A FABBRI-LOUS EXPERIENCE AT VILLA DANIELI

Chef Marcello Fabbri returns to Villa Danieli - pix courtesy of Sheraton Imperial KL

After a successful guest chef stint last year at Villa Danieli last year, the Michelin-starred chef Marcello Fabbri has returned for a whistle-stop sojourn starting today until 23 January at the Sheraton Imperial KL.

Discerning gourmands will find it easier to sample his inimitable culinaria here than back at the chef's own stomping ground so make haste and book a table asap. Us scribes were lucky enough to enjoy a Fabbri-lous dinner last night hosted by Sheraton Imperial KL as its annual media appreciation dinner and the chef was in top form.

A dainty amuse bouche of salmon with creamy rich cheese got the ball rolling, giving us a tantalising hint of what laid in store. 

The fresh, crisp nuances of Frescobaldi Pomino Bianco DOC heralded the debut of Marcello Fabbri Vitello Tonnato - the chef's newly interpretation of Tuna & Veal. Sprinkled with micro greens and sprigs of dill, it was an artistic palette of ethereally delicate textures and ever so subtle flavours with punctuations of aged balsamic and briny kalamata olives.

A floral-fruity white, Attems Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia IGT lent vivacious sparkle to a superb Zuppa Di Zucca - velveteen Pumpkin Soup served with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds-crusted Scallops. My dining partner who eschewed anything pumpkin lapped up every drop; a firm testament of the heartwarming soup's soulful appeal which bore the barest whispers of spice. Sweet and moist, the plump scallops were to-die-for.

For me, the evening's show-stopping creation was Risotto Ai Porcini. Now, risotto is Chef Marcello Fabbri's signature speciality hence it was only natural his Risotto of Porcini Mushrooms blew us away. Like a clever magician, he ramped up the rich nutty creaminess of the Italian shortgrain rice with a quenelle of Parmesan Ice Cream. As the luxuriant cheesy topping melted down, every spoonful teased our tastebuds with riffs of hot and cold. Such deliciousness was aptly matched by a voluptuous red, Speri Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore DOC.

The stakes rose higher with Manzo Australiano beefing up the Piatti Principale. Calling on Lamole Di Lamole Blue Label Chianti Classico DOCG - a ruby-red wine with dark cherry and berry notes, the medium rare Australian Black Angus striploin was a gastronomic masterpiece. Served with generous shavings of musky Black Truffle, Potato Confit and Asparagus, one could catch the dish's enticing aroma even before the steak arrived to our table.

Intense ripe red fruits and spice overtones from the Warre Warrior Finest Reserve Port Wine made a winsome pairing with Torta Di Mele Granny Smith - a rustic yet refreshingly light dessert of Granny Smith Apple Tart with Granny Smith Soup and Sorbet. I was partial to the pleasing sorbet with its clear apple accent while the minimalist apple tart of sorts ensured dinner concluded on a satisfactory high but not cloying note.

The Marcello Fabbri's Italian experience is priced at RM220 nett per head (food only) and RM380 (inclusive of matching wine) per head. Call Villa Danieli, tel: 03-2717 9922 for reservations.

 

BOATHOUSE'S PORK COUTURE

I always admire restaurants that can withstand the heat of competition. Now into its 11th year in business, Boathouse rightly deserves the same kind of respect accorded to newer, fancier restos in the local food scene. The secret of Boathouse's success stems largely from the chef/owner, Yenni Law who recently launched her Meatology cookbook.

During our visit, Chef Yenni graciously tempted us with her specialities for St Patrick's Day (available until 31 March) as well as Boathouse's signature show-stoppers. Top of my personal fave list is the orgasm-inducing Caramelised Bacon & Roast Pork with Garlic Cloves (RM28++) - chunky, sticky-sweet yet garlicky and super-crisp roast pork and bacon spiked with smoky sweet garlic cloves and bird's eye chilli to give bursts of heat. Lightly caramelised with brown sugar and flamed with brandy to finish, it sets off a cacophony of flavour "fireworks" with every mouthful.

