Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

Oh dear, I realised most of the events I have been attending recently are all alcohol related ones. They are also the ones hardest to say no to, because generally, they are the most fun. So when Makan Fairy Godmother got me an invite to a wine Masterclass, it was obviously going to be a yes from me.

Chile has always fascinated me, its long narrow stretch of land that stretches the length of some continents, giving it a diverse climate profile, depending whether you are north or south, (unlike our land of perpetual summer and humidity here), and such climes make it possible for vineyards to flourish and as such, produce delectable wines.

Founded by Don Maximiano Errazuriz, one of 19th century Chile's most prominent families, he sought a land north of Santiago, and came across Valle de Aconcagua, where he founded his winery in 1870, proclaiming "From the best land, the best wine".

Vina Errazuriz Winery

Today, Vina Errazuriz leads modern Chilean viticulture and showcases Chile as a world class appellation.

The very affable Nicolas Happke, who is the Area Manager of Southeast Asia, led us through the wine tasting that evening, featuring 4 different types of showcase wines.

The wines served were the Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve, 1989 (gosh, I had just graduated in 1989), Don Maximino Founder's Reserve 1999, Don Maximiano Founder's Reserve 2010 and Kai 2010.

The DM FR 1989 is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, described as clean cherry brick red in colour. Notes of fresh fruit with earthy balsamic as well. The wine had been decanted for an hour, but actually at the time of tasting, it felt that it could use a little bit more decanting time. Actually, upon revisiting that wine 15 minutes later after the original tasting, the flavours were so much more evident, and it really was a very elegant, polished wines.

The DM FR 1999 is 97% Cab Sav and 3% Merlot. Aged in oak, the wine boasts harmonious integration of toasted almonds, vanilla and coffee. On the palate the spicy tannines titillate, with flavours of blackberries and cherries.

The DM FR 2010, as the years progress, become more complex in their composition, as I think wine makers by then were more adventurous in their blending, etc. 78% Cab Sav, 10% Carmenere, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Syrah. I have to say the Carmenere and Petit Verdot are new to my vocabulary. Apparently, the Carmenere is unique to Chile, which paves the way for the next very special wine, the

KAI 2010. Kai means "plant" in the Chilean indigenous Mapudungun language, and it embodies the ultimate expression fo Carmenere that had long been lost and forgotten by the rest of the world. Sounds rather dramatic, I know, but it was rediscovered in Chile. The Kai has been quoted as "Year in and out this is Chile's finest example of Carmenere" - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar.

The event was also graced by Christian Rehren Bargetto, the Chilean Ambassador to Malaysia, who said his favourite wines were the DM FR1989 and the KAI 2010. What do you know, those were our favourites too!!!

Ooh, and one of my FAVOURITE things about event is this uber cool thumb drive containing the press release!!! So cute right!??

For those interested in procuring bottles of the wines, (they are not cheap, retailing at averagely RM300 and above per bottle), you can contact :

Su Ling Lee
Senior Marketing Executive
Asiaeuro Wines & Spirits Sdn Bhd
DID : +603-78832855 | FAX : +603-78832928 |

Follow them on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Asiaeuro-Wines-Spirits-Sdn-Bhd/116189365135338

What was I saying about my penchant for alcoholic events? Well, the idea of a deconstruction of a whisky was too tempting to refuse, even if it meant traversing the crazy traffic to Kota Damansara at 7-ish pm.

I was intrigued, what this was about. Actually although I am no stranger to the Glenfiddich 15 Year Old, I was not aware that it actually had a name (Solera), and certainly, when one imbibes this nectar of the gods, one doesn't think too much about its origins, and how it's made.

As it turns out, three very different components are mixed to get the finished product that we know. And tonight was the night we were to find out which and how.

Lee Ying Zhi, Regional Brand Manager during the Glenffidich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old deconstruction tasting event, introducing the event, and the concept of the event, but what I thought was really novel, was the live tour of the distillery via live feed.

Mathew Fergusson Stewart, ‎Brand Ambassador Southeast Asia at William Grant & Sons hosted the first ever Live Streaming tasting session directly from Warehouse 8, the Glenfiddich Distillery in Dufftown, Speyside. The last time I saw him at the Glenfiddich event in KL Hilton, he was all kilted up.

[No point reinventing the wheel, the press release is informative and accurate]
Created in 1998 by Malt Master David Stewart, the Glenfiddich Solera process was inspired by the sherry bodegas of Spain and Portugal. As one of the oldest family-owned distillers in the industry, William Grant & Sons has had the time and freedom to constantly innovate and pioneer in new distilling methods, resulting in the renowned Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old – the first 15 year old Scotch whisky to make it into the top ten best-selling single malts in the world.

What is interesting is the handcrafted American Oak Solera vat, in which the three components are combined to mix, is never emptied. The 35,000 litre vat is always kept at least half full, much like a starter dough for bread bakers... hence achieving a complex and interesting flavour as time goes by.

In 1998, the Glenfiddich Solera Vat was filled with whisky that was all at least 15 years of age (distilled in 1983 or earlier). The three whiskies used to fill the Solera Vat have all been matured in different types of casks:

15 YO Glenfiddich aged in Bourbon barrels – casks previously used to age bourbon in America (bottle no 1)

15 YO Glenfiddich aged in Sherry butts – casks previously used in Spain to age sherry (bottle no 2)

15 YO Glenfiddich aged in Bourbon barrels, and finished for three months in New American oak barrels that have never been used before. (bottle no 3)

After the Solera vat is filled, the whiskies are left to mix together, encouraged with gentle aeration.
After mixing in the Solera Vat, half of the whisky is transferred into marrying tuns and left to rest for at least three months (a process used for all Glenfiddich variants). The whisky is then chill filtered and diluted to bottling strength with Robbie Dhu spring water. Now I did not know that all this stuff is actually diluted with spring water. Which meant when we drank the individual components, it must have been very very strong. Actually, it was. Very strong.

The fact that the Solera vat is always left at least half full and significant traces of earlier batches will always remain in the vat means that each bottle of the Glenfiddich Solera Reserve 15 Year Old will contain some whisky that was distilled more than 30 years ago. If only the vats could talk. 30 years ago, ...I was but a schoolboy.

As individual components, the Sherry Butts one was the most easy to drink. It's a bit, but only just, a bit sweeter than the other two, and somehow the high alcohol content doesn't assail the palate like flaming water.

The amazing thing about the live feed was, that you could whatsapp Matthew any questions, and he would answer almost immediately...depending on how long the whatsapp took to reach Speyside.

Here, Matthew is speaking to a guy in a leather apron, who does barrels. He's known as a Cooper, and it is a rare and sought after profession in the distillery industry. They work in a cooperage, and are responsible for the quality of the barrels etc etc.

In Summary, thanks to the press release

What goes better with whisky than roast pork with crispy crackling???

Anyway, it was a great night out, especially with the sterling company of Christy Yoong of The Peak.

I get very excited whenever I see these green invitations. The fact that the event is for the "GUARDIANS" of Glenlivet gives one a sense of purpose, much like a superhero, except our superpower, if it is one at all, is to swirl the precious amber nectar and be able to spout and detect all the different notes, from vanilla to fruit to spice... Sssh, I hope they (the organisers) don't get wind of this, but my palate is as insensitive as leather, and my scope of description is "oooh, nice, more 18 year old please".

I lifted this from the Glenlivet website, so as to sound a bit more knowledgeable.

This particular event sought to pair very specialized coffee with the various Glenlivets, which I thought was a very novel concept indeed. Again, I have to camouflage my plebian-ness, and it's best NOT to mention at any point that my daily cuppa consists of a Nescafe Gold. I can hear my artisanal brew friends fainting in horror, clutching their chests and gagging. Nevertheless, there's nothing to stop one from experiencing new things in life, and well, when a glorious opportunity like this presents itself, one just thanks one lucky stars.

Who knew, that tucked away in the Club Utama (hitherto only known for the Restaurant Extra Super Tanker).. in the Village, lies a haven for coffee afficianados, where a cuppa cost almost as much, if not more, than a pack of glenlivet. Roast Factor Glee, the place is called, and I've heard rumours about how coffee is such an art form, (and I don't mean the pretty drawings baristas create from the foam of a cappucino), but I have never really witnessed the painstaking love involved in the brewing of certain brews. Put it this way, the amount of time taken to make one cup, I probably could finish baking an entire cake.

The traffic as always, was HORRENDOUS, and I hate being late especially for these events, but made it JUST in time to see Lionel Lau introducing himself and the event. .

The first blend, paired with Glenlivet 12 Year Old was the Guatemala, Los Cerritos
Altitude: 1200m/ Crop year 2013/ Varietal Catuai, Caturra and Bourbon. Caramel butterscotch notes, pleasant round acidity with notes of milk chocolate and caramel leading into fresh black cherries, and finishing with notes of baked apple.

You could see the meticulous care with which the lady boss, Shyue Chin and her brother, Shyu Wen, lovingly prepared these exotic brews.

Paired with the 15 Year old Glenlivet, the Panama, Carmen Estate Washed, Altitude:
1650-2000m/ Crop Year 2013/ Varietal Catuai Caturra Typica. Sweet plum, apple and some toffee in aroma, deep candied fruit-like sweetness, raisins, apricot, fat juicy body with medium acidity, long delicate finish.

This was my favourite combination, as I found the first one a bit too mild, and not particularly leaving any evocative impact on any part of the tongue.

This whole fancy set up comprises the V60 Hario Dripper and Buono Kettle which releases the hot water in a thin water stream. You really need the patience of a saint, and a lot of elbow grease to produce a cup of coffee.

Finally, to pair with the 18 Year Old Glenlivet (this time round, the 18 Years finished very quickly!), Rwanda Inzovu Washed, Altitude: 1200-1800m/ Crop year 2013/ Varietal Bourbon Typica. Caramel, lime and soft floral in aroma, black tea-like, plum, lemon, thick body with tart green apple acid, candied grape-like sweetness, long finish.

Okay, the caffeine from the coffee, and the buzz from the booze, now that's a good combination alright!!!

Looking forward to the next chapter of the Guardians.

I remember in the early 90s, when Magnum first made it appearance in KL, it was around RM1.90 a stick. A funny conversation transpired with my sister, and my dad in the background. I said something like, "wah, Magnum price went up to RM2.50" to my sister. My dad overhears the conversation, and says, WHAT? You mean the price has dropped so much? Better buy quickly. My sister and I give him a puzzled look, then we say, "we're talking about the ice cream ya?" and my father says, "OHHHH, I thought you were talking about the share price" (of the public listed counter, MAGNUM). Since then, I've always had fond memories of Magnum the ice cream, and have followed their progress with great interest, and still love their Belgian Chocolate range.

