Showing posts with label French cuisine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label French cuisine. Show all posts
Friday, August 15, 2025
CHALET RETURNS WITH GOURMET SWISS-EUROPEAN CLASSICS
The
unmistakable scent of Raclette Valaisanne — molten Swiss cheese paired with tender
new potatoes, tangy cornichons and pickled pearl onions — heralds the
triumphant return of Chalet to Sabayon, EQ Kuala Lumpur, from 14–30 August.
Dining
is as much theatre as it is indulgence with Chalet’s signature show-stealers of
Fondue au Fromage — a molten pot of velvety cheese and the majestic Canard à la
Presse where a whole roast duck is dramatically pressed tableside in a gleaming
silver duck press, making for an unforgettable performance of sorts.
Thursday, June 06, 2024
A STELLAR SABAYON X ALEX DILLING SHOWCASE
The Sabayon x Alex Dilling showcase started on a luxurious note with a tin of Aged Kaluga Caviar
with Smoked Scottish Salmon Rillette, Crème Cru and Dill.
TBH,
this is one of the times I felt truly blessed with the perks of being a food
writer and blogger. After having our appetite whetted with warm, crusty bread,
Bordier butter and cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, we were gobsmacked when
a whole tin of caviar prettily garnished with tiny edible flowers and gold
leaves was placed on each of our plate.
According to Chef Alex Dilling, his interest in caviar
developed during his two-year stint with Caviar Russe, a fine caviar house. “Since
then, I’d acquired a deep appreciation for caviar and to me, caviar as a first
course makes dining out special, bringing a sense of occasion to the meal.”
Who
could quibble with such reasoning? Especially when we got to savour the little pearls
layered with silky smooth crème cru (raw, naturally cultured sour
cream) and subtly savoury salmon rillette (a preservation
technique using fat and slow cooking method).
We
were instructed to sample the appetiser on its own first before proceeding to
enjoy the caviar and salmon rillette with the spongy-soft crumpets followed by thin
slivers of pickled cucumber for textural contrast. Every mouthful was enough to
induce gastro-orgasm…Dilling said he chose Kaluga caviar for its slight crunch
and umami, nutty nuances.
The London-born chef whose interest in food and cooking was attributed to his mother, gained his culinary pedigree under the legendary Alain Ducasse and another reputable chef Helene Darroze.
Risotto was the first dish Dilling learned to cook at 15 and his love for eating motivated him to become a chef. He soon garnered attention for his talent at turning classic European dishes on its head as exemplified by the stellar Wild Mushrooms Macaroni Gratin.
Simplicity
rules in the presentation but oh, the umami ‘bomb’ we encountered upon tasting
that first spoonful of tender pasta knocked our socks off. Our tastebuds
were suffused with the complexity of rich, earthy flavours thanks to the attendant
36-month aged parmesan, black truffle and Vin jaune (a dry, yellow wine from
eastern France) sauce.
More caviar crowned the speciality of Olive
Oil Poached Black Cod. Complemented by smoked eel consommé and dices of marinated
turnip, this was my favourite dish.
Personally,
I reckon the delicately tender fish was sterling proof of the chef’s 2 Michelin
starred stature – it’s neck-to-neck with an on-point Chinese-style steamed fish.
The unexpected bursts of crisp acidity and sweetness from the diminutive turnip dices
lent a nice counterpoint to the salty smoked eel consommé.
Dilling’s famed signature Hunter
Chicken was indeed the show-stopper that draw epicureans to his eponymous London
restaurant. Interpreted from the classic French poulet (chicken) chasseur, Dilling used a custom-made mold to shape the external layer
of chicken mousse.
“We mixed some smoked duck into the
mousse which we made using trimmings from the corn-fed chicken breast featured in the dish. Then we layered on the mushroom duxelles followed by a piece of chicken
breast at the core.”
Glazed
with enticing sauce Albuféra (a sauce of Spanish origin comprising an emulsion
of chicken stock, Madeira, cream and butter), the delicious speciality were
augmented by buttery, velvety pomme purée and fresh salad on the side.
We were
ecstatic to finish lunch with a heavenly dessert of Tainori Chocolate with
Sourdough Ice Cream, Salted Caramel and Pedro Ximénez sabayon. That judicious balance of sweet-salty accents coupled
with the beguiling chocolatey bitterness and lusciousness of sabayon – a blended
mixture of egg yolks, sugar and Pedro Ximenez (in place of Marsala) – made our sweet dreams came true.
The
proof of the chef’s skills is in his food so hurry and make your reservations
at Sabayon soonest possible. Alex Dilling will only be showcasing his curated
menu until 15 June.
Reserve
your table for the Sabayon X Alex Dilling dinner at EQ via this link:
https://www.tableapp.com/partner/sabayon-eq-kuala-lumpur#/
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
FRENCH GASTON-NOMY AT CHEZ GASTON

