Showing posts with label Western food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Western food. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

TIFA TOUTS ‘THREE IN ONE’ CONCEPT

Tifa means three in Latin. It’s also the name of veteran restaurateur Angie Hiew’s latest venture at Trillion KL.

Insisting her European-inspired restaurant should not be classified as a fine-dining outpost, Angie explains Tifa incorporates three different concepts under one roof.

“Opened last March, Tifa serves reasonably priced good food in cosy, modest surroundings. Every dish, from the mayonnaise to the sauces, is prepared from scratch by me using market-fresh ingredients.”

The restaurant straddles a spacious and well-shaded patio area where quick and affordable meals are served; an al fresco seating area next to an outdoor fountain area meant for chilling out over drinks, and a nicely decorated ‘by reservation only, private kitchen’ dining space.
Angie cut her teeth in the restaurant business when she was just 18 years old, learning the ropes at Movenpick Singapore which belonged to her late husband. She came into her own with the opening of Flamenco Spanish restaurant in 1995, setting the imagination of local food lovers alight with her signature paella, tapas and Spanish wine selection.
After that stellar decade, Angie took a short break before she pivoted into the restaurant consulting business. To date, she was instrumental in the successful openings of Sentidos Tapas at Starhill, and EQ Kuala Lumpur’s Sky 51 and Blue.
The passionate cook relishes being back in the thick of the kitchen action at Tifa. “Seeing people enjoy my cooking gives me great satisfaction. I also love taking care of my guests, and at Tifa, it’s like having friends over except we're in a restaurant environment. I enjoy the freedom and flexibility to curate menus to suit my guests’ preferences; I can customise dishes based on their food intolerances, dietary requirements, and budget. All I need is advance notice so that I’d have enough time to buy the ingredients and prepare whatever’s necessary. I believe people can have a good meal without paying the earth for it.”

As proof, Angie serves good-value lunch deals on weekdays (12pm-3pm) priced from RM25++ upwards per person at Tifa. Her four-course menu degustation starts from RM148++ per person (by advance reservations only).

We are astounded by the pretty as a picture appetiser: the succulent salmon slices with avocado cream and pine nuts tastes as good as they look.
The subsequent forest mushroom soup is lightly creamy with the discernible aroma of truffle oil. Grilled sliced boletus mushroom, cherry tomatoes and edible flowers piled atop a long slice of toast lend colour and textural contrast.
Less is more seems to be Angie’s approach for main courses. She has mango-red capsicum salsa bestowing subtle fruity sweetness to the smoked chicken breast with pommery mustard cream whilst a full-bodied Rioja is used to braise beef cheeks, suffusing the tender chunks of meat with rich, deep flavours. Accompanied by silky mashed potato, the dish leaves us replete.


Her artisan dessert is whimsically delightful to bring the curtains down on your visit to Tifa. Depending on her inclination, it could be a new-fangled black forest cake in the shape of a luscious, oversized ‘cherry’ atop crumbly chocolate ‘soil’, walnuts and fresh strawberries or a pink, heart-shaped lychee-raspberry mascarpone with chocolate flakes and cookie crumble.
Angie says, “I can rustle up whatever my customers fancy as long as they give me enough time to prepare before their intended visit or any occasion they plan to celebrate. Let me work around your budget and expectations. Anything is possible at Tifa.”

TIFA KL, Ground Floor, KL Trillion, 338, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 017-358 1338. Business hours: Monday – Saturday 11am to 11pm (last order 9.30pm). Closed on Sunday.

 

Friday, November 19, 2021

PORK HOGS THE LIMELIGHT AT DAVE'S BISTRO BAR GRILL

Dave’s Siew Yuk (RM29) still rules hogs the Bar Bites roost at the established Dave's Bistro Bar & Grill, a familiar outpost among One Utama patronsServed with mustard and house-made chilli sauce, the signature roast pork belly boasts a juicy ratio of fat and lean meat, and deliciously crisp skin. It’s a match made in heaven with a cold beer such as Edelweiss.


In the last 2 years, prolonged movement restrictions caused by Covid-19 have aggravated challenges for F&B stakeholders including Dave's Bistro Bar & Grill. Fortunately, Dave’s loyal customers rallied to sustain the resto with their regular fix of favourites: ranging from the resto’s famed siew yuk (roast pork) to porkilicious pizza.


Staying true to its bistro roots, Dave’s expansive menu is a bid to expand its multi-generation and multi-dietary appeal. Hence amidst the predominantly Euro-centric porcine offerings imbued with some Asian influences, you’d find seafood and poultry items as well.


