Voyager Estate at Stoked - good!

March 14, 2018 - This was another email from Yin-How at Stoked alerting the world to a wine dinner that paired the Bertha delights with the latest offerings from Margaret River's Voyager Estate. 

The email actually told of two wine dinners on consecutive days, the other showcasing wines from Barossa Valley's Yalumba winery. We find that wine dinners on the bounce are generally to be avoided, since the system usually takes a day to recover and is not really up to scratch in time to appreciate and enjoy the second. We opted for the Voyager in memory of a delightful bottle or three enjoyed at lunch on one of the IWFS Ipoh trips - lush, velvet, potent and powerful beast it was. Totally memorable. 

Voyager Estate Export Director Fiona Findlay and the Lenglui

I had shared the email with my Wine Sifu, knowing he enjoys the good meat with the good wine. He was not able to join, but shared that he had visited the Voyager Estate winery and had had a well jolly time of things there. He gets around, does Wine Sifu. 

Yin-How's email noted that the wines of Margaret River have "been rightly regarded as one of the true pretenders to crafting authentic convincing Bordeaux style wines. While there is undoubtedly more dense core of fruit in wines from this region, the underlying mineral and leafy nuances are still present. Voyager Estate is one of the foremost established quality producers from Margaret River and personally, the Cabernet Merlot 2001 remains for me one of the best new world Bordeaux blends I have ever tasted, complex, cigar box notes mixed with pure cassis fruit and soft grainy tannins. We will taste the spicy, plummy refined Shiraz as well as their flagship Cabernet Merlot."

Cured Mackerel. Watermelon, Pesto

Which I think was the one we had had in Ipoh. Belter of a wine, and as Yin-How says, one of those that somehow sticks in the memory. Wines that would be served on the night were

Girt by Sea Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2016

Girt by Sea Chardonnay 2016

Girt by Sea Cabernet Merlot 

Estate Shiraz 2013

Estate Cabernet Merlot 2012

Iberico, Asparagus, Parmesan

All wines would be specially discounted on the night as well. How to resist?

We arrived slightly late (as usual) at the Stoked. Everyone was sat with their aperitif wine, a charming Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend which we quaffed voraciously and cheered our table guests, one of whom would turn out to be Voyager Estate Export Director Fiona Findlay who would be our guide for the wines on the night. Hugely warm and full of stories, Fiona was a delightful companion for the evening. 

Lenglui later remarked that of late we seemed to be getting parked with the wine reps at the wine dinners we attended. I had not noticed it, but on reflection it proved true - we got sat with the people who were either making the wine or bringing it in. Possibly is because of this blog and the thinking being that I can get more detail and content for writing up the dinner. Never considered that I might garner a reputation for keeping this diary. There you go. 

Now nearly a month gone, I can't remember too much about the first few courses. I recall them having good tastes and matching the wines nicely, but the individual tastes and combos - gone. The beef was a standout - could really taste the age on it and the rich cheek busting jus, er, busted the cheeks and tongue nicely. Dessert was also a standout, with yoghurt and blueberry getting supercharged by the lime to lend a creamy citrus end to the evening. The Mackerel was a fishy basil bite somewhat both sparked and diluted by the fiery herbs and raspy watermelon, which equally diluted the light acidity in the mid bodied Chardonnay. And the Iberico felt a bit sad compared to the vervy servings Chef has produced on previous visits. Seem to recall a soft crust on the meat which did not quite do it for me. Can't remember the Girt by Sea Red, though there was none left in the glass. 

Dry Aged 60 day Sirloin

The wines were pretty much on point, and Ms Fiona talked well and not overlong about them. I recall enjoying the Semillon/SB as a very good and friendly ice breaker - a convivial wine perfect as aperitif. The Chardonnay had perhaps a shade too much power for balance, though perhaps needs a bit of time in bottle. Can't remember the Girt Cab/Merlot. One of those where taking notes seemed uncultured, especially sat next to the Export Director. The fact that we did not buy any of the whites is suggestive that they were not quite to our taste or value proposition. I tend to be very Scotsman in spending on the booze; Lenglui not so. 

