BAbe - Cute food, wonderful tastes, amazing view!

January 14th 2016

Hmm…  Blogger playing up a bit. Not letting me drag photos to position. Complained twice but no response. So the layout is a bit basic and skanky to my eyes. Time to shift to Wordpress? Sell Google shares?

Have to say at the start, I enjoyed BAbe. It was nice. And fun. Pretty much all of the dishes worked and the food was far from insubstantial. No complaints. Happy to go back again. Did too.

Can't remember...

Which is why this note will be a combo of two visits to BAbe where we had pretty much the same menu (which is 12 dishes plus 3 desserts for RM200, whilst the RM300 adds soft shell crab and wagyu beef, if I heard correctly). We went for the RM300 for the December trip and the RM200 for January.
 

Sashimi starter

BAbe is located in the Clearwater Building off Jalan Semantan on the border of the real Damansara area in Kuala Lumpur. If you know where the old Shell office used to be, that's where it is. Seems that BAbe is an acronym for the Best of Asia at Be. The place is actually a Health Centre with Workout machinery and Spa services which gives rise to the name - it is a place you can just BE, which somehow feels a bit 1960s hippie. All those Be-ins to which the shiny happy people turned up and just…  be-ed? Or should it be "were"? Whatever, in its own way the idea is quite cool - I always get a good feeling when the hippies get justified and vindicated years down the line. They were really on to something, but got defeated by life and the needs of raising kids. Free love ain't never free.

Prior to our December visit, the organising Hustler had told us we didn't need to bring any wine as the list there was fairly okay and the corkage was fierce. Well, and maybe, but…   Hmmm. I figured better to play safe and bring a couple just in case - the worst that would happen is that we just take them back home unopened. On this occasion, my preparedness proved prescient as we got a phone call from Hustler whilst en route asking if we could return home and retrieve some extra booze. Seems the wine list had been declared grim and dire by the assembled. As luck would have it we were being diverted back home due to our usual road being blocked off for LRT construction (with no one knowing about it until it happened on the day, which is pretty much usual) and a massive traffic jam was ensuing. We got back, picked out some wines from the fridge, and in taking the top road to Damansara got to the Babe in ten minutes. On arriving and being happily able to park on the road outside, we found ourselves actually behind the Hustler who had gone on a swift drive to the Cold Storage to load up on some guzzle.

 

Curry Burger and Salmon Canneloni. Tubular.

Entering the Clearwater building, a guard gets the lift for you and you exit into a nicely lit area and (if your timing is good) an immediate dusk sunset view across the uptown skyline. This has to be one the best views in the city, and well worth the price of admission. Must have been a brahma here for New Years Eve with all the fireworks. Photo didn't do it justice, hence its omission from this post.

 

Whitefish sashimi and Air Blown Beef Crunchies. Wicked.

Everyone was already there and hungry to suck down the fizz which seemed to be taking an eternity to chill in the kitchen's ice fridges. I asked for some action and after five minutes with no response eventually grabbed two ice buckets and brought them to the table. The staff seemed a bit frazzled and clearly not used to a thirsty white boy taking charge of the booze arrangements. Well, we were all pretty parched and wanted to cheer the sunset…

The Pichon Longueville. Darling wine.

The decor was most pleasant, with a modern European ambience and feel about the place. Lots of soft furnishing and white bookcases. There were Christmas trees with cute reindeer decorations on our visit which lent a pleasant festive feel to the place. Music was a bit jazz ambient and fashion show, but it seemed to fit. Was a relief from the usual Christmas offerings at other establishments. Only downside was the flickering LED lights in the inside area which got annoying and would be a bugger for anyone borderline epileptic. Either cheap bulbs or cheap switches? Whatever, they gave me a headache.
 
The restaurant is split into the air-conditioned inside and the fan cooled outside. For our December visit we were inside whilst our January trip saw us venture outside. Think I prefer the inside. The outside got too noisy due to a combo of ceiling fans, a fair bit of outside ambient noise and high ceilings - the result was that I could not hear the descriptions of the dishes given by the pleasant waiter - - his words literally went straight out of the window. Also, his diction was a bit not good which suggests maybe a need for some training here by the restaurants - please make your staff louder and clearer to be heard by the borderline deaf like myself above the whirring of the ceiling fans and the drone of the traffic. Though being outside does give an unadulterated and magnificent view across Kuala Lumpur. The skyline from this side is very pretty and big city, all twinkling and neon. Nights like this make you feel quite blessed to be living here. 

Can't remember...

Overall, the food was nicely interesting. They call it Japas, which is a contraction for Japanese Tapas. Lots of nice cross textures, with occasional umami and zip from a wide range of ingredients combined in a spanky steel kitchen. Every single dish sizzled with taste and texture and cute surprise. There were lots of explosions on the tongue and across the cheeks, lots of coatings and tongue zappers and also a late night cool snort through the nose. All taste bases were well covered, though perhaps on reflection a bit too well covered. Sometimes a bit of air and sensation between dishes is welcome. As memory serves, this was all out assault.