Rabbit pâté,
pork rillettes and pork blood sausage are some of the gems we discovered at
Chez Gaston, a newly opened French bistro tucked away in a corner of Bangsar. House-made
by chef/owner Florian Nigen (formerly of Rendez-vous), those aforementioned
rustic, homey specialities form the basis of his bistro-style menu at Chez
Gaston.




Our bistronomy journey began with the Big
Mix Platter (RM99+). Ideal for 2-3 people to share, we made a real feast out of it. Sliced toasty bread
is a must, to pile on the country-style rabbit pâté, deer and pork rillettes
(similar to pâté but the meat is shredded or chopped), cured Parma ham and Iberico
ham slices, saucisson (cured
sausage) and smoked duck breast. It was fun to complement the various starters with olives, caramlised onion, salad,
gherkins and the chef’s selection of 2 cheeses.
Do take note some
of the items serve may vary from time to time as their availability depends on supply. Rest assured, the substantial selection will definitely
whet your appetite for more.
Since he
came to Malaysia, Chef Flo reveals he missed Boudin Noir (RM35+), pork blood
sausage so much that he was driven to make the delicacy in-house. Pork blood, onion, pork fat, salt and pepper resulted in the plump and dark sausage we ate. It was surprisingly agreeable; the sausage's faint metallic
nuance and full-bodied richness balanced by some caramelised apple dices.

If that doesn't strike your fancy, perhaps the Foie Gras
Terrine (RM42+) will do the trick. Dense and unctuously smooth, the French
duck liver pâté is divine when paired with house-toasted garlic
and thyme bread alongside sweetish caramelised onion and fig jam.
A good
tummy warmer is Mediterranean Fish Soup (RM17+). Similar to bouillabaisse, this
splendid tomato and herb broth floated our boat with its mélange of fresh fish,
rouille (thick, garlicky mayo-like sauce),
croutons, and grated emmental cheese.

Braised
in red wine for over 8 hours, the Boeuf Bourguignon (RM48+) came up trumps as well.
A staple comfort food in most French households, the melt-in-the-mouth tender beef
cheeks were scrumptious.
Pescatarians
need not fret as some fish and seafood options are available. Notable choices
include Seabass Au Safran (RM39+), fillet of seabass on creamy saffron sauce
and Prawns Moscato (RM48+), pan-fried prawns with Moscato bisque sauce.
The most
Instaworthy has to be Floating Island (RM11+), a mound of soft meringue on vanilla
custard and drizzled with caramel and topping of almond flakes. Mutedly sweet but
its cloud-like ephemeral texture was winsome.

Prefer to finish with some cheese? Then indulge in the Cheese Platter (RM38+) featuring a selection of 4 cheeses. Ours comprised brie, raclette, fresh goat’s cheese and blue cheese.
A
good overview of what to expect can be savoured via the Express Lunch
Set (RM19+ for 2 course, RM26+ for 3 course) inclusive of Ice Lemon Tea,
Parisiene Coffee
or English Breakfast Tea.
For reservations,
call Chez Gaston KL, tel: 011-3993 0036. Address: 12, Jalan Bangsar Utama 9,
Bangsar, KL.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Featured Post
CLASSIC AMERICAN DINER EXPERIENCE AT KGB
Channelling retro American diner vibes in blue and white, the KGB Diner at Tropicana Gardens serves more than run-of-the-mill burgers. On...
-
If you're like me who has no idea how to renew your Malaysian passport online, let's shake hands and say a prayer for what we are ...
-
Paris Baguette – South Korea’s famous bakery café has finally landed in Malaysia, at Pavilion KL. ( Left-Right) : Dato’ Sri Robin Ta...