Food Adventures January to July 2017 - July 2017

Prior to the two month sojourn around Wales, France and Sicily across August through to mid October, I had been a bit taken up with a project that took me away from the food and wine writing (and the songwriting and recording) but I then got a bit of a breather to try and reflect over where the Lengui and I had eaten over the previous couple of months (well, seven actually). So I figured rather than try to document them individually, better to just load them all into a single narrative and see how it looked. So this is a full-ish listing of where, when, and with whom we ate and drank over this period. Some are barely one liners, others have a bit more detail. Whatever, it made for a more than usually long read so it got broken down into months for ease of, er, digestion. Not sure if it will prove useful, but when taken in total it does represent quite a litany of gluttony. Phoooooooo....

July 1st Dengkil Seafood with Tai Chi, Ho Chiak groups

Drive with El Manica and Uncle Lim. Dengkil is still the total business with their Crab Stew, Hokkien Mee and Lala Mai Fun and Sang Har Mee and sweet steamed Prawns and Pai Kuat. Phwoooar…. Maybe not fine dining, but darn fricking good. Big boozy singsong at the end. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam…..   SENG!!!!

July 3rd Checkers with Birthday Group

Mr Tan did a special menu for us. Which ultimately was a pity since I think we all really wanted to chow down on his porky ribs. Still, it was enough food and five bottles of wine across nine people. But I have had better there. Not that the food was bad; just not what was quite expected. So it goes. 

July 5th Nero Nero DC Mall with IWFS - A Night with Barone Ricasoli

A newly opened restaurant in the newish DC Mall in Damansara with a wine dinner organised again by the indomitable and indefatiguable Michelle from AsiaEuro. We will have to start calling her Tonka - indestructible. Located on the open top of the Mall, a pretty ordinary outside gives way to a steampunk Californian Italian interior with lots of eye catchers and theme pieces. Worth a visit just to see the inside. Got reacquainted with wine maestro Yuhei who has a Japanese tapas bar across the path from Nero Nero and who supplied the first course. Laid a bit of groundwork for a future IWFS event - we will see how. 

Foodwise, I can't remember much. Same with the wines. No one raved about anything on the plates. Having Oxtail in a Ravioli felt a bit rich and had an odd finish. But the tomatoes were sparkling fresh. Main memory was getting parked next to the FBQ who spent most of the night with her nose in her phone playing some word game. Not exactly sparkling company. There you go. Maybe FBQ saying the same thing about me...

Menu

Pre Dinner Antipasto

Tempura Prawn, Smoked Salmon Herbs Butter

Torricella Chardonnay 2013

1st Course Antipasto

Arrancini on Tomato Coulis, Caprese Bruschetta

Chianti DOCG 2015

2nd Course - Primo Platto

Oxtail Ravioli in Light Cherry Tomato Sauce

Brolio Chianti Classico DOCG 2014

3rd Course - Secondo Platto

Tagliata Sirloin Steak, Eggplant Ratatouille with Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Castello di Brolio Vin Santo DOCG Gran Selezione 2011

4th Course - Dolce

Crema Catalana

Castello di Brolio Vin Santo DOCG 2007

Dear Leader and kids

July 8th and 9th - IWFS Trip to Ipoh

This was a repeat of a jolly that the IWFS KL did to Ipoh last year, though with some slight differences this time around. Last year saw us leaving KL after lunch which some cursed as missing on a lunch in Ipoh. This year the bus departed from Barrique at 10am and got us to a wonderful lunch at a seafood place in Tanjung Tualang. Prawns, fish, crab, other lovelies and all washed down with lashings of the St Clair Pioneer Block SB which had been nicely chilled in the David Coleman coldbox. The bus had a little bit of trouble negotiating the very narrow roadway that led to the place but seemed to manage to eventually park alongside, much to the astonishment of the local children. I guess they rarely see buses parking in the village. And the disgorging of an array of pale skinned city folk, many of whom were showing off various degrees of bare arms and legs was the cause of much finger pointing and comment. 