Coming in at a close second is the appetiser of French Air-flown Foie Gras (100g @ RM67++). Seared to render a crusty veneer on the goose liver and then deglazed with Pinot Grigio, the tender and velvety rich pieces came sheathed in an inviting gloss. Served with homemade raspberry relish and fresh rocket leaves, this is a classic winner that needs no reinvention.

Our curtain-raiser is no pushover either.  Pretty as a picture, the Fresh Oysters with Lumpfish Caviar (3 pcs, RM23++) slid down with slippery smoothness, punctuated by bright pops of the tiny fish roe's muted brininess. What's not to like?

Now if I sound disconcertingly messed up, I shall blame it on all that Guinness infused St Paddy's Day specials. You would be green with envy too since the Guinness Porker (RM59++) paired an irresistible bacon steak with cured pork loin steak, served with legumes and pepper mushroom for textural contrasts. Robustly flavoured while retaining the meat's distinct salty accent, this dish is conceived to hold its own against a good pint of Ireland's most famous stout.

 

Staying true to Chef Yenni's meatology approach is Guinness Shepherd (RM68++) - 400gm of blackened lamb loin soused with a fruity-malty apple, BBQ and Guinness sauce. The tender, slightly fatty cut ensured the resultant taste hit all the right notes on our palate.

More Guinness is used to lend cachet to her Guinness Catch (RM78++) of grilled Atlantic cod with risotto, Guinness-anointed onions and Guinness balsamic honey. Cooked to just-right moist flakiness, the fish doubled up as an apt canvas to showcase the flavourful symphony that runs the gamut from the delicate oceanic sweetness of the cod to the intermingling creamy (stout), acidic (balsamic) and sweet-spicy (onion) profiles.

Raising the stakes further here is the house speciality of Steak Au Poivre a la Gueridon (RM76++). Once upon a time, the art of flambé was confined to truly haute restaurants like the Chalet. Chef Yenni Law should be lauded for training her Boathouse team to uphold this culinary art form. Be prepared for a flaming great show as a 320gm charbroiled prime steak flecked with black pepper is artfully flambéed with brandy at your tableside. Medium rare is the way to go, to appreciate the meat's natural jus but the accompanying wicked VSOP sauce does it ample justice too.

Weighing at about 1kilo, lesser mortals would have quaked at the sight of Boathouse's Baked Holland Pork Belly Rib (RM78++). Heck, our dining party had no such problems and gamely demolished the gargantuan portion of buttery-tender belly pork. It's a painstaking speciality that demands loads of TLC - slowly baked over Granny Smith apples, the rib has to be charbroiled after, to caramelise the fat and crisp up the skin. Then some housemade apple BBQ sauce is doused over it for that perfect finishing touch. 

The solo pasta offering of Fettucine Carbonara with Real Bacon & Caviar (RM39++) was almost eclipsed by the surfeit of porcine delights earlier had it not been laden with chopped bacon. Honestly, I'm not big on this cloying rich pasta but I daresay some kids and a few teens will beg to differ.

More retro revival was in store when desserts arrived. As the blue flames lapped at our Bombe Alaska (RM35++), it evoked an instant throwback to the Merlin Ballroom aeons ago when I first encountered this treat. A dome-shaped cake layered with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, studded with strawberry and rum-soaked raisins, the confection is covered with satiny meringue. Once the flames have disappeared, we dug in with gusto; the simple but impressive old-school confection taking me down memory lane.

Stale bread just don't cut it at Boathouse as far as Chef Yenni's bake-to-order Jamaican Bread & Butter Pudding (RM26++) goes. You'd need patience too to enjoy this dessert as it takes 25 minutes to prepare the layers of bread and butter, sprinkled with rum-macerated raisins and banana slices and soaked in fresh egg custard. Topped with a crumbly crust and baked to perfection, the piping hot dish is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - a sensational dessert that artfully melds fire and ice!

