IWFS Nyonya Cuisine with Chef Debbie Teoh - fantastic!

Spring Roll canapes - excellent with the Cava!

March 21st 2018 - Many of the IWFS members are great fans of Nyonya style cuisine. But there is always a problem with trying to organise Nyonya dinners in that those restaurants that specialise in this style are generally small in size and not really able to take the numbers that the IWFS requires for an event. Same with glassware - one should not serve fine wine in a small goblet style glass, and the IWFS has now taken to hiring glasses for events where there may be a question mark over the glasses. Though bringing glasses does not solve the problem of trying to quickly organise and train the staff in storing and pouring what wines and when - attempts to do so have proven perennially unsuccessful. And both chef and kitchen generally cannot do 40 plus covers at the same time and get them hot to the tables. None of this is intended as criticism - just an observation of the way that these things generally pan out. Small places cannot cater to large numbers of people with above average expectations such as harboured by the IWFS. 

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Selamat Datang!

So when Nyonya Chef Debbie Teoh got introduced to the IWFS by Doc Wine and Doc Words almost five years to the day and cooked up a storm, it was like many prayers had been answered - authentic Nyonya cuisine prepared and served in a classic restaurant setting (The Park Royal Grill) with well tasty wines in good glassware. Click here to read my report on that one>>

Where's that extra glass of Cava you promised, eh?

The IWFS did a second gig with Chef Debbie at the Grand Seasons Hotel about three years back (which I could not attend) at which there were some apparent service shortcomings. So it was with a little trepidation that a third round with Chef Debbie at the Grand Seasons was organised for the March event. Would it be a repeat? Not a lot of confidence was being shown except by President David who assured that the staff were a lot better now than previous - seems he does lunch there quite often with the Rotary. 

Yeah, where is it? We decked out special for it, we did... 

The notice informing all members of the event began with President wishing all of the members "Gong Xi Fatt Choy" and with a hope that the new Year of the Dog would be healthy, harmonious and prosperous for everyone, and not have the members barking up wrong trees or at each other. The notice then advised that the IWFS KL would once again invite Celebrity Chef Debbie Teoh to take over the Grand Seasons Hotel kitchen to prepare her traditional Nyonya cuisine delights for the delectation of the Rakyat, with wines being selected to pair by the Wine Doctor Stephen Hall. It also noted that Debbie previously did for the IWFS KL at the Park Royal in March 2013 and at the Grand Seasons itself in March 2015. Must be something about March that brings out the Nyonya itch. Suggested dress code was smart casual, though anyone getting dressed in traditional Baba Nyonya or classic Chinese/Malay styles was promised an extra glass of the Cava being served. 

Dr Su Kim making mischief!!

This would also be one of our Doc Wine's last matchings. He was recently been appointed Dean at the University to which he is attached, with the result that he had to reluctantly resign his position on Committee given his increased responsibilities. Fair enough - something has to give when the pile on the desk gets higher. Though I don't think it will impede him drinking and writing about his wine too much.  He is a professional. 

THE CHEF

Celebrity Chef Debbie Teoh is a Peranakan celebrity chef with almost two decades of experience in the food industry. Chef Debbie's background is a blend of both the Northern and the Southern Peranakan - her Nyonya mother from Penang and her Baba father from Malacca.

Chef Debbie is the author of numerous cookbooks including: ‘Debbie Teoh’s Favourite Recipes’, ‘Under Wraps’ and 'Asian Tidbits' (Marshall Cavendish),  ‘Penang Food Guide & Cookbook’ and ‘Nyonya Flavours’ (Star Publications) and 'Authentic Nyonya Taste' and '100 Canned Recipes' (Nanyang Press). 

Ju Hu Jar with Chicken, Mushroom
and Sambal

Highly regarded as a genuine exponent of this unique cuisine, Chef Debbie is a Nyonya Food Consultant for Tourism Malaysia, a restaurant consultant, and a regular contributor to various Food Magazines. She has represented the Peranakan Heritage at the Slow Food Conference & Terra Madre Show in Turin, Italy, and was recently onstage with Celebrity Chefs Nicholas Tse (Hong Kong) and Chef David Rocco (Canada) at the media launch of "Celebrity Chef Wars East vs West" premiering in March 2018.

