BAbe - Cute food, wonderful tastes, amazing view!

January 14th 2016

Hmm…  Blogger playing up a bit. Not letting me drag photos to position. Complained twice but no response. So the layout is a bit basic and skanky to my eyes. Time to shift to Wordpress? Sell Google shares?

Have to say at the start, I enjoyed BAbe. It was nice. And fun. Pretty much all of the dishes worked and the food was far from insubstantial. No complaints. Happy to go back again. Did too.

Can't remember...

Which is why this note will be a combo of two visits to BAbe where we had pretty much the same menu (which is 12 dishes plus 3 desserts for RM200, whilst the RM300 adds soft shell crab and wagyu beef, if I heard correctly). We went for the RM300 for the December trip and the RM200 for January.
 

Sashimi starter

BAbe is located in the Clearwater Building off Jalan Semantan on the border of the real Damansara area in Kuala Lumpur. If you know where the old Shell office used to be, that's where it is. Seems that BAbe is an acronym for the Best of Asia at Be. The place is actually a Health Centre with Workout machinery and Spa services which gives rise to the name - it is a place you can just BE, which somehow feels a bit 1960s hippie. All those Be-ins to which the shiny happy people turned up and just…  be-ed? Or should it be "were"? Whatever, in its own way the idea is quite cool - I always get a good feeling when the hippies get justified and vindicated years down the line. They were really on to something, but got defeated by life and the needs of raising kids. Free love ain't never free.

Prior to our December visit, the organising Hustler had told us we didn't need to bring any wine as the list there was fairly okay and the corkage was fierce. Well, and maybe, but…   Hmmm. I figured better to play safe and bring a couple just in case - the worst that would happen is that we just take them back home unopened. On this occasion, my preparedness proved prescient as we got a phone call from Hustler whilst en route asking if we could return home and retrieve some extra booze. Seems the wine list had been declared grim and dire by the assembled. As luck would have it we were being diverted back home due to our usual road being blocked off for LRT construction (with no one knowing about it until it happened on the day, which is pretty much usual) and a massive traffic jam was ensuing. We got back, picked out some wines from the fridge, and in taking the top road to Damansara got to the Babe in ten minutes. On arriving and being happily able to park on the road outside, we found ourselves actually behind the Hustler who had gone on a swift drive to the Cold Storage to load up on some guzzle.

 

Curry Burger and Salmon Canneloni. Tubular.

Entering the Clearwater building, a guard gets the lift for you and you exit into a nicely lit area and (if your timing is good) an immediate dusk sunset view across the uptown skyline. This has to be one the best views in the city, and well worth the price of admission. Must have been a brahma here for New Years Eve with all the fireworks. Photo didn't do it justice, hence its omission from this post.

 

Whitefish sashimi and Air Blown Beef Crunchies. Wicked.

Everyone was already there and hungry to suck down the fizz which seemed to be taking an eternity to chill in the kitchen's ice fridges. I asked for some action and after five minutes with no response eventually grabbed two ice buckets and brought them to the table. The staff seemed a bit frazzled and clearly not used to a thirsty white boy taking charge of the booze arrangements. Well, we were all pretty parched and wanted to cheer the sunset…

The Pichon Longueville. Darling wine.

The decor was most pleasant, with a modern European ambience and feel about the place. Lots of soft furnishing and white bookcases. There were Christmas trees with cute reindeer decorations on our visit which lent a pleasant festive feel to the place. Music was a bit jazz ambient and fashion show, but it seemed to fit. Was a relief from the usual Christmas offerings at other establishments. Only downside was the flickering LED lights in the inside area which got annoying and would be a bugger for anyone borderline epileptic. Either cheap bulbs or cheap switches? Whatever, they gave me a headache.
 
The restaurant is split into the air-conditioned inside and the fan cooled outside. For our December visit we were inside whilst our January trip saw us venture outside. Think I prefer the inside. The outside got too noisy due to a combo of ceiling fans, a fair bit of outside ambient noise and high ceilings - the result was that I could not hear the descriptions of the dishes given by the pleasant waiter - - his words literally went straight out of the window. Also, his diction was a bit not good which suggests maybe a need for some training here by the restaurants - please make your staff louder and clearer to be heard by the borderline deaf like myself above the whirring of the ceiling fans and the drone of the traffic. Though being outside does give an unadulterated and magnificent view across Kuala Lumpur. The skyline from this side is very pretty and big city, all twinkling and neon. Nights like this make you feel quite blessed to be living here. 

Can't remember...

Overall, the food was nicely interesting. They call it Japas, which is a contraction for Japanese Tapas. Lots of nice cross textures, with occasional umami and zip from a wide range of ingredients combined in a spanky steel kitchen. Every single dish sizzled with taste and texture and cute surprise. There were lots of explosions on the tongue and across the cheeks, lots of coatings and tongue zappers and also a late night cool snort through the nose. All taste bases were well covered, though perhaps on reflection a bit too well covered. Sometimes a bit of air and sensation between dishes is welcome. As memory serves, this was all out assault.

 

Soft Shell Crab

But O what an assault and it was a lot of fun getting battered into submission by all the little bites. Can't remember all of the dishes, and could not secure a menu for it, so will have to let the photos speak for themselves. There was a wicked Croquette Ball with an inside of Pumpkin Curry which was sublime, with solid carbo crisp contrasting with sweet mush and a brilliant zip through the whole thing. The Sashimi tomato with its dab of wasabi got a bit lost trying to follow the croquette, but you couldn't deny the texture on this one - imagine the freshest tomato skin and flesh on top of a light dollop of sushi rice. It actually did good service as a sorbet. The soft shell crab was a bit Crab McNuggets but the lime sorbet and turmeric mayo that came with it made perfect sense and worked extremely well. There's a cute sense of using one type of food to make it look like something else - the tomato sushi looked like tuna, and some mini burger looking things that tasted more like macaroons. 

