A JOURNEY OF FLAVOURS AT MARCO

Malaysia deserves better. It is this personal belief that spurs chef cum restaurateur Daren Leong to return from Singapore and make his mark back on home turf. After grabbing a

piece of the F&B pie with Miam Miam and Franco, Leong is once again turning the local resto scene on its head with his newly opened Marco Creative Cuisine in the same premises.

Before naysayers jump into the fray to rain on his parade, remember this plucky and enterprising chef-restaurateur has gone where eagles fear to tread. Now, instead of queuing up for Miam Miam's soufflé and thick French-toast, people are now being pulled towards Marco to gawp, zombie-like, at the translucent sea creatures floating around in the tank at the resto entrance.

We love the modern Tiffany-blue chairs and banquette seats amidst Marco's all-white interior, discreetly crisscrossed with burnished gold trims. According to Daren, the name Marco refers to his son and also to legendary traveller Marco Polo. “Marco Creative Cuisine embodies the same sense of adventure, imbuing excitement into the culinary adventure awaiting diners at this dining outpost.”

Fascinated by how memory and personal experiences influence the way we taste food, Daren invites diners to experience and discover A Journey of Flavours. Daren says each delicious creation at Marco Creative Cuisine represents a culmination of his own personal food journey. "Every dish is made from scratch using fresh, locally source ingredients as much as possible."

Determined to encourage local diners to try his new multi-course menu concept but minus the high price, Marco's sumptuous 7-course meal only cost RM78 (GST inclusive but not service charge) per person. Right from the get-go, his frothy palate cleanser of Velvety Matcha-Lime Shooter awakened our tastebuds to its intense yet fleeting citrusy notes.

Playfully light on the palate, the dainty appetiser of Savoury Éclair won us over thanks to the crisp, airy Choux topped with squiggles of Gruyère flavoured Pâté, Aubergine Caviar, Green Chilli Pesto and Tomato Confit. The cornucopia of dense and ethereal textures interspersed with bursts of lush creaminess, zingy freshness and smoky-fruity flavours sent our expectations soaring for the other courses to come.

Don't let the plain Jane look of the Truffled Mushroom Soup fool you. A spoonful of it soon convinced us of its voluptuous earthiness was merely waiting to be unleashed, to flood our tastebuds with gusto. One of the show-stoppers of the night this.

While my choice of French Onion Soup was no less flavourful, the thick broth's rusticity somehow lack the dramatic finesse of my dining partner's offering. Served with two thick-cut French toast points, we soon warmed up to the rich, caramelised yellow onion accent of the soup.

Cold soups aren't common in Malaysia but Daren feels our year-long tropical summer weather calls for a chilled broth similar to the Spanish gazpacho. Instead of tomatoes, he combines Cameron Highlands strawberries with capsicum, onion, cucumber and peppermint to create his signature Strawberry Gazpacho. The resultant pink soup was indeed light and fresh; a harmonious blend of delicate fruit and vegetal nuances. A perfect counterpoint to the dense and decadent Chicken Liver Parfait.

A sheath of crackly brûlée top gave the densely creamy Chicken Liver Parfait a sugary overtone. Spread onto toast triangles with dehydrated apple crisps, I personally couldn't decide if I'm for or against such savoury-sweet pairings. Apparently, this is trending right now around the world so you'd have to try it and make up your own mind. For me, the jury's still out there.

I'd rather return for the simple yet distinct entrée of Savoury Ice Cream Salad. It was like a precursor to spring, this pretty cluster of Assorted Baby Leaves, Heirloom Tomato, Seasonal Microgreens and edible Violets. A swirl of olive oil and a quenelle of sea salt-flavoured ice cream somehow managed to sync everything together.

Reworked from the classic Cantonese roast duck, the chef chose to inject classical French flavours of Valrhona Dark Chocolate, Roasted Beetroot and Orange Purée to the house speciality of Duck Breast. The result yielded a captivating trinity of sour, bitter and sweet notes in the sous vide then pan-seared duck.

Daren paid tribute to his Hainanese grandfather's culinary legacy through his creation of Chicken Roulade with Brussels Sprouts. Fond memories of holidays spent at his grandparents' bungalow in Fraser's Hill and feasting on chicken chop, roast turkey and mince pies had been translated into a crispy skinned roulade made using juicy chicken thigh. Special mention must be made of the stellar supporting cast comprising slightly charred Brussels sprouts and sweetcorn nibs, and concentrated chicken jus.

