MALAYSIAN CHEF ENTERS THE WORLD SUSHI CUP 2018

It’s true action speaks loud than words. Chef Steve Chua Kok Hua — Malaysia’s representative for the upcoming World Sushi Cup 2018 in Japan, showed his sushi-making prowess at a special lunch hosted by the Norwegian ambassador, Her Excellency Gunn Jorid Roset recently.

Chef Steve Chua of Two Chefs Lab restaurant in Bandar Sungai Long, emerged as champion in the qualifying competition last November. The event was a collaborative effort between the Norwegian Seafood Council and Japan’s only recognised World Sushi Skills Institute, held in conjunction with the Global Sushi Academy training session conducted by renowned chef Hirotoshi Ogawa.

At the lunch, Jon Erik Steenslid, Regional Director (Southeast Asia) of Norwegian Seafood Council presented Chef Chua with a specially made chef’s jacket and a sushi knife for The World Sushi Cup on August 23, 2018. As Malaysia’s sole representative, Chef Steve Chua will be battling 40 top sushi chefs from around the world in the prestigious competition.

The earlier training by sushi master, Hirotoshi Ogawa was a boon for local sushi chefs like Chef Chua as proper handling of raw fish is of paramount importance. Since most of the sushi chains in Malaysia use salmon and trout from Norway, the educational programme for sushi chefs run by the Norwegian Seafood Council is timely and helps to ensure food safety through hygienic handling of the fish.

Chef Steve Chua enthused, “Besides basic sushi making skills, the chef touched on critical topics such as hygienic handling of seafood for raw consumption. The eye-opening training emphasised every little detail in sushi making and I can’t thank Norwegian Seafood Council enough for giving me this opportunity.”

Besides the pretty platter of Edo-style sushi he prepped for the photo opp, the chef also blew us away with his exquisite creations of Salmon Bruschetta, Salmon Belly Consommé, Salmon Sushi Fiesta and Tofu Cheesecake on that day.

The opening volley of Salmon Bruschetta

Flavourful Salmon Belly Consommé

Speaking at the lunch, Mr Jon Erik Steenslid, Regional Director (Southeast Asia) of Norwegian Seafood Council said, “Norwegian salmon and fjord trout are the most preferred choice of fish in sushi restaurants in Malaysia. However, it’s imperative for us to counter unsubstantiated stories of food poisoning and claims of salmon containing parasitic worms. Often, it boils down to unhygienic handling of the fish.”

Subtle to strong accents prevailed in Chef Steve Chua's Salmon Sushi Fiesta

Steenslid also said Norwegian Seafood Council is intensifying promotion of Norwegian salmon and trout locally as “Malaysia has the highest consumption of seafood per capita. There’s massive market potential for Norwegian seafood and our survey shows Norway is the most preferred country of origin for purchases of salmon and fjord trout.”

As the second largest seafood exporter in the world, Norway is the world’s largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon and Fjord Trout. A world-renowned pioneer in modern trout and salmon farming, Norway’s technical knowledge and management of resources is unsurpassed when it comes to handling and delivering fish and seafood of the highest quality to the global market.

OVER THE MOON FOR MID-AUTUMN AT DORSETT

Red. Green. Blue. These bejewelled hues set the tone for Dorsett’s Mid-Autumn Fest offerings this year.

You don’t need to jump over the moon to get your hands on Ruby Allure — the Red Dragonfruit-infused Crystal Skin Mooncake with Red Bean Paste (RM26 each). I’m a big fan of this healthy fruit so the delicate creation with its light sweetness hits the spot for me.

Durians — you either love it or hate it. I belong to the former camp and again, the

aromatic Golden Treasure — a Pandan-infused Crystal Skin Mooncake with Durian and Black Sesame Paste (RM35 each) comes up to mark. IMHO, I’d prefer a more pronounced durian accent but still, it ticks all the right boxes for me. A baked variation also available debuts this year in the form of Low Sugar Durian Lotus Paste with Single Egg Yolk (RM35 each). 

A Dorsett signature, the Sapphire Glitz (RM30 each) makes a comeback by popular demand. Tinged a lovely Tiffany-blue with blue pea flower juice, the crystal skin mooncake with white lotus paste and single yolk is pleasing on the eye and palate.

The quintessential baked mooncake range from Dorsett includes Pure Red Bean Paste (RM26), Pandan Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM30) or Plain (RM27), Six Coarse Grains Paste (RM28) and Low Sugar White Lotus Paste in Plain (RM29), with Single (RM30) or Double Egg Yolk (RM35) variants.

Packed in an exclusively designed double-tiered box with recognisable Dorsett motifs and shades of the group’s corporate blue-brown colours, the Mid-Autumn Festival delicacies are available now until 24 September 2018.