Chef Debbie also develops and tests recipes for companies, conducts cooking classes, and cooks for private functions such as ours. Chef is clearly a very busy lady! And massively talented in the kitchen. And (without wishing in any way to come across as chauvinistic) hugely cute to boot. Contact is 

https://www.facebook.com/Debbie-Teohs-World-Of-Nyonya-748221371905077/

THE CUISINE

Famed for its distinctiveness and multiculturalism, Nyonya cuisine is marked by its use of fresh ingredients, labour-intensive preparation, communalism in preparation and emphasis on genteelness and perfection. In the past, recipes were never written down, but were passed on in the kitchen. Nyonyas were trained by their mothers to excel in culinary skills if they wanted to become good homemakers. Today, the real quality still thrives in the domestic kitchen. 

Otak-Otak with bread - ho chiak hor...

The cuisine of the Peranakan community is a true fusion cuisine, marrying Chinese, South-East Asian and European elements.  The heritage goes back 700 years when Chinese traders travelled and sojourned in Malacca where they married the local women and lived a localised way of life. 

Itek Tim soup - Brandy was added. Yes.

Nyonya cuisine is delicious and unique, with an incredible repertoire of seafood and meat dishes, salads, sambals, curries, appetisers, soups, sweets, broths, and desserts. Many of the ingredients used such as ginger flower, lemon grass, kaffir lime, pandan, galangal, bird’s eye chilly and wild pepper leaves are grown in the garden. It is at once spicy, sour, sweet, zesty and piquant, and often requiring huge amounts of time to prepare and create.  

Fish curry, prawn salad and the Ayam Keluak Buah - awesomely good!!

The promise of an extra glass for members turning out in Baba Nyonya dress was clearly attractive - pretty much everyone of the fifty one attendees were decked out in Batik or starched shirt, and Kebaya, and all with outstretched hands demanding their fizz. We heard a huge amount of noise as we entered - the conversation was flowing as fast as the Cava and everyone seemed clearly in the mood for a fun night. 

Penang jelly with Calamansi - superb!!

Which it would indeed turn out to be. The horror stories of the previous time here quickly evaporated as glasses kept getting refilled and everyone complimenting each other's costumes and frocks. Service of both food and wine through the night would prove efficient and friendly and generous, with all wines being served in their sequence and in glasses that IWFS had hired for the night. The food was indeed cheek pique-ingly exquisite and filling, though one criticism was that some of the Otak-Otak was a bit underdone. Mine was fine. Star for me was the Ayam Buah Keluak. This is curried chicken in sauce with the added taste of the black nut (actually a seed) Buah Keluak, which is indigenous to South-East Asia and can also be found across the Pacific Islands. The preparation first requires a hole to be dug into the nut to extract the black oily paste content. This is then seasoned and spooned back into the nut before joining the chicken in the curry. The taste is one of smoke, earth and musk though pretty much beyond description but is one that will stay with you - I still recall the first taste in the Park Royal six years previously. Some label it the truffle of the East. And with good reason - it can be hugely addictive. I quickly scarfed those on the plate and souvenired those left over by friends and neighbours. You don't get it often because it is so labour intensive in its preparation. Couple this with Chef Debbie's deft touch in the spice department and one becomes a total hog. Mixed with a dab of white rice - phwooooarghhhhhhh... finestkind. 

Our table of pilgrims

And the dessert managed to break through the usual nonchalance with which I normally greet them. The Calamansi juice and jelly were a huge revelation - the combo of sour lime and gunge and crushed ice was a taste of Ambrosia and Honeydew. Like a citrus palate cleanser but with a wonderfully sweet cheek tickle and throat rasp. Absolute brahma. Om. 

The Four Horsemen of Bacchus

The wines managed to go hugely well with the food, and all credit to excellent choices made by The Wine Doc. The starter Cava was an old friend and still tasting like fireworks; the Tralcetto was better than I remember; this showing saw a decent mouth of apricot with a hit of oil and low acidity to give a nice chewy texture yet still tame the mild spice burn on the sambal belachan and Ju Hu (juju?) Char. The Wine Doc is an advocate for letting some white wines age and had been raving about the aged Semillon we would be having for the few weeks prior to the dinner.  This one was lovely - mellow, sweetish, but still potent in fruit and powerful in finish. very silky and a brilliant partner to Chef Debbie's Otak-Otak.

