Mill Cafe at Millennium Hotel in KL - still damn good!

Following a wine taste at the Nam Lee Cheong where they insisted I sing some of my songs, I met the Lenglui at the Mill Cafe in the Millenium Hotel for dinner. Yet again, the Mutton curry and Tandoori Chicken with the Garlic Naan were off the map wonderful. And again the pairing with the Oyster Bay 2009 Sauvignon Blanc was excellent. Two days later and still got a full belly from the evening. Kudos to Makhan Singh and new Exec Chef Steven Seow (from the sadly missed Urban Spoon) for looking after us. As is the usual suggestion, try there now before the prices go up and the portions go down!

Post Script to Beychevelle dinner - Shang pulls a stroke!

Found out recently that the restaurant imposed a charge for the water. Seems a bill for RM600 was presented to the organiser for  those who had ordered still or sparkling. The staff had apparently not advised the patrons that water was  chargeable. This had happened to me on a previous wine dinner with regard to getting charged for coffee. The fault is ours for assuming. If we'd known the still or sparkling was chargeable as extra then we'd have insisted on tap water. But I feel the hotel bears some responsibility here. People assume that when they pay one price for a wine dinner then there are no extras. Expecting patrons to read fine print with regard to water and coffee without advising of a charge is not acceptable in a hotel that claims five stars. It leaves a very bad taste at the end of the evening. We used to call it pulling a stroke. Once could be classed an oversight; twice might suggest a policy of disinformation. It certainly blots the Lafite copybook and by association the ShangriLa hotel. I wonder whether the wine dinner organisers will go back there? Don't think I would....  better to go to Sage or Cilantro. Cheaper car parking too.

IWFS CHATEAU BEYCHEVELLE WINE DINNER 18th OCTOBER 2012

Poor Jeremy. Not much sooner had the notice for this dinner gone out to the members did he get inundated with acceptances. Whilst not normally a bad thing, on this occasion there was a strict limit on the number of places available. All twenty were snapped up literally within minutes, and many IWFS KL members had to be put on a waiting list. 

It was difficult not to see why. A marvellous selection of wines from one of the leading chateax of St Julien and paired with the food from one of the leading restaurants in the city at a steal of a price. Most of us were on tenterhooks, wondering if we would be part of the chosen few. 

The email with the seating duly came and those fortunate enough to have made the cut found themselves duly allocated. I got to be one of the lucky ones along with my nearest and dearest. Maybe being the food and wine writer in situ for the IWFS helped. No dinner, no write up. Ah, the perques of leverage.

Let the drinking begin!

Located in the Shangri-La Hotel in the Golden Triangle business district of Kuala Lumpur, Lafite remains one of the go-to restaurants for fine French style cuisine. In recent years, the menu had become somewhat molecular, though the quality remained unmatched. The evening’s offering from new-ish Chef de Cuisine John Nash saw a return to more traditional ingredients in what appeared a well thought through attempt to match the wine and cuisine. A delightful evening appeared in prospect.

We learned from Secretary Jeremy's notice that Chateau Beychevelle is classified as a 4th growth though many consider that it should be moved up the classification list. The Chateau's origins go back to the Middle Ages, it being constructed in 1565, and covers some 90 hectares. It is affectionately known as the ‘Versailles of the Medoc’ because of its elegant classical architecture and formal French gardens. The soil is deep Garonne gravel which ensures that the wines extend way down into the sub soil to gather the special nutrients that are conveyed up into the grapes. The grape varieties in the final wine are typically: 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc & 2% Petit Verdot. Vinification is carried out in the traditional manner. The wine is aged for 18 months in oak barrels with production in the range of 40,000 to 50,000 cases. 

We were also to be joined by Mr Aymar de Baillenx, the overall Manager of the Chateau who would explain a little more about his wines at the dinner.

