masak-masak

Antoinette @ Mandarin Gallery, Singapore

2012-01-29T00:48:00.001+08:00

Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone.

How has the Water Dragon been treating you so far?

I kinda feel like Stella who lost her groove as my zeal to blog is a little waning...but like all good people, I better get back in the saddle quickly or else, I reckon I will be fined again for blog abandonment issues.

I'm clearing the mountain of backlog...including posts I had from last year during a whirlwind trip to Singapore. Since half of the family is there, usually time is devoted to them but I do manage to sneak some time out to check out this place Antoinette.

The French may turn up their noses to this Laduree doppelganger-like cafe but it seems this place is so hot that you need to queue for at least 30 minutes or more to score a table here (they don't take reservations here unlike their other outlet). Designed like a French boudoir with a matte gold ceiling, chandeliers and black and white sketches, it makes a pleasant place to partake a cuppa provided you have ounces of patience for the long wait.

One thing you will notice is the clientele is predominantly female with a scattering of faithful boyfriends or hubbies in tow. And...maybe because I was there just before Xmas, they were all dressed to kill for tea for major camwhoring sessions. Singaporeans, please enlighten me..is that the norm and they follow Tokyo where the girls like to dress up for tea sessions?

Since the tummy was rather full from lunch, I settled for French Toast with salty caramel.

Made from rich buttery brioche, this came with a vanilla seed studded whipped cream. I rather enjoyed this - mopping the decadent caramel with just the right hint of saltiness with my fluffy butter laden bread.

All around me, most people were ordering the breakfast items - all day breakfast choices with eggs, 24 hour baguettes, blinis (not shaped like small ones it seems but pancake sized) and eggs including an Egg Florentine. Another popular choice seemed to be pasta with egg, club sandwiches. The Queen of France may turn in her grave though as there's burgers in the menu. Maybe she can be appeased with sweet and savoury crepes or better still...her favourite cake.

In front of the restaurant stands an enticing array of sweet treats - Religieuse of caramel with fleur de sel (Looking prim with her nun's wimpole), Saint Honore L'Amour topped with a red rose petal, mont blancs (chestnuts mountains), Le Royale with its dark chocolate cloak, and etc. There are also an array of jewel-like macarons. On the side table, are the meringues, kouglof, caneles and etc to tempt you. So much to choose from, I can image those who love sweets will go crazy here.

I settle for the namesake, Antoinette. It is essentially a milk chocolate mousse infused with Earl Grey tea with a chocolate sponge cake and a bit of crunch within. On its own, it can be rather rich but pop the berry on top and a dribble of raspberry sauce seems to balance out the decadent chocolate goodness with a hit of tanginess.

In addition, I did pack some macarons home that I almost forgot. The baby blue boxes even resemble Laduree with their gold twirls on the side...just that it is not in pastel green. In general, the macarons were generously filled with ganache but flavours were a little on the artificial side I felt. Moreover, if you spot the pictures, the shells seem to have a grainy texture.

To sum it up, I guess this is your next best thing without flying to gay Paree for the real thing. Service is efficient and brisk. This happens to be part of Pang Kok Keong's sweet empire. Formerly from Les Amis and the man behind the Canele, this Parisian themed patisserie joins his Pique Nique, a laid back diner.

Antoinette
Mandarin Gallery
#02-33/34
Orchard Road
Singapore

Tel: 02- 6836 9527

(Non Halal. Open from 11am to 10pm daily. Only walk-ins so line up at the door for a table. Original outlet is at Penhas Road in Lavender. Also has places in Palais Rennaissance and Scarlette Hotel. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Chinese New Year 2012 @ Gu Yue Tien, Chulan Square, Kuala Lumpur

2012-01-17T01:17:00.001+08:00

When it comes to innovative and great tasting food, Gu Yu Tien trumps everyone in the market.

This year, their Chinese New Year offerings is a balance of old favourites (as many of their clientele can't do without) and something to summon the dragon, their Dragon Fish Yee Sang (RM98++ for 10 persons).

While Gu Yu Tien still maintain their healthy outlook for their yearly offering of the prosperity yee sang (green coral lettuce, golden raisins, pears, pomelo sacs, salmon sashimi, sesame seeds, strawberry sauce and crunchy "pok chui" crackers), this year sees the addition of these dragon like fishes. These sharp toothed sea fishes add a nice crunchy taste to the whole festivities.

Toss them around and they look like dragons flying in the sky, an auspicious way to usher in the new lunar year.

Nowadays with the outcry of cruelty to sharks, restaurants are saying no to the Chinese delicacy.

Gu Yue Tien tries to balance between the old and the new, offering the two varieties, one with and without.

However, a taste of this sumptuous thick seafood broth filled with crab roe, crab meat, prawn, scallop, squid and tofu cubes will make anyone happy (including those old folks) that they won't nag when they don't see those forbidden fins.

