Tokaji Wine at Lai Po Heen - unbelievably good!!

Holdvölgy Wine Dinner at Lai Po Heen, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur September 19th 2014

Bit of an odd one this - got the email for the dinner from Dave at Artisan Cellars and had originally decided against, given the price and the preponderance of sweet wines on offer. Not the best thing for a mild diabetic to suck down, notwithstanding his occasional desperation to feed his hugely sweet tooth. They did look attractive though, with glowing reports of their being lodged in a number of Michelin Star cellars. We don't get much quality Hungarian wines in KL, so there was a slight tinge of regret as the email declining the invite got sent. Then a few days later I get a call from Dave urging me to come and saying that he could get a good deal as opposed to the original price the organisers were looking to levy. Seems he persuaded them that the price needed dropping, and could I raise anyone else to go. He also said that only some of the wines were sweet. Lenglui had already decided against due to a massage having been booked for that night, but said I should go. A definite sign from the Wine and Food Gods. From our usual wine chugger groups I could only raise the Kiwi. So it would transpire that twelve people gathered around the table in the private room of the Lai Po Heen restaurant to sample Chef Ricky Thein's best and some Hungarian wines from the Holdvölgy vineyards. We were also to be sommeliered to by Peter Teng, Head Sommelier at the hotel and past winner of Malaysia Sommelier and South-East Asia Sommelier of the Year contests in 2010. We would also be joined by Natalia Demko from Holdvölgy to help explain the wines and tell us about the vineyard.

Aszu grape before getting Nobly Rotten

My only memory of Hungarian wine was the Tiger Milk I would occasionally chug at parties in the early 1980s and some ropey red stuff we had during a three day visit to Budapest in 2006 with an occasional cheek burning Tokaji at the odd wine dinner here and there. There was also one occasion at the Lake Club when someone brought some in for a wine dinner and it turned out to be pretty grim drinking. Having said that, the Tokaji region has been producing wine under state regulation for over 250 years (predating Bordeaux) so there must be some good stuff in there somewhere. And indeed, the output from the Holdvölgy vineyard appears to be becoming the stuff of legend. Translating into "Valley of the Moon", Holdvölgy started life as a birthday gift from current owner Pascal Demko's mother to her husband. In this, Pascal was tasked by mother to go find vines to plant in this parcel of volcanic soil based land in the Mad basin in the district of Tokaji. This has now grown to 19 parcels on seven sites across 25 hectares, with the wines finding their way on to the lists of a growing number of Michelin Star restaurants. Holdvölgy produces a range of wines from grape varietals that have little meaning to most of us - Furmint, Aszu, Harslevelu, Zeta - and gives each wine an evocative name that, er, evokes some form of contemplation - Meditation, Expression, Intuition. Seems owner Pascal is very particular about the wines produced - story goes he held on for four vintages before releasing his wines. Grapes from the 19 parcels across the seven vineyard Crus are harvested by hand for separate vinification in small steel tanks. Fermentation and ageing of the dry wines is mainly in steel though with some used oak whilst the sweet wines get aged in a mix of French and Hungarian oak. Only wild yeasts are used. 

Aszu Grape with Noble Rot

As said, was not originally enamoured with the idea of sweet gluggy wines with Chinese style food, but what a belting night it turned out to be. Individually, both wines and food were magnificent, but when paired with some superb service and wine knowledge and a charming if slightly austere ambience it was stellar. Seriously one of the best wine and food matchings I have sat down to. 

It didn't start too well - I was eventually a bit late. I would have been way on time, but trying to get into the Mandarin Hotel car park proved a fools errand and needed to get given up as a bad job. It would have taken a clear twenty minutes to get to the gate and a further fifteen trying to find a space. Whilst sat there waiting, I remembered the last time I had tried to get into the Mandarin Car Park - got to the gate only to be told that the thing was full and I would have to go park in the KLCC and walk across. Given this I decided to cut loss and go straight to KLCC. This proved to end up being a tour around the Twin Tower to get into the car park entrance and another ten minutes trying to figure out how to get to the Parkson (which would be the best spot to get out from). Somehow the car park directions didn't seem to want to let me get there, and I had to double back a couple of times until I got a familiar landmark (Isetan!) and was then able figure it all out from there. Add to this the slowness of the lifts and I was a bit hot and bothered by the time I got to the restaurant. Had a similar recent experience with the Westin - little chap in the rain there with a Car Park Full sign and no indication where else could park. Madness when you can barely get into a hotel entrance these days. Is this a trend? Car Parks being unable to cope with the volume of cars when multiple functions are taking place? Think I might give up Hotel restaurants. 

Furmint Grape and Leaf

Enough. I got there before the food came out. The Kiwi had earlier texted me to say they were starting, and he was sat opposite with Roderick Wong, Founder of The Wine Academy and President of the Sommelier Association of Malaysia. Holdvölgy External Relations Rep Natalia Demko sat between Chad Merchant from The Expat and Bel from the MO.  Also there was old friend and colleague from HELP College Danny and wife and some new friends joining the party from Singapore. Dave from Artisan Cellars was resplendent in a funky shirt and jacket which kind of matched each other in a modish sort of way. As said the room felt a bit austere with its corporate gold and brown feel and high walls built to impress and intimidate. The lighting was a bit on the bright side, and not helped by the sparkling silver table cloth (presume the Moon?) and pristine white tableware. The people also seemed a bit stiff, perhaps intimidated by the austere walls and furniture. Or maybe a bit peeved because I was late. It all felt like it needed a bit of warming up. Which would happen. We are party people.

The "Meditation"

Sitting down and apologising for the madness parking, the nice man with the wine gave me a glass of Wine One, the "Meditation". Made from dry non-botrytised Furmint grapes, the notes said it was "Crisp and racy…with a very appealing corpulence. Fresh ripe flavours of apricot, citrus, mirabelle, and acacia and with an almond and rock salt complexity. Intense, incisive, a beautifully ripe and refreshingly mineral Furmint." I got a Gewurz kind of feel in the mouth, with a crabapple tang and tropical fruit a la chardonnay. Passion fruit, and citrus lemon which gave the wine its "racy". Nicely complex, though I missed the crisp somewhere. Perhaps I was just thirsty. It chugged very nicely. 

Holdvolgy's Natalia Demko

Holdvölgy's Natalia Demko gave a brief description of the winery and its wines and shared photos of the vineyard and grapes on an iPad. It all looked very pretty and the photos were well shot. Presume with the surname there is a family relation with owner Pascal, though no one seemed to find out for sure [Natalia is Pascal's sister - Ed]. Too busy looking at the grape shots. And drinking. Looked definitely worth a visit, though looking at the map it would be a real adventure. About 200 clicks north west of Budapest toward the border with Slovakia. Anyone speak Hungarian? Exactly...

The Chilled Crabmeat Rolls came out looking like tiny samosas in thin glasspaper pastry. Little bit bland in the mouth, a smear of mango on the plate gave a good and needful zap on the gunge-y mayonnaise crab texture which made things quite pleasant and let everything slip past the cheeks with ease. A good mouthful, with a good crunch foundation provided by some redcurrant and cucumber in the roll. Matching wise, the combo cut the citrus on the wine quite nicely which suppressed its raciness quite severely. This gave rise to a hit of spicy honey, and something that felt almost coconut. A fair and easy start to whet the palate. 

Chilled Crab Meat Rolls

Wine Two "Expression" came out ahead of the food. The Holdvolgy Facebook page has a note on the 2009 "Expression", holding it to be "complex in the nose, smoky-stony minerality, different spices, peach and citrus. Tense with beautiful acidity, proportional structure, very nice long finish. On the palate a lot of citrus, pear and spices. With full of fresh notes, still a young wine that has not yet reached its peak." Okay. I got a somewhat sour mouth and finish at first which gave way to honey, spice and almond down the glass. So it goes. 

The "Expression"

Some wines do have a great sense of the terroir about them, not only in a plot sense but often in a national sense. Spain and South Africa come to mind, each with that sense of baked red brick about them. I got similar with the "Expression" - there's a unique Balkan tang, a sharp rip of fiery fruit acid on the throat, almost industrial and evoking (?) impressions of proletarian Soviet domination some of us vaguely remember from occasional TV news coverage in the early Eighties. A fierce grip reminiscent of the bottles of Tiger Milk we would chug though in fairness this one was far bigger in both width and depth terms. Firm and full, with great fruit.  A memory comes to mind of Ma Slade, the mum of my old band mucker Martin in Barry keeping a bottle in the fridge and sharing a glass with me in the kitchen. Wow, wines of the 1980s - Tiger Milk, Blue Nun, Black Tower and other grim things. Bull's Blood was another. Wine to put hairs on the chest. I digress.

Double Boiled Chicken Soup

The Double Boiled Chicken Soup was very good, with the added Fish Maw lending a sense of the opulent and tasting extremely fine. The use of Mineral water to make the soup was a first for me and really softened the broth into a fine clean easy liquid. There was a great sense of finesse in the texture of this broth. The chicken helped tame its light spice whilst the fish maw and scallop were totally fresh in taste and texture. Certainly one of the better ones I have had. Not overdone with salt or MSG. Very very good. 

Wine-wise, the "Meditation" felt a better match than the "Expression". "Meditation" gave off manuka honey, with a rich toffee note coming through whilst "Expression" just got neutralised. Belter. 

I started sharing with my foodie neighbour what I did and he gave a delightful summation - the "endless exploration of wines and foods and their matches." Wow. When someone gets unexpectedly lyrical like that, tends to make you feel both linguistically inadequate yet wildly excited at the same time. Got me feeling like Don Quixote in the Man of La Mancha singing "The Impossible Dream" - This is my quest… to follow that star… the Wine Star. Well, I suppose someone has to...

The "Eloquence"

Wine Three was the "Eloquence". This is made from a varietal called Szamorodni, which the notes say is on the way to total dessert sweetness but which holds slightly back from being a firm belt of sugar. The notes say the grapes are semi botrytised which "give great complexity in to the wine without any loss of freshness, Spiced pear, nectarines and tangerine all flood the mouth…  a wonderfully precise, pure and graceful glass of Tokaji." 

Szamorodni Grape

Have to agree. "Eloquence" is aptly named, possessing a delightful texture - not quite full on dessert unctuous, yet with a great structure and mouth feel. Like sipping on a light Riesling dessert wine but with brilliant zinging acidity. Very, very nice. Could sip this one all night and over the weekend. Pour this one over ice cream and aiyo…..

The next dish was the Slow Cooked Two Headed Abalone. This was serious quality top end Chinese delicacy. We were advised that the two head compares to "doubling" which in the cultural context means big time premium. Kind of like "double happiness" we were having double abalone. At least I think that is what I heard. Online research seems to suggest that the heads relate to the weight of the abalone.  One Yahoo answer has it that the 'heads' are counted in 600g being equal to 1 kati. So a One Headed Abalone means there is only one abalone in a kati (or each one is 600g). A Two Headed means there are two abalone to one kati, which becomes 300g each. This would seem to suggest that the younger (and lighter) the abalone then the sweeter the meat, which seems to be borne out by some of the blogs. 

Slow Cooked Two Head Abalone in Golden Broth - wooooooooooo....

Usually I take such bluff and fluff with a pinch of euphemistic salt, but on this occasion it was well merited. The Abalone was the total business. Taste, texture, and a firm full bite and bounce in the flesh. Very lightly steamed and far from overseasoned. At Chinese style dinners when I get served the Abalone, I normally leave it in the centre Lazy Susan for others who more appreciative of this delicacy to enjoy. This time I was ready to steal any leftovers on the plates from neighbours. The Golden Broth in which the Abalone was being soaked was equally delightful - full taste without oil or salt. New friend Adrian asked for some steamed plain white rice to help soak up the broth which proved genius. The rice helped bring out a new dimension in the broth, a more satisfying belt on the palate and a needful thunk of carbo landing in the stomach. Wow wow wow wow wow. Score a big one to the chef for this one. Pairing it with some asparagus was clever, to give a stalky vegetal contrast to the clean bite on the Abalone. Totally Memorable. Cracker of a dish.

The "Eloquence" got its zingy acid cut savagely by the Double Head broth, but all this did was allow some rich honey and a massive toffee note to come through. Love this wine - great balance and structure, lot of complexity and it just gives and gives. The total business.

Guests and ambience

It was refreshing to see the staff being quite generous with the wine servings. Top-ups were swift and welcome. Sommelier Peter Teng showed why he is Champion with his explanations of the dishes and the wine matchings as they came to the table. For our fourth dish, I thought I heard him say that the Foie Gras we would be having was from China. He further advised that very good Foie Gras is available from China, and seemed to suggest that the quality of the Foie Gras was due to early European influence in China. Okay…   I know the French were in Indochina, and duck and goose are indeed favourite birds across the Chinese mainland. Google research shows that French manufacturers are producing it on the Chinese mainland to get around an import ban on FG in the face of rising mainland demand for it. Guess there is some spillover which is how it finds its way here. But people in China manufacturing Foie Gras on their own for consumption was a new one. Not much on the web on this either. Have to dig a bit deeper on this one. Perhaps I heard wrong.

Fragrant Fried Rice with Foie Gras

The idea of pairing Foie Gras with Chinese Fried Rice seemed a bit like eating Caviar with a bag of Fries (I call them Chips - chipped potatoes deep fried). But it kind of worked. On its own, the Fried Rice was clearly composed of premium ingredients in its preparation, though the resulting combo felt a shade snuzz - far from bad, but not brilliantly memorable. The rice was full of spice and savoury, and perhaps that was the issue for me - all spice and air and lacking a decent bit of substance. Whilst spice and savoury tend to nicely supercharge the taste of the wines with which they get paired, they can get in the way of the tasting. The tastebuds get a bit seared and numb and the whole exercise ends up redundant. I'm also guessing that the rice was fried in some light oil since there was very little taste in the rice grains. Far from the hearty and stick-in-the-craw servings you get at the Marco Polo or the Overseas. But then, we are at the Mandarin Oriental, so greater finesse is more expected and required. Can't expect Marco Polo soul food at upmarket Hotels. Fair enough.

The Foie Gras got kind of absorbed into the rice when put into the mouth. The starch seemed to suck the FG texture to weld both into a neat bite of rice that saltily skipped along the tongue and teeth and into the oblivion of the gullet with little in the way of fuss. Or real fanfare, actually. I think I missed it. I have eaten Foie Gras with Toasted Bread on the streets of Paris and this pairing was magnificent. But tonight at the Lai Po Heen, it all seemed about the texture. Which was delightful, don't get me wrong - just seemed to lack a bit of "thunk" in the mouth. Maybe one of those East vs West things - texture vs taste. Using rice as a carbo support may need a bit of time for me. Be interesting to find out if pairing Foie Gras with Fried Rice is standard restaurant practice in Hong Kong and Beijing.

The "Signature"

The Rice and FG was being paired with the "Signature". This was a blend of nobly rotted furmint, harslevelu and zeta grapes and is the wine that maker Pascal calls his Maserati - "modern, fast and edgy". He has not presented this wine for Tokaji classification, which requires certain compliance conditions to be met. Seems he enjoys the liberation this gives him and as a result he is able to fine tune the blend if felt necessary. The notes indicate "aromatics of marmalade honey. Rich and sweet on the palate balanced by the crisp acidity. Very refreshing, not cloying."

I found it delightfully smooth and far from sugary. Medium body, clean finish, rich in its coating of the mouth. Seems the Furmint grape has a naturally high acidity, so when it gets botrytised it manages to mitigate that cloying quality that plagues many dessert style offerings. It also means that it can both age and be drunk young. It was magnificent - felt like sucking on a bee hive without the sting. In matching terms, it was an amazing choice to pair with the Foie Gras. It blitzed the wine into a spicy textural zap on the mouth and cheeks and seemed to bring out a light fire (though in retrospect this could have been the chili in the scallop sauce). 

The remnants of Wine Three "Eloquence" also worked wonderfully, though in a somewhat lighter sense. The weight of the wine was less powerful and it was perhaps this quality that gave a greater sense of the complementary - staying out of the way of the sweeter elements of the food to create a softer balance.Like comparing a gentle kiss on the cheek to a full on lip-lock. Phoooooooo…. We were still getting top ups of the "Eloquence", though the "Signature" seemed to have disappeared. Someone must have really sucked on that bottle. Might have been me...

On the home stretch now, and getting a bit more lively around the table. Wine will do that. It truly is an amazing creation. When people are laughing with each other, how can they fight? Makes me think some parts of the world could well learn from this.

Dessert got served. On its own, it seemed to lack bite and body. Texturally, the Yam Cake came over as a cross between a mousse and a blancmange and consequently felt a bit thin and creamy light in body. Combined with the ice cream on some glutinous rice bits, it came off like cold milky goo with crispish nibs. But it grew on you. Its apparent bland and purple airiness became quite easing on the palate after the assault from the rice and foie gras. Again, an East vs West thing where a heavy dish is followed by a light one to allow the system to breathe. And it worked - the body was very happy to take a break and get some "air".

Sweetened Yam Cake and Purple Glutinous Rice

Dessert was being paired with the "Intuition", a Muscat that was a blend of both botrytised and non-botrytised grapes from a single vineyard. The notes talk about "ultra exotic ripe tropical fruits, honey and petroleum. Vivacious and lively in the mouth [with] honeyed botrytised fruits… beguiled by aromatic wood spice elements". We found it nicely firm (though not so much as a full on Tokaji) yet with enough heft to support the liquid milky texture of the dessert. A good floral nose and feel, with a spicy acidity that whipped the tonsil on the way past (is this what they call the mid palate?) and seemed to suck all the spit from the throat. Bit like having a rub down around the mouth with a paper towel. Real ripper. 

The "Intuition"

Given the context of light following heavy, the selection of the Muscat definitely worked - a more syrupy textured wine would have killed the delicacy of the Yam and ice cream. Excellent choice to pair these two. 

The nice man with the wine came around with remnants of the bottles and asked if we would like some more of any that was left. I picked Number Three. Then Number Two. He kindly obliged. Other friends picked their favourites. We sucked up the lot.  All the wines showed great finesse. Wine Two especially - the "Expression" still felt frisky in the glass at the end of the night though it had gotten a bit stinky. Wine One "Meditation" was still light and fragrant - airy, breathless, full of light and breeze. Wine Three "Eloquence" still had lovely texture, full and chewy despite its lower sugar levels. As said, Wine Four "Signature" had long disappeared and little more was forthcoming. The Kiwi suggested we should buy for the IWFS. Fully agree. 

With the wines still on the table, it was actually pleasant to get served a cup of tea at this juncture. The wines were all pretty unctuous in their bodies and hot tea became the perfect throat cleaner. The little chocolate petits fours were also quite delightful and made for a perfect end to a brilliant evening. 

Very little to fault here. Certainly felt like enough food had been served. No one seemed to feel the need for more and everyone was clearly replete and mellow at the end. 

Executive Chef Ricky Thein, Holdvolgy's Natalia Demko and Head Sommelier Peter Teng

The matches between food and wines were brilliantly thought through. Holdvölgy's Natalia felt that the pairing showcased more complexity in her wines, saying that "with this type of Chinese food I discovered other aspects of our wines. For example for Meditation walnut and hazelnut notes came up that I’ve never experienced before. This type of pairing just showed the perfect teamwork of Peter Teng, the Head Sommelier and Chef Ricky Thein."  Absolutely.

I think I'm slowly getting to grips with the concept of complexity, though it does occasionally seem that terms like finesse, complexity and other wine terms can mean different things to different people. My old Law Professor always demanded that one determine one's standpoint in all things - here goes. For me, if there's more to a wine than what is first tasted and which is brought out by good food, then the wine has complexity. It's kind of like that umami factor in food - there's also an umami factor in wine beyond the traditional balance across alcohol, acidity, tannin, alcohol and fruit. Add the layers of spice and texture that can impact and elevate this fermented grape juice to the sublime and we start to get a sense of why some of us shell out silly sums of money for a taste of it. Trying to describe such complexities feels a bit beyond me at times. And truth be told I can't really get that motivated to fully articulate those complexities - feeling a bit too old to try and learn the complete language of wine and would rather be drinking and commenting with the vocabulary to hand. Feels a bit more real for some reason. And I also think that getting too anal will turn people away. Tends to turn me off when I read other more oenological blogs. Keep it an easy light read - no point to get too scientific with what should be fun, eh? 

[sings as he exits] "This is my Quest…"  [fades out]

Lai Po Heen Executive Chef Ricky Thein
(pic courtesy of Chad Merchant)

Lai Po Heen Menu

Chili Crab Meat Rolls, Mango and Passion Fruit Mayonnaise

Tokaji Furmint "Meditation" Holdvology 2007

Double Boiled Chicken Soup - Natural Mineral Water with Fish Maw and Cordycep Bulb

Tokaji Harslevelu "Expression" Holdvology 2007

Slow Cooked Two Headed Abalone in Golden Broth

Tokaji Szamorodni "Eloquence" Holdvology 2007

Fragrant Black Sesame Fried Rice with Spicy Scallop Sauce, Foie Gras and Asparagus - Sprinkled with Fish Roe

Tokaji Selection "Signature" Holdvology 2007

Sweetened Yam Cake and Purple Glutinous Rice, Vanilla Ice Cream

Muscat "Intuition No 2" Holdvology 2008

Sweet Sensations with Coffee or Tea

Lai Po Heen

Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

KLCC

Tel +(603) 2380 8888

mandarinoriental.com

Lai Po Heen Sweet Sensations (pic courtesy of Chad Merchant)

Holdvölgy (Moon Valley) Wines Notes

Wine One

Holdvölgy

 Meditation Furmint 2007

A dry, non-botrytised Furmint from four single vineyard parcels, 80% fermented and aged in steel tanks, 20% in used oak barrels. Crisp and racy as you would expect from a Furmint with a very appealing corpulence. Fresh ripe flavours of apricot, citrus, mirabelle, and acacia and with an almond and rock salt complexity. Intense, incisive, a beautifully ripe and refreshingly mineral Furmint.

Wine Two

Holdvölgy

 Expression Harslevelu Becsek 2009

From the Holdvolgy single vineyard. Fermented using healthy non botrytised fruit in steel tanks with further ageing in tanks sur lie. Bright, floral and expressive notes of dried flower, chervil and honeycomb, the palate is bursting with similarly complex and intense flavours of stonefruit, butter, herb, hazelnut and almond, together with a racy lemon rind quality. A wine of great depth, character and exuberance.

