Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

When I got an invitation from old friend, Jasmine, I was INTRIGUED at the idea of a pop up cocktail bar, and was really looking forward to discovering the place. It really takes an inordinate amount of faith in the directions given, because, looking at the place from the entrance, you would be hard pressed to believe that such a place exists, I guess hence the term pop up.

Located on Jln Riong, just before the entrance to NST's Balai Berita, within the compound of Art Printing Works, a functional printing press, behind the new coffee cult place, Pulp, lies 44 @ APW. Why 44? No idea, the main address outside is 29 I believe.

This is what it looks like from the outside. Fear not, fine adventurers, just follow the straight path, until you see the main clue, that striking sign that says, ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT HAND IN YOUR DRINK.

The odd bits of printing press paraphernalia dot the place, giving it a minimalist eclectic feel, and despite the lack of airconditioning, the place is rather cool, in more ways than one.

Lilliputians gazing in awe at the number 44....

Our "mixologist", CK, is actually the GM Of the Bar for all their outlets (The Bee group of restaurants) and we were honored to have the boss mix for us that day, because the regular mixologist was on sick leave.

The most fascinating thing about the place is the choice of alcohol, most of which we had never heard of before. Definitely none of your generic Glens or what not, and most of them have the most interesting names.

We were given a sample of this smoked salmon flavoured vodka. The taste of the smoked salmon was rather distinct, almost as if you ate a piece of smoked salmon, and then washed it down with some vodka. An acquired taste, no doubt, that smoky, fishy, boozy combination. I liked it, but it's not something I'd actually ORDER to drink.

The first cocktail was a Vodkatini, not in the menu, but uses the aforementioned smoked salmon vodka. Well, imagine a martini, slightly stronger than usual, with that whiff and aftertaste of smoked salmon.

If drinks had gender, this is definitely a hot chick. Sex and the City Meets Cosmopolitan. Or was it the cosmo FROM Sex And the City? Whatever it is, it's definitely a chick's drink. From colour to taste.

And speaking of chicks, here's one....

The Jungle Bird Campari...which I liked, coz of the slight bitter aftertaste. Campari, wow, they used a mainstream drink, is always associated with the older generation, like my late grandfather, who enjoyed the odd Campari 7 Up which sounded so exotic those days.

The silhouette of someone familiar.

That would be Jasmine and me...

The Fall Reviver... Not sure if "Fall" is referring to autumn, or a FALL when you pass out after too many cocktails. Predominantly apple based, with cinnamon and cider. A rather refreshing drink, with slight hints of apple, etc.

And finally, to ensure that we left with a buzz, a whisky tasting...with names like 7 Stars Moonshine....Alaska Outlaw and Catoctin Creek, we were sure we were going to have a buzz.
The Rye whisky would be the equivalent of single malt I guess, except it was single rye...

And just in case you were still not lubricated enough, some old engine oil should do the trick. But this might not be on the menu either. I liked it, like a stout.

And one last one for the road, the Old Fashion....by this time, I forgot to take notes, but it's on the menu.

Cheers to the drinking posse!!!

The pop up bar opens from Wednesdays to Sundays, 5pm onwards. Unfortunately, they do not serve food, which I think is a real pity, cos that REALLY limits alcohol intake, so I hope they will look into serving something soon. Even some nasi lemak or ramly burgers would sell like hot burgers....

Whether private dining and supperclubs are a fad, or are here to stay, is irrelevant, because so far, all my experiences at supperclubs have been most enjoyable, I guess because firstly, you're likely to be with your own familiar crowd, secondly some have been really quite novel, like in a bicycle shop, or in apartments transformed into nyonya kitchens, or in someone's dining room...and lastly, the food is usually good, as it tends to have that home made loving goodness, that is a combines the best of home cooked, and the expectations of "commercial" cooking, if you know what I mean. I mean, you can't jolly well serve your ABC soup to a supper club and charge RM whatever...no matter how lovingly prepared.

I am always very blessed by my friends, in this case, the inimitable Fay Cheng, owner of Oriental Cravings, 1u, who invited me unexpectedly for a luncheon at her friend's private dining supper club, in Bangsar. We were introduced to the Chef and owner, Jeff Koit, his lovely wife and son Justin who doubled up as waiter and subsequently barista. Don't worry, it wasn't child labour, the "son" is an adult.

Located in the serenity of Bangsar Heights, one of the few green pockets left in the concrete jungle that is Bangsar, the Koit's apartment seems to have been "modified" to cater for this endeavour. The view at night from the balcony I can only imagine, must be quite spectacular. As the only rose amongst the thorns, I took my seat at the dining table, amidst the luminary company of Fay, the Makan Fairy Godmother and some of Fay's other lady friends. So much estrogen in the air, I could have sworn my ahem, chest, went one cup size bigger.

The most wonderful chicken liver pate, prepared with madeira, and two other types of booze. The texture of the pate perfect, velvety, and the taste, sublime, accompanied by crackers and some breads. Actually for a luncheon, I could have just eaten this and sipped a good chilled white, and be very happy.

Speaking of wines, ..no, this doesn't come as part of the dining package, although I am sure Jeff would be more than happy to quote for dinner with wine pairing. This larverly bottle of champagne, my favourite, as it turns out, was brought by our ever generous hostess with the mostess...(that's her below), which went so well with the food. I was quite crimson by the time the soup was served.

A refreshing salad, with my all time favourite salad ingredient...EGGs, and this was great because I hate hard boiled eggs with hard yolks. A very balanced meal, protein from the ham and the eggs, tomatoes and lettuce with a light vinaigrette dressing. Very tai tai kind of food actually.

Okay, this is one of those cases where you look and think, huh??? Is that it? A clear soup? I also can do la!!! But actually it was a very flavourful broth, some kind of consomme that was chockful of flavour, but yet so clear. Chicken soup for cleaning the soul kinda thing.

Time to flex those mussels. Grilled salmon on a bed of unidentifiable vegetable or tuber, which I think turned to be err... something quite expensive, hence not in my vocabulary. I am not a mussel fan, to be honest, so I would not opt for this pescetarian selection in the menu. But that was a HUGE slab of salmon, and the weight conscious lady guests were hurriedly slicing off halves of the fish onto a common plate.

This, on the other hand, are right up my alley. Special barbequed pork ribs, tender, falling off the bone, although Jeff said that he left it a minute too long in the oven. No damage done, it was still moist. Aye for the ribs.

Almost as an "encore" we were treated to a fine selection of coffees by hobbyist barista, Justin Koit, who kept the ladies enraptured with his explanations of the various beans etc.

The ladies paying rapt attention to the barista...

The perfect cuppa... although I prefer mine a bit stronger. The tastes of the various beans etc were all too complex for my plebian palate.

That's the man himself, Jeff Koit, (who has since shaven off his facial extras)....an entertaining, affable host, and puts his guests totally at ease.

And finally, the delicious chilled blueberry cheesecake made by Mrs Koit, light, ethereal texture in a chilled cheesecake, which I can never seem to achieve.

As as a final encore, another variety of pate, which was also oh so good, but we were soooo stuffed by then.

I believe the dinner price ranges from RM150 onwards, and corkage is free. (very important knowledge for the alcohol ghosts).

You can join his FB page HERE, and contact him via that page for reservations.

Location: Bangsar, near NSTP area.

To my horror, I discovered this draft post, long overdue. Apologies to Ashley!!!

Not sure whether the "Living Around the World" special menu is still there, but nevertheless, it was rather interesting, and I am sure some items would have found its way into the regular menu.

Mushroom Pattie... well, it's certainly not meat, so feels exceedingly healthy.

Green curry with Jicama Rice. It's all the rage, Jicama (pronounced hicama), and turns out it's actually our sengkuang. Jicama certainly sounds far more exotic than sengkuang.

Cherry Tomato Tartlet, which strictly speaking, is probably a deconstructed tartlet, as there is not tart shell to speak of. Raw almond panna cotta with pesto. Love the almond panna cotta.

Avocado Verrine, a gorgeous medley of avocado, walnut butter, strawberry, lettuce and truffle oil. Light and refreshing, with a summery feel.

Walnut Pate and Olive Pate.

A very interesting mango wrap, kind of like a huge vegetarian spring roll. The wrap itself is made of mango, and has an interesting leathery texture, but I couldn't really tell that there was mango present. Whilst the vegetables within the wrap were crisp and refreshing, I personally didn't like the mango wrap, unique though it was.

Vietnames Rice roll, which is probably the most "normal" and instantly recognisable thing on the menu.

The nasi ulam, again, with Jicama, a lovely fragrant combination of herbs that make up nasi ulam, like ginger flower, french beans, kafir lime leaves, in a spinach wrap.

Tabouleh, or a form of it, made from quinoa.

A very healthy tempura...

Lemon Tartlet for dessert, together with the very pretty and elegant Eton Mess...

As an encore, lest we were not full, their signature squid ink pasta, which is really very good. The noodles are nicely al dente and the seafood fresh. A rather substantial meal on it's own.

And finally, their signature pescatarian burger, with bun made from forbidden rice. Forbidden rice is rice that was reserved for royalty, and therefore forbidden to the masses. The burger is very lush and filling, with a variety of flavours to tingle your palate.

11, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
017-325 3663

It was with great fascination that I accepted an invitation to the launch of Fifty Six Degrees, a rather catchy name by all accounts, but even more so, because it was the name of a new Scottish whisky, and as the launch was to be held in the rather swanky Marble 8, with stunning vistas of the KLCC skyline, I was certainly looking forward to a good good night.

Unbeknownst to me, the story behind this bottle IS rather fascinating. A bit of that later. I very wisely, anticipating a wild night, uber-ed into town. The Marble 8 building was abuzz with the paparazzi and gliterrati of KL, and light signs flashing the FIFTY SIX label illuminated the building, in an elegant way, unlike the garish lights that adorn an unmentioned building next to PWTC.