 

I have no idea...

We were on to the beef which came with some sweet potato puree to which a dab of mustard was genius and some Fatt Choy gave a sour vegetal crunch and a slight bitter note. It also came with truffle infused tissue which we were told to smell whilst eating to give the sense of truffle in the dish. Presumably is just a dab of truffle oil on the tissue. Crazy? It worked brilliantly and was indeed enough to get the sense without the thing overpowering the dish as truffle can sometimes do. Have to try this at home.

 

Beef with Sweet Potato Puree

Sadly, our wagyu beef was a shade overcooked and came out cold with a slight tang suggesting some age. Its replacememnt was way better and belter with some teriyaki sauce which we were told helps cook the meat on the plate, taking it from medium rare to…  actually a bit strange. Think maybe the teriyaki did a little too much magic to the marble and the end result was… strange. Not quite sure about this and my later notes don't recall anything. Will have to go back and try again to figure out what I was thinking. Meantime, I was still in love with my truffle tissue. I stole another and had a total nosegasm. 

 

Wagyu Beef and Truffle tissue. Nothing like a good snort of truffle...

Dessert was Passion Fruit Meringue frozen dipped in Nitrogen which gets snorted out through the nose dragon fashion as you eat the crunched up delight. Very cute and nasal, though you need to carefully time the freezing so as not to burn the nose. Someone dumped the truffle tissue into the nitrogen which somehow preserved the smell and gave an earthy frozen truffle nose. Quite cute. I seem to remember someone wanting to eat the frozen tissue and getting sensibly restrained.

 

The liquid Nitrogen and Meringue

There were three milk ice cream desserts - one charcoal, one toffee and one something else (my writing gets illegible two bottles into a meal). The charcoal was weirdly wonderful and my favourite. The toffee had wonderful crunch and milky mouthfeel and the other one was all coconut feel and smell. All were lovely. Final dessert was one of those toffee sugar paper things that maybe had been nitro-frozen and to be eaten with dark rich chocolate style petit fours and gelatin bites. Extremely yum.

Nothing like a good snort of Nitrogen too...

This is truly a pleasant restaurant. Great ambience, mood, vibe - darn cool place to be seen to be hanging out. Not stuffy or formal, very easy place to relax. The kitchen clearly works hard to get the dishes out perfectly and the staff know how to explain what they are and how to consume them, so kudos to the Management for taking the time here. One downside was that the inside area got a bit warm due to the doors to the outside tables being constantly opened and closed by staff transporting the dishes to the punters. And this being compounded by the concept of twelve to fifteen courses - the result was that the inside got a bit sweaty and mildly uncomfortable on occasion. Clearly a need to figure some way to keep the precious aircon in the room. Also, the toilet is downstairs and was quite a trek to get there. A pleasant and pretty trek, though.
 
On our first visit in December, the service was occasionally a bit slow and the wine service was pretty much non-existent - as said, I ended up taking command due to the staff being too busy getting food out from the kitchen to pay too much attention to the state of our glasses. I guess that is what happens with sixteen course dinners - it has to get out of the kitchen quickly so there is space for all the other dishes waiting to follow. Must be like a factory production line in there, all the chefs adding their individual bits to the dish on its way to us punters. I suppose we could self-serve ourselves, but it kind of defeats the point of going to a restaurant. Maybe need one of those Japanese conveyor belt systems with the dishes being taxi-ed around the tables. Maybe not - all it would take would be some oik snaffling our en route crab for there to be murder. Wines people brought were varied - some supermarket standard, others off the map delights. Have a memory of someone cracking a Bolly and the St Clair Pioneer Block SB 2014 we brought was delightful. Meaty body, crisp lemon zing, slight butter in the mouth and big finish. Chris and Sanjeev brought some superb Austrian wines, some of which were old friends from our IWFS visit there earlier in the year (still trying to write this one up - was a lot of food and party. Watch this space). 

Dessert. Yes.

On the second visit, staff were also a bit slow getting the ice bucket to the table, but at least this time it did get there. We cracked a 2011 Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Le Clavaillon and our friend brought a 1990 Chateau Pichon Longueville which was darling - sleek steely, taut and full with good lean fruit and a grip like a scotsman on his wallet. The Leflaive was equally darling, though naturally in a whiter Burgundian kind of way.

Staff were a bit more observant as to whether refills were necessary this time around, and were quite attentive through the night. Notwithstanding, I still feel there is a clear need for a dedicated sommelier and a team of wine waiters to relieve the endless running in and out of the kitchen by the staff. Either that or train them up to be more alert as to the states of the wine glasses on the tables. A dedicated sommelier / decent maitre d' would be better - he or she can keep a sole eye on the tables and glasses and hustle staff as and when necessary or step in and do the dirty when they are being stressed by the kitchen. As said, the outside area is a hugely pleasant place to have the dinner, with one of the best views of the KL city skyline in the entire metropolis. Some more, it was not too hot with the ceiling fans whirling away and cooling the evening and night air. BAbe must really suffer when the haze comes… 
 
BAbe is not for everyone, but it is a cute food experience which, like Mugaritz in San Sebastian, should be done at least once in a lifetime. It gives a different sense of food and the experience of eating it, and occasionally challenges our preconceptions of how food should be consumed - 12-plus single bite courses rather than full plate starter, entree, main, dessert style. Never a bad thing to get preconceptions challenged. 

Lovely sipper of a Bordeaux...

On which point, conversation turned to one foodie friend who had sworn against coming to BAbe again, apparently after having had a full blown rant with staff against the fact that the place was not offering FINE dining. To which our communal response was: well, we know this. On both my visits, staff took pains to emphasise that BAbe offers FUN dining rather than fine dining, so I am not sure that my ranting friend has a fair leg to stand on. I heard that they said they won't be back. Their loss. I for sure will. 

Which led to a discussion as to whether there was indeed any fine dining left in KL. The standard seemed to revolve around whether there were tablecloths on the tables, which marginalised most of the eateries. Those that remained got ticked off quite quickly. Cilantro came near the top, but we haven't been there for a while. Same with DC. The only other one seemed to be left standing was Lafite, which left us all immensely sad since none of us had had a good food experience there in the last three years. Our last outing with the IWFS where the fish came out fully boned was the final nail for many. Few people saw how VIP prices for this kind of presentation could be justified. RIP Lafite. Sage is still the default. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

IWFS Chambers Grill - dam solid!

February 24th 2016

IWFS KL President David Teh

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Wonderful food, wonderful wines, great atmosphere, superbly professional service. And the KL Hilton has got its Car Parking act together with a flat rate for diners! The Gods seem to be smiling.

David had been on a Carnivore's dinner quest for some months leading up to this one. There were three in the running for the business, but all seemed to be sticking on severe corkage charges. Chambers were the more friendly in this regard and equally friendly in discussion and menu content. They got the gig.

"Skewered to Perfection" is the tagline of Chambers Bar & Grill which opened its doors in September 2013. The Press Release at the time shared that the restaurant "introduces an innovative new grill room concept where gourmands can sink their teeth into prime cuts of meat beautifully aged up to 36 days and grilled on skewers “ala minute”. Prepared over hot charcoal, lava stone or upright in a sandpit around a charcoal pyre in traditional “robatayaki” style, this innovative “grill on a skewer” concept is sure to attract serious carnivores looking for a new way to enjoy the perfect cut of meat."

New IFWS KL Member Kit Ong with Toru Kurokawa

Equally unique to Chambers is the custom designed and climate controlled Himalayan Salt Tile Dry Aging Cabinet where the meat gets hung and dried hung and dry aged from 14 to 36 days to extract excess moisture and give the meat an intense depth of flavour. "This unique aging process coupled with the different grilling techniques creates an alchemy of flavour and smoky infusion that is guaranteed to delight meat aficionados." Carnivores like me were salivating like Pavlov's proverbial dog at the thought.

There was a little bit of concern with only 28 having signed up with one day to deadline, but following a gentle reminder from the Secretary numbers swelled overnight and we got 47 in the end. Following on from the previous All White Affair at the Food Studio, Committee thought it would be a cute idea to have everyone dressed in at least a "splash" of red as a sartorial contrast. The idea was to match the fashion colour with the red food and red wine, and it had the additional benefit of being in keeping with Chinese New Year festivities - red being the most auspicious colour in the CNY palette.

The Ladies in Red. And Gent.

And it worked nicely - everyone was most supportive of the red idea and it did make for a colourful conversation starter for everyone ahead of the dinner. Some of the ladies were stunning in their combinations. some of the gents were quite natty and dapper too, even down to the red socks. Whether there was any "hidden" red on the attendees was not pursued - we are a society of taste and decorum. Aren't we?

We were all gathered in the open lounge reception area at the door to the Chambers happily sipping on a lovely little Prosecco which was light and fruity yet with enough silky zing to keep everyone asking for refills between all the compliments for the ensembles the assembled had put together. Supposedly a rose, the colour seemed a shade anaemic though none the worse for it. It didn't have that sense of the insipid that other Spumantes occasionally display. "Il Fresco" by name and the nature reflected it. Great easy way to start the evening and a good foil for the pimento infused bruschetta that was doing the rounds.

We got seated and David called dinner to order, introducing Chef Marc to talk about the food and subsqeuently myself to talk about the wines. Chef Marc Fery is a well-travelled chef with a world of influences whose motto remains: "Love goes through the stomach, and healthy food is what makes you happy.” He has more than 17 years of extensive experience working with various luxury and flagship hotels and award winning establishments including Michelin-starred restaurants. His French roots nurtured him with exquisite taste buds and his passion for gastronomy, while his German upbringing instilled a strict discipline which he brings to the kitchen.

Chef Marc was quite fast in his talk, presumably keen to get back into the kitchen. I was equally quick. I said that presumably those who were keen to know about the wines had already read about them in the dinner notice that got sent to all members, whilst those who did not were hungry and thirsty. I do try to be considerate.

Prawn Cocktail

First dish was the Chambers Prawn Cocktail. Whenever I see the title, I automatically think back forty years to my introduction to it at the Butlin's Holiday Camp at the Pig and Whistle in Minehead. They were small chintzy bowls of prawns around a cup of cocktail sauce with some chopped lettuce and I loved them. That sweetly sour orange and red peppered salad cream dip which slipped like the nectar of the Aegean coast across the tongue and cheeks - wonderful stuff which we never got at home and which made the holidays that much more special.

This one at Chambers was way more elaborate, though the sald creamy paprika cocktail sauce did rekindle some of that taste memory from the way back when. The rest was a melange of textures, some good though some not so appealing.  The single prawn was a bit chewy and somewhat stringy in texture and with that kind of post frozen bite on it. Good chili fire on the chopped vegetables, which felt like a combo of potato and prawn but which the menu says was French Endive. It was a nice blend of textures - got raw potato crunch, prawn chew, a good meaty mouthfeel supplemented by the paprika infused cocktail sauce. The whole was…. okay. Good to okay. Presentation was pretty, though tastewise a bit Cruise Ship and missing something that would have taken it to another level.

The second fizz (Champagne Bara) had made its way to the table and was proving well tasty. Crisp and sleek, with a lot more body than the Prosecco, quite crunchy and with a nice chewy bite on the full fruit. Good acidity and fruit and zipping the lips to simultaneously accentuate and soothe the paprika burn of the Cocktail sauce. It would prove a nice balm on the downward journey too, though with a zappy raspberry crack as it hit the back of the throat. But somehow, it left one feeling still thirsty. There seemed to be something in it that made one want to keep drinking, almost a salty undercurrent that never quite slaked the thirst. Dangerous fizz, this one. But nice.