But we did buy six of the Estate Cabernet Merlot, though in fairness the Shiraz showed better on the night. There was good fruit and solid power and just enough boldness to stand up to the full and firm aged meat and rich coffee tinted jus. To which the Maitake mushroom gave good earth and chewy bite. All smack and whack in the mouth from both food and wine. The Boys Club would love this one. Can't remember the Kelp paste.

The Cab/Merlot was softer and could not quite face down the beef. But we are not huge fans of the big and the bold (sounds like a TV series…) and the Cab/Merlot is a lovely wine that will match the home grilled steak. As said, we bought six which are now stored in the bathroom awaiting space in the wine fridge. I had planned to take a couple to a dinner with my  Wine Sifu the following week at the Butcher's Table (click here to read my report>>) - in the end I decided against; we ran into each other at a wine dinner in DC Restaurant with DC Vajra wines (report hopefully upcoming) where he said he would bring his big Voyager Estate Tom Price 2004 to try with the Butcher's Rib Eye - I felt the Cab/Merlot was a bit lightweight and would get sucker punched. Which proved right - see the above link. 

Blueberries Compote, Lime,
Yoghurt Ice Cream

Stoked Restaurant

T : +60320948262     M : +6012 2802948     

F : +603 20948264

E : yhwong@vintry.com.my                   

W : www.vintry.com.my

MENU

Voyager Estate Wine Dinner 

Marinated Pear, Lavender Honeycomb, Cured Lardo Potato and Roe Crispy Leaves and Sofrito 

Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon 2016

Cured Mackerel, Watermelon, Pesto 

Voyager Estate 'Girt By Sea' Chardonnay, 2016 

Iberico Intercostal, Asparagus, Parmesan Veloute 

Voyager Estate 'Girt By Sea' Cabernet - Merlot, 2012 

Dry-Aged 60days Sirloin, Grilled Maitake with Kelp Paste 

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot 2012 

Voyager Estate Shiraz, 2013

Blueberries Compote, Lime Zest and Oil, Yoghurt Ice Cream

Bailey’s Bon Bon Coffee & Tea

Food Adventures January to July 2017 - June 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....

June 8th Topshelf Tasca wine dinner 

Went with the Princess and the Texan, got sat near the door so a bit warm but could hear the conversation as compared to the echo machine that I remembered from previously getting sat further inside. Squid Ink cracker felt a bit dusty, though the Tomato and Octopus Salad that followed was fresh and the crisp little sweeties got nicely spritzed up with the vinaigrette. The tomatoes were some of the best I have tasted in a long time - that wonderful slightly sharp explosive bite you get when they are just off the plant and your cheeks get sprayed and splotched with the freshest sweet juice on the planet. I had the beef cheek which was delightfully rich and bistro whilst Lenglui chose the somewhat dry and slightly stinky duck. The duck felt just a shade too long on the kitchen table and the purines had started to ferment, or whatever it is that they do - had that slight stinky "ducky" scent and taste. I know this because we swapped - Lenglui does not do ducky duck. 

The wines were Sicilian and robust though not really sticking in the memory. Fair with the food, but didn't quite seem worth the asking prices. None of us bought. 

Somehow not as good as previous visits. An indescribable something has slipped. Can't put a finger on it. Maybe was the staff - felt a bit not confident in wine pourings and dish placements. And the ducky duck was a bit of a slip. Odd.

Menu

Amuse - Squid Ink Cracker with smoked Garlic Aioli

Tasca d'Almerita Regaleail Bianoc

Tomato and Octopus Salad - Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes, Grilled Octopus, Micro Herbs and Lime Vinaigrette