 

Soft Shell Crab

But O what an assault and it was a lot of fun getting battered into submission by all the little bites. Can't remember all of the dishes, and could not secure a menu for it, so will have to let the photos speak for themselves. There was a wicked Croquette Ball with an inside of Pumpkin Curry which was sublime, with solid carbo crisp contrasting with sweet mush and a brilliant zip through the whole thing. The Sashimi tomato with its dab of wasabi got a bit lost trying to follow the croquette, but you couldn't deny the texture on this one - imagine the freshest tomato skin and flesh on top of a light dollop of sushi rice. It actually did good service as a sorbet. The soft shell crab was a bit Crab McNuggets but the lime sorbet and turmeric mayo that came with it made perfect sense and worked extremely well. There's a cute sense of using one type of food to make it look like something else - the tomato sushi looked like tuna, and some mini burger looking things that tasted more like macaroons. 

 

I have no idea...

We were on to the beef which came with some sweet potato puree to which a dab of mustard was genius and some Fatt Choy gave a sour vegetal crunch and a slight bitter note. It also came with truffle infused tissue which we were told to smell whilst eating to give the sense of truffle in the dish. Presumably is just a dab of truffle oil on the tissue. Crazy? It worked brilliantly and was indeed enough to get the sense without the thing overpowering the dish as truffle can sometimes do. Have to try this at home.

 

Beef with Sweet Potato Puree

Sadly, our wagyu beef was a shade overcooked and came out cold with a slight tang suggesting some age. Its replacememnt was way better and belter with some teriyaki sauce which we were told helps cook the meat on the plate, taking it from medium rare to…  actually a bit strange. Think maybe the teriyaki did a little too much magic to the marble and the end result was… strange. Not quite sure about this and my later notes don't recall anything. Will have to go back and try again to figure out what I was thinking. Meantime, I was still in love with my truffle tissue. I stole another and had a total nosegasm. 

 

Wagyu Beef and Truffle tissue. Nothing like a good snort of truffle...

Dessert was Passion Fruit Meringue frozen dipped in Nitrogen which gets snorted out through the nose dragon fashion as you eat the crunched up delight. Very cute and nasal, though you need to carefully time the freezing so as not to burn the nose. Someone dumped the truffle tissue into the nitrogen which somehow preserved the smell and gave an earthy frozen truffle nose. Quite cute. I seem to remember someone wanting to eat the frozen tissue and getting sensibly restrained.

 

The liquid Nitrogen and Meringue

There were three milk ice cream desserts - one charcoal, one toffee and one something else (my writing gets illegible two bottles into a meal). The charcoal was weirdly wonderful and my favourite. The toffee had wonderful crunch and milky mouthfeel and the other one was all coconut feel and smell. All were lovely. Final dessert was one of those toffee sugar paper things that maybe had been nitro-frozen and to be eaten with dark rich chocolate style petit fours and gelatin bites. Extremely yum.

Nothing like a good snort of Nitrogen too...

This is truly a pleasant restaurant. Great ambience, mood, vibe - darn cool place to be seen to be hanging out. Not stuffy or formal, very easy place to relax. The kitchen clearly works hard to get the dishes out perfectly and the staff know how to explain what they are and how to consume them, so kudos to the Management for taking the time here. One downside was that the inside area got a bit warm due to the doors to the outside tables being constantly opened and closed by staff transporting the dishes to the punters. And this being compounded by the concept of twelve to fifteen courses - the result was that the inside got a bit sweaty and mildly uncomfortable on occasion. Clearly a need to figure some way to keep the precious aircon in the room. Also, the toilet is downstairs and was quite a trek to get there. A pleasant and pretty trek, though.
 
On our first visit in December, the service was occasionally a bit slow and the wine service was pretty much non-existent - as said, I ended up taking command due to the staff being too busy getting food out from the kitchen to pay too much attention to the state of our glasses. I guess that is what happens with sixteen course dinners - it has to get out of the kitchen quickly so there is space for all the other dishes waiting to follow. Must be like a factory production line in there, all the chefs adding their individual bits to the dish on its way to us punters. I suppose we could self-serve ourselves, but it kind of defeats the point of going to a restaurant. Maybe need one of those Japanese conveyor belt systems with the dishes being taxi-ed around the tables. Maybe not - all it would take would be some oik snaffling our en route crab for there to be murder. Wines people brought were varied - some supermarket standard, others off the map delights. Have a memory of someone cracking a Bolly and the St Clair Pioneer Block SB 2014 we brought was delightful. Meaty body, crisp lemon zing, slight butter in the mouth and big finish. Chris and Sanjeev brought some superb Austrian wines, some of which were old friends from our IWFS visit there earlier in the year (still trying to write this one up - was a lot of food and party. Watch this space). 

Dessert. Yes.

