Wednesday, May 19, 2010

BEEFING UP CHINESE CHEFS




It was a feat of sorts...hats off to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) for succeeding in corralling 28 top Chinese chefs together.

The aim? To mark the launch of MLA Red Majesty Chef programme where the head honchos of top Chinese kitchens in Malaysia and Singapore will be beefed up with improved cooking techniques, modern methods of preparation and presentation of Chinese cuisine. Naturally, the ingredient of choice here is Australian beef and sheep meat for the creation of contemporary Chinese dishes.

The resultant dinner was an exquisite menu of beef and lamb creations starting with Crispy Lamb with Hawthorn Chilli Sauce and Chilled Five Spice Lamb Combination (pix above). Fabulous textural constrast accentuated by the subtly sweet hawthorn chilli sauce defined the first starter; the second was just as captivating thanks to its sheer simplicity.

The subsequent Double Boiled Superior Beef Broth with Sliced Beef Rump and Tendon hit the spot all right since it was a rainy night. Richly flavoured yet light and clear on the palate, the salubrious brew left us asking for more.

Raising the bar further was the Golden Centre Eye of Rump Beef Nugget accompanied by Chef's Special Spicy BBQ Dip. The beef's splendid melt-in-the-mouth tenderness paired with the wickedly spicy sauce left us at a loss for words.

An amalgamation of tart, sweet and smoky nuances held us spellbound in the Slow Braised Lamb Neck with Caramelised Honey Sauce.

After that, Poached and Roasted Beef Rump Cap Escalope dressed with Garlic Black Bean Sauce took centrestage. Again it was faultlessly prepared giving rise to nods and murmurs of appreciation all round.

Even our local white coffee made a cameo appearance in the Thirteen Fragrant Spice Lamb Shoulder Flavoured with White Coffee Sauce...such ingenuity!

Inspired by the local street food scene, the Stir Fried Ho Fun (Flat Rice Vermicelli) was glammed up with Sliced Soy Beef, Shimeiji Mushroom & Poached Quail Egg. Oozing with fab wok hei (that elusive, irresistible smoky "breath" derived from a super-high heat wok), it was one of the evening's best dishes. The poached quail egg's rich smoothness and the delicate brown capped fungi's mild earthiness added brilliant textural interplay to the scrumptious ensemble.

Milk Pudding with Lychee dressed with Caramelised Honey & Red Dates complemented by Tropical Fresh Fruit brought the curtains down on a high note.

All 28 chefs were given a rousing standing ovation by dinner invitees. Well done and thumbs up to MLA for this superb initiative. Bravo!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

CLAIM TO FAME



Yours truly claimed her brief share of the media spotlight thanks to this recent interview with one of Malaysia's local English daily - New Straits Times. Twas the perfect opportunity to flog my food guide! Read all about it...

Thursday, May 06, 2010

FABLED VENETIAN FARE


Breads. Nope, not the run-of-the-mill loaf but light, airy and rustic hand-made ones that taste absolutely heavenly. Le Meridien's Executive Chef Antoine Rodriguez is not kidding when he said the Italian breads at Favola are one of the outlet's signature specialities. Served with three different dips: truffled potato, roasted tomato and extra virgin olive oil-balsamic vinegar, the splendid loaves and grissini (breadsticks) would adequately put paid to any carb-free diet plans.

Lunching at Favola (a worthy successor to Al Nafourah), one can't help but be seduced by the charming and tasteful ambience that artfully blends modern and rustic accents. The food follows a similar slant - everything appears simple yet flavourful and is presented with panache minus any pretensions.

The Capricciosa Pizza (RM40++) is delightfully thin and crisp; laden with hot pepperoni, mozzarella, tomato, roasted artichoke, anchovy fillets in olive oil, black olives and garlic. An amazing aria of toppings that leave you wanting more after that very first bite!

For some inexplicable reason, risotto is really the bees' knees for me. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven after my first spoonful of the Risotto con Cappesante (RM45++)! The plump rice grains were creamy, tender and just a tad al dente; richly imbued with a melange of seductive nuances - that of leeks, lemon zest, chilli and basil. Crowning this masterpiece was three large, succulently plump and super-sweet pan-fried sea scallops...drool, drool, drool!

