IWFS Nyonya Cuisine with Chef Debbie Teoh - fantastic!

Spring Roll canapes - excellent with the Cava!

March 21st 2018 - Many of the IWFS members are great fans of Nyonya style cuisine. But there is always a problem with trying to organise Nyonya dinners in that those restaurants that specialise in this style are generally small in size and not really able to take the numbers that the IWFS requires for an event. Same with glassware - one should not serve fine wine in a small goblet style glass, and the IWFS has now taken to hiring glasses for events where there may be a question mark over the glasses. Though bringing glasses does not solve the problem of trying to quickly organise and train the staff in storing and pouring what wines and when - attempts to do so have proven perennially unsuccessful. And both chef and kitchen generally cannot do 40 plus covers at the same time and get them hot to the tables. None of this is intended as criticism - just an observation of the way that these things generally pan out. Small places cannot cater to large numbers of people with above average expectations such as harboured by the IWFS. 

Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Selamat Datang!

So when Nyonya Chef Debbie Teoh got introduced to the IWFS by Doc Wine and Doc Words almost five years to the day and cooked up a storm, it was like many prayers had been answered - authentic Nyonya cuisine prepared and served in a classic restaurant setting (The Park Royal Grill) with well tasty wines in good glassware. Click here to read my report on that one>>

Where's that extra glass of Cava you promised, eh?

The IWFS did a second gig with Chef Debbie at the Grand Seasons Hotel about three years back (which I could not attend) at which there were some apparent service shortcomings. So it was with a little trepidation that a third round with Chef Debbie at the Grand Seasons was organised for the March event. Would it be a repeat? Not a lot of confidence was being shown except by President David who assured that the staff were a lot better now than previous - seems he does lunch there quite often with the Rotary. 

Yeah, where is it? We decked out special for it, we did... 

The notice informing all members of the event began with President wishing all of the members "Gong Xi Fatt Choy" and with a hope that the new Year of the Dog would be healthy, harmonious and prosperous for everyone, and not have the members barking up wrong trees or at each other. The notice then advised that the IWFS KL would once again invite Celebrity Chef Debbie Teoh to take over the Grand Seasons Hotel kitchen to prepare her traditional Nyonya cuisine delights for the delectation of the Rakyat, with wines being selected to pair by the Wine Doctor Stephen Hall. It also noted that Debbie previously did for the IWFS KL at the Park Royal in March 2013 and at the Grand Seasons itself in March 2015. Must be something about March that brings out the Nyonya itch. Suggested dress code was smart casual, though anyone getting dressed in traditional Baba Nyonya or classic Chinese/Malay styles was promised an extra glass of the Cava being served. 

Dr Su Kim making mischief!!

This would also be one of our Doc Wine's last matchings. He was recently been appointed Dean at the University to which he is attached, with the result that he had to reluctantly resign his position on Committee given his increased responsibilities. Fair enough - something has to give when the pile on the desk gets higher. Though I don't think it will impede him drinking and writing about his wine too much.  He is a professional. 

THE CHEF

Celebrity Chef Debbie Teoh is a Peranakan celebrity chef with almost two decades of experience in the food industry. Chef Debbie's background is a blend of both the Northern and the Southern Peranakan - her Nyonya mother from Penang and her Baba father from Malacca.

Chef Debbie is the author of numerous cookbooks including: ‘Debbie Teoh’s Favourite Recipes’, ‘Under Wraps’ and 'Asian Tidbits' (Marshall Cavendish),  ‘Penang Food Guide & Cookbook’ and ‘Nyonya Flavours’ (Star Publications) and 'Authentic Nyonya Taste' and '100 Canned Recipes' (Nanyang Press). 

Ju Hu Jar with Chicken, Mushroom
and Sambal

Highly regarded as a genuine exponent of this unique cuisine, Chef Debbie is a Nyonya Food Consultant for Tourism Malaysia, a restaurant consultant, and a regular contributor to various Food Magazines. She has represented the Peranakan Heritage at the Slow Food Conference & Terra Madre Show in Turin, Italy, and was recently onstage with Celebrity Chefs Nicholas Tse (Hong Kong) and Chef David Rocco (Canada) at the media launch of "Celebrity Chef Wars East vs West" premiering in March 2018.

Chef Debbie also develops and tests recipes for companies, conducts cooking classes, and cooks for private functions such as ours. Chef is clearly a very busy lady! And massively talented in the kitchen. And (without wishing in any way to come across as chauvinistic) hugely cute to boot. Contact is 

https://www.facebook.com/Debbie-Teohs-World-Of-Nyonya-748221371905077/

THE CUISINE

Famed for its distinctiveness and multiculturalism, Nyonya cuisine is marked by its use of fresh ingredients, labour-intensive preparation, communalism in preparation and emphasis on genteelness and perfection. In the past, recipes were never written down, but were passed on in the kitchen. Nyonyas were trained by their mothers to excel in culinary skills if they wanted to become good homemakers. Today, the real quality still thrives in the domestic kitchen. 

