Pol-Roger at Ribs Damansara - Ooo La La!!

November 6th 2014 - This was one that got neglected as a result of getting caught up in a Rock Blues Singing and Writing Revival and which dropped off the desktop. My singing and lyric writing has taken off thanks to a brilliant little website for musicians called Wikiloops. Musicians across the world can upload a recording of themself playing their instrument to the central site. Other musicians can then download that recording and record themselves with it in a "jam" with their instrument. This new recording gets uploaded, which can then get further downloaded and layered with other jams. Since I found it, lyrics have been pouring out of me and I have been having the absolute best of times recordings myself singing them and uploading them to Wikiloops. Strange - barely wrote a lyric for three years and now…  tap got turned on and they are gushing. Check it out at www.wikiloops.com and do a search for gwailoah (that's me). You might have to register but there is absolutely no spamming and you don't need to be a musician to listen to the tracks. Or follow this link http://www.wikiloops.com/artist/gwailoah.php

Mr. Hubert from Pol-Roger

Anyhow, wanted to give a loud shoutout to another good night at the Ribs in the company of M. Hubert de Billy from Pol-Roger, who was here in South East Asia on a tour of meetings with distributors. Yin-How of Ribs was one of them and he put together a good looking dinner to mark the occasion and help to showcase the good stuff. How to say no? 

We don't see much (read ANY) Pol-Roger in the stores or the restaurants, but presumably it is there. The name is the stuff of legend, the world of James Bond, exquisite living on the Cap D'Or sucking on a bottle of fizz with oysters for breakfast whilst zooming along the Corniches of the Riviera in an open top sports car. Winston Churchill was said to have whiskey before a meal, cognac after, and Pol-Roger with. They even named the street where their central office in Epernay is located after him. Though it was a surprise to hear that their central office is in Hereford - the story is that when part of the company got bought over by HP Bulmer the Cider maker they didn't want the expense or upheaval of relocating staff to London. Renting space would be horrific. So they stayed. Though they now have a London office for marketing and storage. 

The Pol-Roger website notes that the relationship between it and Sir Winston Churchill dates back to a luncheon given by the British Ambassador to France soon after the liberation of Paris. At the lunch were Mme. Odette Pol-Roger and Sir Winston, both of whom became fast friends in a friendship which continued until his passing. Presumably it was there that he also developed his taste for the fizz, of which he once said "in victory, deserve it. In defeat, need it!"

Sir Winston's connection to the Pol-Roger house was loyal and clearly affectionate. It seems he never made it to visiting the winery, though he famously designated it as “the most drinkable address in the world”. Another of his pithy epithets was “My tastes are simple, I am easily satisfied with the best”. He also had a racehorse named Pol-Roger which was a winner at Kempton Park in 1953. 

Lenglui had to pull out last minute due to strep throat so the Doc being already slotted as substitute was happy to step up to the table. I got there slightly ahead of time though some had already been seated and were chugging happily on the first fizz. Doc and I had been parked with M. Hubert for the dinner, who proved a shade shy on his feet but most excellent company at the table. Representing the fifth generation of the Pol-Roger family, M. Hubert has been in charge of public relations and brand development. He studied Business in Reims, Paris and San Francisco and has been a member of the directoire since 1998. Together with wine maker Dominique Petit, they suggest the potential blend of the cuvee to the rest of the family members (father, sister, uncle) for final approval. 

The short version is that the food was well tasty and the fizz was delightful. We started with the usual porky style canapes that the Ribs does so very well, and they really helped the fizz grip the throat nicely ahead of the feast that was to come. 

The oysters came in three styles. The Doc thought the one with the radish went well with the NV fizz, though others on the table liked the lemon yuzu with caviar. For me the lime garlic and chili did the trick nicely - good spritz on the tongue which was zapped nicely by the crisp clean and perfectly chilled fizz. Very lively, though maybe needed a shade more caviar for salt to test the NV. A brilliantly young and crisp fizz though - perhaps a shade too bright for my taste but a very good champagne nevertheless. 

Trio of Fin de Claire Oysters

M. Hubert shared that it is only the Brits who like the Vintage Champagne; the rest of the world like the NV because it has more life. Okay, makes sense, and it is true that we Brits like things a bit aged for some reason. Maybe it is because of the gamey food styles us Brits go for - we hang meat and game and like to let our cheese rot for a while. And we learned that the UK is still the biggest market for Pol-Roger. 

The Vintage 2002 got paired with the Lobster and worked well, though in truth it would have been a belter with the earlier oysters. Calls for more oysters to test this particular theory not unexpectedly fell on deaf ears. Well, don't ask don't get, eh?

