LONDON TEA EXCHANGE DEBUTS AT SHANGRI-LA KL

 

The Great British Affair promotion by Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur got off to a tea-rrific start with an exquisite London Tea Exchange Afternoon Tea experience at the Lobby Lounge.

 

Available now until 31 October 2024, a fine selection of premium tea from London Tea Exchange will be served to complement delicious afternoon tea treats by the Shangri-La team.

 

At an exclusive preview to mark the debut of London Tea Exchange into the South East Asian market, the luxury tea brand hosted a tea tasting session at the Shangri-La KL.

London Tea Exchange Group Chairman Sheikh Aliur Rahman who joined the event virtually via live stream from London said: “London Tea Exchange has some 3,400 some premium teas sourced from over 40 countries across the globe. Our established, longstanding relationship with many individual tea estates mean some of the rarest tea are exclusive to London Tea Exchange.”

According to Aliur, London Tea Exchange is low-key but a purveyor of fine teas to numerous royal households around the world. “We’re proud of the instrumental role London Tea Exchange played in raising the daily wage of tea plantation workers. As part of the Fair Pay Foundation, we’ve helped to raise the income threshold for tea plantation workers, almost all of them women who earn less than USD4 per day.”

 

The tea tasting session saw us beginning with English Breakfast, a classic tea popularised in 1800s. On the palate, we discerned earthy Sri Lankan tea nuanced with the maltiness of Assam tea leaves and the smokiness of Indonesian black tea.

Another quintessentially British favourite, The Earl Grey captured our hearts with its refined blend of Yunnan black tea and Ceylon tea, gently scented with pure bergamot oil from Calabria, Italy. It was an enlightening discovery as we learned more often than not, the bergamot flavour is usually sprayed onto tea leaves hence the resultant aroma and flavour tend to be heavier and overpowering on both the nose and tastebuds.

My favourite has to be Milk Oolong which comprised hand-rolled Oolong tea leaves. The withered, slightly wet tea leaves are heated in milk steam to bestow the Oolong tea with a distinct creamy taste. 

Fruity tea lovers will take an instant liking to Bora Bora, a sweet, tangy tea made with strawberries, tropical papaya and a myriad of fruits to bright, palate-pleasing tea which can be enjoyed hot or cold. 

Floral with hints of raspberries, rhubarb and cherries, the Sea of Blossoms blend incorporates an array of carefully selected exotic blossoms to produce a soothing tea.

There’s a playful and inventive side to London Tea Exchange as well. The team took over two years to develop and perfect the Pistachio & Truffle blend, paying homage to the Middle Eastern culture. Using real pistachios and chocolate truffle, the subtle nutty-rich tea proved intriguing and luxuriant on the tongue.

LONDON TEA EXCHANGE AFTERNOON TEA AT LOBBY LOUNGE

To further showcase its range of fine teas, London Tea Exchange is partnering with Shangri-La KL’s Executive Chef Scott Brands and his team to proffer a limited time Afternoon Tea (3pm-6pm) at RM220 nett per set for two persons.

Most of the savoury creations flaunted pink hues, in tribute of Pink October. We sampled delicious Savoury Snow Crab Rolls, Diced Apple and Mustard Cress, and Norwegian Salmon Pinwheel for openers.

Top marks went to the Smoked Duck and Foie Gras Croquette with Cherry but no less appealing were the Trout Caviar with Beets Brioche and Summer Truffle Egg Salad.

Rose petal and cherry accentuated Sencha Sakura tea was chosen by the chefs to imbue its delicate flavour into the creation of Rose Ivoire Chocolate Mousse Meringue whilst the Sea of Blossom Tea lent its ethereal floral-berry notes to the crisp Wild Berries Macarons.

A stellar Dark Chocolate Mousse with Paillete Feuilletine (crisp leaf-like flakes) Victoria Cake infused with Orange & Cinnamon Tea grabbed our attention at first bite. It was well seconded by the enticing Sea of Blossom Mille Feuille.

We did adequate justice to the pink-hue Dried Fruit Scone with Bora Bora Tea and Plain Scones, piling a generous amount of Raspberry Jam, Clotted Cream and Whipped Butter on them. 