After lunch, it was on to the Mu Hotel in Ipoh (which was previously the Ibis Styles, where we had all stayed the previous year) to sleep off lunch ahead of a sundowner hosted by IWFS Ipoh at the Royal Ipoh Club. The original plan was to have the sundowner at the hotel as we had done last year, but the new management were apparently adamant on corkage being payable. So our Ipoh compadres came through and got the Royal Ipoh to open their doors. Brilliant job, and thank you IWFS Ipoh!

Hans, May and Vijay waiting for the food. Note the glasses and ice bags. We are IWFS. Yes.

The delightfully fresh Prawns

We and the bus got stopped at the entrance to the Club driveway, though it was not initially clear why. Fifteen minutes later, the news came back that whilst going in was fine, getting out the other side was impossible due to a low barrier across the exit. And it was chucking it down with rain. So off the bus we stumbled with umbrellas hoisted against the uncaring rain and slowly and wetly bundled ourselves into the Club. Old Glory was the immediate feel - not faded, but old - a place where you felt that traditions still meant something. We were scuttled upstairs to the main hall where we were met by our IWFS Ipoh compadres and about eight ice buckets with three or four bottles of vintage fizz in each. Yes. We had arrived. 

The Booze at Mun Cheong

Lashings of fizz and fingerfood and a cool evening chill after an afternoon of rain made for a most pleasant aperitif party. Though given the persistent drizzle we couldn't see much in the way of downing sun. Never mind - we all enjoyed the fizz and the cool evening muggy air. We were then back on the bus (well, most of us - we managed to lose Mossie) to the Mun Cheong Seafood for a bigass Chinese banquet with various styles of wine from across the globe. I was told I conducted a singing contest between the tables. Quite probably true. Raucous evening. No photos for some reason - only got one of two bottles that we all sucked on for the night. Will steal a few from the Facebook. The IWFS Ipoh prefer their spirits and were happily chugging away at the various Scotch on show. Me and whiskey are not a good match; my worst mornings have been after nights on the Gold Watch so I pretty much swear off it. Serious mental derangements. Best nightcap for me is a cold beer. 

Sunday breakfast saw the faithful pilgrims off on a Curry Mee breakfast trek at 7am whilst others snoozed the morning away. Not sure if anyone went to church but I suspect so. I went for a post breakfast stroll around the hotel block to clear some cobwebs. There is an amazing old school feel to this part of Ipoh; kind of like stuck in a time warp where the year is constantly 1965 or something. Just get a total 60s vibe from the roads, the buildings, the signboards... everything. Quite odd but somehow reassuring, as if the place will still be the same decades hence. I certainly won't be. One more decade would be good enough. 

Crab House Prawns

Crab House Fresh Pomfret with soup

Crab House Crabs. Of course. 

IWFS Ipoh Gin La getting presented with some fizz by IWFS KL David

11am saw the pilgrims gathering to check out and board the bus for a 30min drive to lunch at the Crab House, apparently a place of legend for the orange crustacean. This was epic - loads and loads of dishes coming out and everyone scrabbling to save space for the lovelies. Which most were able to do - there was barely a leg or a morsel left for taking away. And all washed down with some lovely fizz, white and red. Then back on the bus for a leisurely trundle south back to KL and the Uber home before a swift pasta and wine with Lenglui and the Princess. Perfect weekend.  

Upstairs at Vintry

July 10th Vintry Damansara

Not sure how we ended up here - think we were wanting to go to Checkers but forgot that Mr Tan closes on Mondays and I must have persuaded Lenglui that the Hokkien Mee at Vintry is magical. Which it was, and is. Bit disappointed with the service - got shuttled upstairs against Lenglui's complaining knees then had to go back downstairs to try and choose the wine in a badly priced and not very well lit set of wine racks. Staff were smiling and friendly but frankly not that helpful, save for the competent and swift maiden who attended us upstairs. Vintry might have the food, but Stoked is way better for service. 