Wine Three

Holdvölgy

 Eloquence Szamorodni Sweet 2007

A glorious sweetie from Holdvolgy that sits a step before full Aszu on the sweetness scale. The team harvest whole bunches which are then destemmed before being crushed These semi botrytised grapes give great complexity in to the wine without any loss of freshness, Spiced pear, nectarines and tangerine all flood the mouth. Harvested at 104g/l this is a wonderfully precise, pure and graceful glass of Tokaji.

Zeta Grape and Leaf

Wine Four - 2007 

Holdvölgy

 Signature Sweet Blend

Made from the furmint, harslevelu and zeta grapes. The grapes are late harvested and infected with the noble rot botrytis. The fungus penetrates the skin, increasing the sugar content and concentrating the flavours. Demko describes Signature as the "Maserati of wines" : it is modern, fast and edgy. This wine allows him the freedom to do what he wants, unconstrained by Tokaji regulations. For example, he may blend dry wines to increase the acidity of the wine. On the nose, aromatics of marmalade honey. Rich and sweet on the palate balanced by the crisp acidity. Very refreshing, the 125g/l of sugar is not cloying.

Wine Five 

Holdvölgy

 Intuition No 2 Muscat 2008

Muscat a Petits Grains, with a blend of botrytised and non botrytised bunches from the single vineyard of Nyulaszo. 99g/l residual sugar Only 1,200 500ml bottles produced. A unique nose that mixes ultra exotic ripe tropical fruits, honey and petroleum. Vivacious and lively in the mouth thanks to high acidity. Its honeyed botrytised fruits are beguiled by aromatic wood spice elements. Slightly lower in acidity that the Aszu but also less sweet overall in terms of residual sugar, Slithery and chewy in the mouth with lovely silkiness and lingering mango inner mouth perfume. 

www.holdvolgy.com

Photos of grapes and logo from Holdvolgy Facebook page

www.facebook/holdvolgy

Dave Chan at Artisan Cellars

+6012 7103278

email dave@artisan-cellars.com

More photos and perceptive reflections available at the excellent Doc Wine site. Check them out at
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IWFS Kampachi Sake Dinner - Averagely All Right

August 22 2014

The August shindig for the IWFS Kuala Lumpur was to be quite an auspicious affair. Big Tony had been contacted by the Kampachi people and advised of an upcoming promotion of produce from the Okayama Prefecture in Japan. Some more, the Governor of the Prefecture would be coming and did we want to hold a function there with him as guest of honour. Committee considered and yes please was the decision. 

Kampachi used to be legend for Japanese Cuisine in the early days when it was at the Equatorial Hotel on Jalan Sultan Ismail. Seems it has been around for more than forty years and was a regular winner of awards from the Food and Beverage industry. Indeed, our IFWS KL gave a Certificate of Commendation for a pairing dinner held at the Jaya 33 outlet in 2013. 

At one time Lenglui and I were quite friendly with Kampachi Executive Chef Cheah and occasionally went to the Kampachi at the KL Equatorial but then he moved to manage the Bangi outlet and we lost touch.  Since then, the Kampachi brand has expanded into stand alone restaurants in selected locations in the city. There has also been an explosion of competitor restaurants offering high end sashimi, and so much so that we drifted off to other new favourites - Iketeru in KL Hilton, Kami Sushi in Sri Hartamas, Kamimura in The Weld and the recently rediscovered Zipangu in the Shang. 

Table Place Setting at Kampachi

Over the years Kampachi has been sourcing its fresh produce from various prefectures in Japan. For the dinner, the fresh farm and marine produce and sakes would be sourced predominantly from the Okayama Prefecture. In this, the restaurant was seeking to "bring forward the highest level of flavour and enjoyment with each sake pairing." In particular, we were to look out for the award winning Sakura Muromachi Sake brewed from Omachi-mai rice and the famous Omachi spring water. This would be Sake One.

Executive Chef for the dinner would be Looi Weng Leong. Trained in Japan and with more than 20 years with Kampachi, it was felt his long association with the restaurant would ensure the highest standards of quality and innovation would be maintained. The showcase Sake Dinner would comprise seven "exceptional courses prepared from the freshest produce paired with carefully chosen traditionally crafted premium sakes highlighting the bountiful natural resources from Okayama". 

Kampachi Entrance

I had never yet been to any of the Kampachi outlets since it left the Equatorial nest. For some reason the locations were a bit off the usual shopping haunts. The one at Plaza 33 in Petaling Jaya is their fourth and is "the culmination of a Japanese interior designer’s effort to integrate traditional Japanese materials in a contemporary style. The restaurant is separated into two distinct zones: a stylish bar at the entrance leads guests into the main dining area. The well-stocked bar features some hard to find ‘cult’ Japanese sakes from exceptional breweries that are exclusively available only at the Kampachi."

I found it all a bit on the dark side, which was not really helped by the fact that most members had felt the need to dress equally dark. The ambience of the Kampachi felt modern Japanese with lots of traditional light balsa wood and bamboo feel yet with quite a bit of darker boardroom brown. Lighting was quite subdued for me. The IWFS had booked out the place and our 53 members and guests got separated across four tables of varying numbers. The setting was lovely and the service smooth and pleasant, though the temperature inside veered somewhat toward the chilly. 

The amazing Okayama Black Grapes

We were all greeted by a cocktail glass of something that looked staggeringly sweet and which was declined, preferring instead the wonderful looking grapes and peaches being carved and served. These were delightful. The black grapes in particular were massive - firm and crisp with a huge finish of sweet acidity. The peaches were equally stunning - a fresh clean bite and crunchy sweet pear like texture but finishing as soft as a Katy Perry teenage dream. Brilliant fruits - a total taste of Okayama sunshine and summer. There was also a Conger Eel carving demonstration. Some of us thought that we could eat the carvings and tried to pinch some of the eel but got firmly told no - demo only, no eat. 

Kampachi ambience

The Governor of Okayama His Excellency Mr. Ryuta Ibaragi was asked to give a speech and he kept it reasonably short. Quite a young chap, his speech was basically "come to Okayama and we will welcome you". Certainly the tourist brochures being given out portrayed a wonderfully fresh looking and clean part of the world. Very natural and hugely pretty. Given that they were most generous with their grapes and snow peaches as appetizers and later as parting gifts in cute bags, it became quite a tempting proposition. O how we can be easily bribed with good fruit… 

IWFS KL Past President Tony Narisawa with The Governor of Okayama His Excellency Mr. Ryuta Ibaragi

The Sakes for the night came in three separate flasks, though not all at the same time. It was all quite generous in that each of us got a flask of each sake and, being IWFS, there seemed little left over at the end of the night. Sake One was the slated Sakura Muromachi Bizen Maboroshi. The notes talked about a "sweet aroma of rice on the nose with a hint of citrus. A balanced palate that is clean and refreshing with a dry, long finish. Best served cold. Alcohol 17%, Seimaibuai 58% and Acidity 1.6." (NB Seimaibuai is the percentage of rice grain left after it has been polished - more polish equals higher grade sake). It came across as fragrant with a clean crisp and crunchy mouthfeel and a good rip on the back of the tongue. A good no-nonsense starter sake which we were all quickly quaffing and Kanpei-ing with gusto. Someone at this point asked if I like sake. My reaction answer was that I love the booze. Yes. The Kiwi thought I was being very honest. 

The opening Zensai (means Appetizer) would be two dishes. First out were the oysters which were absolutely superb - fresh, creamy and juicy and giving a fantastic sea-salt feel on the inside of the cheeks. They tamed the alcohol in the Sake to give off an odd tea tree bark feel on the salt sensitive sides of the tongue. Odd, but not unpleasant. 