Fascinated was I by the idea that they were going to infuse GOLD into the iconic magnum ice cream, and was rather curious to see what it was all about. Held at Nathalie's Gourmet Studio in Solaris Dutamas (aka Publika), the attendees were also given the opportunity to try their hand at making gold leaf infused desserts, hence theme, Drench (though it was hardly drenching) Your Palate In Gold. As someone pointed out, it was an ancient form of torture to pour molten gold into the opponent's throat. These days, given the price of gold, I don't think anyone will resort to that form of torture.

Boxes and boxes stacked as high as a 6'3" tall tree greeted us at the reception table, so there was no doubt I was at the correct location.

Mr Shawn Tan, Category Head (Ice Cream) ...gosh, it must be every kid's dream to have a title like that...CATEGORY HEAD (ICE CREAM)!!! Unilever (M) Holdings Sdn Bhd, addressing the crowd.

Magnum has been around for 46 years, (I'm sure it hasn't been around that long in Malaysia), and in 2011, Magnum introduced the all new Magnum made with Belgian Chocolate. I was actually at that event, held in KL Hilton, back in 2011. You can check out the post HERE.

They have gone one notch up, and now Magnum wants to share their expertise and bring it to a whole new level with Belgian Chocolate infused with gold. And to do that, we had the privilege of award winning Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille instructing and guiding us in making a couple of fine luxury desserts using chocolate (Belgian, of course) and gold leaf.

We were divided into several work stations....

Lovely bits of Callebaut Milk Chocolate ... to make Gold Lava Cakes. Sounds exotic huh.

I am sure these people are local celebrities, though I am not sure who, because they look so glammed up.

The participants are melting the butter, and chocolate, ...not exactly rocket science.

Nathalie gave a very useful "tip"... you should clip the tip of your pastry bag when filling it with batter, so that it doesn't flow out freely. Actually, such a simple tip, but it saves a lot of grief when filling the bag. While she pours the batter into the bag with one fell swish, it proved a bit more challenging for the others....

Then it was time to fill the silicone moulds with the batter. An excellent recipe, which you can actually make ahead of time, and freeze.

Again, the master fills it with great ease....

While the disciples...not great ease, but managing...

There's that gold leaf, plonked on top of the batter.

The following few pictures are courtesy of Salina & Associates, as I had to leave the event after seeing my team mates pour their fondant into the moulds...

The parfait looks yummy actually, what a pity I didn't get to try it. I guess I'll just have to follow the recipe that was in the press kit and try it out myself, sans the gold leaf. WHERE DOES one buy gold leaf? Can't be from Poh Yik Tai right..."Hi, I'd like some gold leaf...ha? no, not for my wedding ring la, to eat la woiiii".

Pouring the parfait mixture into the moulds.

These celebrity types huh, people all sweating and slaving away in the kitchen, their hair and make up all still intact. How DO they do it!

There you have it...the parfait and the chocolate fondant. I didnt see any pictures of the chocolate lava flowing out of the fondant like an erupting Mt Vesuvius, so either.... they overcooked it, and there was no more lava, or everyone was too enthralled by that river of chocolate that they forgot to take pictures.

Back to my own pictures now....

The cute PR team from Salina & Associates. Unfortunately, I had to leave the event early, so I did not get to see or taste the final products of the desserts class. But, ...I did get to take home with me TWO (I know, only TWO, in that huge ass ice box right!) special preview Magnum Gold Bars. ...

...which I opened immediately to try once I was out of sight from the event...

Selfie of the Magnum Gold...

Verdict? Well, belgian chocolate, gold, and magnum, you can't really go wrong can you??? I liked it, although I thought it tasted a bit sweeter than normal, or maybe gold is sweet...

Watch out for the launch of MAGNUM GOLD, which should be hitting the shelves pretty soon. The official launch is on 27th February, so I am guessing it will be available to the yearning public after that.

Considering MALAYsia IS predominantly Malay, it's quite strange that there are not many proper Malay dining restaurants that spring to mind, in the Klang Valley. You can probably count them on two hands actually. In fact, I can only think of one handsful worth. As in proper restaurants. Mind you, the prices at some of the nasi kandar places etc beggars belief and if you closed your eyes and looked at the bill, you might be forgiven for thinking that it was a fine dining.

So if I ever get asked the question, where does one go for good Malay food in nice surrounds, I unequivocally would say Bijan. Memories of their jiggly Pandan Pudding make my glands salivate subconsciously, like a dog hankering for a bone. Bijan actually means "sesame"...and is pronounced the with the Malay J, which is the normal J, and not the french BEE JHHHHHAAAAN....

I was therefore delighted when Paprika asked if I would like to attend a wine pairing dinner at Bijan. Obviously, wine pairing with Malay cuisine isn't a norm, for obvious reasons, but if you extricate the cuisine from its religious and cultural norms, actually the cornucopia of flavours really do make for an interesting pairing.

I was surprisingly early, and could select my seat, despite being stuck in a 30 minute crawl on Raja Chulan.

After such a jam, nothing is more appealing to behold than these things...

To start, the Satay Wagyu With Chicken Skin..paired with the Battaglio Piemonte Chardonnay 2012. The Wagyu Satay was decadent, but the CHICKEN SKIN satay was amazing. I could have just eaten that all night. I would have preferred a Sauvignon Blanc to the Chardonnay, as I feel a SB would have contrasted the flavours of the satay better. Also, it didn't help that the Chardonnay was not properly chilled. Note to organisers, make sure your whites are COLD COLD COLD!!! It was a pity, because it did taste remarkably better when it was more chilled.

Sup Kepayang Urat & Daging Tetel which wsa a spicey beef and tendon stew in Kepayang Sauce. Absolutely loved the exoticness of this dish, although, where the white was warm, this was cold. Nevertheless, the flavours of the traditional Malay spices really made this soup quite palatable. Paired with the Langhe Dolcetto 2011.

Gorgeous presentation of Sotong Panggang Sambal Hijau, quite a traditional Malay dish of grilled squid, with the quintessential sambal hijau. The slightly charred grilled taste gave it that extra oomph, as did the spiciness and heat from the green sambal.

This dish was paired with the Battaglio Barbera D'Alba 2010, a very drinkable red.

Kambing Masak Hitam, a lamb in a special black sauce. This was my favourite dish of the night, the myriad flavours from the black sauce completely masked any lambiness, with the right balance of flavour, and heat. All testatement to the chefs of Bijan's creativity really. I loved the little side of nasi dagang. Which wasn't enough.

Served with the Battaglio Barbaresco DOCG 2008.

Oh, it was one of those rare occasions where the Queen of Bloggers, A Whiff Of Lemongrass, deigned to grace us with her presence. When I sat down, I was told that the corner seats were reserved by Mr Harvey, which I naturally assumed were Caucasion. But turns out, that fler up there is Mr Harvey.

Kek Kelapa Kukus, a steamed coconut cake served with a Moscato D'Asti 2013. To be honest, I am not a fan of dessert wines, so this did nothing for me.

Bijan really does have a lot to offer, and one of their fortes is their wonderful desserts.

For reservations:
Bijan
3 Jalan Ceylon, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
03-2031 3575

Gasp, I can't believe the last time I partook of Alvin Leung's cuisine was way back in 2010, at my first ever Hennessy XO Appreciation Grows event, where I was wowed and in awe of the event itself, and by the larger than life celebrity chef and his molecular cuisine. True, I was but a young impressionable lad, still on the correct side of Forty, ....FF (Fast Forward) to nearly four years down the line, my waist has grown thicker, the hair has grown thinner, ...and lo and behold, a second chance to sample the wonders of Molecular.... (actually I thought it was very yesterday, but apparently it's still quite in vogue).

Thanks to the kindness of my namesake, (that's where the similarity ends), that hot gorgeous fabulous Fairenza Cheng, I was invited to Samplings on 14th, at Berjaya University Hospitality College, for this ladida glitterati event.

You always know an event is fairly gliterrati if Xandria Ooi is the mistress of ceremonies. She introduces Alvin, also known as the Demon Chef, who is no stranger to Malaysia. For tonight's dinner, his objective was to somewhat deconstruct our Malaysian favourites, and to present them with a twist.

I don't mean to sound like a lush, but the last event at this venue was dry, and it was quite a struggle getting through the night, I vaguely recalled, so much so I was tempted to bring a hip flask on my ample body, to get me in the mood.

Tomoto Chinois, a scarlet luscious red tomato on the vine, braised in some high class chinese rice wine vinegar, with accompanying cherry tomatoes, made for a refreshing starter. Not to mention the aesthetics of a kaleidoscope of the happy colours of the Bolivian flag.

Umami wonton mee... okay, this was a bit too complex for my simple palate, and it took a stretch of the imagination to tie this to our traditional wonton mee. Squid ink paper, langoustine tartar, duck breast charsiu, which sounded exciting, but well, give me good old three layer pork dripping with fat charsiu any day... rice noodle and vermicelli flavoured with har mee essence. I am not sure what to role of the squid ink paper was, perhaps as the wonton wrapper. Okay, to be honest, sometimes giving a dish a certain nomenclature boxes in our expectations, as was the case with the use of the term wonton mee. Take that away and rename it, it would have been quite fascinating.

Chilli Crab/Oyster Omelette Gazpacho... by far my favourite dish of the night, despite the gazpacho coldness which I usually might loath. The fresh crab, with the very unique oyster "omelette" that ruptures in the mouth with rapturous result. And that broth! May I have somemore, I would have asked.

Bak Kut Teh Beef Shortribs, with compressed watermelon, chinese angelica and aromatic bak kut teh chocolate. Hahah, by very definition, this dish already clearly was just meant to be whimsical, for certainly there's no bak in beef, (Bak is Hokkien for Pork), but I have to say I was rather intrigued by the entire set up. Certainly it was very creative. Did it wow me? I can't say it did, but it was very interesting, and I am truly glad to have the opportunity to try such unique dishes. The beef itself was tender and tasted great. I am not sure about the chocolate "molé" ....

The vegetarian option looked most delectable actually, black truffle with rolled chinese pasta (chee cheong fun la), sweet soy sauce, baby carrot, asparagus.

The chicken option looked extraordinary as well. Simply named Chicken Rice, a 9 year aqucallo rice, cat ear fungus, sand ginger cream.

And finally, for the piece de resistance, Modern Ice Kachang.... made with liquid nitrogen in situ, this candy store colored dessert was utterly fascinating. Peanut butter and condensed milk ice cream, freeze dried raspberry, cherry snow, banana caviar, salty caramel popcorn, blue hawaii spheres, (which in a perfect world, would have been curacao, but since the food is halal, it was just some blue liquid), sous vide strawberry with sichuan & maple syrup, effectively using up almost my entire culinary vocabulary, from freeze dried to sous vide!

Another lovely event by AFC. Thanks so much for the invitation!!!!

Serendipity is when you get an invite to a restaurant such as Kampachi, scheduled just perfectly before another event across the road. What are the odds of that happening. Makan Fairy Godmother of late has been conjuring up these invites with her magic wand, so I gladly trotted along, to Kampachi at Pavilion, where I know the fish was probably still swimming in the oceans of Japan just earlier that morning, or the day before.

Apparently, I have not lived, because this is the first time I am seeing edamame beans off the stalk. It isn't as uncommon as I hitherto thought, but nevertheless, what is life is one has done and seen everything. So yeah, edamame on stalk was a first for me. Such a simple yet satisfying snack. Some of you might not know this, but edamame is basically soya bean.

Another first for me, raw eggplant. But no ordinary egg plant, these are Mizunasu, which is a Japanese water eggplant. The thought of biting into raw eggplant...I had all kinds of preconceived ideas of sappiness and bitterness, but these delightful plump purple things were absolutely delectable. Sweet and succulent, it tasted almost like a fruit. It's seasonal.

A gorgeous platter of sashimi, with hamachi, salmon, scallops, prawns, tuna, ....but the piece de resistance...

The Aji, or the Horse Mackerel. This is not eaten like the others, slathered in wasabi, but eaten with grated ginger, and soy sauce. I loved the firm texture of the fish, and the freshness, which really ..with a little bit of imagination, you could taste the briny sea water still flowing through the veins of the fish. I daren't ask the price. The remaining head and bones are not wasted, and are fried to a lovely crispy offering, which would go jolly well with sake.

Kampachi Carpaccio, or as Ciki insisted on confusing us, Kampachi's Kampachi Carpaccio....Kampachi is yellowtail, in case you were wondering. Not just the name of the restaurant. Absolutely sublime, as this decadent fatty piece of sashimi glided down my throat, and I had to restrain myself from making audible groans of pleasure.

From surf to turf, as we indulged in the Lamb Saikyoyaki. Although I am not ovinely inclined, I had to say the marinade made the lamb totally unlamby, and utterly delicious. It was a miso marinade, but seemed to be somewhat caramelized in the cooking, rendering it a nice sweet and salty combination. The crisp garlic chips and mustard also complemented the dish.

I see you, says the late Aji. Nothing is wasted, the only thing missing was a beer or sake!!!

Kampachi's signature Abekawa mochi, with yuzu, black sesame, matcha and vanilla ice cream. A perfect end to a fabulous meal.

If burping were a Japanese way of expressing satisfaction at a meal, then BURRRRPPPPPPP!!!!!

Kampachi Pavilion
6th Floor
Tel: 03-2148 9608.

Brainchild of my favourite British chef residing on our shores, Simply D is Steve Allen's newest concept in dining. Located in the swanky Nusentral Mall, anyone plying the route passing Aloft would be blind not to notice the very catchy exterior of Simply D as you veer the corner on the road.

The cheery exterior which is highly visible from the road after ALOFT....

The media invite clashed with another event I had so I felt quite morose, but fortunately, once again, Makan Fairy Godmother came to the rescue, and with one fell swoop and wave of her wand, presto, we were rescheduled for another day.

The concept is really quite simple. According to the press release, it's meant to be a compact version of Delicious (yes, did I mention they are from one and the same family? The Delicious group), concentrating on bestselling items.

Basically, diners can choose from a variety of soups, and noodles, which results in so many possibilities. Let's see, if you're a stats student, you might be able to figure out the possible permutations, (and that excludes the ADD ONS), and seeing as to how I only got a "terminating pass" in my 2nd year stats class, I'd off hand say that the number of permutations would be 11x7 = 77.....

Not quite something for the indecisive I can foresee. Fortunately, I usually can zero in on exactly what I want, by simple process of elimination of things that I know for sure I don't want. More women should learn to think and reason like me.

The charming Steve Allen, the Chief Executive Officer of the Delicious Group. Being CEO, it's a rare treat these days to be able to actually sample his cooking directly. Sigh. If you are observant enough, you'd notice that the spiral words in the backdrop are actually a carbonara recipe.

Anyway, to order, one goes to the counter, and orders, I can foresee the potential problems of me losing my patience standing behind indecisive customers... I mean, how does one choose from these soups or sauce..

There's a

Carbonara
Dry Tossed Sambal
Simply D Laksa
Chilli Chicken Pastamee
Vietnames Salmon Pho
Beef short ribs herbal soup
Salted Egg pumpkin
Roasted Garlic & Sundried Tomato Aglio Olio
Teriyaki Salmon
Sweet Basil & Cashew Nut Pesto
Spiced Red Pepper and Tomato

and a choice of
Linguine, Angelhair, Spaghettini, Flat White Noodles, Fusili, Soba Noodles, Yellow Mee....

with a further choice of add ons of
Chargrilled chiken, ikan bilis, grilled lamb kofta, shaved parmesan, smoked salmon, spicy chicken sausage and tea egg!!!

Anyway, since there were only 3 of us, it would not have been possible to try too many items although that still didn't stop Samantha Sam, the Assistant GM of Marketing & PR of the Delicious Group, from going overboard and ordering WAYYY too much food.

They take pains NOT to overtly name the dishes after popular and established street food names, to avoid any preconceived expectations, but you can more or less guess the inspiration of each dish. This chilli chicken "pastamee" , with the bits of crispy ikan bilis, that lovely chilli oil paste, and the runny egg is a dead ringer for pan mee, and the choice of linguine as the accompanying noodle is actually a rather natural choice.

This was my choice, Beef Short Ribs Herbal Soup which Samantha recommended be paired with Soba Noodles. The soup is of course, Beef Kut Teh in disguise, a combination that actually works well, which now makes me wonder, why not more people make Beef Kut Teh, which could possibly be a hit with the non pork eating community.

I loved the herbally flavour and the firm texture of the soba, which I think was buckwheat. I'd definitely go for the broth again!

This is my 2nd favourite, Salted Egg Pumpkin with Fusili. So much so I replicated the sauce at a dinner the following weekend. The added curry leaves chops through the richness of the yolk and the mushrooms give added texture.

A clearer view of the Carbonara recipe. Incidentally, Malaysians being the boring old farts that they are, ...Carbonara is one of the MOST popular sauces in this whole shebang. How sad is that!

Vietnamese Salmon Pho, with flate white noodles, aka KUEH TEOW, ...okay, I have to state here, that some things should not venture too far from it's original, such as the stock for Pho. I did not like the cooked salmon in the soup, and thought secretly (ok, maybe not that secretly) that they should have stuck to the usual Beef Pho. Maybe after such an outcry from MFG and me, they might consider beefing it up. Otherwise, the texture of the noodles, and flavour of the soup, was very good.

Caesar Salad With Tea Egg... the Caesar salad is conventional enough, and the tea egg gives it that slight herbal tinge, but not very noticeably. I wouldn't mind if they had those Japanese boiled eggs, where the yolks are still golden and runny, but the whites cooked.

The 100% Beef Burger, ( I guess in this day and age of processed food, one has to specify that it IS 100% Beef and not a combo of horse and what not), which actually was rather good, although at a glance, it might look dry and tough.

A throwback to the retro days when ice cream sandwiches were all the rage. The ice cream itself was tangy and refreshing, more a yoghurt like texture rather than creamy, which gives the illusion of being more healthy.

Love the casualness of this place and the very novel idea of the food and drink combinations. Yes, you can do the same for drinks, choose a style, and choose a flavour, and I had the peach tangerine iced tea, which was marvellously refreshing.

Oh, and as a parting thought, if you add the add ons in the permutations and allow any number of add ons in any combination, apparently the formula for number of possible outcomes is 11x7x(77). (Special thanks to my Actuary friend who works nearby there, for the formula)..which totals 63.4 million combinations.

Lot G9, Nusentral Mall.
facebook.com/simplyd.my

One of the most wonderful things about living in this melting pot of cultures is the continuous and never ending stream of festivities and the foods associated with them. I mean, if you lived in say, a Caucasian country, the highlight of the year might be ... Christmas? or a thanksgiving turkey, but in Malaysia,.... beginning of the year, we have the endless yee sang promos... quickly followed by easter offerings, usually in the form of high teas, and chocolate eggs, then the dumpling festivals, and depending when Ramadhan strikes, the endless Iftar buffets, followed by Aidil Fitri, then we have the mooncake festival. But of course in between times, there'll be all sorts of other non festive promos, because let's face it, eating is our national pastime, only next to shopping.

Barely have the gates of Hades closed, and the hungry ghost festival over, (apparently some vagrants are still wandering around), that the appearance of the ubiquitous mooncake makes its presence felt. Gone are the days when mooncakes were made either from lotus paste, red bean paste, or nuts, the main variation being the number of yolks. These days, every imaginable filling fills these skins, be they baked or snow skinned. Someone should have a nasi lemak mooncake soon, afterall, the egg yolk would be the perfect complement.

A lazy hot Saturday afternoon in Ti Chen, Saujana Hotel (but at the Club annex) introducing their range of mooncakes, and a quick workshop demonstrating how to make the snow skinned mooncakes.

Almond with black sesame paste mooncake....

Golden Mixed Nut Mooncake

Low Sugar White Lotus Single Yolk Mooncake....Sigh, whatever happened to double yolks. Nevertheless , this traditional mooncake remains my all time favourite.

Jade Custard Mooncake

All laid out for the demonstration, Chef Yaw Kim Yew, had crafted the mooncake to represent 3 unique symbolic shapes in accordance to Chinese folklore...and I did not know this before.
The heart shaped mooncake represents the myth of the Old Man and The Moon, ...who has the prestigious job of keeping a book of records with the names of all newborns and their future partners. Boy, would I love to sneak a preview into THIS book. Wonder if it's online now.

The other shape is the Oval Mooncake, with the legend of The Lady of the Moon, who stole and consumed an immortality pill from her husband the Great General Hou Yi. Poor lady, stuck up there all this while until she was discovered by Neil Armstrong in 1969.

