Monday, July 25, 2005
CHERRY-O!
Many Malaysians balk at the mere mention of cherries because they mistook the flaming red maraschino or glaced cherries for the real thing.
I can assure you fresh cherries taste nothing like the ones preserved in the bitter-sweet liqueur. Instead, they are plump, juicy and delightfully sweet - one of the best summer fruits that we are now lucky enough to savour with the advent of modern-day logistics.
My girlfriend who reps for the Washington State Agricultural Marketing Board, often clues me in on when the cherry season arrives and this year, she even asked if I'd like to buy a box of fresh cherries for my own enjoyment. Despite the rather steep price, I was not to be deterred and agreed immediately to order a box.
These diamond of fruits are worth every single sen I paid for them. Of course, I was unable to gorge a 9kg box of cherries in a sitting so I played fairy godmother and distributed the lovely fruits around to family and friends.
My only regret was not taking a shot or two of these superb fruits whilst I had them - my girlfriend and I shared a box of Bing and a box of Rainier between us so we had the best of both cherries so to speak! Nevertheless, they were truly out of this world...even my other half who usually refuses to eat fruits, polished off more than his fair share of cherries! My kid loves them too...
The Bing cherries with their shiny, mahogany skin and lightly tart sweetness were just too good for words. They turned out to be more sturdy despite my not-so-careful handling so they lasted a wee bit longer than the delicate Rainier cherries. Of the two, the latter was sweeter with a delicate crunch. But they bruise easily and ripen incredibly quickly so we really had to raced against time to finish the whole lot!
Sweet cherries were first discovered in Asia Minor (present day Turkey). Dispersed throughout prehistoric Europe, cherries were brought to America by ship in 1629 and modern sweet cherry growing began in the Northwest of the United States of America when Henderson Lewelling transported nursery stock from Iowa to Western Oregon.
Did you know that the ‘Bing’ variety was named after one of Lewelling's Chinese workmen? It was on this farm that the cherry tree was first developed from seeds in 1875.
It takes a new tree nearly 10 years to reach maturity. The crop volume and quality are susceptible to many factors – fluctuating temperatures are a constant threat. New buds form on the tree following harvest and remain dormant for the next season. Frost is hazardous to these delicate buds and if the temperature drops to ‘bud-kill threshold’, cherry growers have to use wind machines, orchard heaters and overhead sprinklers to ‘warm’ bud temperatures.
Each spring, thousands of bees are specially brought in by the cherry growers to their orchards to ensure the cherry blossoms are pollinated or else the blooms will not turn into fruits. It generally takes about 65 days to grow the Northwest Cherries to full maturity.
At harvesting stage, rain can be a real nightmare as temperature, wind speed, amount and duration of rainfall can cause the cherries to absorb too much water and burst! To minimize damage, the cherry growers will rely on wind machines to dry the cherry trees. Some orchard owners even go to the extent of hiring helicopters to hover at specific heights to blow the rain water off the fruits!
The cherries are allowed to ripen completely on the trees before they are handpicked at the peak of their freshness and flavour. Harvesting usually occurs between mid-June and mid-August.
Since the fruits are highly perishable, the cherries are manually collected in shallow bins to minimize bruising and kept covered to prevent the stems from drying. The cherries are then ‘hydrocooled’ – a practice that douses the cherries with ice-cold water when they arrive at the packing house and as they move through packing lines. Industry-developed tools for measuring cherry firmness and sugar content help ensure quality before the cherries are packed in sturdy cardboard boxes with polyliners to maintain a high humidity level and a low level of oxygen surrounding the fruit.
The golden-skinned ‘Rainier’ cherries with pinkish-red blush which come from the crossing of two dark sweet varieties, the ‘Bing’ and the ‘Van’, are especially fragile, requiring ten times the labour per acre to harvest compared to dark cherries.
