SIMPLY D-ELIGHTFUL

 

Fresh. Fun. Fast. That's the best way to describe Simply D - a new spin-off concept by Malaysia’s home grown F&B brand Delicious after 10 successful years. Spearheaded by CEO Steve Allen, Simply D is a simpler but contemporary version of Delicious where fresh, fun and tasty pastas, sandwiches and cakes are served in double quick time at affordable prices.

The outlet at Nu Sentral is bright and breezy; awash in shades of welcoming orange and cool blue. Now who wouldn't warm up to a happy colour that induces the appetite? Blue which stands for health and tranquillity is also the link to Delicious. Both hues are juxtaposed against a wood and dark chocolate background to evoke a cosier café ambiance.

On the menu is a wide variety of pastas, salads, sandwiches, desserts, homemade ice-creams and organic Arabica coffees; distilled from what Delicious is famed for yet conceived to suit current market trends and modern customer needs. Whether it's breakfast, lunch, tea or dinner, you'd find something to please the tummy.

"We keep everything at an affordable price point so that more customers can patronise Simply D," says Steve Allen. "Diners decide how they want their dishes prepared and what ingredients should be added. It's interactive and fun that sees customers ending up with some deliciously interesting results."

Chilli Chicken Pastamee (RM13) using linguine, Salted Egg Pumpkin with fusili (RM12), Beef Short Ribs Herbal Soup with soba (RM12.50), Vietnamese Salmon Pho (RM15) with flat white noodles and the Simply d Laksa with spaghettini (RM12) - See more at: http://pureglutton.com/simply-d#sthash.v3k3aZQt.dpuf

Chilli Chicken Pastamee (RM13) using linguine, Salted Egg Pumpkin with fusili (RM12), Beef Short Ribs Herbal Soup with soba (RM12.50), Vietnamese Salmon Pho (RM15) with flat white noodles and the Simply d Laksa with spaghettini (RM12) - See more at: http://pureglutton.com/simply-d#sthash.v3k3aZQt.dpuf

For our visit, our group of four had a field day mixing and matching different noodles and pastas with the various toppings available. We ended up with Chilli Chicken Pastamee (we opted to have Linguine, each bowl at RM13), Salted Egg Pumpkin Fusili (RM12), Soba with Beef Short Ribs Herbal Soup (RM12.50), Vietnamese Salmon Pho (RM15) and the Simply D Spaghettini Laksa (RM12).

 Doesn't our choice of Chilli Chicken Linguine look simply sedap? It's like 'koh loh pan meen' - dry-tossed noodles with zingy hot sambal, minced chicken, crispy fried anchovies and a whole egg. Once everything is stirred together, you'd get an unctuous ensemble that's rich, hearty and punchy.

 My other fave is the fusili which came with sliced black mushroom, pumpkin dices and crumbled salted egg with a scattering of curry leaves. Again the combination is familiar yet pleasingly new thanks to the dish's unexpected twists.

Chinese meets Japanese and a bit of Western in our bowl of soba with beef-kut-teh. We were taken aback by how yummy the beef short ribs and soba tasted; both thoroughly suffused with the deep-seated nuances of the herbal broth.

Depending on personal preferences, both the salmon pho (top pix) and spaghettini laksa (bottom pix) are equally decent. Naturally, the first features a more delicately spiced broth that's appetizingly aromatic while the laksa has more robust and zestier accents. If you want to sample the different variants, go with some friends and you'd have a fine time tangling with them.

Having a Chinese herbal tea egg in a Caesar Salad may sound weird but much to our surprise the combo (RM11) worked like a charm. Too bad the Som Tam Salad was a limp affair - the texture and flavour profiles weren't robust or tantalising enough to pique interest but hopefully, these niggling hiccups would have been sorted out by now.

If you have a finicky teen in tow who likes everything slapped with pesto, the yummy Mushrooms, Tomatoes & Pesto Sandwich (RM12.50) would be right down her/his lane. Healthy and nutritious, the sandwich disappeared without much ado.

Otherwise they may like chomping on the scrumptious Chicken Avocado & Pine Nuts Tortilla Wrap (RM12). Filled with shredded lettuce, lean chicken breast and sliced avo, we felt healthier just sampling this.