Of course, no Italian meal is ever complete without pasta. At Favola, a choice of dry and fresh pasta is available in various guises. We sampled Conchiglioni Marinara al Cartoccio (RM45++) - a supremely scrumptious parcel of conchiglie (shell-shaped pasta) baked with seafood in tangy tomato sauce, extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese. This sterling composition of Italian culinaria tastes so good, you'd be tempted to give it a standing ovation.

Never judge the Lasagna al Forno (RM45++) by its 'cover'...for underneath that splotchy cheese crust drizzled with truffle oil lies layers of piping hot, fresh pasta sheets layered with braised Wagyu beef cheek. It's a pity the meat's all minced up but the deep-seated, hearty beef flavour's simply unmistakable. Garfield would've given this two thumbs (should that be paws?) up.

The Grilled Salmon Trout doesn't even need to fish for compliments...I daresay diners would readily heap praises on it anytime. Redolent with the distinct aroma of rosemary and thyme, the fish's inherent flavour is exquisitely perked up by a classic interplay of garlic, tomato, olive oil and lemon juice.

Brace yourself for some snap, crackle and pop when you sample Favola's fabled Tiramisu (RM25++). Laced with Illy coffee, the decadent treat of mascarpone, coffee jelly, savoiardi (sponge fingers), egg yolks and cream bear a sprinkling of sweet crusty crumbs and 'pop rocks' candy that lends the dessert an unexpected effervescent touch.


You know the Cassata (RM30++) and Budino di Cioccolata (RM25++) are seriously out of this world when my lunch companions made short work of both treats while I was being regaled to Chef Antoine's early culinary exploits! From my one and only tiny spoonful, I could tell the stack of Haagen Dazs ice cream and cake that forms the Cassata is to-die-for. Ditto for the dark, dense and alluring chocolate pudding served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

So what's a gal to do but vow to make a return trip in search of Favola's fabled fare.

Monday, May 03, 2010

IN THE MOOD FOR FOOD


Food always has a way of putting me into a good mood...and vice versa. I brought two old friends recently to Albion KL - a modern British dining outlet. We opted for the 3-course set lunch (RM35++) which turned out to be a hit & miss affair.

While I loved my starter of mixed salad leaves with sliced roast pork - pix above), the main (grilled chicken breast with couscous - pix below) could have done with a zesty sauce as the whole ensemble tasted a tad dry on the palate. For dessert I opted for no-fail Affogato. You cannot imagine how much chit-chat 3 women could indulge in over one lunch ;-D

Once a week, I would head over to Pasar Kampung Pandan for my fix of Nasi Lemak or Roti Canai.
There's several stalls here which sell tasty Malay fare ranging from Nasi Dagang and Lontong to Kuih-muih and Roti Canai. One particular vendor even specialises in Thosai, Chappati, Putu Mayam and Vadai.

Prices are reasonable and most importantly, parking is a total breeze. After such a delightful treat, one is bound to slip into a happily satiated mood.

Last weekend Mom brought us to this little stall in Semenyih for Wantan Mee. She already forewarned that we had to get there early to beat the crowd or else the noodles would be sold out by noon!

The noodles were certainly worth waking up early for. They were toothsomely chewy and well-tossed with a subtly sweet dark soya sauce accompanied by slices of char siew (sweet BBQ pork).

Customers can also order BBQ Chicken Wings separately. Although somewhat burnt at the edges, they were scrumptious. The sweetish marinade is similar to the one used for their char siew.

Those who don't fancy Wantan Mee can sample the stall's Curry Laksa. I'd prefer the fiery red broth to be spicier and more lemak (the coconut milk is rather thin I thought). Ingredients wise, there's no complaint as the noodles come with cockles, tofu puffs and fish balls.

The little coffeeshop also does pretty brisk business for its Kaya-Butter Toast as most customers usually have this as a percusor to their noodles. When we started snapping pixs of the stall surreptiously, the owner actually ticked us off! I guess they have more business than they could handle so food bloggers are definitely not welcome here...

Friday, April 16, 2010

IT'S A PIG-OUT


On a recent quick hop-over to Singapore, we stopped by for a simple lunch of soup (gasp! those who know me would be shocked as soup's not exactly down my lane) and sandwich at a little outlet called The Soup Spoon.

But hey, I figured that if the outlet's packed the food must be good rite? They even let you sample your choice from a little tasting cup. We opted for the set which consists of a huge bowl of soup, 1/2 a sandwich and a glass of iced lemon tea.