Fresh Oyster with Homemade Japanese Citrus Vinaigrette

There were lots of little bits surrounding the oyster to give texture, and it was clearly a deft touch by Chef to ensure that there was not enough to overpower the main boy. In this, it would have been excellent to have had more oysters - we got two each when six would have slipped by so easily. So it goes. The oysters were generally accorded to be stunning - for me, they alone were worth the admission price. Unbelievably good. Set a high standard for the rest of town. 

The Nyonya and The Lenglui

Next out was the Stuffed Tomato and Prawn which combined a somewhat thin vegetal taste with a shellfish texture whilst a spaghetti squash added some crunch. Though there was little taste on the prawn, the combo worked quite well with the sake to bring out a nutty fruit feel in the mouth - apples, pears and almonds. The dish showed off a nice acidity and zing on the tongue - good sparky sparks, possibly the result of the Omachi Spring Water.

Stuffed Tomato with Green Asparagus, Pumpkin, Prawn, Potato and Spaghetti Squash with Wasabi Dressing

Sake Two (Bosatsumoto Nigorisyu Hiire) came out quickly and was ice cold, same as Sake One. The notes talked about a "light style of nigori with slight cloudiness and rice sediment. Made from Omachi rice using the ancient Bodaimoto method, it is slightly sweet with a balancing citrus sourness and peppery aftertaste. Best served cold. Alcohol 17.5%, Seimaibuai 65%, Acidity 1.8."  Sake Two was indeed more structured - chewy and with a very nice balance of alcohol and sugar - and cloudy. First time I'd had one like this, and very happy to have done so. Good earthy rice feel with a soft alcohol punch on the back end.  

It was being paired with the Suimono (means Soup) and Tsukuri (means Raw, alternate word for Sashimi) courses. Very little booze offerings will pair well with soup but tonight would prove an exciting exception. Alone, the Japanese Clear Soup was light spice liquid with a hint of salted potato and leek. It did feel a little bit snuzz on its own but when supped with the sake it gave rise to a supercharged fire which cleansed the tonsils and throat like a blowtorch. All Whoosh and tickling grip. Definitely a new experience with sake. The Conger Eel got a bit lost in the mix - no note on the taste or texture.

Japanese Clear Soup with Blanched Conger Pike Eel and Yellow Chives

The Sashimi was a bit mixed - someone asserted that the Maguro (tuna) was apparently Moroccan which explained the sense of "okay only" in taste and texture, though the Kanpachi (Amberjack) was a clean bite and firm chew without coming across as overly fishy. The accompanying vegetables were way better - fresh, crisp and full of powerful tastes coalescing across the top of the mouth in a frenzy of peppery radish and carrot fireworks. But it was the wasabi that was the star - freshly grated with a brilliant zappy mustard smack up the nostrils. The sashimi did bring out a fuller body in the Sake - got smoke and bite with a hint of coffee and flinty stonefruit. 

Slices of Raw Fish: Tuna and Amberjack

Sake Three (Chikurin Fukamari Junmai) came out in a soy sauce kind of receptacle. The previous had been consumed in traditional shot ceramic style shot glass shape things. So presumably this would be the business. And it sort of was, in a hot kind of way. The notes talked about a mellow aroma reminiscent of fragrant fruit blossoms. Dry, yet with great umami from the brown unmilled rice. Alcohol content 15%, Seimaibuai 60%, Acidity 1.3. 

I got lemon curd and heat, and sherbet for some reason on this one. Someone said that heating sake should only be done with the lower level offerings since the heating process impacts the structure of the drink. It's a bit like adding ice or water to whiskey - okay with the blends but you really shouldn't mess with the single malts. Which would seem a bit strange given that the third one to come out was to presumably be the business and was being served hot. Maybe I heard wrong. It happens. Getting a bit conversationally deaf in loud environments.

Kanpei!!

Sake Three was being paired with the remaining four courses: the Yakimono (means Pan Fried), Shinogi, Shokuji and Kanmi (couldn't find definitions for these last three).  

We were all pretty merry by this time given that both Sakes One and Two were well on their way to being fully chugged. At some time in the night, one tends to stop really caring about the subtleties of the pairing and just wants to chug down and have some fun. We were pretty close to this point in the night. Though I soldiered on with notes on the food. Kind of.

The Grilled Butterfish was firm and salted, with a teriyaki-ish kind of crisp baste which thankfully had more salt umami than sticky caramel. The fish felt a shade ordinary in its grilled smoked state, but the star was the sesame paste - it totally rocked with Sake Three. Imagine the smoothest peanut butter you ever tasted and then think of a number and multiply it. This is what Sake Three did to the paste. Wicked and sinfully smooth. And boozy. Wooooooooo…. 

Grilled Butterfish marinated with Miso Bean Paste and Eggplant with Sesame Paste

The next dish out was the Tofu skin which felt a bit delicate and wispy; almost felt a bit scared to eat it in case it blew away. The Konnyaku Jelly had a firmish texture, and was nicely acetic with the vinaigrette and the mustard giving a cute kick. But not really to my taste - it came across like a two day old Tau Foo Fah, that milky gunky bland beancurd dessert you get that slips down the throat and tastes tasteless (except for the syrup that can be added to it). And two day old to boot. Not my favourite. 

Tofu Skin in Konnyaku Jelly served with Vinegared Miso and Mustard

The best thing about this one was the Sake - it cleaned off all the gunk that the tofu left in the mouth a treat. Especially at the back of the teeth which got a coating of cold cacky fur - better than a mouthful of Steradent for doing the job. Perhaps this was the charm of the dish - getting your teeth cleaned by the sake. 

The Veg and Rice was quite hearty and hugely welcome. Although a shade stodgy in a wholewheat kind of way, the rice helped to pacify a belly that was screaming for some carbo. 

Edible Japanese Wild Vegetables and Mushroom Rice

The dessert melon was very very sweet. The taste of the grapes somehow got reversed when they got served as dessert - the green grapes were lovely crisp and sweet fruity bites whereas the black ones were somehow off. Not sure if it was the way they had been kept in the interim or whether the Sake does something to the tastebuds. Odd. 

Japanese Melon, Okayama Pione and Muscat Grapes

Then, strange of strange, there was a Lucky Draw. Whether this is usual in Japanese Culture I did not find out. In Chinese culture for certain lucky draws are part and parcel of big gatherings, but with Japanese company this was a new one. And yes, it happened - the new friend on the table who moans that he or she never wins anything and then suddenly their number comes up and they scream in wild delight. Makes you want to spit. 

Some more Sake for you? Hai!! er, please...

The Lucky Draw necessitated translators for the number calling. The important chap making the draw had such a thick accent in his English speaking voice that he could not be understood in his pronunciation of the numbers of the winners. Thankfully someone was on hand to translate and enunciate. Could have been worse - imagine if someone had decided to have a Bingo session - nightmare.

The service on the night was mostly pleasant and unobtrusive, with staff clearing plates with minimal fuss and interference though with good humour when needed. 