Unlike the dark sweet cherries that need only harvesting once, the ‘Rainier’ cherry tree may be harvested as many as eight times as the delicate cherries do not ripen uniformly. They also require specially designed, foam-lined picking containers to hold the fruits to reduce impact and handling, thus maintaining their fine texture, clear-coloured flesh and delicate, sweet flavour.
A good source of fibre, Vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium and potassium, cherries are low in calories and fat. They are also sodium- and cholesterol-free and relatively high in anthocyanins, a family of antioxidants that have the ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Although nothing beats the wonderful taste of fresh cherries, these delightful fruits are remarkably versatile and can be used for a wide variety of desserts.
Some of the cherry desserts that we have sampled at the Sheraton Imperial KL included cherry blackforest cake, cherry trifle, cherry butter cake, cherry cheesecake, cherry crumble, cherry mousse, cherry rice pudding, cherry roulade, walnut cherry cake, cherry tartlets, cherry clafoutis, cherry crêpes and cherry cheese strudel amongst others.
The cherry blackforest cake is top notch – the dark, rich chocolate cake is the perfect foil for the Bing cherries. Quite similar to this is the cherry roulade, miniature chocolate Swiss rolls of cream and cherry halves.
We also liked the cherry strudel with its layers of light, airy puff pastry filled with creamy ricotta cheese, mildly sweet custard and cherry halves.
Don’t make the mistake of eating the cherry butter cake on its own. It can be rather dry and unimpressive of its own. Add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream to it and you'd be amazed how fabulous it can taste! Ever had a cherry brûlée before? If not, you must try this luscious dessert that has fresh, plump cherries and ricotta cheese in it. Another outstanding creation is the walnut cherry cake that combined the fabulous Rainier cherries with the distinctive flavour of chopped walnuts.
Besides these desserts, you can enjoy fresh cherries with ice-cream and yoghurt, or blend them with milk and cream to make cherry ice-cream, or use them in your favourite salads. There is really no limit to what you can do with these splendid fruits. If you like more information on cherries or tips and recipes, visit www.nwcherries.com. Cherry-o everyone!
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
GOOD THAI-DINGS
Not all Thai restaurants are created equal. Not where Montien - the newest Thai restaurant that has just opened recently at One Bangsar is concerned.
Owners, Sita Jayadeva and Vivian Chan are not kidding when their outlet boasts of a 'Truly Thai' tagline. With a treasure trove of Thai recipes inherited from Sita's mother, the two best pals since school days are determined that Montien will continue the legacy where the now defunct Café d’Chiangmai, a Thai restaurant owned by Sita's mother in Penang for the past 28 years left off.
Now a trained chef in her own right, Sita Jayadeva acquired her passion for food and cooking skills from her mother. Together with Chan, they conceived everything for Montien from scratch with stunning results.
Firstly, its interior furnishings are significantly different from other Thai restaurants with nary a wooden sculpture nor carving in sight. Befitting its Thai name of heavenly palace, Montien is modern and chic with predominantly dark wood and frosted glass accents in stark, clean lines. Walls are done up in warm hues whilst Thai silk throw cushions add soft bursts of colours throughout.
The outlet has been garnering rave reviews since its opening. Already many customers are fast becoming their regulars who return to dine with family and friends twice or thrice weekly, and helping to spread the word.
So what is so different about its food? Since most of the recipes are culled from Sita’s personal collection, diners can expect some delicious surprises. Having dined there on two occasions, I dare say Montien’s specialties left a most favourable impression.
The fish skin ‘kerabu’ or salad known as Yam Narng Pla Krob (RM20++) is a tantalizing starter with pieces of deep-fried red snapper skin tossed in a refreshingly tart and mildly salty salad of sliced tomatoes, red chilli, onion and coriander.
Moving on to its signature dishes, you must try its mouth-watering ‘Nahm Prik’ concoctions - tasty Thai relishes eaten with fresh vegetables.