During the pre-pandemic days, Dave’s Anglo-French bar is a social haven for those seeking to slake their thirst, kick back after a day’s work or shopping, and a bite to eat. These days the lure has dampened slightly as people are less likely to linger in malls but the dining-out pace has picked up recently.


Coming in a close second on the Bar Bites popularity stakes is Dave’s Stuffed Mushrooms (RM24). Topped with chopped bacon and tomatoes, the grilled stuffed mushrooms pack a nice cohesiveness of tangy and savoury flavours. The wickedly moreish morsels are just the inducement to level up the enjoyment of your favourite tipple.


For the white-collar and family crowd, Dave’s tempts them with All Day Brunch options such as Croque Madame (RM27). This classic French sandwich should appeal to anyone partial to cheese as it comprises two bread slices with ham, dressed in bechamel sauce, then baked with Emmenthaler cheese.


Crowned with a sunny side up egg, the sandwich is accompanied by a side of fresh salad. The whole ensemble is hearty and filling; guarantee to leave a light eater replete as it can be rather rich and cloying due to the cheese and creamy sauce.  


An assortment of mussels, clams, prawns and squid are found in the plate of Olio Seafood Linguine (RM38). Scented with garlic, chilli, white wine, parsley and butter, the pasta passes muster. We find the dish underwhelming although it is deftly prepared – it lacks a little acidity or heat to amp up the appeal.

Overall, Dave’s has plenty to offer although the menu needs to be more streamlined and a refresh to keep up with current trends. In these increasingly tough times, it would make better sense to retain the crowd-pleasers and introduce newer items on a trial basis to attract new customers while seeking to inject fresh creativity into its current menu.


For reservations, call Dave’s Bistro Bar Grill, tel: 03-7725 4017. Address: Lot G209, The Promenade, One Utama Shopping Centre, Lebuh Bandar Utama 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Monday, January 25, 2021

AUSPICIOUS LUNAR 'NIU' YEAR TAKEAWAYS & DELIVERIES FROM ROCKAFELLERS

A Prosperity Family Platter fit for kings from Rockafellers Kitchen & Bar is a great choice to welcome the Year of the Ox in the comfort of home this year. Executive Chefs Yogi and Jarrod Khoo have rustled up generous servings of Roasted Pork Belly, Red Fermented Beancurd (Nam Yue) Pork Ribs, Whole Roast Duck, BBQ Pork Belly (Char Siu) and Pork Knuckle for the Prosperity Family Platter (RM280 nett, 4-5 persons and RM499 nett, serves 8-10 persons). 


We had a field day digging into the meaty plethora: the assortment left no room for complaints, the riotous flavours satisfied our familial spirits. The proverbial generation gap was seamlessly bridged as everyone picked their preferred cuts.

A treasure trove of accompaniments complemented the meats too. We found crispy dices of pork lard, streaky bacon, baked potatoes, pineapple wedges, broccoli florets, baby carrots, shitake mushrooms and Yorkshire pudding. Sauces to enhance the entire ensemble include roasted brown gravy, apple puree and a spicy sambal sauce.


The Prosperity Menu, available for takeaways and deliveries also features Roasted Suckling Pig (RM370 for ½ pig@2.5-3kg, best for 5 - 6 pax and RM525 for a whole pig @5-6kg, best for 8 - 10 pax) with seasonal baked vegetables, drenched in roasted gravy and sauces to add a ritzy twist to the traditional festive toss.


Timeless classics from the à la carte menu to tempt you range from Crispy Pork Rolls, Baked Salmon Fillet, Crispy Pork Belly, BBQ Pork Belly (Char Siu), and Nam Yu Pork Ribs to heavenly Grilled Mix Seafood Platter comprising tiger prawns, squids, green mussels, slipper lobster and seabass.

Early birds who place their bookings between 21 and 31 January 2021 will enjoy a 10% discount on the total order. Any Prosperity platter order will come with 5 complimentary bottles of Heineken 0.0 too. 


The sumptuous Chinese ‘Niu’ Year food affairs from Rockafellers Kitchen + Bar are available from 3rd February 2021 for takeaways and deliveries, while stocks last.

·       Pre-orders available from 1st February until 28th February 2021

·       A minimum 3 days advance notice is required for orders placed on your preferred date

·       A 50% non-refundable deposit should be paid upon placement of orders

·       Free delivery within a 15km radius 


For bookings and enquiries at Rockafellers, kindly contact:

-        Chef Yogi: +60 10 221 7302

-        Rishen: +60 16 963 2929

-        Sara: +60 12 250 7726

Thursday, November 02, 2017

COMFORTING TAKEOVER AT CHAPTERS URBAN BISTRO




Pizza, pasta and crowd-pleasing comfort food rule the roost at Chapters Urban Bistro. Opened about eight months ago at the Empire Damansara enclave, chef at the helm of Chapters, Vicneswara Thenamirtham aka Chef Vic banks on his inimitable use of aromatic spices, Asian herbs and as much as possible, locally sourced produce to draw in the drink & dine clientele.


