Voyager Estate Tom Price wine at The Butcher's Table - stunning!

March 22, 2018 - My Wine Sifu had been expressing a need to feed his inner carnivore and bust one of his magnificent wines for the occasion. One of the Boys had said that the Rib Eye at the Butcher's Table was top rate so I figured it would be worth the booking to try. We had to juggle dates due to the BT advising that renovations were being scheduled across our March dates, but eventually a collectively convenient one was determined and the countdown began. Pre-order was the usual crispy knuckle to which we added the rib eye medium rare, and we would add other BT delights once we arrived (for my earlier report on the Butcher's Table click here>>).

I had earlier shared info with Sifu on the Voyager Wine Estate dinner at Stoked (which he was not able to attend) and he shared back that he had bought a bottle of the Voyager's Tom Price on a visit to the winery in Margaret River in Western Australia. It seemed like serendipity - the fates were indicating it was time for it to be tasted. Yes. No argument here.

The Kiwi's beautiful Domaine Du Pegau - silky and sweet

For a change, we arrived bang on 7.30 and both Sifu and long term squeeze Lucy were seated and ready for the off. I had brought a Wirra Wirra Lost Watch Riesling secured from a previous wine dinner along with a 2011 Domaine Du Pegau CdP given me on my last birthday by the Kiwi a.k.a. Doc Wine to compare with the Tom. Normally I like to share wines given me with the people who did the giving. But I had nothing else on short notice in the wine fridge that seemed appropriate. Sorry Doc - will open something appropriate at our next get together. 

We cracked the Riesling to whet the throat and figured foodwise to start with the steak and then move to the knuckle and have some salad to go with everything. Also to start, we ordered some of the legendary Siew Yoke to whet the appetite and let the salt skin give some counter to the tickling acidity of the Riesling. 

I thought to start with the CdP which in retrospect was…  not wrong, but it would better have paired with the knuckle. As it was, the rib eye came to the table and…  yeah, should have opened the Tom and poured both. Didn't think - bit tired, I guess…

For me the steak did not stun. It was tasty enough but seemed to lack sufficient balance across the fat, sear and meat. It was also a shade cool. Notwithstanding, the Pegau CdP was magnificent, all blush and bloom and blowsy, like a cancan dancer in full flight. Perfect balance across fruit and tannin, and full powerful mouth of dark sweet honeydew plums and damsons leading to a rich full and long finish. Ticked all the boxes, this one. Beautiful drop of wine. 

In contrast, the Pork Knuckle was magnificent, all taste and meat and crisp crunchy salt skin and making for a perfect mouthful of meat, fat and salt crunch. It was superb with the last of the CdP and for me was an excellent match.

The Tom had remained unopened at this time. There was some debate as to whether to open it, given the lateness of the night and the fullness of the belly. But open it we did. And boy, what a wine… that rich chocolate mouth you get with the top end grapes, silky sleek in the mouth and a finish that lasted a week. Simply one of the better Cabernets I have tasted across my twenty two year wine career (call 1996 as the start). Ranks well up there with the Mitolo Serpico and the Joseph Phelps Cabernets - would happily buy this wine and lock it away. 

The Rib Eye - pretty good, but wasn't fully stunned...

This is not a wine one gets to taste every week. It came in a spanky box with a fold out info leaflet which I'll repeat verbatim:

The Fruit

Being able to grow fruit for a Tom Price wine is a wonderful challenge for a viticulturist. I have the exciting and enjoyable responsibility of singling our pockets of the vineyard for special nurturing as Tom Price blocks. Though not every vintage ensures a Tom Price wine, seasons like 2004 make all the years of effort worthwhile. 

The early season was blessed with good rainfall which allowed for excellent soil moisture and budburst was even with a bright green leaf colour superior to anything seen before on your vineyards. When the rains fell away in early October the vines were were well set up for uniform flowering. The weather conditions in the ripening phase were outstanding, with a classic warm and dry "indian summer' lasting well into April. Our vineyard techniques didn't skip a beat and the result was fruit harvested in optimum condition with perfectly balanced flavours and ripe, super-fine tannins.

26 year old original Estate vines have provided the fruit for this wine. The fruit was handpicked and hand-sorted before being crafted by the winemaking team over a number of years into the wine that it is today. Meanwhile, my team and I are waiting patiently for another 2004

The 2004 Tom Price - stellar...