If you feel all these effusive praises are too far-fetched, the proof of the pudding is in its eating. Go dine at Boathouse and you'd discover the solid substance and ship-shape style that has kept Chef Yenni Law in the challenging F&B scene for over a decade.
 

Boathouse
16 Lorong Rahim Kajai 14
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel:  03-7727-4426 - See more at: http://pureglutton.com/boathouse-ttdi-kuala-lumpur-food-to-rock-your-tummy-heart#sthash.LrSuMKFE.dpuf

For reservations, call Boathouse, tel:  03-7727-4426. The restaurant is located at 16 Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Open Mon-Sat 12 noon-2 am; closed on Sun.

LONGHORN - THE NEW 'MEAT'ING PLACE

Size does matter at LongHorn...the signature Porterhouse is a fine example

Weighing in at a whopping 565g, the LongHorn Porterhouse (RM169.90) isn't something to be trifled with. But to carnivores who wanna sink their teeth into a substantial slab of steak, this thicker cut of T-bone with a good slab of fillet to boot should measure up.

LongHorn Steakhouse which was founded in 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia in the USA. Now part of the Darden Restaurants Inc group, LongHorn is brought into Malaysia by master franchisee of Darden Restaurants and CEO of Secret Recipe Cakes & Café, Dato Steven Sim (pic below). Another Darden Restaurants’ brand – Red Lobster is already making headway in the local F&B scene and the 3rd brand, Olive Garden will enter the scene sometime in May.

The flagship LongHorn Steakhouse is located at Quill City Mall; the ideal 'meat'ing place for steak lovers to savour LongHorn's legendary aged steaks. While the grain-fed beef comes from Australia, Darden Intl (Asia) Sdn Bhd MD Franchise Ops, Asia Raymond Bauer emphasises that the meat is hand-trimmed to specific US-style cuts and aged.

Proof of the pudding (or should that be steaks?) is evident from the signature Porterhouse and Ribeye (200g – RM89.90 / 310g – RM119.90). The hefty cut is grilled to medium rare, rendering it warm red with pink centre hue; nicely charred and oozing with voluptuous juiciness. It was ever so flavourful thanks to the meat's rich marbling.

Each steak is complemented by a choice of potato (available as a side dishes at RM7.50 each), steamed broccoli and unlimited honey wheat bread. You can choose from Loaded Baked Russet Potato, Sweet Potato with Cinnamon Sugar & Butter (our top choice), Seasoned French Fries or Mashed Potato. Alternative carbo choices (RM7.50 each) include Seasoned Rice Pilaf, Steak house Mac & Cheese, Steamed Broccoli or Roasted Vegetable Medley.

If you like surf & turf combos, I suggest going for Flo’s Fillet and Lobster Tail (RM112.90) - a dream pairing of perfectly aged tenderloin with a succulent lobster tail.

Earlier we had sampled several appetisers and starters while waiting for our steaks to be ready. Go easy on the Wild West Shrimp (personal - RM17.90/ sharing - RM31.90) as overindulging on these crispy, hand-battered shrimp dusted with spicy pepper, garlic butter and house ranch dressing is far too easy.

Decked with four types of melted cheese on each baby portobello, the sinfully good Grilled White Cheddar Stuffed Mushrooms (RM18.90) is another sneaky diet-destroyer. It's kinda hard to stop at one so remember to spread the fat of this yummy treat around.

More devilish temptation beckons in the shape of LongHorn's warm Honey Wheat Bread. Beware if you've a weakness for all things bread and crusty. Throw in a serving of Chili Beef Soup (Cup - RM12.90/ Bowl - RM20.90) topped with onion and cheddar cheese and your resolve will melt away like the butter spread on those sublime buns.

Luckily, it's not all steaks and no prey for non-beef eaters at LongHorn. Our girlfriend was thrilled to chew on the scrumptious bone-in Grilled Lamb Chops (RM55.90). Propped up like a wigwam, the superbly tender chops is enlivened with mint-infused bordelaise sauce, whipped mashed potato and wilted spinach.

More into seafood? No fear, the Longhorn Salmon (RM45.90) - grilled Atlantic salmon suffused with a secret house marinade, served over rice with roasted mixed vegetable should reel you in. It was a substantial piece too but expertly flame-grilled to retain its pink core.

Local tastebuds raised on hot piquant flavours will gladly embrace the Spicy Redrock Shrimp Pasta (RM33.90). Two skewers of nicely grilled shrimp adorn a generous portion of macaroni (a tad too soft for my personal liking) that's tossed in spicy tomato sauce. Dig in and you'd find sweet roasted garlic pips mingling with diced roasted red and green capsicum as well as bits of chilli.

Prefer to play it safe? Then the Spinach Feta Chicken (RM30.90) - tender grilled chicken breast with spinach and grilled red capsicum in garlic jus, liberally sprinkled with feta cheese should be right down your lane. It's a complete meal with side servings of rice and roasted veg. I'm not a big fan of chicken breast but it's great if you're into beef or seafood.

Only chocoholics would understand the decadent idea of merging six types of chocolate with vanilla ice cream to create the aptly named Chocolate Stampede (RM18.50). Suffice to say it's enough to leave you on a chocolate-induced stupor after downing this.

Instead of Granny Smith which can be quite tart for apple pie filling, LongHorn's version uses sweet Fuji apples. Cooked and stuffed into a buttery, slightly crumbly pie crust, we warmed up to the Apple Gold Rush (RM18.50) at once, with lashings of caramel and raspberry sauce giving it the heavenly finishing touch.  

For reservations, please call LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE, tel: 03 2602 0871. Address: Ground Floor, Quill City Mall, 1018, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. 

APPLES IN MY CAKE

Fancy a slice?



Apple Cake & Muffins anyone?



I can't recall when I last had some 'kick back' time but this afternoon was one of those rare days. After I had completed my lastest assignment this morning, I decided to treat myself by trying out a new recipe from Chef Wan's Sweet Treats book.

With only 3 eggs available in the fridge, I had to look for a cake recipe that could be made with what was available at hand. So the Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe (page 146) looked promising but then again, I didn't have any bananas or cream cheese in the house! Clever old me decided that I would substitute this with grated green apples instead...and forget about the frosting. So my 'reworked' Apple Cake recipe went like this:

225g unsalted butter (I cheated and used salted butter but omitted the salt called for in this list)

1 cup castor sugar

2 eggs

1 cup grated apples (I used 2 Granny Smith green apples)

1/3 cup yogurt (I used Liteyo Green Tea & Aloe Vera Yogurt which I happened to have)

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 3/4 cups all-purposed flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder


Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time followed by grated apples. Then add in the yogurt and vanilla essence to the mixture together with cinnamon powder. Sift flour with salt and baking soda before folding these into the batter. Pour into a greased and floured 22 cm cake pan. Bake for 50 minutes and then remove from oven to cool.


Note: I misread the instructions and poured the 2/3 of the batter into a loaf pan instead! The rest I divided into a 6-cup muffin pan ;-P This essentially changes the cooking time of course. I baked the first loaf for about 30 minutes or thereabouts - once the skewer inserted into the cake came out clean, I removed it from the oven. The muffins went in for about 20 minutes.


All in all, it wasn't a very successful attempt. The overall texture of the loaf turned out nice and soft but I noticed a sticky layer just above the bottom crust which according to Chef Wan's notes indicated too much liquid - I figured it must be the grated apples which of course had more water content in them compared to mashed bananas! Luckily the muffins fared much better. But the taste-wise the cake was delicious!