We settled for Clam Chowder which admittedly could have done with more clams and less starch in it but taste-wise it was passable. We were famished and the piping hot brew went very well with the given bread roll. The Ham & Cheese Sandwich (oh, the joy of eating REAL ham in eateries!) was incredibly scrumptious! The panini was soft, the cheese suitably melty and the ham slightly briny - perfect to go with the tangy side coleslaw salad (something our local KFC should learn from). Overall, it was a simple, hearty and reasonably priced meal.


After trawling the malls (they all began to resemble each other after a while), we sought refuge in Blue Mountain Cafe. The place was busy even on a Friday afternoon...I had an Iced Chocolate with Marshmallow (shame it was only one!) - again stupendously good; very chocolatey and milky and just what I needed to soothe my frayed nerves from all that trudging around.

We hung around until it was time for dinner. We headed straight for Tampopo Family Dining - a Japanese restaurant at Takashimaya which touted its Black Pig specialities. Good thing we were early too as the place was soon packed to the brim!

I had Tsuke Soba - essentially cold buckwheat noodles with sliced bacon and leeks in a rich, delicious broth. What made it really outstanding was how the condiments of 2 tiny yuzu strips and a miniscule dollop of citrusy/peppery salt gave such a distinct, tantalising lift to the overall ensemble.


Hubby had the Kyushu Shoyu Ramen - as expected, it was equally yummy. The noodles were springy, the pork bone-based stock sublimely sweet with loads of wakame seaweed, sesame seeds, a hard-boiled egg and a sliced of Black Pig 'char sieu' in it.

Talking about that, we also ordered BBQ Black Pig - only two slices per serving but terribly sumptuous. Despite the meat being incredibly lean, it has a nice melt-in-mouth texture.

Another version of the noodles which we spied from the next table came with a mind-boggling tennis ball-size minced pork ball! I can only imagine just how salubrious it must have tasted...

Of course, I couldn't leave without trying this dessert I had been dreaming of the whole afternoon. The creation features multiple layers of ice-cream, custard and fresh fruit or different flavoured filling on top e.g. peaches and chardonnay, chocolate, green tea, etc

I opted for the Chardonnay Peach Mariage which comprised white peach jelly, chardonnay ice-cream, raspberry confiture, tart and white peach ice-cream. It was a heavenly confection that I had a hard time describing. It's just very sensual, lusciously creamy but light; the taste of crisp Chardonnay clearly discernible on the palate.

According to the promotional flyer, the Patiscream is made with 100% Hokkaido milk in Japan and features seductive variants like Mont Blanc (Italian chestnut cream with Custard Ice Cream and Sponge Cake), Blueberry Cheese Mille-Feuille, Belgium Noisette Chocolat and Passion Mango Trifle.

Needless to say, I looked rather like the cat that got the cream after that sweet treat.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Delicious Discoveries

OK I know I've been slacking lately when it comes to my food blog...too much travelling within the first quarter of 2010 has barely left me enough room to breathe!

That doesn't mean I haven't been on food binges though ;-D Just didn't have time to upload pixs and share those delish stuff that I had! So here's a quick peek on the glorious temptations that caught my fancy.


Penang Curry Mee from a local coffee shop (sorry, I forgot the name!) behind The Royale Hotel Penang

Don't knock the broth's pale colour - the spoonful of 'sambal' that comes with each bowl will transform the scrumptious curry into a fiery orange hue!

Taste-wise it's very piquant with a nice creamy undertone that only coconut milk can bestow. Personally I'd prefer it to be spicier but the whole ensemble is a real steal at only RM2.50 (small bowl). If you want the works like I did, it's RM4.50.

Also we returned to Nyonya Cafe @ New World Park to relish its delicious Nyonya food again. This is our 3rd visit and we were glad to see the outlet is no longer tucked away in a discreet corner. Now it occupies a huge corner lot that used to house Manhattan Fish Market. Still as busy and more importantly, the food is still as good!


The Chap Chye here even passed my mom's acid test so that's saying something!

Don't miss the Sambal Squid...it's mildly sweet, spicy and totally drool-worthy!


See the gigantic Choon Piah (Spring Roll)? It's chockful of sliced mushroom, minced pork, shredded mung bean (sengkuang) and carrot among others ... quite unlike those little insipid ones you'd find at most hotel buffets and even pasar malam stalls. Needless to say, it tasted super yummy!