Kampachi kitchen staff and crew

In sum, quite a number of people seemed to see the evening as one of brilliant oysters, good sake, but with the rest of the food a bit snuzz and not enough of it. "Averagely all right" as someone put it. I have some degree of sympathy. Although the dishes were pleasant and made for interesting pairings with the Sake, there really wasn't enough food to satisfy. I heard a few grumblings of "Let's go for Char Kwey Teow," and when I have to scarf down a hunk of bread, butter and honey on arrival home to quell the angry grumbles in the gut then something is clearly amiss. Granted that Japanese cuisine is notably lacking in the carbo stakes and granted that my Western belly demands carbo to stave off the gastric, but this felt like a larger than usual gap in the feeling full stakes. And this in the face of a decent bowl of the mushroom rice that got swiftly polished just before the dessert. More volume was definitely needed to soak up the sake. But then we did consume a fair chug of it across the evening, so I guess these things might be relative - when we drink more, we need to eat more to soak it up. Maybe. But it's not every Japanese dinner that necessitates a honey sandwich before bedtime.

IWFS KL Past President Tony Narisawa, IWFS Roppongi President Dennis Tanaka and friend

On leaving, Big Tony called us over. He had a spare jug of Sake which he was pouring for everyone and insisted on a final "Kanpei" with us and friend Dennis who had hosted our IWFS Roppongi trip in February 2014.  Which we did. Knows how to enjoy his food and wine does Tony. Top man and top marks for a good night. Just wish we could have had a bit more food…

MENU

PRE DINNER AND DRINKS

Summer Day 

Sake and Sweet Sour mix

Hamo no Honkiri

Conger Pike Eel Demonstration

ZENSAI

Nama Gaki Ponzu, tomato no Ikomi Wasabi Dressing

Fresh Oyster with Homemade Japanese Citrus Vinaigrette;

Stuffed Tomato with Green Asparagus, Pumpkin, Prawn, Potato and Spaghetti Squash with Wasabi Dressing

Pairing with Sakura Muromachi Bizen Maboroshi

SUIMONO

Togan Jiru Hamo Kuzuuchi Kinira

Japanese Clear Soup with Blanched Conger Pike Eel and Yellow Chives

Pairing with Bosatsumoto Nigorisyu Hiire

TSUKURI

Maguro, Kanpachi

Slices of Raw Fish: Tuna and Amberjack

YAKIMONO

Managatsuo Saikyoyaki Nasu Gomayose

Grilled Butterfish marinated with Miso Bean Paste and Eggplant with Sesame Paste

Pairing with Chikurin Fukamari Junmai

SHINOGI

Yuba Konnyaku Karashi Sumiso

Tofu Skin in Konnyaku Jelly served with Vinegared Miso and Mustard

SHOKUJI

Okayamasan Sansai to Kinoko no Takikomi Gohan

Edible Japanese Wild Vegetables and Mushroom Rice

KANMI

Melon, Pione, Muscat

Japanese Melon, Okayama Pione and Muscat Grapes

New Chef at Marco Polo - Star in the Making!

September 4th 2014

Quick note about the new chef at the Marco Polo Restaurant Kuala Lumpur. Don't have a name for him, but the story is that he was previously with the Noble House group and he has clearly been putting a signature stamp on the output from the Marco kitchen.

Lenglui, Chris, Sanjeev and Dave

The Marco Polo is one of the more long term and well established Chinese Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Located on the First Floor of Wisma Lim Foo Yong on Jalan Raja Chulan and still going after decades in the business, it serves up consistently good and tasty Cantonese cuisine, including one of the best Suckling Pigs in the city. It remains one of our go-to restaurants when stuck for somewhere to go eat.

The Marco has also undergone renovation, with the result that the ambience in the main hall is warmer, with easy lighting and more western tones. There is a big time large TV screen at the back of the stage and the fish on view have spanking looking new tanks. The restaurant entrance is more modern with deep brown wood facades and beige marble floor and walls and TV screens showing the latest promotions. I thought the private rooms looked pretty much the same, though the big Venetian Room at the back has undergone extensive remodelling and is now able to convert into a number of smaller rooms each equippable with the requisite karaoke machine. Very necessary.

Steamed Garoupa

We have been there twice in the last week. First time was last Thursday for a gathering of the Pork Luck Club to taste some Burgundies with Dave Chan from Artisan Cellars. This one had come about as the result of an email invitation to taste the wines and me thinking it might be better to taste them with food. The PLC agreed. Normally our PLC Porkies each bring a bottle to the dinner and we then figure out the order once we see what is in or around the ice bucket. This time it would all be the Pinot grape so wine sequence got basically decided on calibre and we all split the wine bill. Equally, matching food was marginalised for the same reason - it was Pinot with everything so we could concentrate on enjoying the wines with some very good food. And enjoy them we certainly did. Most people seemed to say the Bizot was the star of the night, with the Champagne and the Marsannay following close. The fizz seemed to go exceptionally well with some smoky grilled bacon we had bought and brought from Petaling Street and the Prawn Crackers supplied by a good Doctor friend, which got demolished in short order. And though the Marco has fair glassware, we decided to bring our own globes so as to showcase the wine as far as possible to its best. Dave suggested we also drink the Champagne from the Burgundy globes rather than the flutes. This was totally off beam and totally worked - the bubbles didn't stuck to the glass bowl and the volume we could sip seemed to coat the mouth cheeks and roof with sparky delight. Revelatory - I have seen the light and this is how the stars should be drunk.

Iberico Ribs

Standout dish on the night was the Tea Smoked Chicken, all bitter smoky skin and firm tasty meat. We also had Steamed Garouper which had been, er, steamed perfectly with chili and ginger - excellent bite and bounce on the flesh with the chili and cilantro sparking off the tongue and mouth. Marco Chef is also doing Iberico Ribs grilled with black pepper and paired with a magnificent sweet and citrus lemon plum kind of sauce. The citrus was supplied by some Pomelo which took the cut off the sweet a treat and was brilliantly balanced, though perhaps the ribs could have done with a bit more meat on them. We also had Kai Lan and Mushroom which came across as sweet and bitter (and a perfect counterpoint on the palate to follow the pork), and ended with some magnificent noodles - all bounce on the bite and slurp on the finish. One of our Porkies has a particular taste for Dim Sum so the Marco went out of their way to prepare some Porky Dumplings and Siew Yoke with mustard starters for us as well. We get great service from our friends at the Marco Polo - they really look after us and we hope we look after them as best we can. Great service should always be rewarded.

The Burgundies

The wines were:

2010 CHARLES AUDOIN Marsannay Cuvée Marie Ragonneau - easy and light, good fruit and body. Chewy tannins, meaty on the mouth.

2011 Domaine Bizot Vosne Romanee - delicate, light and breathy. Evaporated on the throat like an intake of violets and roses. Like breathing the air of French meadows of poppy and hay - total terroir. Good attack of acid and spice on the tongue. Also classy and brassy, like starting dinner with Christine Lagarde and finding it ending with Mae West. Va Va Voom!!

2011 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey Chambertin VV - have bought this previously from Vinum when they had a branch in Kuala Lumpur. Very firm and masculine belt on the throat. Hefty wine, potent, powerful. Big nose of cherries and berries. Went brilliantly with the Tea Smoked Chicken.

2011 Olivier Bernstein Chambolle Musigny "Les Lavrottes", 1er Cru - smelled like concrete and taste of charcoal at first. Later showed itself to be lean and clean, with cherryade grip and zip in the mouth. Bit sweetish, not so perfumed, with a masculine whack down the throat. Like Jean Reno or Gerard Depardieu coming up from behind and giving you a friendly whack on the back. And the chest.

We also had a crisp and clean 2007 Benoit Lahaye Grand Cru Champagne which was grapefruit and apples in the mouth and a lovely acid rasp on the throat. Low dosage meant it was far from sweet and as said drinking it from a Burgundy bowl glass was totally delightful in an opulent kind of way. A night of "swirly happiness" as someone put it. Perfect description.

