DELICIOUS WEIL OF A TIME (part 1)

 

Pomelo is a fruit that's associated with Perak especially in the town of Tambun. It's only befitting that the first dish to welcome us to Ipoh's WEIL Hotel is this palate-pleasing pomelo salad from TIFFIN All Day Dining Restaurant. Bursts of fruity sweetness mingled with umami savouriness and punchy sharpness of sliced shallots and spring onion in this Thai-inspired pomelo salad adorned with plump blanched prawns. 

Served at WEIL's stylishly designed Tiffin, diners will discover there's more to the outlet's substantial buffet. The a la carte boasts some hidden gems that should satisfy discerning foodies, ranging from a Balinese slanted satay lilit to its excellent Penang prawn noodles.

The secret lies in the capable hands of Tiffin's chef de cuisine Lee Choon Boon (pix below) and his team. Following several successful international hotel stints, this affable Ipoh guy aims to conquer his own home turf. His dishes have been great testaments thus far...you have to taste them to believe it.

 

The uber-delicious prawn mee stock comes in fiery red-masala hue; its full-bodied, savoury depth culled from a mixture of dried shrimp, prawn shells and heads that teases your palate with prawny sweetness amidst riffs of warm zingy chilli heat. Teamed with sizeable sea prawns, hard-boiled egg, kangkung (water convulvus), beansprouts and sliced fish cake (Tiffin is pork-free), the noodles can rival the best in Penang.

Weekdays see a mostly business and corporate crowd partaking Tiffin's Asian buffet (RM35++ per person) while weekend tunch (tea & lunch RM47++) lets you feast from 12 noon to 4 pm. From our experience, the buffet has ample choices that should leave you spoiled for choice with several notable offerings worth returning for.

Welcome drinks for guests are served at the cosy Tea Lounge one level up. A serene haven filled with cushy armchairs, comfy settees, modern pendant lights and linear streamlined touches, you can while away an afternoon here over tea and cakes or unwind over Happy Hours with your fave tipples and bar snacks.

We took our own sweet time to savour the refreshing lemongrass mocktail; a simple but meaningful welcome gesture that typifies the cordial charm of Ipoh. Soaking in the quiet atmosphere, this little nook is ideal for reading, business discussions or chilling out post-work.

Aesthetically pleasing interior decor inside the Tea Lounge

Personally I like the muted shades of gray, stone, wood and dusky blue of its soft furnishings - all neutral tones that aren't too feminine or masculine. Teamed with wood and some metal trimmings, it's contemporary decor with subtle retro slants should withstand the passage of time well without being dated too quickly.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...Highlights on The Deck Gastrobar and Yuk Sou Hin coming up. 

For reservations and more information, call tel: +6 05 - 2082 228. WEIL HOTEL IPOH is located at 292, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

UN-BEATO-BLE AGED STEAKS

Isn't this a magnificent piece of steak? Mind you, this scrumptious Porterhouse cut has been aged for about 25 days so its natural meaty flavour was even more intense. For the uninitiated, the fuss over aged steaks boils down to this sign displayed outside The Beato Steakhouse.

Danny Choi, who is Korean and has lived many years in the US - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/food/article/the-juice-on-beef-at-the-beato/#sthash.bC6GT6Dn.dpuf

Danny Choi - the man behind Beato tells us that the word means 'blessed', 'blissful' or 'happy' in Italian. Ardent beef and steak lovers who step into Choi's steakhouse in Publika are blessed indeed for his restaurant is just the place to appreciate and savour glorious cuts of aged steaks.

The specially built temperature-controlled dry-aging compartment with slabs of Himalayan salt are piled in one corner is given pride of place in front of Beato. From the glass window, you can easily view hunks of beef that are undergoing the dry-aging process. Dry-aged beef tends to have greater concentration of the meaty flavour and better tenderness as the dry-aging process causes natural enzymes in the beef break down connective muscle tissues whilst intensifying its inherent flavour.

Awash in warm, mellow lighting, Beato's mod industrial chic interior (think red bricks, raw concrete floor and wood trimmed bar) is fuss-free yet cosily welcoming.

Although aged steaks rule here, the menu proffers some non-beef options too. Warm up your appetite with warm bread rolls - deliciously comforting when spread with butter and the house olive tapenade.

However, the limelight belongs to Beato's sublime Bruschetta (RM15) - a defyingly simple and thickly cut slice of crusty white country bread piled high with juicy cherry tomatoes and cream cheese. Dribbled with balsamic vinegar and honey, the burst of bright colours and soul-lifting accents literally knocked our socks off.

Aged for 25 days, our medium rare serving of 775g Porterhouse (RM38/100g) was adorned with grilled caramelised garlic and a lemon wedge. While the seared outer crust yielded a well-rounded gaminess with hints of flinty minerals to it, we found different marbling of the strip steak and fillet flanking each side of the T-bone allowed us to relish the variation of each cut's chewy succulence. Adding dollops of Dijon and wholegrain mustard or horseradish simply enlivened the taste and flavour dimensions.

The 344g Ribeye (RM39/100g) boasted more noticeably buttery-tender texture with mellower beefy nuance. Best enjoyed medium rare, the steak was speckled with coarse sea salt to enhance its deep, full-bodied flavour.

Balance your meaty quota with assorted side dishes of grilled asparagus (RM14), corn (RM8), zucchini (RM9), sauteed mushroom (RM15), sweet potato fries (RM14) or mashed potato (RM14).

Our faves were the mushrooms, sweet potato fries and creamy potato mash; all left indelible impressions on our palate as their textures and delicate taste profiles acted as counterpoints to the stellar steaks.

Those who eschew beef can still eat well at Beato. We'd recommend the notable Half A Roast Chicken (RM39) with grilled mixed vegetables. The moist poultry came fully suffused with the sweet pungency of its garlic marinade.

Another viable option is Lamb Rack (RM59); cooked to blush pink at the core, the whole rack is lightly encrusted with crushed walnuts, breadcrumbs, honey and wholegrain mustard. Naturally, we picked the bones clean on this speciality.

In case you have companions who prefer fish, try Baked Salmon with Smoked Salmon Salad. The smoked salmon salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette served as the base for the substantial salmon fillet which slightly flaky on the outside. The centre remained spot-on pink.

Sweet options are kept simple with Dried Fruits (RM19) emerging as the conversation-stopper. The basic ensemble of dehydrated slices of kiwifruit, pineapple and banana complemented by fresh blueberries, strawberries and lemon curd surprised us with bursts of concentrated fruity sweetness.

Chocolate fanatics would adore the decadently luscious Chocolate Lava (RM11) and Chocolate Mousse (RM18). Dense and slightly bitter on the palate, the mousse should melt the hearts and tastebuds of die-hard chocoholics.

Don't let the little portion of chocolate lava mislead you. Served with fresh berries and cream on the side, the molten choc centre was most befitting for leaving you in a blissful state of mind.

For reservations, call BEATO Publlika, tel: 03-6206-2405. Address: D2-G3-9 Solaris Dutamas, Bangsar tel: 03-2202-2405. Address: 24-1 Jalan Telawi 3 Bangsar Baru, KL. Biz hours: 5pm to 12am; weekend 12pm to 12am

RE-WEIL-LING STAY-CATION IN IPOH

Age-old limestone hills, charming pre-war shophouses and laidback, friendly people...Ipoh easily charms visitors' socks off. It's less frenetic to Penang as far as domestic tourism goes (granted, some weekends can be swamped by out-of-townies) but its newer, artsy cafe scene and makan haunts are increasingly catching the imagination of local foodies.

Billing itself as an urban retreat, the months-old WEIL Hotel has brought understated contemporary luxury to this quaint city. Towering tall and proud next to the sprawling Ipoh Parade Shopping Mall, this 313-room property welcomes visitors with the endearing warmth of Ipoh folks and all the modern creature comforts you'd expect of a well-run hotel.

perpetuating the simple, endearing hospitality of Ipoh's local community - See more at: http://weilhotel.com/about-weil-hotel#sthash.MYfplM7x.dpuf

The hotel's unusual name - WEIL Hotel is a reversal of the owner's surname Liew, whose family owns the famous Pagoda brand groundnuts. Our recent staycation was an eye-opening experience. We love WEIL Hotel's grey and red brick facade at first sight. Check-in was smoothly efficient - the reception and concierge teams personable and made us felt truly welcomed.

Warm toasty-hued marble augmented with wood trims and sleek tactile touches evoke a subtly plush yet homely feel in the main lobby area. Muted green, blue and grey upholstered armchairs, ottomans and two-seater lounge chairs coupled with low coffee tables and chic standing lamps provide eye-pleasing aesthetics and practical comfort in designated corners.

 

Our assigned room was spacious and of course, superbly comfortable. The ID is pared-down with simple, clean lines and prevalent neutral tones of wood, sand, white and grey. Needless to say I slept like a baby that night - the pristine white linen-covered Serta Royal Elite bed and fluffy micro-fibre pillows offered just the right amount of support so I woke up free from aches and pains the next day.

Wi-Fi access is important for both business and leisure travellers now so we were pleased to find in-room connectivity is part and parcel of WEIL Hotel. Our stay was sweetened by thoughtful little courtesies such as the freebies accorded in the mini bar. Most hotels would provide two bottles of water and coffee/tea-making facilities on the house but WEIL went further with complimentary canned soft drinks and packets of Pagoda mixed nuts.

I took an instant liking to the spacious and well-lit bathroom. Fluffy towels and fragrant toiletries complete the deluxe finishing of the dark marble-topped vanity area whilst the en-suite glazed white tile and glasswalk-in rain shower cubicle even has a standalone bath tub in it.

My other half gave thumbs up to the extra long workspace area that let us placed our laptops and office-related paraphernalia. Our only quibble was the chair which isn't conducive for moving around on a carpeted surface nor was it ergonomically designed for much-needed back support.

For great panoramic views of Ipoh and its surrounds, head up to the Rooftop Infinity Pool. The removable canopied patio is furnished with weather-proof outdoor mock cane-weave chaise lounges and pool deck chairs for guests' R&R after their pool-dipping session. Flanked on all sides by banks of potted greenery, the azure blue pool looks out to the city of Ipoh and the majestic hills beyond it.

After feasting your eyes on the bird's eye views, make your way to any of the four F&B outlets: Tiffin - an all-day dining restaurant, Tea Lounge, Yuk Sou Hin Chinese restaurant and The Deck gastropub to fuel up. (separate review to follow)

 

We certainly won't mind returning to WEIL Hotel the next time we hit Ipoh, be it for business or pleasure. Our pleasant encounters and interactions with the hotel team have been a re-WEIL-ling and rewarding experience we'd remember fondly for months to come.

Currently, WEIL Hotel has a Free & Easy Package available. For reservations and more information, call tel: +6 05 - 2082 228. WEIL HOTEL IPOH is located at 292, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

Weil Hotel, Ipoh
292, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah,
3000 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Rooms Reservations
General Line
Tel: +605 - 2082 228
Fax: +605 - 2082 229
- See more at: http://weilhotel.com/contact#sthash.y2EoyguE.dpuf