IWFS KL PRIME APRIL 2013 - Good, not great.

We had done our food tasting (see earlier blog) and committee approved that dinner at Prime would be a great evening of food and wine. And indeed, members responded quickly and in numbers. Secretary Jeremy was forced to put members guests on a waitlist pending takeup of places by members. They naturally need to be given preference, otherwise why bother being a member? As it was, he didn't show on the night, presumably deciding to fall on the sword and give way to members. Also, he was in the middle of preparations for daughter's wedding as well as packing for our IWFS Bordeaux trip. As it was, there were only four guests in total - we had persuaded the Doc to come on board for this one. He is a Prime fan and aficionado of the meat there and when we told him there was single malt 16 year old single malt Lagavulin whiskey, well….  Almost enough for him to sign up for membership. Almost.

The evening got off to a stormy start. Literally. Leaving the office, there was a typhoon force storm blowing hurricane sheets of rain down the road and ripping branches off trees. Opting to find a port in this storm, Lenglui and I headed straight for the venue and arrived just after six. A swift change and a freshen up with the nice smelling whoosh under the arms and shirt and we were ready. Chef Antoine was ambling about outside the restaurant, whistling a Carpenter's tune. He seemed clearly relaxed, ahead of the madness and insanity that cooking up a culinary storm for 60 IWFS members and guests must be. 

Where's the beef?

The Prime doors opened at 6.30 and we sauntered in to be greeted by name by one fo the waiting staff who clearly remembered me from previous dinners. What an amazing welcome! And which set the tone for the waiting staff for the night. Abslolutely first class service all through the night. The glass of Pol Roger NV Champagne from a magnum bottle was also delightful. Chilled to lovely perfection, this steely crisp glass of bubbles soothed the storm bashed spirit back to normality with its seductive sweet lemony crisp fruit and fine refined finish. Clean, dry, acidic and electric tannins with a biscuit nose that crackled down the throat. O beautiful. Surprisingly, there were few latecomers given the horrendous floods, traffic jams, howling hurricane winds and lashing rain outside. People started arriving and soon the smallish recpetion area was abuzz with chitchat and laughing and praise for the appetizers and their match with the fizz. Indeed, it was nice - oysters with cleansing fizz, how to go wrong? Fearing an adverse reaction ahead of the Bordeaux trip, I declined the oyster, though apparently it was in a gel rather than rare. Some comment as to preference for fresh for the future. Agreed. The salmon was bliss - fresh, woody, clean bite and chew - brahma with the sour cream and lemon. And did I mention the fizz? There was one blip when one member started whingeing about the appetisers not making it to the far side of the reception area. They were getting snapped up by ravenous members before they were getting half way. The whinger in question rode shotgun for the appetiser lady and escorted her through the ravenous hordes, deftly whacking the pecking fingers as they sought to snap up the tasty oysters, salmon and caviar mash potato. We had learned our lesson from previous IWFS dinners - best to stand near where the food or booze is coming out. No problem.

The Prime Trilogie

Moving to the seats, there were two long tables, two half tables and three with four seated. Table was pleasant and not overly adorned, though the glasses were somewhat less than perfect - small white and red rather than the glorious big Bordeaux bowls we had at the tasting. I guess we had maybe stretched them to the glassware limit. 

Clam Chowder "Macchiato"

In comparison to the food tasting, tonight came out a bit…  snuzz. The Prime Trilogie was good, with the Alaskan Crab and Truffle Ravioli outshining the somewhat beefy scallop.  The Clam Chowder was a bit on the paprika peppery side and somewhat over creamy being more puree than clam. The fizz made a great match for the chowder, whilst the Tenuta Caparzo Vermentino 2011 came out mixed - it was a fair partner with the chowder and outstanding as the match with the Ravioli, whose cream gave some structure to the wine's slightly industrial and oily nature. The fine spice and rose petal smell of a Gewurtz without the body slam lychee smack in the mouth.

Leek Fondue and Brioche was a fresh toasted and creamy mush which went lovely with the remains of the champagne. There seemed no end to the fizz - the glasses kept getting refilled. should have more magnums, they are clearly bottomless. The leek was a bit sweet and seemed to repeat

For the Prime Plate, the Filet Mignon was excellent whilst the Lobster was somewhat on the wrong side of chewy rubber. Buttery, less than crisp and lacking that fresh crunch that good lobster gives. In contrast, the Cod Fish was excellent - light, fluffily delicate flakes in a sweetly smooth creamy and low salted sauce. The main wine had changed from the tasting and did fair service, though the Chateau Les Haut de Conseillante 2008 still couldn't do much with the meat. The Alion Bodegas Y Vinedos Ribera Del Duero 2004 had more body and fruit to help the meat. Somewhat Australian in its bold feel and body though smoother and less tannic, it was crackerjack with the Wagyu which on the night came across as somewhat oxtail rich and mulligatawny - felt like someone had added a shake of curry powder somewhere. With a dollop of rice on a banana leaf, it would have been perfect.

The chocolate dessert was off the map - dark cocoa with creamy vanilla in a sleek dreamy concoction of milk, sugar and cocoa. And more champagne, which cut through the cocoa and rinsed the throat of all the chocolatey goo that tends to cling to it. New experience and a most happy one. The nut and blueberry Brownie gave a solid carbo finish to the meal.

I guess I would be the one to blame for suggesting whiskey with dessert. The Chocolate selections and preparations did pair quite well with the 16 YO Single Malt Lagavulin. I do now understand the attraction of Single Malts a little better now. They are for sipping, and letting the smoke and the fire in the peat mellow the night away into peaceful male no zone blissful non memory. Still don't like the taste, but recognise the appreciation. 

The service was fabulous and professional - as said, got greeted by name at the entrance and also all the way through dinner. Very accommodative, professional, courteous. Not intrusive. Almost first class.