7 Spice Prawn and Crab appetizer

IWFS Secretary Jeremy had advised us that things would get underway at 7pm arrival, with a 7.20pm intro to the wine by the guest of honour and food and 7.30pm to eat. We were a bit delayed and on a 7.25pm arrival at the restaurant, we were somewhat surprised to see everyone queued up in the reception area clearly waiting to be seated. It was reminiscent of waiting for the dinner hall at school to open. And no aperitif to boot. Merde. Greetings were interspersed with many a grumbling of “I’m thirsty.” After all, the IWFS is a wine and food society, and so the wine should come naturally first. The maitre d’ must have heard the rumblings of discontent, for no sooner had we said our hellos we got ushered to our tables and quickly served with a glass of the Chateau Beychevelle Grand Bateau Blanc 2010. Though not as crisply refreshing as one might have wanted in an aperitif wine, no one seemed to be complaining. Methinks everyone was happy to finally have something to sip and swirl. On its own it was crisp enough, with fair fruit and a pleasant nose, though somewhat thin in body. 

The appetizer of 7 Spices Prawn and Crab with caviar, avocado and orange was a delightful mélange of tastes and textures to get the food adventure underway. Looking like a chunk of high end sushi, the avocado softened and enhanced the taste of the crab and prawn beautifully whilst the caviar and orange danced across the tongue. So many sensations – grafefruit, salt, savoury – and not overly sweet. Pairing a low acidity wine with all of these tastes now made sense. A more acidic wine would have hammered all these into submission. A great start.

Chateau Manager Mr Aymar de Baillenx was then invited to share some knowledge of the wines. He didn't say too much, evidently preferring to leave the wine and the food to do the talking. Smart man.

Pan Fried Sole Fillets

The second wine to come to the table was the Secret de Grand Bateau 2010, another Sauvignon Blanc though presumably from a different parcel of land. The difference was palpable. A very well made wine, almost Burgundian in the mouth with layered textures though the nose came across as a bit barnyard – that slightly fermented sense which suggests the vines may be a bit close to the compost heap. Honeyed finish, almost cloying. Might make a useful dessert wine.

It did, however, come into its own with the Pan Fried Sole Fillets in grapefruit, vanilla and mushroom. The sole was tender and pleasantly not overcooked, so the texture came through wonderfully. The grapefruit lent nice acidity whilst the mushroom gave underlying crunch. But the genius was the melted butter with which the sole had been doused. It cut the sugar in the wine and helped bring out the acidity making for a more rounded taste on the wine and a delightful complement to the food. A lovely match.

Both the third and fourth wines came out together so everyone had a chance to compare them ahead of the food. The general table consensus for the Grand Bateau Rouge 2010 was “yummy”. A Cabernet Merlot blend, this had a great nose of berries, black pepper and spice. Very smooth going down with nice weight and even  tannins though the alcohol felt a bit prominent. A very easy drinker.

Lenglui enjoying the Sole

The Secret de Grand Bateau Rouge 2010 was a standard bordeaux blend with some Cab Franc being added to the Cab Sauv and Merlot. It came across as slightly sweet though well balanced with even tannins. Damson and plum suggested a higher percentage of Merlot. Very full finish, though like the predecessor the alcohol felt a bit on the high side. 

The Braised Rabbit Stew with white bean, frisee and brioche was somewhat drier than one might expect of something called a stew. Not much in the way of gravy but there you go. The bean and brioche lent a pleasant textural foundation for the beautifully braised meat which came over as a shade salted though not overly so. Texturally reminiscent of tinned tuna for some reason. For those of us who remember rabbit stew when they were caught out in the wild, this was a new twist on a classic. I have no notes on the pairing.

We were now on the home straight with the two main eventers making their ways to the table. Both the Amiral de Beychevelle 2008 and the Chateau Beychevelle 1998 were blends of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. The Amiral was pure bordeaux, with cassis prominent in a smooth sleek and velvet nose. Qutie tannic as one would expect for a wine so young, with a lovely balance that needs a minimum eight more years in the bottle. The 1998 naturally outshone all that had gone before it. A lovely expression of a top end bordeaux, this was the business. Cassis, blackcurrant, herbs, rain and hillsides. A true smell and taste of the romance that can only be France.

Pecan Crusted Venison Loin

The Pecan Crusted Venison Loin with sweet potato, brussel sprouts and juniper berry was not as rich as previous experience with this kind of meat would have suggested. Mine was medium rare, and was lovely. Enough texture on its own, the pecans and sweet potato brought out the softness of the meat and the ensemble came together in a crunching mouth melting finale. Although the sweet potato did look a bit off putting – large brown pellets reminiscent of something that Bambi might have, er, left in the forest. Sometimes you just have to close your eyes. 