The retro-inspired brick-and-mortar façade on both sides evokes a casual, inviting feel with ample seating while the elongated narrow interior is dominated by a huge, dramatic mural depicting a sultry lass. 
Suspended overhead is a singular row of geometric pendant lights to lend shine to the chalkboard of 'punny' quips. Nip upstairs and you'd find two floors outfitted with pool tables, cosy seating area and a stage for live music performances; a multi-purpose event space for parties and gatherings.

A popular outpost for tipples after work, Chapters wades into the mixology realm with boozy gems like Emperor Sirk – a cocktail of gin, kahlua and campari (RM34), Lychee Martini, Jazz Jager - Jagermeister, triple sec and pineapple juice (RM28) and some mocktails like Cub Royale (RM12) - fresh apple juice with crushed mint.
The drinks are complemented by loads of simple, homey fare to satisfy hunger pangs and hearty appetites. Chef Vic and his team even go the extra mile by baking bread, smoking salmon and making mayo on premise. 
Instead of fish coated in fried batter, Chef Vic has tweaked the familiar fish & chips into Grilled Fish & Chunk Chips (RM34). Coated with an aromatic rub of smoked Spanish paprika, ground cumin, dried mustard and fresh herbs, we were instantly smitten with the bright, sublime flavours from the grilled, locally sourced seabass fillet. The chunky thick-cut chips with garlic aioli proved a worthy match for it.
We recommend greening your meal with a serving of Marinated Mango & Avocado Salad (RM18). It's almost a no-brainer to marry chunks of fresh local mango (marinated with local herbs & lime juice) together with locally grown, organic mixed lettuce leaves and avocado. Drizzled with honey lemon vinaigrette, textural layers came from the addition of pea sprouts, pickled chilli and almond flakes in the salad. 



Chapter’s spice rub lent zingy fragrance to the crumbed and fried local seabass fillet, hooking us at first bite when we sampled the Posh Bass Sliders (RM24). Sandwiched between two brioche buns slathered with basil pine nut aioli and bedecked with fresh greens, the sliders were hearty enough to satisfy.
You don’t need to go to Morocco for tasty lamb meatballs. Chef Vic dished up a mean version using ground NZ leg of lamb tossed with seven spices, parmesan and egg. Braised in chunky tomato sauce, the Moroccan Lamb Meatballs (RM26) disappeared in a jiffy and we even wiped the plate clean, soaking up the scrumptious sauce with the accompanying buttered toasts.
Jostling for limelight was a slab of delectable Charbroiled Leg of Lamb (RM52). Again, the meat was sufficiently redolent with heady spice accents; its herbal smoky overtone rendered by brown butter and rosemary. Crispy crushed potato and summer vegetables completed the ensemble, giving the dish some homespun flair.


Another dish that went swimmingly for us was the Spiced Grilled Salmon with Pesto Conchiglie (RM36). A simple but likeable offering, the salmon was well-flavoured by the house rub with a tangy punch provided by a dollop of mango salsa and sour cream. The generous serving of shell-shaped pasta tossed in house-made sweet basil pesto should leave you replete.


Thin, blistered and crunchy, the fresh-from-stone-oven Salmon & Alfredo Pizza (RM28) left us gushing praises in its wake. We love the crisp dough base laden with voluptuous creaminess of the house-made alfredo sauce, flakes of cherry wood smoked salmon, tart pips of capers, sliced red onion and wild rocket leaves.



Chapters are renowned for two local mainstays: Mutton Tossed Basmati (RM28) and Mamak Mee Goreng (RM26). The basmati rice is bound to keep carb lovers returning for more as the rice is fully imbued by the Indian spices and curry leaves used to braise the mutton shoulder in. Accompanied by pickled onion & cucumber raita, it’s a surefire hit among Malaysians when late night hunger pangs hit. As for the latter, I'd say the noodles passed the taste test thanks to the squid, prawns and organic egg to enhance its tempting allure.

Dessert options boil down to either Salted Caramel Chilled Cheesecake (RM18) or Oozing Chocolate Cake. Let's not dwell too much on the decadent quotient of the cheesecake and take comfort the slice is enough to ensure the sweet-toothed leave in a good mood whilst toning down on the guilt factor.
For reservations, call Chapters Urban Bistro, tel: 03-7732 9484. The restaurant is

located at Lot 13, Heritage Lane, Empire Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8a, Damansara Perdana, Selangor.




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