July 11th Marco with Rubber Baron

On occasion, the Marco does a promotion whereby they retrace their steps back thirty odd years to when they first started operating and offer dishes from that time at the PRICES of that time. So people can get the Shark Fin and the Pai Kuat at Shut Up prices and sock it all down with an amazing Sang Har Mee. The Baron brought some spectacular wines, but topped it off with a surprise dessert wine from Santorini. Black and thick as treacle, it was stunning - dark figs, raisins, but with a poke in the mouth like an exploding toffee apple ripping the cheeks. Belting wine. Marco food stunning as ever. Full report here>>>

Hung Kee Char Siew Noodles

July 16th Marco with El Manica

Again, taking advantage of the silly prices for the food, we went with the Ho Chiak group to resample the wares. I now fully understand the meaning of too much of a good thing. Phooooo….

There was also a night out at Casa Rosa (link is here>>) and (surprise!) Marco Polo with the IWFS (link is here>>). Also a Char Siew noodles lunch at our long time favourite up the road from the apartment (the Hung Kee on Jalan Loke Yew - excellent everything). The noodles have this amazing (what Lenglui calls) "bounce" texture - the bite and chew are some of the best around. Probably equates to "al dente" for pasta but in a Chinese cuisine context. We have it with some steamed chicken and garlic fried vegetable with a pot of tea. Stellar. 

There were a couple of other trips to Sapore, including one with Texas to see if it would do for his upcoming birthday (it didn't) and one with the Baron and his wines. He was very relaxed this night, more so than on previous outings. That's what wine and well cooked pig can do for you. Cheers!!

Food Adventures January to July 2017 - May 2017

Prior to the two month sojourn around Wales, France and Sicily across August through to mid October, I had been a bit taken up with a project that took me away from the food and wine writing (and the songwriting and recording) but I then got a bit of a breather to try and reflect over where the Lengui and I had eaten over the previous couple of months (well, seven actually). So I figured rather than try to document them individually, better to just load them all into a single narrative and see how it looked. So this is a full-ish listing of where, when, and with whom we ate and drank over this period. Some are barely one liners, others have a bit more detail. Whatever, it made for a more than usually long read so it got broken down into months for ease of, er, digestion. Not sure if it will prove useful, but when taken in total it does represent quite a litany of gluttony. Phoooooooo....

May 3rd IWFS Committee Dinner at Stoked

At our monthly IWFS Committee meetings, everyone brings a bottle to share with everyone else. At the end of the year there is usually a surplus of bottles so a dinner gets organised to drink them up. This year was decided to have it at our regular meeting place and Yin-How came up with the menu. We also brought extra wines to fill out the spectrum (ie fizz and white - seemed to be a preponderance of reds in the surplus bin). Didn't take any notes, and having just consumed a glass or four during the meeting was pretty much in no state or mood to do so. We stood around for a while quaffing more fizz before seating to some lovely glassware and excellent wine service all night. Some lovely wines came and went. Foodwise was mostly good, ranging from the usual excellent seafood dishes to the grim Rossini which needed a second heating from most of our table. At around RM350 a pop, felt a shade stiff but then I am half Scots. I can probably claim Irish because of my name spelling - should I go for an Irish passport in view of Brexit??