The tea treats made excellent pairing with Milk Oolong but the Premium Emperor’s Palace Tea – a Fujianese green tea with subtle honey notes won’t go remiss either.

For reservations at Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, call tel: 03 2786 2378.

DANISH COMFORT FOOD AT DENHYGGE

Smørrebrød or sandwiches is popularly eaten in Denmark. Cold dishes are also prevalent according to Niels Jensen, the owner of Denhygge, a Danish restaurant.

Together with his wife Olga, Jensen takes great pride in serving traditional, home-style Danish comfort food at Denhygge. 

Hygge (pronounced hyoo-guh or hoo-ga) is the sense of comfort, cosiness and conviviality; creating a feeling of contentment and well-being within the Danish home. It’s part and parcel of the Danish lifestyle and the Jensens hope their customers will enjoy an immersive hygge experience at Denhygge.

 

After retiring from the corporate world, Jensen decided to open Denhygge with the aim of introducing Danish food to local customers here. “Sandwiches, cold dishes and pork are commonly eaten. However, we serve some hot specialities as well,” said Jensen.

 

Opened in November 2022, Denhygge boasts clean lines, austere décor within: an open-plan kitchen served as the key focal point alongside a faux fireplace with mantelpiece. A spiral staircase decked with miniature flags, rustic wood accents, and large picture windows blend cohesively to create a welcoming, homely setting.

A made-to-order artisanal nuts and seed-laden dark rye bread forms the basis for their range of sandwiches. Accentuated with a mildly sweet and aromatic curry spiced mayo, sliced red onion and crispy pork lard, the Marinated Herring on Rye Bread with Egg (regular RM26, large RM32) won instant approval with its tantalizingly tart-tangy-briny-sweet accents.

 

The Roast Beef on Rye Bread (regular RM24, large RM30) also proved on-point. We gave two thumbs up to the tender, blush-pink slices of roast beef topped with creamy remoulade, zingy horseradish and fried onion.

Delectable sliced pork belly seasoned with spices played a leading role in the delicious Rullepølse (regular RM22, large RM28); layered atop rye bread with onion and diced aspic. Those diminutive dices of savoury meat jelly packed sublime, full-bodied flavour thanks to it being a solidified reduction of pork jus and browned onion.

 

Equally notable was the Pork Liver Pate (regular RM20, large RM25) sandwich. Lending textural contrasts to it were pickled cucumber and crisp-fried bacon pieces; the flavoursome combination balanced out the paté’s indulgent richness.

 

Jensen also offered his fish cakes and cubes of pork in aspic to sample. The Danish version of fish cakes incorporates potato mash in it, rendering its texture softer compared to local one which is springier.

As for the pork cubes, they were brimming with rich meaty flavours. Unsurprisingly to be honest as Jensen had devoted hours of preparation into its making.

Hot dishes are offered and changed often in the Jensens’ attempt to cater to local patrons. During our visit, the week’s speciality of Stegt flæsk or Danish-style Fried Pork Belly (RM55) could have been a stand-in for local roast pork. Served with boiled potatoes and creamy parsley sauce, the customary Danish Christmas dish was rather delectable albeit texture-wise, we found it harder and drier.

Danish dessert tends to be simple as underscored by the Danish-style Apple Pie (RM18). The apple compote used a mixture of red and green apples for the pie filling’s requisite sweet-sour taste profile. Served with crushed macaroons (almond flour cookies), red currant jelly and lightly sweetened and vanilla-accented whipped cream, the light dessert was a nice option to conclude our maiden visit to Denhygge.

For reservations at DENHYGGE DANISH RESTAURANT, call mobile no: 012-824 0020. Address: F13, Empire Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Business hours: Mon-Sat 10 am to 10 pm (last order 9 pm), closed on Sundays.

 

GOOD EATS WITH HIGH SPIRITS AT D’ATAS BISTRO

Lunch started with a dramatic flair on our maiden visit to the newly opened D’Atas Bistro. Presented in a smoking cloche, the signature D’Atas Whisky Sour (RM40) left us smitten with its tangy, boozy taste with a tinge of smoky peat.