The venison naturally cut through the tannins and was a belter with both wines, though the Beychevelle 1998 took the honours. Dessert of Quince and Apple Cobbler with oatmeal, white chocolate and caramel sweetened things off in a liquidly creamy crunchy and not too sweet kind of way. Though for some reason all at the table were calling for more bread. It was terribly, saltily, moreishly delicious and doing stout service in soaking up the remains of the wine which was being poured to any who could still raise a glass. Which leads one to wonder whether enough food had been served. Though no one voiced any complaint on this point. Maybe the bread was just too good.

In all, a great evening of wine and food and friendship. It was unfortunate that there were insufficient places to accommodate all IWFS KL members who wanted to attend. But there will be many more in the future. Look out for the President's Ball on December 8th at Cilantro!

International Wine & Food Society Kuala Lumpur

‘Ch. Beychevelle Wine Dinner’

7-Spices Prawn and Crab

Caviar, Avocado,Orange

 Grand Bateau Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc 2010

****

Pan Fried Sole Fillets

Graoefruit, Vanilla, Mushroom

Secret de Grand Bateau, Sauvignon Blanc 2010

****

Braised Rabbit Stew

White Bean, Frisse, Brioche

Grand Bateau Rouge, Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2010

Secret de Grand Bateau Rouge, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc 2010

****

Pecan Crusted Venison Loin

Sweet Potato, Brussel Sprouts, Juniper Berries

Amiral de Beychevelle, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc,Petit Verdot 2007

Chateau Beychevelle, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot 1998

****

Quince and Apple Cobler

Oatmeal,White Chocolate, Caramel

New Menu at the Prime October 2012

Been threatening to give this one a shot for ages, and with someone's birthday looming a booking was made. In the end the birthday girl couldn't show but Lenglui myself and the Doc went ahead. The Doc had a RM200 voucher that needed redeeming, and wanted to try out some dishes on their recently amended menu. What to do?

Whilst the reception area was clearly undergoing major renovations, the interior of the Prime had not changed. Long legendary for some of the best steak in the city, we naturally wanted to see if it still had the mojo. The menu had indeed been updated, and the prices had evidently been revised upwards. Maybe blame the bad harvest on increasing grain prices. Inflation had clearly come to the Prime.

Lenglui opted for Angus ribeye, the Doc went for an 1824 Sirloin and I went with a different ribeye. Shared starter of green salad and a delightful Thai style beef with crispy noodle - sweet without cloying and great texture and carbo to combine with the beef proteins. Washed down with a glass of Mumm NV cold fizz, it made for a delightful ensemble.

The Prime is quite reasonable on their corkage, opting to allow no corkage on a bottle brought so long as one is bought from their list. Always a good reason to prefer one restaurant over another. We'd brought a 2005 Brunello which the Doc had brought to a previous food outing and had gone undrunk. Big berries on the nose, powerful and full fruit on the mouth, lovely tannins and great balance, a wine of flair and finesse. It paired with the steak magnificently. The steak was…. okay I suppose. We all opted for the 8oz and they were all done according to our tastes. I just wasn't blown away by them. As we always do here in Malaysia, we all tasted a bit of each others food. Again, all were good and fine and tasty but just not… mindblowing. I guess if we want mindblowing we have to buy the wagyu steak with the marble, but at triple the price it felt too much of a whack to the wallet. 

Another whack to the wallet was to come. Whilst most KL Hotels mark the car parking at a flat rate for the weekend, Hilton and Le Meridien do not. You get two hours at RM8 but each successive hour is RM5. So total carpark whack was RM18. At the Shang, max on a weekend after 7pm is RM10. Feels like quite a lot to pay for the privilege of dining at the Prime. Certainly a reason not to go back there. Coupled with the so so okay only steak, will look to retry the Dish on Tun Razak. Cheaper parking too.

Pleasantly surprised with The Mill Cafe at the Grand Millenium, October 20 2012.

Following a shop hunt at the Uniqlo, we decided upon the Millennium Hotel as our food destination for the night. Lenglui had recently applied for the Hotel card so being in the area it seemed the ideal opportunity to give it a try. 