On the second visit, staff were also a bit slow getting the ice bucket to the table, but at least this time it did get there. We cracked a 2011 Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Le Clavaillon and our friend brought a 1990 Chateau Pichon Longueville which was darling - sleek steely, taut and full with good lean fruit and a grip like a scotsman on his wallet. The Leflaive was equally darling, though naturally in a whiter Burgundian kind of way.

Staff were a bit more observant as to whether refills were necessary this time around, and were quite attentive through the night. Notwithstanding, I still feel there is a clear need for a dedicated sommelier and a team of wine waiters to relieve the endless running in and out of the kitchen by the staff. Either that or train them up to be more alert as to the states of the wine glasses on the tables. A dedicated sommelier / decent maitre d' would be better - he or she can keep a sole eye on the tables and glasses and hustle staff as and when necessary or step in and do the dirty when they are being stressed by the kitchen. As said, the outside area is a hugely pleasant place to have the dinner, with one of the best views of the KL city skyline in the entire metropolis. Some more, it was not too hot with the ceiling fans whirling away and cooling the evening and night air. BAbe must really suffer when the haze comes… 
 
BAbe is not for everyone, but it is a cute food experience which, like Mugaritz in San Sebastian, should be done at least once in a lifetime. It gives a different sense of food and the experience of eating it, and occasionally challenges our preconceptions of how food should be consumed - 12-plus single bite courses rather than full plate starter, entree, main, dessert style. Never a bad thing to get preconceptions challenged. 

Lovely sipper of a Bordeaux...

On which point, conversation turned to one foodie friend who had sworn against coming to BAbe again, apparently after having had a full blown rant with staff against the fact that the place was not offering FINE dining. To which our communal response was: well, we know this. On both my visits, staff took pains to emphasise that BAbe offers FUN dining rather than fine dining, so I am not sure that my ranting friend has a fair leg to stand on. I heard that they said they won't be back. Their loss. I for sure will. 

Which led to a discussion as to whether there was indeed any fine dining left in KL. The standard seemed to revolve around whether there were tablecloths on the tables, which marginalised most of the eateries. Those that remained got ticked off quite quickly. Cilantro came near the top, but we haven't been there for a while. Same with DC. The only other one seemed to be left standing was Lafite, which left us all immensely sad since none of us had had a good food experience there in the last three years. Our last outing with the IWFS where the fish came out fully boned was the final nail for many. Few people saw how VIP prices for this kind of presentation could be justified. RIP Lafite. Sage is still the default. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

Favourite Wine and Food places in Kuala Lumpur

20th August 2015

Got an email from an overseas IWFS member in Tokyo asking for advice on where to eat in Kuala Lumpur (NB I am IWFS KL Secretary). I wrote back listing my favourites off the top of the head - places I would recommend to the general visitor to be able to reasonably go find on their own. And thought my reply might make a useful post. Anyone got any favourite places to add?

Dear 

I received your email and am happy to give some suggestions for food and wine in Kuala Lumpur.

However, there are so many styles of cuisine here in Malaysia that it is difficult to give general advice. 

Maybe I can point you to my blog "Fine Food and Wine in Kuala Lumpur" which reports on restaurants I have visited personally and had a great time (or not!!)

The address is 

http://klfoodandwine.blogspot.com/

For fine food and wine, my initial suggestions would be Sage (The Gardens, Mid Valley) and Cilantro (Micasa, off Jalan Tun Razak). The food is consistently excellent, the wine lists are pretty good and both open for lunch (though phone first to check). Slightly further afield is Soleil where the fish courses are excellent. The DC Restaurant is also worth searching out, though a bit difficult to get to from City Centre. 

I also recommend the newly reopened Stoked with its cast iron grill - excellent beef steak and pork ribs with some interesting Japanese tweaks by the chef. And very good selections of wine. A bit outside the city but a good destination. 

These are all clearly Western cuisine places so the wines available tend to be more extensive. With Eastern cuisine (Chinese, Indian, Malay) eateries the wine lists are not so good. The upside is that they often do not charge corkage so you can BYO. They also do not have decent glasses.  Best for Chinese cuisine - Overseas Restaurant (Jalan Imbi), Marco Polo Restaurant (Jalan Raja Laut), Noble House (Imbi), Noble Mansion (Jaya 33).

I must say that I am not a great fan of Malay cuisine. Overpoweringly spicy for my palate. It also doesn't really pair well with wine. The best is Bijan in the Jalan Ceylon area, got a reasonable wine list though this area gets a bit shady after dark. Indian cuisine, we had a great event at the Delhi Royale sometime ago. There is also a very good steakhouse on the same block called Las Vacas. Both are reported on in the Blog. Thinking about it, there is also a Malay cuisine restaurant behind this block called Songket which was quite good for food but had horrendous corkage charges for BYO wine. And their wine list was not so very good. Haven't been back there for over a year.

