry Leaves and Bird’s Eye Chillies (RM23), and Butter Squid with Salted Egg Yolk (RM28) hit the right note thanks to the delicacies’ airy-light batter and on-point crispiness.
We highly recommend the show-stealing Set Nasi Kerabu (RM18) – blue-tinged rice with butterfly pea flower jus accompanied by delectable fried marinated fried chicken, fish crackers, salted egg, grated coconut fish flakes and shredded raw vegetables. A marvellous ensemble of vividly robust accents and varied textural interests that will induce you to make short work of everything.
For a perennial dish that conjures up the feeling of festive revelry, nothing beats the stellar Set Nasi Tomato, Ayam Masak Merah, Jelatah, Sambal Belacan & Papadom (RM18). Again, the culinary team here pulls off the tomato rice with aplomb: the zesty-tomatoey chicken in chilli is sublime especially when augmented by the tart pickled vegetables, zingy shrimp paste sambal and crunchy papadom.
More sedate, non-spicy fare like Olive Vegetable Fried Rice with Shrimps, Fish and Golden Crispy Garlic (RM18) should go down well if you’re not partial to spices and chillies.
Tastes of the Orient take centrestage in three set menus: Ixora (RM60 nett for 2 persons), Hibiscus (RM80 nett for 2 persons) and Rafflesia (RM100 nett for 2 persons). Crowd-pleasing curtain-raisers such as Japanese Gyoza with Shrimp & Chicken and Unagi Tempura with Tobiko pave the way for heartwarming broths — my personal pick is the tantalising Braised Hot & Sour Szechuan Soup with Crabmeat, Fish Lip, Shrimps, Black Fungus, Mushroom, Szechuan Vegetable and Beancurd.

Creamy Chicken with Curry Leaves and Housemade Spicy Dried Shrimp Sauce, Deep-fried Spicy Seabass Fillet with Housemade Plum Sauce and Shredded Young Mango, and Stir-fried Sweet Beans with Celery, Carrot, Black Fungus, Lotus Root, Ginkgo Nuts and Crispy Almond Flakes are among some of the main dishes featured in the set menus. They pass muster with white or brown rice serving as the foil to partake them with.
 
Dessert to choose from range between Chilled Sea Coconut with Longan and Lemon Syrup and Double Boiled Dried Pear with Chrysanthemum, Sea Bird’s Nest, White Fungus and Dried Longan.
 

Dine-in at Hotel Maya KL on weekdays (except public holidays) from 11am to 8pm (last order 7pm). You can also bring Maya Meals Home via self pick-up or delivery: hotelmayakl.beepit.com daily from 11am to 8pm. Free delivery for minimum spend of RM60 within 5km from the hotel and RM80 within 10km radius.
For more information, contact Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur F&B Hotline: 012-282 8187. Hotel Maya KL is located at 138 Jalan Ampang, KL.

Monday, January 21, 2019

NEW GASTRONOMIC TREATS AT CEDAR ON 15


Midday Specials. Social Bites. The Cookbook. These catchy names denote the new lunch, light snacks and dinner menus at Cedar on 15, the  rooftop restaurant and lounge at Impiana KLCC Hotel in line with 2019.

Following a fresh approach taken by Chef Helmut Lamberger, Corporate Chef (WACS Global Master Chef), local media peeps were given first dibs into the culinary team’s versatile repertoire.
 
Waitstaff swooped in bearing trays of Social Bites, catching our eye with the unusual presentation. Our Version of Bitterballen (RM26) — crisp potato croquettes flavoured with smoked turkey ham and cheese finished with dollops of avocado mousse (pix below)  were scrumptious enough that I unashamedly went for repeat helpings.
Cocktail parties definitely would be more fun with wickedly delish Rockefeller Shrimp Popcorn (RM40) — crunchy deep-fried shrimp ‘popcorn’ in waxed newsprint cones served with roasted garlic aioli (bottom top pix). These nibbles easily reel you in so keep a tight grip on your own resolve or else...
Simpler but no less appealing on the palate is Vine Tomato Bruschetta (RM39). Amazing how sublime Cameron Highlands baby tomatoes baked with ricotta cheese, parsley oil and crushed pepper (bottom top pix) can taste when paired with some nice tipple. 
 
According to Chef Helmut, the new menus focus on classic European favourites with modern updates, to cater to today’s discerning diners. He emphasised his team also took into consideration key issues such as seafood sustainability, the use of locally-grown herbs and mushrooms, changing food trends and evolving palates.
One of Chef Helmut’s notable creations, Carpaccio of Portobello Mushroom (RM54) actually won him the coveted ‘Chef of the Year, Austria’ by Gault Millau back in 1991. His latest interpretation in which the thinly sliced fungi came dotted with burrata cheese and whipped horseradish was a delicate, no-frills composition of rustic earthiness — to symbolise the Forest in The Cookbook (dinner menu).
The evening’s showstopper for me was the Earth-inspired Cream of Kohlrabi (RM44) with butter-seared scallops, baby greens and coral tuille. Also known as German turnip, this temperate vegetable is now grown in Camerons. Part bulb and part vegetable, it’s a cross between a radish, jicama, collard green and broccoli.
The Cedar on 15 team did an excellent job turning it into a lush, creamy soup that allowed the scallops’ natural sweetness to shine and enveloped the asparagus tips with its sleek smoothness. 
With sustainability issue gaining traction in the food industry, Chef Helmut and his team selected Pan-fried Fillet of Malaysian Barramundi (RM64) as their main course of choice during the menu launch. A good decision as the fish itself proved on-point, accompanied by churned almond butter and sides of artichokes, potatoes, asparagus tips, olives, herbs and lemon wedges.

Passion is essential to chefs and the entire gastronomic feast we had experienced proved Chef Helmut Lamberger and his chaps spared no efforts in ensuring we went home happy. Their finale appeared in the form of A Medley of White Chocolate & Raspberry (RM44) with citrus crème and crispy snaps. Cloud-light with a well-balanced quotient of sweet and tangy accents, it hit the spot for me although I’m no fan of mousse-type treats.
The chef also demonstrated the preparation of some signature dishes such as Skaagen or Scandinavian Shrimp Salad, Foie Gras ‘Magyar’ and Barbary Duck Breast during dinner. A plethora of specialities from all three menus was also displayed for us to photograph and view at the launch.
For reservations, call Cedar on 15, tel: 03-2147 1111. Address: Level 15, Impiana KLCC Hotel, 13, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur.

Featured Post

EXPLOSIVE SURPRISE FROM CAKE RUSH

Whimsical. Fun. Impactful. Imagine a flock of butterflies fluttering up once you open Cake Rush’s latest Explosion Gift Box. We were thrille...