The Nahm Prik Long Rea (RM14++) is a thick dipping concoction made with minced chicken, dried prawns and salted egg. Served with a platter of raw long beans, sliced cucumber and cabbage, fried brinjal, steamed okra and crisp-fried flaked catfish, the flavourful dip proved to be so irresistible that even my dining partner who usually shun veggies, ate this healthy platter without any complaint!
I can hardly wait to return and savour the others – Nahm Prik Kapi (spicy shrimp paste relish), Nahm Prik Pla Tu (mortar-pounded frigate mackerel relish), Nahm Prik Ma Krea Yau (brinjal and egg relish) and Nahm Prik Kung Kaew Khai Tom (glass prawns and boiled egg relish).
Special mention also must be made of the Montien Platter (RM20++) that entices you with a great combination of Thai ‘money bags’ (a daintier version of Chinese wontons), prawn cakes, stuffed beancurd with minced prawns and chicken, steamed sago balls filled with minced chicken served with fresh chilli and lettuce.
Another ‘must try’ is Khanom Jeen or Thai Laksa. Rice noodles are accompanied by fresh vegetables such as beansprouts, long beans, shredded cabbage and cucumber, salted vegetables and a lime wedge in a rich fish (RM18++) or prawn (RM22++) curry. It was a splendid combination of flavours and textures, with the smooth rice noodles acting as the perfect foil for the aromatic and creamy curry with the raw, crunchy vegetables tempering the gravy’s richness. Personally I found this scrumptious Thai laksa as good, if not better than the one that I had tasted in Bangkok last year.
If you are partial to curries, the Chu Chi Kung (RM30++), prawns cooked in a special Thai curry paste and Massaman – Thai Muslim curry (RM25++) will certainly whet your appetite.
The large, fresh prawns came split in halves, generously covered with thick, fiery red gravy. Redolent with exotic Thai spices and shredded kaffir lime leaves, the sublime prawn curry tasted out of this world. Not overly spicy but enough to leave your tastebuds tingling.
Just when we thought nothing could outshine this rich, indulgent delicacy, along came the Massaman lamb curry (RM25++). This delicious Southern Thai Muslim curry originated as far back as the 16th century. It is hard not to be enthralled with this superb dish of tender cubes of lamb and potatoes prepared with fragrant Thai spices, sliced onions and crisp-fried sliced shallots. We found that the Thai cardamoms in the gravy – they look like chickpeas but are smaller in size – imbued the curry with a delicate citrusy-peppery aroma and taste.
Set lunch priced at RM25++ per person is now available to cater to the office crowd who wish to enjoy a quick, sumptuous lunch. The menu changes weekly and will comprise two starters, rice with a curry, dessert and a cup of jasmine tea. The first lunch menu, for example, will incorporate Hor Mok (a smooth mixture of fish, curry paste and coconut milk steamed in banana leaf cups), Thai mango salad with minced salted egg and dried shrimps, green chicken curry with white rice and caramelized tapioca with coconut cream.
“It also serves as a good introduction to our specialties for those who have yet to try us,” said Vivian.
Dessert runs the gamut of the usual Tham Thim Grob (waterchestnuts and sliced jackfruit in fragrant coconut milk RM7++) to the less commonly found Ma Muang Nahm Pla Wan (crunchy green mango sliced and served with special Nahm Pla Wan dip RM10++). We sampled the Man Chiem (RM7++), a delightful Thai dessert of steamed tapioca topped with coconut cream and sesame seeds, and Khao Niaw Thurian (RM12++).
The former came up to expectations – we also had this on our previous visit and it was just as good. Now if you are die-hard lover of the King of Fruits, then the latter is an absolute ‘must have’. The glutinous rice was warm and had a lovely chewy texture. Generously topped with sinfully sweet and creamy durian purée and smooth coconut cream, it was just heavenly! Our only worry is this dessert can be a little inconsistent as it hinges very much on the quality of durians used. Having had this on our last visit, it was a little disappointing as the durian purée turned out to be a little chalky and stringy. Nevertheless, don’t let it deter you from ordering this wicked sweet – I am sure the outlet will strive to keep up its high standards to ensure this turns out right. And with the durian season in full swing, there’s no better time to sample this dessert.