A must-have when you dine here is the superb salt baked Spanish Iberico spare ribs.

It is so finger licking good that you won't mind getting your hands dirty to eat every small morsel of the delicious meat.

I do love my Hunan food hence I was a little surprised to see Chef Frankie unveil these spicy dishes.

I've always pegged him as a Cantonese guy but he showed today his breadth of skills (seems he is also well versed with Shanghainese and Szechuan dishes).

Rather than any old steamed fish, he marries the Western favourite aka the halibut fish with a spicy chillies and garlic topping.

The fish flesh is perfectly steamed until it becomes a creamy texture with its omega rich oil content. The not overly spicy but well balanced chopped red chillies and garlic complement the whole dish so well that you end up lapping every delicious bit.

I've always loved the steamed fish here and for those who prefer more delicate flavours, you can opt instead for their steamed australia jade perch fish with light soy sauce. Another omega oil rich fish, the flesh is silky smooth especially when dipped in their aromatic but not overpowering sauce.

While Chef Frankie is open to all types of Chinese food, he prefers to keep his Szechuan dishes to a lower spice level for it to reveal its many layers of flavours.

For instance, he ingeniously pairs the classic Szechuan Ma Po Tofu (named after this pockmarked lady, claims the legend) with these silky smooth noodles. The flavours in this dish is incredibly controlled for you pick up its subtle nuances - the bean paste used in the sauce, each niblet of the minced meat, the silky tofu cubes and the chopped chillies. The slight spicy taste is rather appetizing too that seems to warrant seconds even though you are full to the brim.

From the fieriness, we cool down with the aromatic Chinese almonds cream. Boasting a strong flavour of the Chinese almonds (which are in truth apricot kernels), this was lusciously smooth. Chopped fruits add a textural contrast while the scoop of vanilla ice cream gives it a creamy cool edge.

Specially for the festive season and a must to keep those reporting Kitchen Gods abay from spreading nasty rumours about you, is the traditional nian gao.

Usually pan fried, Gu Yue Tien also does the steamed version that gives it a soft melt in the mouth texture that is seasoned with salt and rolled in fresh coconut shreds. A much healthier and unusual version compared to the pan fried one. While most of the Chinese New Year sets they have feature the pan fried nian gao, you can request for this healthier version if you like.

For the festive season, the restaurant has various menus to cater to your needs. Prices start from RM738++ to RM3,999++ for ten persons. They also cater to small parties (minimum two persons) so check out their offerings. (I will place the scanned menus in my Flickr set later in the day).

Gu Yue Tien
Lot B5-A, Chulan Square
92 Jalan Raja Chulan
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2148 0808

(Non Halal. Restaurant closed only on the first day of Chinese New Year but open throughout the celebrations. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)

*This is an invited review by the owner.

Chinese New Year 2012 @ Chef Choi Restaurant, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

2012-01-12T01:04:00.000+08:00

Tis the season for yee sang, the colourful salad that rings in our prosperity wishes.

Recently, we rolled off the celebrations with dinner at Chef Choi. It was actually more of a dinner to celebrate a friend's return from Europe and the USA with lots of goodies for us to savour.

Since the festive season was just round the corner, we also indulged in the festive goodies such as the yee sang. The version was very much the traditional one with the crunchy yam shreds, ocean trout sashimi and a drench of their yummy plum sauce.

Another festive must have is the lap mei fan and Chef Choi's version is a teensy weensy healthier with the use of low GI basmati rice instead of the normal white rice. While it means you sacrifice the crust, this version mean you can finish your rice happily after a full meal. The waxed meats are superb including the famous goose liver sausages from Hong Kong's Yung Kee. Surprisingly locally made lap cheong is used and it is just as good as the Hong Kong versions.

There was also a lot more indulging that night including this melt in the mouth braised pork shoulder served together with all those yummy Chinese New Year goodies such as mushrooms, fatt choy, dried oysters and fresh scallops.

We ate our greens in the form of braised wah wah choy with dried scallops dutifully as we knew more rich crazy carbs was coming our way. This braised dish is always a big favourite of mine that I often have second helpings of the smooth cabbage with the broth and dried scallops.

This was simply gorgeous - the special fried glutinous rice with Hong Kong goose liver sausage. If I wasn't so full from my lap mei fan, I would have eaten loads of this. The sausage adds a nice rich taste to the rice as each nibble bursts into a umami fat laden explosion in the mouth. Since we could not finish this, takeaways were packed and people were eyeing this for their supper or breakfast the next day.

Finally desserts to end the magnificent meal - the traditional crispy Chinese New Year cake with yam encased in a crispy batter and the very not traditional tiramisu. The tiramisu is simply gorgeous and very light tasting since beaten egg whites are folded to lighten the mascarpone cheese.

So much indulging with great food....thus the best thing of these festivals.

Chef Choi Restaurant
159, Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2163 5866

(Non Halal. For more details on the Chinese New Year set menus, see the Flickr set that also contains more pictures.)

*The meal was part of a private dinner between friends where the host paid for the meal.

Chinese New Year 2012 @ Elegant Inn, Menara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpur

2012-01-10T00:42:00.001+08:00

Toss your way to prosperity.....the Year of Dragon is just round the corner.

It feels like just yesterday that New Year zipped past us and now another big celebration is due on the horizon. I must admit I'm not ready for the celebrations. Nevertheless, there's no way to stop time from ticking away so the best thing is to make it a great celebration.

Elegant Inn is often our de facto choice for family dinners hence it was cool to get a preview of their Chinese New Year offerings. Makes planning for that all important reunion meal so much easier.

At the Hong Kong centric restaurant, even their yee sang is different - a combination of three items to make it even more bountiful - salmon, clams and crunchy jellyfish. Keeping health in mind and taste, their prosperity dish does not contain a single strand of pickled vegetable or deep fried shredded yam. Instead it is all vegetables - a medley of turnip, pear, radish, carrots, maybe just one pickled leek, pomelo, cucumber and ginger. There is also the must-haves aka the pok pok chui or crackers with a sprinkle of pepper, salt, oil, plum sauce and a generous sprinkle of coarsely ground peanuts.

The wait staff in Elegant Inn add a touch of specialty to the yearly affair by adding auspicious sayings. All the better I reckon to toss and lo sang away to good health, prosperity and whatever our heart wishes.

Once the salad is finished down to its last crunchy cracker, we enjoy a "simple" starter - crunchy salt and pepper coated oyster mushrooms paired with decadent smoked egg topped with a piece of pan fried foie gras.

Prawns are a must for the occasion since they signify happiness. You will be happy to get these sea based crustaceans lovingly coated in a light wine sauce. Believe me, the sauce is finger licking good that I ended up even chewing on the shells for every drop of its delicious sauce.

Next comes an interesting dish, a play of textures in the mouth and of course, the flavours. Nicknamed the crunchy Chinese sandwich, this was a layered beauty. First layer enclosing it was a pillow soft bun, followed by a crispy chicken skin lightly touched with prawn paste that sandwiches a crunchy soybean skin nacho. Lastly a piece of Chinese ham completes this delectable sandwich that you has you clamoring for more.

The piece de resistance was the old fashioned braised pork cartilage rib slow cooked for four hours to fork tender meat and soft bone. The green radish and carrot balances out the rich taste of the dish that you wish you had a bowl of rice to soak up every drop of that delectable liquid.

One must not forget Elegant Inn's infamous lap mei fan. The waxed meats are all handpicked from Hong Kong with a rice that is cooked to fluffy perfection with just a teeny weeny crust at the bottom.

My personal favourite was the simmered Chinese cabbage with Japanese dried scallops and HK dried prawns. The vegetable is cooked till tender and infused with the lovely aroma from the dried seafood that I had to have seconds of this dish.

Like a person once told me before, dessert is reserved for a second stomach. Not sure if this is a true since I don't think we have the anatomy of a cow that boasts of multiple stomachs.

However, when it comes to sweets, we seem to always find a way to consume it including such seasonal items like the New Year cake or ning ko. Elegant Inn's version is just pan fried till it becomes a soft delectable gooey cake with crispy sides. They also make their own hazelnut cookies that have a simple yet alluring taste. Pair this with a lovely red bean paste with black glutinous rice.

Last but not least, a meal is never complete at Elegant Inn without my favourite dessert, their fluffy Ma Lai Koh or steamed cake. The pillow soft steamed cakes are gorgeous and always a must order for the family.

I reckon this meal at Elegant Inn has sealed the deal on where we'll be eating reunion dinner soon. How about you? Where will dinner be? Homeward bound or out at the restaurant for the celebrations.

Elegant Inn
Second Floor
Podium Block
Menara Hap Seng
Jalan P Ramlee
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2070 9399

(Non Halal. For the festive season, there are also a variety of Chinese New Year menus starting from RM1, 088 for 10 persons. Enquire within for the full set meal details.)

*This meal was an invited one. For more pictures and the set menus, see the Flickr set.

Kuala Lumpur Frozen Treats - Gelato and Sorbet Popsicles

2012-01-05T02:46:00.000+08:00

Happy 2012. The long silence was a well deserved break from blogging. Blame it on work, a lot of partying, general laziness to even start the Mac every night or maybe just the rain....or the lack of it?

Am back with the first post for the year (pats her own back with a smug smile) with new fangled popsicles crafted from gelato and sorbet. Just think of it as upgrading the "ais krim potong" we all grew up with. These modern sticks are said to be made from all natural ingredients that gives it a creamier bite that beats those commercial sticks filled with palm oil or non dairy elements hands down.