Chef Antoine with IFWS Committee Member Ong Li Dong

Overall, the evening didn't somehow feel like value this time around. The kitchen seemed to cope with getting quality food out to the assembled punters, but seemed to be straining against getting that final "ta-daaaa" that marked the tasting as a real feasting event. Wine wise, those I spoke to seemed to prefer the beefy red over the lighter weight, whilst the white got forgotten in the late night haze of whiskey. Far from bad, just falling short of magnificent. O expectations, how you tease and tantalise us, always in the hope that they will be met and exceeded. One day…

Cheers!

Photos of people by kind courtesy of Jan Shaw

International Wine & Food Society Kuala Lumpur Menu - ‘The Best of Prime’

Pre-Dinner

Ratte potato espuma, one with truffle and one with ikura

Duck Liver Lolipop, Fresh Oyster, vichyssoise gel, harenga pearls

Buratina cheese, Bresaola dry beef, fresh fig

Apple wood chips homemade cold smoked salmon trout, blinis, lemon, sour cream and condiments

Pol Roger Brut Reserve MV en Magnum

*****

Appetisers

Prime Trilogie

Grilled jumbo Scallop, sticky oxtail, parmesan wafer

Alaskan Crab Espresso

Truffle ravioli, wild mushroom fricassee

Tenuta Caparzo Vermentino 2011

Chowder

Manilla clams chowder ‘macchiato’

Toasted brioche, leek fondue

Tenuta Caparzo Vermentino 2011

*****

Prime Plate

Roasted Fillet of Cod & seared Maine Lobster

Risotto Cake, Tomato Confit

Or

Braised Blackmore Wagyu Inter Coastal

Soft Mascapone herbs polenta & Bearnaise beurre blanc

And

Charcoal grilled filet mignon Rossini

Wilted spinach, grilled green asparagus

Chateau Les Haut de Conseillante 2008

Alion Bodegas y Vinedos Ribera del Duero 2004

*****

Chocolate Experience

Hot Dark Chocolate drink

Prime warm brownies, berries compote

Espresso chocolate tart, whipping vanilla cream

*****

Prime Illy Coffee or selection of Dilmah Teas

Prime Cookies, Macaroons and Pralines

Lagavulin 16 Year Old

IWFS President's Thank You dinner Vintry Damansara April 4th 2013

The IWFS regularly holds it committee meetings at the Vintry in Damansara for a couple of reaons. One: they always set aside a table with glasses and cheeses and fruit for us; and two: it's usually not too difficult to get to and park reasonably close to it at 6pm on a Thursday. Our wine sub committee often holds its tastings for prospective purchases there for the same reasons, with the added fact that the staff are very accommodative in changing glasses and chilling wines. 

Whilst the wine sub comm often ends up having dinner there to try and finish off the wines, the main committee often leaves straight after the meet to get to dinner dates elsewhere with nearest and dearests or business entertainment. So it was a pleasant surprise that President Rajan decided to organise a Thank You dinner for IWFS KL Committee 2012-13 and partners at the Vintry following our penultimate meeting for the year. Everyone was to bring a bottle of something nice for the dinner and simply enjoy the food and the company.

Starting off the night with two bottles of fizz. The Bollinger was most pleasant as it should have been though the Taittinger was equally good - lemon biscuit and apple bubbles though slightly sweet on the back end. The Bolly was the business though - all light biscuit, firm and full in the mouth with the cleanest of finishes. Everyone should be able to drink the Bolly sometime. Me, sometimes I wonder how it all got so good, but then again to do so sometimes is to tempt fate into slapping you with something unexpected and nasty to take the wind from the sails. Need to be careful with the fates.

Starting off with Baby Spinach, Ricotta and Egg Crumble on Coriander Bagel Crostini drizzled with Hollandaise. This came across as a textural eggy delight undercut with smoky woodchip crunch, though the spinach tasted more of Basil to me. May have been the wine. Two whites got chugged - a 2010 Macon Uchizy from Lafon and a most delightful 2010 Heylesbury Chardonnay from Vasse Felix in the Margaret River, drinking like a French burgundy though with slightly more body and boldness. More a friendly whack in the chest rather than the soothing fruity caress of the Macon on the throat. 

Next out was the Smoked Duck Breast & Fruit Mince Puff Pastry Tart with Japanese Cucumber and Red Radish. This was interesting and wonderfully filling - the puff pastry was firm and crisp though with enough moisture to render it meltable on the mouth. The pairing of the sweetly spicy fruit mince with the firm and lean duck breast was magnificent - the sour purine in the duck matched perfectly the sweetly spicy mince creating a wonderful tongue tickling delight. It came served with flowertops which were a light bite delight at the back of the palate. Must be how cows and sheep feel when grazing on the hills prior to their visit to the butcher.

We were on to the reds by now. We started with a Cloudy Bay 2010 Pinot Noir, then moved on to 2010 Almaviva. Next up was a 1997 Leoville Barton and we finished off with a 2005 Barolo from Vietti in the Castiglione region. Each naturally had their own character, with the Pinot proving surprisingly friendly though still spicy and firm. The Almaviva had lovely body and fruit, with big blackcurrant and cherry and damson and a luscious velvet finish. The Leoville was naturally the business, all structure and smooth lean green pepper and cassis with superb balance and sleek on the finish. I can't really remember the Barolo, but it got finished off so it must have been good.  

Next up was Tunisian Style Harissa Lamb Chops with Onion Chutney, served with Roasted Aubergine and Mint Tomato Salad. The dictionary on the Mac says that Tunisian Harissa is a hot sauce or paste used in North African cuisine, made from chili peppers, paprika and olive oil. Usually pounded in a pestle, it had been spread over the lamb and looked like it had been roasted. The Almaviva as a Cab Sauv was a natural pair for the lamb and as the song from Grease goes,  they went together like rama lama lama lama ding dong. Leo was a bit firm for the lamb, though the Barolo tamed it nicely. 

The lamb was beautifully tender and sweet and the Harissa did…. okay. It was not overly hot and peppery, and lent a nicely spiced glaze over the meat. The aubergine was very good though the salad got passed over. The tomatoes somehow looked a bit sad, covered in some brown dressing as they had been. Killed their crunch a bit, as memory serves. Though the memory does not always serve well - we were all pretty well gone on the wine and conversation by this time. David had shared a joke about getting an erection by whistling, so all of us schoolboys started whistling at Mr Dingle much to the chagrin and bemusement of the ladies who missed the joke. 