Tasca d"Almerita Regaleali Nero d'Avola

Braised Angus Beef Cheek in Red Wine, Charred Endive, Potato Purre

or

Roasted Duck Breast, Beetroot, REd Wine Jus

Tasca d'Almerita Lamuri

Tasca d'Almerita Cygnus

Lemon Parfait with Pistachio Basil Crumb and Caramelised Granola

June 11th St Regis Astor 1

This was a birthday for one of Lenglui's in laws celebrating a joint birthday with the spouse. Needed to get there a bit early to test out the sound system - Lenglui would be doing her "My Way" and for some reason I was to do "Green Green Grass Of Home" - the theme was golden tunes for golden years and this was as near that the old fart rocker in me could think of doing. Brian is not a ballad singer - he is Rock and Blues. Yes. Excellent state of the art PA system installed in the room, which was all in white with chandeliers and panelling - actually very tasteful. Our soundcheck done, we started off with some excellent vintage Moet being paired with some amazing nuts and later moved on to a tasty Chilean White and old favourite the Le Volte Italian red (3rd wine of the super Tuscan Ornellaia house). The food presentations were very tasteful, and the food equally so. Whether they matched the expectation of the large packet this repast must have cost I cannot say - never trust a white boy's views about high end non Western cuisine. But most of the Chinese attendees seemed to enjoy well enough, though none I spoke to raved about the food. But they didn't denigrate it either, so we take that as a sign of approval - when there is no whingeing about the food, then it is pretty good. 

The evening ended up as a big party with those wanting to have a sing being invited to do so. Lenglui is good at getting people to sing and dance and with me getting the party underway with the Karaoke and getting completely raucous, everyone ended the night on a high. I am cursed with a weakness for a microphone and some backing music. Also did a jam with a Penang Guitar group with some Chinese songs - my party pieces. And the Birthday girl (at age 80 plus) was able to sing a couple of songs with her mates which went down a storm. Lovely couple and very happy to have been a part of the night. Not sure I could go back under my own tab though - not in this lifetime. 

Menu

Appetizers

Deep Fried Shrimp Paste Boneless Chicken

Dried Shrimp Radish Cake

Fresh Fruit Salad

Soup - Braised Bird's Nest Soup, Shredded Chicken, Bamboo Pith

Braised 6-Head Abalone with Blossom Mushroom and Vegetables

Combo of Stir-Fried Prawns with Golden Garlic and Stir Fried Kailan

Chicken Ginger Soup Mee Sua

Fragrant Red Date Tea, Snow Fungus and "Tang Yuen"

June 12th Somewhere with Birthday group
No memory, notes or photos of food or venue - total blank. Might have been Marco Polo. 

The tasty chest whacking Gavilan

June 14th Spanish Wine Vina Pedrosa dinner at Stoked

Enjoyed this one. Tasty food, tasty wines, great company. Particular shout out for adding the honeycomb to the Iberico Collar - sweet and spicy and lovely piece of meat - home run with this one. Matching a prune with the beef was also cute - a sweet hit to the firmish meat. Not sure about dessert, but the table oo-ed and ah-ed so I guess it was well received. Bought six of the cheaper Gavilan Crianza - the others felt in need of bottle time and were more austere than the fruity and juicier sibling. The Gavilan also has enough oomph to whack the chest and make you feel more of a bullfighter than, er, you might otherwise ever want to experience. 

Menu

Trio of Canapes

Raventos I Blanc de Blanc 2014

Duo of Tuna - Akami & Nouten, Radish, Ponzu Sauce

Vina Pedrosa Cepa Gavilan Crianza

Iberico Collar - Hungary Honey Comb, Button Mushroom, Lettuce

Vina Pedrosa Crianza

Beef Tajine - Prune, Tomato, Roasted Green Capsicum

Vina Pedrosa La Navila 2009

Vina Pedrosa La Navila 2012

Chocolate Version of Yeung Ji Gum Lo

Pomelo, Praline & Vanilla Ice Cream

Coffee Tea Petits Fours

Canapes Trio

Duo of Tuna

Iberico Collar and honeycomb - wicked good

Beef Tajine and Prune - well tasty

June 21st IWFS at Dewakan

Our IWFS for June 2017 was at Dewakan. Madness traffic thanks to being in the middle of Puasa month made me miss a turn with the result that the four in my car were a bit frazzled on arrival at the restaurant. Perhaps it was this that made me pretty much forget the whole meal. I remember the Cremant being wonderful, and the Duck being its usual magnificent self. But the rest of the dishes and wines are lost in mist. Traffic will do that to you. I remember talking to Chef Darren who seemed to suggest that Dewakan might be on the move to premises closer to the city. Which would make me a lot happier and more able to introduce the place to friends. I might also remember my next time there with a little more clarity. 