As usual, our city is always a follower versus a trend setter and these gelato popsicles first made waves in New York since 2010. Last year, Singapore joined the pop (pun intended) line up too. Unlike those generic over the counter ice cream popsicles, these lickable portable babies pack more intense flavour as you slowly savour each bite of the popsicle.

Here is my initial look at what Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya is offering. With this sweltering heat or what we know as the "Chinese New Year" weather, who knows.....this craze may just spread all over to Malaysia faster than Chatime's expansion....

G Stick, Ben's General Store, Publika, Solaris Dutamas

Housed within BIG, that glorious supermarket packed with goodies everyone wants to get their hands on, G Stick claims to serve gelato sticks made from homemade all natural ice creams and sorbets. Each stick is priced at RM8.90. They carry fruit based flavours such as mango, raspberry or even those mixed with yoghurt to give it a creamier aftertaste with less calories. There are some classic gelato flavours like pistachio, chocolate hazelnut and unusual festive ones like chestnut and Christmas pudding. Even the Japanese black sesame is available here.

In addition, you can also select gelato sticks dipped with various "additions". These range from a sinful dark chocolate coating, chopped pistachio nuts and even marshmallows for the rocky road version. Rather than the usual candy bar look, they even do enticing heart shapes.

I sampled the pistachio decadently half covered with dark chocolate with a sprinkle of pistachio nuts. It has a dense creamy texture with a strong natural pistachio flavour. Since it was eaten in an air conditioned area, the gelato stick didn't melt as fast. It only ended a quick demise because I miscalculated how much weight on one side the chocolate coated one would have as I ate through the gelato side.

The downside I reckon would be that the sticks don't move that fast out of the store so freshness could possibly be slightly compromised. After one week of observing the place, I still see the same line of flavours. Nevertheless, a big thumbs up for the G sticks as I really feel I'm eating creamy gelato as I leave it to melt a bit. If I wasn't watching what I ate in anticipation of the Chinese New Year feasting, I'll grab a popsicle everytime I visit BIG.

Gelato Di Bruno, Candylicious, Suria KLCC

Gelato Di Bruno is housed within every dentist's nightmare aka Candylicious. The place serves a few varieties of gelatos - a variety of different flavours in the traditional manner and also in the stick form. There's a few offerings - the cutesy gelato stick for RM9, the cookie lollipop for RM12 and the sorbet lolly (price is around RM9 if I am not mistaken).

The gelato stick looked more like a cake pop on a small popsicle stick since it was just a teeny weeny scoop of gelato coated with pink, white and dark chocolate and sprinked with chocolate sprinkles or even stars. There's different flavours such as tiramisu, chocolate and vanilla. While the gelato is nice and creamy, I didn't like its taste since the chocolate has a rather fake and sweet flavour. The cookie lollipop looked like a bigger version of the gelato stick.

Not determined on just leaving after sampling the teeny weeny gelato stick, I sampled the sorbet lolly. They had flavours such as mango and raspberry. Luckily I gave it a try as it was excellent. Packed with lots of fruity flavours, the popsicle was very refreshing and extremely moreish. I can envision me polishing a few sticks especially since its a fruit based lolly, it must be healthier right?

Stickhouse, Sunway Pyramid, Petaling Jaya

In terms of perfect placing, one must admit that Stickhouse has it down pat down....right in front of the ice skating rink at LG2, Sunway Pyramid. There's no end of stream of kids clamouring for a gelato stick here. Moreover, that smooth span of ice with the skaters twirling around always seem to start the cravings for something cold.

This Phillipines based franchise has a mammoth variety of flavours that they break down to classic (RM6.90) and premium (RM8.90) flavours. They also offer mini versions at RM4.90 such as the tangy lemon, creamy milk and everyone's all time, chocolate. The Classic flavours range from the fruity green apple, pineapple, orange, watermelon and the creamier flavours like yoghurt and vanilla. Premium flavours include hazelnut, soy, coffee, milk, grape, mango, strawberry and kiwi.

You also have the option to dip your popsicle in chocolate (a choice of white, dark or milk that varies depending on availability) for an extra RM1. Chopped nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds and pistachios can also be added for another extra RM1.

I managed to taste the rich hazelnut or Giandula dipped in dark chocolate with a hazelnut topping. The taste is definitely above par from the commercial ones. However in comparison with the G Stick, I felt the taste wasn't as creamy or intense. Stickhouse claims in their brochures that everything is made from 100% natural ingredients. These include a vegetable fibre called inulina that helps increase the absorption of calcium, aids digestion and reduces cholestrol, sodium caseinate that is a protein from milk. Egg white is also added to help to blend air in the mixture while carob bean flour is used as a natural stabilizer to prevent the ice cream from melting too fast. The popsicles also contain fructose, that is low glycemic.