Did not get to try the Pan Fried Chermoula Sea Bass with Caper and Oregano Cream served with Heirloom Tomato and Feta Salad, though everyone said it was very good. 

The Peach, Mango and Passion Fruit Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream was belter. Cold creamy goo melting over sweet soft fruit crunch is as good a taste of sugary heaven as you can get. Though not as tongue busting as the fine dining establishments, this would be worth a return visit. The chef was up from Singapore for the night and had done nice work. It had that standard Vintry solid sustenance and substantive good taste without that was slightly toward the fine dine but not enough of the touch to really make it so. Which is all right. No need to try and pretend you're something you're not. Solid food at fair price with reasonably priced wines - that's the Vintry edge for me.

In all, a lovely evening of wine food and caramaderie with friends who love the wine and the food and the company. One of those merry and mellow ones rather than a full blown booze up. Should have more. 

Debbie Teoh's Super Duper Nyonya Cuisine!!

‘Super Nyonya Cuisine’ - IWFS March 2013

We sometimes don't recognise how blessed we are foodwise here in Malaysia. Pretty much all the cuisines of the world can be found here and the standard is pretty much okay. Maybe not as fine as that found in Hong Kong and increasingly in Singapore, but we do all right. 

We also sometimes forget and often take for granted the various styles of cooking that are native to this country we call our adopted home. The Chinese styles, the Indian styles and the Malay styles all have their unique tastes and textures that delight and amuse.  And with a llittle imagination and a sense of adventure, wines can be paired with pretty much all of it. 

Dr Stephen Hall with Mr and Mrs George Lee

But whilst the Malaysian government looks to promote unity in this still relatively young nation, such melding of the ethnic origins has yet to manifest itself in the cuisine. It remains difficult to say with conviction that there is one singular Malaysian style of cooking, as one might say of Japan or Italian for example. In this era of OneMalaysia, the lines between the cooking styles remain pretty well drawn. 

Though when the lines do blur and cross over and the cuisines are allowed to blend they can throw up some very tasty and delightful results.

One wonderful example of this is the Nyonya style of cooking. The story goes that when the men from China came to Malacca to trade over seven hundred years ago, they didn't bring any ladies with them from the homeland. So they did what trading men do and settled down to set up house with the local ladies. Thus was born the Baba Nyonya (also known as Peranakan) community which, over the years, has developed its  own distinctive language, attire, architecture, jewellery, crockery, celebrations and cuisine.

This cuisine of the Peranakan community is a true fusion cuisine, marrying Chinese, South-East Asian and European elements. Nyonya food is delicious and unique, with an incredible repertoire of seafood and meat dishes, salads, sambals, curries, appetisers, soups, sweets, broths, cakes, custards and desserts. The ingredients need to be fresh and many of them, such as ginger flower, lemon grass, kaffir lime, pandan, galangal, bird’s eye chilli and wild pepper leaves are grown in the garden.

Dato' Jeremy Diamond with Dato' and Datin Weiler

In the past, the recipes would be passed from mother to daughter in the kitchen, where the nyonyas were trained by their mothers to excel in culinary skills and become good homemakers. Indeed, the word Nyonya was a term of affectionate respect for the society ladies of the day. Today, the use of fresh ingredients, labour-intensive preparation, communalism in preparation and emphasis on gentleelness and perfection that are the hallmarks of Peranakan cuisine are disappearing, though occasional pockets of excellence can still be found. The Peranakan culture and traditions are being swallowed up in this world where instant and speedy gratificaiton is the expected norm. Delicate trade offs of texture and zesty piquancy get swept aside in favour of a fast bowl of noodles from the local hawker. Still tasty, just not… memorable.

So it was that following on from our very well received Korean adventure at the Onsemiro in February, the IWFS Kuala Lumpur decided to come back home to feast on some authentic, tasty Nyonya dishes for the March event. Veteran member Dr Stephen Hall had been extolling the virtues of his native New Zealand wines and their ability to pair wonderfully with the cooking of his wife of Peranakan descent Dr Lee Su Kim and had wanted to stage a dinner for members for some time. To aid in this, they had managed to secure the services of renowned chef, author and Nyonya food consultant Debbie Teoh to prepare her authentic dishes in true Nyonya fashion. 

Dr Su Kim, Sharon and Datin Kalsom

It was billed as an evening of "Super Nyonya Cuisine" and those who had been to the tasting found the food and wines very super indeed. Chef Debbie had been allowed to hijack the kitchen at the Park Royal Hotel Chatz Brasserie and had served up some adorable dishes. For some reason, only thirty nine members and friends signed up for the event and most came sportingly dressed in traditional Baba Nyonya styles as had been requested by IWFS Committee in the notice. Our friend the Doc had decided to decline on this occasion. His argument was that true Nyonya food needed at least a hint of the porcine, as is the style served and prepared in Penang. Well, and maybe though there didn't seem to have been anything lacking at the tasting. But then one should never trust a white man to recommend food to a chinaman foodie. Some say never trust a white man period, but let's not go there, eh?

For the actual event, the hotel shifted us to the Si Chuan Dou Hua Chinese restaurant. Not entirely sure why, but it made for more convivial table seating on traditional Oriental style round tables. Very stylish ambiance of opulent golds, browns and reds, with easy lighting and lovely touches of ornamentation. The gold cutlery was a nice touch - like getting transported back to a banquet at a palace in the Chinese Middle Kingdom though with modern touches and a decent kitchen. And airconditioning.