We had some toasted white bread brought out which went wonderfully with some brilliantly tasty and amazingly smooth Olive oil which had been infused with a chunk of green chili to give a spice hit. The bread had been baked with a sprinkle of sweetcorn which lent a welcome vegetal crunch. The light toasting was genius - lovely crunch which underlined the softness of the bread. 

The amazing Tomato Soup

Which made it a shame that it didn't quite last until the soup, which was magnificent and well applauded by most members I later spoke with. Sweet, not salty, fresh and full in the mouth, totally uncomplicated and allowing the freshest of ingredients to speak for themselves. One of the best Tomato soups I have had for a long while. Didn't get much of a crab feel about the thing except as a texture contrast, but no matter - the soup taste was more than enough.

It was being paired with a Premiere Cru Burg from the Les Lavieres patch in Savigny-les-Beaune by Bouchard Pere et Fils. I had said in my earlier talk on the wines that it is not generally possible to match wine with soup. There is just so little in the way of compatibility in either whereby looking to pair soup with anything is an exercise in futility. Better to just enjoy them separately. Which proved the case tonight. You can't match sweetly acidic Tomato and herb soup with a lightly fragrant Burgundy. It would be a total wine killer. And the wine was beautiful. Full cherry nose with an initial hit of farmyard (which disappeared, so assume bottle stink), wonderfully fragrant and in lovely balance. Light and bright and as clean as spring water. A total delight.

We were quickly on to the main reds with both the Chateau La Prade and Senejac being poured (the former I think from bottle, the latter from decanter). The Senejac came to me first for some reason. Although a 2005, there is way more time left in the bottle for this one. Massive nose of standard Bordeaux sniffs - bramble, blackcurrant though with a hit of some menthol - and a finish that was just wow, all silk and velvet and a scratch of mint on the back throat. Delightful.

The Cotes de Francs was a more easy drinker (not unexpected, given the 80% Merlot) and nicely balanced across fruit and alcohol with easy tannins. Cassis and forest berries on the nose, though a smack of farmyard on the second sniff which quickly disappeared so bottle stink the presumable culprit here. How it went with the Salmon I did not get a chance to try. Went nicely with the beef, though it would have stunned with lamb. 

Got beef!

The Angus Beef was excellent. Full, beautiful chunk of low fat beef, excellently seared, with good salt and low seasoning and perhaps a hint of olive oil? Italian style? Perfectly medium rare, hugely tasty, and hot - it came to the table still hot. I haven't had meat this hot for years. Freaking outstanding. The accompanying spinach gave a bitter note that contrasted well with the jus and the mash was firm and not over creamy. A magnificent combo of carbs, veg and protein, and a nice sweet touch provided by a tiny tomato and sprig of thyme. The food gods definitely smiled on this one.

The Senejac was an excellent companion to the beef, cutting the low fat and both gaining and lending suppleness as a result. Cracking pairing.

Dessert

The serving staff were very professional in their service and wonderfully generous in their pourings. Which makes it surprising that I have a note on the dessert. Regular readers will know that normally my imbibing renders the making of notes after the main a rarity. I must have been sober. Whatever, the fruit was brilliantly fresh, the mousse even, and the strawberry coulis acidically sweet. Didn't finish it - the booze was still going around, and I got a decent second pour of the Senejac which the Panna Cotta would have killed. 

Jag and Jill, er, Su Gill

Did a bit of saying hello before people left for the doors, which had made me hungry for a third to nightcap. The decanters had stopped their rounds so I did a Mossie and scouted the bottles for some leftovers. The professionals don't usually decant the whole bottle for fear of sediment entering the magic bowl. In this, experience holds that their judgements as to when to stop the pour vary, and on this occasion the variance was somewhat over-generous. Got a decent glass from one bottle and admonished others to do the same. I don't recall them doing so.

Dr Jagjit and Andrew Diamond

What a cracking dinner, all the more so because it was so unexpectedly good. Hotels tend to play it safe food wise, but Chambers has a chef who clearly puts a premium on ingredients and taste. The wines paired well, and the red theme brought a mood for a good time wanting to be had by all. I will definitely be back and hopefully soon. Have to find out more about how the aging process impacts the meat and why the Himalaya Salt thingy they have does this. The Science of Beef - we foodies need to know these things. Cheers!

David and Chef

Chambers Bar and Grill
Hilton Kuala Lumpur      
3, Jalan Stesen Sentral,
Kuala Lumpur Sentral,
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Phone:+60 3-2264 2264

THE MENU
Aperitif
Villa Sandi Rosato Spumante "Il Fresco" NV

Chambers Prawn Cocktail
French Endives, Cocktail Sauce, Cherry Tomatoes
Champagne Bara, Grand Rosé de Bouzy 2005

Roast Roma Tomato Soup
Pacific Blue Swimmer Crab Meat with Basil Essence
2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières

Grilled Scottish Loch Fyne Salmon Cutlet
Green asparagus, crushed potatoes
Or
Charcoal grilled Black Angus eye fillet
Sauté spinach, creamy Yukon Gold mash
2005 Nicolas Thienpont Chateau La Prade, Cotes de Francs, France
2005 Chateau Senejac, Haut-Medoc, France

Strawberry Pana Cotta
Cointreau Marinated Forest Berries with Red Currant Coulis

David and Chambers Team

Villa Sandi Rosato Spumante "Il Fresco" NV
Dating back to 1622, and now owned by the Moretti Polegato family, the exquisite and characteristic Palladian-style Villa Sandi is located in the heart of the Prosecco area at the foot of the Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG hills.

Villa Sandi uses a unique "on-demand" production technique which refridgerates the Prosecco must upon crushing, keeping it at 32° F until it is needed. Upon request, the must is brought to 59-61° F and this "on-demand" process guarantees that every bottle of Villa Sandi Prosecco is always fresh and lively and maintains the features of freshness, floral and fruity notes, typical of Prosecco.

