BEATS & BRUNCH A HIT AT LAFITE

It is said music is food for the soul…perhaps that’s the inspiration behind Lafite’s newly launched Beats and Brunch promotion on every first Sunday of the month at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.

Live DJ music and free flow of champagne, wine and cocktails add to the merriment of in­dulging in a fine brunch prepared by Executive Chef Olivier Pistre. As we were among the privileged few to experience Beats & Brunch recently, we went away impressed with the lavish, all-you-can-eat affair.

Who wouldn’t be when chilled glasses of Veuve Clicquot welcome you upon entry into the marbled confines of Lafite? Gasps of delight and astonishment were heard as we gaped at the centrepiece: a glass column bearing a bountiful pile of freshly shucked Cadoret oys­ters and lemon wedges on ice, flanked by little bottles of Tabasco.

Brunch started off sumptuously with an amuse bouche of buckwheat seasoned cream and scrambled eggs flecked with smoked salmon, accompanied by oven-fresh breads (so good but we had to restrain ourselves from stuffing ourselves with them!). A reverential hush soon descended as everyone savoured the lush offering.

A cachet of sig­na­ture en­trees fit for a king left us awed. We soon made short work of our half of the Cana­dian lobster thermidor. Gratinated with a light creamy-cheesy stuffing, the natural sweetness of the slightly underdone lobster was so sublime. 

The decadence brunch also saw us feasting on a slab of baked apple stuffed with foie gras accompanied by a slice of chocolate-streaked brioche. I daresay even Marie Antoinette would kill for such wicked temptations: a spoonful of oscietra caviar, appetising cold cherry tomato wedges with buffalo mozzarella, chilled tomato gazpacho and green pea veloute.

While waiting for our main courses to arrive, we had our fill of ocean-fresh, succulent oysters. The bubbly also continued to flow uninterrupted – most of us soon lost count on how much we imbibed!

 

 

In keeping with the Beats & Brunch theme, we found the main courses listed on an upcycled vinyl record; a surprising and quirky touch. My choice of Seared Hokkaido Scallops with Artichoke Veloute and Cooked A La Barigoule (stewed in olive oil) was a classical French preparation, allowing the fresh, plump scallops to take centrestage.

 

However, the day's show-stopper in my book was the Grilled Octopus with Corn Cream, Japanese Black Garlic Puree and Provencal Sauce Vierge (French sauce of olive oil, lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, onion and garlic). Tender and faintly smoky, the chunk of octopus formed a delicious affinity with the various saucy components.

My dining companion's Slow­-cooked Lamb Shoul­der with Red Onion, Parmesan Gnocchi, Promegranate Gel and Lamb Jus was passable. It was unexpectedly eclipsed by the sumptuous Smoked Cohiba Grilled Wagyu Beef with Cauliflower Puree, Lemon Gel, Oyster & Seaweed Emusion.

Smoked a la minute, Chef Olivier Pistre's beefy creation stood out like a gem at first bite. Once I tried a mouthful of that, the remaining mains: Eggs Parfait Cooked at 63°C with Asparagus Ragout and Veloute Parmesan, and Seared Cabbilaud (Cod) simply paled by comparison.

 

Chocolate Surprise was a befitting dessert choice to bring the curtains down on our classy affair. The chocolate sphere looked plain and simple at first until hot chocolate sauce was poured onto it. As the chocolate melted, we discovered the ball also contained vanilla ice cream, fresh black­ber­ries and syphoned chocolate on a bed of Sable Breton (French shortbread) crumble.

Updated classic  dessert of French Rum Baba - sponge cake soaked in rum, syrup and orange, topped with Chan­tilly cream was a sight to behold and mildly boozy to taste. Decorated with tufts of pis­ta­chio sponge, fresh rasp­ber­ries and rasp­berry gel, it was a nice treat to enjoy prior to coffee.

There was also assorted eclairs with different fillings you can help yourself to before dessert arrived. We just couldn't manage to fit in more and decided to save our tummy space for the plated dessert.

Beats and Brunch at Lafite is priced at RM499 nett per person and will be taking place every first Sunday of the month, from 12noon to 3pm. A free flow of Veuve Clic­quot Cham­pagne, Ter­razas Reserva Chardon­nay, Ter­razas Reserva Mal­bec and Belvedere Spritz cock­tails is included. The next Beats & Brunch sessions will be on 1 October, 5 November and 3 December 2017.

 

For reservations, call LAFITE, tel: 03-2074 3900. Address: Lobby Level, Shangri-La Ho­tel Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sul­tan Is­mail, Kuala Lumpur.

SKY HIGH TEA AT NOBU

It seems like only yesterday when I took Mom, sis and bestie to Nobu for afternoon tea. Perhaps it’s time for a revisit since Nobu has just refreshed and updated its Sky High Tea menu. Especially now, with new Pastry Chef Jackie Teo sweetening the experience with his delicate and inventive creations.

The young chef’s pastry prowess shines through in the Premium Menu (RM138 per person). Some of the irresistible treats we sampled were playful whilst others artfully blended French-Japanese influences. 

 

Teo’s youthful flair was evident from the offering of Caramel Mousse with Miso & Butterscotch Glaze. We loved the mini dramatic touch of having hot sakura sauce (sakura tea, milk and cream) poured over the chocolate disc with an edible dab of gold on top to reveal the contents inside the cup.

His attention to detail also emerged in the tiny sugared white flowers perched atop the flawlessly smooth domes of Chocolate Miso with Chocolate Sponge. Our palate welcomed the dessert’s lush savoury-sweet flavour combination.

Crisp and soft textures tangoed on our tastebuds when we bit into the Yuzu Mango Mille Feuille, sandwiched with mango cream and tiny dollops of cinnamon curd. For the Matcha Cake with Adzuki Bean Paste & Crispy Tuile, the chef paired it with honey as sauce for the mini green tea cakes, to lend moistness. Apart from the dainty portions, we enjoyed the muted sweetness of each dessert thus ensuring no undesirable cloying aftertaste.

Nobu KL is also known for its range of mixology tipples. Nothing adds further refreshment to sultry afternoons than the well shaken and stirred house Mocktails (RM28 each). Recommended choices include Lychee Passion (pineapple juice combined with passionfruit & lychee), Calamansi Shisho (calamansi lime juice jazzed up with shiso and ginger ale) and Yuzu Pina Cooler (pineapple and yuzu juice infused with ginger and ginger ale).

A somewhat off-beat drink is Strawberry Matcha (RM26) – an interesting, tri-coloured concoction of soya milk layered with freshly blended strawberries and green tea. It sounded kinda whacky but surprisingly, the cold drink proved more than agreeable.

On the savoury front, a joyful riot of vibrant accents and differing textures tickled our tastebuds. While a classic temptation of Smoked Salmon with Sour Cream Roll hardly rocked the culinary showboat, newer nibbles of Snow Crab with Ricotta Aioli and Lobster Tacos with Tomato Salsa managed to up the ante for the touted premium afternoon tea experience. These left us craving for more so I reckon that was a good thing.

I also wanted more of those wickedly delish Toro Tartar on Pumpkin Biscuits. Diminutive in size but chockful of bright, voluptuous nuances and nice textural contrasts, they were delightfully sumptuous. Although I’m not big on fried softshell crab, I was charmed by the on-point Softshell Crab with Watermelon Ponzu as it hit all the right flavour and texture notes. Such tastiness was complemented by delectably hearty Wagyu Gyoza dumplings.

Need more dishes to supplement the tea morsels? Then peruse the menu for samplings of Nobu KL’s house specialities such as Padrón Pepper with Shimeiji (RM28). Known as shishito pepper in Japan, the mild green pepper came slightly scorched and blistered, teamed with earthy shimeiji mushrooms and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds – a sublime appetiser to tease the discerning tastebuds.

A fun way to wrap up your Sky High Tea outing should include a serving of Coffee Jelly (RM20), a light, splendid coffee jelly and cream treat. Just the presentation alone should pique your Instagram interest, trust me.

Nobu KL’s Signature High Tea is priced at RM93 per person while the Premium Menu is priced at RM138 per person, inclusive of complimentary green tea.

For reservations, call Nobu KL, tel: 03-2164 5084.