Heartier appetites may prefer the delectable Beef Burger (RM13) - a nifty crowd-pleasing offering that has juicy beef patty layered with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and caramalised onions in brioche bread. Definitely way better than those fast-food versions by leaps and bounds.

We were tickled by the retro-inspired toast with pandan and coconut ice cream; the melding of hot and cold was so amazingly good that one can easily down two servings at one go. Other sweet treats to try include an airy-light coconut pandan cake, a meringue-embellished coconut tart and a wickedly tempting chocolate brownie.

You must wash the meal down with a cup of its organic coffee. I had the smooth mocha that still lingered in my mind until now.

Simply D – NU SENTRAL, Lot G9, No. 201, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Kuala Lumpur. Opening hours: Daily 8am – 10pm. Details: www.facebook.com/simplyd.my 

        

SAMPLINGS OF MIGF 2014 ON FOURTEENTH

 

A little cupcake adorned with my photo on it! That sweet welcome really took the cake when I joined Abel Nelson Nang and his A-team at Samplings on Fourteenth for an exclusive preview of the restaurant's Malaysia International Gourmet Festival 2014 (MIGF2014) menu.

  This Berjaya Hotels & Resorts (BHR) team don't do things in half measures and the whole restaurant passage leading into the main dining area was covered with floor to ceiling multi-coloured fabric, forming a narrow passage way that opens out into a small cocktail area. We were feted to cocktails and mocktails with dainty canapes and nibbles prior to dinner.

A festive red&black theme was the key element of the long L-shaped dining tables; yards of black satin with gold runner offset against huge arrangements of long-stemmed red roses and towering glass jars of chillies and condiments. To complete the setting, we found a personalised menu card, a jar of candy and a mini press kit placed on each of our designated seat.

Amuse bouche was a piece of tender cod with some sweet-salty soyabean tapenade atop a slice of soft, succulent and juicy tomato which made an amazing mouthful when Paired with New Zealand's Sixty Drops Sauvignon Blanc; rated one of NZ top 50 wines.

The subsequent trio of appetisers won us over with its imaginative yet delicate accents. Lightly creamy with the inherent shellfish nuance discernibly noticeable, the rock lobster gazpacho was refreshing yet has enough richness to leave us satisfied. Equally delicate was the layered lobster terrine with fennel and asparagus, redolent with herbaceous and sweet overtones. Completing the trinity was a salad of Asian pear and sliced lobster dotted with fennel and basil puree.

  Rustic chickpea puree primped up with a whole fried quail egg and dots of saffron oil seduced our palate with its warmth and nourishing goodness. It was especially comforting for me since I was nursing a stuffy nose that night.

The soup was followed by sliced smoked duck breast, topped with foamy vanilla emulsion and fricassee of mushroom. I loved everything about the dish; from the chewy and toothsome textures of both the duck and mushroom as well as the enticingly smoky, sweet and earthy nuances of the ingredients. Paired with a young Chianti red, the dainty serving really packed in some truly distinct flavours.
Service was evenly synchronised throughout the eve, from the placement and removal of the tableware to the topping up of our water and wine goblets.

Man of the hour...Abel Nelson Nang in full heartwarming mode

Steamed salmon Napoleon made for sumptuous mouthfuls, paired with some squid ink pasta (the texture went a tad soft since I took so long to snap pics of the dish). A dollop of salsa verde with grapefruit added bursts of juicy fruitiness to the ensemble whilst the saffron-scented broth provided just the right amount of moistness. The optional main of Wagyu beef cheek sounded way more interesting as my dining companion across the table couldn't stop gushing over the coffee sauce that complemented his beef.

Dessert was pretty as a picture with classic Valrhona chocolate brownie topped with hazelnut mousse accompanied by refreshingly tangy-sweet passionfruit ice cream. Complemented by fresh berries, the luscious dulcet smooth chocolate block was well-matched by the rich, nutty mousse. It was bordering on decadence but the guilt-trip was lessened by the dainty serving.

 

 Full MIGF 2014 Festival Menu

(Available until 31 October 2014)

RM398++ per person with wine

RM198++ per person without wine

 Light Festival Menu

RM158++ per person without wine

For reservations, call Samplings on the Fourteenth, tel: 03-2117 8131. Address: 14th Floor Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur