GLORIOUS MALAYA OMAKASE & LUNAR FORTUNE AT NOBU KL

Gear up for a double celebration at Nobu Kuala Lumpur. Executive Chef Philip Leong and his Nobu KL team have put their creative culinary prowess to proffer a 7-course omakase set to commemorate Malaysia’s 62^nd Merdeka Day with local ingredients and Japanese-Peruvian flavours.

Simultaneously, a selection of Lunar Fortune Mooncakes takes centrestage for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival celebration, from now until 13 September 2019.

Paying homage to Malaysia’s bounty of local ingredients, the Nobu KL team has incorporated palm sugar, tamarind, coconut and monk fruit into the Glorious Malaya Omakase (RM500++ per person). Available until 31 August 2019, the opening volley of Seared Toro with Caviar & Tamarind Sauce is an uplifting appetiser to savour.

Dollops of caviar and refreshing pineapple salsa alongside charred fern tips lend invigorating interest to fatty slices of raw tuna. The palm sugar and tamarind sauce tempers the fish’s inherent richness, making this dish a noteworthy curtain-raiser.

The gastronomic parade continues with Nobu Style Sushi — a sumptuous quartet of handcrafted sushi with choice toppings of tuna with chopped truffle, kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) with chopped yuzu & jalapeno, yellowtail with fresh jalapeno, and snow crab. This artful composition is an apt distillation of the Japanese-Peruvian influences Nobu is famous for.

Slices of fresh apple, cucumber and pear complemented by baby spinach and kataifi bits serve as a healthy, wholesome canvas to showcase the Scallop Salad with Peanut Den Miso Dressing. The flavourful clincher for this seemingly simple dish is den miso — a Japanese sweet-salty cooked paste created by founder Nobu Matsuhisa blended with peanuts.

Crushed local vegetable keropok (cracker) makes the main course of Artic Char Wasabi Palm Sugar the show-stopper of this celebratory menu. The crunchy crust atop the artic char fillet together with sweetish, tart and zingy wasabi zuke pickles and palm sugar sauce left us singing praises of the delicious dish.

Melt-in-the-mouth slices of Wagyu with Nori Cream continues the charm offensive.

Accompanied by creamy rich seaweed sauce and savoury mounds of chickpeas and lentils, the buttery beef is an indulgent treat no discerning gourmand will fault.

Then a glassful of silky Somen with Watercress Soup is entrusted to ensure a clean sweep of an amply flavour-satiated palate; an ingenious way to stave off any cloying aftertaste from the earlier meat course.

Bringing the epicurean menu to its final flourish is Monk Fruit Mousse with Coconut Ice Cream, Vanilla Sponge & Monk Fruit Jelly. Again, this dessert masterpiece ticks all the right boxes: visually pleasing, texturally exciting and tastefully balanced so you won’t walk away feeling guilt-ridden but exhilarated from such a wonderful dining experience.

LUNAR FORTUNE MOONCAKES

 

Drawing from its distinct culinary approach, Nobu KL has unveiled Miso (fermented soya bean paste) Yolk, Wasabi Yolk, Green Tea and Black Sesame fillings for its range of baked, Shanghai-style or snowskin mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival this year.

Presented in beautiful lacquer boxes with wood finish inspired by the interior décor of Nobu KL, each Lunar Fortune gift box comes adorned with a miniature gold or silver koi — a symbol of good luck, prosperity and fortune in the Japanese and Chinese culture.

Guests can enjoy 10% discount for purchases of 5 boxes above and 15% for 10 boxes above. The Lunar Fortune Mooncakes will be available until 13 September 2019 at Nobu KL and a special kiosk at Pavilion KL from 23 August to 12 September 2019.

For inquiries or reservations at Nobu Kuala Lumpur, please call tel: 03-2164 5084 or WhatsApp 019-389 5085.

SWEET DESSERT DREAMS AT CRÈME DE LA CRÈME

Frolic with a cute and fluffy coconut meringue rabbit perched on a sunny yellow Bunny petit gâteau at Crème De La Crème (CLDC) — Kuala Lumpur’s and Malaysia’s coolest dessert haven right now — for a irresistible taste of ‘Easter in the tropics’.

Created using a tropical combination of coconut, mango, calamansi, pineapple, lemongrass and passionfruit on a deliciously crunchy chocolate hazelnut feuilletine base, the artistic ice cream cake masterpiece is one of the many intricately handcrafted dessert selection served at the newly opened Crème De La Crème in Damansara Uptown.