The round mooncake symbolizes the Chinese revolt against Mongolian rule with the hidden messages in the mooncake. This is the story we're most familar with.

The heart shaped Almond With Black Sesame Paste. Love the combination actually, black sesame is an ideal filling.

Green tea with Citrus Red Bean, almost quite traditional with the red bean, and the slight bitterness of the green tea complements the sweet filling.

Of course, in demos, the Chefs make the process look as easy as opening a can of soup. Toss the snow skin powder, add liquid, knead, and voila, you have the snow skin...ready for immediate use.

You basically roll out the skin, add your filling of choice, plop it into the mould.....

Give it one fell press, to flatten the mooncake into the mould and fill it up, ....

And with one deliberate thud, invert the mould, and tah dah, moon cake is made.

In case you missed that, again, fill filling into snow paste skin, place in mould, flatten,

Plop it out... tah dah...

Riotous applause...

And Chef Yaw Kim Yew proudly poses with his gorgeous heart shaped almond black sesame mooncake.

For the chocolate lovers, the German Blackforest Mooncake is a must...

..... as is the Durian Custard Mooncake, which will give shivers of pleasure to the durian lovers, and send non durian lovers screaming into the sunset.

Priced at RM19-23 each for the baked skin and RM18-RM22 for the snow skin, SGCC members get 20% off, Lifestyle by Saujana Members get 15% as do CIMB Card members.

The workshop was followed by a delectable lunch, as one does not survive on mooncake alone.

Luscious prawn dumplings, with fresh crunchy prawns...

My favourite, deep fried beancurd roll with cheese...such a great marriage of ingredients from east and west. Melt in the mouth cheese and crispy foo choke... best!

Wok Fried Radish cake with seafood

Deep fried prawn roll with Jackfruit... most novel, and a great combination, if you like jackfruit, which I do. The light crispy wrapping, the sweetness of the fruit, and the prawn... a lovely menage a trois.

Steamed Chicken Siew Mai...actually these halal restaurant chefs have almost mastered the art of making pork free dim sum, I'd say. I almost could not tell the difference. Almost...

Steamed glutinous rice with chicken... aka Loh Mai Kai... rice was nice and grainy, not mushy and stodgy.

But the piece de resistance would have to be these pan fried chicken buns. Absolutely to die for. A lightly fried bread dough, enveloping delicious bao type filling, sooo sooo delicious!

Ti Chen
Saujana Hotel, Saujana Resort
Jalan Lapangan Terbang SAAS
40150 Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: 03-7843 1234
www.thesaujanahotel.com

Fortunately, for the tardy like me, ever since we started celebrating Malaysia Day on 16th Sept, (and I think this was quite a recent phenomenon), Merdeka celebrations can be prolonged...I was delighted to be reinvited back to Makan Kitchen, at Hilton Doubletree, to sample their Shiok Merdeka High Tea Promotion Items.

Memories of that sublime Cheese Naan occupied my mind as I mentally remembered the sheer creaminess of that naan, the last time I was here, and the double boiled soups, and the Pansoh, that Sarawakian specialty. Alas, this was a High Tea Spread, and didn't have some of the aforementioned items.

I was honored to have Amanda and Chef Prem bring me and my lunch "attachment" on yet another private tour of the stuff available.

Starting in reverse, the ubiquitous Chocolate Fountain, which changes the type of chocolate on a regular basis, and today's was .. white chocolate, my leastest favourite chocolate in the whole wide world. So no choco fountain for me today.

Amanda exclaimed with delight that there was Nam Yue Chicken Wings in the Chinese Section, which was a sign that I must try this. Crispy Wings with that mysterious ingredient, Fermented Bean Curd, which must have taken inordinate amount of courage for the first Chinaman to try. Delicious, only missing a beer.

One of the highlights, was the Pie Tee, or top hats, ...those of us who like this dish, and go to Nyonya /Peranakan places know how expensive these little nuggets of goodness are, so at the risk of sounding cheap, this is your chance to get your buffet's worth. Just eat like 20 of these, and you'd have profited!

These are no ordinary pie tees, they're filled with crab meat as well, and taste absolutely fabulous... evidently, they were too heavy and toppled over, so chef had to make another plate for "photography" purposes.

Those in the know would know that the pie tee shells are a b**** to make. And getting increasingly expensive to buy as well. So definitely, for my next visit, I am so zeroing in on these babies.

With the advent of digital photography, food dishes are now hounded by the paparazzi, and have to look good all the time. I pity these food equivalents of Princess Diana.... always under the spotlight.

The Shawarma Kebab seemed particularly popular at lunch time.

My second visit in a few months, and I've missed again the chance to try the noodle station.

The broths for the noodles for the day were chinese soup, assam laksa, and beef soup.

Sung to the tune of "Do you know the muffin man,..." ..Do you know the Satay Man, the Satay Man, the Satay Man.... Those omelette looking things in the front are actually clam chien... instead of or chien (oyster omelette). Okay, some things were not meat to be changed.

The amazing honey cuttlefish Popiah, ... huge tentacles that warm the cockles of my heart. Well, talk about a well stuffed popiah, there you have it. A gazillion textures to tantallize the palate, from the rubberiness of the cuttle fish, to the crunch of the deep fried shallots, to the wholesome vegetableness of the traditional turnip filling found in popiah.

Care for my tentacles, the Yau Yeng fler says...
Best bud DerYk with a Y was kind enough to tag along when I didnt have a friend in the world ... sniff...

A more manageable mouthful... sans the overflowing tentacles.

Jalur Gemilang Ice Kacang... inspired by the colours of our beloved national flag, white coconut jelly, red glutinous rice, yellow mango, blue pulut tai tai, doused with some hibiscus syrup.

Warning, it's a very heavy dessert, and if you made the mistake of having it in the earlier part of the meal, ...well, you might jolly well have to forego your other favourites. The fascinating combination is available till the end of September.

Now, I am so NOT a kulfi fan, I usually find it cloyingly sweet, with alarm bells going off with one teaspoon, but this kulfi, specialty of Chef Prem, was surprisingly, not overly sweet. It was a macadamia, mango,honey, with a hint of cardamom, raisins, honey and honeycomb. Perhaps the tartness of the mango cuts across the sweetness.

Despite having a waistline that would make Jabba the Hutt look anorexic, I could NOT resist the cheese naan, which I've been craving since the last visit.

I wish MY kitchen had these spices all laid out so beautifully.

Love the grindstone... so traditional.

Very attractive, I thought, this Chilli Tree...another good thing about visiting Makan Kitchen in the day is, the bright natural sunlight really shows things in a different light.

Being chink and all, I couldn't go to a buffet that had roast duck, and not at least have a token piece.

The Cheese Naan.. so good, that despite my ridiculously full state, I managed two pieces.

Prawn 65... a special creation by chef Prem for his daughter's 2nd birthday. Inspired by the dish, Chicken 65, ...apparently the number came about... with three different explanations. One is 65 is the number of days it takes for a chicken to err...either reach the size, or gestate.. argh, I can't remember. But the most accurate story is that that dish was no 65 on the menu of a famous restaurant, so people will just point to Chicken, 65.

Durian Custard Cake...

Chef Prem, Amanda and me... and just when you thought the carnage was over...

Chef whips out his Snake Gourd...of course, discussions raged as to whether it was a loofah, or petola, but apparently this Snake Gourd, if left to its own devices, will grow in a curly fashion. So they are stretched at birth to be long and straight.

Oh my Gourd!!! It's ....err... long!

Chef deep fried some for us to try... it's reminiscent of the deep fried bitter gourd, minus the bitter, that you get at Banana Leaf Rice places. Great beer snack.

Anyway, this gargantuan merdeka spread is available till end of September for high tea (actually lunch la), priced at RM78++ per head. Definitely go for the items recommended!!!

Special thanks to Amanda and Chef Prem for your hospitality, and taking care of me and my guest, and to Stephanie for the initial invite!!! We missed you!

MAKAN KITCHEN
Double Tree By Hilton at
The Intermark
348 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur
03-21727272

It suddenly dawned on me, as I stared at the title, where on earth did the term "Steam Boat" come from? It must, MUST have been a translation from somewhere, but it does sound so much more imaginative than "HOT POT"....Can't be cantonese, which if translated, means "Beat Roadside".

In my mind, steamboats are best appreciated in Winter... and since well, we here on the equator have no winter, (unless you count some shopping malls airconditioning as winter...and CINEMAS! Can they reduce the coldness and save some money and reduce the price of tickets?? Cinemas are frigging frigid cold rooms here)... steamboating is usually not high on my to do list or to do eats.

After regretfully having to turn down many an invite from the kind marcomm people at Sheraton Imperial, I was relieved that I could finally say yes to the invitation for the Celestial Court special 5 broth steamboat.

As fate would have it, it was a cold rainy day, almost wintery, and as far as I'm concerned, in KL, if the temperature drops to below 27C, it's winter. So it was perfect weather for steamboat!!!

Platters of raw ingredients were laid out .... some merely as "teasers", cos it was "see no touch".... We absolutely must discourage this kind of thing, and have an "if show, must touch" policy. Snigger.

I always feel some things are kinda wasted in steam boats, and fresh oysters would be one such item, BUT of course, there is NOTHING to stop you from slurping up these babies before they hit they find themselves in hot soup.

There was some debate as to whether or not sausages were suitable steam boat food in the meat platter, or did some wayward sausage lose its way enroute to a barbeque. Actually I thought it was fine. We should think beyond the boat, and explore new horizons while sailing the steam boat.

This Salmon ...(not Rushdie), was a decorative item on the table.... interesting centrepieces they use these days.

The seafood platter, consisting of fish, prawns, scallops, flower crab, crabsticks (eugh), oysters... the fish was particularly fresh.

The choices of soups for the night were... (from left top, clockwise), Lui Yee Hong Chinese Wine with Cordyceps Herbal Soup, Spicy Slipper Lobster soup, Jade Porridge and a Chicken Ginseng Soup.

The reigning Queen of the Bloggers ....

Familiar faces of long time bloggers, CityGal (the other half of KgBoy)... And Ivyaiwei... with Youhe looking on.

Roe Roe Roe Your Boat ....

This lovely prawn with the head of roe intact... the soup in which it was boiled became super rich. (Mine was spa-ing in the spicy slipper lobster soup)...

The jade porridge is a spinach and porridge combo, very wholesome and yet, light, despite the fact that it's porridge. My favourite was the cordycep one, because of the herbal flavour, which was a close tie with the ginseng chicken.