Steve James, Viticulturist

The Wine

At Voyager Estate we have always maintained that great wines are made in great vineyards. In reality, however, when considering how rare wines such as 

Tom Price are made, it is a combination of several factors that all come together at once, a very exceptional event indeed. It takes phenomenal vintage conditions, excellent vineyard management and careful winemaking to make a wine we deem worthy enough to be considered a Tom Price wine. On these rare occasions, when all the factors do align, we simply give the fruit the lead and act as the caretaker, thus allowing the wine to evolve from its natural origins.the

The fruit components for this wine were divided into two batches that were fermented n open and upright fermenters with regular pump overs or plunging for soft extraction. Fermentation was conducted with small amounts of the 796 Bordeaux yeast strain at temperatures around 30 degrees. Ferments lasted as long as 21 days, after which one component was pressed, while the other was left on skins for further texture and tannin modification. The two wines were inoculated for malolactic fermentation and then transferred to barrel for 24 months. Two years later, the wine that emerged for bottling was a true reflection of the fruit that started it all.

The 2004 Tom Price Cabernet Sauvignon has been a delight to craft. It will age beautifully and reward those who join it on this journey.

Cliff Royle, Senior Winemaker

So - it is a Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.2 alcohol harvested across27 March to 2 April, had two years in 50% new and 50% old French oak, bottled on 30May. It is a deep brick red, with an abundance of dark, juicy ripe fruit on the nose (think mulberry, blackberry and cassis) which combine with dark chocolate and soft, integrated French oak. Chocolate and sweet on the palate, where dark fruits dominate this juicy wine. Soft finish with velvet tannins that belie an underlying power that should allow cellaring for up to 20 years. A classic wine made in an old-world Bordeaux style. Again, all this came from the blurb. And it says pretty much how it tasted. Sweet, lush, fruit. Stellar stuff. 

Butcher's Table Counter - Mr Ho is centre

It's going to be tough to try and outdo the Baron and his wine on this showing. Only regret is not having opened it first - it would have been stellar with steak (though as said the beef on this occasion was a bit below expectation). I was going to bring one of the wines we had bought at the Voyager Estate dinner; glad I didn't - they were nowhere near the calibre of Tom. Margaret River was never quite on the bucket list of wine regions to visit. It is now. Anyone got any 2004 Tom Price they need to unload?

Butchers Table

26 Jalan SS2/103

47300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor DE Malaysia

Tel:  +6 03 7728 2843

email: mybutcherstable@gmail.com

Facebook: The Butcher's Table

Opening Hours

Tuesday to Sunday

11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 11pm

Boys Night at Casa Rosa - excellent steak!

Plump oysters - belter!

July 26 2017

A magnificent evening of steak, oysters and wine where we all got happily drunk whilst feasting on some really good and well cooked meat. 

The Boys all rave about the steak at Casa Rosa, and we are all friends with the owners IJ and Cynthia who are always hugely generous with their time and food. They also operate the Jakes Place franchise. Casa Rosa is located in The Pines condo complex in Mont Kiara, requiring visitors to negotiate the guard at the gate, get your visitor laminate and find a parking spot (easy on a Wednesday night, weekends a bit more complicated). Casa Rosa had a previous incarnation in Damansara but had to move when the BIG group bought over the property and renovated the entire row of shops.

One of the magnificent steaks

I had always found the steaks at both the old and the new Casa Rosa to be good but not great. Solid and wholesome, but lacking in some je ne sais quoi something. Couldn't say that about this visit - excellent seasoning, hot on the plate, tender as a bedroom whisper and with perfect bite and chew. This was big ass rib eye that tasted magnificent. I think there were different marbles because the menu and bill showed different prices and different designations - some were SK, some were SSK but it wasn't clear from the menu what these all meant. Find out next time. 

Winewise, we had Sparkling South Africans and a couple of whites to start (an Oyster Bay, naturally, and my 2014 LFE Reserve from Chile) before hitting some well tasty red. Interesting contrast between the crisp and frisky Oyster Bay and the aged and layered LFE. The bit of stink on the LFE put some people off, but once past this the wine offered rich apricot and a hint of toast. Not bad.

The Boyz

Can't remember much about the reds, but there was an Italian magnum along with various other lovelies. I took a 2012 Bordeaux which went respectably well with the meat whilst all the others look pretty Italian from the photo. There was one big ass Aussie Shiraz that came out at the end, possibly bought from the Casa as a nightcap which was delightful. 

The booze

The bill came out at about RM350 ish per person for four dozen oysters and five steaks between nine of us. No corkage but I did slip the wine boy a few Ring for his trouble. After this he kept feeding me wine - there had to be about five glasses in front of me at one time. Everyone seemed to think I was slow in drinking but I don't think so. I had made a friend.  

Would I go back? Yes. The ambience is friendly, the service is good, and the steak was excellent. Well worth a visit, though maybe select a designated driver or Uber - the booze at Casa Rosa can flow a bit too easily!

Casa Rosa

Mont Kiara Pines, Aspen Clubhouse

50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

03-6203 1978

Cheers!!

Meatology and Veramonte Wines - mostly good!

August 26th 2016

Phoo…

Belly buster of a week on the food trail. Two Western style wine dinners in TTDI and two Chinese blow outs in the wilds of the KL environs. Thank the Lords for Waze. Well, most of the time - bugger still likes to take us on the wild goose hunt rather than the direct routes we know. Though most of the time it does seem to know best.

First up was Meatology Restaurant, which involved pairing fine meat with wines by Chilean producer Veramonte and introduced by visiting Brand Manager Sarah Hajjaji. Lenglui and I had actually visited this vineyard en route to catching a ship in Valparaiso out of Santiago in 2009. We figured we needed some booze for the boat and insisted the driver stop at a vineyard - Veramonte was the first sign we saw and there we supped and bought. The vineyard was like a vast ranchero with modern renovations to delight the tourists. But no cows. I remember the top end wines being stunners (Cabernet 2005 and 2006) and we bought what we could. We also managed to get the non drinkers to carry a couple extra for us and circumvent the apparent quota of two bottles per person for bringing on board - they most graciously agreed. Nice people.

We rarely see such good stuff make its way to these shores, a point I reminded Sarah of a number of times through the evening. Not sure if she got the message, but I live in hope. The most we see are the introduction Reserva varietals and the "Primus" which is an occasionally velvet and rich blend of the Veramonte varietals (Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and Carmenere). But those Cabernets at the vineyard are seared into the memory - belting wines they were.

We arrived a bit late and found ourselves getting seated away from the main room where a predominantly young crowd were getting boisterous and noisily boozed. This turned out to be a blessing - we were able to sip and eat and enjoy some conversation with both ourselves and Cynthia and Sally from Cave and Cellar, organisers of the evening. 

The restaurant has been up and running for about a year, with apparently an upstairs area to cater to larger groups. Previously going by the name of "Boathouse" (for eleven years according to one source), the name changed following the launch of a book written by Chef and Operator Yenni Law. 

Foodwise, the dishes were pleasant enough. The zesty Mussel and Clam shot perked up the mouth whilst the Balsamic Bacon salted the whole. This all made for a lot of work for the Sauvignon Blanc to clean up which it efficiently did. The duck felt a bit flabby - bit like a day old chip of Tau Foo in texture and not much taste. As said, the SB was efficient in its cleansing and made for a good quaffer. I think it was 2014, so certainly peaking in friskiness terms. Worth to hunt down in the supermarkets for quick drinking. 

My Seafood Bisque felt a bit cold, though perhaps this was my fault for arriving late (horrendous traffic on a Friday night and parking was madness). Tasty enough, though nothing that at this time of writing that stands out as memorable.

In contrast, the Escargot with Blue Cheese was a sparky salty creamy delight - all goo and chew and springle zaps in the cheeks. The snail texture was firm enough and the whole ensemble sang nicely. Would come back for this one.

Quite why it got paired with the Merlot was a bit strange. Okay, the cheesy aspect would match the gentle acid of the wine, but the fruit and tannin seemed well at odds with this kind of food. The Merlot itself was a pleasant mouthful of fruit and cool finishing, but ultimately pretty non descript. Pleasant but a bit thin and bland for my taste. I like my Merlot full and fleshy and ripe - a floozy rather than the fair and chaste maiden this Veramonte seemed to be offering. In this context, it did not overpower the dish. But by the same token it did not do much to enhance the thing. This Merlot might be a useful pizza party wine to glug and chug and clink with friends. But not one I would serve at the table for the more demanding palate. 

I had the Ribeye whilst Lenglui and Texas had the Pork. I had a quick taste of the Pork which was a bit fiery on the tongue. Actually make that a LOT fiery on the tongue. Lovely fierce chili tang and bite and the pork was nicely done. Not my style of dish, but one that clearly would appeal hugely to the Malaysian palate. My ribeye was done nicely and tasted good, though a shade too much salt and seasoning for my taste. But still good and again one I would come back for. 

But the star was the Panna Cotta, an absolute delight of light creamy melt in the mouth loveliness that food dreams are made of. It was perfect combo of sweet creamy lightness with a hint of herb and a sugar crunch that fused together in a pure moment of wonder. Star star star. Loved it. My diabetes went ballistic but screw it. 

The Primus was indeed a blend in the standard Bordeaux style but the result was somewhat thin and lacking the whack one might expect from something that bills itself as "The Blend". The notes talked about "deep, dark opaque garnet. Exotic spice, toast and hints of tobacco and mint. Ripe red and dark berry fruit with spicy notes. Round mid palate with elegant yet powerful tannins." Didn't get it. Mine was firm, reasonably full in body though not so much that it would win any bodybuilding contests. Fruitwise, more plum than berry, yes to mint and low spice, and the mid was fair. Not a large finish, though after the third refill it seemed to gain more of a whack in the chest as it went down (must say the pourings were most generous on the night). It went reasonably well enough with the steak but naturally died with the tangy pork. Might have been stellar with the lamb. I have had Primus previously with Pork Rib at Checkers (2007, 8 or 9 - I forget) and it was vaguely reminiscent - pleasant mouth, not a big finish. Nice wine, but perhaps Meatology's big tasting beef overpowered it a bit. 

Had a quick chat with Chef to share my thoughts. She seemed to take them on board, but ultimately who am I to argue with a veteran meat chef and book writer? She knows her meat and the best ways to cook the sucker. And getting all the food out reasonably hot to forty plus punters is always an achievement. Still, all these places are in competition with each other and need to maintain an edge to get the customer's gig. 

Would I go back? On balance, yes. I would like to to see what Chef can do when there is not a large crowd to cater to all at the same time. Regret to say that I don't see in in the near future. It is a trek and a slog to get there and find a parking spot, though perhaps earlier in the week might prove a better choice. And there is always Uber, which Texas took on the night to get there way ahead of us (though he happily accepted a ride back). We shall see. Steak of choice remains Chambers at present (see previous write up). Not sure what the Meatology corkage policy is - give them a bell beforehand to check. 

Meatology Restaurant

16 Lorong Rahim Kajai 14

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

60000 Kuala Lumpur

03 7727 4426

Cave & Cellar 

47, Jalan PJU 1a/16, 

Ara Damansara, 

47301 Petaling Jaya, 

Selangor, Malaysia

MENU

Pre Dinner Canapes

Mussel and clam meat picante

Bacon Roll and Balsamic Glaze

Smoked Duck en Croute

Veramonte Riserva Sauvignon Blanc

Dinner 1st Course

Seafood Bisque laced with Brandy

Veramonte Riserva Sauvignon Blanc

Dinner 2nd Course

Creamy Escargot with Blue Cheese Spinach Cream

Veramonte Riserva Merlot

Mains

Pan Grilled Grass Fed Australian Ribeye with Shallot in Red Wine Jus

or

Grilled Lamb Loin with Tomato Raita

or

Baked Fiery Pork Ribs with a Spicy Tang Coat

Veramonte Primus Blend 2010

Dessert

Panna Cotta with Organic Palm Sugar served with Rosemary perfumed Cream Cheese and Macaroon

A Tale of Three KL Steaks - Soleil, Chambers and Lucky Bo

July 29 (Soleil), August 5 (Chambers), August 14 (Lucky Bo) 2016

This was originally to be a tale of two steaks comparing Soleil and Chambers, but then walking past the Lucky Bo en route to one of the other eateries on the Bangkung Row, the Tomahawk Steak was spotted on the menu and reservations made almost immediately.

Lenglui and I like our steak. We have had some amazing chunks of beef both in Malaysia and on our travels, and they do take up quite a lot of my fantastic food memories. Porterhouse and Wolfgang's in New York, House of Prime Rib in San Francisco, Canlis in Seattle, Chez Paul in Paris, Charolais Beef in Beaune, and the greasy midnight specials of my youth at the El Greco and Clifton Street in Cardiff. More locally, we have enjoyed great steaks at Prime in Le Meridien, the Prime in the Bangkok Hilton, Florentine Beefsteak at Osteria RealBlue in Publika, and brilliant Rib Eye at the Mortons and Wolfgang Puck in Singapore. There are a few other places in KL whose names presently elude me, and most of which have either now sadly closed down or their prices have gone astronomical and beyond which I prefer not to bear. Up until about 6 months ago, it was increasingly difficult to find a "great" steak in Kuala Lumpur. Lots of good ones, but very few that elevated themselves into the "great" category.

Then, for some reason, the "Tomahawk" steak became incredibly popular almost overnight. Served with the meat still attached to the long rib, it quickly became de rigeur to be offered at many restaurants who until that time had done little in the way of decent meat. The margins must be good. Also, the bone makes for a good souvenir, and the number of foodie friends who seem to have recently become dog owners has increased dramatically. 

Tomahawk Steak at Soleil. Looks Wagyu, tastes... can't remember...

We had had the Tomahawk at Soleil previously on two reasonably recent occasions and it was stunning. They do it with a beef equivalent of Chee Hor Jiak - those little deep fried chunks of fat you get with Chinese Pork noodles like Hokkien Fried Mee. Except these puppies were deep fried chunks of beef fat rather than pork fat. Darn tasty and a great textural bite to ease the passage of the meat. 

Soleil Sides - crunchy beans and somewhat stodgy spuds

Our friend the Rubber Baron also likes a steak with a good bottle of Red, so he and his dear lady joined us at the Soleil. We shared some starters, and friend Lucy had the Turbot whilst he, Lenglui and I ripped into the steak. The Rubber Baron brought a 2006 Dominus and I brought a 2007 Joseph Phelps Cabernet. Both were silky, rich, full bodied and stunningly wonderful, the Phelps taking it for me on the night with smooth tasty mouth exploding fruit and immense silk on the tannins. 2007 was a belter of a year in the Napa - all the wines we have had from this vintage have been stellar. Dominus was still too young. They didn't charge us corkage.

Spaghetti and Crunchy Beef Fat - O Lordy Lordy...

When the meat came, the Baron asked for some spaghetti and promptly mixed all the fried fat and bits into it which became total genius - carbo and fat with crunch and bite which all together felt like a blast from Gabriel's trumpet - repent and believe in the truth that is laid before ye! If St Peter has a restaurant I hope it serves this as an entree, though the anorak wardens at the Gate would probably deem it too sinful to serve. Wonderful wonderful. 

Soleil Cheese Platter and Bone to Go

Whilst the Soleil preparation and presentation and wine service were at their excellent best, regret to report that the meat on this occasion felt a bit forgettable. Not sure why, just not nearly as memorable as previous. This last time out also felt a bit of a whack in the wallet. Two shared starters, turbot for one and steak for four with an excellent cheese platter to finish came out at nearly RM1600 total for four. I guess the meat was wagyu; it was over RM1000 for 1.3kg of the meat. Service charge alone was over RM200. Hmmm…  Bit below par and didn't quite feel value on this occasion. 

Soleil Apple Crumble

In contrast, the T-Bone at Chambers was full of taste, aided by a spoon of ash woody black salt to bring out its delightful best. In addition, the sides of French Fries were crisp and full bodied, the spinach was freshly delicate and rich in serious iron, add the fact that no corkage got charged because we got recognised by the Sommelier as regulars (outstanding!!), and the whole thing (courtesty of a Hilton card membership) came in at under RM200 (under the Card, one person in your group gets to dine for free; so three people, only pay for two). We shared a 500g T-Bone (RM248) and sides which proved enough. A beautiful steak, perfectly done, with superb accompaniments and some excellent service from all the staff. Chef Marc came out to say hello and accepted a glass of our 1997 Clerc Milon. All in all, another hugely memorable evening at the Chambers. Definitely would go back on this form. Silly, silly price for two people. And the ambience of the Chambers is classic upmarket New York compared to the low key subdued continental Brasserie feel of the Soleil - more breezy than easy, though conversation can get a bit difficult - ask for a table near the kitchen. 

[Sidenote - Lenglui and I have been off and on Hilton Card holders over the years.The reason we let it lapse was the idiotic car park charges that kept getting imposed. Now with Hilton there is flat rate with the rubber chop. Seems someone finally listened. The card is not a bad deal for two who like to eat there. Which we do - the Iketeru Japanese Teppanyaki beef and fish are consistently good and with a bottle of Sake makes for a good night. The Graze is…  okay, but now with Chambers there is a serious contender to the Prime in the next door Le Meridien. Given that the carpark charges there remain (to my knowledge) fierce, going for steak at the Chambers is now a no brainer.]

Lucky Bo interior

As said, Lucky Bo was a chance meeting on the way to eat the Guinness Stew at the neighbouring Jarrod and Rawlins. Lots of glass frontage with somewhat subdued lighting that made the menu a bit tough to read. Though our table friend Rose was able to call out the dishes for us. 

Charcuterie Platter - hmm...

We started with a fairly forgettable Charcuterie platter of mediocre cheeses and what could only be described as Iberico Duck shavings - had the oily and greasy texture of Iberico Ham but was apparently duck. Tasty, but barely enough on the plate to satisfy. The toasted wholewheat bread ahead of the platter was good, though perhaps a dint of French butter rather than the standard Balsamic and Olive Oil from BIG or wherever might add a classy touch. FBQ added a side of onion rings which came out in a conical tower and actually looked quite phallic. Yeah okay, maybe it is the mind it goes into, and no one else commented on the…  engorged visual aspect, but first thing I saw was virile and penile, especially with the, er, crowning glory. Definitely a candidate for being haramised at some of the more sensitive eateries. Or at least toned down on the visual side. But kudos to the creative mind behind it.  Tastewise they were okay, but maybe needed a shade more defrosting. Either that or hotter oil. 

The phallic Onion Ring Tower

The Lucky Bo meat was classic Angus medium rare, seared with loads of salt which made for a very tasty chunk of bone-in to share among the four of us. Nice touches with the broccoli and chunky roast potato and roasted garlic and lemon adds on the wooden platter. Texas Ranger had ordered a pricey Malbec to match but it had all got drunk by the time the meat hit the table. So rather than fork out for another, I brought out a 2010 Alles de Cantermerle brought for the nonce and the heck with the RM60 the corkage. The darling Rose came on her own to tell us no corkage would get imposed as we had already bought one from the wine list! And she brought out fresh glasses for the new wine! Put the Lucky Bo way up the rankings with this. Actually, Rose our wine and food waiter was outstanding - she always kept an eye on the glasses and food and was unfailingly helpful throughout the evening. Worth to visit Lucky Bo to get served by her alone.  The Malbec was muy macho, tasting a bit like dusty pine needles with a big whack of beautifully blended dark plum and rich chewy tannins. The Alles de Cantemerle was softer, though with enough oomph to ease the meat without overwhelming and make for a most pleasant food partner. Good wine, this one - maybe can keep for a while, but is drinking very nicely now. 

The Lucky Bo Tomahawk - good solid meat

Total for four was RM900 inclusive of the RM250 Malbec and RM130 GST and service charge. Ambience borders on French bistro, cafe style tables with tablecloths, fair glassware, but sat near the door meant we got regularly blasted by the warm Bangkung Row evening air every time someone came in or out (which was quite often - seating was also available outside). On our Sunday, it was full with two Birthday celebrations and a family with a small child whose mother kept adding to the door opening on too many occasions for comfort. Still don't understand why parents need to bring almost new born children to a noisy restaurant. Is it a bonding thing? Though our little cherub was delightfully silent through the night, notwithstanding the noise being made by our Birthday neighbours. Lucky Bo seems indeed to have luck and looks like it is flourishing - hopefully it has ditched the jinx that seemed to bedevil its previous incarnations as a seafood restaurant (Four Seas), a modern European style eaterie (Madisons) and (if I remember correctly) a halal Chinese cuisine hangout somewhere in between the two. 

Leonardo's Chocolate Lava - so sinful

The desserts looked a bit sad so at the suggestion of the FBQ we opted to go to Leonardo's upstairs and next door for their Chocolate Lava dessert which was absolutely magnificent with an Espresso - all rich thick gooey bitter chocolate sauce and creamy ice cream with little dabs of mango and strawberry sauce. Another one for the Pearly Gates Restaurant. 

Tastewise and everything else wise, Chambers completely knocked it out of the park. The range of salts to taste, excellently charred and seasoned meat, brilliant sides and superb service and under RM200 for the two of us. Unmitigated Bargain of the Decade and darn straight we be back soon. Lucky Bo was fair value and worth a return visit when the need to whack a large chunk of the Angus is felt by a group. As for Soleil, I don't think we'll be back there before they move - there did feel a slight slip somewhere. See what happens when they move to the new place. 

Soleil Restaurant
Business Hours
12.00 Noon - 2.30 pm | 6.30 pm - 10.30 pm (last order) | Off Day - Sunday

Address : Ground Floor, 22A, Jalan 17/54, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
GL +603 7932 5989 | F +603 7932 0877 | HP +6012 612 5989
http://www.soleil.my/contact.php
E enquiries@soleil.my

Chambers Bar and Grill

Open Daily Mon - Sat 12.00 to 2.30pm, 8.30pm to 10.30pm

Address

KL Hilton Hotel

3 Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur 50470, Malaysia

+603 2264 2264

http://life.hiltonkl.com/Restaurants/Chambers-Grill

Lucky Bo

Business Hours

Daily 11am to 4pm, 6pm to 11.00pm

Address

65 Jalan Bangkung

Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar

59100 Kuala Lumpur

+603 2092 1222

Lucky Bo exterior in Bangsar

Amazing Crab and Steak at Rekondo!!

Rekondo, San Sebastian

April 19th 2013

Outside the Rekondo, San Sebastian

Rekondo is slipping into the mists of fading memory, though it was a memorable lunch and one worth repeating should the opportunity arise.

Rising lazily at 8am and sauntering down for a full breakfast at the Hotel Londres, we had a couple of hours for morning sightseeing around San Sebastian town. 

It was a bit rainy as we set off, armed with hotel map and umbrella and directions from the concierge. The foodies in the group had opted to go in search of the Spanish breakfast churrillo - sweet deep fried dough traditionally eaten with chocolate. Some of the ladies naturally wanted to shop and the gentlemen kept them company, carrying the bags and taking photos. 

Inside the Rekondo, San Sebastian

The small part of San Sebastian that we were able to tour showed it to be a pretty town. The pedestrian area had lots of trees that were starting to blossom, and the wet grey skies quickly dissolved to sparkling blue as a glorious morning made itself known to this part of the planet. We went to the new Cathedral and shopped our way back through the old town to the old cathedral before walking back to the hotel along the boardwalk around the east half of the bay. 

There's a charm about San Sebastian. Nestling at the gateway to the Bay of Biscay, there is some serious wealth here alongside the occasional poverty of the street sleepers, though none seem to sit in judgement of the other.  It is. Permitted.  Live and let me live. The occasional police presence felt professional and firm, though as a visitor it is difficult to imagine how this feels to the native Basques with their continuing history of relations with the mainland Spain. But it felt safe and comfortable and people went about their business seemingly oblivious to the little white boy taking photos of his Lenglui in the warm Cantabrican sun.

We ambled back to the hotel to unload the booty and grab a quick change before boarding the bus for a ten minute barrel ride up the hill to the west of the bay for our lunch at Rekondo. 

Our lunch, ageing nicely

Rekondo had been built up on the foodie websites as the stuff of steak legend, with a wine cellar containing 150,000 bottles to pair with it. We saw the hand written wine list parked on the table as we walked in, looking like some Basque version of a Gutenburg Bible - all leather bound and priceless. So expectations were running high as we took our seats in the roomy and airy restaurant. They were heightened even further when we saw our lunch sitting on a wooden chopping board as we entered. This thick wedge of Basque Beef looked magnificent. As with our other food gatherings, we were seated lengthways which made for good converation and ease of sharing the food. Nice light and easy breezy ambience of rustic wood windows and brown marble flagstone floor with good natural lunchtime light showing off the brilliant white heavy cotton tablecloths on which pristine serviettes and flawless glasses waited to do their duty. 

The excellent Iberico Jamon

We started off with a Brut Rose NV Champagne by Jacques Selosse. Nice bead and bubble, with a slight blood orange tinge in the glass, this was a real tongue cutter of a champagne full of sharply acidic tingling lime. Just the ticket with the lightly fluffy yet nicely crunchy croquettes that had made their way to the table. 

The Iberico Jamon soon followed and this was belter - all light, sweet and dreamy good with fat and salt and meat mixing together in a taste of porcine heaven. The white 2006 Vincent Dauvissat Chablis Grand Cru "Les Clos" chosen to match proved an excellent choice - clean and light with apples and sweet nectarines that cut  the salt and fat to let the meat shine nicely. 

Next out was something totally unexpected. Never had an emotional experience with food before, but this was amazing.

The Crab that rolled back the years

Remember that scene at the end of the movie "Ratatouille" where the rat prepares a dish for the food critic and the taste takes him back to his childhood? It was like that for me with the Spider Crab. It had been scooped out and mixed with tomato, salt, pepper and sugar and ladled back into the shell. The combo of sweet stringy crab mush of flakes and texture took me right back to days when we would buy little glass jars of Shipham's Crab Paste from the Bateman's Supermarket and have them spread on buttered toast for breakfast or tea. Forty years plus I haven't tasted this, but here it was and it was like I was right back there. For the first time, I realised the power of taste and the emotional attachments it can trigger. It was incredible. A total flood of memories, times and impressions got released by this long forgotten taste. Even more so when it got spread with butter on the baguette. The salty butter and crusty bread took the whole thing to another level. The years totally rolled back. A real emotional impact with this one. Never had anything like this before. So, so powerful. 

The crab seemed to go better with the Champagne than the Chablis. The butter and bread brought out the yeast whilst the low acidity of the Chablis didn't quite seem to have the necessary cut.

The rest of the food got pretty much forgotten in this time machine of a dish. 

Sommelier circumcising the bottles

We ended up doing a vertical of the Lopez Vina Tondonia 1991, 1981, 1976 and 1968. All Riojas, the 1991 and 1981 were white with the others being red. The wine master had an unusual way of ensuring that none of the wines would be corked - he had an iron neck cutter that was heated over an open fire and then clasped around the neck of the bottle for a while. He would then remove it and splash some cold water across the cut, instantly and cleanly snapping the glass with the wine ready for pouring. 

The 1991 was clean and full and still with enough acidity to pair well with the crab and turbot.  

In comparison, the 1981 Tondonia was thicker with the smell of sherry and texture of a medium white burgundy. Full of oil and fire with a slightly sourish note of old lemons on the back end, it made for a great partner with the somewhat oily flakes of the turbot.  The crab had gone by this time.

Rekondo Steak and Chips

The ribeye came out with chips and sauted red pepper and tasted nice. That's all I have - nice. The meat was well done and seasoned well. Perhaps the memory of Extebarri was still too fresh, perhaps that Crab destroyed any thought I might have for the remainder of the food, perhaps I was just having too much of a good time. But it was nice, especially with the 1976 Tondonia Rioja that had been decapitated to pair with it - having that aged garnet brick red tinge, but coming over like a fine burgundy with subtle sour cherries in the mouth and finish. Still so much power and life in this one - amazing for a wine nearly forty years old.

The best was yet to come. The 1968 got opened and proved even more robust whilst retaining a subtlety and class that the 1976. Fruit, smoky cherry. Amazing power and finesse. Wow wow wow wow wow.

1976 Vina Tondonia

Someone got chatting to the table next to us and found winemaker Mariano Santos Puisa of Bodegas Mariano Santos presumably on a marketing trip. We being who we are, we managed to blag him into opening a few bottles of his best for us to try. And very nice it was too. Check him out - www.bodegasmarianosantos.es

We had a 1975 Dow's Port to finish. Very fine. Oak. balance, raisins and figs, smoke. Bit like top end cough medicine.

Rekondo has a wine cellar that is the stuff of legend. 150,000 bottles, many available for sale at silly prices. Everyone trotted off to oooh and aaaaah at the cellar. Myself and lenglui figured 20 people down there would be a bit claustrophobic so we lazed and finished off the remains of the wines on the table. 

1968 Vina Tondonia

2006 Chablis "Les Clos"

And that was it. A pleasant afternoon and an amazing experience with the crab. Great food and great wines and another place to return to with friends and an appetite. Some got back on the bus to head off into town in search of Pintxos whilst others took the opportunity to walk off lunch down the hill and along the promenade back to the hotel. There was another monster wine dinner ahead of us at the Mugaritz and we figured the more space we could create ahead of it the better we would cope. We would be right.

IWFS Kuala Lumpur at the Rekondo

Rekondo

Pasao de Igueldo, 57

20008 Donostia - San SXebastian

Tel: 943 21 29 07

www.rekondo.com

REKONDO MENU as at April 2013

STARTERS
CLAMS WITH LEMON

CHOWDER
IBERIAN HAM AND LOIN
MEDALLIONS OF FOIE, TANGERINE ICE CREAM CONE AND CHERRY JAM AND RED PLUM
SALMOREJO, FLOWERS AND SPROUTS

NICE SALAD WITH ANCHOVY AND CHILLI VINAIGRETTE

URT WARM SAUSAGE, PINEAPPLE JAM AND POTATO PURÉDE
SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH MUSHROOMS
GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH HAM POWDER

CARPACCIO OF CRAYFISH, PISTACHIO VINAIGRETTE AND GUACAMOLE

SCALLOPS GRILLED IN CILANTRO AND GINGER JUICE

CHOPPED LOBSTER, PRAWNS AND SCALLOPS, BLACK OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

PIQUILLO PEPPERS STUFFED LODOSA OXTAIL
WHITE GAMBA HUELVA

FISH
CLAMS IN GREEN SAUCE
QUEUE GRILLED HAKE
RICE WITH CLAMS
GRILLED SOLE
FILLETS OF HAKE IN GREEN SAUCE
HAKE KOKOTXAS
BAKED CRAB
GRILLED COD, PIL-PIL SAUCE AND ASPARAGUS
NICE TO PIPERRADA
SQUID IN INK
GRILLED TURBOT
LOBSTER (KG)
LOBSTER (KG)
COGOTE GRILLED HAKE

MEAT
DEER ROAST WITH APRICOTS AND MANGO JAM
SUCKLING PIG CONFIT WITH APPLE COMPOTE
SIRLOIN GRILLED WITH GARNISH
GRILLED SIRLOIN
BEEF CUTLET (KG)

DESSERTS
HOMEMADE CURD
CHEESEBOARD
PINA COLADA
CREAM JELLY ROLL WITH CUBAN MOJITO
BACON CHOCOLATE BROWNIE SKY
CHEESE ICE CREAM WITH RASPBERRY COULIS
VALENCIAN
STRUDEL WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE AND ORANGE SAUCESTICKS OF CINNAMON CREAM

DESSERTS WE RECOMMEND ORDERING IN ADVANCE
CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY SORBET
WARM APPLE TART