MENU

PRAWN UMAI, GREEN SAMBAL, A LIGHT SALAD

Aperitif - Cremant, Extra Brut, Albert Mann, Alsace 2014

PUDING JAGUNG

Viré-Clessé, Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Macon 2013 

SLOW COOKED RED SNAPPER WITH A BROTH MADE FROM TEMU

Marcel Chapoutier, St Deschant Blanc, Saint Josephs, Rhone 2009

BIDOR DUCK BREAST WITH BLOOD SAUCESmoked Pike Conger, Custard, Fermented Long 

Bouchard Pere et Fils, Clos de la Mousse, Beaune 2005 

Chateau Bellefont-Belcier, Grand Cru classe, St Emilion 2005  

TEMUAN CHOCOLATE WITH JAGGERY ICE CREAM

June 23rd Sapore with Texas

Reserved a table with the gang for Texas to check whether Sapore would be a candidate for an upcoming birthday dinner. Had the usual cold cuts with lardo on bread followed by pasta, pig and steak. Finished off about eight bottles between the ten of us. Yes. 

June 27th Soo Kee with House of Pork

Ten of us parked around a table crowded with glasses and plates and dishes that all came at about the same time. Can't remember what we ate, but there was pig and Soon Hock fish in there somewhere. The signature Prawn and fried Taufoo and meat in their thick goo with steamed rice is as near to simple perfection as you can get. I remember pulling someone about the need to say "Please" when requesting a dish to be passed to her; the phrase "Eh, that one you pass to me ah," might be acceptable in Jinjang but not in company of the House of Pork. Ah.

June 28th Robson Heights Guys Night

Bit subdued with only six guys, but superb Pai Kuat ribs and Tilapia Steamed Fish got the evening moving. Six bottles finished, some Oyster Bay whites and some various reds. Soul food. 

June 30th Sapore with Rubber Baron

This was just the four of us with the Baron come to sample the Lardo, the Roast Pig and the Steak. Which we did in the company of his magnificent 2000 Bordeaux paired against my 2007 Armand Rousseau - the last of the legendary Vinum Malaysia sale. The pig was its usual magnificent self, as was the lardo on Chef's oven baked bread, and the steak we had was stellar. Service was straightforward even though the place was quite full - Sapore seems to have made it in spades in its short time of existence. It is an easy place to relax into - not too many frills, quite homely with a few wall paintings for effect and soft lights. Haven't seen the Baron as relaxed as he was that night  - good food and wine will do that to you. 

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 - April 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....

April 1st Private Dinner at One World Hotel

This was a private room for about ten tables and pretty good vegetarian dishes. We were told by our host that it was to be followed with a talk by a Buddhist teacher so out of respect we didn't bring any wine. As it turned out we were sat on a table of serial boozers who equally didn't bring booze. I offered to go downstairs and grab a couple of whites and reds from the supermarket but was told no need. Next time I will listen to my better instincts. We drank (admittedly very good) Chinese tea all night and listened to about an hour of the Teaching before making excuses about it being way past bedtime. Which was true, but in reality we wanted to get away - these sessions can go on into the serious small hours and the devoted hang on to every word uttered by the guru while we less devoted choke back yawns out of politeness to the host. Whatever gets you through the night…

Sidethought - in gatherings of people of Chinese descent, I have observed that no one ever seems to want to make the first move to get up and go. I seem to recall reading once that the longer the evening goes on, the greater mark it is of the table enjoying itself which gives great "face" to the host or hostess. In contrast, leaving early is the reverse. It is also the case that when one gets up to go, then this can get interpreted as a signal for everyone else to also leave. So the result is that no one wants to be seen as the bad guy to get up and signal that the party is over when it might well be the fact that this is exactly what everyone wants to do! But trying to stay awake during a talk after an evening of sobriety - no. I'll listen to the podcast. We had some passengers to transport home so I got up at 11.45pm on the excuse of needing to get them to bed. Everyone said goodbye to us and then in total contrast to all of the above all sat back down to continue listening. I didn't get a podcast. 