Previously known as The Regent Hotel, the Millennium now sports a swanky grey marble interior which makes for a cool austere ambiance. Our original plan was to try out the Japanese restaurant there, but on being told that they were fully booked we allowed ourselves to be escorted to The Mill Cafe. In a previous incarnation we remembered it as a tasty Italian outlet. The offering for the buffet was a fairly standard hotel mix of japanese, indian, chinese and italian and looked reasonaby appetizing so down we sat. The wine list was reasonable and we plumped for a 2009 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. 

The service was attentive and friendly without being overpowering, and the food was well prepared and tasty enough. Pizza was light and crisp, Pumpkin soup a bit large in the mouth, sashimi, prawns and oysters were okay, the Chinese offerings looked a bit sad as did the beef so we passed. Desserts came out a bit on the stodgy side, though not overly sweet.

Star of the night was the Lamb Masala with the Aloo Gobi and freshly baked Naan and Tandoori Chicken. Hotels get notoriously bland with their food but this was full blown in the mouth with solid spice and fire. Perfect match with the ageing and slightly sweet wine. The chef (aptly named Makhan Singh) came across to chat with us and told us of his history in KL. Seems he was instrumental in starting up the Bombay Palace and has since served various tours of the hotel restaurants around the city. Definitely worth a return visit for the masala.

CIMB Cards get discount on the food at the moment, so our card was pretty redundant on the night. After dinner we sat at the reception waiting for the band to start. Following a five minute sit during which no one had come to see if we wanted drinks, we decided to opt for home and the football. 

Buffet was RM88++, wine was RM140++

OVERVIEW OF SPANISH WINES, VINTRY DAMANSARA, 26TH SEPTEMBER 2012

Vintry interior

I got a phone call from the Doc. "Ever tried Spanish wine?" he asked.  Well, yes, I said. Sort of. Well, only if you count a session with the Wine Tasting Committee last month, which got very hazy. Outside of this, my experience with the wines of Spain had not been generally positive. A road trip around the country in my early drinking days had found little to commend them. Rough, tasting of red earth and brick, and all of them not really worth the hangover. Occasional bottles since had done little to change this view. 

"Come to Ribs on Monday. You might be pleasantly surprised."  Very good, I said. "Only a hundred bucks." 

I really must learn to ask the price of these things in advance.

The Doc had clearly given this same sales pitch to a few of his friends, because come the Monday there were 24 intrepid and adventurous bibbers ready to embark upon Vintry's Brief Overview of Spanish Wines as part of Vintry's "Experience Wine" series. It did look a most pleasant prospect - eight different styles of wine accompanied by a variety of tasty cheeses from the same part of the world. 

Happy bibbers!

IWFS President Dr Rajan said a brief hello and introduced owner Wong Yin How to talk about the wines. The first was a 2009 Albarino by Martin Castro which proved to be a deligthful aperitif; crisp and fresh, scraping the throat and cleansing the palate. Texturally coming across as a cross between a Chard and a Sauvignon Blanc, and tasting of liquid sherbet lemons. Nice.

The cheese, bread and fruits came out after the first had been swallowed to accompany the extremely drinkable 2010 Godello by Val de Sil. There was a quartz like minerality to this one, as if it had been strained through pebbledash. Bright and sharp, would be a belter with shellfish. I bought two bottles.

Third out as a 2007 Mencia by Altos de Losada. Billed as Spain's answer to the Pinot, I found it reminiscent of some of the lighter Malbecs coming out of Argentina. Nice lush fruit with good alcohol and tannin. 

The two Riojas that followed offered a contrast between old school 1999 Faustino Gran Reserva and new school 2004 Sierra Cantabria. The latter was more approachable in fruit and food friendly match, thought the former scored better in lean and refined structure. Very sleek and silky.

More cheese was demanded and cheerily supplied as the final three wines made their way to the glass. The remaining wines got lost in the mist of conversation and walnuts. Also, my notes have somehow gone missing. But the last was pleasantly memorable, a sweet port style with loads of depth and richness. This style goes back years whereby they keep adding to the original cask. Sounds similar to the way they make sourdough bread. 