The outlet has a seating capacity for 50 downstairs and 80 for upstairs including the al-fresco patio.
If your jaded palate needs spicing up, Montien is just the place to have a truly Thai dining experience.
MONTIEN (pork-free)
ONE BANGSAR
63E Jalan Ara
Bangsar
55900 Kuala Lumpur
Tel 22833116
Fax 22833226
Business hours 12 noon – 3 pm (last order 2.30 pm); 6.30 pm – 10.30 pm (last order 10 pm)
Owners, Sita Jayadeva and Vivian Chan are not kidding when their outlet boasts of a 'Truly Thai' tagline. With a treasure trove of Thai recipes inherited from Sita's mother, the two best pals since school days are determined that Montien will continue the legacy where the now defunct Café d’Chiangmai, a Thai restaurant owned by Sita's mother in Penang for the past 28 years left off.
Now a trained chef in her own right, Sita Jayadeva acquired her passion for food and cooking skills from her mother. Together with Chan, they conceived everything for Montien from scratch with stunning results.
Firstly, its interior furnishings are significantly different from other Thai restaurants with nary a wooden sculpture nor carving in sight. Befitting its Thai name of heavenly palace, Montien is modern and chic with predominantly dark wood and frosted glass accents in stark, clean lines. Walls are done up in warm hues whilst Thai silk throw cushions add soft bursts of colours throughout.
The outlet has been garnering rave reviews since its opening. Already many customers are fast becoming their regulars who return to dine with family and friends twice or thrice weekly, and helping to spread the word.
So what is so different about its food? Since most of the recipes are culled from Sita’s personal collection, diners can expect some delicious surprises. Having dined there on two occasions, I dare say Montien’s specialties left a most favourable impression.
The fish skin ‘kerabu’ or salad known as Yam Narng Pla Krob (RM20++) is a tantalizing starter with pieces of deep-fried red snapper skin tossed in a refreshingly tart and mildly salty salad of sliced tomatoes, red chilli, onion and coriander.
Moving on to its signature dishes, you must try its mouth-watering ‘Nahm Prik’ concoctions - tasty Thai relishes eaten with fresh vegetables.
The Nahm Prik Long Rea (RM14++) is a thick dipping concoction made with minced chicken, dried prawns and salted egg. Served with a platter of raw long beans, sliced cucumber and cabbage, fried brinjal, steamed okra and crisp-fried flaked catfish, the flavourful dip proved to be so irresistible that even my dining partner who usually shun veggies, ate this healthy platter without any complaint!
I can hardly wait to return and savour the others – Nahm Prik Kapi (spicy shrimp paste relish), Nahm Prik Pla Tu (mortar-pounded frigate mackerel relish), Nahm Prik Ma Krea Yau (brinjal and egg relish) and Nahm Prik Kung Kaew Khai Tom (glass prawns and boiled egg relish).
Special mention also must be made of the Montien Platter (RM20++) that entices you with a great combination of Thai ‘money bags’ (a daintier version of Chinese wontons), prawn cakes, stuffed beancurd with minced prawns and chicken, steamed sago balls filled with minced chicken served with fresh chilli and lettuce.
Another ‘must try’ is Khanom Jeen or Thai Laksa. Rice noodles are accompanied by fresh vegetables such as beansprouts, long beans, shredded cabbage and cucumber, salted vegetables and a lime wedge in a rich fish (RM18++) or prawn (RM22++) curry. It was a splendid combination of flavours and textures, with the smooth rice noodles acting as the perfect foil for the aromatic and creamy curry with the raw, crunchy vegetables tempering the gravy’s richness. Personally I found this scrumptious Thai laksa as good, if not better than the one that I had tasted in Bangkok last year.
If you are partial to curries, the Chu Chi Kung (RM30++), prawns cooked in a special Thai curry paste and Massaman – Thai Muslim curry (RM25++) will certainly whet your appetite.
The large, fresh prawns came split in halves, generously covered with thick, fiery red gravy. Redolent with exotic Thai spices and shredded kaffir lime leaves, the sublime prawn curry tasted out of this world. Not overly spicy but enough to leave your tastebuds tingling.
Just when we thought nothing could outshine this rich, indulgent delicacy, along came the Massaman lamb curry (RM25++). This delicious Southern Thai Muslim curry originated as far back as the 16th century. It is hard not to be enthralled with this superb dish of tender cubes of lamb and potatoes prepared with fragrant Thai spices, sliced onions and crisp-fried sliced shallots. We found that the Thai cardamoms in the gravy – they look like chickpeas but are smaller in size – imbued the curry with a delicate citrusy-peppery aroma and taste.
Set lunch priced at RM25++ per person is now available to cater to the office crowd who wish to enjoy a quick, sumptuous lunch. The menu changes weekly and will comprise two starters, rice with a curry, dessert and a cup of jasmine tea. The first lunch menu, for example, will incorporate Hor Mok (a smooth mixture of fish, curry paste and coconut milk steamed in banana leaf cups), Thai mango salad with minced salted egg and dried shrimps, green chicken curry with white rice and caramelized tapioca with coconut cream.
“It also serves as a good introduction to our specialties for those who have yet to try us,” said Vivian.
Dessert runs the gamut of the usual Tham Thim Grob (waterchestnuts and sliced jackfruit in fragrant coconut milk RM7++) to the less commonly found Ma Muang Nahm Pla Wan (crunchy green mango sliced and served with special Nahm Pla Wan dip RM10++). We sampled the Man Chiem (RM7++), a delightful Thai dessert of steamed tapioca topped with coconut cream and sesame seeds, and Khao Niaw Thurian (RM12++).
The former came up to expectations – we also had this on our previous visit and it was just as good. Now if you are die-hard lover of the King of Fruits, then the latter is an absolute ‘must have’. The glutinous rice was warm and had a lovely chewy texture. Generously topped with sinfully sweet and creamy durian purée and smooth coconut cream, it was just heavenly! Our only worry is this dessert can be a little inconsistent as it hinges very much on the quality of durians used. Having had this on our last visit, it was a little disappointing as the durian purée turned out to be a little chalky and stringy. Nevertheless, don’t let it deter you from ordering this wicked sweet – I am sure the outlet will strive to keep up its high standards to ensure this turns out right. And with the durian season in full swing, there’s no better time to sample this dessert.
The outlet has a seating capacity for 50 downstairs and 80 for upstairs including the al-fresco patio.
If your jaded palate needs spicing up, Montien is just the place to have a truly Thai dining experience.
MONTIEN (pork-free)
ONE BANGSAR
63E Jalan Ara
Bangsar
55900 Kuala Lumpur
Tel 22833116
Fax 22833226
Business hours 12 noon – 3 pm (last order 2.30 pm); 6.30 pm – 10.30 pm (last order 10 pm)
Friday, June 17, 2005
NO BALLS PLEASE!
Melaka is under sieged - this time by hordes of tourists! It's amazing how bus and car loads of them swarmed this tiny state famed for its rich historical past and super-hyped up Peranakan and Portuguese food.
Despite numerous visits to Melaka in the past, we have never had the chance to sample its famous chicken rice balls - a novelty and really major draw for any visitors to this part of the world. I kid you not!
So we were determined on that very weekend that we would get our hands on some, by hook or by crook. Maybe it was the unbearable scorching afternoon heat, the endless stream of holiday makers or maybe it was just plain complacency...I knew we were suckered into the hype of these so-called famed chicken rice balls the minute we sat down and were very much welcomed with some really bad attitude from the lady server.
While the foursome ahead of us were kind enough to vacate their table for us (we had our cranky seven year old girl in tow) rather speedily, one of the workers who helped to clear the table gave us a taste of the ugly Malaysian inhospitality.