Grilled Slipper Lobster

The Rose 2004 got paired with some cold braised duck. Some nice fat on the meat made the cold duck taste wonderful and the pink fizz let the gamey meat and hard fat meld into a full chewy bite that oozed taste and juice. Lovely. The Rose itself was more masculine than traditional Roses, and intentionally so. Seems it took M. Hubert's father three times of asking the grandfather to give permission to make a Rose, which was ultimately granted only on condition that Grandpa would not be made to drink it. Conventional wisdom at the time was that to create a successful Rose, it had to be sweet, light pink and in a feminine bottle. Pol-Roger went completely against this grain and produced a non sweet, dark pink fizz in a masculine bottle. And it worked, both then and now - firm in the mouth and finish, this Rose is no lady (though perhaps it is not quite a gentleman either). It is a good belt of bubbles and taste, with enough fruit to tittilate and sufficient body heft to feel that this was indeed a drink for the soul rather than the mind.

Cold Braised Duck

Dish of the night was the Pork - lovely gravy with well braised meat and chips of crackled skin which gave crunch to the lean fatty texture of what was a slab of excellent pork. The gravy was rich, full, exploding with stock and a soy sauce barbecue blast across the cheeks. Home run for the Chef for this one. Ribs do their pork extremely well.

Soy Braised Pork Belly with Foie Gras

Paired with the Sir Winston Churchill, this was the Pol-Roger piece de resistance. Made from Grand Cru grapes only, this was champagne at its finest - slight biscuit nose and taste, the cleanest of bubbles that popped and zapped the cheeks and the smoothest and finest of finishes. Now THIS is a breakfast champagne to go with the oysters and caviar. 

Dessert was somewhat anticlimactic, though trying to follow the pork would have killed most things. Good choice to go for a simple fruits and cream, which cleaned the palate nicely and freshly and became a nice cap on the evening.

Order forms for the fizz came around. I opted for the Rose and a bottle of the Sir Winston which I will yank out from the fridge one day when the occasion arises. 

Also wanted to keep it for an occasion for when the Doc would have kicked his second bout with the Leukemia into oblivion. Didn't happen - this would prove to be the second last time I would share his company. Within twenty four days he would be gone. Life can be a bastard like that. But it was a great evening with him, and will stay with me as a result. Which is part of the reason I wanted to upload this report and not let it rot in some folder on the Mac like a lot of others. He was in very good spirits and form on the night, usual dry crackling wit, sipping his fizz like a champion and thoroughly enjoying it with his duck and his pork. Great memory. Will think of him when it gets popped.

POL-ROGER WINE DINNER 

6th NOVEMBER 2014, 7.30PM

Selection of Canapes

Pol-Roger Brut Reserve NV

Trio of Fine de Claire oysters topped with garlic lime chilli coriander, lemon caviar and ponzu grated radish 

Pol-Roger Brut Reserve NV

Grilled Slipper Lobster with kaffir infused burnt butter and lemon salt 

Pol-Roger Brut Vintage 2002

Cold Braised Duck with tangy pomelo vinaigrette and crispy julienned Bentong ginger and fire roasted capsicum 

Pol-Roger Brut Rose Vintage 2004

Soy braised pork belly and Foie Gras served with crispy lotus root and crackled pork skin

Pol-Roger Sir Winston Churchill 2000

Fresh strawberries with calamansi infused crème fraiche topped with toasted pistachios and white wine agave nectar reduction

Las Vacas - excellent steak!

Las Vacas KLCC

July 12th 2015 - Phoo. Lot of eating and drinking this week. Actually, lot of eating and drinking every week… Getting fat and lazy. Got to get back on the walking track! 

Texas had suggested an evening at Las Vacas, a steakhouse style eatery with outlets around KL. Did some quick research and the reviews looked positive so yes we said. 

Las Vacas is essentially a butcher's shop cum restaurant with various cuts of beef and lamb for sale, and an option of having your purchases cooked for you and dining in at the restaurant area. Those who remember the legendary Dish further up the Tun Razak Road will remember this facility. We miss the Dish tremendously - for a brief wonderful time it used to be our favourite place for steak in the city. Choose your meat, open your bottle of not unreasonably priced red and slip into a wonderful world. Perfectly seared rib eye and their duck fat fried potatoes were sublime. Then the old story - new management comes in, staff leave, prices go up, quantity and quality go down, service gets grim and we stopped going. Prime took over as our steak destination for a while, but there was seemingly nothing to replace the quality that was the Dish. Until now. [NB Marble 8 we know of but we have been reluctant to visit given the scary prices of meat and corkage. Beast we have been threatening but don't seem to get there. We also like the steak at Osteria Realblue in Publika but their prices have crept up of late. Anyone got any steak recommendations?]

Behind the counter and kitchen

The website says Las Vacas was started in 2007 in Kelana Jaya by presumably local boys Yusof Dayan and Freddy Azman and now have additional outlets in Mont Kiara and Jalan Yap Kwan Seng (though another is due to open soon in Sunway Putra Mall). The tagline is "From the Blade to the Flame to the Plate, we believe in serving you the freshest meat." The meat is certified Halal Australian beef and New Zealand lamb, and Las Vacas provides all primary cuts (Rib Eye, Sirloin, Striploin, Tenderloin, Rump) as well as beef roasts, pies, sausages, burgers. There is also Grade 8 and 10 Wagyu Beef and Black Angus available. Cooking charge at the Yap Kwan Seng outlet is RM30 with salad and fries or RM50 with extra side (NB this is the price for cooking meat under 1kg - is RM100 flat to cook meat over 1kg).

Las Vacas interior

We were going to the Yap Kwan Seng outlet, located in a shophouse block that fronts the roadside just on the left after you take the turnoff from Jalan Tun Razak. For those who remember the old Eurodeli, it is the shophouse block in front of where it used to be. 

We arrived at 7.15pm to get told that we could only start drinking at 8pm once those who were observing Ramadhan had broken fast at sundown. First time I had come across this, but it kind of made sense - alcohol is forbidden by the faith and if a short refraining helps to balance sensitivities then so be it. Om.

Where's the beef? Here! Hallo...

We also got told that the meat on the menu was not available and we could only eat beef bought from the cold shelf. Hmmm. I do get a bit irritated when told that menu items are not available, and to have a whole swathe of options removed at a stroke seems odd - makes downloading the menu from the website a bit of a waste of time, eh? 

Is it Eight O'Clock yet?

It was a long thirty minutes. But time passes in its own, er, time and we duly clinked glasses and broke thirst on the 8pm dot. Except for friend Kelvin. We learned that he uses Puasa to refrain from the booze, bit like the Christyones do during lent. Says it gives the system a rest and makes one appreciate more at the end of the thirsting period. Twenty eight days without a drink - maybe one day. Not sure my system could take such abstinence...

The thirty minutes also gave us time to enjoy the Las Vacas ambience. Lots of brown panelled wood and shelves, nice meaty smoky smell on entrance, large dining area with high ceilings (which would usually predict that the place would be a bit warm but the temperature through the evening was very comfortable). The oak floorboards did give off an earthy South American vibe which clearly dovetailed with the name. Tables were spread comfortably across the dining area, lots of space between dining groups. A butcher's display with all the meats available dominated and the meat did look superb. Lenglui chose a chunk of ribeye and we were sorted. 

Yep!!

The kitchen was well prepared for the breaking and the food came out swiftly for our Muslim compadres to eat. The kitchen staff then had a little time to rest up and start preparing our orders. First time I ever saw Chefs checking their handphones in the kitchen.  Ten of us were sat at a long table, orders got taken and the drink kept getting poured. Texas had brought his Oyster Bay and I had brought one of his Australian Chardonnays from a previous dinner. The wines stayed pretty much at their ends of the table, though I did take some of our CdP to share with friend Reto at the other end of the table. Mostly to sample his South American looking contribution. Self interest? Me?

Notwithstanding his abstinence, fair play to Kelvin who had brought a Penfolds St Henri Shiraz (which he has brought to previous evenings of wine and food). It ultimately went undrunk on the night, though we exacted a promise for him to bring to a future dinner. We swiftly polished off the white along with a tasty Montes Alpha Carmenere brought by friend Herman and a 2009 CdP I'd bought previously from Cave and Cellar. The white was most pleasant, with crisp honey apples on nose and throat and excellent chewy acidity. The Carmenere had good medium body and balance, though the fruit felt a bit thin on occasion. Good length on the finish, and easy on the palate. This CdP was a bit mean - fruit a bit reedy and balance not quite in kilter. But it was reasonably drinkable and went reasonably well with that magnificent chunk of ribeye Lenglui had reserved and which came out in medium rare perfection. The meat quality was stellar - lean, some slight marble, but perfect red pink inside. And excellently cooked with minimal salt and pepper - perfect. There's an old saying that you can't cook a good steak badly - I disagree, but you can do a fantastic job with a good steak and Las Vacas was well on point here. Side dishes of Cauliflower cheese and roast potatoes made for good pairings with the food and in total a very pleasant dining experience. 

The 500g Lamb Burger. Yes.

Others on the table went for various choices. Las Vacas reviews had put the Lamb Burger near the top of the eating tree and Kelvin went for the big one - a half kilo of meat between a bread bun and topped with a fried egg. It looked massive - a tower of three patties and cheese rising a good ten inches into the air. And he finished it - not a crumb left on the plate. He said it was good. Clearly…  

All our food came out pretty much at the same time, and staff left us alone for the rest of the noisy evening. In this sense, service was good. Sometimes the best service is staying out of the way. Kudos to Las Vacas for this.

It was a wonderfully noisy evening of food and wine. Lots of talk about where next to eat - Uncle Lim's Korean BBQ got suggested along with the Marco Polo special going on at the time. Here, prices on certain items would be set at what they used to be 35 years ago. A couple of quick phone calls and a table got booked and people signed up. I expressed a hope that whilst the prices might be 35 years old, the food would not be similarly aged. This was in light of a story that had surfaced in China whereby food that had been frozen for 70 years was getting unearthed and unfrozen and served. Naturally it would prove not to be so. Of course not! Marco Polo is a National Food Treasure which we love dearly. Long may it live!

Black Angus Steak. Yum.

We will definitely return to Las Vacas when the urge to splurge on good steak resurfaces. Parking is easy and free (if you get lucky you can get one in front of the restaurant, otherwise lots of space around the back of the shophouse building). Prices are not unfair, and corkage is RM30 a bottle (the wine list there is a bit thin). Jan Shaw took the photos for this report, though I will look to take some next time - Lenglui has a new iPhone and has promised I can get some shots with it. Now just have to learn how to get them out of the sucker. Took us two weeks to figure out how to put the thing in silent mode. Smart phones can make you feel really stupid sometimes...

Operating Hours

Monday to Sunday

(7days a week) = 12pm – 11pm 

No.33, Lot 5, Ground Floor, 

Wisma Winbond, 

Jalan Yap Kwan Seng,

50450, Kuala Lumpur 

Tel: +603-2181-5586 

www.lasvacasmeat.com

UPDATE

Subsequent visit proved not so good. Meat felt somehow overpriced and a bit mean in the mouth. Perhaps an expectations thing, but the second time was certainly not as magic as the first. Bit ordinary. Odd. 

Ohla - Quite OK Lah…

July 10 2015 - This was a fairly late arrangement - a surprise birthday party organised by the Pork Man for his lenglui. We got the call a couple of days before and the venue got firmed up the day after. 

Had never heard of the place prior to our friend's SMS, and all he said was it was a tapas bar at the Intermark. Always game for a new place, we naturally said yes. We parked up in the Hotel Car park and took the obligatory handphone photo of the parking location - nothing worse than searching for your car after a good meal in a hot and sweaty and humid underground carpark. Just got to make sure your handphone battery doesn't go flat. The place was a bit difficult to find from the car park and the people working at the hotel also did not seem to know where it was. However, a bit of cowsense and following the nose led us to the outside entrance of the Intermark and finding the Ohla perched outside the building and looking out onto the busy Tun Razak road.

We were slightly early so we decided to sit at the bar with an aperitif. The Ohla is a narrow strip of a room with a bar on one half and a table for 12 in the other. Ambience a bit dark and modern young, quite upmarket swish and a shade austere but cool and quite funky. And a bit cramped. Not much space to swing a cocktail let alone a proverbial cat. Not that one would do such a thing. At least not in this age of instant trial and judgement on the Facebook - swing a living thing anywhere near a phone with a video camera and you are judged for life. Yes. 

Pork Man arrived five minutes after we did and we claimed the table. Ordered some wines which were planted in the ice bucket for the dinner and everyone got stuck into some tasty cocktails. 

To be frank, I remember little about the food, though the starter tapas were brilliant - salty anchovies, tasty duck and something else. And the olives - little salty beauties they were. 

We had a range of tapas dishes to each get a taste. The Roast Chicken Canneloni was a bit cold, but that might have been the dish style.

The suckling pig was a belter - moist, beautifully tender, absolute cracker. Could have come straight out of a Spanish oven. Excellent skin. 

The Octopus was for some reason softish and milky, whilst the Squid Ink Paella felt a total assault of salt, way too much for my tongue to take. Having so said, the combo with the scallop and langoustine was texturally good. 

My experience of the service was not initially strong. I asked one of the staff to please pour some of the now nicely chilled white for the table. I think I saw the staff member gesture to (presumably) one of the underlings to do this, which he failed to be able to do due to being in a rush and under other orders to get some food out. After about a minute and when this staff member failed to step up to help, I got up and started to crack the wine myself - that's me; if the staff can't or won't do it then I will. Not for any aim to embarrass them into action, just because it needs to get done and I am thirsty. The staff member in question still did nothing to come and help with the wine - just stood there watching, looking all important but not stepping into the breach when it had become clearly necessary. Hmmmm....   All of a sudden the sommelier rushed up and ripped the bottle from me. I explained his colleague's absence of assistance quite vehemently. The staff member in question just stood there thick face and pretending not to notice (actually, this was pretty much all this person seemed to do all night, stand around and try to look important but doing pretty much nothing productive - not sure how high this staff member was in the hierarchy but it's difficult to see anyone lasting long in this business with the kind of attitude on display that evening). 

The rest of the staff were nothing short of excellent, getting food and drink to the table in fast time and good humour and efficient professional style. Even the washroom cleaner who had enough suss to get out of the way whilst I was going in. I tipped him for this - got to recognise the good service when you get it. 

Reading Surekha Ragavan's very well written review on the Time Out website, seems that Chef Toni Valero is a man of skill and experience, having cut culinary teeth in such eateries as El Celler de Can Roca and the legendary Mugaritz. Will have to find out how he comes to Kuala Lumpur. 

Someone in the party thought it was difficult to see how the Ohla was going to make serious money - it is a very small place and once full, it's pretty much done punters-wise. They will park up at the bar and slowly chew on the tapas and sip their beer or wine through the night. Unless it's the start of a chain and Chef will look to emulate predecessors who built their empires in the city. Good luck hermano. Didn't see the bill so maybe the premium is marked up to reflect. Though the wine prices seemed not unfair and proved very good value and tasty.

Ohla is worth a visit just to tick it off the list and taste how suckling pig should really be cooked. For me, is not too sure when a return will be imminent - Intermark is just not on our map. We used to go there occasionally when it was the Crown Princess and City Square Mall cos there was a magnificent claypot rice stall there and a couple of brilliant CD stores, but now nowhere as near so often since it got made over. We have been threatening to visit the Beast steakbar in the Intermark since it opened but have yet to do it. The other Intermark eateries we have tried have proven very good - the Hanare for Japanese, the Onsemiro for Korean, The Royal India for, er, Indian - though none have come in for a return visit.

I will aim to go back to Ohla on a less crowded occasion and park at the bar with their delightful aperitif and feed on the olives and tapas and wonderful pig. And get some photos. And see if Thick Face is still there. Hotel Car Parking was not unfair - standard rate after 7pm. Alternative is the LRT to Ampang Park and follow the overhead walkway across Tun Razak. Cheers!

Ohla

48 Jalan Tun Razak 

Lot G-18 Ground Floor the Intermark, 

Kuala Lumpur 50400, Malaysia
Tel: +6012 663 2651

https://www.facebook.com/OhlaTapasCocktails

DC Restaurant - seriously good...

DC Restaurant in Taman Tun

July 25th 2015 - Must say upfront that I thoroughly enjoyed this dinner. This was the rare occasion when the restaurant and its food transported me from Taman Tun to somewhere in the world where culinary skills and fine dining are properly respected and exercised. It could have been a bistro in Paris or Lyon, a restaurant in Florence, or a modern style eaterie in New York. Seriously good food and space and decor. 

We had been hearing good reports of the DC from our IWFS and when Texas circulated an email wondering who might be up for giving it a try we figured it was the perfect opportunity. We have a general policy of looking to try new restaurants early in their lives, because experience suggests that within a shortish time the prices will go up and the portions will go down or the chef will leave for pastures new. Following some schedule reshuffling, eight of us (four couples) confirmed and the thing was on. 

The DC in the restaurant is Darren Chin who is the French culinary techniques trained son of Mr Dave of Dave's Deli fame. Dave's Deli is legend in the food scene in Malaysia, offering up tasty Western style soul food at fair prices at a couple of outlets in the PJ area. Lenglui and I were occasional patrons when our shopping expeditions would take us within range, but we hadn't seen the name for a while and assumed it had gone the way of its contemporaries. So it was heartening to hear that Dave's Deli was indeed alive and well with an outlet in 1 Utama and operating franchises elsewhere in Selangor and Penang. His Roast Chicken and gravy were consistently good and the website shows he is looking to develop the franchise side of the Deli. Every best wish in this! 

And son Darren is clearly following in father's footsteps (or should that be foodsteps?) though taking a more refined line. He trained for two years in France and has developed a passionate belief in "young cuisine" which he sees as stripping food down to its unpretentious bare essentials and presenting it in its purest natural form. He recognises that this requires a degree of open mindedness on the part of patrons, but feels that those who do follow him and his staff on their gastronomic trip will be well and pleasantly rewarded.

Our wines

DC restaurant is a three storey shophouse located in TTDI, Kuala Lumpur. The website says that each of the three floors offers a different dining experience, though all are "inspired by the same spirit of innovation." On the ground level is "Le Comptoir" where patrons can enjoy a swift or slow aperitif before proceeding upstairs to the first floor "La Salle" for dinner. It looked closed as we entered the place, so after our dinner, I nipped in to take a look - it was a long winding bar where people could gather and either sip or sup with various tidbits. Indeed, the night we were there Chef Darren and staff were preparing to welcome a cast party. Seems there is a concise a la carte menu and dishes will vary from day to day depending on what is good at the markets. 

As said, first floor is La Salle and is the main dining area with space for a total of probably around twenty five patrons. The upper floor above La Salle will be a playroom for chefs to experiment and hold weekend classes for all you Masterchef wannabees. The menu changes pretty regularly, though it seems to remain a standard 5 or 7 course fixed price degustation tasting menu. Wines are available, though the blogs were suggesting that the DC wine list was not really up to the standard of the food so for our session it was decided to allocate vinous responsibilities between us all and pay the RM50 corkage. Seems that this is partially why many restaurants will not carry the high end wines - they become difficult to sell because the target buyer will normally bring their own to sup and stand the corkage. Fair enough - no point to have big wines sucking up the electricity for their storage when they won't pay their way. Sommelier Jan shared that the DC wine list was being upgraded and a swift look at the winelist-to-be showed good offerings of Bordeaux Second wines and other European delights. Nice to see, but we'll probably still bring our own. The glassware at the DC was excellent.