Menu

Trio of Canapes - Sainte Maure Goat Cheese and Dried Apricot, Chicken and Mustard Seed, Amaebi and Caviar

Octopus - Baba Ghanoush, Pomegranete

French White Asparagus - Slipper Lobster, Fine Leaf

USDA Prime Rossini - Mash Potatoes, Spinach with Perigord Sauce

Chocolate Sable - Frozen Berries, White Chocolate Mousse, Vanilla Ice Cream

Coffee Tea Petits Fours

Roll of Honour

Glass and Flower at Flint

May 5th Flint with Amanti della Cucina Italia

The Amanti Della Cucina Italia has their monthly bash at Flint in Ampang. Which was a bit unusual since it normally prefers Italian places rather than meat houses. Nevertheless, nineteen Amanti braved the rainy Friday night traffic and parking, possibly due to the value on the food and getting a fair deal on booze (25% discount on purchases). Took two fucking hours in the car to get there - brain dead by the time I arrived. I recall sucking down a bottle of St Clair SB just to regain some brain function. Desperate. It felt a bit cramped inside the Flint with all the people milling around, though not overly so. Was a bit disappointed with the Wagyu skirt (or rump as I understand it to also be) - seemed to be a bit of a tough chew. But the minestrone and pasta ragout were excellent. We initially opted to pair it with what turned out to be some mid range metallic and teeth enamel removing Chianti. The replacement Barbera was better - smooth , black cherry jam on the nose and mouth, frisky tannins, slightly tart on the swallow, but a great palate and finish. Service was excellent throughout the night - very attentive, young and efficient. Food details follow:-

Menu

Minestrone - with Lentils and Grana Padano - a bit overpeppered but great taste. Rustic, authentic feel - soul soup, like a good bowl of Campbells but without the salt. The bread is magnificent. St Clair SB a bit bitter on first blush but brought into balance by butter on bread and pepper in soup. Yum.

Tajarin Pasta - with Smoked Beef Ragout - rich and full on the mouth. Well seasoned, but somehow needed a visual and zesty lift - looked like a Mee Pork dollop of pasta with ragout sauce and meat. I would have added some lemon, but then I would. 

Charcoal Grilled Wagyu Skirt - with Garden Salad and Balsamic Glaze - portions were generous and well seared and cooked. Good salt, well pink on the inside. But as said, the cut a bit tough but not so that it wouldn't go down. Just needed a bit more work than usual. Made a good sandwich for lunch the following day. 

Deconstructed Apple Crumble - with Strawberry Basil Sorbet - didn't work for me. The apple was a massive cruncher Granny Smith, total sharp green in taste and almost citrus. Brought tears to the eyes. Paired with a sorbet made for a double sharp dessert. I would have softened Granny with some plain vanilla ice cream. Perhaps a bit too Spanish experimental Mugaritz on this one - sometimes plain is best. 

The excellent Minestrone

Charcoal Grilled Wagyu Skirt - bit of a firm chew this one...

Deconstructed Apple Crumble - dam sharp

May 6th Marco Polo Wedding
Just for completeness, we were here. About ten tables in the back room of the Marco. Was a family occasion so the food was superb. Their Iberico ribs are total business. 

May 7th Marco Polo Pig Nick 

Phoo - sometimes it all comes in a rush, eh? But how not to go to the Marco when the Pig Nick has been ordered and the wine kaki are all fired up for it? Another good boozy night of food, wine, friends and chit chat. Total fun.

Menu

Marco Polo Combination

Peppery Bork Bone Soup

Suckling Pig with Glutinous Rice

Minced Pork Ball with Sugar Cane

Baked Iberico Ribs

Yunnan Ham on Tofu with Vegetable

A Twist on Noodle and Rice

Cool and Sweet Ice Cream on Egg Tart

May 11th Grand Imperial BSC Bangsar Birthday gang

One fo the gang claimed to be able to get special discount here so naturally we went along with it. Got a semi private room shared with one other group. This included a long table on which we could park our wines and the restaurant's ice buckets and get fair to good wine service through the evening. Lots of Prosecco and Sauvignon Blanc and Italian Reds paired with the Grand Imperial Four Seasons, Iberico Pork Ribs and various other dishes nicely enough, though the food did not leap out as stunning.  

May 13th Char Siew Kelvin
This was at some stall off the backroads somewhere toward Kepong. We were first to arrive and commandeered some tables. Darned good food washed down with various SBs and easy reds. The Money brought her Zweigelt which went gangbusters with the Char Siew - picked out delicate floral violets in the mouth with the sticky caramel goo on the Char Siew. Wish I could remember where it was and how to get there...