The welcoming Daniel Le Brun No 8 was a most welcome glass of fizz and showed off the winemaker’s Champagne origins. A traditional method sparkling wine which had spent time on lees, the notes spoke of a "full mouth feel and a good example of chardonnay and Kiwi Pinot bubbles with bready notes and a full finish." A little lighter than fizz served at previous dinners and with a tendency to sweetness and lemon in the mouth, but very friendly nonetheless and a good ice breaker that got people talking. Clearly a lot of work and thought had gone into the selection of the dishes and the wines by Dr Stephen and Dr Su which was much appreciated by all and acknowledged by President Rajan. Following a minute silence to mark the recent passing of long term member Dr Albert Lim that preceded some background on Peranakan cuisine and Kiwi wines by Dr Stephen and Dr Su Kim to introduce the evening, we were off. 

Pie Tee and Ju Hu Char

First out were the Pie Tee with Crabmeat and the Classic "Ju Hu Char". Presented on a longish white plate, this was a combo of two nyonya delicacies. The Pie Tee is a crispy wafer shell that looks like an upside down top hat and filled with stir fried yam bean, crabmeat and shrimps. Dab a little chili on top and you're done. There's a lovely fusion as you bite through the wafer into the chunky cream of the yam and through the crabmeat that delights the tongue and when the not so fiery chili sets the tastebuds tingling you know that you're in for a good evening. 

The Ju Hu Char is a typical nyonya dish that is made out of shredded cabbage, carrot and turnip topped with with a dash of sambal and sweet chili and eaten wrapped in lettuce leaf. It is a light, crispy and refreshing appetiser, and with the vegetables textures and fresh crispy feel in the mouth, one feels automatically healthy and good about the food choices we have so far made for the night. The secret ingredient is the shredded cuttlefish (the jiu hu see) which gives its distinctive flavour of textured salty creamy yum.

The partly barrel fermented and crisply enjoyable Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2011 came across as somewhat understated and restrained: clean and lean though complex enough to interest with fresh light citrus on the palate and finishing long and firm. Grown in the Wairau Valley Marlborough by former Cloudy Bay winemaker, Kevin Judd, the notes spoke of "a rounded and layered wine with rich grapefruit flavours with oak hints and leading to a finely textured dry finish."  The relatively low acidity compared to most SB meant that the Greywacke made it a wonderful partner with the crabmeat. The hint of low fire sambal belacan and the textures of the Pie Tee shell on the Yam Bean meshed excellenty with the wine, giving a sense of light and peace in the tastebud soul. Excellent match. 

Hiew Piew Fish Maw Soup

The Ohau Gravels Pinot Gris 2011 was quite a stunner. Billed as an increasingly fashionable varietal from the new Kapiti Coast region north of Wellington, the notes spoke of "backbone and some minerality to the full mouth feel of stone fruit and ripe pears. For me, it came across as spicily aromatic with hints of smoky pear and peach, layered and textured and with all the hallmarks of a siren of a wine. Far too easy to drink for anyone's good, it went down like honeyed syrup without the gooey sticky cloying in the mouth sweetness. Like the bottle in Alice's Wonderland, this wine kept saying "Drink Me" and we did. Very copiously. 

Pairing with the Hiew Piew of fish maw and dumplings made sense. The slightly salty and light chicken broth tempered the spice enough to let the fruit tantalise even more whilst the prawn balls lent an interesting fish meaty chew to give the wine something to mix with. Fish maw is more a texture thing, with little in the way of taste but the texture is something between soft sponge and elastic band rubber. The full body of the Pinot Gris compensated for a somewhat thin feel of the soup though the vegetables remained perfect crunch. I seem to remember the soup at the tasting having slightly more body. The coriander gave a nice zip and stalky bite. 

The Otak Otak

Next up was the entree Otak Otak. Traditionally a blend of fish, coconut milk, chili paste, galangal and herbs wrapped in a banana leaf, Debbie's offering came in a bowl filled with chunky seafood and to be eaten with a hunk of toasted bread. Served with a mango kerabu and mint leaf, this was indeed a hearty filling bowl of chunky seafood in a rich almost solid sauce. On its own, the stew was tending toward liquid mush, with the whipped blend of egg, spice and coconut congealing nicely around the prawn and other ex-marine life whilst leaving a watery soup in its wake. Pairing with white bread toast was genius, giving much needed carbo and foundation to this gunky delicious mix. 

Pairing the otak otak with the Pinot Gris was equal genius. The sugar in the wine all but vanished leaving perfume and spice and pear whilst the gunk took out the syrup to leave a honey sleek finishing coat around the tongue and throat. A top drop that drank a treat. 

The slightly sour calamansi sorbet was a refreshing twist on the usual lemon or apple offerings and paved the way for the Keluak Chicken or Ayam Buah Keluak.  This is a dish that combines pieces of chicken (ayam) with the nut from the Kepayang tree (Buah Keluak). Looking like a small black football, this little baby is initially poisonous and needs some long and painstaking preparation to become edible. This involves soaking the nuts, forty days fermentation, grinding into paste and re-stuffing the mix back into the shell. This is before cooking. Traditionally it is slow braised with the meat and often sometimes left for days after to let the flavours in the nut develop. 

Ayam Buah Keluak

Since the start of the dinner everyone had been intrigued by the fact that a single chopstick had been placed alongside the rest of the cutlery. The mystery was resolved when Dr Stephen explained that it was to be used to scoop out the spicy mix from the Buah nut and be added to the chicken and rice. Ah so. So, scooped out the black and evil looking mix duly was and what an intruiging taste it turned out to be. Nutty, of course, but with a sweetish smoky saltiness and texture of thick earthy ground paste. It was total umami with bounce and bite and went gangbusters with the rice, which had the effect of leaving the poor but tender and tasty chicken and gravy to play second fiddle to the dish. 