Blending Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero grapes, the Il Fresco Rosé shows a light and bright rose color. Aromas of raspberry fragrance with slightly spicy undertones lead to a playful palate of crisp acidity with spicy sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel. This delightful sparkler is dry, fresh and zesty.
85 Points Wine Spectator

Champagne Bara, Grand Rosé de Bouzy 2005
Established in 1833, La Maison Bara has built a reputation as the great ambassador for the champagne village of Bouzy, including its famous red wines. All of its 11 hectares are situated within this famous Grand Cru commune. Chantale Bara has now taken over from the legendary Paul, her father, to ease the Champagne House of Bara in to its seventh generation.

The house style is accordingly generous and rich, the tirage taking place over a minimum of four years in the 100 year-old cellars, dug 36 feet under the property. The champagnes are colourful and rich, voluptuous and honied, yet always finely balanced and pleasingly textured.

Bara’s Rosé is "a cornucopia of delight, its redcurrant and rosehip core energised by the addition of 12% of Pinot Noir from Bouzy, its balletic mid-palate bursting with joie de vivre and exhorting the drinker to the highest possible spirits.  With 2008 as its base year and plenty of Reserve Wine adding complexity, this is a broad-shouldered, vinous Champagne with a lively mousse and no lack of focus on the finish."   Simon Field MW, Wine Buyer BBR

2005 Bouchard Père et Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Lavières
Les Lavieres is a Premier Cru climat of the Savigny-les-Beaune appellation in the Cote de Beaune sub-region of Burgundy.
Savigny-les-Beaune Premier Cru wines are those produced under the strictest conditions of the Savigny-les-Beaune appellation, from grapes grown within officially classified Premier Cru vineyards. Les Lavieres is located east of Savigny-les-Beaune village, where the Rhoin Valley widens out onto the plains between Beaune and Corton.

Deep ruby, darker in hue than many burgundies of this age, nose is smoky, earthy, with a hint of new oak, and pine/cedar notes, but little in the way of fruit. The palate however shows true pinot red fruit, with a hint of tannic dryness, but not intrusive, and lovely balance. Medium-length finish which is elegant, rounded, if not exactly silky. Good effort and drinking well.   Tanzer 87 - 89,  Jancis Robinson 17/20, Wine Enthusiast 92/100

2005 Nicolas Thienpont Chateau La Prade, Cotes de Francs, France
Cotes de Bordeaux Francs is the appellation title for Cotes de Bordeaux wines made specifically from three parishes of Saint-Cibard, Tayac and Francs at the very eastern edge of the Bordeaux wine region. They lie roughly eight miles (13km) north of the Dordogne river and are actually much closer to Bergerac than Bordeaux city itself. Nevertheless, the wines made here (both red and white, dry and sweet) are in the classic Bordeaux style and are produced from the classic grape varieties.

From a blend 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the aroma of this delicious wine is shows licorice, earth, jammy blackberries, dark cherry and a hint of vanilla. Moderate and somewhat astringent and persistent tannins which lead to a good finish.  Tanzer 87 - 90  Cellar Tracker 89 (from 34 notes).

"The finest La Prade I have ever tasted from proprietors Nicolas Thienpont and Thierry Valette, this 1,000-case blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc easily competes wit the “big boys” of nearby St-Emilion. Dense purple-hued with a sweet perfume of black currants, cranberries, cherries, licorice, earth and subtle wood, it is an opulent, full-bodied, velvety- textured seriously concentrated effort with no hard edges." Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate (April 08)  91/100

"This classic, powerful, age-worthy claret should last for 10-15 years or more."    Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (May 06)

2005 Chateau Senejac, Haut-Medoc, France
Ch. Sénéjac is one of the better known Crus Bourgeois of the Haut-Médoc, located near to the vineyards of Margaux, just outside Parempuyre in the far south of the Haut-Médoc region. It is a historic estate of 150 hectares, of which only 38 are under vine, and the wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (25%) and Cabernet Franc (15%). It is matured in oak barriques (25% new) for 18 months. Recently the estate has changed hands and is now owned by Monsieur Rutsman.

This Cru Bourgeous is characterized by an almost black color deep in his younger years. A very expressive nose exhales the scents of black fruits and spices. In the mouth presents many Senejac scale and intensity whilst remaining smooth and civilized by the finesse of its tannins. This is a charming and distinguished wine to drink young for its fullness and fruit or even better let it age slowly to find the race of its terroir.  WS 90  "There's lots of grapey character, with blackberry and hints of smoky oak. Full-bodied, with lovely soft tannins and a long, caressing finish."  

Blackberry, tobacco and forest floor on the nose. Dry with dark fruit, earth and cedar on the palate. Strong tannic structure, acid a little high, tannins integrating which soften down the bottle. Toasty oak notes, anise and chocolate. Overall a good value and nice drinking wine with limited complexity and upside. Decanting helps.

French Haute Cuisine Pop Up at Stoked - stunner!

Mrs and Mrs May and Ria

February 15th 2016

Seems like I am becoming a broadcaster for Stoked at the moment. A lot of the posts are about wine dinners we have had there. But truth to tell they have been well worth writing about. And this was another absolutely cracking dinner. Not a bad dish anywhere and some delightfully delicious and well paired wines. Got to give props where they are due and 
Stoked are happily pushing the food envelope with the pop-ups they are bringing to Malaysian shores. 

Got an email from Yin-How saying that Stoked would be having a single evening French Haute Cuisine pop up at the Stoked with guest Chef Addision Liew taking the helm and getting to grips with his Bertha.

We didn't have a clue who Chef was, but the menu and wines sounded excellent. We ummed and ahhed a bit but when we saw Sweeper Moss confirming quickly we figured we had better do so too. These things can sell quickly.

Which proved to be the case. An attempt one day later to add Texas to the gang proved not possible as the night had been booked out.  