Bottles and bottles of the whisky filled the shelves of the bar, and drinks flowed freely, as they should, with canapes floating around, all very society like.

Whisky as far as the eye can see, it's like the sun never did set on the British...or in this case, Scottish, empire......

A well kept secret was that the media were allowed upstairs to partake of some of these lovely morsels of black Angus, roasted to perfection, melt in the mouth, and pairs wonderfully with Fifty Six Degrees.

Like all glitzy events, celebrity performers like Dennis Lau ply us with entertainment, as we guzzled our nectar, feeling the buzz increase with each stroke of the bow.

The moment of the night, when the gorgeous lady entrepreneur, Kristine Goh together with Jonathan Scott, representative from Ian McLeod launches the FIFTY SIX DEGREES. Referring to the latitude of the Scottish Highlands, which is well known, for its scenic beauty, clan history, and malt whiskies. FIFTYSIX DEGREES has been blended with Asian palate in mind. How very novel.

“The food culture in Asia is generally rooted in the mixing of multiple ingredients to
produce dishes of vastly differing flavors. As such, the Asian table is often loaded with an
array of food and condiments to be shared among a group of people,” - Kristine Goh

Kristine Goh has the distinction of being the first female whisky blend creator in Malaysia by the way. FIFTYSIX DEGREESis really geared towards a new generation of drinkers who are looking for new ways of appreciating a dram and a drinking whisky. (Mind you, I am not sure what they mean by "drinking whisky"...as opposed to what?? A gargling whisky??)

In her speech, she said that it was during a visit to Scotland with her father that she came up with the inspiration for FIFTYSIX DEGREES.

Under the tutelage of Master Distiller, Jim McEwan, she learned not only the basics of whisky making but also about the people who make whisky. They showed her that whisky making is a process rooted in the local geography and culture. It was this visit that sowed the first seed for the birth of FIFTYSIX DEGREES. For Kristine, FIFTYSIX DEGREES is an homage to the Scottish whisky-making tradition.

Okay, what did I think of the whisky? It really is very palatable, and drinkable. Not as distinct as some of the single malts, but overall, a very pleasant blend, which imho, would very pair very well with Asian cuisine.

And what a great party.... Fireangel reuniting with old colleagues... and my old gym instructor....

The motley crowd ambil-ing kesempatan to pose with the lady of the hour, Kristine Goh...

Our local Jennifer Hudson, aka Elvira Arul, with ..I think she's some deejay, Serena See, ....also gracing the event.

Honestly, I can't remember what that is I'm holding up, probably the redemption ticket for the door gift, which was very nice, I have to say...

FIFTYSIX DEGREES is a 40% ABV (alcohol by volume) whisky, at present available ontrade
through bars and restaurants in the Bangsar, Damansara and Hartamas area including The Roulette Restaurant Bar, Naughty Nuri’s, Piggy Tail, Sid’s Pub, Chapter One Bar & Bistro, Hour Place Restaurant, Eight Gourmets Gala (EGG), and Castell Gastrobar.
For more information, please reach us at http://www.56degreeswhisky.com or at Facebook
FiftySix Degrees or at 012-2347156 (Stef Lim-Marketing).

56 Degrees Marketing Sdn Bhd

Established in 2014, 56 Degrees Marketing Sdn Bhd is a Malaysian-owned boutique whisky proprietor specializing in new-age whisky. For the best quality, 56 Degrees Marketing Sdn Bhd collaborates with Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd in Scotland.

For media enquiries, please contact :-
RAPR Mileage Communications Sdn Bhd
Tel: +603 2282 2333
Joey Gan - +6012 2077 525, joeygan.rapr@gmail.com
Irene Yeoh - +6012 386 8873, irene@rqnet.com.my
Page 2 of 2
56 Degrees Marketing Sdn Bhd | No. 18, Jalan KPK 1/1,

Once in a while, in this life, you stumble across the funnest, most generous of people, and when an opportunity presents itself for you to enjoy the company of BOTH ... it can only be described as ALLSOME....

Some months ago, I got invited by Lady Linda Bearne, of Perth, Hong Kong and Kota Kinabalu fame, to accompany her, together with One of the Garcons from Les Deux Garcon, ie, Toto Ooi, to attend a VERY exclusive event called the Chaine Des Rotisseurs dinner, which sounded to me like a secret culinary cult, complete with hierarchy, as Linda showed us below. Toto and I hmm-ed and hawwed, wondering how we were to afford such a lavish splurge ....the price of the dinner is enough to feed my four hungry mouths for a month...

But as I said, MOST generous of people.... Linda insisted that we be her companions for the night, and dinner was to be on her. And not only dinner, the classy dame even arranged for us to be picked up in one of THESE.....I felt like a scullery butler who had been visited by a fairy godmother and with the wave of a wand, (or trident as the case may be), was now bound for a ball....

Me being very plebian of course had to capture and savour every moment of glam that came my way....

I got a close up view of the medallion that is the key to the gateway for this world of glitterati and high society....

Our lovely hostess, ... Toto sat in front of the Rolls, like a body guard, (although he's not quite Kevin Costner)..

Though he does cut a dashing figure.............

We sailed through the streets of KL in the Rolls, and arrived at the Mandarin Oriental at the appointed time of 7pm, and it was funny to see the doormen at MO tripping over themselves to open the door and effusively greeting us, ...something that doesn't happen when you roll up in your Waja or heck, even Honda CRV....

Somehow the opening credits of ancient soap opera, DYNASTY reverberated through my mind as I saw the Lady Linda alighting from the car...like this scene..

Anyway, after prying ourselves away from the retinue of doormen, we made our way to the Mandarin Grill, and like tourist, took a picture at the entrance...

In case you cannot see, the chef is a Michelin Star Chef.....Richard Toix... from France. Don't play play aitelyu!!!

I know, I shall the envy of many, what can I say......

Dainty little canapes, ...that quail eggs one with some liver pate was extraordinairy. The quail egg burst in your mouth like a giant caviar, spurting out a remarkable taste, which paired divinely with the Moet Chandon which seemed to be free flow. Alas, we had to pace ourselves, drinking on an empty stomach, though it's arguable if my stomach IS ever empty.

Hobnobbing with a more senior member of the CDR.... Thomas from Switzerland resides here under Malaysia My Second Home

It might be a bit passe to post a picture of a blob of butter, but this was no ordinary butter. Super creamy and smooth with a hint of truffle infusion.

Simply described as Champignons or Mushrooms, this minimalist name belied the subtlety of the dish... a cold sorbet quenelle of mushroom soup, almost. but altogether very interesting as a first dish.

Potato Black Truffle Croustillant With Hazelnut Foam. Honestly, I didn't care much for the foam, and wonder why people bother doing it at all, but the potato, and the stuff at the bottom, presumably the unpronouncable croustillant...was yummy. And that potato ring was sublime. The wine pairing was forgettable, and by the third dish, there were rumblings as to why the food was paired with Italian wines instead of French, since it was French food. But hey, I'm no connoisseur, and if there's alcohol, I'm not complaining,

Chestnut Soup With Comte Toast on Burnt Bread....that was rather extraordinary, the burnt bread and comte toast. I thought the first few spoonfuls of the soup were lovely, but due to its richness and almost cloyingness, marginal utility decreased quickly after that, and by the end, it kind of remined me of bubur cha cha...

Black Cod Aioli in Our Style, it says...not sure who "Our" is, but no complaints here. The cod was cooked to perfection, the flavours sealed in, and the sauce wasn't overpowering. The wine paired with this dish, the 2010 Bodegas Altas Crianza, Rioja was lovely.

One of the undoubted highlights was making the acquaintance of Jonathan Teoh and his mother...I was racking my brains to figure out where I had seen this chappie before, and as it turns out, we used to attend the same Body Combat class in Fitness First. I remember because the guy is exceedingly tall.

Lamb Loin in Seaweed Crust and Lemon Pate... I think the table unanimously agreed that this was pretty disastrous, as the crust totally overpowered any semblance of lamb, and was actually quite difficult to work through. The vegetables were great though. Having said that, at best, I am not a lamb fan.

Citron, or Lemon... richer than a sorbet, but lighter than an ice cream. A lovely palate cleanser, and very refreshing.

Blackforest Cake... Okay, I've heard of deconstructed, and whatever but this really takes the cake...in terms of re-branding. With a stretch of the imagination, one could I suppose identify the various components that make up a blackforest cake, but it was quite delicious regardless of the questionable moniker.

The conversation must have gone something like this, re these two pics.
I crack my ball, and create a mess and photograph it, and Lady Linda goes, "aiyaaa, so chou lou one" (so crude) and proceeds to show me how to elegantly handle a ball....

Presumably admiring themselves... what ELSE could they be doing.....

Our table which turned out to be really good fun, with an age gap of probably 40 years between youngest and oldest...I was somewhere in between...

Appreciation for the staff of the Mandarin Grill

For someone who was initially worried that he would not know anyone, Toto was the ultimate social butterfly, flitting from table to table like a GRO in a karaoke...

It really truly was a memorable and most enjoyable night. I was really blessed to have the company of Linda and Toto, and am really honored to be invited.

If this post sounds a bit rushed, yeah, it's because it IS rushed. I realised to my horror that the promotion had already begun, and time and tide, especially when it's a tide of seafood, waits for no one.

And since time indeed is of the essence, and I cannot churn out words as quickly as our local universities churn out graduates, I shall have to resort to cutting and pasting from the press release, or at least, to a certain degree. Words not from this mouth are in italics.

InterContinental Kuala Lumpur signature all-day dining restaurant, Serena Brasserie is thrilled to present yet another exciting dining promotion to epicureans in the city. In collaboration with GST Group, the four-day promotion from 24 to 27 March 2015 will see first-class Norwegian seafood flown in and featured in Serena Brasserie’s selected international buffet spread.