There were two award winning Pinot Noirs paired with the dish - the Wooing Tree Beetle Juice Cromwell 2010 and the Mudhouse Golden Terraces 2010. Both hailing from Otago and showing off some fantastic flavours, one came across so smooth and fragrant and balanced that it stole the night from the Pinot Gris. Unfortunately both Pinots got confused on the table so which one this actually was remains a mystery. Judging from the notes, it was probably the Beetle Juice. Handpicked and matured for 11 months in French barriques, it was full coloured with strong ripe plum and cherry and spice flavours  and oh so approachable! And the winery supports the natural world,  with a percentage of profits being channelled to support an endangered beetle ecosystem. How can you not love a wine that looks after beetles? In contrast, the Decanter Gold Medal Mudhouse is grown in a single vineyard in an old gold mining area.The notes say it is oak matured, with full fruit and sweet spice in excellent balance with crisp acidity and good weight. More a traditional style Kiwi Pinot than the Beetle Juice, with muscular boldness in the mouth and firm flavours on the finish. A man's Pinot. In fairness, neither really paired well with the Chicken, though one would guess their main function was to stand up to the Buah Keluak. Which they both did. Those who still had some of the Pinot Gris in the glass would have found a better match for the chicken. 

Nyonya Sago Gula Melaka

The desserts were totally off the map. First out was the classic Nyonya Sago Gula Melaka which came out looking like a mini Guinness on top of a cream cloud in a wine glass and was brilliant. Also known as Palm Sugar, Gula Melaka comes from the sap collected from the flower buds of coconut trees. The sap is boiled until it thickens and then poured into containers to set. It makes the spicy caramel syrup that is poured over sago pudding and topped off with coconut milk to create this most beloved of Nyonya sweeteners. Tonight's offering had a nice spicy zing fire to it and paired with the creamy coconut milky and chewy sweet sago magnificently.  Debbie's signature Panforte was also on the table - date and fig and almond nut combos dusted with icing sugar and all texture and dreamy sinful fruit taste. Total sticky date chewy heaven. Everyone should get so lucky and try this once in their lives. Unforgettable.

Needless to say that the desserts killed the Pinot Noir though the Pinot Gris gave a sweet undercurrent and foundation to the dates in the Panforte. This really is such a versatile wine, pairing well with soup, spicy chicken and can do dessert at a pinch. Woke up the following morning feeling muzzy and bleaaagh with a mouth like a ferret yet still tasting the Pinot Gris. Thankfully the morning espresso helped in getting ready for the day. Not much, but enough to kickstart.  

Cheers!

Overall comments ranged from the superlative to the "okay-lah" though the latter were very well in the minority. Waiter Service was generally fine and friendly, with wine being poured quite generously. Food came out all together nicely presented and little to no waiting time for all to start together. One comment of soup coming out cold, getting sent back, and coming out cold again and not pursuing it with staff. Another felt that Otak Otak should only be served in Banana Leaf. Well, and maybe from a purist traditional perspective this might have some weight, but the logistics of getting Banana Leaf into a four star hotel kitchen and chef preparing and presenting the dish in a traditional nyonya kitchen manner seems a shade extreme. It is the Park Royal Hotel, not Malacca hawker stall. Chefs do with what chefs have and cope accordingly.

For me, the wines and the matching were fantastic, although the "Super" in the "Super Nyonya" was slightly lacking when compared to the original tasting we'd had previously. Whilst I felt Chef Debbie did fantastically well, both the Otak Otak and the soup felt more refined and lacking something that had seemed magical in the original presentation. But different is far from bad, and the fault often lies in our expectations. When they have been elevated by as memorable a night as they had in the original tasting, the second time around can often feel a shade diminished. Like going to see Les Miserables or Miss Saigon again - it's still good but somewhat less so than the magical first time. Increased numbers can also impact the food - time spent in pan waiting for plate and transport to table can mean the food continues to cook longer than is good. But all this is technical and should not detract from what was a wonderful evening of great wine, great food and shared with good friends from the IWFS. Kudos to the ladies who sportingly wore their best baju and looked totally resplendent and gorgeous. Some of the men also weren't too bad in their batik shirts either. A fun and entertaining night, made all the more so by Dr Stephen sharing some Kiwi noises and chants and much vinous information throughout the evening. Cheers!!

Photos kind courtesy of Jan Shaw

Post Script: Seems that Chef Debbie lost her long time sous chef between the tasting and the dinner, which would explain the difference between the two. 

Table flower arrangement

‘Super Nyonya Cuisine’ IWFS Kuala Lumpur March 28th 2013 Park Royal Hotel

Pre-Dinner

Daniel Le Brun No 8 Sparkling, Marlborough

Appetisers - Pie Tee with Crabmeat and Classic ‘Ju Hu Char’

Crispy Shell Filled with stir fried yam bean and Crabmeat and Shrimps 

Paired with Stir Fried Bean and Dried Squid topped with Sambal Belachan ‘Ji Hu Char’

Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2011

Soup - Hiew Piew

Fish Maw & Prawn Dumplings in a Chicken Broth with Sweet Turnip, Cabbage and Carrots Enhanced with Coriander and Garlic Crisps

Ohau Gravels Pinot Gris 2011

Entrée - Otak-Otak

Debbie Teoh's Panforte - wonderful!!

Spicy Chunky assorted Seafood with herbs in a Coconut Egg Custard served with Toasted Baguette     and accompanied with Mango Kerabu

Ohau Gravels  Pinot Gris 2011

Calamansi Sorbet

Main Course - Keluak Chicken

Accompanied with Fragrance Rice, Cucumber Pickle and Nyonya Sambal Belachan

Wooing Tree Beetle Juice Pinot Noir, Central Otago 2010

Mudhouse Golden Slopes Otago Pinot Noir 2010

Dessert - Classic Nyonya Sago Gula Melaka

Sago Pearls with Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar Syrup

View Rooftop Bar - disappointing food

Got invited to a birthday dinner at The View Rooftop in the G-Tower in March. They'd asked me to emcee the dinner and sing a song I'd previously written for the brithday boy about his winning the Melbourne cup four times. Lenglui also sang a song I'd written, a spoof on Kander and Ebb's "Cabaret" entitled "KARAOKE"  to help get everyone revved up and boosted to sing with the Karaoke later in the evening. There was also to be a Pole Dancing display which turned out to be most enlightening.