I didn't know this nugget of trivia about the wine in cordycep broth... I just assumed it was a natural oriental viagra...
"‘Lui Yee Hung’ Chinese Wine, Made of glutinous rice and wheat, evolved from the Shaoxing tradition of burying it underground upon the birth of a daughter, and serving it at the wedding of the daughter."
Must be a gift to the husband la.

The spicy slipper lobster broth was lovely too, and goes especially well with the other seafoods.

Chef Vincent Loo Weng Soon started his culinary journey at a tender age of 18 and since then, his passion for cooking began to grow, especially in regards to Chinese cuisine. Since Oct 2013, he has helmed Celestial Court as the Chinese Restaurant Chef, and his role includes menu engineering and development, budget and forecasting, food costing, staffing and implementation of various food promotions

He has experience with many Chinese restaurants and his long devotion and dedication to the cuisine provided him with the opportunity to be a part of the banquet kitchen team. “As of my dream or future goal, I hope to be able to lead in operations as an Executive Chef or Director for Food & Beverage,” so says the chef as he spoke of his dream.

Desserts from the Ala Carte menu of Celestial Court are always a treat. I love LOVE LOVE this osmanthus jelly dessert...

I had to borrow Ivy's ball to take a picture.

This Oriental Steamboat promotion is available for dinner from 1 August to 30 December 2014. Set menus are available (for a minimum of two persons each) with a choice of vegetarian Mushroom Set priced at RM49.90++ per set, Poultry Set priced at RM55.50++ per set and Seafood Set priced at RM68.80++ per set.

A la carte orders will also be available and will be priced from RM19++ onwards per portion. We recommend that you try our King Crab and Tasmanian Ocean Petuna Fish (oops it wasn't a Salmon that was on display, it was this Petuna Fish) specialties at RM30++ per 100 gram and RM25++ per 100 gram respectively.

For more details or to make a reservation, please call 03-27179900, e-mail at restaurants.imperial@sheraton.com or visit www.sheratonimperialkualalumpur/celestialcourt

ANNOUNCEMENT: In conjuction with the launch of their new Brunch Menu, diners who dine at Ante Kitchen from 1-12 September will get a 50% discount voucher for when they return for Brunch.

There's something about the word Brunch, that for me is automatically associated with holidays, bubbly, friends, ...afterall, one does not brunch alone. You can lunch alone, but brunch.... never.

When I got the invitation to try out the new brunch menu at Ante Kitchen in Solaris Dutamas, (actually, I'm not sure what the difference is between that and Publika), I was in a bit of a fix, because none of the bloggers I asked were available, so what to do, what to do, one cannot brunch alone. I very uncharateristically unashamedly asked Nigel (from whom the invite sprang forth) if I could bring a few friends, to which he very generously said no problem, for I did assure him that these friends are food lovers and are likely to be return customers. One of them even lives in the block, so yes, they were good candidates as return customers.

Can't miss the location, for it's right at the entrance of the carpark, opposite Duta Tropika.

A well stocked bar is always a welcome sight, and they do stock a substantial variety of wines, and alcohol at rather reasonable prices.

This 8 Piece pork nuggets are really the best snack food to go with alcohol. I'm not really a nugget fan per se, afterall, it's usually associated with dry, processed meat, but these were fabulously moist and tasty. It is afterall, pork. RM15, less than RM2 per nugget.

Chicken Wings and Drumlets. Nicely bread crumbed, and another perfect accompaniment with booze. RM12

Deep fried soft poached egg. In my haste, I forgot to take a photo of the glorious golden yolk oozing out like lava from a volcano. Bits of bacon, hollandaise, on an English muffin. RM23. I feel hungry just looking at this.

The quintessential English Big Breakfast, with bratwurst, bacon, eggs, sauteed mushrooms and baked beans and milk toast. RM35. It really is a very big breakfast. The sausage is thoroughly porcine, and has a lovely smokey taste. I guess you could opt for your eggs to be done differently.

Croque Madame, bacon and wine infused cheese, with egg baked into the middle of the milk toast. I asked the "manager", CK what the difference was between a Croque Madame and Monsieur, to which he replied, Madame got hole. RM28. It's huge actually, and very very filling.

Rosti and Bratwurst, ... Potatoes rosti-ed (grated and roasted), with generous helpings of meat. I personally need my eggs, so this would not have been one of my first choices. RM26.

Baked Eggs in Cocotte, With Chorizo Sausages.. Lovely creamy texture, with the slight tang and heat of the chorizos, and garlic bread for dipping into the entire thing. RM29.

Their signature dish, the Chargrilled Pork Steak, (my son described it as one heck of a sexy cut of meat), is really worth trying. RM46. The sear on the meat is gorgeous, and the meat itself, just the right balance of fat and lean, and the quality of the meat itself is really superb. Who needs black iberico when you have this kind of pork steak!!! It is described as the best cut from the shoulder. I have been having dreams about this dish ever since!

The real bacon carbonara. RM28. If you like carbonara, then this is the ultimate decadence. I used to love carbonara when younger, but now I find it a bit too rich, and after the first two mouthfuls, I feel I can't go on, which makes this the perfect dish to share actually. Bits of crispy bacon, loads of button mushrooms, ..

Gnocchi Napoli, home made potato pasta dumplings in a glorious tomato sauce, with a hint of cream, parmesan cheese and a few token strands of arugula... RM24. Actually, I never realised how palatable gnocchi can be...but again, I think I myself would not be able to finish an entire plate. Another sharing dish.

Onion Rings, RM15. Beer food.

My type of pasta. I could easily finish this myself, so utterly delicious, and "clear" (as opposed to creamy). Caramelised Garlic Olio... bits of crisp crunchy caramelized garlic, streaky bacon bits, a dash of white wine, button mushrooms. RM25.

Another utterly decadent dish, Pork Diane, RM35. Slathered in a rich creamy diane sauce, the tender pork sits in this pool of creamy delight. Yummy.

Ultimate Pork Belly Sandwich, ..fatty and lean pork that melt in the mouth, crispy bit of pig ear confit, a tangy homemade salsa sauce, with two wholesome slices of milk bread. RM29, with fries and side salad. My only complaint is there wasn't enough pork belly!

Garlic Bread, 6 slices of toasted baguette with generous slathering of garlic butter. RM9.

What a spread.... It's like running a food marathon, so I was really grateful that the owners and Nigel Gan had allowed me to bring my friends...the Beatles song, comes to mind, especially this part:

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends,
Mmm, gonna try with a little help from my friends
Ooh, I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends,
with a little help from my friends

Special thanks to Mr Leon, who so generously brought a Monkey 47 Gin, and to John & Leon for sharing the Nikka Coffey!!!

Incidentally, corkage is RM50 for wines, and RM70 for liquor.

Thanks to CK for the very generous spread, and for the alcohol as well!!!

Bread and Butter pudding, RM9...

I thoroughly enjoyed this apple crumble, also RM9.

And thus ended an epic afternoon of great food, great company and great booze!!! Truly my best best review of 2014.

Thanks for the invite, Nigel Gan!

Add:
Ante Kitchen and Bar
Solaris Dutamas 1
Jalan Dutamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Phone:03-6206 3364
Hours: Open daily 7:00 – 10:30 pm

Wine on a Thursday evening always sounds good. Thursdays afterall are the precursor to Fridays, so it really is almost as good as the weekend. At least that's how I replied the invitation by Asia Euro, for the masterclass of Tedeschi Wines, which hail from Verona, Italy. The event was held at Prego, Westin.

The Tedeschis' name is one of the names rooted in the history of Valpolicella Classica wine. The estate's first documents date back to 1630. The winery is situated in Pedemonte, and is a point of reference for the Valpolicella area and is run by Renzo Tedeschi together with his children Antonietta, Sabrina and Riccardo.

We were honoured by the presence of MARIA SABRINA TEDESCHI,co-owner and Marketing Manager ...boy do they sound sexy when the speak in English with their Italiana accenta....just loved listening to her explanations on the various wines.

"As one of her university teachers declared, she was probably born in a fermenter. She smiled, but immediately afterward reflected on just how much truth there was in his words...
She was so receptive to the examples set by her dad Lorenzo and the stimuli she got from his work as a winegrower. She doesn’t know how her father managed to pass on the genes of enthusiasm, inquisitiveness and strong will which she now finds within us in equal measure. If it could ascertain that her parents really did transmit those genes, then her passion for wine would almost be traceable to a trademark, and the same would be true for the entire Tedeschi family"

Maternigo House..

Aging Cellars at the Winery.

Upon arrival, we were given the nicely chilled Soave DOC 2012, from the Garganega grape, which personally reminds me of the sauvignon blanc, but I could be blaspheming here. Strong fruity aroma, with clean notes of dry of and almonds. Good body with an almond after taste. Perfect to go with the cheese platter that was laid out before us.

The Soave enjoying a chilling ice bucket challenge.

I have to say the hard cheese selection really complimented the wines, and I particularly like the flatbreads with the lovely jams.

The Valpolicella Superiore DOC 2011, from a combination of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, Rossignola, Negrara and Dindarella (gosh, are all these really names of grapes?!!! They sound like characters from a drama). Ruby red colours, with clear notes of cherry and currants. An easy to drink red wine, exudes a rather informal party air about it.

The Capitel Monte Olmi Amarone Della Valpolicella DOC Classico 2008 made from Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Rossignola. This appears to be a more formal wine, with a fuller body, and complex notes of spice, fruit, and notes of Slavonia Oak.

Maria explaining the various wines in that wonderful passionate and animated way of speaking that is so Italian.

Maria & The Makan Fairy Godmother, Marian Eu Hooi Khaw (The Malaysian Insider).

To order or to find out more, contact

Su Ling Lee
Senior Marketing Executive
Asiaeuro Wines & Spirits Sdn Bhd
DID : +603-78832855 | FAX : +603-78832928 |

Follow them on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Asiaeuro-Wines-Spirits-Sdn-Bhd/116189365135338

One of my favourite Nyonya Chefs is definitely the inimitable Debbie Teoh, so I was delighted to receive a personal invitation from her to join her and some media at Park Royal to sample her latest Nyonya Kitchen delights. This lady really exudes beauty, class, elegance, eloquence, and combine that with culinary talent, it's no wonder that she's a celebrity chef. And she always looks so good in her kebayas.

Although the Best of Malaysia: Nyonya Cuisine by Chef Debbie Teoh, from 5th Sept - 12th Oct will be held at Chatz Brasserie, for this dinner, we had it at the Si Chuan Dou Ha Chinese Restaurant, as I think some other event was happening at Chatz.

..which means we get served tea in this fancy smancy style....

Kerabu Jantung Pisang (literally translated, Banana Heart) With Prawns... I wonder how many bananas had to give their hearts for this dish. Now, the really bad thing about Debbie's food is, it's all so delectable but screams out to be eaten with rice, and we all know how evil rice is. Or have been made to believe so. I loved the light, subtle creamy coconuty sauce, and the texture of the jantung pisang. The prawns were fresh and crunchy.

Penang Perut Ikan. Fish bladder? Stomach? A very traditional dish, and almost an acquired taste, with brinjals, pineapple, in a curry like gravy, but lighter, sans the santan. Oh, apparently this is not part of the buffet spread, but can be ordered ala carte at RM35 each.

The raw ingredient looks like this:

Fish stomach...not for the faint of heart.... looks like something out of Dr Frankenstein's lab...

Gotta love love LOVE this Nasi Ulam on so many levels. For taste, for visual impact, for the heat, and most of all, for the way it complements all the other dishes on the table.

Melaka Ayam Pong Teh, for those without a spicy palate. Very traditional, wholesome, and reminds me of childhood. This plus white rice would have sufficed. Maybe with a fried egg...with runny yolk. Oops, I hope I am not being sacrilegous.

Ayam Buah Keluak... My absolute favourite. A rich thick gravy, tender pieces of chicken infused with a gazillion spices, and married together with the enigma that is the Buah Keluak. This unique seed, apparently if consumed raw, is enough to kill you as it's laced with arsenic, or IS arsenic in its pure form. Of course, that spawned the dinner conversation of how it must have taken great courage for the first man to try this, and must have decided, wow, it's worth dying for, let's try again and again until we get it right. There's is something indescribable about the keluak. The contents are very earthy, almost muddy, the texture, like eating soil. But it is absolutely delicious. It really is an acquired taste. And if you are a keluak fan, then brace yourself your KELUAK KONCENTRATE, in the form of...

Pais Buah Keluak (Keluak Paste).... the mother of all Keluak dishes, this innocuous looking thing that could be mistaken as a nyonya kuih, really packs a punch, and if eating this doesnt Kure your Keluak Kraving, nothing will. This also is not part of the buffet (apparently 7-10 keluaks go into one pack), and is available ala carte at RM30++ for two pieces.

Gulai Kiam Hu Kut or salted fish gulai. Absolutely absolutely must eat with rice, and so rich and decadent. Pieces of long beans, brinjal, with salted fish which surprisingly isn't too salty.

Fish Panggang With Lum Chut Sauce. For me, the hightlight is the sauce. The fish itself is fairly ordinary, but add the sauce, wow, a whole new world.

The no carbs lady pretending to scarf some carbs....

Fish maw soup, or Hu Pio Soup. Chunky pieces of fish maw, that's good for you, a plump prawn ball, in a clear broth that is like the fish maw soup for the soul. It was so good that after the first bowl, in an Oliver Twist like fashion, I asked, "Can I have some maw???" and Debbie very kindly obliged. Ask and you shall receive.

Close up of the Kiam Hu in the Gulai Kiam Hu Kut.... not a good idea to be doing this in the morning hungry.

Sheer Peranakan Panache....

For dessert, Rempah Udang, glutinous rice filled with dried shrimp, wrapped in banana leaf and grilled presumably over a charcoal fire. It falls under the dessert category, but the sweet savoury flavours really allow it to be eaten as anything.

Sweet Potato Kasui - A very traditional, yet not too sweet kuih, that needs no introduction. The soft melt in the mouth texture and the distinct flavour of sweet potato... and sweet potato is good for you, with the bits of salty grated coconut...the simple pleasures of life.

For Reservations Call 03-21470088.
And the High Tea with Sunday Cooking Class sounds like a STEAL!!!!

The thing I love about this PR Company is their very unique and eclectic choice of venues that never fail to intrigue. Of course, the whisky in question is undoubtedly the main star of the show, but the entire experience is enhanced of course by interesting surrounds, and in this particular case, Sekeping Sin Chew Kee.

The event, the unveiling of Aberlour, a fabulous Speyside whisky, (ABBA LOW), held here, made it a memorable event. The media event was slated at 5pm, a jolly good time to start imbibing that golden nectar, but in rather precarious circumstance, for if you see the staircase, one could easily tumble to one's untimely end if inebriated.

Staircase to perdition....

Not to mention getting confused by the array of signboards, left and right...

The media, some waiting, some mingling...before the start of the event

The whiskies of Aberlour, a fine single malt, has officially made its launch in Malaysia, with Mr Darren Hosie, International Brand Ambassador of Chivas Brothers Ltd introducing the whisky to us. The rather jolly scotsman took pride in extolling the achievements of the Scots, from the discovery of penicillin, to the invention of the telephone, to the author of James Bond... all Scots.

Darren Hosie explains with great vigour and enthusiasm, but not before swearing that the next event in Malaysia has to be in airconditioned surroundings, the history of Aberlour, and how in 1990, Aberlour became the first ever single malt to win the Gold Medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition twice.

Aberlour was founded in 1879 by James Fleming... and in light of the introduction of the Scottish achievements, one did wonder if the author of James Bond, Ian Fleming, descended from this distillery.

Located in the heart of Speyside, Scotland, Aberlour distillery had produced single malts that have become the leading brand in France, which apparently is the the world’s biggest Scotch whisky market. Now who would have thought that!!! I would that thought China would be the world's biggest Scotch whisky market.

Aberlour currently is the 7th bestselling Single malt in the world!

There were some canapes served with the whiskies, Salmon, Foie Gras and Beef Cheeks, but so enamoured was I with the whisky, I completely forgot to take pictures of the food.

The whiff of the 12 year initially knocks you out, as if very strong and very high in alcohol content, but upon sipping it, it totally belies the actually taste, which is smooth, crisp and clean. The distinct flavour that is a result of the use of ex-sherry casks gives it that subtle sweetness and a wonderful aroma.

Aberlour’s distillers are also masters of double cask maturation. In addition to ex-sherry casks, Aberlour also uses traditional oak casks, including ex-bourbon first fill casks.

“There is an almost unparalleled level of detail and fine control that goes into the making of Aberlour’s velvety whiskies. The expert crafting of spirit and cask has given us today a range of single malts that are elegant, complex, yet exceptionally balanced. In fact, it is the same highly experienced team that has seen the distillation and maturation of the 12, 16 and 18 year old Aberlour whiskies we enjoy today right from the start,” said Hosie.

Every single malt enthusiast would know that a critical component in the whisky is the water, and another factor that makes Aberlour so special is its magical location alongside the River Spey.

The distillery itself is surrounded by water from the Lour Burn. The name Aberlour means ‘the mouth of the chattering burn’ in Gaelic. Local monks in ancient times thought that the noise the burn made, as it cascaded over waterfalls and wooded glens on its way to the river Spey, sounded as though it were talking. The waters in the area were believed to be able to heal bodies and the soul as well. Certainly, the addition to the single malt makes it very spirited.

By the way, "burn" is scottish a landform, where water flows from a larger body to a smaller one.

The good news is, Aberlour is now officially available in Malaysia at selected places, retailing from RM400 onwards, presumably for the 12 years.

As far as tastes go, the 16 and 18 year seemed to have an equal number of fans who thought that was their preferred choice. I personally loved the 18 year...on the nose it didnt assail the senses as much as the 12, very vanilla and honey, and likewise on the palate, a subtly sweet, vanilla like taste that makes it so very smooth and easy to drink.

Tumpanging glamour with the glamour people. Azhar from Newman and Kenneth Chai from the Peak previously, and now ... err... where?? I can't remember. I blame the Aberlour.

For more information,contact Wong Pei Wen at 017 282 4844 or peiwen@millennium.net.my

There are some invitations which are absolutely irresistible, and when it involves one of my favouritest chocolate in the whole wide world, well, even if it meant playing truant all afternoon, so be it. Whilst to some, Godiva may be associated with that famous lady who pranced around naked on a horse, to me, Godiva is synonymous with sheer decadence and luxury, something that I would rarely ever buy for myself, but would buy for others as a treat, and would gladly receive as a treat.

We were treated to a Godiva workshop, which involved making truffles, and who doesn't love a good truffle, and Beijing-based, Belgian Chef Philippe Daue, the GODIVA Chef Chocolatier led the exclusive sessions.

Chef Philippe Daue

Chef Philippe introduces us what is a good chocolate, starting with the packaging, followed by the smell, then followed by a "snap", a good chocolate should have nice snapping sound as you break it, and of course, finally the taste. Godiva of course is right up there as far as chocolates are concerned.
We were taught to break it, put a piece on top of the palate and let it melt by itself.

Everything about Godiva screams elegance and class.

To make truffles, we were taught how to first make the truffle shells, which involved pouring the melted chocolate into the moulds.

The chef here is stirring the melted chocolate which is kept at a constant melted temperature of about 23C if I remember correctly.

Chris of Broughtuptoshare...
After filling the mould, and tapping to release all the air bubbles, the mould is then inverted and the balance of the flowy chocolate is released back into the bowl, leaving a thinner layer of chocolate coating the mould. The moulds are then refrigerated.

Moulds filled with chocolate....

Moulds after the excess chocolate has been released back into the bowl.

While waiting for the truffles shell to refrigerate, and harden, Chef demonstrates how to make these lovely chocolate discs, topped with toppings of our choice.

Back to the truffles, they're filled with a chocolate ganache (chocolate and cream mixture), using a piping bag, after which another layer of melted chocolate is placed to seal in the ganache.

The lovely other half of Broughtuptoshare...

The filled shells with ganache...

After a stint in the chiller, voila, out pop these beauteous truffles. Which to me, are good as it is...although Chef went a step further to show us how to coat them.

Basically the naked truffles are coated with more chocolate, and tossed around in whatever topping you choose. In this case, it's crushed hazelnuts.