April 3rd Banfi Wine Dinner at Stoked

Written up separately. The wine rep remembered me from a dinner he hosted when there was an Italian restaurant in Le Meridien. Wines were not spectacular then - same with now, though there was one that shone reasonably well. See separate post here>>>

April 4th Sapore with Amanti

This was our intro to Sapore and a belter it would prove to be. Lots of wine, fantastic food from Chef and a raucous night had by all. Magnificent Roast Pig, superb Rigatoni, and the Lardo on fresh baked olive bread was spectacular. The first of many visits. See separate post here>>>

April 5th Nadodi
This was a food tasting with the IWFS KL Committee to ascertain whether the place and the food were of sufficient standard to hold an event there. We bring our own wines and blag free corkage on the promise of bringing about 40 pax there. Committee was indeed sufficiently impressed to want to have an event. For some reason, it can't quite seem to get sorted...  See separate post here>>>

April 12th Sapore with Ho Chiak gang

For some reason, there was an invite to El Manica by the Porsche Club Malaysia and Lenglui and I got pressganged into joining the party. Not that it was a hardship. Well, not at first - seemed like the PCM had pretty much ordered the chef to empty the pantry given the amounts of food coming out. Way, way too much. But it was all darn good. Especially the T-Bone - oh, so good the meat. Give the Flint up the road a run for the money. Usual wines, lots of Italian - I finished off my stock of Ciu Ciu bought two years back from a friend of the Hustler (well, I thought I did - recent search on the shelves unearthed two more - can't seem to get shot of it...). Drinking well. Sucked down a few St Clairs and a magnificent bigass heavy thick bottled Chilean Cabernet whose name escapes at the moment. I have found that the bigger the bottle then the better the wine to be a general truism when it comes to both North and South American wines. This one was belter with the steak. 

April 14th Nam Lee Cheong
Not really a food report, just to include the NLC wine store on Jalan Bukit Bintang for old times sake. Used to be a regular at the monthly tastings, but I have sworn off them for a number of years now. I get very drunk, sing a few songs, buy wines which taste great at the time but not so later, and inflate my blood sugar and pressure as a total result. I prefer wine with food rather than getting chugged in such "tastings". And truth be told I don't really enjoy getting blitzed and shitfaced on wine; the hangovers are mental and the following day is wasted. At least with food you have something to soak up the booze. This one was a Montes tasting and some lovely wines were on show. Ended up buying a 2012 Montes M, their flagship Cabernet, on quite generous discount which I have drunk with pleasure on previous occasions. Chugged it recently with a home grilled US Ribeye, power and silk with a hint of green pepper and a wonderfully rich fulfilling finish. Very nice indeed. 

Nam Lee Cheong owner Tony Leong with Wine Girls

April 20th Soleil with IWFS

I have gotten into the habit of not taking notes at wine dinners of late. Partly is because for many places I have written on the food before and the wines and tastes all seem to roll into one set of standard adjectives and descriptors. The result feels that repetition seems to be creeping in. Also it does get in the way of enjoying the company and the booze due to frequent visits to the notepad. I originally thought this was one of them since I couldn't find a note anywhere. Then they showed up. Will look to write up soonest.

Short version is that Chef was well on form and the paired wines from magnum were well good. I have memories of remaining sat with Mossie and The Jag and scouring the bottles for the vinous remains of the day. Vaguely remember getting lucky. No prisoners taken. 