It was a captivating twist to the classic cocktail of John Jameson whiskey, fresh lemon juice, gula melaka syrup and Angostura bitters crowned with frothy egg white and a dried orange slice.

Ladies will adore Fly with Chan (RM38) – an Insta-worthy tipple of shaken gin, raspberry puree, limoncello, lavender syrup, lemon juice and egg white prettied up with edible flowers.

Teetotallers can seek solace in Curry Mama (RM18) – a creamy curry leaf-scented mocktail of coconut milk, coconut puree, and lime juice, with a topping of pineapple juice. Such an inventive and invigorating drink.

D’Atas (literally a contraction of Damansara Uptown in Malay) also serves Toddy (RM12 per glass, RM60 per bottle) – local palm wine sourced and tapped from the restaurant’s own palm trees in Nilai. This rare albeit delightful find tasted mildly sweet and fizzy with faint whiffs of fermented rice.

A refreshing tweak comes in the form of Connor’s Draught Stout & Toddy (RM16). It should go down well with those who prefer to have the palm wine tempering the stout’s inherent bitterness.

 

Made with butter roasted mushroom, the unctuous Cream of Mushroom (RM18) is one of the curtain-raisers here. Overall, I thought it was too peppery but hey, you should be the judge and jury of this popular mainstay.

Smoky and tender Grilled Lamb Skewers (RM20) drizzled with mint-mayo sauce got the thumbs up; the delectably moreish bites, well-spiced and on-point. Hardly surprising then it’s chalked up as one of D’Atas’ crowd-pleasers.

Instead of ho-hum tomato or mushroom bruschetta, D’Atas updates this appetiser with an Asian slant, featuring pan-fried sardines paired with chilli shrimp paste atop crusty slices of French bread.

The Shrimp Paste Sardines Bruschetta (RM11) were rather salty but in a good way; a perfect accompaniment with your favourite ‘poison’ from the bar.

Ikan Masak Lemak & Rice (RM28) stole the show with the boneless seabass fillets immersed in robustly spicy and lemak-rich coconut cream, bird’s eye and green chillies. The zingy-hot gravy together with white rice was a match made in culinary heaven.

Mutton Sub-Monster (RM32) – scrumptious mutton varuval with red onion, tomato, and fresh lettuce slathered with mint-mayo on a slab of crusty French baguette proved another winner in our books.

The thin-crust Kimchi Pizza (RM23) passed muster; the tart and distinctive pickled cabbage kicking the flavour quotient several notches up. A definite appealing option to go with boozy drinks.

Cooked cockles, tofu puffs, long beans, and a hard-boiled egg lend substance to Curry Laksa with Sambal Belacan (RM18). We didn’t fancy the yellow mee but it’s the only noodle option available. The aromatic curry gravy passed muster; a dollop of the sambal helped add greater depth and flavour.

Two grilled housemade beef patties with melted cheese, fried egg, onion rings, sliced tomato and gherkins in-between a sesame bun form the Smoking’ Double Beef Burger (RM33). Unfortunately, our beef patties were overcooked and dry but D'Atas promises this hiccup will be rectified.

Spice and chilli fiends will enjoy Asian Style Chilli Chicken Pasta (RM16) – spaghetti tossed with spicy-hot pan-fried chicken breast with chilli flakes, wild rocket and cherry tomatoes.

Topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, the Molten Lava Cake (RM18) hit our sweet spot with its airy-light chocolate cake oozing with luscious, melted dark chocolate at its core.

Lighter on the palate is Tri-Crepe Cakes (RM18) – soft, paper-thin crepes filled with a choice of durian, chempedak, blueberry cheese or red velvet sponge and cream. 

In its bid to draw the white collar crowd, D’Atas serves Set Lunch from 12pm – 2.45pm daily. Priced from RM16 upwards, diners can choose from 12 main course options and enjoy free flow of ice lemon tea.

 

Membership is available for regular patrons. Enrolment is easy and benefits await such as 15% discount for food & beverage at D'Atas.

For reservations, call D’Atas Bistro, hp: 010 248 1356. Address: 108G, SS21/39, Damansara Utama 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Business hours: 12 noon – 12 midnight daily