The stall also runs special promotions like their Dip n' Top Friday (which is today, yay!) where you answer a trivia question to qualify for a free chocolate dip and topping. Their second outlet is at Ara Damansara's Citta Mall, Lot G-K07. Next one currently in the pipeline is located at Publika, Solaris Dutamas. To keep in touch with the Stickhouse people, surf their Facebook page.

For more pictures, see the Flickr Set.

Happy Popping. For first timers, just go pop the cherry and have a gelato stick as there's nothing like a cool lolly to beat the heat.

Nasi Lemak & Curry Laksa @ Bakery Joy, Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya

2011-12-07T23:56:00.001+08:00

Life tends to deal out some weird cards.

Behind a bad show of hands, a joker seems to pop up to give us a little light and hope at the end of a dark tunnel.

Take for instance, this particular gem of a place.

While I had noticed it for some time, I only discovered that it served fabulous nasi lemak when I ate it at the most unlikely of places i.e. a funeral wake.

It felt a little weird to be stuffing our faces in a wake.

We had politely resisted the alluring nasi lemak packets on the table but some hungry tummies opened a packet that started a string of us falling down to its delectableness.

Unlike the fiery sambals usually shoved in the nasi lemak packets, this one has a home made feel with aromatic coconut rice, half a hard boiled egg and a sprinkling of deep fried ikan bilis and peanuts.

You get a choice of chicken rendang (RM5 per packet) or sambal sotong (RM4.50). I love both as they taste rather like what mum would have whipped up.

If you dine in, the bakery also serves curry laksa (RM8.50), an honest to goodness bowl packed with fishcake, bean sprouts, prawns, sliced omelette, chicken and tofu puffs. While I would have liked cockles, this version is still rather nice. Next time I think I'll try the Hainan noodles or the tomyam bee hoon. There is also toast and breakfast items.

Don't forget to pack back some goodies in the form of tiny tarts for RM1.60 each. I selected an assortment for the office - cheese with blueberry, chicken and apple. The pastry is light as air that has you hankering for more after the tiny bite.

Bakery Joy
No. 4, Jalan SS24/13
Taman Megah
Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-78055188

(Pork free. Place is open till 9pm. For more pictures see my Flickr set. Bakery is sandwiched between Fatty Crab and Bake with Yen, the bakery supply shop.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

New Menu Items @ Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya

2011-11-29T23:28:00.001+08:00

Pad Thai in a Croissant

Dining at Erawan is always a grand treat.

This is chiefly due to Chef Korn's exquisite touch to all his dishes including these new ones he premiered recently one Sunday.

Held among close friends, the party was also to celebrate their recent success in the Miele Guide 2011/2012 (they have now been elevated to the top three in Malaysia)

In addition, steadfast favourites such as the cockle curry, grilled scallops with Thai style salad, salmon sashimi, Panaeng beef curry and a lamb version of their massaman curry were also served.

sashimi salmon salad served on an endive leaf

Lunch started out with some fusion items.

Pad Thai was given a new form, as a croissant sandwich.

Instead of noodles, the prawns, beansprouts with a sweet sauce was served in an easy to eat-and-go style sandwich. Rather perfect for a midnight snack, as I write this with my belly rumbling away.

scallops with Thai style salad made from lemongrass, fried shallots and kaffir lime leaf

Another perfect to go item was the Thai fishcake burger. Served with a tangy plum sauce, the pan-fried fish cake with kaffir lime leaves was paired with sliced cucumbers, cheese, tomatoes and lettuce.

Thai fishcake burger

Intermingling with the new items were also some regular dishes such as the plump juicy grilled scallops topped with a tangy refreshing Thai salad of fried shallots, lemongrass and kaffir lime (RM60). Another regular was the mieng kam served with daun kadok leaves, roast duck and pomelo.

We also enjoyed the salmon sashimi salad (RM58 for 200g salmon sashimi) that was served on these slightly bitter tasting endive leaves that had a lovely crunchy texture. The cubed salmon was tossed in a spicy dressing made from ground roasted rice, lime and chillies.

Lemongrass prawns

One of my big favourites was the lemongrass prawns. Each juicy and crunchy prawn was tossed in this slightly sweet sauce with minced garlic and topped with lemongrass. I shamelessly had quite a few helpings of this dish.

deep fried flying fish

There were loads more such as various curries mingling with a magnificent looking deep fried flying fish. A lamb massaman curry with potatoes was excellent and we even sampled a new curry, a Northern beef version with nuts known as Pang Hang Lay.

chicken and spices curry

One of the dishes is a new item known as chicken and spices curry (RM48) already introduced since this September, a mild chicken curry cooked to an old recipe using lots of spices such as cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, caraway seed, cloves, cardamom and coriander seed. This is served with sweet green chilli peppers.