About Chef Philippe
Born in Belgium where GODIVA is from, Chef Philippe is a fourth generation chef and son of a
famous Michelin 2-star chef in Belgium. Chef was born in a family that has a tradition of producing
top quality Chefs and has taken several studies in France and Belgium. The multi-lingual Chef
Philippe has worked as Executive Pastry Chef in several leading five star hotels, such as Shangri-La
Hotel, Mandarin Oriental and Hilton Hotel in various countries around the world and provided the
finest pastries for Belgian Royals in his own boutique hotel. His passion and creativity in culinary has
led him to join GODIVA as Chef Chocolatier, with primary focus on pastry products for China and
the whole Pacific Rim markets. He works closely with the team of GODIVA chefs around the world
(there are three other GODIVA Chocolatier chefs) and together, they meet twice a year to
develop new chocolates and further elevate the brand to new heights with dedication and
professional craftsmanship.

Some Trivia ...

The Legend of Lady GODIVA

When Lady Godiva, wife of Lord Leofric, protested against the taxation of his subjects, she
agreed to ride through the streets of Coventry "clad in naught but her long tresses", and so long
as the residents remained in shuttered buildings their tax burden would be lifted. The following
morning she made her famous ride and, despite being the ultimate temptation, the citizens
graciously remained indoors. Leofric kept his word and reduced the taxes to the delight of his
subjects, ensuring Godiva's legendary status throughout the centuries.

With a Belgian heritage dating back to 1926, GODIVA Chocolatier is the global leader in
premium chocolate. Inspired by the values of Lady Godiva – her passion, generosity, and
pioneering spirit -- GODIVA’s legendary name has become a universal symbol of luxury, quality
and the most delicious chocolate.

The company has a presence in more than 80 countries with distribution in over 500 boutiques,
Global Travel Retail, department and specialty stores, and online. GODIVA offers a range of
chocolate creations and is dedicated to innovation and excellence in the Belgian
tradition. From its famous truffles and shell-molded chocolate pieces to its European-style
biscuits, individually wrapped chocolates, gourmet coffees, hot cocoa and other indulgences,
GODIVA is committed to bringing the ultimate chocolate experience to the world.

GODIVA MALAYSIA Media Contacts:

Diana Roslam Fateh Hana
Assistant Marketing Manager Marketing Executive
Valiram Group Valiram Group
Tel: +603 2380 9888 ext. 5534 Tel: +603 2380 9888 ext. 5534
diana.roslam@valiram.com fateh.hana@valiram.com

Announcement: From 6th October till 5th December 2014, Cape Mentelle in collaboration with Tanzini will feature a pairing promotion comprising of a 4-course degustation menu for RM400++ for two persons; where each course will be paired with a bottle of Cape Mentelle Chardonnay, comprehensively showcasing the range of wines that lead the portfolio.

The thought of having a wine pairing degustation lunch on a weekday afternoon can be rather scary, especially when you know the wines are great wines. As is always the case when the invitation comes from the MHD (Moet Hennessy Diageo) people, and the PR Company, Geometry Global. The last Cape Mentelle event we had was memorable, and I was sure this one would be too.

The good thing about a lunchtime event, at a well illuminated venue, is that everything seems so "bright". Held at Tanzini's, a fine dining establishment on the top floor of G Tower, the media guests were accompanied by Cameron Murphy, the dashing Cape Mentelle Estate Director.

In collaboration with Chef Fua, a lovely lunch menu paired with Cape Mentelle wines had our anticipations rocket as high as the location of Tanzini...(although this particular lunch was hosted by Chef Eugene Lee, presumably Chef Fua's Sous Chef)

Cameron is very passionate in his presentation and talk on Cape Mentelle wines, and the audience were enraptured, some probably more coz of him film star looks. He talks about the location of Cape Mentelle, on a peninsula surrounded by three oceans... did he say three? I know the Indian and Southern ocean meet there, but who's the third?? And spoke of the Fremantle Doctor, a cooling wind that blows on the dot every day giving the region a very mediterranean type climate.

Those numbers on the poster are the points, not the price.

We start with the 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, which is a lovely drop before a meal, light, crisp, and most importantly, served cold which suits our balmy weather to a tee. I have always been a big fan of the Malborough Sauvignon Blancs but this combination of the two grapes are a perfect match as well.

Chef Eugene Lee explains to us the natural pairing of the Sauv Blanc Semillon with the pan Seared Hokkaido Scallop, the "aromatic purity" of the wine enhances the sweetness of the seafood.

What a wonderful sight, a plate of gorgeously plated food with a bottle of wine in the background.

Next was the Cabernet Merlot 2012, a blend that has a fine pedigree including being awarded the trophy for ‘Best Bordeaux style blend’ at the 2006 Decanter World Wine Awards paired with the Free Range Chicken Roulade and Cured Smoked Duck.

; the structure and length of the cabernet with the soft mid-palate of merlot further enhanced the dish.

This was my favourite dish, and favourite pairing. The medium bodied red absolutely magnified and enhanced the flavours of the chicken roulade, which was also very delicious and just rolls off the palate. Loved the gamey flavour of the duck, and the crunch of the free range chicken which you can only get WITH free range chicken.

A lovely palate cleanser, some sorbet that seemed to pop and crackle in the mouth...

My "tumpang glamour" moment.

For the mains, and I always seem to choose unwisely, a choice of Altantic Black Cod, paired with the Chardonnay 2012....which looks superb, and had all accolades by those who chose wisely...

Chardonnay 2011 - Usually I am not a fan of Chardonnays, and according to statistics, neither are most Malaysians. Apparently 70% of white wines sold here are Sauvignon Blancs (I gleaned that info from another event...) but as I also observed in the my previous Cape Mentelle event, their Chardonnay really is quite different, and certainly would be one of my preferred Chardonnays.

Or the Aged Striploin, paired with the Cabernet Sauvignon 2011. Now the reason I say I chose unwisely, well, the striploin wasn't too bad, but I felt my pieces were a bit overdone, and bordered on tough, although I can see why the pairing with the Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural choice.

Sourced from Margaret Rivers first grape, their flagship Cab Sauv is an easy to drink, full bodied red wine that definitely pairs well with red meats. Cameron also mentioned that this wine can age quite gracefully.

To end, a sublime Praline Chocolate Mousse with Crunchy Croquantine, Hazelnut Daquoise, Cherry Gel and Light Lemongrass Gelato paired with the Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2012. I was grateful that it wasn't paired with some sickeningly sweet dessert wine, as I have still yet to acquire the taste for dessert wines. Absolutely enjoyed the dessert, which had a cornucopia of flavours tantalising the taste buds.

"This exquisite pairing blends the tantalising flavour of the dessert with the chalky acidity flavours of lime, pear and grapefruit of the white wine", says Cameron.

And I repeat, from 6th October till 5th December 2014, Cape Mentelle in collaboration with Tanzini will feature a pairing promotion comprising of a 4-course degustation menu for RM400++ for two persons; where each course will be paired with a bottle of Cape Mentelle Chardonnay, comprehensively showcasing the range of wines that lead the portfolio. Having tasted the meal, I'd say that is a STEAL!!!!

Cheers and Yam Sing!!!

ABOUT TANZINI
Tanzini, located on the 28th floor of GTower, offser contemporary European cuisines with its base rooted firmly in the rich and hearty food of the Italian home kitchen. Echoing the fresh concept, its Upper Deck offers diners a unique fine dining experience right ‘under-the-stars’ with distinctive star-lights fixtures and spectacular views of Kuala Lumpur night cityscape. Set in a double volume rooftop pavilion, Upper Deck has spectacular views of the Kuala Lumpur skyline. Cuisine is presented degustation style and reservations are highly encouraged.

It's been awhile since I've been to Gobo Chit Chat in Traders Hotel, and truth be told, I am not really big on buffets. It's like buying a CD, you'll be lucky to get two songs that you actually like in the whole album. But upon entering the familiar surrounds of Gobo CC, I was literally quite stunned by the vast array of creatures from Neptune's kingdom, and the variety of seafood was simply quite amazing.

The seafood buffet is on Fridays & Saturdays only, and is priced at a remarkably affordable rate of RM108++, whereby if you whacked two large legs of the Alaskan king crab would already make it worthwhile.

Platters and platters of cold cuts, deep fried tempura, really something for everyone.

Sashimi...

As I was saying, these babies alone make it worthwhile. And they seem to be very generous as well, for I noticed that this dish was always replenished. The King Crab is done the way it should be, just boiled, and served like that with minimal disturbance to the sweet taste.

Clams in all shapes and sizes, but that's just the clam before the storm....

Steamed flower crab, for those who do not wish to partake in the amphibian mud crabs.

Fresh fresh seawater prawns, ..I actually like this steamed/boiled section the best, because good seafood should be eaten that way.

Generous helpings of poached scallops.

Slipper lobsters galore..

And the piece de resistance of the entire buffet, if you ask me, this mud crab station that churns out an amazing butter crab....

Butter crab, in claypot. When I do revisit, I am so heading here first.

For those who prefer their foods more cooked and flavoured, there is no shortage of choice, from Butter Prawns, Paella,

Fried fish, pastas...

And lovely ladies.....

And dashing young men.....

The grill/bbq section also has an impressive variety of fresh seafood.

If you need your meat, there is certainly no shortage of that either.

I personally LOVED the asparagus, and had my fill of roughage.

But really, who can still eat dessert after such a spread!!!

Gobo Chit Chat features a wide selection of contemporary Western and Asian cuisine with a sushi bar, Thai appetiser buffet, front noodle kitchen and show bakery. The kitchens' unusual layout and arrangement ensure that orders are prepared a la minute and served to the table right away. Guests can catch a glimpse of the restaurants' team of sushi chefs as they roll colourful masterpieces of sushi to entice guests' palates.

Gobo Chit Chat is on level five of the hotel and can seat 215 guests. It opens daily from 6:30 am to 11:00 pm. It offers breakfast buffet from 6:30 am to 10:30 am, lunch buffet from noon to 2:30 pm and dinner buffet from 6:00 pm to 10:30 pm. Last orders are taken at 10:30 pm.

For reservations, call (60 3) 2332 9905 or email foodandbeverage.thkl@tradershotels.com.

A lovely little concept has mushroomed in the array of kiosks that line the passageways of the Lower Ground Floor in mid valley megamall. Hwan, which means sweet in Thai, is a dessert on the go place, but also offers several options of savouries.

When first invited by proprietess, the very charming Caleen, of Chakri Palace, I assumed it was a restaurant outlet. This is what happens when you don't do any preparation or research before hand. I was intrigued when I discovered that Hwan by Chakri is a kiosk, and wondered where we would sit.

The entire set up is too cute, the kiosk is in the shape of a tuk tuk dessert truck. Caleen explained to us how this brainchild was conceived, and it happened when she was sampling the street food of Thailand with a local celebrity Chef McDang, in the non touristy parts, and was wowed by the wonderful desserts she had that were not readily available.