For Japanese cuisine...  not sure I should say anything here...  it will not match anywhere near the quality of what I guess you might expect. I have visited Tsukiji market and the sashimi was amazing. My favourites in Kuala Lumpur are Kami Sushi (Sri Hartamas for Sashimi - bit outside KL) and Kamimura (The Weld, Jalan Raja Chulan for pork). Some of the hotels offer Japanese cuisine - all are pretty much of the same standard. 

Best regards

Brian McIntyre

Hon Secretary IWFS Kuala Lumpur

Memories of my friend Dr Gan Chong Wan

The Pork Luck Club has lost one of our fellowship. Dr Gan Chong Wan was our very dear friend whose friendship and company we will miss tremendously.

I just want to share some of my memories of him to try and get some of this pain and sadness I am feeling out of my system. We all knew he was on borrowed time, but his death has hit me harder than I thought it would. Editing this is still choking me up.

He was a Leukemia survivor. Diagnosed twelve years ago, he beat the thing and had just recently celebrated ten years in remission. It resurfaced late August this year and he had undergone two sessions of chemotherapy. The results were promising. He and I shared Pol Roger Champagne and Oysters and Pork Belly at the Ribs on November 6th. Then he felt well enough to join us at the Ginza Sushimasa with Toru-san and PLC friends on November 15th. Seems that sometime soon after this he contracted some viral fever and was laid out for three days. He was getting back to normal and recovering, but on Friday November 28th I received a text from his sister saying he was in ICU at UH and that he was in very bad shape. It was thought he would not survive for long, but apparently he swore that he would. Seems UH were pumping him with stabiliser meds and sedatives for severe pain and seeking to stop the organs from dying. However, at 3am Sunday November 30th his family received a phone call from UH and they were with him when he passed at 6.30am. He was 62.

A wake was held at Gui Yuan Funeral Parlour in PJ on December 1st from 3pm and it had been decided that a Roast Pig would be served. Friends were also invited to bring food and wine and whiskey to celebrate Dr Gan's life. We arrived at 5.30pm and brought some white wine. Luckily it was screwtop as no one had a corkscrew - mine had been transferred out of its usual place in the backpack for some air travel reason. There was red wine and brandy, though few seemed in the mood to drink. I was. I cracked the white and got stuck in. We sat with friends David Law and Philip Chai (friends from his short time with Musical Theatre in the early 1980s) and Jimmy Tang and sister Yoong, friends since primary school days. We were all pretty desolate.

Mr Tan from Checkers Restaurant showed up with some croissants and prunes wrapped in bacon. Mr Tan is also is a cancer survivor and I know that Dr Gan helped him through some of his not so good times with the treatment. Gan's old schoolfriends were also in attendance. Many had also been friends since primary and secondary school days. The mood was somber but not too sad. His sisters were playing some of his favourite classical and opera tunes and showing a slideshow of photos from his life that his brother had quickly put together. That he could do this with only one hour sleep on a thirty hour trip from Wisconsin was little short of remarkable. 

At the Noble House in Jalan Delima, Kuala Lumpur

A golden flower shrine around a photo of Gan had been put together with fruit and candles and sweet cake offerings and placed before the coffin. The coffin was open and I felt I had to go see him one more time. I barely recognised him. His face was all puffy, apparently from the steroids he had been pumped with in the efforts to keep him alive. If I had my time again, I would prefer not to have seen him like that. But there you go. We take our friends in both good and bad shape and these become the totality of our experience with them. 

Old friends May Ph'ng and Siang came to pay respects. May shared that she had lit 64 candles to help speed Dr Gan's transmigration - in Buddhism, as I understand it, the spirit/soul/essence leaves the body and either goes onward toward enlightenment or returns to a newborn being to learn whatever was not learned in this present lifetime. And whether this newborn is a higher or lower lifeform depends on our karma and merit earned in this lifetime. We shared some Roast Pig and wine. 

The wine helped shift the low mood. Felt like I had been whacked by a big stick all day. Dr Gan's sisters shared stories of him and his life and friends. Seems he and present PM Najib were schoolmates and sat next to each other in the classroom. The story went that whenever Najib was naughty, Dr Gan always got the blame. They stayed in touch through the years and it seems Najib was a regular visitor to the Gan household when travel and work permitted. Seems also that PM Najib visited the Gui Yuan to pay his respects the following morning prior to the funeral, replete with outriders and bigass car. I saw them haring along the Federal Highway back to KL as I was on my way to the funeral.

Arriving, I parked in the same space as the night before. The mood was more subdued today. David, Jimmy and Yoong had come, and it was David who shared that Najib had come. Fellow PLC friend May Peng also came to pay respects. Everyone still felt shock that Dr Gan was no longer with us. The brother was bearing up well, the sisters not so.