The Rooftop Bar's location is very good, on the corner of Jalans Ampang and Tun Razak and with a great view across Ampang and the south west of the city. You can also see the red tail lights of all the traffic caught in the Tun Razak jam reflected in the Intermark building, which looks quite arty and brilliantly vivid and alive. Though the open concept of the Rooftop might allow things to get a bit wet if a storm comes in and blows the rain through the bar. Though presumably they are prepared for this kind of thing.

Aperitif was a most pleasant William Lefebre Chablis whilst the red was something Italian. These wines would be served through the night. The cuisine was to be a five course degustation of Italian fine dining. 

The food pretty much failed for me. The Baker Chef's canapes were stodgy and tasteless, though the Happiness crab that followed was pleasant. A melange of crab and lightly scrambled egg gave a lovely lightness on the palate and matched the Chablis quite well. The Longevity Soup was forgettable, but the recently unfrozen prawns were not. Both the main courses were pretty grim - the lamb shank had that "lamby" quality though the beans and Ciabatta were very good. Maybe it would have been better had an Oxtail been paired with the Pomodoro gravy. The fish was overcooked and also "fishy" in taste, lacking a degree of freshness and texture that I think one can expect from a presentation ostensibly billed as "fine dining". Mine went pretty much untouched. Dessert was swiftly consumed. I think it was all right.

On came the Pole Dancers and they were the highlight. All my preconceptions of sleazy guy lechery were dispelled. These girls are real athletes. The strength and grace needed for the choreography of sliding up and down a steel or aluminium pole is huge. All the ladies watching were going "wow". The men were mostly disinterested. I now have real respect for these girls. There's a lot of training needed to execute this style of dance. Impressive. 

The birthday boy's family sang their party songs and I ended the evening with the usual "Pang Yau" song, which means "Good Friends" and is always a good way to get people going home happy. 

In sum, would be a great venue for an IWFS function. But the food quality has to improve quite a bit before a food tasting could be recommended to the committee. Would also have to look out for the rain.

Steak Florentine at Osteria Realblue

Back at the Osteria Realblue Saturday March 16th, this time to try the Steak Florentine, or Bistecca alla Fiorentina. 

The backstory was that at the IWFS Onsemiro dinner Lenglui had boosted up new friend Winston about the Steak at the Osteria so much that he insisted we all book to eat the thing with his Super Tuscan Sassicaia and a 1999 Brunello. He had been impressed by the fact that the Osteria imports the meat from Tuscany and was animated to try. I would have been happy with the Australian Angus but he wanted to eat the real thing so that was that. His point of having Italian meat with Italian wine and so have the total experience was pretty unassailable.

So it was that we arrived at various degrees of lateness thanks to Saturday night KL traffic and the maze that is the Publika Mall and looking forward to trying this special Steak Florentine. This is the T-Bone or Porterhouse from the Short Loin section, the difference being the Porterhouse is cut from the back end and so has more of the tenderloin meat and strip steak on each side of the bone. According to Wikipedia, the meat for Steak Florentine comes from the Chianina or Maremmana breeds and grilled over charcoal or seasoned wood. Ours came with the traditional douse of olive oil and lemon wedges with a little lemon pepper. 

It was a real chunk of meat and it was tremendous. Erring on the side of rare and cut into manageable chunks, it was brilliantly cooked with a lot of the charcoal smell in the steak. The meat was fresh and tender all through, though a shade lean for personal taste. Seems the cattle only graze on the best grass which is higher up on the hills - guess all the exercise makes them leaner than their Australian grain fed Angus cousins. 

Paired with a 1999 Brunello Collosorbo, the meat tamed the somewhat alcoholic and fading wine, the balance was going with the fruit having faded to over expose the alcohol in the wine. Still drinkable and full bodied, once the meat shaved the alcohol the match was good. I had brought a 2005 Tenuta San Guido (second wine from the Sassicaia family) which also went nicely and came across as more drinker friendly - Nice balance and rich and silky full in the mouth and probably due to the grape blend. The fruit paired so nicely once the tannins had softened the beef. A big wine and a belter. Last bottle, unfortunately. 

Earlier we had shared the tuna and whitefish salad and something else which I now forget. The seafood was more like ceviche and very good. We had started the evening with an old favourite, the Fontodi 2007 Chianti. Full, spicy and good smooth tannins and fruit and nicely balanced. A real meaty Chianti but lovely as a quaffer. 

The 1.2kg chunk came out at just under RM800.  Osteria manager Sherri had advised that is better to prebook the meat so that husband and chef Mirko can prepare the meat in advance. Fair point.  Not sure I'd return for the Florentine beef, but most happy to have tried it with friends who seemed to enjoy it immensely. For me, I can now strike it off the list. Unless we find ourselves in Tuscany. How not to try it in its natural home?

Magnificent Fish at Dengkil Seafood Restaurant

Malaysians have a tendency to not think twice to travel large distances when the food is good. They will happily all pile into a couple of cars with no more than an address in a distant town and the promise of a friend that the food at this place is off the map. Though it does often turn out to be nearer the truth that it is the restaurant itself that is off the map, with much frustrating time spent telephoning the restaurant from the car to get directions to the place. But it all ultimately gets smoothed over and tempers calmed when the group is sat sated and full and the instigator of the expedition can bask in the glory when everyone vociferously refutes the original claim that the food is, indeed, off the map. 

Mee Hoon

I find these food safari adventures generally not fun and go along on them with feelings of dread and trepidation. The loss of control of where we are heading is like my comfort blanket being ripped from my clutches. The control freak in me likes to know where we are going and equally how we are going to get back. In this, the Garmin GPS in the car has been a godsend - well, most of the time except when it sends you off into some tropical rainforest wild road with the soft Californian female voice insists on recalculating everytime you take a different turn that you think is better. Switch you off, dear - go and recalculate that. 

Nothwithstanding, normally it is safe to say I do not like to travel too far for my food.  I still prefer a fast drive across town to get from table to bed within fifteen minutes. The prospect of a hot sweaty one hour drive along strange roads to an uncertain destination is not one to be relished. 