In all, a good evening and a great way to taste some excellent wines at fair value. Though tasting eight wines in two hours seemed like a tall ask. A very pleasant ask, but a tall one nonetheless. And indeed so it proved to be. The reds needed to be savoured, and some folks had to leave early to make dinner appointments. Lesson: start earlier next time. This was somewhat assuaged by Yin How offering 20% discount on purchases on the night. My appeal for 25% for IWFS Committtee members was deftly ignored. Well, there need to be some perks to the job? Don't there?

some of the debris...

"Fine Dining Chinese Cuisine" - IWFS Dinner Noble House Restaurant 23rd August 2012

"Fine Dining Chinese Cuisine" - IWFS Dinner Noble House Restaurant 23rd August 2012

It's not always easy to match a range of wines with Chinese style food. In the West, our focus is more on taste whereas in the East the emphasis is more on texture. And where sequence in the West generally goes from light to heavy in terms of richness, the East would look for each preceding dish to be followed by one that often contrasts and contradicts to cleanse and rest the system for the next in sequence. It's a different harmony of senses where the alcohol is replaced with often high quality Pu Erh tea. 

Notwithstanding, many Chinese style dishes do pair extremely well with wine. The meats and fish dishes in particular can be nicely matched with a range of varietels and blends. So, since the IWFS Kuala Lumpur had not had a banquet style function for a while it was decided to book the Noble House Restaurant for the August gathering. 

The Noble House is a member of the Oriental Group of Restaurants serving fine Cantonese gourmet delicacies. Opened in January 2003 it quickly established a reputation for being one of the top fine dining Chinese restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, serving the finest Chinese gourmet creations and delicacies in a refreshing contemporary setting. Over the years it has garnered numerous awards, and has been twice placed in the Miele Guide for 2008 and 2010. 

At the food tasting, the Vallaformosa Cava NV brought by Prakash was a lovely glass of fizz that paired nicely with the somewhat salty appetizer. Great bubbles and bead with yeast on the nose and lemon apple in the mouth. Very elegant, very friendly. The La Forge Chardonnay 2009 that I had brought paired very nicely with the Baked Cod Fish. Firm rich texture with enough oak and acidity, it was a pleasing complement to the soft flakes of the cod in its sweetish crisp glaze of soy sauce. So the whites for the function had uickly sorted themselves.  It was decided the remaining wines would be red and we managed to source some suitable candidates from a local supplier. 

Party people!

At the dinner itself, 37 intrepid IWFS foodies and guests gathered, being welcomed with a glass of the well chilled Cava. Taking our seats, we were immediately presented with the appetizers. Deep fried eggplant strips and crispy prawn chips with a lemon mustard mayo dip made for a pleasant amuse bouche, though the pepper dip accompanying the cuttlefish cakes was somewhat fierce. 

Everyone had been shocked by the sudden passing of past IWFS Kuala Lumpur president Ellen Yeow, and President Dr Rajan asked all present to stand for a minute silence in her honour. 

Dr Rajan then introduced Ms Ong Li Dong to tell everyone a little about the Noble House restaurant and chef, which was followed by a description of the food and wine pairing by me which everyone seemed to find amusing. 

The three style abalone first course was quickly consumed. Abalone is a highly regarded delicacy in Cantonese cuisine and its serving is highly respected and regarded as a mark of the wealth of the host. On its own, it has little taste but the texture is delightful, a firm yet soft nut crunch on the palate. The three styles showed off the culinary and presentational creativity of the chef, with minced, sliced and marinated showing on the plate. Most visually pleasant. The slight oil in the dish got crisply cleaned by the Cava.  

The second course Shark Bone soup was different from the original Double-Boiled Seafood Soup in Old Cucumber we had at the food tasting. Seems that the holiday season in Kuala Lumpur meant that the soup ingredients couldn't be sourced so got replaced. The new soup didn't work for me. It came across as quite starchy and tasted of potato and celery for some reason. Killed the Cava and the Chardonnay which was appearing in the glass. Most of our table left the soup relatively untouched.

Baked Cod Fish

The table seemed most pleased with the pairing of the Cod Fish with the La Forge Chardonnay. The full, plush texture of good Burgundy style white with slight oak gained a rich nuttiness whilst retaining a smooth balanced finish. Good match. The excellent and crunchy Kai Lan vegetable that followed gave some necessary green fibre to tthe meal, though as with most green veg it killed the wine.