At the IWFS KL Presidents' Dinner December 2013

Again, the funeral was not a grand affair. No chanting or ritual, unlike the ruckus that was going on at the funeral next door, Someone was playing big drums and something sounding like a World Cup vuvuzela horn and they were belting out "Roll Out The Barrel" and "She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain" military style as the deceased in the adjoining part of the compound was being taken for the last drive to the incinerator. Felt a bit bizarre but I'm sure it would have made the Doc smile. Didn't seem to make anyone else smile, though. It also drowned out the speech of Gan's brother thanking everyone for coming to pay their respects. We all made one last round of the coffin where our friend was laying. He looked less puffy today. That was when I noticed the shirt he was wearing - I have an exact same one hanging in the closet at home. He was open collar, no tie as is often imposed by the funeral directors. The sisters know their brother well - he hated restrictions of all kinds. Then the minions moved in, hammered the lid into place and made ready for the last ride.

As the flower shrine was being dismantled in preparation for moving the coffin to the car, I saw that everyone was turning to face away. Never seen this before, and found it a shade disconcerting - in the West, to show one's back at this juncture would be seen as a mark of disrespect... but then we are not in the West. Clearly there was some meaning in this that eluded me. Once the coffin was in the car and closed, everyone moved into place and we all followed the hearse around the compound as it made its way to the burner. The family placed their hands on the car and it slowly made one round of the complex. There was a slight delay as the forerunning deceased had the barrel rolled out one last time. But no one was in any mood to rush anything.

New Year's Eve Dec 2013 at Soleil

And again, as the coffin was taken from the hearse, everyone turned their backs to it! Someone later suggested that possibly this was to avert any bad luck that might arise as a result of seeing the last walk of a friend. Could be. The coffin was placed onto the burner rail, the cinder block door lifted, the rollers moved the coffin into place, the door lowered, and that was it. Goodbye Doc.

Sadder than sad. My good friend got took away and I will miss his laugh, his wit, his intelligent humour and his sardonic view of life and its madness and occasional seeming futility. Prior to his initial diagnosis, he had a tendency to rail against people's shortcomings. After successfully completing his treatment he saw more of the comedy in it all and chose to laugh at it more than anything. In this sense, I witnessed a life change in him and we enjoyed ten years of his company in this changed attitude of mind. 

There was Buddhism in him, for he would visit the temple on the auspicious days of the year. Though he was not a lover of ritual ceremony and pomp. For him, the simple joys of food on the street with a breeze heralding rain, or with his dogs out for a run would be enough to remind him that all was well in the universe. His breadth of knowledge on many things was staggering, especially for things Chinese. He loved his Chinese history and porcelain and he amassed an amazing collection which he would delight in taking out to handle - he always said that porcelain was a tactile medium rather than being merely visual. 

Chinese New Year 2014

He had a great passion for good food cooked well, and would always insist on ordering (and more often pre-ordering) the food for our get togethers. He introduced us to so many excellent eating places in the city and beyond. Dengkil Seafood, You Mi Chi, Lao Mah Zhi, and found one of our lost favourites the Hoi Kee. He would rail against the upmarket Chinese cuisine outlets like the Noble House chain, saying the over sweet sauces catered more to the gwailo market and rendered the food not as authentically Chinese as he would have demanded. But he would occasionally tolerate them and indulge us when the company and the wine were good. I have great memories of times with him at Sage, Cilantro, Soleil, the Overseas on Imbi, the Marco Polo on Raja Chulan, and Checkers in Damansara. These were among those to which we would return on many occasions. I also have great memories of him coming to gatherings at our home with friends and food and wine. He would cook, serve, eat, wash dishes, and then we would share our good whiskey, brandy and armagnac with him when everyone had gone home. We would go with him to concerts at the MPO, eating at Chinoz or Ben's and having Gin and Tonics in the intermission. He truly loved his music. He also loved good food, good wines and good company and he valued his friends hugely. That so many stayed with him through the years is testament to his character and how much we all treasured his friendship and company. 

He taught me that our time together is too short and precious to fritter. If you're going to have a time together, make sure it is a darn good one and spare no reasonable expense. Break out the good wine and food, always. And for him, we always would. 

His late mother and favourite pet dogs are in the grounds of the Gan home and we hear that the Doc will similarly be staying there. Someone asked what would happen if they ever sell the house, to which friend and wit David Law responded by saying that it would not be entirely "vacant possession".

One of the last things he said to me as we were leaving the Ribs from the Pol Roger dinner was "Dying is easy." I guess he had lived with his own mortality for a long time and had come to terms with it. And he was a doctor - he would know that not every life can get saved. Not to say that he was submitting to anything - he had absolute conviction that he would beat the thing again and he was very aggressive in his treatment regime. He wasn't supposed to die. We once joked about moving to Songkhla when we retired to open a bordello where we all would live and look out for each other. Maybe next time around. I hope there is one.

January 17th 2015 will mark the seventh day of the seventh week that he passed, which stands as the time when the soul will completely pass. Prayers will be said for him at 10am at the Buddhist temple on Jalan Gasing where a tablet to his memory is located. I would call on his friends to raise a glass and toast his memory and our time together. Let us each honour him as we know best and how he would want - in pork, wine and friendship. 