Me looking amazed that people ask me to sing..,

May 14th Steven Fung 60th Birthday Chinese Restaurant in PJ

The Unique Seafood is a place I have occasionally visited in previous years, though not in recent past. It seems to have fallen off the map as a place to go eat. Marco Polo is nearer and does well enough for us. Though the Unique remains hugely popular amongst the community for its big fish and value preparations. There is a banquet hall at the back, which was a first time for me - previous visits had been to the restaurant front side of things. 

The Birthday Boy is a Wedding Planner of many years experience and we first came to know him through singing with the Philharmonic Society. Lenglui's Line Dance kaki (friends) all know him from various weddings he has planned for their progeny's hitchings. The evening showed his brilliance at maintaining relationships through the years - he had people there from all over the block. And so many we knew from other circles. Amazing. It also showed his sense of show - four roast pigs were waiting at reception to be carved up and served to guests. After a quick soundcheck (I was singing Green Green Grass, Lenglui and her line dance kaki were to do a couple of dances for the Boy) we sat down and opened a bottle of Oyster Bay SB to whet the whistle. Someone went out and grabbed some pork and brought it back to the table. Delightful. The guests were wandering into the hall and when they saw we had tunpang the pork, some went back out to grab a plate or four. We finished our SB and stole a bottle of red from the bar for the table. 

Lenglui and the Siew Yoke Four

The food would prove to be standard Chinese banquet. Was good enough, though nothing stood out as stunningly memorable. The hall was long and white, the tables and chairs were white - I think the floor was light coloured too. Wondered whether this was how someone involved in the organisation thought that this might be what heaven looked like. Well, and maybe. Though I am pretty sure heaven does not have bigass loud Chinese Drum groups there - we were fricking DEAFENED when these boys got underway. People were very kind to my singing of Green Green Grass of Home. The Lenglui's dancers died - they were on too late in the bill and not really rehearsed enough. No one cared. 

May 18th Albert Mann wines dinner at Grand Imperial at BSC Bangsar

Ah, this was a cracker. Excellent dishes on show at the Grand Imperial - stunning tastes and beautiful presentations. And the Mann wines facilitated by Singapore Alsace Society President Julian Teoh and Romanee Petrus Ivy Lim were spectacular. Twenty people sat on two tables with the Mann winemaker Mr Maurice himself able to tell us something about his Alsace winery and production techniques. Finishing touch was that Ivy had brought her glasses and some staff from her Tinto operation to help serve the wines which helped bring the whole evening into wonderful focus - aways good when you don't have to worry about whether the wines are getting poured into wrong glasses or in wrong order. Have to look for the menu and wines and photos - a truly excellent evening. Found the notes, will look to write this one up.

Roll of Honour

May 20th Yoong Char Siew lunch House of Pork

Organised by Lenglui, the Char Siew here is the total business. This place of legend is a roadside shophouse in Cheras, which made its name on Peel Road before it moved to its present location, though not before absorbing the Peel Road legacy into its name. We got here at noon and the place was already rocking. Sat with The Money and her squeeze, Princess, Texas and squeeze, and had lashings and lashings of Char Siew washed down with Money's amazing Austrian whites and a repeat of her Zweigelt red from the May 13th outing that was again total gangbusters with the Char Siew. Match made in heaven, and I hope there is Char Siew and Zweigelt when and if I get there. There was Siew Yoke with the usual Cloudy Bay which sucks up the salt a treat. Patin Fish in sauce came out at some time, but we were all topping up at this time. Everyone ordered takeaway. So. Very. Good. 

Food got whacked before photos could get taken. Hungry lorrrr...