Thai Laksa two versions: creamy curry and tangy fish stock base

As a treat, there was even Thai Laksa. Two versions were made - the rich creamy one and a tangy tamarind based broth with fish chunks. Both were served with fishballs and the traditional rice noodles. Both were equally good that I had a hard time choosing which one to have seconds.

Another great dish was the roast duck served with crispy fried Thai basil leaves. Love the juicy pieces of roast duck breast that goes well with the aromatic basil leaves.

cockle curry

One of my all-time favourites is the cockle curry (RM38) served with daun kadok or betel leaves. Erawan prides themselves for serving premium cockles - large juicy ones - cooked to perfection unlike those rubbery cooked-to-death specimens we get in char kuey teow.

lup chup

We don't stop at appetizers and mains as there are sweets to nibble on such as exquisitely shaped Lup Chup - tiny fruit shaped desserts with a mungbean filling. There's loads to choose from - papayas, bananas, grapes, apples and etc.

Also on hand were these irrestible crunchy deep-fried puffs (like those peanut puffs we get for Chinese New Year) except these ones had a savoury filling made from dried shrimp.

apple cinnamon with black pepper, star anise served with vanilla ice cream

Last but not least, we ended with a cold treat - vanilla ice cream served with apples spiced up with cinnamon, star anise and Sarawak black pepper.

The apples still have a soft bite to them. Really lovely end to a wonderful lunch.

All the extra menu items here can be ordered ahead. Abide by Erawan's pre-ordering rule and you will have a great feast waiting for you. More pictures are in the Flickr collection.

Erawan Classic Thai and Fusion
22 Jalan PJU 5/16
Kota Damansara
Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-61412393

(Pork Free. For full details on the menu, opening times and etc, see their website from the link.)

*This meal was an invited one.

Norwegian Seafood Gala Dinner 2011

2011-11-26T01:31:00.001+08:00

One of the most important events for a foodie is the Norwegian Seafood Gala Dinner.

Held every October, this is THE event since a seafood smorgasbord is served that contains the best of Norway's oceanic bounty - salmon, mackerel, Atlantic halibut, caviar, oysters, scallop, herring, crayfish and king crab.

In simple words, a must for any seafood lover.

Hosted by the Norwegian Embassy, the gala event is also held in conjunction with the Malaysian Norwegian Business Council Innovation award. This year, BASS that does marine management systems took home the award.

Invited guests include members of the media and Norwegian companies that have business in Malaysia such as Digi, Jotun and etc.

Strangely enough, even though this is the third time I've attended the gala dinners (including the special royal one when Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit visited Malaysia last year), it is my first time blogging about it.

One of the reasons why I look forward to the gala dinners is the food prepped by the famous Flying Culinary Circus. These globe-trotting chefs cook up fantastic food all the time. The four members of this group each specialise in different aspects, one is the seafood expert, another handles the sauces, the other does the meats and one does the herbs and vegetables.

This year saw them serve salmon that was "smoked" and served with herbs, pine nuts and an olive oil based dressing. Needless to say I went for numerous helpings for this great item. The other item they served, which I also loved was their lobster bisque served with grilled king crab legs. Lovely flavours that reminded one of the sea. Everyone on the table had seconds as it was darn good.

I also look forward to the caviar spread they put out with the different kind of roes in various shades that you can eat with eggs, cream and finely chopped spring onions.

Utter bliss indeed.

What is good is if Western dishes are not your preferred cooking style, they also serve various Asian styles.

You get an abundance of fresh sashimi and sushi. There is even steamed halibut from the Chinese kitchen and even tandoori salmon for those missing the Indian spices.

One must not forget the amazing spread of desserts too by talented pastry chef Holger Deh. I always look forward to his delicious chocolate ganache cake with the lingonberry jam. They also served the princess cake, a traditional Norwegian favourite and lots more goodies made from unique to Norwegian ingredients such as the cloudberries.

Entertainment was provided by well-known Norwegian singer and composer Alexander Rybak and of course tunes from the most iconic Norwegian band aka a-ha who had the hit, "Take On Me" in the 1980s.

* Note, the gala is strictly by invitation only and was held at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur. For more pictures of this year and last year's gala offerings, see my Norwegian Seafood Gala collection set on Flickr.

Time Out KL Food Awards 2011

2011-11-24T01:03:00.001+08:00

Flounder with autumn truffles from TOKL Best Fine Dining Winner Cilantro KL's Friday lunch menu

This year's Time Out KL (TOKL) Food Awards had less surprises up its sleeve compared to last year's shocking results. Held at KLPac and hosted by the two D's aka Dominic Lau and Daphne Iking, the award night saw some shake up in some categories that have been previously dominated by a few restaurants. That change could most possibly due to the fact that this year had a phenomenal 50% increase of votes to reach 50,000 votes (per TOKL's press release and not verified).