Chef Darren explains a dish

We all arrived pretty much within five minutes of each other and got greeted with some crispy sweet fruit juice mocktail in a shooter glass before getting escorted upstairs and to our seats. Chef Darren greeted us at the top of the stairs and Sommelier Jan discussed the order of our wines once we were seated. The ambience was very tasteful and nicely subdued. Very French and refined, with light Jazz piano music lending an air of easy sophistication. And white starched tablecloths. Don't know what it is but there is just something…   they make such a statement of expectation, that somehow at the mere sight of starchy white you just know it's going to be good. The butter dishes were also a nice touch, reminiscent of Paul Bocuse in Lyon. They were very cute. And the truffle butter inside them would prove wonderful with the DC Bread Service - it just sang with the home baked croissant. The combo of egg, salt, butter, light crispy croissant crunch, truffle and bubbles was just - ahhhhhhhh…….  totally brilliant way to relax into the evening.

Bread Service and Truffle Butter - awesome!

The fizz was already cool but we gave it an extra five minutes on ice before it got popped. It was worth the extra wait. Lovely drop of frisky cold bubbles. Felt a bit aged with big yeast bread on the nose and meaty fruit in the mouth which, when added to the chunky bubbles and lemon acidity made it a belter to suck on. It really stoked up the salivatories, if there is such a word. And really set the tongue off for that heavenly truffle buttered bread. Om. 

The fizz was still bubbling when the Amuse reached the table, though the Macon Verze had been poured. The Amuse was a beef tendon open sandwich and a fish crispy rice ball, er, open sandwich. Two bites apiece to consume. The Beef Tendon was pretty much pureed into a smooth mush which had a soft creamy texture and not much else at first blush. Though once the crisp flakey crunch of the crusted bread kicked in, the whole was brought into better taste focus. Got a strange toro belly sashimi feel in the mouth (though with a beefy tickle on the tongue) to which the paprika gave a slight burn in the cheek. The Yellowfin Tuna had more body and naturally a more traditional tuna mouth feel, and the Peppered Rice Krispie ball on which it sat gave a wonderful starchy carbo layer to underpin and elevate. Very very nice and a belter with the Macon Verze Puligny which was proving a real star and a table favourite. Creamy golden apples and lemon zest with a clear spring water feel, all in excellent balance and leading to a clean flinty finish. The peppered rice zapped the acidity and let a big hit of something akin to dragonfruit to show through. 

Amuse Bouche

Our table seemed to be showing surprisingly remarkable restraint in its drinking, and there was still sufficient Macon Verze on the table to greet the Oyster. This was served with crouton and caviar and slightly poached, presumably in its own juice because there was a tremendous brine taste on it, as if the poaching had enhanced the natural juice which the little fellow had once breathed. Total taste of the sea. Peasant that I am, I tried the Basil Hollandaise and Lime mix with the Oyster and got a lemon yuzu kind of pop with the brine cutting through the cream. Very nice. The Charcoal tempura frankly looked like a lump of week old dogdoo and not entirely appetizing from this viewpoint. Clearly taking a leaf from the Mugaritz handbook of "make food look like something else". But it was a cracker - soft shell crab texture mixed with burnt toast to give a dry carbon mouthfeel that was light and dreamy and kicked the throat with a matchbox rip that the Macon Verze washed away perfectly. Such a good versatile Burgundy and great value too - shame it was the last of our batch. Trying the dogdoo - sorry, tempura with the Basil Sauce softened the black crust and paired nicely with the crabmeat, but somewhat neutralised the wine. 

Oyster and Charcoal Tempura

Third course was a choice between lobster or pigeon. I have yet to get pigeon - dark, dry, gamey meat and not much of it. Much prefer chicken. So lobster it would have to be. And a spiny one at that, though not many spines were evident when it came out looking like a green Ferrero Rocher chocolate drippled with gold leaf. Cute, but a bit visually strange - almost like some deep seaweed dim sum. Tastewise, though, it was excellent - fresh, and slightly undercooked which gave it a sashimi-like quality though remaining firm enough to chew and satisfy. There was a great blend of tastes coming through. And not overpoweringly "lobster-ey" - sometimes you get that slightly aged tinge to the meat when it has been out of water for a while. Not today - this puppy felt as if it had just been potted. Totally excellent. 

Spiny Lobster - scallop rouelle

And the Leflaive 2012 Clavoillon was the perfect accompaniment - grace, power, elegance, finesse; take your pick because it was all of these and more. Full on whack of sweet nectarines and lemon in the mouth, and finishing like a freewheeling Rolls Royce - in its own sweet time. Stood up well to the lobster, with both the food and the drink showing the best that each had to offer. Yum. Will bring the Leflaive back here - stunning match. Uncle Teng at our table shared that winemaker Anne-Claude Leflaive had recently passed away (April 5, 2015 age 59 apparently of cancer), which left me sad. A serious pioneer of biodynamism, and a maker of some stunningly beautiful wines. Honoured by Decanter magazine in 2006 (where she was named the world's top white winemaker) and the Institute of Masters of Wine who named Anne-Claude "the winemaker's winemaker". One of the true modern day greats. Au revoir Mme Leflaive - may there be grapes in heaven for you. Obituary at 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11532551/Anne-Claude-Leflaive-viticultrice-obituary.html

Lenglui and bubbles

Talk moved to overseas and we got given tips for great Chinese food at Hakka San in Tottenham Court Road and Duck + Rice in Soho. Normally we never touch Chinese when overseas - it has been unfailingly disappointing. But we got these tips from Food Sifu Lim who knows his food so we will give it a go next time we are there. 