Mee krob, a kind of vermicelli that is both sweet and savoury, which is very unique. It is served with some salty peanuts, and is really an eye catcher as it seems to be the centrepiece of the entire kiosk.

Caleen explains to us about how the celebrity chef fella was very helpful, and she was so surprised he was so accommodating and receptive.

The mango and sticky rice is a quintessential Thai dessert, and I love the different varieties of sticky rice. Actually it's a very filling dessert, and certainly meant for sharing.

This Som Tam, or Green papaya salad, packs a nice punch, with the tang and the heat from chilli, and the crunch of the dried shrimp and peanuts, and tastes very healthy too.

Mieng kheam has to be one of my favourite Thai starters, such a cornucopia of flavours packed within that humble kadok leaf. It comes in a pack of leaves and filling, which you have to wrap yourself though. So it could be a bit messy if you're eating it on the go.

Thai Fish cakes, very reasonably priced... I think everything here is less than RM10.

Durian sticky rice... A must for durian enthusiasts, but certainly not for the durian averse, as you can tasted the durian pulp very distinctly.

The very unique take on Thab Tim Krub, the red ruby dessert, which is served atop a coconutty ice cream with some sticky rice.

As a final encore, that thai green mango salad, which is yummy. I just love the combination of flavours, which is more or less same as the som tham, but the green mango is a bit more crunchy than the green papaya,

The traditional Thub Theem Krab. ..

Hwan is located in front of Macdonalds and the Chinese Medicine Hall, you absolutely cannot miss it if you are walking into Jusco Supermarket.

I knew I had heard that word somewhere before... Gourming... described by myself actually, in this post, here, as the unholy spawn of the words GOURMET and TASTING, a word created so that participants in a gourming workshop can learn how to pair various foods with Moet & Chandon Champagnes. Perhaps my only grouse would be that the event started at around 11am, which meant drinking before noon, ah, the trials and tribulations of life that we have to put up with. In addition to that, because I did not want to drive after the event, I would have to risk the stares of the pious and saintly on my journey back on the monorail....GASP....

Despite appearing reluctant to imbibe that wonderful beverage at so early an hour, I was secretly pleased, cos there are precious few bragging rights that can top an instagram post or fb status update showing one holding a glass of Moet at noon. We gathered at the Starhill Culinary Studio, in ..Starhill, all set and ready for an afternoon of fun fun fun. Bottles of Moet, good company, good location, gorgeous French lady hostess, what more can a person ask for.

The gorgeous French lady is question was Elise Losfelt, who despite feeling under the weather and having flown god knows how many hours the night before, looked like a glamorous beauty out of a society magazine. She was the Oenologue (quiz question...NAME A WORD WITH THREE "O", none of which are together?!) of Moet and Chandon

There is something alarmingly distracting about that wonderful French accent...
Elise Losfelt was appointed Winemaker in September 2012 by luxury champagne house Moët & Chandon and works closely with Chef de Cave Benoit Gouez and his team of winemakers. She is also a spokesperson for the oenology department, communicating Moët & Chandon’s technical wine messages to the markets within France and abroad. She is based in Epernay.

The beauty and brains obtained a Masters of Engineering with majors in Life Sciences and Economics at Paris’ esteemed Agro Paris Tech in 2008, followed by a Masters in Viticulture and Oenology from Supagro in Montpellier in 2011. She holds a National Diploma of Oenology as well as having economics and financial experience gained whilst working for Prime View and for Mendoza’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry early in her career.

Elise is a sixth generation winemaker hailing from a family of talented female winemakers. She was exposed to the industry at a very young age at her family vineyard in Grès de Montpellier.

How I wish I could say that, I can only say I am the third generation booze appreciater hailing from a family (paternal) of equally appreciative booze lovers.

Drinks of the day!!! Actually the purpose of the day's event was to launch, promote and pair the Moet & Chandon 2006 Grand Vintage Rose 2006. Juxtaposed with the Grand Vintage is the Rose Imperial, for contrast.

We take our places, and that Number you see at the bottom of the name card is the group to which we are assigned for Masterchef With Moet....I wasn't counting on having to WORK for my drinks actually, and was totally not dressed for it.

Thankfully, the wonderful organisers think of everything, and before you can say "chandon", we're kitted up in our battle gear.

Chef Wai briefs participants to help understand how the different flavours in a cuisine – bitterness, sweetness, sourness, saltiness – can be harnessed to complement and perhaps even enhance enjoyment of Moët & Chandon champagne

Chef Wai puts the finishing touches to his dish, which was fried prawn with a simple but delicious sauce.

The lovely Thrishie, who took pains to REMIND me about the event, seeing as to how I totally forgot about the previous one!!! (blush).

So anyway, we were divided into groups, and I had the good fortune of being paired with Cumi&Ciki (CC Food Travel), more so because of Cumi, who is a meticulous and organised cook in the kitchen. Ciki just hovers around looking pretty, but to her credit, she did manage to fry some very delectable bread.

Our task was to prepare two dishes to pair with each of the champagnes. The first being the Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial, which according to the tasting notes, is the most extrovert and seductive expression of the Moët & Chandon style. It reflects the diversity and complementarities of the three champagne grapes and the richness of the region’s best vineyards

Rosé Impérial’s assemblage is built on the intensity of Pinot Noir (40 to 50%, 10% of which are red wine), the fruitiness of Pinot Meunier (30 to 40%, 10% of which are red wine) and the finesse of Chardonnay (10 to 20%). The use of 20 to 30% of carefully selected reserve wines complete the assemblage and enhance its intensity, subtlety and consistency.

It's actually a very girly drink, the color is pink, almost a light purple, and to put it in layman's terms, the flavour, fruity.

We were dazzled by the array of ingredients, with smoked duck, raw scallops, prawns, chicken, an assortment of herbs, fruit, like peaches, mangoes, strawberries, raspberries and pears, spices like pepper, paprika, creme fraiche, mascarpone, salt, ...and no sugar. (more on that)

As the Rose Imperial is very light and fruity, we thought it would complement the smoked duck, and within the dish itself, some peach puree to complement the saltiness of the duck, basil for that aroma and kick, and some seared peppers for crunch. I have to say, it paired rather well.

Our second dish, scallops seared in butter, with a mango creme fraiche sauce. Well, actually apart from looking pretty, Ciki does have gorgeous photographs taken by her able assistant, Cumi, so for a picture of our award winning seared scallops, click HERE....afterall, I couldn't be cooking as WELL as taking pictures. These industrial kitchens can be quite daunting.

Clearly, paying rapt attention to Elise's discourse...

People from the "other" groups tumpang glamour.

Grand Vintage Rosé 2006 is the perfect embodiment of the Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage spirit, a spirit founded on three essential values:
- Freedom of interpretation.
- Selection of the year’s most remarkable wines.
- Individuality of the vintage to create champagnes distinguished by their maturity, complexity and charisma.

Oh, what the heck, there's so much champagne, let's just pour it into the food.

Wheeeeeeeee... look at the curry bubble!!!

As the Grand Vintage is a more "serious" champagne, more matured, it needed to be complemented by something a little bit more complex than just searing a scallop, or a prawn and plonking it on a piece of baguette. So, we brilliantly came up with the idea of a curry. Given the constraints in ingredients, as best we could, we used pepper and paprika for heat, onions and garlic sauteed for fragrance, (even Chef Wai commented, "wah, chee mutt yeh ah, kum heong geh" ..what are you cooking, so aromatic), pear for sweetness, olives and parmesan for saltiness, creme fraiche and mascarpone for thickness of sauce. And of course, champagne for class.

Evidently, we were rather bubbly that day...

For our second course to pair with the Grand Vintage Rose 2006, summer berries with a cream cheese topping, sweetened by peaches and syrup to unthicken it...

Chef Jo putting the finishing touches.....

Ta dah, our final masterpiece.

The moment of truth, as the judges made their rounds, and tasting. Clearly, as you see from Elise's expression, she was totally wowed by our curry....
Alright, so we didn't win Round 2, but obviously, it was all in the spirit of fun anyways.

And to wrap up a wonderful afternoon, a group shot for the road... and no, we didn't get to take home those sexy Moet aprons.

I wonder if she finally nicked those pink cushions.

More info on the Grand Vintage 2006 Rose
The year’s climate and harvest
After particularly cold winter, spring saw periods of frost and early summer brought hail, causing damage that, fortunately, was limited. Summer saw contrasting conditions: a heat wave in July followed by a cool, rainy August resulted in differing degrees of maturity across vineyards, but the hot, dry weather of early September facilitated ripening. Extending from September 7th to September 25th, the starting dates for the harvest indicate a determination to allow the grapes to reach a proper state of ripeness in every sector. The relatively abundant yield (13,000 kg/hectare) enabled selective harvesting and the avoidance of several areas affected by bunch rot as the end of the season turned rainy and grey. In the end, the sugar content of the grapes was relatively high (10.2% potential alc/vol) with an acidity level close to the average for the decade (7g H2SO4/litre), a balance similar to that of 2002.

Assemblage
The assemblage reflects the diversity and complementarity of the three grapes varietals:
the intensity of Pinot Noir: 47%
(of which 23% red wine)
the roundness of Meunier: 20%
the elegance of Chardonnay: 33%

Dosage: 5 g/litre (extra-brut)

Aging time in the cellars
7 years

Aging period after disgorgement
6 months minimum

Tasting Notes:
The House’s 40th vintage Rosé, Grand Vintage Rosé 2006 is a mature and generous wine. Initial notes of biscuit and spice bread preceding aromas of cherry, prune and damson plum enriched by botanical nuances of wild herbs, rosemary, saffron and dried rose petals, along with resinous, saline-inflected finish, come together to make this champagne a powerful, expansive, gracious wine.

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Upping The Ante - My Most Fun Brunch of 2014 at Ante Kitchen, Publika

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My Favourite Nyonya Is at Park Royal Again! Debbie Teoh's Nyonya Kitchen!

Aberlour, Speyside at Sekeping Sin Chew Kee

Good GODiva!!! A Chocolate School Session!

Cape Mentelle Wine Pairing Lunch At Tanzini's - An Workday Afternoon of Sheer Decadence

Seafood Buffet at Gobo Chit Chat, Traders Hotel, IMHO, THE BEST VALUE BUFFET in town.

Hwan By Chakri, Mid Valley Megamall

Moet Gourming Workshop at Starhill Culinary Studio - A Fun Bubble Filled Morning... And Afternoon