Some results though were a big surprise such as Hakka Republic picking up Best Continental Restaurant, a place I see more for the bar with their fine wines versus its dining room. The Japanese Restaurant category was so close that they had two specially commended awards for the first time in the awards history. This year also saw the first time there was a Bloggers Choice category. This went to Memoirs of a Chocoholic (congratulations J!) who recommended Village Park, that infamous place for nasi lemak.

The results are set out below. Feel free to voice out your discontent, surprise or congratulate the winners. I would love to hear what all of you have to say.

Honey glazed cod from TOKL's Best Chinese Winner Li Yen, Ritz Carlton KL

Best Chinese Restaurant
2011 Winner - Li Yen, Ritz Carlton KL (Other nominees include Yut Kee, Shang Palace, Chynna, New Paris in SS2 and Grand Imperial)
2010 Winner - Chynna, Hilton KL
2009 Winner - Chynna, Hilton KL

Best Continental Restaurant

2011 Winner - Hakka Republic (Other nominees include The Press Room, Albion KL, twenty.one tables+terrace, Tanzini)

2011 Specially Commended - El Cerdo

2010 Winner - La Bodega

2010 Specially Commended - El Cerdo

Blue lotus dumplings from TOKL Best Thai/Indochine winner Rama V

Best Hawker/Mamak
2011 Winner - Devi's Corner (Other nominees include Lot 10's Hutong, Nagasari Curry House, Sri Nirwana Maju, Nasi Kandar Pelita)
2010 Winner - Nasi Kandar Pelita

Best Healthy Eating/Vegetarian Restaurant
2011 Winner - Marmalade (Other nominees include Haven, RAW, Yogitree and Annalakshmi)
2010 Winner - Marmalade

Best Indian Restaurant
2011 Winner - Kanna Curry House (Other nominees include Passage Thru India, Sri Nirwana Maju and Gill's)
2011 Specially Commended - Bombay Palace
2010 Winner - Bombay Palace
2009 Winner - Bombay Palace

risotto from Il Lido

Best Italian Restaurant
2011 Winner - La Risata (Other nominees include Nerovivo, Ciccio, Tatto and Sassorosso)
2011 Specially Commended - Il Lido
2010 Winner - Prego
2009 Winner - Prego

Best Japanese Restaurant
2011 Winner - Kampachi, Equatorial KL (Other nominees include Tatsu at Intercontinental Hotel, Gonbei San and Zipangu at Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur)
2011 Specially Commended - Fukuharu
2011 Specially Commended - Rakuzen
2010 Winner- Fukuharu
2009 Winner - Kampachi
2009 Specially Commended - Zipangu, Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur

Best Malay Restaurant
2011 Winner - Bijan (Other nominees include Songket, Rebung, Makan Kitchen at DoubleTree by Hilton)
2011 Specially Commended - Enak
2010 Winner - Bijan
2009 Winner - Bijan
2009 Specially Commended - Enak

Best Middle Eastern Restaurant
2011 Winner - Al-Amar (Other nominees include Al-Andalus, Tarbush, Al Rawsha, Laziz and Hadramawt)
2010 Winner - Al-Amar
2010 Specially Commended - Tarbush
2009 Winner - Tarbush
2009 Specially Commended - Al-Amar

strawberries compote with basil ice cream from Cilantro Kuala Lumpur

Best Thai/Indochine Restaurant
2011 Winner - Rama V (Other nominees include My Elephant, Sao Nam, Erawan and Tamarind Hill)
2010 Winner - Tamarind Springs
2009 Winner - Tamarind Hill

Best for Pub Grub
2011 Winner - Jarrod & Rawlins (Other nominees include Tom Dick & Harry's, Sid's Pub, Arthur's Bar & Grill and Hoofed)
2010 Winner - Jarrod & Rawlins
2010 Specially Commended - Sid's Pub
2009 Winner - Finnegans

Best place for Coffee (inaugural award)
2011 Winner - Espressemente Illy (Other nominees include RAW, Antipodean, Whisk and Chilla Cup)

Best place for Seafood
2011 Winner - Fatty Crab (Other nominees include Lala Chong, Pantai Seafood, Fisherman's Cove, Green View and Causeway Bay Spicy Crab)
2010 Winner - High Tide
2009 Winner - Fatty Crab
2009 Specially Commended - Magnificent Fish & Chips

Blackmore Wagyu steak from TOKL 2011 Best Place for Steak Winner, Prime from Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

Best place for Steak
2011 Winner - Prime, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur (Other nominees include Suzi's Corner, Meatworks, Jake's Charbroiled Steaks, QBA at Westin Kuala Lumpur)
2010 Winner - Prime, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
2010 Specially Commended, QBA, Westin Kuala Lumpur