Menu

Small Appetiser - Snapper Carpaccio, Calamansi Sorbet

Tribaut Brut NV, Champagne

Entree

Irish Oyster and Duck Liver Snow - Brined Tomato Jelly, Avocado Foam, Cucumber Broth

Grand Bateau Blanc 2015, Bordeaux

Hors D'Oeuvre

Seafood Risotto - Grilled Fremantle Octopus, turkey Chorizo, Piquillo Pepper

Fibbiano Casalini Chianti Superiore 2013 Tuscany

Mains

Grilled Northsea Cod, Soft Sheel Crab Crumble, Miso Bearnaise, Green Pea Coulis

Veal Tenderloin, Roasted Sunchoke Puree, Baby Vegetables, Bali Long Pepper Sauce

La Fleur Du Bouard 2011 St Emilion

Fleur Cardinale 2011 St Emilion

Dessert

Poached Peach, Vanilla Panna Cotta, Belini Sorbet, Raspberry- Tomato Coulis

Chateau D'Anna 2010 Sauteurnes

April 23rd G8 Lunch
This is one of Doc Wine's foodie groups that has been going for a number of years, all having met at a Wine and Spirit training course. The Doc's squeeze was cooking Nyonya and he roped me and Lenglui in to join the fun. Each G8 member brings a covered bottle and the assembled seek to ascertain on a blind tasting what it is. Some lovelies get brought by the members. I brought my remaining Weinbach Capuchin Pinot Gris brought back from the Alsace trip which was well received - lean, sweet and crisp with a chewy honey apple that has yet to finish - can still taste it now. Amazingly tasty food, full of spice fire and texture, and which showcased the thoughtfully selected wines to some excellent degrees. Spice and serious light to mid textured wines make for some wonderfully perfect matches. Brilliant, brilliant lunch and all the more so for being wonderfully convivial and vinously serious but not overly so. 

Salut!!

Egg and Prawn Salad with spicy Thousand Island style sauce 

Kangkung leaf - crisp and chewy

Brilliant Pineapple Salad with cucumber, nuts and spice

Wicked Chicken

Roll of Honour

April 27th Dewakan with Leeuwin Estate wines

Organised by Michelle from AsiaEuro wines to showcase the new vintage of this winery of legend. We got a heads up at a previous dinner and on arrival found ourselves on a table with IWFS chums. 

Located in Margaret River in WA, the Leeuwin Estate wines are praised high to the heavens by the Wine world and probably rightly so. The pretty and well laid out marketing card we got on the table listed all the big names and all the nice things they said. The Chardonnay has ranked in the high 90s by WS, Halliday and Vintage since the 2007 vintage. Indeed, I now recall a magnificent Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chard I had with Lenglui at a specially paired Gourmet Wine Dinner on board the Crystal Serenity. Can't remember the vintage, but the Cruise was May 2015 and moored off Monaco. The dinner was a bit ordinary but this was a standout wine. The winery is also to be lauded for commissioning art works to grace the annual labels (like Mouton Rothschild). Absolutely in full agreement. Which is why I was a bit miffed that this evening didn't quite cut it for me. Probably it was that the wines were all new vintages and all in clear need of bottle time before being paired with food. The early whites were racy, inside cheek rippers and not quite in balance on this palate. I found the first Sem/SB blend a bit on the sweetly light side and pretty non descript, though our table seemed to guzzle quite a lot of it. The Riesling felt it had some potential, and drew the accolades from the Kiwi, but the higher acidity seemed to need time to even out. The Chardonnay….  I didn't get it. Perhaps in need of a different location and a different dish.  And notwithstanding some lovely offers on the lovelies for the night, on this showing they were a bit of a long shot punt for me for adding to the wine cellar - I prefer a bit of lightness on the palate than these bold chest whackers seemed to be presenting. The Dewakan food was its usual stellar standard, though the wines looked like they had been shoehorned into the menu and didn't really pair well. I would have omitted the Cabernet and doubled the Chard with the Duck and put the Shiraz for the Quail. I might also have brought some earlier vintages to compare and contrast. But that's me. There you go.

Menu

aperitif

2016 Siblings Semillon/Saugignon Blanc

Prawn Umai and Green Sambal

Art Series Riesling

Puding Jagung

Art Series Sauvignon Blanc

Slow Cooked Red Snapper

Art Series Chardonnay

Roast Duck Breast with "Blood " Sauce

Art Series Shiraz

Roast Quail with Century Egg Puree

Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Gula Melaka Marquise and Pulut Ice Cream

Popsicles