An array of sushi, fresh seafood, octopi that looked like it might have been able to predict football scores the morning earlier, crabs that must have been serenading the Little Mermaid the day before, and an cornucopia of shellfish who believed that life is indeed better UNDER THE SEA....

Slipper lobsters, yabbies, blue flower crabs, mud crabs, even legs of Alaskan crabs....adorn the pyre of ice ...unfortunately, we had arrived somewhat late and the banquet had begun, rendering the spread rather sparse while photographing...

The seafood promotion will offer a taste of premium freshness and quality by Norwegian guest chef, Markus Peter Dybwad. The humble and young chef has a wealth of experience from Scandinavia as well as Europe including three Michelin star restaurant, The Fat Duck alongside celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal.

Permeating local flavours into the delicacy, InterContinental Kuala Lumpur executive chef Sam Kung has come up with a range of variety for guests to have a taste of exotic local spices. The in the know specials will showcase fragrant salmon satay, salmon tandoori and green curry with Atlantic cod.

Dainty receptacles of various assortments of canape like seafood, salmon with egg roe...

Scallops on a bed of puree, which was lovely...

Norwegian Chef in action....

The end product of his cooking demo, seared salmon with leek ash, and a healthy dollop of salmon roe....

Speaking of roe (roe roe your boat), these little shrimp were deliciously sweet and succulent, and obviously pregnant. Caviar within a prawn, so to speak...

I'm a prawn,...no a lobster, ...no a scorpion, heck, I dunno what I am...

Ah, I loved this customized mamak mee goreng, fried on the spot, with extra egg... YUMMEH...

Nasi lemak in case you are averse to seafood, in which case, no need to rush, because these I believe are usual fixtures in the buffet line... apparently the sambal was sublimely fragrant, but I wouldn't know, cos who eats nasi lemak at a buffet....

Outside of the aircon area is the Seafood BBQ, which also boasts a large variety of of seafood, from butterfish, to shrimp to scallop kebabs...

My plate of barbequed goodness....

For dessert, lovely Kapiti New Zealand ice cream, and I stumbled across this ethereal combination of BLUE CHEESE and BLUEBERRY ice cream,

This seafood culinary adventure allow guests to take pleasure in the dazzling array of seafood from the coastal waters of Norway that are renowned for its quality, natural taste and delicate flavours. Guests will be able to see Norwegian Chef Markus live at the action station preparing a delectable assortment of codfish, salmon, halibut and blue mussels. Other mouth-watering creations to savour include traditional Scandinavian specialities such as cold dishes of skagen salad (creamed seafood salad); smoked salmon with scrambled eggs; selection of herrings; smoked mackerel; smoked salmon; cured salmon trout ‘Gravalaks’ style; and hot signatures such as baked salmon fillet; halibut in cream sauce; Atlantic cod with soy butter and red fish with ratatouille.

The Norwegian Seafood promotion at Serena Brasserie is priced at RM120++ per adult, or toast to the coast at RM180++ per adult inclusive of a bottle of red or white wine and RM60++ per child.

For reservations, please call Serena Brasserie at 03 - 2782 6228 or e-mail foodandbeverage@intercontinental-kl.com.my. Visit www.intercontinental-kl.com.my for more information. Follow us on www.fb.com/intercontinental.kualalumpur and Instagram @intercontinental.kualalumpur.

I didn't know that there's a Magnum Shop. It's the equivalent of Ice Cream's Fun Theme Park, where you can entertain yourself with all permutations of Magnum Ice Cream, just buy your basic stick, and coat it however you want with whatever you want..What a novel idea, I can't wait to bring the kids

They recently hosted an exclusive fine dining session at the MAGNUM Shop in Mid Valley Megamall (3rd floor, near the GSC Cinemas)to celebrate the best of Belgian Indulgence where guests were invited to caress their senses by experiencing exquisite chocolate inspired dishes created using the highest quality Belgian chocolate by Chef Steven Chin, Group Executive Chef of Magnum Kuala Lumpur.

A rather strange pairing in a way, because chocolate was actually used in the savoury foods. Whilst I am all for sweet and salty pairings, I was quite intrigued to see what the end result of this adventure would taste like.

It was nice to see an old familiar face from days gone by, UGWUG, one of the pioneer food bloggers in days of yore.

“As the frontier of chocolate expertise, this event is organized to showcase how MAGNUM will tickle your palate by creating signature dishes that were infused with Belgian chocolate. We want our consumers to always remember that remarkable pleasurable moments are now beyond every bite of MAGNUM ice cream”, shared Mr Shawn Tan, Category Head (Ice Cream), Unilever Malaysia Holdings Sdn Bhd.

Chef Steven Chin has been creating unique dishes for different type of cuisines and desserts for five stars international hotels and fine dining restaurants and the chocolate inspired signature dishes were the interpretations of his vast culinary experiences and passion for chocolate.

To start, a spice butternut squash velouté which is a butternut pumpkin soup, scented with cinnamon and topped with shaved bitter dark chocolate. Well, you can't really go wrong with butternut, as we were saying on the table. A few people thought it was a cappucino at first. I enjoyed the soup, the flavours of the chocolate were subtle and the soup itself rather hearty.

Next was a marinated capellini pasta with ulam-ulaman served with crispy unagi beignet, salted choc emulsion, soy reduction and crispy ginger. Unfortunately the pasta was way overcooked, so there was no texture to speak of, but the combination is actually rather good. The slight hint of bunga kantan, the pungency of the local ulam ulaman, the piece of dried ginger that was very nice, and reminded me of that shocking scarlet red preserved ginger we used to eat as kids, that leave a crimson stain upon the tongue. The dark chocolate on the unagi was rather unique.

Pan seared butterfish fillet served with sautéed baby spinach and white beurre blanc sauce (from the French for "white butter"). The white beurre blanc sauce is a hot emulsified butter made with vinegar and shallots, this particular version, with MAGNUM white chocolate added. I personally am not a fan of white chocolate, at all, regardless of brand, so I can't say I was a fan of this dish. Though I did think the butterfish was well seared.

Death by Chocolate is the richest chocolate dessert that MAGNUM Pleasure Store has ever offered. Death by chocolate is a baked to order warm chocolate molten lava cake served with MAGNUM chocolate brownies ice-cream and chocolate crunch pearls. It was our opinion that this absolutely HAS to go onto the ala carte menu, for this dish will certainly be a hit.

Good chum Ann Lee (such a pleasant surprise to bump into her) and Malaysia's Hottest Blogger Tim Chew...

And in case we were not full, some other existing desserts to sample, the red velvet cake and the trifle...which looks yummy, but really, after that feast, I really could not tuck in another calorie...

MAGNUM will be launching a campaign in April 2015 called “Celebrating Chocolate Pleasures”. This will mark another MAGNUM milestone that will provide consumers the ultimate taste of premium chocolate and ice cream experience through concourse events, digital contests and in-store promotions. For more information about MAGNUM ice cream and it latest offering, please visit MAGNUM Malaysia official facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MagnumMalaysia.

Macallan, ah, that name, sweet memories, for arguably, it was the Macallan Single Malt that really was the cusp of the popularity of single malts in Malaysia, though admittedly other brands were around. And Mario Testino, just exactly, who is he?

Only one of the world's most influential photographers, who has photographed Prince Charles, Princess Diana (the late), The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Queen Rania of Jordan, just to name a few. Hailing from Lima, Peru, he received his country's highest honor in 2010, the Grand Cross Order of Merit, from the President of Peru, and the OBE in 2013 in recognition of his contributions to the photography and philantropic world.

So combine the two, an established renowned single malt, and celebrity cult fashion photographer, a new whisky is spawned from this luminary alliance. Mario is unveiled as Macallan's 5th Master of Photography, bringing to life the Six Pillars, which are the foundation stones of Macallan. Six different casks to showcase an ultimate complexity, each with their own definitive character, flavour and aroma. Brought together by Master Whisky Maker Bob Dalgarno from six casks from a selection of over 200,000 maturing at the Macallan distillery, this special limited edition boasts 1000 bottles globally.

Out of curiosity, I casually asked the price, and almost keeled over with a heart attack, at the RM17,000 price tag. At that point, I realised that it was unlikely we were going to get a sample of this drop. Sadly. So to drown our sorrows, we just continously knocked back the 12 year that was free flowing.

Providence, venue of the launch, was decked up like an art gallery. Bottles of the stuff were in glass displays, much like diamonds, which should have clued us in as to the price of the bottle, for unlike the other bottles of Macallan that were free standing at the bar, there were no "unprotected" bottles to be seen.

I am not sure but I am pretty sure that fella on the far right is a local celebrity of sorts. Very glitterati...

Darsha Logan, who apparently is the daughter of famed Alleycats, Logan....

Jeff Lee and me, thanks Jeff for the invitation.

From Right to left: Malaysia's Hottest Blogger Tim Chew, his date, Mr Fireangel and me.

Well, sadly, at that price tag, I guess it will be awhile, or by fluke, that my palate should collide with this subliminity that I can only imagine.

I remember distinctly the hype surrounding the opening of Ippudo back in the day, in Pavilion, where the queues to get in at lunch time were mile long. Anyway, since then, I have eaten at the Pavilion and Bangsar Shopping Centre outlets several times, and I have no complaints ... apart from the fact that honestly, it is a bit pricey. But then again, if you're dining in Pavilion or BSC, you'd hardly expect to be paying kopitiam prices.

Recently, well, about a month ago, (apologies to the organisers, I have been abroad, hence the delay), they launched their new 2015 Grand Menu (so it is still 2015 I guess).