May 20th Bonfire friends 40th Anniversary

Talked about the Bonfire previously in this series. Not much new to add. Manager wanted to levy corkage of RM50 on me per bottle. Good thing the host was also the owner of the place so got it dismissed. Had some huge prawns, chewy and peppered lamb, and as before the gratin potato was stellar. I guess you have to like the Australian barbeque style of preparation and cooking. I have yet to acquire the taste. Smoky and charred food to me all tastes smoky and charred, and one course of it is usually enough. Company was fun and boozy, which meant that the Baron's 2008 Sassicaia got sucked down in double time and my attempts to be extra judicious in the pourings to the non afficionados proved in vain. They whacked it absolutely. I have learned - keep two bottles in the covered cooler wine bag; one for the bibbers and one for the chuggers. Wine is wine, and no pearls before swine, n'est-ce pas? Oui. 

May 22nd Sanctuary7 Dombeya wine dinner

Owner Operator of Sanctuary7 and Winedaddy (and Petdaddy) Prakash had snagged visiting winemaker Rianie Strydom to grace this dinner and talk about the Dombeya and Haskell wines on show.  Sanctuary7 is a house in Damansara with a Balinese and Thai Garden setting in which private wine dinners take place before partying through the night to the video collection indoors. Food is generally good, though for me often lacking a degree of finesse given the calibre and pedigree of the wines Prakash puts on the tables. Ryanie proved a delightful ambassador of her wines - her passion, knowledge and commitment shone through the evening and her table stories of winemaking in South Africa were peppered with wonderful asides. We found we had mutual friends in Yngvild Steytler of Kaapzicht Estate and neighbour Louis at the Mooiplas - Yngvild and Louis were in Singapore and KL some years back as part of a South African wine mission exercise and Ryanie promised to pass our best to her. Always good when this happens. 

I had bought both Dombeya Chard and Haskell Aeon from Prakash on a previous showcase at the Sanctuary7 and they were both on show again. Dombeya-wise, we had the 2014 Chardonnay and 2013 Merlot, and for the Haskell we had the Haskell II 2010 (62% Shiraz, 33% Cab and 5% Mourvedre) and the Aeon 2012 (95% Shiraz, 5% Mourvedre). The Chard is magnificent - sleek tropical fruit and lovely balance across alcohol and acidity. Full, mouthbomb, sparky chewy wine but finishes like a thoroughbred. Match this easily with anything that the big name Chard producers can come out with. Lovely wine. We bought six. The Merlot was…  okay, but I confess to not being a great fan of the varietal. Blend it with the Cabs and yes, the mouth waters. But on its own…   it lacks a bit of body and whack for me. The Dombeya was clean and crisp and enough fruit to enjoy but not one for the home wine fridge. The Haskell II was a full on South African blend, all earthy brick soil and clean entry and finish. Can't remember much else. In contrast the Aeon is the business - power, elegance, drinking now but with a lot more time available in bottle.  We bought some more. Most pleasant evening. 

May 27th IWFS AGM

Held at the Impiana Hotel in KL for the second year in succession. They give us a nice room in which to conduct the annual business, great glass service for the flutes, and good staff behind the bar who listened and responded intelligently. Shame that the food was pretty grim. Salted and stodgy pastas, cold meats and sauces, painfully small oysters. I seem to remember the potatoes and vegetables were the only edible thing for me. Hope we are not back there next year. Awful. Got ubered there and home by Princess. No Lenglui - on birthday duty in Tacloban. 

Princess, Kiwi and Ajeet the Bohemian Rhapsodist

 May 30th Noble House In Laws birthday lunch

This was a birthday of a Lenglui in-law and with Lenglui overseas I was the representation. A Roasted Pig was carved and distributed in celebration. Standard Eight Course banquet for lunch. No wine, but someone poured a whiskey toward the end which somehow went quite well with the noodles. Or perhaps it was just the hunger for some booze. Can't remember much about the food. Think it was good, but I find the banquets at the various restaurants do get a bit ordinary after a while and tend toward all tasting the same. Don't remember any standouts. Birthday cake was massively creamy and sweet. 

Food Adventures January to July 2017 - February

Prior to the two month sojourn around Wales, France and Sicily across August through to mid October, I had been a bit taken up with a project that took me away from the food and wine writing (and the songwriting and recording) but I then got a bit of a breather to try and reflect over where the Lengui and I had eaten over the previous couple of months (well, seven actually). So I figured rather than try to document them individually, better to just load them all into a single narrative and see how it looked. So this is a full-ish listing of where, when, and with whom we ate and drank over this period. Some are barely one liners, others have a bit more detail. Whatever, it made for a more than usually long read so it got broken down into months for ease of, er, digestion. Not sure if it will prove useful, but when taken in total it does represent quite a litany of gluttony. Phoooooooo....

Feb 1st Marco Polo Loh Sang with the House of Pork

This is a group who loves to eat the Pork in all its forms and glory. A great need was felt to ring in the Year of the Rooster with the Siew Yoke and Suckling Pig. And other porky delights. Chinese restaurants around New Year time traditionally see the quality dip due to staff going back to home towns. Didn't see it here. Whatever, the quality of the company and the booze will always compensate.

Inside Bonfire

Feb 2nd Soleil with UK Foodie Friends
Posted separately - click here to see>>

Feb 9th Bonfire Opening

The Chef daughter of one of Lenglui's Mah Johngg kaki opened this place. Is a kind of Australian theme with big meats and yabbie bugs and grills to the fore. Good tucker. The mashed potato gratin was magnificent. They charge corkage. Service and glassware is good. Can't remember being stunned by the food, but was not underwhelmed either. Good for families - Starling Mall seems to draw a younger crowd anyway. Given its outskirts location, it has taken off very well; the times we have been there it has been buzzing (see below). Worth a visit, not sure I would return - prefer to go to more porky places. 

(NB another sibling operates the Red Bean Bag in Publika whilst another does the Yellow Brick Road in Damansara. The food genes are clearly strong in this family).

Bonfire from outside - quite a pleasant stroll

Rustic Bread and Salad

Photos of the Barramundi Snapper and the remains of the roasts - lamb, steak and chicken, all of which were well tasty. Can't format the captions for some reason...

The Baron's Barolo...

and my Bordeaux

Feb 11th - The Kiwi's Birthday
Got instructed to be at some out of the way place in Taipan USJ to celebrate the Kiwi's Beatle Birthday ("When I'm 64") and quite a repast it would prove to be. Seems he is a regular here and chef and team went out of their way to prepare some excellent continental style dishes. Can't remember much about it, except we went back to his place for more booze and party. Seem to remember getting hypnotised byTibetan Throat Singing. Or was it snoring? Very nasal. Have to dig out the name of the restaurant.

Well tasty stewy meaty...  something

Prawns in Black Rice - well yum

Roll of Honour

Left: Doc Wine with the Wine Daddy     Right: Doc Wine and his Squeeze

Feb 15th Tang Room - Chinese restaurant Starling Mall with the Birthday gang

Came here on a recommendation that the food was very good. Well, and maybe - didn't do it for me. Forgettable and bland. We got a room to ourselves but it was still massive noisy from a party doing the Yam Seng all night in the main room. Fair glassware, no corkage, forgettable food. I also lost my car park ticket which didn't help the mood; the presence of the wineless Comedian also didn't help. Perhaps I should give it another shot. Found a half decent CdP at RM104 from the wine store downstairs next to the very well stocked and airy Village Grocer Supermarket which proved somewhat light yet sleek. Also the Oyster Bay at RM78 which we socked away for our Marco evenings - belter with the Four Seasons starters. Toilet was outside and a hike along the Mall to the end. 

Entrance - pretty grand, no?

The Four - or perhaps Five - Seasons starter

Soon Hock Fish - must have been okay

Looks like a Pork rib - looks good, yes?

Steamed buns dessert...

which are also clearly wearable :)

Feb 16th Kame Sushi Atria with IWFS

The new second outlet buried deep somewhere in Petaling Jaya, 30 of us enjoyed fizz and excellent wines with chef's Omakase. Can't remember much about the food. Some felt a bit disappointed at the sizes of some of the dishes. I also felt hungry at the end of it all. I seem to recall someone opened a bottle of gold flake sake which was apparently a pure rarity. Someone else opened more champagne. Pretty boozy night. 

Very tight space for the troops, felt massively cramped. Toilet was outside and around the corner, had to fight to get both out and back into the restaurant and the seat. Lots of laughter, not sure would return in such a big group. 

Menu

Appetizer - Sugar Tomato (Fruits Tomato from Japan)

Sashimi - Oyster Sashimi with salt and Sudachi (Japanese Lime), Hirame (Flounder) Sashimi with Ponzu Vinegar

Grilled Dish - Grilled Sawara (Spanish Mackarel) with Special Sauce

Simmered Dish - Simmered Radish with grilled Monkfish Liver

Sushi (8 pcs & Half Roll) - Tuna Belly, Yellow Tail, Sweet Shrimp, Squid, Salmon Roe, Ginger Flower, Eggplant, Turnip, Tuna Roll

Miso Soup

Fruits from Japan

Lenglui x 3 at Kame Sushi

Sugar Tomato

Luretta Fizz to start - tasty and good value

Oyster Sashimi - yum

Sashimi with Ponzu vinegar 

Grilled Sawara - Spanish Mackerel

Wine from Japan - crisp and tasty

Hello Chef Kame!

At the bar

Simmered Radish and Monkfish Liver

Waiting for Sushi

Coming, coming!!

Et voilas!!

Feb 18th Marco Pig Nick with Gan family

Ah, the Marco Pig Nick…  whenever Lenglui tells friends about this, they all want to come and try. So naturally we have to be there with them. The usual menu, the usual mumbles of "ho seck" as the Pig Soup gets slurped, lots of "cheers" to fine champagne and Cloudy Bay SB. Some half decent wines on show tonight, can't remember what they were. Lot of talk about what to see in India given an upcoming visit there by myself and lenglui. The advice was to fly everywhere. Which in retrospect was good. The India roads would prove mental.

Feb 23rd Checkers Boys Night

I have been coming here for over twenty years. Owner and chef Mr Tan started out mastering the art of pizzas and quickly moved to pork. His pork ribs are magnificent and still the standard - juicy, tender, and big. His accompanying mustard salsa is heaven. On this night we shared starters and ribs and a knuckle or three with big ass Reds and a couple of standard start-the-night NZ SBs. Boys Nights tend to be…  boyish, I suppose. Quite civilised, little swearing, mostly swapping news about IMDB and Pink Diamonds. Or is it Sapphires? 

Feb 25th Chambers Steak KL Hilton
Chambers has proven consistent in its quality and cooking of decent prime steak. We figured that we would not get any good meat in India so figured to satisfy the tastebuds ahead. We decided to try the Porterhouse to share and brought an Alion 2011 for the occasion. Should have stuck with the Ribeye - the T-Bone felt a bit firm on the night. The Alion 2011 was delightful, all silk and power. Lovely. 

Some of the Cakes available at KL Hilton - amazing detail and colours

Lenglui in RockChick pose

The T-Bone - good but not quite great

Feb 26th to March 2nd - IWFS in India

This was a six day event which probably needs more than a few lines. Did New Delhi (four nights), Agra (two nights), and Jaipur (two nights). Very intensive. And intense. Traffic was madness. Spent half the trip on a bus or in a car. Some great hotels and restaurants and food and wine pairings. And the Taj Mahal seared the memory and the soul. But such a mass of seething humanity, and most of it insanely poor. Never again. Senses feel they have been assaulted enough for one lifetime.