For more information, call Dorsett Grand Subang (tel: 03-5031 6060 ext 3033/3032), Dorsett KL (tel: 03-2716 1000), Dorsett Putrajaya (tel: 03-8892 8388), Silka Maytower KL (tel: 03-2692 9298) and Silka Cheras KL (tel: 03-9100 1133).

GRAB GOOD BITES FOR LUNCH AT MARBLE 8

Now you can lunch like a boss at Marble 8. Meet your top dog match in a stellar main like Grilled Black Angus Fillet, one of the on-point Elite Gourmand Lunch options. Deftly cooked to medium rare doneness with a scattering of black and pink peppercorns, the scrumptious steak forms an enticing affinity with buttery cannelloni beans, spring onion and beef jus.

 

With an encompassing view of the city towering skyscrapers from inside Tower 3 on level 56, the resto's dark, austere atmosphere is evocative of an exclusive gentleman’s club. The main dining space anchors a long bar with tactile cow’s hide finish and a faux tree.  Groups of tufted, leather upholstered armchairs and dining tables, juxtaposed against marble and timber surfaces are parked throughout.

 

Make no bones about it, Marble 8 is an upscale culinary pedestal befitting the city’s captains of industry and ladies who lunch by day before the posh, see-and-be-seen set ascends by night. Stepping up to the power lunch plate, the resto has refreshed its weekday Elite Gourmand Lunch (RM78++ for 3 courses, RM118++ for 4 courses) and unveiled a new Grab & Bite deal.

Breaking bread goes up to a new level here. Only sheer willpower and good manners dictate one doesn’t overdo the stuffing down of those crackly sheets of lavosh, chewy sourdough slices, rustic sundried tomato buns, soft potato foccacia and crunchy taralli (Italian bread rings).

Like proverbial matches made in baking heaven, a quartet of alluring Italian dips: kalamata olive tapenade, sundried tomato & garlic, red capsicum and oregano-garlic vinaigrette stands ready to ramp up the appeal of that bready bunch.

 

A sobering choice of Virgin Mojito or Ice Lemon Tea helps to wet the Grab & Bite whistle while you weigh up the temptations available. Headline billing goes to the Wagyu Beef Burger — a no-contest choice for serious meat lovers who won’t have any beef with the hearty serving.

Switched up with melted vintage Cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, fresh rucola (rocket leaves) and sliced tomatoes, the delectable wagyu patty in pillowy sesame seed-flecked charcoal bun proves on-point. Unabashedly big, savoury flavours tinged with mildly sweet-peppery nuances burst through on each bite of the burger. By the time you make short work of the steak fries on the side, I guarantee you’d be grinning from ear to ear with gluttonous self-satisfaction.

Delicious alternatives from the Grab & Bite menu include Steak Sandwich with fresh rucola, mustard, parmesan and tomato confit; Crab Sandwich with Japanese momotaro tomatoes, fresh lettuce, truffle aioli and steak fries; or Polenta Fries with Truffle Butter with chicken financier and sour beetroot pesto.

Ambitious souls with loftier dining goals may do well to set their sights and palate on the Elite Gourmand Lunch. Get to grips with the 3-course appetiser, pasta and dessert deal or be a risk taker and roll with all 4 courses.

Depending on personal preferences, we reckon the ace appetiser is a tussle between Crab Salad and Burrata Cheese with Momotaro Tomatoes and Asparagus Salad. Prepped with fresh papaya and lemon mayonnaise, the former boasts lightly creamy sweet-tangy accents melding with winsome, whisper-light textures. Fresh, clean vegetal-fruity flavour and textural dimensions define the latter; paying homage to the ‘less is more’ maxim.

 

Pasta still has pride of place among lunchers here with four choices proffered, keto-diet be damned. The sublime Angel Hair Aglio Olio with Crabmeat is worth waxing lyrical over; the natural crabmeat sweetness is discernible when you bite into the endearing tangles. 

 

More downhome with countryside charm, the bankable Pappardelle with Mushroom and Capsicum Salsa underscore the timeless appeal of Italian food done right. Those broad pasta ribbons simply opens up to embrace the mushroom and capsicum’s lush, sweet earthiness.

 

 

The failsafe but no less delicious Chicken Leg Confit with sautéed mushroom and chicken jus, and Lemon Sole Milanese with sautéed vegetables and lemon rosemary sauce stand up to tasting scrunity too.

Sealing the gastronomic lunch deal is dessert of the day. It may range from the house signature of wobbly but divine Panna Cotta to an arty creation of Meringue with Yoghurt Gelato, Balsamic Reduction and Strawberries. Luscious, ephemeral textures and bright, pleasurable nuances that slip and slide across discerning palates — a nice curtain-call to galvanise the mind, body and spirit for the rest of the day.

For reservations, call Marble 8 on 56 Restaurant, tel: 03 2386 6030. Address: Level 56, Petronas Tower 3, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre.