Sunday, February 03, 2019

TOSS UP PROSPERITY & SAVOUR ROMANCE AT NOBU KL


The king of shellfish rules at Nobu this Chinese New Year. Priced at RM288++, the HARHARHAR Prosperity Platter for two will leave you laughing with delight. A whole shelled lobster to symbolise happiness is complemented by batonettes of jicama, red and white dragonfruit, beets, carrot, tsuma (shredded radish), thin slices of Asian pear, green apple and rose apple, crispy strips of wanton skin, seaweed salad, pine nuts and sesame seeds.
What sets this salad apart is the distinctive mixture of wafu dressing (this itself is a concoction of mirin, soy sauce, rice vinegar and vegetable oil), honey and sour plum sauce that manages to raise the whole ensemble a toss above the ordinary.

Executive Chef Philip Leong and his team also offer a Salmon & White Fish Prosperity Platter (RM188++) using similar salad ingredients. The results is no less pleasing as the salmon and white fish proffer succulent texture that are quite different.
Getting into the Chinese New Year spirit, the Nobu team thoughtfully conjures up Steamed Plaiced with Iwashi Dashi, Goji Berries & Black Moss (RM158++) since fish is considered a symbol of abundance and surplus among the Chinese.
It is on-point dish that ticks all the right boxes for me. The main ingredient — plaice imported from Iceland takes centrestage; its natural sweetness shines through unhampered atop the pool of umami-rich iwashi dashi (Japanese sardine stock). All the attendant black seamoss, goji berries and edamame included are to lend hints of colour, nuance and texture.
Sweet prosperity comes with a touch of whimsy at Nobu in the form of its God of Wealth dessert (RM48++). The rotund white chocolate mousse figurine with pineapple yuzu curd, pineapple filling and cheese sable cookies tastes surprisingly light and refreshing on the palate despite its deceptively decadent appearance.
Gather family and friends to celebrate with these auspicious dishes at Nobu from until 25 February 2019.

When it comes to romancing the day of love, Executive Chef Philip Leong and his team are guided by Nobu’s Japanese-Peruvian culinary philsophy in creating the indulgent 7-course Valentine Omakase menu priced at RM500++ per person.
Available from 13 to 17 February, love birds can dive in with Cured Salmon with Caviar, Beetroot Gel & Nuts before segueing into Assorted Nobu Style Sushi. Then set your pulse racing with an exquisite dish of Seared Botan Ebi with Glazed Vegetable, Wasabi Salsa & Ponzu Sauce.

After sampling the seductive Fresh Water Prawn with Butterfly Pea Flower Dressing, Coral Crumble & Prawn Oil, we daresay it would be hard to resist its siren’s call. Again, the focus lies in allowing the key ingredient to shine — the inherent sweetness of the prawn meat, its flavourful oil and coral.
Another winsome main set to steal hearts is Grilled Wagyu Beef & Bottarga with Corn Cream, Dry Miso Popcorn & Roasted Romanesco. An artful composition, it’s a colourful palette of interesting textures and nuanced flavours that may prove too distracting to passionate foodies but then again, there’s no love sincerer than the love of food...


The evergreen maxim of ‘less is more’ resonates soundly in the speciality of Truffle Rice with Spinach Chazuke. Personally, I’d like to equate it to a simplified Japanese distillation of lap mei farn or rice cooked with waxed sausages and pork. A comforting dish packed with all the hearty, rich and soul-satisfying accents nobody ever tire of eating.
A litle tart with just a touch decadence, the Strawberry Pavlova with Vanilla Cream & Strawberry Jelly is slightly naughty without overdoing it in the dessert department. Piped into a lovely rose bloom, it gives the Valentine’s menu the pretty panache for the occasion.

Better hurry and nab a table now before it’s too late. Call Nobu KL for reservations, tel: 03-2164 5084 or Whatsapp: 019 389 5085.

Saturday, February 02, 2019

DORSETT HARTAMAS OPENS IN KUALA LUMPUR


The Rooftop Sky Pool on Level 27 set a breathtaking stage for the opening of Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur one balmy evening. Plied with cocktails and mocktails concocted by a mixologist from Dorsett Shepherds Bush, London plus delicious Thai canapes from Chakri Palace Sky View, invitees had to skirt around the poolside cautiously lest they get too distracted by the panoramic view of the city spread out before them.
At dusk, few can resist snapping some Instaworthy shots of the darkening skies amidst strands of pearly lights strewn throughout suburbia; from the endless highways to key landmarks such as Istana Negara and in the distance, the KL Tower and the Petronas Twin Towers.

Stepping into the four-star Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur, we had an opportunity to view some of the 290 guestrooms and suites that evening. As expected, the rooms veer close to five-star standards in terms of plushness and its soft furnishings.
Some easily recognisable ID elements like the birds and Oriental motifs synonynmous with the Dorsett Hospitality International brand are omnipresent.
Later, invited guests joined  Datin Jasmine Abdullah, Vice Chairman of Dorsett Hospitality International and Peggy Tan (above left in maroon dress), General Manager of Dorsett Hartamas KL for the traditional tossing of the Chinese New Year salad, Yee Sang at Table Talk — Dorsett Hartamas’ 158 seat all-day dining cafe cum lounge.

Besides the customary festive speciality by Chef Bryan Teh from The Emperor Chinese Restaurant at Dorsett Grand Subang, the culinary team at Dorsett Hartamas KL also prepared an international spread of tempting morsels.

The dainty servings were creatively presented and showcased, to demonstrate the chefs’ inventiveness and current food trends with a multitude of different culinary influences. 
 
For more information and reservations, call Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03-6209 8888 or email: info.hartamas@dorsetthotels.com or  visit: www.dorsetthotels.com/malaysia/hartamas ADDRESS: D-G-08, Plaza Damas 3, No 63, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Taman Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

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