But the Dengkil Seafood is an exception. Located about forty minutes south of Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur near the airport and easily reachable along the wonderfully straight MEX Highway, Dengkil Seafood is a treasure to be found and delighted in. Indeed, the reason we found it was in order to avoid an expedition to eat fish at some distant outpost of the old Empire recommended by a friend that would have taken two hours to reach. When we explained our predicament, the Good Doctor told us about Dengkil Seafood. This was about a year ago and we have been there about ten times in the interim and introduced it to many friends who have also become regular visitors and introduced THEIR friends. The food is consistenly good and often outstanding.

Kampong Chicken

The most recent excursion had us doing two nights in succession at the restaurant. The first had been booked some time ago to treat overseas friends whilst the second was a replacement for a raincheck we had to call due to the pair of us getting slammed with a nasty chest infection. Getting stuffed twice in two nights at the same restaurant in addition to driving forty minutes plus to do it. This was a serious first. 

The first night saw seven of us having wine and three types of noodles - the Hokkien Mee, the La La Mai Fun and the Ban Mee. We also had the potato leaves, Patin fish and the castrated chicken. This procedure apparently makes the poor deknackered bird grow large and fat, presumably as a consequence of being no longer inclined to perform his roostering duties in the henhouse. Maybe, but what a price to pay and you end up on a plate anyway.  Not sure if the same logic applies to men. Better not to give the darling partner any ideas here. 

The price paid by the chicken equals the price paid for it by the consumer. It is seen as a speciality and one that needs to be paid for. We have had it on previous occasions when it proved to be a firmer bird than your average KFC broiler. Leaner, firmer, but still tender meat that presumably got salted overnight. Our quarter of emasculated chicken got eaten and savoured but somehow didn't inspire gasps of total delight from the assembled. Perhaps we were not sure of what we should be looking for in the dish. It was fine, just not magnificent and perhaps we didn't know why. All enjoyed the food enormously, especially the Patin and the Pan Mee which had the little crunchy bits of deep fried lard, the Siew Jie, which give a delightful fat bite to the noodle. Pan Mee is the Malaysian Chinese equivalent of linguine and various prawn and pork and veggie bits in a rich brown sauce. Scoop it up with a touch of chopped garlic and you have a mouthful for the ages. Soul food, as real as it gets. Got everyone's top vote.  

Potato Leaves

Our second night proved more of a party. Originally there were to be eight of us, but someone added one and someone else added one and suddenly we were up to twelve. Qjuite a mixed bag, but all with one thing in common - a liking for good and tasty food washed down with a decent drop of wine. This could get fun.

The wines that everyone had brought were various, though enough of a range to keep everyone drinking something - two ladies stuck with a sweet Moscato all night while the rest of us started with a racy Chilean SB from Nam Lee Cheong (can't remember the name - something like "Off The Planet") before tucking away two bottles of 2011 Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc from the Saint Clair winery. The Vicar's Choice had smoother balance of fruit and acidity with softer fruits than the grapefruit sharp Chilean. But both were lovely drops that refreshed the mouth and spritzed up the palate. 

First food out was the potato leaves. These are quickly steeped in hot salted water and served with stewed garlic and have a soft green feel. Bit like a spinach, but bigger leaves and stems. Not too chewy but with a little crunch to bite, it's a good way to get some early iron and green vitamins and minerals into the system. 

Pan Mee

Second up was the Kampung Chicken. In contrast to the bird of the previous evening, this one tasted incredibly good. Itt had a firm texture yet was still wonderfully succulent. There is a tendency to oversalt the skin wth the Ajinomoto, and that would be a criticism here. Even so, not a bad chook. Was okay with the SB but a Chard would have done better.

Third up was the Pan Mee, which was as good as the previous evening's serving. The better noodles are made fresh from flour and water and these were excellent - good bite and not powdery.  Supper of champions. 

Some of us were moving to the reds as the Tung Po pork came out. This is more Northern Chinese and is deep braised pig and skin in gravy and traditionally eaten with bread. It is excellent in the Restoran Esquire Ktichen chain where the gravy is more brown and meaty and richly thick. Honorable mention also to the Tung Po at the Pik Wah  - sweet and sour and delicious. Dengkil's Tung Po was a bit disappointing, tasting of cherry pop sauce and mostly fat. Very tasty, in a pig fat kind of way, but more like a gunky pigfat sandwich than a meaty chew. 

YC had opened his Big Red which proved a metallic, gunpowder, smack in the face explosion of alcoholic cassis and black fruit. Can't remember the name. Massively big, but not overly so, the bold yet even tannins cut the sweet sauce to produce a taste that somehow made sense - a cherry pig fat sandwich with a full mouthful of fruit forward wine. 

Tung Po Pork

There was also the remnant  of a Sandalford 1997 Cab Sauv that had been inherited from the Datin at the office which had been opened for a couple of days already. A glass had been passed to our Tai Chi Master who had no complaints and it did indeed taste well. Excellent balance, even tannins with firm blackcurrant and plum producing a full lingering finish. 

We were still sipping the Vicar's Choice when the restaurant brought out the fish. It was a whopping Soon Hock steamed to tender and sweet perfection that melted into salivatory perfection as soon as it hit the tongue. The flesh had that tender firmness that lets you bite and squeeze at the same time to release the juices. The zippy salty soy and electric crunch of the cilantro garnish did amazing things with the sweet fish meat - a complex melange of tastes across the tongue and palate that excited and delighted. It didn't need any wine to match, thought the Vicar helped in washing the salt off the tongue in preparation for the next teasing mouthful of the fish. Totally stellar.

Soon Hock Yee

For info, the Soon Hock is a river fish that is a river bottom crawler, and not a very energetic one at that. Known as the Marbled Sleeper, this South Asian swimmer can reach up to two feet in lengh. It is a hugely popular fish dish thanks to its sweet white meat and fine softly firm texture According to Wikipedia, it may have healing qualities and promote longevity - and fetches high prices due to high demand and variable supply. Well, and maybe on this one. The Doc says that much of the Soon Hock in the restaurants is of the farmed variety. Dengkil seafood prides itself on serving only wild catch rather than farmed fish. And indeed there is a difference. The farmed fish available in Kuala Lumpur have a generally firmer texture whilst the wild ones in Dengkil have a sweeter softness about them. The Patin we had the previous evening was lovely in a fish oily kind of way. But the Soon Hock remains clear fish dish of choice. You pay for it, but absolutely worth what you pay. Possibly some of the best fish you will ever taste.

