Showing posts with label menu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label menu. Show all posts

Friday, December 30, 2022

DIM SUM LUNCH BY APPOINTMENT ONLY AT LE SENSE

Le Sense is one of the few restaurants in the Klang Valley where dim sum is revered as an art form. Restaurateur Chris Chew is so discerning when it comes to the serving of these delicate morsels that patrons of Le Sense who wish to sample the restaurant’s lunch-tasting menu (starting from RM138++ per person) must make reservations at least two days in advance.



Before you scoff and think it's nonsensical, the request is more pragmatic in reality. The culinary team needs time to source and buy the necessary ingredients and to prepare the specialities for your lunch at Le Sense.



Understated and elegant, the interior of Le Sense is accentuated with inlaid wood panels, beautiful oversized Chinese paintings, modern pendant lights, and strategically placed side tables -- setting a befitting stage to further enhance your dining experience.


In line with Chew’s exacting standards, every dim sum item served bears testament to the resident chef’s skills and techniques, as well as his meticulous attention to detail. Market-fresh, premium ingredients such as amaebi (sweet shrimp) and kurobuta (pork from Japanese black pig from the Berkshire breed), coupled with artfully made ‘produce’ such as dumpling skins and house sauces result in some second-to-none creations.
A fine example of this is the curtain-raiser of Truffled Dumpling: a steamed charcoal-skin Xiaolongbao brushed with edible gold, placed atop a wafer-thin slice of yuba.

Bite into the dumpling’s delicate pleated folds and you'd get a delicate whiff of the musky scent of truffle. Take care as you attempt to slurp up the deliciously sweet broth encased within - you won't want to waste a single drop of that precious liquid. For the final flourish, savour the juicy kurobuta filling with the tender dumpling skin.

The bar of excellence rises further with Kagoshima Pork Dumpling & Fish Maw Bouillon. Stuffed with delectable Kagoshima pork, the divine dumpling is nestled amidst slippery smooth braised fish maw and the sweetest-tasting fish bouillon. An ensemble made in culinary heaven.


The pace rolls nicely along with Yuba Skin Roulade and Collagen Demi-Glace – a delightfully crispy fried Japanese beancurd skin roll stuffed with chopped amaebi and Kurobuta. 
Rich, glossy pork bone sauce and crunchy snow peas ensure this offering underscore deliciously distinct contrasts, taste and texture-wise from the earlier speciality.

Marinated in a sake-shoyu concoction then cooked to meltingly tender perfection, the Spanish Iberian Jowl with Seasonal Organic Vegetables cuts quite a swathe with us. 
The enticing umami accent blooms on our palate the longer we chew on the meat. Even the supporting cast of green mustard stems, lotus root, ginkgo, wood fungus and dried scallop threads, exudes ample appeal of their own.


Dried sakura ebi and fried onion atop the Daikon Radish cake (which has jamon and Kurobuta incorporated in it) lend beguiling depth of flavours to this familiar homey treat. Little pieces of pickled green mustard that’s mutedly spicy-sweet help to offset its richness. 

IMHO, the Crystal Prawn Wonton with Smoked Dover Sole and Egg Noodles is possibly the closest replication of a good Hong Kong-style wantan meen in Klang Valley.
Made with a mixture of sweet shrimp and sea prawn, and smoked Dover sole for the elusive combination of sweetness and desirable mouthfeel, the prawn wonton is scrumptious.

Made in-house and cooked to the right toothsome texture, the fine egg noodles in a nice clear broth and blanched greens are so soul-satisfying good you'd wish the serving is somewhat a tad bigger.


To finish, the savoury dessert of Yam Croquette is a show-stopper. Golden brown with a lacy-wispy exterior, the powdery-soft Japanese mountain yam mash is filled with savoury-sweet Iberico char siu.
A crisp, buttery and mildly sweet Egg Tart serves as the finale to the lunch-tasting menu. You can’t fault this on-point classic creation to wrap up your meal.