Squid ink hollandaise lent a dark, edgy tinge to the crisp yet tender-pink Salmon with Jet Black Hollandaise. Garnished with Pickled Beetroot, Green Chilli Pesto and Tobikko, this main caught our imagination and tastebuds too.

After the slew of inventive offerings, we found the Pomodoro Cream Seafood Pasta far too stoic and stodgy. Was this dish of penne with baby squid, clams and mussels a throwback to the chef's Miam Miam days or included as a pragmatic kid-friendly option?

 

Like a child in a candy store, I derived great delight from my Deconstructed Lemon Meringue Pie. It reminded me of world-renowned Chef Alvin Leung's crazy dessert in a good way once I savoured the yummy Lemon Curd with Italian Meringue. Dots of Passion Fruit Gel, a quenelle of White Chocolate Sherbet and some buttery pastry 'soil' heightened the palate-pleasing experience.

The much-touted Raspberry Decadence came in a close second. It was a prettily plated dessert with the winsome pink Raspberry Cheesecake taking centrestage. Accompanied by Lemon Meringue Kisses and Passionfruit Gel, it was as close as you'd get to a guilt-free finale.

Spoiled by all that earlier razzmatazz, it was almost discomfiting to find something as mundane as Crème Brûlée with White Chocolate Sherbet in the menu. Still, I suppose some diners like to find comfort from the tried and tested egg custard baked with a caramelised top.

A choice of French Press Coffee, Loose Leaves Tea or Sparkling Iced Berry Drink concluded our culinary journey. Do take note the list of dishes reviewed here went beyond seven courses as our dining party of six shared and sampled each other's selection of courses throughout. 

A La Carte orders available with Soup/Entrée at RM18+ per serving, Main at RM35+ per serving (add RM10+ for Duck Breast) and Dessert at RM20+ per serving. Lunch is served from 12 noon to 3 pm while Dinner is from 6pm to 10pm daily.

For enquiries or information, call Marco Creative Cuisine, tel: 03-7731 8293. Reservations is recommended. Address: Lot G146, Ground Floor (Old Wing),

1 Utama Shopping Centre, 1, Lebuh Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

www.marcocreativecuisine.com

5 'MUST TRY' HOMESTYLE GOODIES AT DASHI DINING SAYA

Dashi is the essential stock in Japanese cuisine. It is made by immersing katsuoboshi (dried, smoked and cured bonito or skipjack tuna) shavings in boiling water then straining the liquid. Other possible ingredients to make dashi include konbu (kelp seaweed), niboshi (small dried anchovies), dried mackerel or iriko (dried sardine).

This deceptively simple stock is prized for the umami taste it imparts, now widely acknowledged as the fifth basic taste after sweet, sour, salty and bitter. First discovered by Professor Kikunae Ikeda from the Tokyo Imperial University in 1908, umami is a combination of two Japanese words, umai (delicious) and mi (taste). Described as meaty savouriness, umami is unique as it can enhance the inherent flavours of other ingredients, hence making food tastes even more delicious.

At Dashi Dining Saya, the umami aspect of dashi plays a central role in its offerings; from miso soup and chawanmushi to home-style Japanese dishes such as dashi maki tamago (Japanese omelette) and chazuke (rice with dashi & tea broth).

The parent company, Asmo Catering (M) Sdn Bhd also runs Dashi Delica Saya, the Japanese delicatessen proffering a wide range of homespun Japanese dishes for takeaway at Isetan, The Japan Store in KL. According to Masao Shimizu, Director - Malaysia of Dashi Dining Saya/Asmo Catering, Asmo is a diversified group in Japan with F&B businesses in Taipei and Hong Kong.

Dashi Dining Saya & Dashi Delica Saya are the company's first foray into Malaysia in tandem with the opening of the newly rejuvenated Isetan, The Japan Store in KL. Plans are the pipeline to open similar outlets in future, as and when suitable locations have been chosen and secured.

Shimizu-san said: "Our two flagship outlets entered the local F&B scene to widen the repertoire of Japanese cuisine among local food lovers. We want Malaysians to know there's so much more to Japanese food than sushi, sashimi and tempura. Dashi Dining Saya & Dashi Delica Saya would like introduce typical home-style dishes eaten by most Japanese to the local clientele, enabling them to sample and familiarise themselves with what we offer." 

Open your minds and palate to sample these 5 'must try' homestyle goodies from Dashi Dining Saya:

DASHI CHAZUKE

The soulful speciality of Rice with Hot Dashi Soup and Soy-Marinated Tuna Sashimi (RM29) is highly recommended. Diners can decide on the amount of rice they prefer - small (200g), medium (250g + RM2) or large (300g + RM3) with free refill of Saya's special dashi soup. 

Besides the bowl of rice topped with slices of succulent soy-marinated tuna, crunchy pearls of rice puffs and shredded nori, the set comes with a side dish of chikuzenni, traditional stew of lotus root, carrot, mushroom, chicken and burdock root and a small bowl of hijiki, a type of brown sea vegetable cooked in a sweetish sauce with chopped burdock and carrot.

To enjoy the hearty offering, sprinkle chopped spring onion and sesame seeds onto the rice. Then pour the hot dashi broth onto it and slurp up the delicious mixture after giving it a good stir.

 

There's also Rice with Hot Dashi Soup and Marinated Cod Roe (RM24) or the more popular variants of Rice with Hot Dashi Soup and Grilled Salmon Flakes or Grilled Mackerel (RM27).

TAKE SET MEAL  

An assortment of these homely specialities can be enjoyed at Dashi Dining Saya in the form of Ume (RM32) and Take (RM38) set meals. The Take Set shown above is great value for money as it comprises six dishes with a bowl of white rice and miso soup.

The first offering distills the umami essence perfectly as the savoury nuance of the unctuous sauce in the Tofu and Kinoko Mushroom with Dashi Sauce was discernible in the soft beancurd. Shiitake mushroom is also umami-rich so you'd be smacking your lips with satisfaction after eating this.

We thoroughly relished the second dish of delectable Fried Chicken Saya-Style too. The meaty pieces were tender and flavourful yet crisp to the bite on the outside.

Fruity sweet Tomato with Dashi Apple Jelly was also featured. Imported Japanese tomatoes aren't cheap and a whole fruit from Dashi Delica Saya costs RM8 alone. Slathered in subtly sweet jelly, the tomato was firm yet succulent and juicy on the palate.

Also included in the assortment was the trad Chikuzenni in addition to a huge piece of Hokkaido Beef Croquette which provided textural contrast.

Lastly, Grilled Mackerel stuffed with Eringi Mushroom completed the substantial selection. A sheen of Japanese-style barbecue sauce lent the fish moistness whilst its fungi stuffing bestowed different textural interest. Light eaters may find it a challenge to finish all these delicacies accompanied by rice and soup but heartier diners will find themselves replete from the meal.

ODEN

A perennial comfort food in Japan especially in winter, Oden is the Japanese version of yong tau foo. Most of the key ingredients for oden are made from processed fish paste such as chikuwa (tubular fish paste), kamaboko (fish paste with pink rim and white centre) and satsuma-age (fried fish cake patties) among others. Hard-boiled eggs, chunks of daikon (radish), konnyaku and fried beancurd are also common in the repertoire.

A sample selection of different Oden items (pix from archives)

You can pick and mix various Oden items from Dashi Delica Saya daily. The goodies are served in dashi broth with a dollop of mustard, available for takeaway or dine-in too if seats are available at Dashi Dining Saya. Give these tempting morsels a go next time you see this.
 

MACKEREL WITH GRATED DAIKON

Shimizu-san then pointed out some uncommon Japanese delights from the display counter to us, one of which is Grilled Mackerel with Grated Daikon (RM9 per piece). "We notice Malaysians enjoy eating fish especially salmon. Our chef created this mackerel dish to add greater variety to our food repertoire and also to please customers who prefer lightly cooked fish dishes," said Shimizu-san. 

Indeed, the delicious mackerel is moistened by an appetising savoury dashi stock with generous toppings of grated Japanese radish, ginger slivers and chopped spring onion giving it subtle 'fresh' flavours.

CHICKEN CHOP NAGOYA-STYLE

We also cluck with approval the family-friendly offering of Chicken Chop Nagoya Style (RM12). Quite a lot of work has gone into the boneless chicken roll which is stuffed with asparagus and grilled with teriyaki sauce. Just slice up the roll once warmed up to serve.  

It's best to scour Dashi Delica Saya personally to see the range available. Some of the current selection should pique interest with familiar ingredients like lady's fingers, radish and chicken prepared in decidedly Japanese style. Onigiri (Japanese triangular rice balls) and takeaway lunch boxes are also sold here.

Dashi Dining Saya & Dashi Delica Saya are located at the Lower Ground Floor, Isetan The Japan Store, Lot 10, Jalan Sultan Ismail, KL. Tel: 03-2110 1479.