He would definitely not want us to be sad. Normally he would scold people for feeling sad, saying "life too short lorrr." He's right, as he always usually was. But then the dead don't have to live with death. For those who are still alive, it is a sad, sad time. I mourn the loss of my dear, dear friend. 

At the Soleil August 2014

And I hope he would spare me on this occasion. Not all sadness is a bad thing. It keeps us human. Like Dr Gan himself. There's a line from the second Star Trek movie where Captain Kirk is giving a eulogy for Spock who had been apparently killed by nuclear radiation. Kirk says of Spock "Of all the souls I have known, his was the most.... human." Of my friend, I would say the same. Goodbye Doc.

IWFS Charity Dinner: Excellent food and wines, but small portions…

“PRESIDENT’S CHARITY DINNER”  AT CILANTRO RESTAURANT:  MI CASA HOTEL, SATURDAY, 8th DECEMBER 2012

Kalsom and Edna

The annual President’s Charity Dinner is the IWFS Kuala Lumpur's black tie gala dinner and the Cilantro restaurant was again chosen as the venue. It is a favourite dining venue of many members. Chef Takashi Kimura’s cuisine combines a wonderful French/Japanese blend that has proved a great success with a wide range of discerning diners. It is consistently reliable and always to a very high standard. 

The aim of the dinner was once again to raise funds for two worthy charities through donations and through the auction of wines donated by members and suppliers at the dinner. The IWFS Kuala Lumpur gives a three year commitment to the charities it supports, essentially to allow both donor and recipient to more efficiently plan their finances. The charites supported are the Beautiful Gate Foundation For The Disabled and the Damai Disabled Persons Association of Selangor & Wilayah Persekutan, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Each helps the disabled to achieve an independent and self sufficient lifestyle through both wheelchair purchase and emotional support. The ability to travel greatly increases the chances for gainful employment by the disabled and so engender the gains in self esteem that work naturally entails. 

The IWFS Ladies ready to rumble!

Some wonderful wines and gifts were donated and it was hoped that the auction would exceed the RM100,000 raised the previous year. Not to be. The amount fell short but was still a most impressive RM84,000. The generosity of IWFS Members and their friends is praiseworthy and commendable, and greatly appreciated by the charities who proudly sport the IWFS Logo on their vans and properties! 

Fifty nine members and guests attended the dinner, all being welcomed by excellent oysters and some sashimi looking spoonfuls which went gangbusters with the crispy clean and dry throat slaking fizz. The Chateau Taittinger Brut NV is a delicately balanced champagne known for its consistently excellent quality. It is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier wines from over 35 different vineyards and vintages, and a minimum of three years ageing in the cellars is needed for the fizz to reach the peak of aromatic maturity. Gold yellow in colour with fine bubbles, with an open and very expressive nose delivering aromas of peach, brioche, with hawthorn, acacia and vanilla notes. A good start.

Ocean Trout and Uni Tatare

Which was sadly not sustained when matched with the first course. The Ocean Trout and Uni Tatare was essentially sashimi, soft boiled egg and crispy potato. The combination of the ensemble was wonderful, with the egg binding the potato and the fish and  resulting in a texturally magnificent bite. The champagne did nothing for the food except wash it down. The bubbles cleaned the egg gunk from the tongue, but in terms of taste there was nothing to write home, or indeed write here, about.

The apparently iconic 2008 Ch Vieux telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc (91 WA) is one of the top white CdP’s of the appellation. Produced by the Brunier family, it is a  blend of 40% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc, 15% Bourboulenc and 15% Roussane. The notes say the wine "reveals lots of minerality as well as notes of lemon custard, honeyed nectarines, quince and white currants. Ripe, full-bodied, heady, super-fresh. Layered and long.” We found a nose of apricot and honey with great texture and slight oil on the palate. Full bodied with wonderful balance and structure and which, to paraphrase Lerner and Loewe, we could have drunk all night. A stunner, with great depth and structure, and indeed worthy of the iconic tag.

Jeremy Diamond and Jeff Walmsley

The combination Lobster and Lily Bulb souffle came across as somewhat bitter and acidic, mainly due to the Lily Bulb. Presumably included to give the dish some fibrous texture to the beancurd-like feel of the souffle (which it did), the tastes didn't really harmonise. Bitter vegetables rarely do any favours to wine and so it proved here  - as far as matching with the wine was concerned, the souffle was better on its own. And this match was very good. The lobster tamed the oil and acidity to bring out a nutty butter richness that went beautifully with the souffle. In turn this enhanced the minerality of the wine without sacrificing the fruit and gave a sandpaper scratchy lime finish along the back of the throat. Total result. Life was good. 