These drinks were ordered by my table comrades, which looked far too thick and filling for me. A matcha and azuki smoothie thingie, and the one below, a yakult jelly smoothie. All of which would have rendered me too full to eat anything else, because... #iamsoslim #delusional

To start with, the Dashimaki Egg Roll, or nicknamed by me, Dashyat Maki... Basically well, it was a fat omelette, but since I love eggs, by extrapolation, I loved this.

According to Ipuddo's Regional Operations Consultant, Tomo Kudo, "Ippudo always aims to bring to the table tasty selections..brimming with robust classic flavours with a hint of modern finesse. It is founder Shigemi Kawahara's philosophy to continuously innovate"...in a nutshell. He said a lot more.
The spicy boiled gyoza was good. It's dainty portions certainly made it elegant, and we wouldn't have minded more.

Seared Salmon Roll With Mentaiko, which unanimously seems to have been the favourite dish of the night. I need to return to eat this again without the glare of the camera lights.

Pork Grill, which was rather pedestrian, but actually I don't mind it cos I don't like dishes drowned in sauce, so this minimalist dish of pork loin and vegetables actually appeals to me, and of course, who can go wrong with boiled sweetcorn.

And if minimalism is the order of the day, then this dish was the exact opposite, rich creamy sauce that would clog the arteries and waterways, for this Teppan Rice With Beef Dish. I can imagine one of my kids slurping this dish up with relish. It was reminiscent of my childhood favourite, Chicken A'la King. Which no one makes anymore.

And, for the stars of the night, the new ramens. Clockwise, from upper left, the Karaka men, the Shiromaru Motoaji, the Shoyu Ramen, The Akamaru Kakuni, Shiromaru Kakuni, Akamaru Shinaji. Prices range from RM22.90 onwards. Note the thick slabs of wonderful pork in most of the dishes, or the thinner slices which are equally good...which in my book, make these ramen (is ramen plural? is the singular raman?) winners. Wholesome broth that has been boiled for many hours, 15 if I am not mistaken.

For dessert, the Daifuku, which was a mochi stuffed with ice cream, which I enjoyed. Rather refreshing way to wash down all the lard. Well, at least that's what we want to believe.

Looks like durian crepes hor... but its not. Cheese sticks actually, which is a light, typical Japanesey ethereal kind of cheesecake that really melts in the mouth. Good stuff this.

Tomo Kudo, the Regional Operations Consultant. Rather cheery affable chappie.

Ippudo Pavilion
Level 4, C4.07, Connection Precinct,
Pavilion KL
03-2110 6233

Ippudo Gardens Mall
T0-218 Third Floor
03-2201 6238

Ippudo BSC
Ground Floor
03-2011 6238

I always enjoy going to Rama V. Not least because the owner, Andre Shum, is a great friend, and well, perhaps by virtue of that declaration, any review of the place could be viewed as somewhat biased. However, one tries one's best to be as objective and impartial as possible when doing these writeups.

Unveiling their menu, this post is actually highly belated, but apologies, especially to Andre, for the delay. You see, I've been rather jet set. Anyway better late than never, and writing about it now means any kinks would have been ironed out by now.

We start with Mieang Kam (RM22) - ATraditional Thai Hors’ Doeuvre consisting of the rather herbally pungent Kadok leaf, which is used as a wrap for various condiments, such as nuts, onions, chilli padi, fried shrimp, etc. with a lovely sweet salty spicy sauce which has elements of palm sugar, and coconut.

Popiah Sod Ped (RM26)- Fresh Rice Paper Rolls with Roasted Duck. Whilst it was tasty and full of flavour, our grouse was that it wasn't ducky enough. We could barely taste the roast duck, which defeats the purpose of the moniker. Add a little more meat and these spring rolls will spring to life.

NEUR DAD DEAW (RM28)- Thai Salted Sun-Dried Beef, the closest description I can think of would be beef jerky Thai style. Spiced up with garlic, and other thai spices, the chewy gamey texture of the beef is certainly not for you if you are wearing dentures. But it is a great accompaniment for alcohol, and is a great starter food.

YAM THA WIE (RM24)- Ancient Thai Salad. Must be a salad for the royals, as the dish is embellished with prawns, and not your normal run of the mill salad stuff with a lovely dressing which puts all your vinaigrettes and what nots to pale shame,

And it has egg. Any dish with egg, to me, is a sure winner. I'm eggalitarian that way. Then purple orchid flower really is to a dish what make up is to a woman.

TOM KONG PLA KROB (RM16/bowl)- Spicy Clear Soup with Thai Smoke Fish and Thai Herbs. I guess our limited knowledge of foreign ethnic foods tends to make us believe that the only soup the Thais have is Tom Yam, which is probably as insulting as assuming the Chinese only have egg drop soup, This lovely spicy broth is choc full of a plethora of tastes and smells, not unlike its Tom Yam cousin.

Ciki's guest, CHYUAN TIFFIN (an accomplished cook himself) doubles up as a lamp holder...one has to give these people some sense of worth while attending these reviews if they are not writing or doing anything else useful.

Chu Chee Kung Me Nam (RM58 per pc)- River Prawn Served with Thai Chili Herbs & Paste. Although the price tag of RM58 may sound exorbitant, it's actually what those sang har mee places are charging, per prawn, more or less, in far less comfortable surrounds and ambience. Anyway, the succulent river prawn, with that glorious Choo Chee sauce which seems to incorporate the roe from the head, to give a luscious creamy finish. So worth it.

Is this a lobster disguising as a prawn??? Just look at that sauce. I'm going to have wet dreams tonight just remembering it.

PAD COD NEUNG RAD SOD MANOW RM100- Steamed Cod Fish in Manow Sauce Accompanied by Mango Chutney. No complaints here, in cod we trust and it did not faileth us. Loved sipping the "soup" in which the cod was swimming. The mango chutney added an interesting dimension to what was otherwise steamed cod. (but hey, when it comes to cod, I'm all for simplicity)

SEAU RONG HAI (THE TIGER WEEPS) - FROM ISAAN REGION RM40- Thai Styled Grilled Australian Tenderloin Steak served with Tamarind Sauce. Unfortunately, we had to send back the first plate of this, because the cow was still mooing. The second attempt was better, but I didn't care much for this dish, as I found it ...well, much like a normal steak, except sliced for you. Even the cornucopia of seasoning like burnt rice couldn't disguise the fact it was basically, a steak. But if you are a carnivore steak lover, then heck, it's cheaper than eating a tenderloin anywhere else, I can tell you.

Some greens, PAD KA-NA PLA KEM RM24, - Stir Fried Kai Lan with Salted Fish, thrown in for good measure, and roughage. This dish is living proof that the peoples of South East Asia are one, or had some common ancestry. It seems to be quite a universal way (amongst Asians) for cooking Kai Lan.

I have to say I love the Thai desserts at Rama V. They're delightfully elegant, and not overly sweet. My favourite is their arduosly laboriously made lup chup, but there was none that night.

Assorted Thai Desserts (Taco, Steamed Tapioca, Thai Jelly)

Mango with Sticky Rice. The general consensus was that the coconut wasn't thick enough and it resembled barley water

My all time favourite Thai dessert, Thup Thim Krub. Crunchy red rubies (water chestnut coated in red jelly), in a pool of rich coconut milk, with sweet jackfruit.

I liked that steamed tapioca thingie. Reminded me of the Japanese occupation when that was all we had to eat.

Thanks again for a lovely evening of great company, great food and great restaurant.

5, Jalan U Thant, Kelab Golf Diraja Selangor, 55000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
03-2143 2428

It's always a pleasure to get an invitation from the MHD and Geometry Global people, and all the more so, when the event involves bubbly in the day time. Drinking bubbly in daylight always gives me the illusion, and delusion, that I am on holiday somewhere. So easy to make me happy.

The venue, Eight Gourmet Gala, sounded promising, although it was located in Sunway, (brrr, driving all the way there gives me jetlag... fortunately I managed to hitch a ride to and fro, and with the amount of booze imbibed, it turned out a wise choice). Familiar faces greeted us, and scares me to realise I've known these people for at least 3-4 years now, in the blink of an eye.

The wines featured for the day were the Chandon Brut, Domaine Chandon Chardonnay, Domain Chandon Pinot Noir, Domaine Chandon Shiraz and Chandon Rose. A nice corner of the restaurant, with plenty of sunlight, was cordoned off for the event, and Dan Buckle, Senior Winemaker from Chandon Estates, Victoria, was our "host" for the afternoon.

His meticulous approach to wine making has seen him rise to become one of Victoria and Australia's most prominent winemakers. With a degree in Bachelor of Applied Science (Wine) and a family history of owning a vineyard, it's no surprise that he is an expert, with vast experiences ranging from Coldstream Hills, Yering Station and Mount Langhi Ghiran. He looks quite young, actually, for someone with so many feathers under his cap, or vine leaves under his belt.

Anyway, Dan's approach to the wine pairing was more relaxed, and did not pair any one wine with any particular dish, but more letting us have an adventure, and explore the different permutations, with different foods, as should be the way, for I myself am not a believer that what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Especially if the goose is partial to say, a white.

The happy faces of some of the people at the luncheon.

The first dish was a seafood platter... Well, that's exactly what it says on the menu. Definitely a dearth of description there, but if I had to describe it, it comprised a plump oyster, which glided down the throat effortlessly with the Bubbly Chandon Brut. There's something about oysters and sparkling, undoubtedly, and the crisp bouquet of citrus blossom etc in my opinion made that the best pairing for my oyster. The Rose went particularly well with the raw prawn, as the fruitiness of the berries combatted the raw marine flavour of the prawn. The sashimi fish, with the tinge of wasabi also seemed to pair better with the Rose, although to be honest, the fish itself wasn't particularly impressive, so fortunately the sterling wines masked whatever shortcomings.

To the usual mindset, red meat (as was this Smoked Duck) is paired with red wine. But the whole idea put forward by Dan was to explore the different nuances and subtleties in the less traditional pairings. So, five slices of meat for five different wines placed before us. It takes a person of strong disposition not to exercise restraint and not gulp down a glass of each with each piece of duck. Alas, I exercised no such restraint. My verdict was the Duck paired well with the Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir 2013, but that's to be expected. The aromas of cheery kernel and raspberry mix almost made the chef's job easier without having to prepare any elaborate sauces. However, having said that, I am a firm believer that sparkling wine, The Chandon Brut, goes with everything, and I would gladly waste away an afternoon sipping the Brut whilst chewing on smoked duck.

Grilled Salmon With Mint Sauce, I guess was meant to be paired with the Chardonnay, or the Domaine Chandon Chardonnay 2013. The overcooked salmon frankly spoiled the entire experience, as the meat was way dry, and even the best of wines could only marginally salvage the dish. However, with some stretch of the imagination, I would pair this the Rose, with the same reasoning as I paired the raw prawn sashimi. Also the fattiness of the salmon seemed diluted with the crisp sparkling rose. The saving grace of this dish was the lovely salmon skin.

The Chardonnay has a pale straw appearance with green hues, and aromas of lemon, pear, citrus, not as oaky as your usual chardonnays, which is a plus point to me.

Happiness is seeing that stream of frothing white lava flow from the bottle into your flute.

The pop of the cork, the slow fizzle of the white and red, on a Friday afternoon, whilst I happily instagram with a hashtag #dunjealousme.

How could it not be a good afternoon being the company of these larverly ladies?

As an encore, not in the menu, a platter of smoked proscuitto, which was specifically meant to showcase the other wine , the Domaine Chandon Shiraz 2012, a bright purple full bodied wine. Rather heavy for afternoon drinking if you ask me, as it is meant for heavier foods like roast lamb or a chunk of steak. It is however a drinkable drop for sure, and did go well with the saltiness of the cured meat, and seems more "luxurious" than the Pinot Noir or the Chardonnay.

Ah, the best dish of the day, the Raspberry Creme Brulee, silky smooth, not overly sweet, and to my relief, not served with any sickeningly sweet dessert wine. Till today I still do not get dessert wines, so I was happy just to pair this with whatever was left of my Brut and Rose, and it did actually go very well together.

To end a lovely afternoon, we went even higher... literally.... to the upstairs of the restaurant, for another phase. STAY TUNED for PHASE 2.

In TV narrator's voice: Last week, on Chandon Mayhem, the media had finished a five course meal, plied with Chandon Brut, Chandon Rose, Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir 2013, Domain Chandon Chardonnay 2013, Domaine Chandon Shiraz 2012....

[Scene continues to present day]

We were ushered to a higher place, literally, in spirit, in physical location, ...as we continued phase two of the afternoon, with the lovely people from MHD and Geometry Global, who sadly had to stay stoically sober while watching the rest degenerate. Actually, the main stream media were rather sedate too, I guess it's no fun to have to go back to work after an afternoon such as this. (Rub salt into the wound).

Chandon Summer Limited Edition 2015 (Dan holds up a bottle with that attractive packaging) seeks to showcase the versatility of the bubbly, as a cocktail complementer. Frankly, I think good bubby shouldn't be contaminated in any way, but what the hey, no harm trying right. Each of us had our own workstation, I judiciously picked a corner spot, in case I had to run to the toilet.

The resident mixologists instructs us on what to do with the alchemy laid out before us, and the first cocktail was a Tequila royal, comprising 30ml tequila (that's 30ml too much tequila for me), 15ml fresh lime syrpu, and 8ml agave syrup. I've always been fascinated by agave syrup, wondering what it is. Well, it's a natural syrup from some American plant, nuff said.

Directions for mixing are easy peasy, just add the three ingredients with ice in the cocktail shaker, shake shake shake, strain and pour into a champagne flute, and top us with 90ml Chandon Brut.

Tah dah, a ultra refreshing tangy margarita like drink on a hot tropical afternoon.

The second cocktail, my favourite, as I vaguely recall, Apple Gin Fizz, comprising 10ml gin, 10ml lemon juice, 10ml fresh apple juice, dash of syrup, mixed and shaken, and 60ml of Chandon Brut.

Let the partay begin.

The sedate shakers VS ...

(Picture courtesy of CCFoodtravel)

....those who had clearly too much to drink at lunch...

I wonder if I will be blacklisted from MHD events

In goes the Bubbly....

Pop in your cherry....

There you have it, two lovely cocktails spawned by Chandon Summer Limited Edition 2015.

As the ice settles, some semblance of decorum

Dan Buckle, Senior Winemaker from Chandon Estates, the gorgeous Melissa Hon, (MH but not the MH in MHD), and me.

Chandon Chaos...

EPILOGUE : Children, do not do what this woman is doing....

A big thanks to MHD and GG for a WONDERFUL afternoon of wine education, fun, food and laughter.

Hunan, Yunnan, Henan, Hainan, they all sound the same to me, these Chinese places. But whilst Yunnan is famous for ham, Hainan for its chicken rice, Hunan is famous for it's chili and spicy dishes, amongst other things.

Chef Wang Cheng Chun, who hails from Changsha of the Xiang River region is China is collaborating with Hilton Kuala Lumpur's Executive Chef for Chynna, Lam Hock Hin, from 25th May to 7th June, to bring diners on a Hunanese culinary adventure.

Before dinner is served, we are served the welcome tea, by an artisan tea pourer who uses a plethora of acrobatic stances to shoot from his spout with precision aim into the cup.

To start, steeped white radish slice and stewed beef shank in chili sauce. The pieces of white radish which had been marinated in oils, and chili, certainly have lost their whiteness, but retain their crunchiness and enhanced flavours with all the marinade. The shank's taste is actually embellished by the sauces, and we were forewarned about the potency of the Hunan chillies, but whilst it did kick a pack, it really wasn't overly hot to the point of killing your tastebuds.

When Chef Lam removed his chef's toque, everyone gasped and remarked, wow, he looks like Chow Yuen Fatt. Although this is not the first time I'm meeting Mr Chow, ..oops, Mr Lam, it is one of the rare occasions I've seen him without his headgear, and with a stretch of the imagination, yeah, I can see the resemblance, hence the shameless posing with the star.

Deep Fried Duck With White Sesame Seed, and Sauteed lamb shoulder with romaine lettuce.

The deep fried duck, a specialty dish, that is becoming rarer amongst young chefs due to the tedious cooking process, is a treat to the palate. An interesting combination of textures and flavours. The duck is seasoned, steamed, dried, coated with egg white, fried with sesame seeds, resulting in something rather unique that we do not often see.

Basically a lamb sang choy bao (lettuce wrap), except I am PRETTY sure it wasn't romaine lettuce as per the menu. Iceberg la. Anyway, I am usually not a lamb fan, but I honestly couldn't tell it was lamb, ...I thought it was beef. Any lamby smell is masked by the strong flavoured vegetables, like capsicums, ionions, and of course, the chillies which seemed spicier in this dish. I wolfed this down in two bites.

My favourite dish for the night, the Hunan Style Hot and Sour soup. According to Chef Wang, the origins of hot sour soup are rather pedestrian, and it's meant to be a simple peasant soup, with the most basic of ingredients, like beancurd, a few strands of bamboo shoot, etc. Of course it has evolved and certainly in a 5 star dining venue like Chynna, it's almost a meal by itself. Mushrooms, Bamboo Shoots, Salted Vegetable, (cha choy), fried chicken, tofu, in a LAVALLY (since it was hot and spicy) broth, (credit to instagrammer friend for that inspired word).

We are accustomed to the Szechuan style of the namesake soup, which is oilier and hotter. I prefer this Hunan version, which despite the heat, has a certain serenity in its clearness. According to Chef Wang, the Hunan chillies are meant to enhance flavour, and open up the palate, rather than burning and numbing the senses.

Steamed Turbot with Chilli Sauce.

Now, Chef Wang brought along three ingredients with him from Hunan, Fermented Laba Beans, Chopped Fermented Chilli, and Pickled Chilli Padi (obviously it's not called that).

The reason turbot is the chosen fish is because it's quite rarely available, is in a league worthy of a restaurant like Chynna, (I mean, you can't jolly well serve kembung regardless of how delicious it is), and its firm flesh (say opposed to a Marble Goby or Soon Hock) makes it perfect for presentation and well as texture. And indeed, the sweet flesh of the turbot, with that hot imported chillis, was good to the last bone. The sauce on its own is a tad salty, but with the fish, perfect.

My second most favourite dish was the fried rice with laba beans and chicken. Laba beans look like our small fermented beans (tou choo? ) but the texture is firmer, and not as salty. They added a lovely dimension to the already delicious fried rice. I love fried rice when the grains are individuals, (you see, I'm an introvert), not grouping together but yet complementing each other in the wider scheme of things. Paired with this FANTASTIC chilli the Chef Wang brought from Hunan, divine!!!! I shamelessly had two helpings of the fried rice. #fatdieme

Chopped Chilli From Hunan

Fermented Laba Beans from Hunan

So privileged for us to be dining with two acclaimed chefs, on the same table.

Meanwhile Chef Lam, who had to act as a translator, since most of us useless chinese flers can't speak Mandarin, did a sterling job in communicating Chef Wang's intentions, and commentaries. On the issue of chilli, Chef Lam had this to say....

Their's can grow very big ......

Our Malaysian ones ah, very small only ....

Worried that we still looked hungry, Ee Laine, the Marcomm Exec who was the loveliest host, ordered Chef Lam's signature lamb with cumin dish for us to try. That certainly filled us up, Crispy battered lamb with a crown of alfalfa and herbs that tasted rather middle eastern, like tabbouleh, and a distinct cumin flavour.

Fried Potato Cakes with lotus seeds and assorted fruit platter, as dessert. Ok, honestly, it looked rather ordinary, two battered pikelets, but it did not belie the actual contents.

Fabulous texture and taste. I loved this dessert, as it wasn't too sweet, and was really quite unique. The texture was chewy yet tender, and the flavours subtle. I reckon it would pair with another wam sweet soupy dessert, like honey sea coconut or any tong shui, but maybe it's not the Hunan way.

Chef Wang oversees the Chinese kitchen at Hilton Shenzhen Shekou Nanhai. Hunan or Xiang Cuisine comes from a province that has an age old reputation as a land of fish and rice and is one of the "EIGHT GREAT TRADITIONS" of Chinese gastronomy.

The Hunan Cuisine Promotion with Chef Wang STARTS ON 25th MAY TILL 7th JUNE 2015.

Chynna Restaurant
Hilton Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: 03-2264 2598

My recent experience at Svago Cucina E Musica At KLL

You can read the full review here... on Findit

http://www.findit.com.my/kuala-lumpur/svago-cucina-e-musica-restaurants-390622

I will not regurgitate what was written about Svago in findit.com.my, but basically, I found the place on the pricey side, and the fact that only serve imported bottled water, without even the option of a cheaper local brand, was really off putting. It's one thing to pay for good food, but seriously, we're not in the middle of the sahara, and it's a pet peeve of mine to feel slaughtered because of water. Nor did they have the house sauvignon blanc that I wanted, so had to settle for the Pinot Grig, which was more expensive, ...marginally, but that's not the point. One would expect an establishment as this NOT to run out of your house wine, surely. How difficult can it be to stock a house wine.

The buns and butter were the best things about this place.

Soft shell crab salad. It was passable, but nothing to shout about. (RM44.50 net)

The Clam Chowder (RM32.50) was excellent, though not hot enough, but I suspect it's only the chinks who like to scald their tongues whilst drinking soup. Creamy but not chokingly so, and small but fresh clams which were succulent and went well with the lovely crusty buns.

King Scallops with Charred Corn, RM103 (prices are net, inclusive of the oppresive mandatory taxes). From the sample given to me by the wife, it was rather tough and leathery, which is a pity because it LOOKED so promising. Actually I am not sure if it's the genus of scallop that imparts the various textures, but I personally like the texture of scallops in chinese restaurants, which are served with stir fried vegetables. The flavours are retained, there's a sweet succulentness about the whole thing.

My Black Angus Ribeye with a hint of watercress (the mains do not include sides, which start at RM14 per side), at RM150 net ...well, to put it mildly, was spectacularly average.

There's a lovely bar area overlooking the KLCC park and fountains, which actually, our window side table should have the same view, but the windows hadn't been cleaned for awhile I gather, so it was like staring into a THICK FOG, where you pray you don't hit an iceberg.

Located at the corner of Suria KLCC on the Mandarin Oriental side, on the first floor above Limoncello.

Again, read the full review HERE.

Events held on Monday nights are usually dismissed in my mind as affairs that will be as wholesome as an oatmeal cookie, so no precautions are taken, lulled into a false sense of "security", much like the rhythm method.

Even the words Diageo, and this entire sentence in the invite, "WORLD CLASS™ is excited to announce that Kuala Lumpur will play host to the Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS™, the industry’s most prestigious and respected mixology competition" didn't seem to raise any alarm bells...all because it was a Monday night, and WHO, I ask you, above 40, parties on a Monday night.

Nevertheless, I dutifully make my way through the crawling Sprint highway, towards HYDE at 53M, Damansara Utama, venue of the event. The Sprint is anything BUT SPRINT, at that hour.

Miraculously, I arrive on time, ahead of anyone else, and fortunately spotted a familiar famous face, that of Kelly Siew. Who was drinking this pretty lil cocktail, that looked far too pretty for me. The cocktail, I mean.

Basically, the event is one of the industry's most prestigious mixology competitions, whereby Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS™ has trained over 15,000 bartenders worldwide, and for this particular event, 15 of the best bartenders in Malaysia are vying for the prize which will bring them to the Regional Finals in Bangkok and onwards to the Global Finals in South Africa. Needless to say, cocktails are made using the fine quality spirits from the Diageo Reserve Luxury Collection. The drink du jour was the Tanqueray Ten, and the theme was A HISTORY OF LONDON.

Technicalities aside, we were introduced to three of the fifteen bartenders for the night,

SHAWN CHONG from OMAKASE & APPRECIATE

INSAN SHARILY from TATE

OSMUND ILLAH, from HUBBA HUBBA

Location is everything, and by virtue of the fact that we parked ourselves in front of him, Osmund became my favourite bartender for the night. But that aside, he's always so smiley, and I loved his Grapefruit Rickey cocktail, which was a concoction of Tanqueray No 10, grapefruit juice and lime juice. The problem as with most cocktails, it is deceptively innocuous, but actually deadly potent. The Tanqueray No 10 has 47% alcohol per volume.

When I heard Robin Serchan of Restaurant Nepal was going to be there, I knew it was going to be a good night.

Osmund doing his thang.

Insan's cocktail was a Southside, a refreshing combination of Tanqueray No 10, Mint, Lime and syrup, which actually is the same composition as a Mojito, but using Gin instead of rum. Again deceptively harmless, and delightfully easy to down.

Shawn's Perfect Martini, made from Tanqueray No 10 and French Vermouth. Perfect for me because it wasn't sweet, as some tend to be, especially those made by ladies. The use of orange peel instead of olive also added a nice twist. Literally, as the peel twists up.

There you have it, the Grapefruit Rickey, the Perfect Martini, and The Southside.

After we were like cocktailed out, Osmund very kindly fixed us a traditional Gin & Tonic, using grapefruit instead of lemon. It was delightfully thirst quenching, back to basics kind of of drink!!!

The Fifteen Bartenders in the competition are:

1. Arsenio Mariano Jr. - Nobu
2. Daniel Eman- Las Caretas
3. Dedi Pranata - Souled Out
4. Edward Tang - Skybar
5. Hafiz Hisham - Chamber’s Bar
6. M.Hanafi - Qba
7. Insan Sharily - Tate
8. Jeffri Sulaiman - Mr. Brooks
9. Joel Timis - The View
10. John Yap - Majestic
11. Khir Johari - CuBen
12. Naresh Kumar - Qba
13. Osmund Illah - Hubba Hubba
14. Samuel Mesol - Hubba Hubba
15. Shawn Chong - Omakase & Appreciate

Wishing them all the best, and hoping they make it to the finals and make Malaysia proud, or at leat the drinking section of Malaysia.

EPILOGUE: For a Monday night, let's put it this way, .... the following Tuesday was a total write off for me. Thanks muchly Evonne!!!

I realise that this is not a usual topic that I would choose to write about, as it is neither related to food or holidays, but it is a topic that is close to my heart. With four kids in tow, some of whom are rather active outdoors, one always worries as a parent, that that dreaded white striped aedes mosquito would impart that dreaded dengue fever. And personally as well, I enjoy jogging and walking in parks in the evening. The trick to that usually is to never stay stationary, because when you do, you become a mosquito magnet.

So when I was invited to attend a seminar and awareness workshop held by Sanofi Pasteur, I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn more about this dreaded fever that has afflicted quite a number of my friends already in recent times.

According to the press release provided, "dengue has become the most rapidly expanding mosquito-borne infectious disease on the planet, surpassing malaria (actually one hardly hears of anyone contracting malaria) and infecting at least 390 million people per year. As of 17 May, there were 43,126 cases of dengue reported in Malaysia, a 34% increase compared against the same reporting period in 2014 according to the Department of Health, Malaysia."

By this time I was feeling rather gloomy. Even more startling were the fatalities caused by dengue, which is almost 50% higher in quarter 1, with 136 deaths reported. That is more than a death a day!!

Sanofi Pasteur in conjunction with ASEAN Dengue Day hosted a media workshop sharing new and revealing local attitudes and insights into the dengue epidemic gripping the country recognising dengue to be a national health threat.

In his welcome address to workshop participants, Mr Baptiste De Clarens, Managing Director of Vaccines for Sanofi Pasteur (Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei) said:
“With the current uptrend on dengue infections in Malaysia, building awareness is a priority. In 2014, Malaysia saw a big increase in dengue, in fact a three-fold increase from the 2013 numbers. More worrying is the general public apathy that surrounds the topic of dengue.

A luminary panel comprising the following people conducted the workshop and subsequently hosted a Q&A session:

Mr Baptiste De Clarens, Managing Director of Vaccines for Sanofi Pasteur (Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei)
Katharine Davis, Managing Director, Ipsos
Associate Professor Dr Zetti Zainol Rashid, Senior Lecturer & Clinical Microbiologist in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine – University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC)
Professor Datin Dr. Chia Yook Chin from the Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur (UMMC)
Dr. Shahnun Ahmad, Associate Medical Director for Sanofi Pasteur Malaysia.

Some myths vs truths about dengue that were highlighted:

Misconception #1: Only the very young and the old are at risk of dengue infection.
TRUTH: Everyone, including young adults are at risk.

Misconception #2: Malaysians feel that they are Knowledgeable about Dengue
TRUTH: While Awareness on Dengue is at a high, only 11% foresee being at high risk

Misconception #3: Dengue is Not Life Threatening
TRUTH: There is No Known Cure for Dengue, Early Detection Saves Lives

Carried mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, dengue is widespread throughout the tropics, with local variations in risk influenced by rainfall, temperature and unplanned rapid urbanisation – all of which are key factors making Malaysia a high-risk country. In fact, dengue is highly endemic in Malaysia where all four dengue virus serotypes are found.

The four Serotypes are DENV1, DENV2, DENV3, DENV4, and recovery from one serotype, whilst giving you immunity to that particular strain, does NOT immunize from subsequent infections by other strains.

I thought this concept of having a graphic artist to sketch the contents of the presentation was rather novel.

Malaysia by the way, is amongst the Top 10 highest dengue endemic countries, with Brazil heading the list with 447,000 average number of cases from 2004-2010. Malaysia is ranked 9th, with 42,569, but actually as a percentage of the population, I suspect we could be ranked even higher per capita.

RANDOM FACT: Dengue is not seasonal, and is reported throughout the year. It is also most common in adolescents and young adults (Age 15-29 years) mainly because they lead more active outdoor lives and are less sedentary.

Another gloomy statistic is Malaysia dengue fever deaths have more than tripled in 2014, as reported in BBC news on 23 Sept 2014.

The people at greatest risk of more severe illness are
- Young Children
- Elderly
- Obese (yikes)
- Diabetics
- People With Leukemia and who are on cancer drugs

SYMPTOMS

- Non specific
- Fever, usually very high
- Severe muscle and joint aches
- Headaches
- Running nose and sore throat
- Nausea and Vomitting
- Rash -: Generalised "white in a sea of red"

SIGNS OF DENGUE
- General Appearance
- Temperature
- Blood Pressure, pulse
- Blood Flow, warm, cold and clammy
- Hydration (or dehydration)
- Bleeding gums, period
- Rash: dengue rash or bleeding spot rash

We have all heard stories of the traumatising waits for blood test results etc.
There is a test called the NS1 test, which apparently is rapid detection on 1st day of fever, before antibodies appear (which happens day5 or later). However, according to Prof Chia, the test is relatively expensive.
The usual blood test is done after Day 5 or later to determine platelet, cmematocrit and white count.

TREATMENT FOR DENGUE

- Sadly, there's no specific medication
- No antibiotics needed
- Treatment is supportive
- Hydration (apparently, don't just drink water alone, drink caloried drinks, such as milk and fruit juices, isotonic electrolyte sol, barley/rice water....water alone may cause electrolyte imbalance)
- Try to lower the fever by sponging
- If very ill, admission

AVOID
- Acetylsalicyclic acid (Aspirin), mefenamic acid (ponstan), ibuprofen or other non steroidal anti inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) or steroids

PREVENTION
- Clean environment
- Do not allow mosquitoes to breed
- Avoid mosquito bites
- Vaccination...

Which leads us to the issue of vaccination.
As a layman attending this workshop, I felt slight surge of hope, because the message I got was that there is a vaccine in the pipeline, which will cover all the four serotypes, I hope that this will see the light of day very soon.

[disclaimer: this post is not meant to be use as a medical reference, all information is provided by the organisers of the event]

SUMMARY: RM110 nett per person
PERIOD: 22nd June - 16th July

Time just flies, and in the blink of an eye, the holy month of Ramadhan begins this week. Whilst the faithful fast and contemplate, and traffic in Kuala Lumpur miraculously clears after 7.30pm, a whole slew of buffet options become available to cater for the hungry. Of course it's arguable if this goes against the very spirit of fasting, and there is numerous discourse, but we are not here to discuss the theological aspects, suffice to say, it is a time when friends and family do make a concerted effort across the board to get together for that meaningful meal upon the breaking of a long day of fasting.

To the un-informed, (I'm very presumptuously assuming that I have readers from around the globe), the fasting month, Ramadhan, is observed by Muslims all around the world, and for one month, they fast, abstaining from food AND drink, from dawn to dusk. The muezzin call at dusk, Maghrib, is the call to break the fast, and people everywhere will stop for a moment to break their fast, be it they are in the car, in a jam, or wherever. After prayers, they usually partake in a meal. This year, Ramadhan is expected to start on 18th of June.

My first taste of these Ramadhan buffets is at Nook, Aloft, KL Sentral, where they are featuring Chef’s A-List Malaysian Feast.

Chef Adri and team are offering Chef’s star dishes such as Roasted Whole Lamb, Stuffed Whole Lamb Kuzi served with Nasi Briyani, Beef Shin Rendang, Sambal Udang Petai, Nook’s steamed chicken rice with condiments, Turmeric Nasi Lemak, Sarawak Laksa and not forgetting, Nook’s fun Ice Kacang.

The beef shin rendang was particularly outstanding, falling off the bone melt in the mouth, with all that lovely flavours of rendang. Actually the non- fancy normal rendang was also very good. I loved their spread of ulam ulamans, and the various combinations of salads and rojak.

There's also a wide array of premarinaded seafood which is barbequed. More curries that should satisfy even the most fussy curry eater.

This was the rendang I was talking about.... lovely moist and succulent.

Definitely one of the highlights, although some people asked if this was a CAMEL?!!! when I posted it on facebook. Duhhh...it's LAMB!

Another section that I liked was the noodle section, as they have the option of a SARAWAK LAKSA broth.

A wide selection of traditional Malay kuihs, and ice kacang.

My dining companions for the night, the famous Kelly Siew and Partner, the famous Chyuan Tiffin guy.

A-list Malaysian Feast buffet is priced at RM110nett per person and early bird is available from 1 May until 21 June at RM90nett for 30 vouchers and below and RM80nett for 31 vouchers and above! Chef’s A-List Malaysian Feast is available from 22 June till 16 July 2015.

Nook is located at Level 1, Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral and is open daily from 6.30am to 12am. For more information, please call +603 2723 1154 or zip an email to nook.03758@alofthotels.com

I've never really bothered to check out the sprawling grounds of the Saujana Hotel, I guess because we usually go at night, but this time, in the late evening, I got to see the poolside and lake, which really is quite ideal for outdoor events. So when the press release says, "experience a buka puasa amidst lush tropical gardens"...it's actually quite true.

More than 150 varietsy of dishes with an "eat as much as you want" DURIAN stall (now that's a first for me, in a hotel)

...a live Ghazi band, 18-live action hawker stalls

..Freshly made and tossed roti canai

Friendliest looking Satay guy ever...

Roast Lamb on a spit... with the Chef detailing how it is to be carved...

Other live hawker stalls will be Ayam Percik, Kerang Bakar, Thai stall with tom yam, etc, Chinese (assorted dim sums, chee cheong fun), Nyonya, (laksa, popiah basah, rojak), Indian, Arabic, Japanese, ...oh my, that's a LOT.

Some things, although not quite practical, bring a blast from the past, and are so much more pleasant to look at than say the modern ice shaving machine. The guy who was operating this was huffing and puffing after one bowl, and he did say that when the real buffet starts, they will be using an ice machine.

This freshly made roti canai was SOOOO GOOD, I initially asked for HALF a piece, but went back for seconds and devoured the whole thing. I know, it seems a waste to load up with such carbs at a buffet, but this was really good.

Another item I thought was noteworthy is the Sup Ekor....aromatic spicy soup with meat falling off the ox tail...

The chicken rendang was also excellent. It was screaming out for some lemang to accompany it actually.

Condiments for the Satay...Oh, Satay was tender and juicy too, I might add.

A plate of the roast lamb, and no, I did not have all of that. Not a fan of lamb, but if you are, you'd love this.

An impressive spread of ulam ulamans, and a variety of other salads and condiments as well. I did not try it, but that smoked salmon salad (bottom left) apparently was so good, that the lady from Malaysian Tatler had seconds.

Apart from that, Kerabu Mangga Muda, Lemang Pulut With Serunding, Bubur Lambuk Udang, Daging Rendang Minang, Gulai Kambing With Pucuk Pegaga, Kari Ketam With Nenas, Ikan Patin Masak Pindang are just a few of many highlights in this lavish spread.

Bread and butter pudding, and assorted Malay Kuih, but the winner was the pengat pisang.

The poolside buffet is priced at RM134 for adults and RM65 for children between 6-12.

At Charcoal, the buffet is RM146 for adults and RM73 for children between 6-12.

For group bookings of 10 persons or more, there is 10% off with special group dining deal.

For reservations, call 03-2843 1234 .

The Ramadan buffet starts from 18 June to 15th July.

Since Veuve Clicquot really IS my favourite bubbly, (no offence to the other excellent brands that hail from Champagne, these things are very personal and subjective), I shamelessly solicited an invite from the kind people at MHD and Geometry Global... and double bonus, the event was held at Brasserie Enfin, under the famous James Won, whom I had read so much about, so it promised to be a great afternoon.

Located in the trendy Oasis Square which, Brasserie Enfin has a lovely cheerful interior, suited to the bright orange theme that characterises Veuve Cliquot. Cute plastic champagne flutes veer away from the traditional sleek and slender crystal flutes, as Veuve seeked to create an atmosphere of casual conviviality, and there is something about the bright oranginess that lightens the spirit...even before the contents does so.

Various pictures with narratives tell the story of Veuve Clicquot, ...

And finally, a context to the picture that is on the metal clasp of every Veuve bottle of champagne, Madame Clicquot herself, the first French lady entrepreneur and business woman, according to Wine Maker Pierre Casenave.

The menu sounded scintillating, and we eagerly awaited the arrival of the food to pair with that glorious stream of bubbles, which in the afternoon, and on and empty stomach, does have a rather pleasant heady effect.

It's not often you get served by the MHD guys themselves I can tell you that!!!

The lovely Cherry Koh introducing Pierre and James.....

Pierre Casenave grew up in the pyrenees atlantiques, renowned for tapas, ferias and rugby. He is an oenologist at the Champagne House Veuve Clicquot in Reims, France since 2008. He has also been wine maker at prestigious wineries in St Emilion, Pomerol, and well as the South African Stellenbosch wine region and in California.

James Won, the guy behind Brasserie Enfin...sharing with us his menu and pairing notes...