Brittany Muirgen Oyster
Truffle emulsion, Charcoal-Smoked

Yin-How had advised that friends May and Ria were attending and opted to seat us all together. Which ended up most pleasant as it turned out to be May's birthday which necessitated a bottle of Champagne to get the evening underway. Which ended up as quite necessary when we got informed by a member of Stoked staff that there would be no wine until the food came. Which ends up as a lesson to check for aperitifs for future beanos. Yes.

We had been parked away from the main dining area so we had some distance from the other diners which gave a pleasant sense of exclusivity. There was one other foodie sat on a separate table who seemed to be enjoying his own company. Didn't get a chance to do the rounds and see who had shown up, but appeared very few from the IWFS. Perhaps Chinese New Year was getting in the way of scheduling. It happens.
 
The champagne survived until the amuse bouche Brittany Muirgen Oyster came. These were absolutely brilliant and would unanimpously get declared by the table as the dish of the night. Yin How shared that they were probably the most expensive oysters he had ever had to purchase, but O they were gorgeous. Lightly grilled over the charcol in the Bertha with some truffle foam and a hit of would would prove Chef's signature finely chopped celeriac - went down in two dream creamy bites and chews and the freshness and taste were way off any taste map we could think of. Superlative after superlative flowed from the lips of the assembled till all we could do was gape in awe at the magnificence of this little French silt sucker.

Research shows that Muirgen apparently translates from the Gaelic into “Born from the sea”. These shallow oysters start life in Ireland in ecosystems unique to the locale and then travel to Cancale for gently refining in the waters of the Mont Saint Michel bay. This oyster is said to appeal to oyster gourmets because of its sweetness and its beige-coloured flesh which, nestling in a meaty jewel, provides a rare delicacy to the palette.

Additionally, the Oysters getting accidentally paired with the bubbles was perfect, as eating it on its own would have proven a bit less spectacular. I now understand why oysters and champagne are considered to be a perfect match. Total treat where seawater tang hits biscuit bubbles and fruit. There is no other taste quite like it.

Cured Tasmanian Petuna Ocean Trout
Slow-Cooked Kampung Egg

Second up was the Trout. Allegedly. Most complained there did not seem to be much of it on the plate, though we figured the carroty looking thing we consumed was probably it. I did come across a mussel, though. There was also an oyster leaf parked on top - a leaf that really did smell and taste like an oyster! Apparently available in Malaysia, it was a wonderful add and lent a charming nose to the dish.

Seems that The Petuna Ocean Trout lives in a remote South-west coast of Tasmania, where the Franklin-Gordon Rivers meet the Great Southern Ocean.  Petuna comes from the combination of Peter and Una Rockliff, the originators of a fishing company specialising in trout and salmon fishing and aquaculture. In 2010 they sold 50% of the business to the Sealord Group and went way more global.

Trademark labelled by the company as "the Wagyu of the Sea", the Trout is said to possess a "vibrant intense colour, purity of flavour, and luscious marbling (and) a creamy succulent texture which is velvety." The website proudly proclaims its Petuna Ocean Trout to be "the key ingredient in Tetsuya's signature dish for over 20 years."

Well and maybe, but as said this one slipped through the nets like a golf ball at the driving range. The problem was that the slow cooked egg pretty much consumed everything as a result of the apparent escape of the trout from the kitchen. Tasty enough, but it ended up like eggy vegetables. with foam. And finely chopped celeriac. Though it was belter with the bread and truffle butter. Sopped it all up a treat and sucked it down with total delight.
The Chablis was one of those which seemed to have little in the way of "oomph" but was a delight to sip and chug. Very light on the nose, little hint of greenish airy meadow breeze, lovely balance though light on the fruit but a clean firm finish. Good choice to pair with the trout. Well, it would have been had enough of the fish been caught in the first place.  

French Artichoke Veloute, Chilled Rougie Fois Gras

Next up was the French Artichoke Veloute. Velouté in French means, “velvet” and this effect is apparently created by puréeing everything in a blender and then pressing the result through a sieve. Seems this is standard technique in Thomas Keller's French Laundry where ‘nothing moves from one pot to another in the French Laundry kitchen without first passing through a sieve.’ Research says that the other method for creating velvet soup is to create a butter and flour roux. Whatever that means.

Whatever technique was used, it was magnificent. Perfectly fresh and seared Foie Gras drowned in a gunky goo of, er, velvety Artichoke Soup and sprinkled with (yep) fried celeriac chips. The combo was stellar - the liverish smoke of the FG getting soused by the soup to create a slurpy zip and oily smooth mouthful of wonder and light chew. Absolutely sublime. And pairing with the medium body Pinot Gris gave that sweetish Sauteurnes-ey feel without the unctuous sugar that goes with it. Lovely, lovely, lovely - almost as good as the amazing oyster.

Live Normandy Saint-Jacques Scallops and Razor Clam
Sevruga Caviar, Champagne Sauce

The Live Normandy St Jacques scallops were wonderfully fresh and again seared perfectly, having that little textured "give" in the bite to send the table into more expressions of delight and praise. I tried to find out more but all the Wikipedia information was in French with no apparent translation available. Presume the "Live Normandy St Jacques" moniker gives them a bit of kudos. Well, French names tend to do that, don't they? But they were darling little coquilles.

The Razor clam was quite inventive, and getting a hit of grapefruit was a cute acidic startle that nicely contrasted with the somewhat lean razorclam and the delightful caviar. Seems the Sevruga caviar that came with the dish is harvested from the Stellate sturgeon that has its natural home in the Black, Azov, Caspian and Aegean Sea basins. It is one of the highest priced varieties of caviar, though somewhat behind the top end Beluga and Ossetra brands. Perhaps this is because the 150lb and 7ft long fish is the smallest of the caviar producing sturgeons and its pearlescent grey and somewhat saltier eggs tend to be smaller. They did give a pronounced salty sea bite to the dish.

