[UPDATED] CREAM OF ANCHOR FOOD PROFESSIONALS' CROP

To launch its latest European-style dairy range in Malaysia, Anchor Food Professionals delivered a set of exquisite afternoon tea treats by The Studio KL to the doorstep.

The exquisitely curated sweet treat selection featured Lemon Posset, Hot Chocolate in Cup, Banoffee Tart, Passion-berry Choux, British Soldier, Traditional English Scones with Sticky Toffee Pudding Butter and Summer Berries Jam, Almond Cream Butter Croissants. Savouries included Chicken Pesto on Focaccia, Truffle Honey Croquette and Sauté Mushroom and Onion Bruschetta.

It was a delicious way of showing how the new products: Anchor Chef’s Classic Whipping Cream, Anchor Classic Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Anchor Extra Yield Cooking Cream, and Anchor Culinary Cream can be artfully incorporated to create delicious savoury and sweet morsels such as those presented in the tea offerings.

During the launch webinar, Jack Tan, Foodservice Director of Fonterra Brands Malaysia said, “The pandemic has caused consumers’ food preferences to shift. One of the most noticeable trends is more food businesses are searching for everyday functional products that provide simple and quick benefits to their food or beverage creations.

“Today’s consumers are also drawn to feel-good products. While the pandemic has been tough on many food businesses, we help them stay on top of these trends by constantly improving their favourite recipes with better flavours, textures, presentation, and overall quality.”

Award-winning pastry chef Jean-Francois Arnaud then demonstrated how he used Anchor Chef’s Classic Whipping Cream to create exquisite Red Fruit Cloud and Blueberry Cream Brioche, explaining the product’s many advantages during the process.

Then Pele Kuah, Brew House’s Group Executive Chef shared his preference on the use of Anchor Extra Yield Cooking Cream in the kitchen as he prepared Salmon Alfredo Pasta with Lemon & Ikura and Nasi Lemak – two signature specialities from the Brew House.

One of the founders of myBurgerLab, Renyi Chin showed two new recipes: Buttermilk Cheesy Fried Chicken Burger and Baked Cheese Rice using Anchor Classic Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – a traditional-style mozzarella cheese with flavoursome and complex taste to wrap up the webinar session.

Jack Tan also highlighted Anchor Chef’s Classic Whipping Cream which is designed to bring reliable performance and functional stability with its light and airy texture. "It’s the perfect infusion for any rich delicacy – be it hot, cold, or frozen."

Chefs, bakers, pastry makers, passionate cooks, and home-bakers can obtain Anchor European range of mozzarella cheese and creams through their distributor partners, while consumers can purchase the products at major supermarket chains and bakery ingredients shops.

For more information, visit Anchor Food Professionals’ official website at www.anchorfoodprofessionals.com, or follow www.facebook.com/AnchorFoodProfessionalsMY and www.instagram.com/anchorfp.my.

NEWS FLASH

Anchor Food Professionals together with Star Media Group also launched Anchor Start Up – a course-by-course bakers’ online learning platform accessible at https://startup.kuali.com.

Jack Tan, Food Service Director, Fonterra Brands Malaysia said their mission is to serve up inspirations to Food & Beverage businesses, including home bakers. “With Start Up, bakers can drive their business performance by harnessing specific skill sets learnt as they carve their own competitive advantages, and sell more via The Batter Place listing platform. With this initiative as a way for bakers to skill up and scale up, we believe it will create a catalytic effect for the baking community in Malaysia.”

For more information, visit https://www.kuali.com/kuali-bakers-programme/.

 

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 patrons. Served 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.

RETRO CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION AT DORSETT KL

Vibrant shades of red, orange, green, pink, purple and blue sets the Christmas tree at the lobby of Dorsett Kuala Lumpur lobby apart this year. General Manager Adele Ang waved a ‘magic wand’ to officiate the lighting up ceremony. 

The hotel also invited a group of refugee Myanmarese children from from the Shalom Education Center to perform Christmas carolling before guests were ushered to Checkers Café for dinner. 

In line with the Dorsett group’s “Stay Vibrant” global brand proposition, a green Instagrammable wall beckons selfie enthusiasts to strike a pose. After pre-dinner drinks and live entertainment by resident band, DMJ Trio, guests proceeded to the lobby for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

The culinary team left no stones unturned in their quest to impress, showcasing a kaleidoscope of Yuletide specialities. Colourful and dainty portions of appetisers such as Pate with Peach and Mini Sliders jostle for attention amidst international Cheese Platter and Seafood on Ice.

 

Pasta cooked a la minute and the carvery counter feturing Whole Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Chestnut Stuffing, and Salt Baked Salmon with Mustard Dill Cream Sauce garnered long queues that evening.

 

If you’re planning to reserve a seat for the upcoming Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner (RM118nett per person), the extravagant menu includes grilled meat from the live Barbeque station in addition to a plethora of hot dishes: Beef Goulash, Lamb Navarin, Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce, Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Tomato Seafood Ragout.

 

Over at the sweet wonderland of dessert, Gingerbread in different shapes and sizes beckoned invitingly. Luscious temptations such as Chocolate Yule Log, Christmas Cookies, Macarons, Berry Trifle, Cheesecake and Stollen were laid out too.

 

 

Checkers Café will also serve an equally lavish New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner (RM118nett per person) from 7 pm onwards on 31 December. Guests may proceed to Dorsett Residences Bukit Bintang at the hotel’s annexe, to catch the fireworks at the rooftop pool area on Level 30.

 

 

For festive takeaways, Christmas Treats are sold at Windows Lounge. Assorted Christmas Cookies, Almond Stollen Bread and other goodies are available while Roasted Tom Turkey and Roasted NZ Leg of Lamb can be reserved ahead of time.

 

For reservations at Checkers Cafe, call tel: 03-2716 1010. For more information, visit www.dorsetthotels.com/dorsett-kuala-lumpur or find Dorsett KL in www.facebook.com/dorsettkualalumpur or

IG @dorsettkualalumpur