Diners are welcome to bring their own wine for their culinary sojourn at Le Sense as there won’t be any corkage charged. For bespoke dinner menus, prices will be slightly higher so kindly call the restaurant for more information.
For reservations, call Le Sense Restaurant, hp no: 018-268 2333. Address: 8, Jalan SS 20/10 Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

 


Monday, January 21, 2019

NEW GASTRONOMIC TREATS AT CEDAR ON 15


Midday Specials. Social Bites. The Cookbook. These catchy names denote the new lunch, light snacks and dinner menus at Cedar on 15, the  rooftop restaurant and lounge at Impiana KLCC Hotel in line with 2019.

Following a fresh approach taken by Chef Helmut Lamberger, Corporate Chef (WACS Global Master Chef), local media peeps were given first dibs into the culinary team’s versatile repertoire.
 
Waitstaff swooped in bearing trays of Social Bites, catching our eye with the unusual presentation. Our Version of Bitterballen (RM26) — crisp potato croquettes flavoured with smoked turkey ham and cheese finished with dollops of avocado mousse (pix below)  were scrumptious enough that I unashamedly went for repeat helpings.
Cocktail parties definitely would be more fun with wickedly delish Rockefeller Shrimp Popcorn (RM40) — crunchy deep-fried shrimp ‘popcorn’ in waxed newsprint cones served with roasted garlic aioli (bottom top pix). These nibbles easily reel you in so keep a tight grip on your own resolve or else...
Simpler but no less appealing on the palate is Vine Tomato Bruschetta (RM39). Amazing how sublime Cameron Highlands baby tomatoes baked with ricotta cheese, parsley oil and crushed pepper (bottom top pix) can taste when paired with some nice tipple. 
 
According to Chef Helmut, the new menus focus on classic European favourites with modern updates, to cater to today’s discerning diners. He emphasised his team also took into consideration key issues such as seafood sustainability, the use of locally-grown herbs and mushrooms, changing food trends and evolving palates.
One of Chef Helmut’s notable creations, Carpaccio of Portobello Mushroom (RM54) actually won him the coveted ‘Chef of the Year, Austria’ by Gault Millau back in 1991. His latest interpretation in which the thinly sliced fungi came dotted with burrata cheese and whipped horseradish was a delicate, no-frills composition of rustic earthiness — to symbolise the Forest in The Cookbook (dinner menu).
The evening’s showstopper for me was the Earth-inspired Cream of Kohlrabi (RM44) with butter-seared scallops, baby greens and coral tuille. Also known as German turnip, this temperate vegetable is now grown in Camerons. Part bulb and part vegetable, it’s a cross between a radish, jicama, collard green and broccoli.
The Cedar on 15 team did an excellent job turning it into a lush, creamy soup that allowed the scallops’ natural sweetness to shine and enveloped the asparagus tips with its sleek smoothness. 
With sustainability issue gaining traction in the food industry, Chef Helmut and his team selected Pan-fried Fillet of Malaysian Barramundi (RM64) as their main course of choice during the menu launch. A good decision as the fish itself proved on-point, accompanied by churned almond butter and sides of artichokes, potatoes, asparagus tips, olives, herbs and lemon wedges.

Passion is essential to chefs and the entire gastronomic feast we had experienced proved Chef Helmut Lamberger and his chaps spared no efforts in ensuring we went home happy. Their finale appeared in the form of A Medley of White Chocolate & Raspberry (RM44) with citrus crème and crispy snaps. Cloud-light with a well-balanced quotient of sweet and tangy accents, it hit the spot for me although I’m no fan of mousse-type treats.
The chef also demonstrated the preparation of some signature dishes such as Skaagen or Scandinavian Shrimp Salad, Foie Gras ‘Magyar’ and Barbary Duck Breast during dinner. A plethora of specialities from all three menus was also displayed for us to photograph and view at the launch.
For reservations, call Cedar on 15, tel: 03-2147 1111. Address: Level 15, Impiana KLCC Hotel, 13, Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur.

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