Kai Lan and Mushroom

We were at Marco Polo again on September 8th to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival with the adopted family. Also known as the Mooncake Festival, it is when friends and family give and eat Mooncakes, which are baked pastry pie style sweets made and traditionally only eaten between August and September. This is the eighth lunar month and on the 15th day is the Mid Autumn, also known as the Night of the Moon.  A typical mooncake consists of a thin, tender pastry crust enveloping a sweet, thick filling usually either Red Bean Paste or Lotus Seed Paste , and may contain one or more whole salted duck egg yolks in their center as the symbol of the full moon. The crust can have imprints of Chinese characters (often "harmony" and / or "longevity") along with flowers and other forms of decoration. They are given between family and friends during the festival. Legend has it they were also used to conceal letters sent between rebels looking to co-ordinate a revolt against the Mongolian rulers during the Yuan dynasty. 

Mooncake

Our meal started with a very tasty plateful of pig (Siew Yoke, Char Siew and Suckling Pig) which paved the way for a magnificent soup - apparently shark fin stuffed in a chicken stuffed in pig belly and presumably boiled. Which I guess seems to make it a kind of Chinese Haggis. I normally avoid Shark Fin for environmental reasons; also it has no detectable taste to me whatsoever so my stated reason becomes that my Western palate is unable to appreciate it. However, the adopted family remains very traditional in this regard and it is difficult to resist the peer pressure not to conform. So an exception gets made in this context so as not to offend the hospitality. Standing on principle occasionally can get short shrift and no point to cause offense.

Tea Smoked Chicken

Which proved to be the right decision since the soup turned out to be little short of amazing - an oily, soupy broth full of taste and texture. The chicken gave the fin a sense of fowl which somehow worked whilst the pig belly just melted. It was beyond words, but totally off the map in both taste and textural senses. And the idea of combining all of these in one dish - as said, amazing. The management seem to be giving chef some leash to create. And he is clearly creating. This was stunning. 

We had chef's Iberico Ribs without the sauce this time, and this presentation had slightly more meat. Noble House influence here is clear, though the absence of that signature sweet caramel sauce which somehow seems to find itself on  all of the Noble meat dishes was most welcome. Nice that chef allows the meat to speak for itself, though tonight's was more of a whispered "Ole!" rather than a shout from this particular Spanish Porker. Will be good to see what Chef can do with home grown ribs.  

Lenglui x 3

Next out was the Abalone and Broccoli in gunk sauce which everyone (bar one) on the table praised (I just don't get Abalone in Gunk) and we finished off with some strange black bat-like looking things which turned out to be a variant of water chestnut. They tasted like a chalky fibrous tapioca, with a crumbly cardboard texture which was strangely calming on the stomach. Different. And then there were the mooncakes, the main reason we had gathered in the first place. One green skinned thing with green lotus paste and nut chips was equally calming on the stomach. We snaffled one from the management to take home and save for weekend dessert with coffee.

I brought two bottles of The Lackey 2008, a good value Australian Shiraz which everyone seemed to enjoy. Full firm body with good balance across fruit and alcohol. Six years in the bottle, it is drinking nicely and went with pretty much all of the food. Some other bottles were brought, but only one Bordeaux Style got opened and a late evening glass proved inconclusive though certainly not bad. 

Porkies!!

Chef has an element of both the traditional and the modern deconstruction about him. Clearly able to meet existing expectations with his Abalone dishes, he seems also to be looking to tickle younger palates - omitting Sweet and Sour sauce from his peppered Pork Ribs is way not traditional Chinese. He learns quickly too, adapting ideas of others to create the new - on a previous visit, we once brought some duck from a favourite place on Ipoh Road where they smoke it first and then cook. His Tea Smoked Chicken (which apparently is a new addition to the menu) looks clearly to be influenced by this. This chap seems to have a future - hope the Marco can hang on to him!!

Marco Polo Restaurant

1st Floor, Wisma Lim Foo Yong, Jalan Raja Chulan

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

03-2141 2233

Artisan Cellars (M) Sdn Bhd

Suite 8-12B-1, Level 12B, 

Menara Olympia,

8 Jalan Raja Chulan

43200, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Contact:

Dave Chan 
012 698 9322

+6 03 2022 2789

Soleil First Anniversary Dinner - Very Happy One!

5th August 2014

Sheee… seems like all we've been doing of late is going to the Soleil for our food and drink fix. In danger of becoming part of the furniture. Also in danger of being a little more than a mouthpiece for the place. 

Well, nothing is forever, and our experience is that great places must be enjoyed and savoured while they are there. Something soon comes along to upend the magic - either higher prices which lead to lower portions or management getting in the way of chef performing the artistry. Not that we wish this on anyone, is just that this tends to be our experience and happens more often than we like. So it goes. 

It hardly seems a year has gone since we first heard about this new restaurant in the sleepy outskirts of Petaling Jaya. "Must go, must try" was the buzz we got from more than a couple of foodie friends raving about this new place. What sealed the initial deal was learning that Yuhei of Vinum fame was the sommelier and Effandie from Sage was the Maitre 'D. We figured these guys wouldn't be joining some hole in the wall joint and so we went. Five times. Between September and Christmas.  Wine dinners and New Year's Eve were great memories. We've also been there a few times this past year. 

So when we go the email saying Soleil would host a special wine pairing dinner to celebrate their first anniversary, it was a short hop to say yes. The regular friends also got the news and we had a table of five quite quickly. 

Sifu, Lenglui and The Doc

Arriving a tad late on the night, we got greeted by both Yuhei and Effandie. Indeed, that would be the last we would see of Effandie who would be catering to a private party at the upstairs section - presumably the boss was hosting some friends. 

Entering the restaurant and getting seated, it was clear that there was no real sense of occasion on the part of Soleil. This felt a tad disappointing - a first birthday is a real achievement in the restaurant world and having got there with praise and return visits from the culinary elite of KL is no mean feat. On paper, the menu and wines were brilliant, so maybe this was the real occasion and no real need for trumpets and fanfare. Okay - I guess I understand the lack of celebration, but….   perhaps it would have been good for SOMETHING to have happened. As it was, it came across as just another night. Frustrating. Maybe the shine is fading?

There was certainly no fade on the opening Tribaut Champagne Fizz - crisp and crunchy with a crab apple biscuit nose. Lemon sorbet and sherbet in the mouth with creamy bubbles on a honey finish. Always nice when an unknown label surprises on the upside. 

Butter Poached Lobster with Couscous Salad, Tomatoes and Cucumber

First course out was the Butter Poached Lobster, which was simply excellent. Nicely salted which helped lighten the texture toward bouncy perfection. The Couscous was firm while the sorbet gave a citrus chill zing on the tongue. There was also some avocado somewhere which lent a creamy smooth coating to bind the ensemble into a light bright mouthful of delight.

Got some very generous topups of the Champagne which helped to open up the butter on the lobster and the bubbles crisply cleaned the Avocado gunk from the throat. Great cleansing bubbles, though it later got a bit tarty when it had warmed to room temperature. Still very drinkable, though. 

2011 Domaine Henri Darnat Meursault
"Clos du Domaine"

As ever, the bread was stellar. We were given both regular and truffle butter and for some reason the ordinary outshone the truffle. Just a bit too much truffle which seemed to get in the way of the creamy sweet golden churn. 

Next out came the Meursault which was all steel and apples, flint and lime, stonefruit and dragonfruit. Also got loads of oak butter which would offset the gunk of the Butternut Soup - sorry, Bisque - very nicely.

