KAMPAI TO KANSAI

For the less than the price of a low-cost flight ticket to Japan, passionate foodies can treat themselves to the best of what Kansai region has to offer at the Kampachi Pavilion KL. In conjunction with the All Kansai Food Promotion Committee and The Kansai Food Export Promotion Cooperative, Kampachi is having a special culinary promotion featuring the finest from Kansai region from 15 – 23 February 2014.

Japanese chef Koji Tamaru will showcase the purity of Kansai's ingredients in a specially composed nine course kaiseki menu (RM300++ per person) on that three consecutive nights on 19, 20 & 21 February. Only 30 seats are available per night so make sure you don't miss out.

According to Wikipedia, the Kansai region is the cultural and historical heart of Japan where several key cities: Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Kobe to name a few are located. From the culinary standpoint, Osaka boasts several sublime specialities to call its own; from the popular takoyaki (octopus balls) and okonomiyaki (Japanese-style pizza meets pancake) to the minimalist but oh-so-delicious kitsune udon (fat wheat noodles with deep-fried tofu pockets in broth) and kushikatsu (skewers of deep-fried meat or vegetables). Kyoto is also hailed as one of meccas of traditional Japanese cuisine while the famed Kobe and Matsusaka beef lend further credence to the Kansai region.

At the sneak media preview, the curtain-raiser is an oversized Fresh Hiroshima Oyster with a daub of Fresh Ponzu Vinegar Gelée served on half shell. It's comparable to a Botticelli muse - plump, pale and seductively creamy the minute you nip it; squirting salty-sweetness of the sea tinged with slight metallic tang onto the palate as it glides effortlessly down the throat. The experience stirs up some mixed feelings – that of ecstasy from the mollusc's unparalleled exquisiteness and a little regret at its swift disappearance.

Still, any residual melancholy is washed away by the Clear Soup with Clams, Japanese Mustard Spinach, Julienne Leek & Young Japanese Pepper Buds. Immersed in the delicate broth is no ordinary clam but another sizable hard shell denizen that tastes sublimely sweet with a delightful chewiness. The wispy threads of leek (from Kyoto) together with the attendant greens temper whatever fishy flavour there is.

 

Sashimi is the best way to demonstrate Kansai's best and the Slices of Raw Fish of Tuna, Ark Shell & Yellowtail comes up to scratch. Pristine fresh and faultlessly cut, theit bare naked simplicity leaves no cause for complaints.

Delicately flaky yet moist, making short work of the Grilled Yellowtail with Teriyaki Sauce garnished with Marinated Shishito Green Pepper doesn't take much effort. For the actual dinner, the star of the show will be buri or amberjack. Prized for its natural oil content, the seasonal deep-sea fish is a rarity hence its ramped up allure.

Another ample testament to the freshness of Kansai's seafood cachet comes from the Boxed Sushi with Sea Bream, Prawn & Conger Eel. For the uninitiated, boxed sushi originates from Osaka has vinegar-infused sushi rice is pressed into a box, layered with assorted slices of raw fish and cut into neat, dainty rectangular wedges in place of the more common hand-shaped clumps of seafood-topped rice balls.

Aesthetically, each piece looks too good to eat; a miniature work of art bearing a translucent, gelatinous and filmy piece of vinegar-marinated kelp seaweed atop the three sushi variants.

The All Kansai kaiseki experience will draw to a close with custardy-light Yuzu Mousse; an ethereal offering that leaves a effusive trail of whimsical citrusy notes on the tastebuds.

Cooking enthusiasts may wish to learn how to make takoyaki from Aizu-ya, the delicacy pioneer on 22 & 23 February in a special workshop. Grilled in a special cast-iron pan with half-spherical molds, the batter balls were firstly popularized in Osaka by a street vendor named Endo Tomekichi in 1935 who subsequently opened a takoyaki shop called Aizu-ya. Again places are limited. Price: RM150++ per person inclusive of a complimentary takoyaki pan

For enquiries, call Kampachi Pavilion KL, tel: 03-2148 9608

MICHELIN 'STARS' TO ROCK KL

May Day! May Day! Expect culinary sparks to fly when three acclaimed Michelin-starred Chefs – Jeremy Biasiol, Serge Dansereau and Alvin Leung conquer The Westin Kuala Lumpur's kitchens for 5 days in May.

Staged for the first time ever in Kuala Lumpur, the “Hats Off” culinary showcase from 8 to 12 May will team international and local culinary masters in a series of intimate and engaging dining experiences offering foodies a spectacular dining extravaganza.

Engaging dining experiences 

From the fine Chinese food bastion of Hong Kong comes Jeremy Biasol - the talent behind 1 Michelin Star Mirror Restaurant and the Miele Guide 2012 Asia’s top 300 best restaurant. On 8 and 9 May, Jeremy will proffer a specially-crafted set menu at Qba, the popular Latin grill and bar venue. Imagine sampling his Crab Jelly with cauliflower sauce, caviar and crab roes; Beef Tenderloin Rossini with perigueux sauce and Half Maine Lobster with eggplant, lobster and Comte cheese sauce.

Then brace yourself for the appearance of Serge Dansereau - the celebrated culinary genius of The Bathers’ Pavilion in Balmoral Beach, Sydney, Australia and author of 6 cookbooks including the most recent “Summer Food” (November 2011). Serge will display his divine creations at the award-winning Prego Italian restaurant on 11 and 12 May. Signature dishes include Galantine of quail, foie gras and leek ash confit leg, verjuice jelly and mizuna; Kombu-baked ocean trout with black salsify baby gold beetroot, dried oyster, woodland sorrel and Duck magret with confit peach, pistachio cream witlof, crisp tongue and kimchi sauce.

Alvin Leung and his 'X-treme Chinese' cuisine from 2 Michelin-starred Bo Innovation will take the limelight at Five Sen5es on 11 and 12 May. Turning Chinese cuisine on its head are his Scallop in Shanghainese “jolo” sauce, crispy woba and peas foam; Organic Chicken served with 7-years aged Acquerello rice, yellow chicken stock, wooden fungus with sand ginger chicken jus and Cherry tomato baked in Chinese filo with fermented Chinese olives “lam kok” and tomato marshmallow with green oil. 

Priced at RM348++ per person (inclusive of wines) and at RM298++ per person (excluding alcoholic beverages), the celeb chefs' specially designed 5-course set menus are only available for dinner.

 

Gala Spectacular 

Succumb to the sins of gluttony on 10 May 2013 at the Hats Off Gala Dinner that will unleash the full force of all 3 Celebrity Chefs work alongside Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Chef Antoine Rodriguez, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Chef, Rajesh Kanna and The Westin Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Sous Chef, Fahdrul Abd. Malek in one sitting at the Westin Grand Ballroom.

Each chef will represent 2 canapés and one course whilst catching glimpses of how their 6-course set menu are prepared via a special live feed from the kitchens. Renowned wineries like M. Chapoutier, Paul Bouchard, Banfi, Torres, De Bortoli, Pascal Jolibvet and more will also complement the stupendous feast.

Price :    RM448++ per person, inclusive of wines and champagne

                RM388++ per person, exclusive of alcoholic beverages

Up Close and Personal 

Psst! Wanna unearth tips and tricks from your favourite chef? Simply sign up for any of the 2 Master classes presented by Alvin Leung at Five Sen5es or Serge Dansereau at Prego.

Date :    11 May 2013

Time :    3 pm to 5 pm

Venue : Five Sen5es and Prego

Price :    RM188++ per person per class

                Limited to 20 persons per session, so advance reservations is advisable.

For more information or to make reservation, visit www.thewestinkualalumpur.com or call +60 3 2731 8333 or email westindining@westin.com

                

About “Hats Off”

“Hats Off” is Starwood Hotels & Resort’s branded culinary showcase - a platform for multiple renowned chefs and the hotel group’s talented culinary maestros to come together and create an extraordinary gastronomic journey for all fine cuisine enthusiasts. The event concept was developed in 2008 and was first kicked off at The Westin Beijing Financial Street , by its Executive Chef, Stephane Tremblay. The yearly event gained huge popularity within the city and the region. This year, the event is set to take other parts of Asia Pacific by storm, starting with the vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur at The Westin Kuala Lumpur.

ORGANIC GROWTH

Organic food seems to be enjoying a growth spurt of sorts in KL.

There's now an Organic Farm outlet in my own neighbourhood. Recently I spied and ventured into two organic cafes - Haven and EarthFood in Ampang Hilir which served dishes cooked with organic ingredients; both outlets also sell organically grown vegetables, organically farmed fish and organic produce.

 I've also been told that there's great Sarawak laksa and organic dishes to be had at Living Food (Menara Tan&Tan) and Opika (1Utama) but I've yet to make my way these places.

Diners in the city can expect to find organic beef and lamb soon on some hotels' and restaurants' menus. This is a foregone conclusion after I attended an informative cooking cum tasting session on organic beef and lamb by Beyond Culinary and Classic Fine Foods which was well-attended by many of the said industry players.

Rose Yong's Beyond Culinary Studio Theatre is more than just another cooking school. It's designed to let professional chefs and food service/trade people explore and experience the whole 'source to plate' process through hands-on educational sessions.

According to Jacques Cosset, MD of Classic Fine Foods, his company decides to import The Organic Meat Company's organic beef and lamb from Australia in response to consumers' growing awareness and demand for healthier, safer meat.