Otak-Otak with bread - ho chiak hor...

The cuisine of the Peranakan community is a true fusion cuisine, marrying Chinese, South-East Asian and European elements.  The heritage goes back 700 years when Chinese traders travelled and sojourned in Malacca where they married the local women and lived a localised way of life. 

Itek Tim soup - Brandy was added. Yes.

Nyonya cuisine is delicious and unique, with an incredible repertoire of seafood and meat dishes, salads, sambals, curries, appetisers, soups, sweets, broths, and desserts. Many of the ingredients used such as ginger flower, lemon grass, kaffir lime, pandan, galangal, bird’s eye chilly and wild pepper leaves are grown in the garden. It is at once spicy, sour, sweet, zesty and piquant, and often requiring huge amounts of time to prepare and create.  

Fish curry, prawn salad and the Ayam Keluak Buah - awesomely good!!

The promise of an extra glass for members turning out in Baba Nyonya dress was clearly attractive - pretty much everyone of the fifty one attendees were decked out in Batik or starched shirt, and Kebaya, and all with outstretched hands demanding their fizz. We heard a huge amount of noise as we entered - the conversation was flowing as fast as the Cava and everyone seemed clearly in the mood for a fun night. 

Penang jelly with Calamansi - superb!!

Which it would indeed turn out to be. The horror stories of the previous time here quickly evaporated as glasses kept getting refilled and everyone complimenting each other's costumes and frocks. Service of both food and wine through the night would prove efficient and friendly and generous, with all wines being served in their sequence and in glasses that IWFS had hired for the night. The food was indeed cheek pique-ingly exquisite and filling, though one criticism was that some of the Otak-Otak was a bit underdone. Mine was fine. Star for me was the Ayam Buah Keluak. This is curried chicken in sauce with the added taste of the black nut (actually a seed) Buah Keluak, which is indigenous to South-East Asia and can also be found across the Pacific Islands. The preparation first requires a hole to be dug into the nut to extract the black oily paste content. This is then seasoned and spooned back into the nut before joining the chicken in the curry. The taste is one of smoke, earth and musk though pretty much beyond description but is one that will stay with you - I still recall the first taste in the Park Royal six years previously. Some label it the truffle of the East. And with good reason - it can be hugely addictive. I quickly scarfed those on the plate and souvenired those left over by friends and neighbours. You don't get it often because it is so labour intensive in its preparation. Couple this with Chef Debbie's deft touch in the spice department and one becomes a total hog. Mixed with a dab of white rice - phwooooarghhhhhhh... finestkind. 

Our table of pilgrims

And the dessert managed to break through the usual nonchalance with which I normally greet them. The Calamansi juice and jelly were a huge revelation - the combo of sour lime and gunge and crushed ice was a taste of Ambrosia and Honeydew. Like a citrus palate cleanser but with a wonderfully sweet cheek tickle and throat rasp. Absolute brahma. Om. 

The Four Horsemen of Bacchus

The wines managed to go hugely well with the food, and all credit to excellent choices made by The Wine Doc. The starter Cava was an old friend and still tasting like fireworks; the Tralcetto was better than I remember; this showing saw a decent mouth of apricot with a hit of oil and low acidity to give a nice chewy texture yet still tame the mild spice burn on the sambal belachan and Ju Hu (juju?) Char. The Wine Doc is an advocate for letting some white wines age and had been raving about the aged Semillon we would be having for the few weeks prior to the dinner.  This one was lovely - mellow, sweetish, but still potent in fruit and powerful in finish. very silky and a brilliant partner to Chef Debbie's Otak-Otak.

The Ladies in their best Baju - ho leng!

And the Kanonkop to finish with the mains was a darling - full lush fruit, cassis and dark forest berries, vim and fire and toast in the mouth and velvet on the finish. Total gangbusters with the smoke and earth of the Buah. This was sadly the last in the cellar. One pilgrim asked the Wine Doc where to get some - Wine Doc wished him luck. 

President David, Chef Debbie and the Grand Seasons staff take a bow

But the real star of the night was Dr Lee Su Kim, author of the highly acclaimed "Manek Mischiefs" short story collection on Nyonya life, who started the fun with a "performance reading" of one of her stories. It was the perfect way to set the tone for the evening, and our own Doc Words turned in an excellent performance of the three wives in the story. Couple of microphone issues but cordless handhelds can do that to anyone. Serious multiple personalities here from the Doc, and cute quick costume changes as well. Bravo! 