Turtle Feet

Friend YC had apparently been salivating about the next dish for the previous week leading up to the dinner. He had been texting Lenglui in excited terms about it, so perhaps my expectations had become a bit heightened. As it was, the Turtle Feet came out to a somewhat muted welcome by the table, due possibly in part to the fact that everyone was still pretty ecstatic over the fish. Everyone looked at the dish with a mix of curiousity and apprehension. Most of the table didn't seem to know what to make of it. Turtle is one of those dishes that generate mixed responses. Some refuse to eat on principle because it is endangered and everyone has seen a movie where the animated Turtle talks like a teenager and is too cute to eat. Others would say, hey it shows its back to the sun, therefore it is edible. I'm somewhere in the middle - try most things once for experience but only eat where enjoyable. This presentation was a bit visually strange - it was partly dark and partly light, and distinctly unappealing from a visual perspective. Dirty looking meat is never attractive, and a few people indeed shied away from this one. Served in a rich sweet gravy, the addition of brocolli and garlic did give helpful splashes of colour. But it did still look an edible challenge. 

Close the eyes, chopsticks in and…  hmmm.  The taste was….   okay, I guess. Texturally somewhere between a soft chicken and a firm wagyu and tasting a bit smoky. The beefy fruit and chestbeating alcohol of Big Red went excellently well with the smoky meat. But turtle for me showed itself as not really a taste to be soon repeated. Not quite enough to satisfy for some reason; neither big in the belly nor full in the mouth. Must be an acquired taste, though not an immediate one demanding to be cultivated. YC seemed happy enough, though.

On the home stretch and out came the lightly fried mee hoon. Tossed with spinach, beanshoots and dried prawn, the chef seemed again to be overgenerous with the Ajinomoto seasoning - it dried out the tastebuds. A bottle of Robertson Chenin was opened to rehydrate the tongue, which it did admirably.

Chicken in Rice Wine

The opening of the Chenin turned out to be quite prescient as the kitchen brought the Chicken in Rice Wine to the table. The broth was lovely, tasting of cheek pinching vinegar and sugar cane with hints of spice. The meat was very firm and lean almost to the point of overcooked, and seemed to taste more of Frog Leg rather than chicken. A superb dish, made all the more delightful by getting paired with the Chenin. For the second time, this wine has paired excellently well with a sour soup dish (previously at Onsemiro with the Chicken in Ginseng). The mildly bland texture works nicely with the Rice Wine, cutting and softening the sour alkilinity without diminishing its power to stimulate. At the same time, the broth allowed the charming almond notes and rosepetal in the Chenin to come forward.  An offering of the Chenin to the table got greeted with grunts of refusal - everyone was sticking with their red. So it goes. Must definitely get some more of this wine. Quite versatile.

The kitchen had saved the Suckling Pig for the last for some reason - normally it would be third or fourth out. Whatever, it came out to thunderous applause and flashing cameras getting whipped out to snap the baby porker in all its suckling glory. Tastewise, there is better to be had at other restaurants, most notably at the Marco Polo in Kuala Lumpur. The skin was nicely salted with good firm texture and crunch between skin and fat. Perhaps a bit too much skin adn not enough fat and meat, though it was still well prepared and not overdone. 

A bottle of La Boca 2009 Merlot had got opened by this time which proved to be a mistake - too mild and thin to follow the Big Bad Cab, So another Australian Cab, Johnny Q or something, which had been brought by our friend the Geezer got opened to finish the night. Not bad, full mouth, not too tannic, nice finish and with that boldy acoholic body that marks out a muscular Aussie wine. The Merlot and Chenin got recorked and taken home. 

Suckling Pig

There were a couple of birthdays and Lenglui had brought a chocolate cake to celebrate. We ended up toasting three birthdays and scarfing down all of the chocolate cake. Barely a crumb was left on the plate. Everyone clearly needed some chocolate carbo to end the night. 

In sum, wonderful fish and chicken in rice wine, pan mee and potato leaves. Good kampung chicken and mee hoon, Pork dishes so so. The fish dishes are clearly the stars of the restaurant and they do them extremely well. The rest was okay. Perhaps because it was s full house on a Sunday evening then maybe the kitchen was a bit stretched to get the food out. Certainly the mee hoon has been better on previous visits. The suckling pig was a first time and was acceptable whilst the cherry sweet Tung Po pork was a new experience but unlikely to be repeated. Prefer the richer sauce and more meaty Tung Po in Kuala Lumpur. 

Happy Diners!

So another expedition to Dengkil in search of restaurants that we can happily recommend to friends as a "must go" came to an end, and we basked in the praise of our friends that the restaurant food was indeed wonderful and definitely worth the trip. There was a bonus in all of us paying some 25 to 30% less than one would normally pay for similar banquets in town. Conventional wisdom holds that success eventually goes to a restaurant's head and sooner or later either quality or quantity dips as the prices rise. As a result it is better to enjoy these places now as they may not maintain in the long term. I hope Dengkil holds itself in quality terms and the food remains off the map for a long time to come. The chef clearly cares about the fish he serves and they are prepared conistently well and expertly. I would be happy if Dengkil Seafood could remain off the map completely and save this place for ourselves. But that is unfair. Good food and great places should be shared. Good luck in finding it.

Somehow I inherited the leftovers mee hoon, the turtle and the pig head, and ended up passing them to Alex, our home handyman who had come to repair a leaky aircon unit. He seemed very happy. Free food. Of course he is happy, it is free food and something out of the ordinary. Must find out if he liked the Turtle. He won't be getting any more from me. 

Photos kind courtesy of Jan Shaw.