Her unsmiling face and surly manner were quite enough to curdle your blood - obviously she reckoned we were undeserving of some simple, basic courtesy despite being paying customers. When we placed our order for half a chicken and four portions of rice balls, she haughtily told us off that she was most certain it would be insufficient for us three adults and a kid, and rudely warned us that should we even dream of asking for additional orders of the chicken and rice balls, then we had better be prepared to wait!
I was shocked and irked by her rudeness but I stood my ground and told her firmly that we were satisfied with our decision, thank you very much.
As it turned out, the meal was really nothing much to shout about. We just could not figured out what was all the fuss about ... ok the free-range chicken tasted so-so. It was not spectacular - the meat was lean and tasted all right with soya sauce and fragrant sesame oil but that was about it.
The novelty of seeing the chicken rice done up in smooth ping-pong balls (only these were slightly larger) soon wore off and we were not induced to eat more of it. Seriously, it was quite tasteless and greasy which made the experience of eating this specialty a non-event. Children being children, my kid ate up most of her portion thanks to the fact that they were rice balls and not the usual heap of steaming rice one would get else where.
I had to lace mine with lots of chilli sauce - at least the condiment was above average - it was a perky concoction of vinegar, ground chillies, garlic and shallot.
Let's just say the next time we return to Melaka, we won't be hankering for chicken rice balls that's for sure. Ah, but happily our visit did end on a happy note. After feasting on the superb local durians at this small, makeshift stall along the old road leading to Alor Gajah, the King of Fruits presented us with a completely different experience altogether...looks like we will consider returning to this little state after all.
Despite numerous visits to Melaka in the past, we have never had the chance to sample its famous chicken rice balls - a novelty and really major draw for any visitors to this part of the world. I kid you not!
So we were determined on that very weekend that we would get our hands on some, by hook or by crook. Maybe it was the unbearable scorching afternoon heat, the endless stream of holiday makers or maybe it was just plain complacency...I knew we were suckered into the hype of these so-called famed chicken rice balls the minute we sat down and were very much welcomed with some really bad attitude from the lady server.
While the foursome ahead of us were kind enough to vacate their table for us (we had our cranky seven year old girl in tow) rather speedily, one of the workers who helped to clear the table gave us a taste of the ugly Malaysian inhospitality.
Her unsmiling face and surly manner were quite enough to curdle your blood - obviously she reckoned we were undeserving of some simple, basic courtesy despite being paying customers. When we placed our order for half a chicken and four portions of rice balls, she haughtily told us off that she was most certain it would be insufficient for us three adults and a kid, and rudely warned us that should we even dream of asking for additional orders of the chicken and rice balls, then we had better be prepared to wait!
I was shocked and irked by her rudeness but I stood my ground and told her firmly that we were satisfied with our decision, thank you very much.
As it turned out, the meal was really nothing much to shout about. We just could not figured out what was all the fuss about ... ok the free-range chicken tasted so-so. It was not spectacular - the meat was lean and tasted all right with soya sauce and fragrant sesame oil but that was about it.
The novelty of seeing the chicken rice done up in smooth ping-pong balls (only these were slightly larger) soon wore off and we were not induced to eat more of it. Seriously, it was quite tasteless and greasy which made the experience of eating this specialty a non-event. Children being children, my kid ate up most of her portion thanks to the fact that they were rice balls and not the usual heap of steaming rice one would get else where.
I had to lace mine with lots of chilli sauce - at least the condiment was above average - it was a perky concoction of vinegar, ground chillies, garlic and shallot.
Let's just say the next time we return to Melaka, we won't be hankering for chicken rice balls that's for sure. Ah, but happily our visit did end on a happy note. After feasting on the superb local durians at this small, makeshift stall along the old road leading to Alor Gajah, the King of Fruits presented us with a completely different experience altogether...looks like we will consider returning to this little state after all.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
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