"Organic farmers also emphasize on and practise sustainable farming; from the animals' welfare to how their produce is grown and harvested which are more eco-friendly in the long run," he said. "To be certified organic, the animals have to be born and bred on certified organic pasture outdoors, be allowed to roam and feed without any given antibiotics or growth hormones."

 Chef Victor Seow from Las Carretas pan-fried, grilled and roasted different cuts of beef and lamb for us to sample. To retain the meat's inherent flavour, no marinade was used. No complaints from all present though as most of the cuts were superbly tender and juicy. A dash of coarse sea salt and ground black pepper were more than ample to perk up the flavour profile according to taste.

The lamb rack was another major hit that afternoon ... needless to say, it was one of my fave cuts too!

Before we wrap up for the afternoon, Victor also demonstrated the convenience of cooking Bonduelle's frozen spinach, baby French beans and broad beans - a boon for the busy food service personnel who are constantly pressed for time. Definitely an interesting way to spend an afternoon!

WAN-DERFUL MILESTONES

 

Chef Wan's latest tome, The Best of Chef Wan (the Bahasa Malaysia version is Selera Chef Wan) marks two major milestones in the renowned chef's life: his 25th year in the culinary field and his mother's 80th birthday.

Held at Kitchen Culture, Bangsaria, the book launch was a cosy affair with his family and friends showing up in full force in addition to the local media to support him.

Ever obliging, outspoken and talking nineteen to the dozen, Chef Wan was a laugh a minute; his candour remarks and rapid-fire chatter kept everyone in stitches with an occasional gasp and mock horror thrown into the mix.

The affable chef paid special tribute to his sprightly mother, labelling the real 'chef one' while he himself is chef number two. Recalling the days when he helped out by selling kuihs, Chef Wan affirms that his mentor and inspiration would always be his dearest mother.

"Cooking is about sharing, respecting nature and connecting with people," says Malaysia's food ambassador. "These past 25 years have a struggle but I still enjoy cooking; it's a great way to entertain people and impart our history, culture and food knowledge to others."

Chef Wan with his daughter-in-law and son, Riz

Star support ... fellow celeb chefs Azrah and Florence Tan at the book launch

After a quarter century in the business, the busy bee still has bigger fish to fry. Besides working on his food encyclopedia project to document and preserve the country's Malay food heritage, plans are afoot to make Chef Wan Asian Culinary Academy a reality.

"The school will be devoted to teach not only Malaysian but also Asian cuisine such as Thai, Indonesian, etc. It's a shame that we don't have enough chefs who are skilled in our regional cuisine. My culinary academy aims to plug this gap and concentrate on offering Malay/Asian cooking courses. I want to place everything under one roof; initiate a diploma for South-east Asian culinary studies and hold interactive classes where people can learn how to cook basic or special dishes, keep young people occupied and maintain our culinary heritage. I also plan to help underprivileged kids who dream of becoming chefs via the Chef Wan Foundation."

 

The food ambassador believes that we need to maintain and protect our food culture and heritage.

"Food's the only thing that binds people together.We have to be proud of our food as it gives us a sense of belonging. If there's something that I can change, I'd form a Ministry of Food," said Chef Wan. "We need to get our food right, a body to educate our people to cook quality food. It's sad we're letting foreign workers butcher our food and have tourists eating badly cooked local food at filthy eateries that use cheap ingredients. We must get back on the right track.

"That's why some feel offended when I speak out. They can't take my criticisms but I'm just doing my job by telling the truth. When you're honest, you have nothing to fear."

Although he has appeared briefly in the AFC-E&O's Next Celebrity Chef show, Chef Wan is no fan of reality TV.

"People get so excited about reality TV shows but my advice is don't expect too much out of them. Most are overly dramatic and it can be demeaning to those participating. You can be harsh but not rude.I don't believe in putting people down and breaking their spirit. One must be hard, tough and strong in the kitchen so cut out all the crying and drama. There's no place in the kitchen for egoistic chefs."

He firmly believes that it takes more than good cooking skills to be a TV celebrity chef. "Experience counts as well as one's self-confidence, knowledge and effective communication skill - the ability to teach and explain things.

Having travelled the world and tasted countless dishes, Chef Wan declares that the best dish in the world is still his mother's nasi goreng with ikan bilis, sambal belacan and egg.

For youngsters who are starting out in life, Chef Wan reminds them that life is a challenge and filled with choices.

"Young people must have spirit - love yourself, your country, culture, etc. Never be afraid of making mistakes. That's why I told my son that he should apologise for padding up him resume. Take responsibility for it and move on."

The veteran chef who turned 54 in January this year said in parting: "In life, one must be compassionate. Have self-respect and love for humanity. People will remember the good things you do."