A brainchild of creative soul and passionate ice cream connoisseur Lio Lim (left), CDLC is a stylish haven exuding sleek, clean lines with hip, Instagrammable vibes: a unicorn wall-mounted lighting feature, minimalist furnishing, and expansive glass and chrome showcases.

Lio emphasised “only 100% all-natural, fresh and wholesome ingredients are used to create CDLC ice creams from scratch without the use of preservatives, artificial flavourings and colourings”.

Trained by renowned Australian dessert meister Christy Tania, CDLC aims to raise the bar in Malaysia for ice cream dessert creations. The team at CDLC headed by Pastry Chef Evelyn Chung is meticulously hands-on in every aspect of the creation process in their bid to entice dessert lovers with a plethora of the richest, smoothest, and most irresistible ice cream dessert treats.

Our palate-pleasing welcome drink, Unicorn Dream was concocted from blue pea flower-tinted lemonade with dragon fruit sorbet. To start the ice cream party rolling, we sampled Barley Lime Sorbet — a clever inspiration of local iced barley drink with freshly squeezed lime juice. Served on imported dainty lemon cones, the superfine sorbet won us over from the get-go with refreshingly well-balanced sweet-sour accents.

IMHO, that strong showing eclipsed the Dragon Fruit Strawberry Sorbet somewhat. Rich in fibre, anti-oxidants, potassium and vitamin C, the vibrant purple icy treat should hit the spot for berry fans thanks to its tart fruitiness.

Fresh kalamansi lime juice and salty assam boi made a compelling combo to create the Limau Assam Sorbet, a godsend solution for bringing the temperature down in countering the current hot spell. 

Proof of the pudding is truly in the tasting here as top grade Alfonso mangoes are used to churn out CDLC's Mango Passion Sorbet. We could tell from the intense fruity aroma and the sensuous sweetness alone. You have to savour it to believe it. Ditto for the umami-rich and complex Miso Caramel ice cream which put ordinary salted caramel flavour into the shade, making it so passé and ho-hum by comparison.

Looking for a low GI, sugar-free option? The Madagascar Ash made using maltitol, high quality Madagascar vanilla beans and premium bamboo charcoal powder will be just the sweet treat for you and health-conscious patrons including diabetics.

For  licks of nostalgia, the Pandan Kaya Toast ice cream comprised a seductive mixture of pandan, coconut & eggs. Fresh fragrant pandan leaves are first dehydrated, blended into powder form to create fresh, wholesome, aromatic and all-natural pandan kaya flavour ice cream. Then a house-baked crumble of almond flour and butter is swirled into the ice cream; to add a toasty and crunchy bite. Sedaplicious!

Bubble tea fans can now savour their milk tea with a chi chi touch at CDLC. Try the floral-accented French Earl Grey Boba blend served with al dente brown sugar pearls. We did and that milky tea creaminess coupled with perfect QQ chewiness left us no cause for complaint.

Millenials and the hipster set may prefer brekkie flavours such as Cerealicious (lower pix) and Cookies & Cream (upper pix). The former — strongly reminiscent of cereal soaked in fresh milk — flaunted a baby blue hue from butterfly pea flower extract whilst the latter is made by mixing vanilla ice cream with chocolate cookies baked from 63% French Weiss dark chocolate ganache and extra house-made chocolate cookie crumbs.

What takes the cake at CDLC is the Petit Gâteau — Instagrammable handcrafted masterpieces that are almost too pretty to eat! According to Lio, “We are highly passionate ice cream aficionados who strive to be the best ice cream artisans in Malaysia. We not only want to make ice cream that tastes good but also looks good.”

The belle of the ball here is the gorgeous Beauty & The Beast creation. A heavenly match of 63% Dark Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream, the spellbinding blossom is complemented by Morello Cherry Sorbet to achieve a perfect balance of bitter, tangy and sweet. At the base, dark chocolate crumble, chewy chocolate brownie and almond nibs gives the delectable and beautiful treat extra crunch.

Inspired by a lady’s pearl necklace, the elegant Lady Pearl is an exquisite sight to behold. A delightful mix of Strawberry and Madagascar Vanilla ice cream,  this lovely petit gâteau includes Dragon Fruit Strawberry sorbet to bring out the fine flavours it has to offer. Amidst textural contrasts of buttery crumble, red almond sponge and  passionfruit crémeux, there’s a perky taste of raspberry glaze too.

For more information, please call Crème De La Crème, tel: 03-7494 0735. Address: 35G, Ground Floor, Jalan SS21/60 Damansara Utama, Selangor.