The Meursault was an easy choice for Atlantic Brill given the firm meaty feel of the thing. On its day, Brill is lovely, somewhere between a plaice and a cod in taste and flaky firm texture. The evening's presentation felt a shade fishy though it was well poached and its firm texture gave good body to the soup. It had good bounce on the flesh, perfectly cooked. The hint of curry powder in the soup gave it a slight fiery cumin style spritz which brought out a little pepper spark on the Meursault finish. 

Grilled Antlantic Brill and Langoustine with Zucchini and Butternut Squash Bisque

The Langoustine felt a bit off - that slight over-firmness you can sometimes get if the thing has spent time in the cooler. Or maybe a bit too long in the soup - sorry, Bisque. Having said all this, there was nothing left in the bowl. Even the Texas Ranger ate some and he normally doesn't let a fish flake past his teeth. Had to call for more bread to sup up the soup. Bisque. Whatever.

Roasted Quail with Endive, Dates and Juniper

The Roasted Quail was gamey, meat well smoked and hung like a Scots Guard. We think we coined the new word "quail-ey" - the thing definitely tasted of quail in a way that overpowered everything around it. That unique oily meat that is quail yet a bit overhung. Or maybe hung over. Or William Hung. The Endive gave a nice vegetal spark to nicely counterpoint the sweet date sauce. The resulting ensemble was rich, firm and full of feel and bounce. Very macho. 

2008 Domaine Harmond Geoffroy Gevrey
Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Perrieres"

Being paired with the Gevrey Chambertin made sense - nothing too overpowering that would fight with the food. Yet something with enough character that would stand on its own. The 2008 GV proved perfect with its beautiful nose of soft cherry and rose petal perfume. Clean and lean cut in the mouth, and a fritzy spritzy crack on the tonsils. Good balance, feel and a fine peppery finish on a beautifully textured and structured wine. Very feminine, and a real charmer, the one you would introduce to mother. Or Quail-ey quail. It tamed the gaminess a treat whilst the date sauce nipped the pepper for a sweet fire on the tongue. Very good pairing. 

For some reason, the juniper leaf had not been consumed with the dish. Having learned at a recent sake tasting that you can eat such things with drink, I duly ate the leaf and sipped the GV. It gave off a cute gin kick to illuminate a different dimension to the Pinot. I feel one must always be reasonably adventurous and try the unconventional - if we stick to what has always been tried and done then nothing new is ever learnt. Yes.

Having said this, leaving some GV to try with the beef was a mistake - it killed the wine and gave it an acid and steel tart finish. Bleachhhh....  Lesson learnt. Again.

2007 Chateau Malescot St-Exupery

The 2007 Chateau Malescot St Exupery Margaux had been decanted for something just over an hour, since Sommelier Yuhei felt that not a lot of time was needed for it to open out and any much longer would have seen the fruit evaporate too much. For me, it still needed time in the decanter. In the glass, it was way way not open and still as tight as a Scotsman's pocket. Notwithstanding, a good swirl put paid to much of the lean tightness to reveal a classic Bordeaux - pepper nose followed by a full mouth of cassis, toffee and chocolate and prominent crunchy tannins on the finish. 

I liked but Lenglui didn't quite. The balance was not quite there at first, and it felt a bit toasted with lots of burnt oak. But it grew. The tannins evened out in the decanter and glass though the fruit did fade quite quickly. Not bad. Had better. 

Was a bit of a wait for the beef, but it was worth it. Totally excellent and the absolute business. A hunk of tender meat of brilliantly smooth texture which melted in a firm clean bite. The Jus was also perfect, full of taste without overpowering the meat. Back of the Net Score for the Angus, and yet further evidence that chef is definitely getting meat, both in preparation and selection. The quality on the meat tonight was superb. Clearly the Soleil has got a good supplier somewhere. Can't remember the vegetables, but the Beef seared the memory. Definitely go back for this. 

Pan Seared Black Angus Beef Tenderloin with Glazed Vegetables and Red Wine Sauce

Match-wise, the meat cut the tannins of the Margaux, giving a sweet cherryade note to the wine. But not much else for me. On paper, a good choice given the Cabernet Sauvignon dominance in Margaux, which somehow didn't quite work in the practice. Both food and wine were individually brilliant to good, but the match was only so so. Felt like the wine needed a bit more heft and body to stand up to the beef. Not bad, but not brilliant. So it goes. 

2010 Chateau d'Anna

The 2010 Chateau d'Anna Sauternes was a standard long nose of apricot, with loads of honey and ripe peach. Surprisingly clean on the finish, with no feeling of cack in the throat like many of the dessert wines tend to leave. This one had a lovely balance of sugar, fruit, good crispy acid and honey with a hint of cinnamon. Lovely wine. Not normally a fan of desserts but this was very, very nice. 

I had yet to understand why some restaurants like to pair chocolate with dessert wine. The goo of the cacao and the syrup of the wine normally combine to leave the mouth feeling like sweet mud which only coffee can properly clean. But tonight would bring revelations.

On its own, the dessert was a stunner. A lovely melange of fruits, flowers, and cold textures topped off with crunchy crumble flakes of sugar cake and chocolate. The Chocolate was total wow - pure cacao taste without any milky sweetness - all dark cocoa and firm rich gateaux butter feel. The Banana Sorbet was brilliant with the mango, with the totality of the combo giving a fierce chilled acid gunky coat on the mouth. This was where the Sauternes came in and somehow sweetly and deftly washed away the lot, leaving the mouth in some state of heavenly paralysis. It left me feeling like the man in Coleridge's "Xanadu" who had just dined on honeydew and drunk the milk of paradise. O perfecto. It doesn't get much better.

Valrhona Guanaja Chocolate Cremeux with Caramelised Mango and roasted Banana Sorbet

Yet another score to Soleil. I am feeling maybe we have overdone the place for now, and probably need to try pastures new. But this year with them has been little short of brilliant. The staff, the food, the parties and the memories. Long may they continue and let us all look forward to celebrating the Second Anniversary together!!

Just as a bit of a preachy rant postscript, I feel the need always to be grateful that we are blessed with those faculties which allow us to appreciate and enjoy all this food and wine nonsense. And the werewithal. I try to be thankful for every day and every occasion when we can join with our friends around a table to enjoy good food and wine. Because, God help us, this Good Life could all end tomorrow. Chance and circumstance can change lives in a second, both for good and bad.

I recently got reminded of this when a close friend got a recurrence of something life threatening and shitluck and which I will help him to fight the sucker. Compare this to another acquaintance who recently survived a life threatening liver problem only to remain the same cantankerous nasty piece of work he always has been. Does little but grumble and bitch and make life miserable for those around him. Some people never learn, eh?

Hmmm…   the world feels a bit strange and off whack at the moment - weak economies, belligerence in East Europe and China, the increase in religious bigotry everywhere. The Devil always makes work for idle hands, and there are a lot of those in this overpopulated world of ours at present. Belt up, folks, could be a bumpy ride ahead.

Menu

First Course

Butter Poached Lobster with Couscous Salad, Tomatoes and Cucumber

NV Champagne Tribaut Originale

Second Course

Grilled Antlantic Brill and Langoustine with Zucchini and Butternut Squash Bisque

2011 Domaine Henri Darnat Meursault "Clos du Domaine"

Third Course

Roasted Quail with Endive, Dates and Juniper

2008 Domaine Harmond Geoffroy Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru "Les Perrieres"

Main Course

Pan Seared Black Angus Beef Tenderloin with Glazed Vegetables and Red Wine Sauce

2007 Chateau Malescot St-Exupery

Dessert

Valrhona Guanaja Chocolate Cremeux with Caramelised Mango and roasted Banana Sorbet

2010 Chateau d'Anna

RM300 ++