To start, an amuse bouche of chicken liver parfait. James explained that he does not use foie gras, (I guess this is quite a divisive issue between chefs), but promised us a treat to the palate with this smooth buttery parfait. Indeed, one morsel of this was not enough, and paired with the Yellow Label, a perfect match.

This amazing scallop torchon, chicken skin, sevruga (I've only ever read about beluga and sevruga in books, and it was mentioned in Disney's Little Mermaid), caviar and oyster emulsion. That mast like thing is actually chicken skin, and it is TO DIE FOR. So delicious, I could eat the skin from a whole chicken, I reckon. I recall James mentioning that the skin from his signature chicken fed with cordyceps is even better. The oyster swimming in the emulsion, foamy as it was, was ethereal, and glided down the throat. Those were no ordinary oysters, but Kelly Oysters, from Ireland. (not from Kelly Thean of Geometry)....

As we ate, Pierre Casenave did enlighten us on some facts about VC... founded in 1772, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin has stayed true to its motto "Only One Quality, The Finest" and the Maison is effectively the hard work of the exceptional Barbe Nicole Ponsardin, also known as Madame Veuve Clicquot, whose portrait I alluded to earlier.

Not sharing my lovely skin with Melissa....

The second entree was the Lamb Eye of Short Loin Carpaccio, confit strawberries, puff cherry, champagne mustard, paired with the gorgeous and elegant Veuve Clicquot Rose. Very interestingly using lamb instead of beef, this rather primal dish is an acquired taste. Whilst there was miraculously absolutely no ovine odour, which I find as I age, I am more averse to, I still feel that the gift of fire to Prometheus was specifically for use on meats...so thankfully I had copious amounts of Rose to wash down that troglodyte rawness. However, if you do like carpaccios, (isn't that the surname of the Titanic guy? Leonardo De Carpaccio?), then you would LOVE this.

Not sure if the shades are meant to hide a prior hangover...

The host, Pierre Casenave and the Chef James Won

Another interesting story was about these racks for the cellar in the sea, which the narrative pretty much self explains....

And then, we were in for a treat, with the piece de resistance of the day, the Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame, which till now, I've only ever heard about.

Packed in an elegant box, the bottle is not revealed immediately when you open the lid of the box, but instead, it swivels on the internal turntable to reveal the Grande Dame....very dramatic entrance for a bottle of champagne.

And as if the Grande Dame wasn't a treat by itself, it was paired with the Trio of Pork Shoulder, Belly and Rib. The pork belly with the crispy crackling was melt in the mouth, literally, with its sublime layers of fat, with perfect fat to meat ratio, (though the more health conscious did not agree), whilst the pork shoulder stuffed in a raviolo ...well, that was a bit too al dente for me, though the pork within was fine.

The La Grande Dame 2004 is 61% Pinot Noir, 39% Chardonnay and is an exclusive blend of their 8 historic Grand Curs: Ay, Bouzy, Ambonnay, Verzy, Verzenay, Avise, Oger and Le Mesnilsur -Oger.
The luminous body is shimmering gold with amber glints, abundantly effervescent, with elegant fruity notes of white peach and bergamot, with a crisp and silky texture.

It really was quite a delightful treat, and the pairing of the La Grande Dame with that Trio of Pork, together with the wonderful ambience of the afternoon made it a winning trifecta.

For dessert, Citrus Textures and cloud, ...the dehydrated orange was gorgeous, and the varying textures of citrus were fascinating. Paired with the Yellow Label, it was a wonderful end to a wonderful meal.

To end, Pierre reminded us that good champagne isn't only a good oparing for any food adventure, but it's also a bond which unites daring, confident and sophisticated individuals ..just like the woman behind this quality and fine champagne, Madame Clicquot.

When I got the invitation to attend a Workshop on Korean Strawberries, the last thing on my mind was making decorative dishes for children who are difficult eaters, as my own brood never have any problem scarfing down any food that is laid before them, as children should.

The event was held in Acme South, Bangsar Village, where an area had been cordoned off, and tables converted to workstations complete with piping bags, chocolate, strawberries, chopping boards, and zucchini leaving me rather curious as to the relationship between strawberries and the courgettes.

I arrived in time to see the announcement of winners of contest on Maehyang Strawberries from Korea. Maehyang strawberries are the most prized among the fruits, and Jinju in South Korea produces most of them. It is the main strawberry producing region in the country.

Euro-Atlantic Sdn Bhd organized a nationwide contest for Maehyang strawberries from 2 March to 30 April 2015, during their promotion period. This is the third year it has been doing so, after receiving overwhelming response from consumers of Korean strawberries. This year, the contest was extended to East Malaysia.

The Grand Prize Winner of the contest received a trip for two to Korea for six days and four nights, with Samsung mobile phones for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize winners. There were 10 consolation prizes of a Euro-Atlantic Fruit Basket worth RM100 each.

Compared with other strawberry varieties, Maehyang strawberries are generally of higher quality but they are more difficult to cultivate. So in South Korea a nickname has been given to them: ‘Noble Strawberries’. Though they are marketed at comparatively higher prices, Maehyang strawberries are very popular with domestic consumers in South Korea as well.
Maehyang strawberries have a striking red hue, a shining appearance, and a more conical shape. They have an arresting scent like fruit-flavoured candy compared to the muskier, more earthy scent of other strawberries. The taste is strong and sweet, without lingering on the tongue. They are comparatively less moist and thus crunchier, which suit Malaysia consumers. Korean strawberries are an excellent source of fibre and antioxidants. They help to regulate blood pressure and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Today, Maehyang strawberries are seeing a steady rise in demand compared to strawberries from other parts of the world. The Korean strawberries season starts in late November and ends in early May.

In conjuction with the awards ceremony, there was the food art workshop conducted by well-known international food artist Lee Samantha, who explained that she got into food art to feed her children. My, clearly parenting styles have evolved over the years, in my day, you don't eat, off to bed with you and tough luck. I myself also cannot imagine decorating food for the kids for the sake of getting them to eat.

Anyway, the objective was to create a plate resembling something shown below, a strawberry house with a charming zucchini roof, and cute little korean girl standing in front, ...but participants were free to use their own creative license to create whatever they wished with the eclectic combination of fruit, veg, bread and chocolate...

This gentleman here obviously is quite creative, and was painfully slicing pieces of something or other to make a thatched rood...

Some of the "masterpieces" of berry good work....

Top Prize Winners: (for the contest, not for the food art workshop)

Grand Prize Winner is Yeoh Siew Leng from Penang
First Prize Winner is Mohd Radzib Bin Karim from Selangor
Second Prize Winner is Bak Mei Kiew from Penang.
Third Prize Winner is Shein Wen Yee from Kuala Lumpur.

Consolation Price Winners
Lee Gui Zhi
Leong Heong Siew
Mak Ming Jie
Ngai Yee Choo
Vivian Lee Si Ling
Mohd Hamri bin Md Yusuf
Kok Lee Yoong
Chen Kah Yee
Fenny Wee Yet Foon
Carmela Tsen Swee Jin

About Euro-Atlantic Sdn Bhd
Euro-Atlantic Sdn Bhd is a leading importer and distributor of specialty fruits, vegetables and marine produce based in Kuala Lumpur.
Euro-Atlantic was the first importer of Korean strawberries 10 years ago and its imports increase 20 to 30 per cent every year.
This season Euro-Atlantic’s total importation is 150 tonnes for Korean Strawberries. Strawberries are considered our biggest importation for exotic berries and apart from Korea, we also bring them in from USA, New Zealand, Australia and other countries when they are in season.
With over two decades of experience in the industry, Euro-Atlantic has raised the bar in the Malaysian fresh produce import business with its continuous search for new and emerging food sources and heavy investments in state-of-the-art cold rooms and equipment.
Euro-Atlantic is a proud recipient of the globally esteemed HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certification, a Swiss internationally recognized system of food safety management. Euro-Atlantic has four subsidiaries:
1. Euro-Atlantic (Penang) Sdn Bhd (EAPG) since 2001
2. C-Food Portions Sdn Bhd (CFP) since 2007
3. Euro Atlantic (Sabah) Sdn Bhd (EAKK) since 2011
4．Euro Atlantic (Johor) Sdn Bhd (EAJ) opening in June 2015
Today, Euro-Atlantic is recognized and respected by industry players for its uncompromising emphasis on quality and service.

44@APW, A Cute Lil Pop Up Cocktail Bar

A Lovely Afternoon Soiree at Jeff's Place - Private Dining Supperclub

Living Food by Ashley's....Living Around the World Menu

The Launch of Fifty Six Degrees, a "Malaysian" Brand

My Very "Atas" Experience at the Chaine Des Rotisseurs Dinner, Courtesy of Lady Linda Bearne

Norwegian Seafood Fest At the Intercontinental Buffet Spread. Hurry, 24-27th March Only

A Magnum-minous Lunch At the Magnum Shop

Macallan Mario Testino ... Whisky Dreams and Fantasies...

Ipuddo Revisited, New Menu

Siam New Stuff At Rama V

Chandon Wine Pairing At EGG (Eight Gourmet Gala)

Chandon Summer Limited Edition 2015 - Why Not Finish The Job, Just Kill Me Now.... PHASE 2

Guest Chef Wang at Chynna, Hilton Kuala Lumpur - Hankering for Hunan?

Svago Cucina E Musica At KLCC

Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS™ Mixology Competition

Dengue Does Not Discriminate - An Awareness Workshop by Sanofi Pasteur

Another Year, Another Ramadhan is nigh, Iftar at Nook, Aloft

Buka Puasa Buffet At Charcoal or Poolside, Saujana Resort

A Veuve Clicquot Afternoon Soiree With Pierre Casenave At Brasserie Enfin

Korean Strawberries ...And A Workshop On How to Decorate Your Kids Food