LA RISATA'S HANDS-FREE CHRISTMAS FEAST

Cooking up the yearly Christmas feast is no child’s play. For time-poor and busy urban families, even family matriarchs should enjoy a well-deserved break during the festive season instead of slaving away in the kitchen. Give them a chance to join in the family bonding and entrust the cooking to La Risata chefs.

Designed to make life easier, La Risata’s festive selection allows you to ‘mix and match’ the resto’s offerings with home-made dishes of your own. The traditional Roast Turkey (4 kg each @RM338++) makes for an impressive centrepiece for your festive table as the huge bird’s sizeable enough to serve 10-12 persons. 

The most outstanding component of this offering is cranberry sauce, made from real cranberries cooked down to a thick compote; its subtle tanginess tempering the rich giblet sauce. Sautéed mixed vegetable and chestnut stuffing complete the dish.

 

Personally, I prefer the Roast Leg of Lamb (3 kg each@RM228++) which the chef acquitted to sumptuous tenderness; the blush pink centre of each slice oozing with juicy goodness. Faint whiffs of rosemary made it all the more droolworthy, augmented by sides of sautéed chat potatoes, grilled root vegs and rosemary sauce.

If you prefer to dine in at La Risata, the rustic Pizza Mozzarella is a ‘must try’. Thin yet sturdy enough to hold its shape, the crusty wood-fired pizza left us wanting more, thanks to its generous slather of tomato sauce and toppings of smoky mozzarella, strips of red and green marinated capsicums, anchovies and fresh basil.

In Italy, you can’t get more traditional than a portion of gnocchi to start with. These thick, soft knobs of doughy dumplings are notoriously difficult to make but La Risata chefs dressed up the Grilled Blue Fin Tuna with Squid Ink Gnocchis with a bright flavourful Lemon Butter Sauce. Bolstered by the smooth citrusy sauce, the tuna’s voluptuous richness was captured in the dainty, pillow-soft dumplings while any residual cloyingness was halted by fresh peppery rocket.  

Stumped for ideas on what salad to serve for your Christmas do? Here’s a simple but ingenious suggestion tossed up by La Risata. You’d hit the jackpot by rustling up Rocket & Pear Salad with Lemon Dressing and Shave Parmesan. Nobody can resist its vivacious spectrum of accents: sweet, tart, savoury and zingy in one go.

Sweeten the celebration with a takeaway Tiramisu (RM160++ per order, ample for 12 persons) or Pumpkin Pie (RM80++ each for 8-10 persons). Concocted with layers of espresso-soaked Savoiardi sponge fingers and mascarpone, it was a reliable albeit tame option among the dessert we sampled. 

Served with silky maple cream sauce, the Pumpkin Pie stole the thunder with its delicately sweet crumbly crust; the top adorned with a sprinkling of almonds. The pie filling itself was airy-light and redolent with the warm scent of cinnamon, something which I’d always associate with Christmas.

For dine-in, the perennial fave has to be Zucotto, a luscious domed cake with chocolate and vanilla cream studded with almond, chocolate and hazelnut nibs. It looked wickedly decadent but turned out to be feather-light with just a touch of indulgence.

Orders are accepted from now until 5 January 2016 while stocks last so make haste and call La Risata now, tel: 03-2031 6568. Reservations at the restaurant are advisable for the festive period.

SEASON'S FEASTING

'Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry! You'd be spoilt for choice at Dorsett Regency as Executive Chef KK Yau and his team will be offering three celebratory options: an exquisite Christmas Eve set dinner at Cellini's, a lavish buffet at Checker's Cafe or relish a takeaway Tandoori Turkey from the comfort of your own home.

Weighing about 4kg each, the spiced marinated turkey proves to be a nice change from the Continental version; its meat well-imbued by a heady mix of aromatic spices. Stuffed with briyani rice, vegetable and pickles, the delectable offering also comes with chestnut and onion stuffing, cranberry jelly and giblet gravy. Each bird costs RM208++ and orders can be collected from Checker's Cafe.

The entrance of Cellini's...a small but cosy haven for Italian delights

The delicious Pasta La Verdura is worth tangling with

If you prefer a more intimate celebration, Cellini's the place to revel in a sumptuous set menu that blend imported winter ingredients and Euro-Mediterranean culinary accents.

The appetiser of Pasta La Verdura comprises al dente spaghettini with thread-like strands of Vegetable Pasta accompanied by Thyme and Dill Jelly and topped with pepper-crusted Tuna Tartare with pieces of sweet, poached Lobster.

Christmas Fennel & Fish Soup is served with some dramatic flair

Admittedly, I'm no a big fan of fennel but this herb is put to good use for the Christmas Fennel and Fish Soup. Definitely a heartwarming broth for the soul, we lapped up every drop of the wonderful concoction that had fennel, tomato, onion, potato and slivers of sole and snapper in it. The succulent Poached Cod fillet on top is adorned with Spinach Veloute (a gelatine-based reduction of spinach, stock and flour with parsley, garlic and extra virgin olive oil).

To cleanse and prime the palate for the main course, you'd enjoy a Mango Sorbet, a refreshing scoop of frozen mango juice with bits of the actual fruit in it.

The main course proffers Confit of Norwegian Salmon and Moist Confit of Salmon with Spinach Veloute; both cooked the sous vide way - a slow cooking process at precisely controlled temperatures. The piece of salmon sprinkled with edible floral petals in the foreground of the pix is cooked at 40 degrees Celsius, ensuring the fish remains tender and succulent with a lightly flaky core.

For the latter, it's cooked at 80 degrees Celsius; wrapped in a layer of sliced gratinated potato that renders it paler but no less richer on the palate. If fish is not your cup of tea, the alternative main course is Roast Turkey with all its customary trimmings.

All of us also had a slice or two of the irresistible Tandoori Turkey once it was carved at our table. Bringing curtains down for the evening is traditional Christmas Plum Pudding with Vanilla Sauce followed by some pralines and coffee/tea.

Lusciously indulgent...just a small piece of the Plum Pudding is enough to satisfy

Death by chocolate...pralines to wrap up our dinner on a sweet note

The Cellini's Christmas Eve Set Dinner is priced RM198++ per person inclusive of a free flow of sparkling wine, beer, soft drinks and juices.

Hearty eaters who prefer to go the whole hog may want to head for Checker's Cafe festive spread on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Chef Yau's team very kindly trotted out a selection of dishes from the buffet to give us an idea of what's in store for diners.

From roast turkey to tantalising appetisers of fish and seafood, you'd be spoilt for choice as there will be over 40 scrumptious specialities in the tempting line-up.

 

Feast to your hearts' content at the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Buffet Dinner at RM98++ per person. Also available is a Christmas Day Brunch priced at RM70++ per person.

For reservations, please call Cellini's or Checker's Cafe, tel: 03-2716 1000 x 188. Dorsett Regency Hotel is located a stone's throw away from the main Bukit Bintang shopping belt.