In all, a hugely fun evening where everything pleasantly surprised on the upside - service, food, ambience - and the Manek Mischief tale was delightful. Would happily return to a Chef Debbie event here on this showing. There is a deftness of touch to Chef Debbie's preparations that raise it far higher than many Nyonya outlets I have visited - they all seek to whack the sambal on everything to the point of overload which I find...  too much heat. The Cuisine of this night was light fire and light spice that tickled and tantalised rather than beat you round the head with a sambal stick. Seems also that the Indian Cuisine of the Grand Seasons is pretty good - Lenglui and I have resolved to try it some time. With a bottle of something light, spicy and white. Naturally. Cheers!

THE MENU

A sweet finish - Nyonya Kuih

Mula Suka Hati (amuse bouche!)

Nyonya Canapes

Appetiser

Ju hu char with chicken fillet, dried cuttlefish, Chinese mushroom 

served with sambal belachan on the side

Soup

Itek Tim with salted preserved vege, Chinese mushroom and brandy 

Entree

Otak-otak with kurau fish, prawn and squid

Served with baguette

Mains

Perut ikan 

Kerabu sayur paku 

Ayam buah keluak

Served with steamed white rice

Dessert

Penang 'or gio' jelly with kalamansi zest and kalamansi syrup

The wines

THE WINES

Vallformosa Cava Classic Brut N.V 

Made from the traditional Cava grape varieties of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada by a family-owned winery. The winery was established in 1865 at Vilobí del Penedès, southwest of Barcelona in the heart of the Cava D.O. appellation. While yeasty and citric on the nose, this Cava delivers long white-stone fruit notes. A great aperitif.

Tralcetto Il Bianco Di Ciccio, Cantin Zaccagni  2014     

This northern Italian blend of 80 percent Trebbiano and 20 percent Chardonnay has a pleasant intriguing bouquet which leads into an harmonious citric style. From a family owned enterprise which has expanded rapidly over the last two decades.

Pertaringa Bonfire Block Sémillon  2010 

Lemony sémillon may be well known as a noble grape, the basis of great sweet wines, but when less opulent it can be made as an Australian dry wine with great aging potential. The very experienced Geoff Hardy crafts this excellent McLaren Vale vintage. When tasting in 2017, James Halliday rated it as a 91 pointer, noting that an addition of some French oak makes for added weight in this wine which is in its mature drinking window. The wine will be out of its close-down 3-6 years sullenness and offer us a rare chance to enjoy mature sémillon cellared by the Society. 

Kanonkop Paul Sauer, Stellenbosch 2007

A Bordeaux blend as the South Africans would say, and in 2007 the blend was 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot. The late owner Paul Sauer and his successors set fine Bordeaux as the benchmark, while Platters Wine Guide (the guide for Springbok wines) rates this vintage as 4.5 out of 5. Given the age of this vintage, we may need to give it some breathing space in the glass if we can be patient. Complex and brooding wine which is ready to enjoy now. Gold Medal Winner, International Wine and Spirit Competition, Stephen Tanzer 92 points, Wine Enthusiast 91 points.

Thank you to Dr Stephen J Hall for the wine notes. Most of the Photos are by kind courtesy of David Teh from the IWFSKL Facebook page. And some photos are from me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Party people!

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

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

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

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

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

Baked Cod Fish

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

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

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

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

Jeremy and Kalsom Diamond

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

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

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

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

Li Dong and Rajan with Noble House manager and chef

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

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

MENU AND WINE NOTES

International Wine & Food Society Kuala Lumpur

"Fine Dining Chinese Cuisine"

Appetizers

餐前小食

Special Four Appetizers

泰式脆虾饼

Crispy Prawn Cracker Thai Style

泰式鲜鱿饼

Cuttle Fish Thai Style

肉崧脆茄子

Deep-Fried Eggplant with Chicken Floss

中式白合珍鲍贝

Sea Clam & Lily Bulb in Oyster Sauce

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

Course One and Two

鲍鱼三元及第

Noble House’s Abalone Three Treasures

八宝金盅

Double-Boiled Seafood Soup in Old Cucumber

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

Course Three and Four

惠式焗银鳕鱼

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

照烧鸡脾菇炒香港芥兰

Stir Fried Hong Kong Kai Lan with Apricot Mushroom

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

Course Five

炭 烧 排 骨

Charcoal Grilled Pork Rib

Vina Real Reserva 2005

Course Six

鍋仔煎牛仔柳

Pan-Fried Australian Beef Fillet

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2009

Course Seven

蟹汤过桥映央泡饭

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

Morande Limited Edition Cabernet Franc 2008

Course Eight

茶皇蜜梨

Chilled Hasma in Snow Pear 

酥 皮 窝 饼

Crispy Pancake

THE WINES

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

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

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

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

Vina Real Reserva 2005

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

Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2009

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

Morande Limited Edition Cabernet Franc 2008

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

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