The Morey St Denis Burgundy was totally delightful - light medium texture, lovely firm tannins on the finish, excellent clean smoked cherries with great hints of forest and in wonderful balance. The wine discovery of the night - would happily buy this and leave for a year or two, though it probably would last that long in our household…

French Duck breast, Celeriac Risotto, Natural Jus

The French Duck breast was excellently seared and seasoned and beautifully tender, whilst the veg and celeriac risotto added useful fibre and carb. The broccolini was excellent - firm and crunchy, great bite on these.

The Bordeaux was a fair choice to try and match the duck, though naturally the Morey St Denis would have been brilliant and my preferred choice to match. But then it would not have followed the flow of the other dishes and wines, so some slack for compromise clearly was necesssary. It worked - the Mallet was light and lean in texture and in excellent balance, and the somewhat lean fruit let the even tannins do their work on the duck. Another good pairing.

Some of the reds proved a shade too much for the ladies, so Sweeper was having a rare old time of things polishing off the remains of the glasses that got passed to our end of the table. I managed to save one from his clutches for reference purposes. Well, someone has to act as a pacemaker, non?
 

Sarawak Pineapple Canneloni

Dessert was tasty - nice contrast between amazingly fresh and brilliantly tasty strawberries aided by some strawberry syrup and the yogurt sorbet proved the perfect creamy foil to all this zippy sharp sweetness.

A good coffee with a darkly rich petit four proved the perfect cap to a perfect evening. And a mini chocolate lava Birthday cake from the Stoked kitchen with a candle for May to make a wish was nicely thoughtful.

What a total brahma of an evening. These are the ones you wait for - amazingly fresh food wonderfully prepared, great wines to pair with it all and a table of entertaining and engaging friends. Doesn't get better than this. All the dishes looked fantastic on the plates with some very nice artistry in their presentations. Though Sweeper occasionally felt that some of the plates seemed a shade large for the amount of food therein. But they do lend a grandness and sense of occasion to the whole.
 

Chef Addison and the Fan Club

Chef Addison came out to say hello. Young looking lengjai, though apparently already 33 years old - would easily pass for mid twenties. Total heartbreaker - the ladies loved him on sight. Born in Ipoh, Chef honed his skills in fine French Haute cuisine at various Michelin starred restaurants around the world, including the 1 starred Auberge de la Charme in Dijon, 2 starred Les Jardin de Sens France in Montpellier as well as the highly regarded 3 starred L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Hong Kong. He is currently the Senior Sous Chef overseeing the daily operations at The Tasting Room, a 2 star Michelin restaurant at The Crown Hotel in Macau.

My Singapore foodie friend Julian (http://julianteoh.blogspot.sg) suspected Chef was partly on a mission to look for future sponsors to set up an enterprise. Chef did indicate that he would be open to this but in fairness felt the need for some further time in charge of his Macao Hotel kitchen to add some more kudos to his CV. On this showing, he has skills. Insisting on absolutely fresh and particular ingredients to create his delights seemed to be critical here - they set the tone for the evening and all the dishes were hugely memorable as a result. Same with the wines - great matches and well tasty. One for the ages. Damn shame Blogger wouldn't seem to let me upload and layout all the photos. Usually is fine but today it did not like them. Only difference is that they were taken on the iPhone. Maybe time to change to Wordpress...

A Night of French Haute Cuisine by Chef Addison Liew

Brittany Muirgen Oyster
Truffle emulsion, Charcoal-Smoked

Cured Tasmanian Petuna Ocean Trout
Slow-Cooked Kampung Egg
Domaine Faively Chablis 2014

French Artichoke Veloute
Chilled Rougie Fois Gras
Trimbach Pinot Gris Personelle 2010

Live Normandy Saint-Jacques Scallops and Razor Clam
Sevruga Caviar, Champagne Sauce
Domaine Taupenot Merme Morey St Denis 2012

French Duck breast
Celeriac Risotto, Natural Jus
Chateau Sociando Mallet 2004

Sarawak Pineapple Canneloni
Fukuoka Strawberries, Yogurt Sorbet

Coffee/Tea
Petit Fours

RM298 nett or RM430 with the wine.

Memphis Bistro - fantastic!

Memphis Bistro

February 6th 2016

This was recommended by a new friend at a recent Amante CNY feast somewhere in Taman Desa. We had expressed a liking for good steak and he started raving about this place called Memphis. So enthusiastic, he even whatsapped the contact details. We immediately decided it was a must try. And it would indeed prove to be a fantastic find.

Though trying to get there on the Friday evening directly before the Chinese New Year holiday was in hindsight hugely stupid. Initially looking good, the Federal Highway traffic ground to a, er, grinding halt in the drizzling rain just before the PJ Hilton. Waze started screeching for us to turn off on Jalan 222 which we figured would be better than the nerve frazzling crawl and took us through the back roads of Petaling Jaya to the LDP. Here, a quick U turn got us into the backwaters of Kelana Jaya and then surprisingly quickly to the restaurant. Took about forty minutes from the Jalan 222 turn off. 

Interior - kitchen and Chef and Lenglui and me reaching for a glass - as usual...

In fairness, without the Waze we would never have found the place. It was in a back corner of what looked like a recently constructed and even more recently abandoned shoplot village going by the name of Dana 1 Commercial Centre (or Pusat Perdagangan Dana 1 as the maps will name it). Seemingly very few tenants with lots of "To Let" signs. But the Waze was brilliant, taking us right to the front door of the place (though not initially so good getting back - it couldn't find the road out). There were many admonitions en route to the restaurant to park in the downstairs parking or risk a clamping but there was so much space everywhere in front of closed and vacant shoplots I decided to take a risk and park directly outside the place. I figured I could keep an eye on Willy through the large windows and move it if any of the Complex goons started hovering around (Willy is our nickname for the grey Honda Accord - when we first got it, it felt huge and like driving a grey whale, hence the name).