We were presented with an Earl Grey and Lemongrass sorbet which was a cute mix of tannin and pepper and had the texture of a Durian. Not the usual slushie gunk one gets elsewhere. Chef has good skills. 

We were poured both the Vosne Romanee and Bonnes Mares together because Uncle Teng (who had brought them from his Barrique cellar) wanted a side by side comparison. No argument here. The VR at first was a bit off balance - potent pepper and spice nose, cheek pinching acidity, black cherry fruit and firm grip in the throat on the way down. As we worked our way down the bottle and it got a bit of air in the glass, it started to show its class and a great balance came more into focus. Lean and clean, a solid workmanlike wine. Given that it was a Vosne-Romanee, I came off slightly disappointed. As one of the pinnacle wines of our drinking careers, the VR should have been godlike and somehow it wasn't. Perhaps my expectations were a bit inflated - I was expecting to be stunned and I wasn't. But still hugely glad to have had the chance to taste it. Thank you Uncle Teng.

The Bonnes Mares was lighter and all sweet ripe cherries and with a fair hint of jam. Clean, clear, light and frisky, lot of finesse and elegance in the mouth and on the finish. A slight cheek puckering acidity which was like a delightful kiss from a Cinderella. Total princess of a wine - the one you would marry and bring home to your mother. Real treat drinking these wines...

DC Signature seafood medley

I had opted for the Seafood course and it came out looking excellent. Scallop was full on, though feeling slightly aged at first. You know that hard rind you sometimes get around the edge? That was the initial feel with this one. But as you worked your way through it you found it to be an awesome little chap - all sweet, fresh bite and that little bit of crunchy give on the chew. Perfecto. And stellar with the remains of the Leflaive, with the bisque-like sweetly salty emulsion taming the lemon whilst remaining sufficiently understated to let the honey and fruit sink into the scallop. 

The Razor Clam was a bit on the tough side in bite and chew, but tasty enough. Some leaves of Rocket gave a cute bite on the cheeks. It was the fish that let the dish a little bit down. I think it was a Kurau and though it was far from bad it somehow felt a bit… ordinary in comparison to the other seafood. I get the idea that local produce is necessary, and on its day Kurau can be excellent. For me, this was not its day - didn't quite stand up to the company of the magnificent scallop.

The emulsion was a shade sweet, though soft and delicate in taste. Needless to say, I sopped it up with the bread and truffle butter - as regular readers will know, I am a total peasant at the table. It was magnificent. Where else can you soak up bisque sauce with bread and truffle butter? 

14 spiced Black Angus Fillet

I had a taste of the beef and it was all tender and lean with light pepper and I got a hint of some mustard season. There was a herb in there somewhere, may have been sage but my nose and tongue were pretty tired by this time. Sometimes is better to just shut up and enjoy what's on the table. The Bok Choy baked in walnut pesto felt texturally like salted cabbage with a grilled cheese topping and pretty much tasted like it. I didn't quite get this one - again, full on green iron in the cheeks, but not quite sure why one would go to such trouble to puree and pesto the walnuts. But as said the senses were way overwhelmed at this time in the evening. Will have to try the beef and walnut pesto again and a bit earlier in the night. 

The Canon-la-Gaffeliere Bordeaux had been decanted and was a brilliant example of a classic left bank wine. Full and ripe, with earth and mineral and a hint of mint and green pepper on the nose. Smooth and full, rich and velvety in the mouth with a long lustrous finish. Definitely what friends in the industry might describe as "silky tannins lorrrr". Certainly reminiscent in both texture and taste of some lovely Leoville-Barton at its best. Was wonderful with the cheese, of which I have no notes. Too busy enjoying this lovely Bordeaux. 

Cheese and crackers

Throughout the evening, both the food and wine service had been noiselessy and unobtrusively excellent. It was pleasantly refreshing to be gently asked whether a glass could be cleared rather than having some arm trying to annoyingly sneak in and whisk it away. Only things I could pick up on were the occasional tendency for the men to get their wine before the ladies and getting asked for feedback whilst still waiting for dessert - usually best to leave this until all plates are cleared. Other than these minor points, service was superb.

Lychee Parfait

As said, it was difficult to remember that this was Kuala Lumpur. We have had this kind of quality and service in Michelin restaurants in France, and at Cilantro and Sage and many moons ago in Lafite. DC is real standard which can definitely compete with the fine dining culinary world on its own terms. And the concept of utilising the best that local markets have to offer and preparing the produce with traditional and classic French techniques sets DC on a different road than the competition. Other writers have praised DC as a game changer for Malaysia. Well, and yes and maybe, and DC will probably win many of the Malaysian awards. But if the context becomes global and DC will get compared with established eateries and chefs in Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong, perhaps the game changer viewpoint is a bit strong at this time. It's great to see Chef doing what he is doing, and KL foodies should support him and his visions. For sure I will be back. With friends who know their food. And wine. We now have little bit of France in Taman Tun - c'est magnifique, TRES magnifique!!

Cheese Trolley

Restaurant DC

44 Persiaran Zaaba

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

60000 Kuala Lumpur

03-77310502

info@restaurant-dc.com

www.restaurant-dc.com

5 Course South-East Asian inspired Tasting Menu

RM298.00+/pax includes GST & subject to 10% service charge

Bread Service

Freshly baked bread from our bakers Marc & Christophe Gros With Pamplie unpasteurized truffle butter (Poitue-Charentes)

1st - Amuse

Crispy beef tendon "chicharrones": Sour dough bread cream: 

Hungarian paprika Yellowfin tuna "Larb": Rice puff: Colantro

2nd - Petit entrée

Sabah soft shell crab, Charcoal tempura: Sweet basil hollandaise: 

Kaffir lime & Poached Irish oyster Cucumber-belimbing salad

3rd - Choice of main entrée

Spiny lobster - scallop rouelle

Jellied lobster consommé

Or

AOP Anjou French Pigeon

Slow roasted pigeon: Crusted Sweet breads: Celeriac: Shaved black truffles: Mentaiko mushroom: Sauce perigord

4th - Choice of mains

DC signature seafood medley

Catch of the day: Hokkaido scallops: Razor clams with confit garlic (Pulau Ketam, Klang): Mizuna: Watercress-almond purée: Seafood emulsion

[Supplement - 1/2 Brittany Blue lobster - butter poached: Lobster emulsion - add RM168]

Or

14 spiced Black Angus fillet

Garlic cream: Baked bok choy with walnut pesto: Jus

[Supplement - for each add on RM60.00

a) 10gms freshly sliced black summer truffle and / or

b) Pan seared 50gms Rougié foie gras ]

5th - Choice of Dessert or Cheese

Dessert

Lychee (Chiang Mai) Parfait

Rose sorbet: Lychee stuffed with caramel cashew & tamarind

Or

Cheese from our Cheese Trolley

Selection of farm fresh cheese from France & Italy: Fresh salad: Crusty bread

Wines

Taittinger NV Champagne Brut

2010 Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Macon Verze

2012 Leflaive Puligny Montrachet "Clavoillon" 1er Cru

2007 Bouchard Pere et Fils Vosne Romanee "Les Suchets" Premier Cru 

2007 Domaine Arlaud "Bonnes Mares" Grand Cru

2000 Ch Canon-la-Gaffeliere St Emilion Grand Cru Classe

Ante in Publika - it just got upped!

July 24th 2015

Shout out for the Ante at the Publika. En route to a show at the TLC in Plaza Damas, Lenglui suggested we go there for dinner. We were last there about six months ago, courtesy of the FBQ with the traditional battle cry "New place, must try, must try!!" Which we duly did. Lenglui enjoyed the food, but to be frank I had little memory - I recall who was there and drinking wine but the food did not sear into the brain. 

Tonight it did. We each had a most excellent Pork Steak, full of heat and juice and tasting like one of the best I've had for many a year. I normally steer clear of pork steak; restaurants usually overcook them to dry tasteless oblivion. But Ante did a brilliant job - it was tender, perfectly cooked and nicely charred, and came with a garlic herb butter dip on the side which added just enough oily covering to let the salivatory glands kick into delightful top gear. And it was hot when it arrived at the table. Can't remember the last time I had hot food at a table in a restaurant. It was a belting meal - total soul food. 

House Special Pork Steak with Garlic Butter sauce - magnificent...

We each had a glass of the Chilean SB and Chardonnay house wine. The one glass was just enough and proved a good mouthwash to clean the garlic butter dip from off the mouth. We also had brought a bottle of Pinot but felt unwilling to pay their RM55 corkage for just the two of us. We would sup it at the TLC. Their wines are pretty mediocre and quite heftily marked up for what they are. 

The bill was about RM160. Ante is located on the ground level and faces the road. You can park outside if you get lucky. You will also see it on your left as you enter the Publika car park. Parking at the Publika remains a mystery in terms of getting to one's destination in the mall, though surprisingly on this occasion we found our way there quite easily.

Definitely on the "let's go back there" list. Will bring a tasty wine for it next time.

March 5th 2016 - went back there, was not so good. House white wine had that oxidised whiff and felt like it had been opened and left a bit too long in the fridge. House Pinot was grim. Caesar Salad was good - finely grated cheese and bacon dust - and the Garlic bread was hot and greasy. The Pork Steak disappointed. Not sure how it had been treated but the taste was more like luncheon meat than firm pig flesh. Limp, and not even the heart attack butter sauce could revive it. Service was friendly and efficient. Would not go back on this showing, though the place was full for 7pm on a Saturday night and booked out for the rest of the evening.

Ante

Solaris Dutamas, 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

+60 3-6206 3364