The main courses of Sable Fish with Bottarga and Scallop Mousse, Pyrennees Lamb with Houba Miso, and Blackmore Wagyu with Mushrooms were all paired with the Ch Branaire Ducru 2000 (94 RP) and the Ch Branaire Ducru 2008 (91 RP). Chateau Branaire Ducru is a Fourth Growth St Julien with a long history stretching back to 1680. The notes say the medium to full-bodied 2000 "is close to full maturity and… hits the palate with authority, displaying silky tannins as well as wonderful richness, depth and texture" whilst "Its deep ruby/purple hue is accompanied by scents of boysenberries, black currents and spring flowers."  and Ch Branaire Ducru 2008 (91 RP).  In contrast, the 2008 has been acclaimed as a "stunning success for the vintage" and revealing "notes of lead pencil shavings, sweet raspberries and black currants and a subtle touch of oak. Elegant, restrained yet authoritative and impressively intense, it is a medium to full-bodied."

Wong Yin How and his little friend

Both were lovely wines to drink. The medium bodied 2000 had good bramble fruit on the nose and palate, blackcurrant and cassis notes with great balance, sleek structure and long finish. The 2008 had bigger fruit on the nose, was also nicely balanced with easy smooth tannins to produce a lighter finish. 

The lamb was perfect. Wonderful combination of lean young meat texture with a hint of jus whilst the miso lent a salty squeeze on the tongue for taste. One of the best I have tasted. The problem was that there wasn't a lot of it. Three bites and the plate was cleared. Whilst it is true that we foodies pay for the artistry of the chef and his or her wizardry with the ingredients, there is still a need to feel satisfied at the end of the meal. On previous visits, there was sufficient food to feel a reasonable sense of fair value for the price. Didn't happen here. To contrast, the Lenglui and I had enjoyed a wonderful lunch that day generously sported by the EO Jewellery folks at KLCC and thanks to an invite from fellow IWFS member Ong Li Dong. The turkey and lamb lunch with brussel sprouts, stuffing and gravy supplied by Chinoz on the Park were excellent and the stollen cake that followed was just like a taste of the old Christmas - all sticky jam stodge and icing sugar. Put us in mind of Jam Roly Poly school dinner desserts - very evocative. 

Comparing the two, it is difficult not to say that the lunch was far better in terms of satisfaction. Yes, one could argue it is a different experience and that the taste of the Cilantro dishes is the one that we are prepared to pay so much for. It just would have been better if there could have been a little more of it. The beef looked better value and a brief steal of a piece from Lenglui's plate showed the usual Cilantro standard. Was also most excellent with the wine. Did not get a chance to try the fish.

Chocolate and Pear Mouselline

Dessert of Chocolate and Pear Mousseline with mixed berries got paired with a Ch Roullerie Quarts de Chaume Aunis 2010 (93 WS). Seems there is a micro-climate similar to Sauternes In the AC Coteaux du Layon of the Middle Loire (where the Quarts de Chaume is located)  that creates the conditions for Botrytis. The Quarts de Chaume produces brilliant sweet wines purely from Chenin Blanc that are “Rounded and lush, but defined and pure, with gorgeous creamed green melon, fig, glazed pear and papaya character, backed by notes of maple and apricot." A big round mouth of crisp apples and sweet honey with good acidity to produce a long viscous finish. 

The wine matched nicely with the mousseline which came across as chocolate cream with brandy butter snaps and hints of chestnut, caramel and cinnamon. A delightful mouthful, though not really a match with the wine. Milk based desserts never quite seem to hit it off with the cloying sweet viscous quality of dessert wines. It would have been magnificent with apple pie. Not that we'd ever see apple pie on the Cilantro menu. Would have to be called Pommes des Marche Saute et Crustee. Or something more epicurally and euphemistically seductive. We foodies need to be romanced. Yes, we do. Don't we? 

Merry Christmas!!

As ever, the Cilantro service was pleasantly excellent with staff serving and removing things from tables silently and unobtrusively, whilst all the members were doing the small talk round. I do envy people this skill, the ability to remember names at the drop of a hat and to generate relevant and engaging conversation and forge an immediate and unforgettable impression. On a stage with a microphone is one of the safest places in the world for me, but making friends with a newly met stranger is something that does not come naturally. Guess we are all different, eh?

In sum, great wines, excellent food, but such small portions. The company was excellent and the members raising so much for the charities is most commendable. Here's hoping that 2013 brings us all heatlh, contentment and great food and wine adventures!!

PRETTY BLING, SO SO FOOD AND WINE

DAMIANI DINNER THIRD FLOOR JW MARRIOTT DECEMBER 4TH 2012

The Lenglui got invited to a dinner reception, ostensibly at Third Floor restaurant, and I was getting dragged along as the accessory du choice. Damiani is apparently a king of bling manufacture, though not a name that had been known prior to this dinner. Lenglui is on a number of bling merchant lists and evidently they deemed her a prospect for viewing with a view to investing in the sparkly rocks. Ho hum. Though the prospect of a dinner at Third Floor after many years of it being off the radar was quite intriguing. Long a restaurant of note and standard, it would be an opportune occasion to reassess the chef and his fare.