For the Iberico style Pork Rib, a Spanish wine had suggested itself and it was decided to pair it with a 2005 Vina Real Reserva Rioja. The wine supplier had uttered those two most magical words the English language has produced - "special price" - and we were hooked. The blurb said it was intense with autumn fruit and spice, good acidity and balanced with good length. We found it slightly fading, but still with enough bite to stand up to the ribs. Velvet on the tongue, the ribs did indeed tame the acidity and oak, but the fruit came through to underpin the peppered and sweet meat and made for an excellent match. 

It was at this point in the evening that differences in approaches to wine with food were revealed. The traditional view in the West is that reds should be served room temperature and whites slightly chilled. Chinese style Restaurants in Malaysia normally chill all wines as a matter of course since that is generally what their patrons expect. We guess that the assumption by the staff was "why should the IWFS be any different?" And so it was that we enjoyed extremely chilled reds with the remaining courses. Everyone was entertained by the sight of restaurant staff running around offering hot towels to warm up the wine for those who preferred their beverage more at room temperature. The remaining wines were removed from their ice buckets. 

The tasting change as the wine warmed up was actually quite interesting as different aspects of the wine's character came through. The iced Rioja gave a little dark cherry which became damson with warmth. 

Jeremy and Kalsom Diamond

For the pan fried Australian Beef Fillet we plumped for the special price 2009 Zinfandel from the Ravenswood winery in California's Sonoma Valley. Normally quite muscular, this expression had more of a feminine feel with full fruit, good balance and a round lengthy finish. Less bold than the Rioja, yet retaining the cherry brambly feel in the mouth, the Zin was able to stand up to the beef without overpowering it. The beef itself tasted slightly sweet, and someone remarked that this seemed to be a theme running through all the courses - there seemed to be a sweetness in everything. Not that it was unpleasant; just that it was…   sweet. Maybe it's the sauce that is used to baste and glaze the meat and fish. It was getting a little difficult to distinguish. 

On the home stretch now with one more wine to go. I don't quite recall how the Morande Limited Edition Cab Franc 2008 ended up on the list. I think it was that we don't see much Cab Franc in this part of the world and when the wine supplier gave a silly rather than a special price for it we must have thought "why not?" 

It had been paired with the final course of rice, scallop and crab meat in a superior crab soup. This was where western wine sequencing ran up against eastern food sequencing;  the rice always comes at the end. Traditionally, it is considered good form not to touch the rice as so doing proves to the host that the preceding food was sufficient. Here, it was a delicacy that completed the food sequence with a dose of much needed carbo. So the Cab Franc and rice soup became somewhat unwilling partners. 

In the end, it was not unpleasant. A bit dense with cloves and coffee on the nose and a slightly baked feel, the wine had a pleasant  "end of the night"  kind of quality about it that kept the drinking members at the tables long after everyone else had gone home for the night. The rice soup had a nutty sweetness (that word again) which cut through the tannic structure and lent a counterbalancing sense of velvet on the tongue and palate. 

Li Dong and Rajan with Noble House manager and chef

With snow pear and crispy pancake filled with kaya paste, the evening wound down to a close with Li Dong introducing the chef to the gathering and thanking all for coming to support the function. The food was good to very good but for me fell short of being excellent. The Noble House has found a formula which works extremely well as evidenced by the success of the group and the rest of the restaurant being fully booked out. And they should be commended for being able to turn out consistent well prepared and fine quality dishes for upwards of two and three hundred patrons every night. Perhaps in the phenomenal growth of the group something of the original authenticity has got a little lost in the desire and need to be all things to all people. We see it with hotel restaurants, seemingly a shade fearful of taking a culinary risk and possibly alienating guests of the hotel. Our foodie purists felt that as an expression of Cantonese cuisine the food was way too sweet and would have preferred a more simpler style. 

In all, a most pleasant evening with some sparkling company and lots of laughter and discussion about the food and wines. The pairings for the most part seemed to work well, the iced Rioja was an unexpected experience, though the seeming continual sweetness of all the dishes started to cloy a little after a while. In retrospect, the evening became a good way to honour the memory of our recently departed, engendering that continuity of the spirit in which we all joined the IWFS in the first place - food, wine, fun and friendship. Think maybe Ellen would have enjoyed that. 