Specials of the House

The interior was warm and welcoming, with a long bar on one side and tables arranged in four and eight seaters. Figured a maximum of fifty could be catered to. Lots of wood and as said large windows facing on to the street. Very homely. At the far end of the room was a perspex board on which were written all the specials of the house. Wow. Lots of fresh seafood and steak. There was also an a la carte menu on which everything also looked excellent. Also had a Christmas Tree festooned with the usual baubles to which some Ang Pow packets had been added to give a Chinese New Year feel. Quite cute, yes? There was a large window through which we could see the kitchen and a homage poster of Elvis on the side. The King. Of course. Also a poster of the code of the Native North American peoples gave a sense of soul and spirit to the place. A reminder that we are all temporal beings connected to the Great Spirit. Who hunt and eat the buffalo. Om.

Squid Nuggets

We were about thirty minutes ahead of time so we sat down and got an ice bucket for the Oyster Bay SB. It needed about ten minutes to chill so I took a quick walk around outside to get a sense of the place whilst Lenglui sat whatsapping the incoming Texas (who would be joining us with his squeeze the FBQ). It did feel like a ghost town, though there were a few restaurants and outlets looking to try and make it. I couldn't see what would attract people to come here. The light drizzle just added to a sense of desolation about the place. Location wise, on a good day it would be easy to get to - U turn back on the Subang airport road, past the Citta Mall, hang a left and you are here. My guess is that Citta Mall takes much of the traffic. It also has lots of named food outlets which is always a good draw in Malaysia. Ten minutes wandering in the darkling rainy gloom of this concrete maze was enough so it was back into the warm glow of the Memphis.

Escargots

The wine was nicely chilled and the thirst worked up by the stroll was excellently slaked (slaken? slakened?) by the lean acidic crunch and throat tickling crispy fruit of this lovely wine. For some reason the 2014 had crashed in price and we had been picking it up for RM80 (normally RM130 in the supermarkets). Drinking nicely and better than some younger NZ offerings, it has maintained its lean firmness and was delightful both on its own and brilliant with the Squid Nugget starters we had ordered. Salty peppery crunchy bites that accentuated the crisp zip of the wine. Darn tasty, and a great start to the evening.

Mr and Mrs Texas arrived (they had done the Uber which whacked them for premium rate due to the time of day) and we got down to the serious business of ordering. With FBQ, is quite simple - order everything so we all can taste everything. We usually reign in such enthusiasm with the logic that we can't finish so much food (which surprisingly worked tonight) so we settled on four starters and two mains with a side salad. 

Wagyu M5 - double yum!

It would prove enough. We had another plate of the delightful Squid Nuggets and went with the Portobello Mushroom, the Crab Cake and the Escargots. It was all very good, though the Crab Cake felt a bit mushy for my taste. I like it a shade drier and crisper in the potato stakes. Big sizes, good tastes and fair prices - could not argue with anything here. The Escargots were done nicely in garlic butter (with a possible hit of truffle?). Perhaps lacking refinement in delicate textures but hey, we're in a Bistro here. You come for Soul Food not deconstruction or reconstruction or abstraction distraction nonsense. Yes.

And we had indeed come for the steak and they were darling pieces of meat done perfectly.We had ordered one piece of (presumably Australian) Wagyu M5 and one Sirloin with Goose Liver Butter just to compare. I carved them up and everyone got a chunk of each. The Wagyu was the clear winner, but not by much. Both were excellent. The Wagyu took it on texture and mouthfeel but in taste and quality terms both pieces were darn good. The Goose Liver butter was a cute surprise and soaked the sirloin with a cream fatty softness that helped it slip across the cheeks so sweetly. And it all came with a plate of roast potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and (gasp!) Brussels Sprouts which were done perfectly. I have a total weakness for these softly bitter green little chaps. Everyone else vehemently asserted that they hated them so I was able to drizzle them with the gravy and totally glutton out. Happy as a dog in the mud. We had also ordered a salad which went pretty much untouched - there was more than enough food for four without it. 

Sirloin with Foie Gras Butter - yum

We had the meat with a magnificent Australian Shiraz that Texas had brought whose name escapes me - might have been an Executioner or Judge or one of these Wine Poetry jobboes. Whatever, it was an excellent match - light pepper silk with a velvet caress on the meat. Top, top end. (note - Texas read this and texted the name - Two Hands Gnarly Dudes)

We finished off with a delightful chocolate souffle kind of lavabomb with a dollop of ice cream on the side that erupted with cocoa goo and milky cold in the mouth and made for a well pleasant sweetener. 

Corkage at RM20 a bottle for ice buckets and decent glassware felt extremely reasonable compared to what one gets elsewhere for far more outlay (eg Osteria Realblue). Food was pretty fast out of the kitchen. Solid service, no real complaints. Definitely one to go back to, and quite often if time permits. One of those default places you feel can confidently go and get great food at fair price. Foodie friends said they had been going there for quite some time. Easy to see why. Total bill of RM400 inclusive of three bottles corkage for four people felt most friendly. 

Chef KJ Tan

The affable Chef KJ Tan came over to say hello and we shared a glass of wine with him. Clearly he has a passion for the kitchen and the meat and wine, and is one of those old rock and roll souls given his selection of decorative album covers adorning the walls of Memphis. Not sure what is the story behind Memphis and the web is remarkably silent on the point. Have to sit down with Chef next time and split a bottle to find out. And eat more of his wonderful wagyu. Come and join us! But make a reservation - it might be full. Cheers!

Memphis Bistro

D6-70G, BLK 7,

Pusat Perdagangan Dana 1

Jalan PJU 1A/46,

PJU 1A,

47301 Petaling Jaya

Selangor DE

Tel +603 7843 6818

HP +6012 3068717

Photos by kind permission of FBQ Jan Shaw

Code of the Native Americans