The Ladies in their best Baju - ho leng!

And the Kanonkop to finish with the mains was a darling - full lush fruit, cassis and dark forest berries, vim and fire and toast in the mouth and velvet on the finish. Total gangbusters with the smoke and earth of the Buah. This was sadly the last in the cellar. One pilgrim asked the Wine Doc where to get some - Wine Doc wished him luck. 

President David, Chef Debbie and the Grand Seasons staff take a bow

But the real star of the night was Dr Lee Su Kim, author of the highly acclaimed "Manek Mischiefs" short story collection on Nyonya life, who started the fun with a "performance reading" of one of her stories. It was the perfect way to set the tone for the evening, and our own Doc Words turned in an excellent performance of the three wives in the story. Couple of microphone issues but cordless handhelds can do that to anyone. Serious multiple personalities here from the Doc, and cute quick costume changes as well. Bravo! 

In all, a hugely fun evening where everything pleasantly surprised on the upside - service, food, ambience - and the Manek Mischief tale was delightful. Would happily return to a Chef Debbie event here on this showing. There is a deftness of touch to Chef Debbie's preparations that raise it far higher than many Nyonya outlets I have visited - they all seek to whack the sambal on everything to the point of overload which I find...  too much heat. The Cuisine of this night was light fire and light spice that tickled and tantalised rather than beat you round the head with a sambal stick. Seems also that the Indian Cuisine of the Grand Seasons is pretty good - Lenglui and I have resolved to try it some time. With a bottle of something light, spicy and white. Naturally. Cheers!

THE MENU

A sweet finish - Nyonya Kuih

Mula Suka Hati (amuse bouche!)

Nyonya Canapes

Appetiser

Ju hu char with chicken fillet, dried cuttlefish, Chinese mushroom 

served with sambal belachan on the side

Soup

Itek Tim with salted preserved vege, Chinese mushroom and brandy 

Entree

Otak-otak with kurau fish, prawn and squid

Served with baguette

Mains

Perut ikan 

Kerabu sayur paku 

Ayam buah keluak

Served with steamed white rice

Dessert

Penang 'or gio' jelly with kalamansi zest and kalamansi syrup

The wines

THE WINES

Vallformosa Cava Classic Brut N.V 

Made from the traditional Cava grape varieties of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada by a family-owned winery. The winery was established in 1865 at Vilobí del Penedès, southwest of Barcelona in the heart of the Cava D.O. appellation. While yeasty and citric on the nose, this Cava delivers long white-stone fruit notes. A great aperitif.

Tralcetto Il Bianco Di Ciccio, Cantin Zaccagni  2014     

This northern Italian blend of 80 percent Trebbiano and 20 percent Chardonnay has a pleasant intriguing bouquet which leads into an harmonious citric style. From a family owned enterprise which has expanded rapidly over the last two decades.

Pertaringa Bonfire Block Sémillon  2010 

Lemony sémillon may be well known as a noble grape, the basis of great sweet wines, but when less opulent it can be made as an Australian dry wine with great aging potential. The very experienced Geoff Hardy crafts this excellent McLaren Vale vintage. When tasting in 2017, James Halliday rated it as a 91 pointer, noting that an addition of some French oak makes for added weight in this wine which is in its mature drinking window. The wine will be out of its close-down 3-6 years sullenness and offer us a rare chance to enjoy mature sémillon cellared by the Society. 

Kanonkop Paul Sauer, Stellenbosch 2007

A Bordeaux blend as the South Africans would say, and in 2007 the blend was 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot. The late owner Paul Sauer and his successors set fine Bordeaux as the benchmark, while Platters Wine Guide (the guide for Springbok wines) rates this vintage as 4.5 out of 5. Given the age of this vintage, we may need to give it some breathing space in the glass if we can be patient. Complex and brooding wine which is ready to enjoy now. Gold Medal Winner, International Wine and Spirit Competition, Stephen Tanzer 92 points, Wine Enthusiast 91 points.

Thank you to Dr Stephen J Hall for the wine notes. Most of the Photos are by kind courtesy of David Teh from the IWFSKL Facebook page. And some photos are from me.

Debbie Teoh's Super Duper Nyonya Cuisine!!

‘Super Nyonya Cuisine’ - IWFS March 2013

We sometimes don't recognise how blessed we are foodwise here in Malaysia. Pretty much all the cuisines of the world can be found here and the standard is pretty much okay. Maybe not as fine as that found in Hong Kong and increasingly in Singapore, but we do all right. 

We also sometimes forget and often take for granted the various styles of cooking that are native to this country we call our adopted home. The Chinese styles, the Indian styles and the Malay styles all have their unique tastes and textures that delight and amuse.  And with a llittle imagination and a sense of adventure, wines can be paired with pretty much all of it. 

Dr Stephen Hall with Mr and Mrs George Lee

But whilst the Malaysian government looks to promote unity in this still relatively young nation, such melding of the ethnic origins has yet to manifest itself in the cuisine. It remains difficult to say with conviction that there is one singular Malaysian style of cooking, as one might say of Japan or Italian for example. In this era of OneMalaysia, the lines between the cooking styles remain pretty well drawn. 

Though when the lines do blur and cross over and the cuisines are allowed to blend they can throw up some very tasty and delightful results.

One wonderful example of this is the Nyonya style of cooking. The story goes that when the men from China came to Malacca to trade over seven hundred years ago, they didn't bring any ladies with them from the homeland. So they did what trading men do and settled down to set up house with the local ladies. Thus was born the Baba Nyonya (also known as Peranakan) community which, over the years, has developed its  own distinctive language, attire, architecture, jewellery, crockery, celebrations and cuisine.

This cuisine of the Peranakan community is a true fusion cuisine, marrying Chinese, South-East Asian and European elements. Nyonya food is delicious and unique, with an incredible repertoire of seafood and meat dishes, salads, sambals, curries, appetisers, soups, sweets, broths, cakes, custards and desserts. The ingredients need to be fresh and many of them, such as ginger flower, lemon grass, kaffir lime, pandan, galangal, bird’s eye chilli and wild pepper leaves are grown in the garden.

Dato' Jeremy Diamond with Dato' and Datin Weiler

In the past, the recipes would be passed from mother to daughter in the kitchen, where the nyonyas were trained by their mothers to excel in culinary skills and become good homemakers. Indeed, the word Nyonya was a term of affectionate respect for the society ladies of the day. Today, the use of fresh ingredients, labour-intensive preparation, communalism in preparation and emphasis on gentleelness and perfection that are the hallmarks of Peranakan cuisine are disappearing, though occasional pockets of excellence can still be found. The Peranakan culture and traditions are being swallowed up in this world where instant and speedy gratificaiton is the expected norm. Delicate trade offs of texture and zesty piquancy get swept aside in favour of a fast bowl of noodles from the local hawker. Still tasty, just not… memorable.

So it was that following on from our very well received Korean adventure at the Onsemiro in February, the IWFS Kuala Lumpur decided to come back home to feast on some authentic, tasty Nyonya dishes for the March event. Veteran member Dr Stephen Hall had been extolling the virtues of his native New Zealand wines and their ability to pair wonderfully with the cooking of his wife of Peranakan descent Dr Lee Su Kim and had wanted to stage a dinner for members for some time. To aid in this, they had managed to secure the services of renowned chef, author and Nyonya food consultant Debbie Teoh to prepare her authentic dishes in true Nyonya fashion. 

Dr Su Kim, Sharon and Datin Kalsom

It was billed as an evening of "Super Nyonya Cuisine" and those who had been to the tasting found the food and wines very super indeed. Chef Debbie had been allowed to hijack the kitchen at the Park Royal Hotel Chatz Brasserie and had served up some adorable dishes. For some reason, only thirty nine members and friends signed up for the event and most came sportingly dressed in traditional Baba Nyonya styles as had been requested by IWFS Committee in the notice. Our friend the Doc had decided to decline on this occasion. His argument was that true Nyonya food needed at least a hint of the porcine, as is the style served and prepared in Penang. Well, and maybe though there didn't seem to have been anything lacking at the tasting. But then one should never trust a white man to recommend food to a chinaman foodie. Some say never trust a white man period, but let's not go there, eh?

For the actual event, the hotel shifted us to the Si Chuan Dou Hua Chinese restaurant. Not entirely sure why, but it made for more convivial table seating on traditional Oriental style round tables. Very stylish ambiance of opulent golds, browns and reds, with easy lighting and lovely touches of ornamentation. The gold cutlery was a nice touch - like getting transported back to a banquet at a palace in the Chinese Middle Kingdom though with modern touches and a decent kitchen. And airconditioning.

The welcoming Daniel Le Brun No 8 was a most welcome glass of fizz and showed off the winemaker’s Champagne origins. A traditional method sparkling wine which had spent time on lees, the notes spoke of a "full mouth feel and a good example of chardonnay and Kiwi Pinot bubbles with bready notes and a full finish." A little lighter than fizz served at previous dinners and with a tendency to sweetness and lemon in the mouth, but very friendly nonetheless and a good ice breaker that got people talking. Clearly a lot of work and thought had gone into the selection of the dishes and the wines by Dr Stephen and Dr Su which was much appreciated by all and acknowledged by President Rajan. Following a minute silence to mark the recent passing of long term member Dr Albert Lim that preceded some background on Peranakan cuisine and Kiwi wines by Dr Stephen and Dr Su Kim to introduce the evening, we were off. 

Pie Tee and Ju Hu Char

First out were the Pie Tee with Crabmeat and the Classic "Ju Hu Char". Presented on a longish white plate, this was a combo of two nyonya delicacies. The Pie Tee is a crispy wafer shell that looks like an upside down top hat and filled with stir fried yam bean, crabmeat and shrimps. Dab a little chili on top and you're done. There's a lovely fusion as you bite through the wafer into the chunky cream of the yam and through the crabmeat that delights the tongue and when the not so fiery chili sets the tastebuds tingling you know that you're in for a good evening. 

The Ju Hu Char is a typical nyonya dish that is made out of shredded cabbage, carrot and turnip topped with with a dash of sambal and sweet chili and eaten wrapped in lettuce leaf. It is a light, crispy and refreshing appetiser, and with the vegetables textures and fresh crispy feel in the mouth, one feels automatically healthy and good about the food choices we have so far made for the night. The secret ingredient is the shredded cuttlefish (the jiu hu see) which gives its distinctive flavour of textured salty creamy yum.

The partly barrel fermented and crisply enjoyable Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2011 came across as somewhat understated and restrained: clean and lean though complex enough to interest with fresh light citrus on the palate and finishing long and firm. Grown in the Wairau Valley Marlborough by former Cloudy Bay winemaker, Kevin Judd, the notes spoke of "a rounded and layered wine with rich grapefruit flavours with oak hints and leading to a finely textured dry finish."  The relatively low acidity compared to most SB meant that the Greywacke made it a wonderful partner with the crabmeat. The hint of low fire sambal belacan and the textures of the Pie Tee shell on the Yam Bean meshed excellenty with the wine, giving a sense of light and peace in the tastebud soul. Excellent match. 

Hiew Piew Fish Maw Soup

The Ohau Gravels Pinot Gris 2011 was quite a stunner. Billed as an increasingly fashionable varietal from the new Kapiti Coast region north of Wellington, the notes spoke of "backbone and some minerality to the full mouth feel of stone fruit and ripe pears. For me, it came across as spicily aromatic with hints of smoky pear and peach, layered and textured and with all the hallmarks of a siren of a wine. Far too easy to drink for anyone's good, it went down like honeyed syrup without the gooey sticky cloying in the mouth sweetness. Like the bottle in Alice's Wonderland, this wine kept saying "Drink Me" and we did. Very copiously. 

Pairing with the Hiew Piew of fish maw and dumplings made sense. The slightly salty and light chicken broth tempered the spice enough to let the fruit tantalise even more whilst the prawn balls lent an interesting fish meaty chew to give the wine something to mix with. Fish maw is more a texture thing, with little in the way of taste but the texture is something between soft sponge and elastic band rubber. The full body of the Pinot Gris compensated for a somewhat thin feel of the soup though the vegetables remained perfect crunch. I seem to remember the soup at the tasting having slightly more body. The coriander gave a nice zip and stalky bite. 

The Otak Otak

Next up was the entree Otak Otak. Traditionally a blend of fish, coconut milk, chili paste, galangal and herbs wrapped in a banana leaf, Debbie's offering came in a bowl filled with chunky seafood and to be eaten with a hunk of toasted bread. Served with a mango kerabu and mint leaf, this was indeed a hearty filling bowl of chunky seafood in a rich almost solid sauce. On its own, the stew was tending toward liquid mush, with the whipped blend of egg, spice and coconut congealing nicely around the prawn and other ex-marine life whilst leaving a watery soup in its wake. Pairing with white bread toast was genius, giving much needed carbo and foundation to this gunky delicious mix. 

Pairing the otak otak with the Pinot Gris was equal genius. The sugar in the wine all but vanished leaving perfume and spice and pear whilst the gunk took out the syrup to leave a honey sleek finishing coat around the tongue and throat. A top drop that drank a treat. 

The slightly sour calamansi sorbet was a refreshing twist on the usual lemon or apple offerings and paved the way for the Keluak Chicken or Ayam Buah Keluak.  This is a dish that combines pieces of chicken (ayam) with the nut from the Kepayang tree (Buah Keluak). Looking like a small black football, this little baby is initially poisonous and needs some long and painstaking preparation to become edible. This involves soaking the nuts, forty days fermentation, grinding into paste and re-stuffing the mix back into the shell. This is before cooking. Traditionally it is slow braised with the meat and often sometimes left for days after to let the flavours in the nut develop. 

Ayam Buah Keluak

Since the start of the dinner everyone had been intrigued by the fact that a single chopstick had been placed alongside the rest of the cutlery. The mystery was resolved when Dr Stephen explained that it was to be used to scoop out the spicy mix from the Buah nut and be added to the chicken and rice. Ah so. So, scooped out the black and evil looking mix duly was and what an intruiging taste it turned out to be. Nutty, of course, but with a sweetish smoky saltiness and texture of thick earthy ground paste. It was total umami with bounce and bite and went gangbusters with the rice, which had the effect of leaving the poor but tender and tasty chicken and gravy to play second fiddle to the dish. 

There were two award winning Pinot Noirs paired with the dish - the Wooing Tree Beetle Juice Cromwell 2010 and the Mudhouse Golden Terraces 2010. Both hailing from Otago and showing off some fantastic flavours, one came across so smooth and fragrant and balanced that it stole the night from the Pinot Gris. Unfortunately both Pinots got confused on the table so which one this actually was remains a mystery. Judging from the notes, it was probably the Beetle Juice. Handpicked and matured for 11 months in French barriques, it was full coloured with strong ripe plum and cherry and spice flavours  and oh so approachable! And the winery supports the natural world,  with a percentage of profits being channelled to support an endangered beetle ecosystem. How can you not love a wine that looks after beetles? In contrast, the Decanter Gold Medal Mudhouse is grown in a single vineyard in an old gold mining area.The notes say it is oak matured, with full fruit and sweet spice in excellent balance with crisp acidity and good weight. More a traditional style Kiwi Pinot than the Beetle Juice, with muscular boldness in the mouth and firm flavours on the finish. A man's Pinot. In fairness, neither really paired well with the Chicken, though one would guess their main function was to stand up to the Buah Keluak. Which they both did. Those who still had some of the Pinot Gris in the glass would have found a better match for the chicken. 

Nyonya Sago Gula Melaka

The desserts were totally off the map. First out was the classic Nyonya Sago Gula Melaka which came out looking like a mini Guinness on top of a cream cloud in a wine glass and was brilliant. Also known as Palm Sugar, Gula Melaka comes from the sap collected from the flower buds of coconut trees. The sap is boiled until it thickens and then poured into containers to set. It makes the spicy caramel syrup that is poured over sago pudding and topped off with coconut milk to create this most beloved of Nyonya sweeteners. Tonight's offering had a nice spicy zing fire to it and paired with the creamy coconut milky and chewy sweet sago magnificently.  Debbie's signature Panforte was also on the table - date and fig and almond nut combos dusted with icing sugar and all texture and dreamy sinful fruit taste. Total sticky date chewy heaven. Everyone should get so lucky and try this once in their lives. Unforgettable.

Needless to say that the desserts killed the Pinot Noir though the Pinot Gris gave a sweet undercurrent and foundation to the dates in the Panforte. This really is such a versatile wine, pairing well with soup, spicy chicken and can do dessert at a pinch. Woke up the following morning feeling muzzy and bleaaagh with a mouth like a ferret yet still tasting the Pinot Gris. Thankfully the morning espresso helped in getting ready for the day. Not much, but enough to kickstart.  

Cheers!

Overall comments ranged from the superlative to the "okay-lah" though the latter were very well in the minority. Waiter Service was generally fine and friendly, with wine being poured quite generously. Food came out all together nicely presented and little to no waiting time for all to start together. One comment of soup coming out cold, getting sent back, and coming out cold again and not pursuing it with staff. Another felt that Otak Otak should only be served in Banana Leaf. Well, and maybe from a purist traditional perspective this might have some weight, but the logistics of getting Banana Leaf into a four star hotel kitchen and chef preparing and presenting the dish in a traditional nyonya kitchen manner seems a shade extreme. It is the Park Royal Hotel, not Malacca hawker stall. Chefs do with what chefs have and cope accordingly.

For me, the wines and the matching were fantastic, although the "Super" in the "Super Nyonya" was slightly lacking when compared to the original tasting we'd had previously. Whilst I felt Chef Debbie did fantastically well, both the Otak Otak and the soup felt more refined and lacking something that had seemed magical in the original presentation. But different is far from bad, and the fault often lies in our expectations. When they have been elevated by as memorable a night as they had in the original tasting, the second time around can often feel a shade diminished. Like going to see Les Miserables or Miss Saigon again - it's still good but somewhat less so than the magical first time. Increased numbers can also impact the food - time spent in pan waiting for plate and transport to table can mean the food continues to cook longer than is good. But all this is technical and should not detract from what was a wonderful evening of great wine, great food and shared with good friends from the IWFS. Kudos to the ladies who sportingly wore their best baju and looked totally resplendent and gorgeous. Some of the men also weren't too bad in their batik shirts either. A fun and entertaining night, made all the more so by Dr Stephen sharing some Kiwi noises and chants and much vinous information throughout the evening. Cheers!!

Photos kind courtesy of Jan Shaw

Post Script: Seems that Chef Debbie lost her long time sous chef between the tasting and the dinner, which would explain the difference between the two. 

Table flower arrangement

‘Super Nyonya Cuisine’ IWFS Kuala Lumpur March 28th 2013 Park Royal Hotel

Pre-Dinner

Daniel Le Brun No 8 Sparkling, Marlborough

Appetisers - Pie Tee with Crabmeat and Classic ‘Ju Hu Char’

Crispy Shell Filled with stir fried yam bean and Crabmeat and Shrimps 

Paired with Stir Fried Bean and Dried Squid topped with Sambal Belachan ‘Ji Hu Char’

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2011

Soup - Hiew Piew

Fish Maw & Prawn Dumplings in a Chicken Broth with Sweet Turnip, Cabbage and Carrots Enhanced with Coriander and Garlic Crisps

Ohau Gravels Pinot Gris 2011

Entrée - Otak-Otak

Debbie Teoh's Panforte - wonderful!!

Spicy Chunky assorted Seafood with herbs in a Coconut Egg Custard served with Toasted Baguette     and accompanied with Mango Kerabu

Ohau Gravels  Pinot Gris 2011

Calamansi Sorbet

Main Course - Keluak Chicken

Accompanied with Fragrance Rice, Cucumber Pickle and Nyonya Sambal Belachan

Wooing Tree Beetle Juice Pinot Noir, Central Otago 2010

Mudhouse Golden Slopes Otago Pinot Noir 2010

Dessert - Classic Nyonya Sago Gula Melaka

Sago Pearls with Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar Syrup