MENU AND WINE NOTES

International Wine & Food Society Kuala Lumpur

"Fine Dining Chinese Cuisine"

Appetizers

餐前小食

Special Four Appetizers

泰式脆虾饼

Crispy Prawn Cracker Thai Style

泰式鲜鱿饼

Cuttle Fish Thai Style

肉崧脆茄子

Deep-Fried Eggplant with Chicken Floss

中式白合珍鲍贝

Sea Clam & Lily Bulb in Oyster Sauce

Masia Vallfarmosa Xor del Ray Cava Brut, Macabo, Xarel Io, Parellada NV

Course One and Two

鲍鱼三元及第

Noble House’s Abalone Three Treasures

八宝金盅

Double-Boiled Seafood Soup in Old Cucumber

Masia Vallfarmosa Xor del Ray Cava Brut, Macabo, Xarel Io, Parellada NV

Course Three and Four

惠式焗银鳕鱼

Baked Cod Fish with Chef‘s Special Sauce in Dragon Fruit Boat

照烧鸡脾菇炒香港芥兰

Stir Fried Hong Kong Kai Lan with Apricot Mushroom

Paul Mas La Forge Estate Chardonnay, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France 2009

Course Five

炭 烧 排 骨

Charcoal Grilled Pork Rib

Vina Real Reserva 2005

Course Six

鍋仔煎牛仔柳

Pan-Fried Australian Beef Fillet

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2009

Course Seven

蟹汤过桥映央泡饭

Two Variety Rice with Scallop & Crab Meat in Superior Crab Soup　

Morande Limited Edition Cabernet Franc 2008

Course Eight

茶皇蜜梨

Chilled Hasma in Snow Pear 

酥 皮 窝 饼

Crispy Pancake

THE WINES

Masia Vallfarmosa Xor del Ray Cava Brut, Macabo, Xarel Io, Parellada NV

Vallformosa Winery Cava Brut is a fresh Cava, with a light, long lasting taste and an excellent bouquet - the result of two years ageing. Clean, clear straw in colour, well-integrated bubbles, good yeasty fresh bread aroma with hints of apricot, apples and spice with lemon sherbet on the finish. Rich feel, but elegant and cleansing in the mouth, hinting at the elegant, classical finish to follow. 

Paul Mas La Forge Estate Chardonnay, Vin de Pays d'Oc, France 2009

A rich and smoky Chard with nuanced toasty aromas and flavors of wood-grilled red apples with a caramel drizzle, peach pit and Key lime citrus. Solidly structured with good heft, a long finish and prominent acidity that keeps the wine from going over the edge and being too flabby. Well balanced and very accessible.

Vina Real Reserva 2005

Indicative blend: 90% Tempranillo, 3% Mazuelo, 3% Graciano, 3% Garnacha tinta. Area: Rioja Alavesa Deep ruby and cherry red, with the lightest hint of a terracotta edge. Good intensity on the nose, with ripe autumn fruits, warm spices and elegant toasty oak. The palate is rich, warming and velvet, with good acidity and noble tannin. The vanilla from the oak is beautifully married with the raspberry fruit of the Tempranillo producing a find, rich, complex palate and length of finish.

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2009

Area: Sonoma, California USA. Raspberries, blueberries, black cherries, and spicy hints of oak spring forth from the fruit-laden aroma of this wine. Well- balanced with supple tannins and a long, fruit-forward but not too jammy finish make this wine a pleasure to drink now and for the next couple of years. A sophisticated yet easy drinking wine.

Morande Limited Edition Cabernet Franc 2008

Area: Maipo Valley, Chile. Deep-red with shades of purple, dense and shining. Black fruits, coffee and dark chocolate. Spicy, with hints of vanilla and cloves. Fresh, rounded and intense with flavours of chocolate, raspberry and black coffee. Great tannins and long persistence. A little funky and cheesy on the nose, with leather, olive and leafy berry fruit aromas. The palate feel is staunch and tannic, a little baked with some heat and smoke but also flavorful and generous.

VINTAGE 2008 - 89 POINTS, WINE ENTHUSIAST, DEC 2011 (USA)