The Asam Pedas Fish is guaranteed to tempt you eating more white rice than you should. The seabass was incredibly fresh and sweet; the gravy tantalisingly tangy and spicy with the aroma of fragrant herbs coming through nicely.

Another dish that I recalled having from my childhood was Assam Prawns where the succulent crustaceans are marinated in tamarind paste with a little sugar. When they're pan-fried, the marinade will caramelised and turn the prawns into an alluring shade of dark polished brown. Believe me, they are sumptuous and finger-licking good!

So if you're ever in Penang, make Nyonya Cafe your compulsory stopover.


Nyonya Café
(non-halal)
New World Park
Burma Road
Georgetown, Penang
Tel: (04) 228 8919

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Spring Into Prosperity


YEE SANG FOR A ROUSING START

The time has come to brace ourselves for a lively and dynamic Year of the Tiger. And what better way to assuage our growling hunger for myriad Chinese New Year delights than to feast on Chef Ricky Thein's irresistible festive dishes.

No CNY meal in Malaysia is ever complete without an auspicious platter of raw fish salad. At Tai Zi Heen, the tangy-sweet, colourful and multi-textural Ying Yang Yee Sang with Tuna and Salmon Roulade serves as the perfect curtain raiser to usher in a brand new year filled with high hopes of good fortune, great abundance and untold happiness.


GOOD AS GOLD...

The chef's Midas touch is evident in the Braised Pearl Shark's Fin with Fish Maw in Supreme Golden Broth. Its seductively light yet creamy texture and brilliant golden yellow hue was derived from an ingenious combination of duck-based stock and carrot juice that had undergone 10 long hours of double-boiling under Chef Thein's watchful eyes. Coupled with the smooth and spongy fish maw and luxuriant comb of shark's fin, the soup is pure manna for the soul.


A DISH OF GOOD TIDINGS

Some traditional delicacies are best left untampered with. In the case of the ubiquitous ho see fatt choi or literally dried oyster and sea moss - two compulsory ingredients that no Lunar New Year dinner worth its salt can do without, I was delighted to find the chef managed to imbue a fresh dimension to Braised Dried Oysters with Sea Moss by incorporating succulent Mexican Soy Clams, toothsome Sea Cucumber and tender Wok-fried Greens into the classic dish.


FISHING FOR COMPLIMENTS

A long-forgotten rustic flavour emerged in the Steamed Cod with Pickled Radish and Garlic in Supreme Soy Sauce. We were bowled over by the savoury and crunchy choy poh. Yes, that humble old-fashioned pickled radish favoured by grannies of yore to complement plain porridge, sprinkled into omelette and a 'must have' ingredient for the best char kway kark or fried radish cake. In this instance, it made a winsome topping together with the chopped red chilli and garlic for the alluringly rich and marble-smooth cod fillet.


PROSPER WITH PRAWNS

Raising the bar further was Deep-fried Batter-coated Prawns with Fresh Lime Dressing which saw the potent accent, juice and fragrance of kaffir lime being put to good use. Springy to the bite, the springy prawns in their crisp batter coating were speckled with fine slivers of kaffir lime leaves and slicked with an aromatic, mildly sweet-citrusy dressing.


A DISH OF SITTING DUCK FOR THE FESTIVITIES

Just when we thought nothing can possibly top that delectable speciality, along came the Braised Duck with Dried Fish Maw and Dried Scallops. So intent was everyone in savouring each and every morsel that all conversation came to a halt and one could almost hear a pin drop in the palpable silence that ensued.


A DISH THAT 'RICE'S TO THE OCCASION

I have always enjoyed Chef Thein's delicious Fried Rice with Seafood and Baby Abalone and as expected, it manages to rise to the occasion. Fluffy and coated with strands of egg, the rice exudes great wok hei and comes with a handful of tender, finger nail-size baby abalone.


SWEET ENDINGS

The dessert of Double-boiled Hasma with Red Dates and Glutinous Rice Dumplings caused a few of our dining companions to blanch when they were told hasma is in fact snow frogs' ovaries. After overcoming their initial hesitance, most gamely sampled the salubrious broth and vouched that the soft, cloudy and jelly-like clumps were quite agreeable after all.

Ah, talk about earning one's stripes in the call of duty! Gong Xi Gong Xi!

The Prosperity Set menus are priced from RM988++ onwards per table of 10 persons.

TAI ZI HEEN (pork-free)
Prince Hotel & Residence
Jalan Conlay K L
Tel: (03) 2170 3259

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