That was the thinking until information came through that chef Ken Hoh had left some time ago. The email was abuzz as to who had taken over and it had fallen to this intrepid rookie of the KL foodie universe to find out. Initial research was inconclusive - no entries after June 2012 and none to suggest that the chef had left or that the restaurant had closed. Hmmm...  bit odd. All would no doubt be revealed in the fullness of time, and hopefully the fullness of a tummy full of good food and wine.

Rushing from an IWFS meeting and following a swift change into shirt and tie and a swoosh of deodorant in the WC, a glass of sweetly thin but fizzy Torralta Prosecco greeted my arrival. Crisp when cold, it thinned out with the warmth of the lighting and lost any edge it originally possessed. Thin and sweet was the description that equally applied to the white. Probably a chardonnay, it lacked body and fruit with a slightly oily finish and no real depth. Ladies wines - not made to cause offense to nose or palate. 

Lenglui was already there, waltzing around the displays totally at home and in her element. Though it should be said that the bling was indeed very pretty, with some magnificent pieces on show and most of it around five years wages for most of the population. The Puan Sris and the Datins gliding about and admiring each others rocks and stones and dress inhabit a totally different world, and one that will probably survive global warming or annihilation by asteroids. Or haemorrhoids.

It was quickly discovered that Third Floor had indeed ceased to be, and the venue had been hired by the Damiani people to give a party to their favoured customers. The name appeared to be used as a matter of convenience, thought it was still in evidence in the lift that took people there. A chef had apparently been imported for the night, by name of Wan, though he or she did not come out from the safety of the kitchen to reveal their smiling face. Perhaps it was too far buried in the bowels of the hotel and too busy looking after the other outlets. 

The Amuse bouche came out looking like a first course in size. Char grilled Organic Baby Romaine lettuce dressed with anchovies lemon aioli and roasted garlic tiger prawn with egg mollet. Yes. The prawn tasted like it had been recently frozen and didn't come across as totally fresh - though the ensemble was pleasantly simple. Didn't get much of the anchovy or the garlic thought the balsamic and egg slightly improved the white on the palate.

The second course of Peking Duck Consomme with Chestnut Wonton had that rich Chinese Herb broth taste and smell that you get in the Chinese medicine shops on Petaling Street and old Chinatown. Total health and ginseng root. Tasted very good too, though there is not much memory of any duck in the soup. The wonton was a nice textured crunch that mixed well with the broth. There was an elemental feel about the chestnut wonton, a sense of forest and earth in the taste. Quite stirring. The notes read of fire, home and country. Oddly good. The white wine failed miserably with the broth. The fizz fared slightly better.

Lime sorbet was a bit thin on lime, though not sufficiently so to render the palate cleanser of utility. 

The main course of  medium rare Roasted Medallion of Beef with Truffle mash and natural jus was a way bit underdone, almost to the extent of the cow still showing signs of life. It also came out cold. The bit that was sufficiently cooked had that good bounce on the teeth that lets you know you have a chunk of quality meat in the mouth. If you don't have to work a bit, it's not as enjoyable. Overall, though, the beef came over as quite sad. There was good texture on the mash, though it could maybe have used a little seasoning for taste. Though one can never call for salt and pepper in these places. Cartoon images from childhood of chefs brandishing meat cleavers and chasing foodies around the table calling for blood may have some rooting in fact. The red was a Benchmark Cabernet 2011, an old friend from the supermarket. Bright and lively, a bit tannic and young, though sterling enough for the assembled ladies and their gentlemanly accessories. 

Dessert was a somewhat stodgy Valrhona Chocolate Celee, Mouseline Genoise with ice cream and crunchies, which presumably all means something. It looked like a chocolate log and had that bland quality about it which suggested "hotel prepared" so as to cause no offense to any patrons tasting. Which made sense since we were in the Marriott Hotel. Notwithstanding, a pleasant enough way to end the evening with coffee. Again with that distinct hotel taste about it. Slightly bland and toasty with a thin quality. 

As so often seems to happen, the bread and balsamic olive oil was the star of the night. Warm and crisp with soft insides, one could have eaten the stuff all night. Some lovely company on the long table, with a Sultana sat at one end and us Raisins at the other end of the pecking order. 

Reflecting on all of this the day after, it came over as a sad requiem for the glory that the Third Floor used to be. We have had totally memorable evenings of food and wine there in the past. Whilst this one was no less spectacular or unforgettable in decor and ambience, the food did little except remind what used to be. It would be difficult to reopen the Third Floor given the incredible number of restaurants that have sprung up over the last two years and those that are also  in the pipeline. The game has changed and the competition is fierce, and prices seem to be stratospheric in the trendier style places. Third Floor might have a future as a food function room for high calibre people, though the food preparation needs a boost for it to really qualify as being of fine dining quality. Hotel chefs do what they can with the teams they have, but stretched is stretched and quality will always suffer. Thanks for the Third Floor memories, default fine dining remains Sage and Cilantro.

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.