Best Restaurant for fine dining
2011 Winner - Cilantro, Micasa KL (Other nominees include Sage, Lafite, Shook! and Chalet)
2011 Specially Commended - Lafite, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur
2010 Winner - Lafite, Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur
2009 Winner - Lafite, Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur

Norwegian salmon poached egg from TOKL 2011 Outstanding Chef of the Year, Nathalie Arbefeuille at Nathalie's Gourmet Studio

Best New Restaurant

2011 Winner - Ben's (Other nominees include Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie, Arthur's Bar & Grill, Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur, Antipodean, Brotzeit and Hoofed)

2010 Winner - The Pressroom

Restaurateur of the Year

2011 Winner - Benjamin Yong from BIG (other nominees include Edward Hyde from Gastrodome, Joseph Afaki from Al-Amar, Werner Kuhn from El Cerdo Group, and Holland & Thomspon from twenty.one)

2010 Winner - Edward Hyde from Gastrodome

2010 Specially Commended - Benji Conway from Nero Group

Outstanding Chef of the Year
2011 Winner - Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille, Nathalie's Gourmet Studio (Other nominees include Chef Adi Radzi from Hakka Republic, Chef Michael Karam from Al-Amr, Chef Saiful from The Press Room and Chef David King from Westin Kuala Lumpur)
2010 Winner - David King
2009 Winner - David King
2009 Specially Commended - Damon Campbell

Les Deux Garcons @ Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

2011-11-20T23:34:00.001+08:00

The weekend is over....

How sad.

To cheer all of you up for the demise of the short-lived weekend, here's a little sugar, spice and everything nice.

Throughout the whole of last week, I was reminded constantly of the opening of Les Deux Garcons' new outlet .

Friends will SMS, gmail chat, facebook, tweet, blog and even talk to me face to face about their wondrous creations.

Despite a rather busy weekend, we managed to steal some time to visit the place.

I was rather pensive about going there so late as so many friends have told me how their wares would sell out quickly.

Since we decided not to tempt fate and look for a parking space, we took the easy way out and packed home the cakes.

The most important cake wasn't the dainty pretty ones displayed under the glass counter.

Instead it was the rather non-descript one swaddled in white - the marble butter cake (quatre quarts, RM60 for a medium size) for my mother.

I must admit my mother is right to love this simple marble butter cake as it's rather perfect in my own eyes.

The crumb is rough (some prefer it fine but I love it crumbly and rough for the homely texture) and it is redolent of the creamy butter taste. The best bits are the rich chocolate swirls found within the cake - intense chocolate flavour with the use of French Valrhona chocolate with just a hint of coffee to bring out the dark aromas. They use Golden Churn butter to make this cake so there's definitely none of those Buttercup spreads, Planta margarine or that immensely horrible Butta Vanilla flavouring they sell in the cake shops to mimic the buttery taste.

Outfitted in pristine white, the shop serves as a palette for the jewel-like cakes such as the Le Palladio (RM22), Le Favori (RM15) and Passion (RM13).

The Le Palladio is the most decadent one with truffle mascarpone cream that tops a vanilla tart. Each layer needs to be taken together as the tart crust is rather hard (almost like a cracker) and tasteless on its own. The Le Favori one is all about pistachio with a raspberry brulee layer. For those who prefer their desserts not as sweet, you will love the Passion one with its passionfruit and mango flavours that offer a tangy treat to the tongue.

There's lots more goodies in there including their macarons including the decadent truffle flavoured ones and lots more cakes to tempt you. Who knows, I may get to sneak away again next weekend and eat another round. From what I hear, those rapturous tweets about their goodies will still continue as one friend is so enamoured with these sweets that he has to have them at least on alternate days.

Les Deux Garcons
36 Jalan Telawi
Bangsar Baru
Kuala Lumpur

(Pork Free. Open from 12.30pm to 8pm daily. Place is opposite Cziplee and Eon Bank. It is the same row as the dental surgery and fruit shop. The outlet was previously where Mango Mania. For the full set of pictures, see the Flickr set that also includes the macarons)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Mukha Cafe @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

2011-11-17T23:37:00.001+08:00

Pitter...patter...went the rain....

On a rainy day in October, three of us took refuge in this cosy nook right next to Surisit.

We had braved the torrential storm for a bite and was pleasantly surprised with this homey place filled with old LPs, comfy chairs and welcoming vibe.

There's no paper menu. Instead we walked up to the counter and read off the chalkboard to decide what to order for our mid-day meal.

It was a rather quick choice since the menu was limited - Western dishes mingling with Middle Eastern items picked up by the owners during their studies in Yemen.

Kacang pol (RM8) was the first choice. This fava bean dip usually found in Johor is minus the egg like how they serve it in Yemen.

"Would you like an egg with your dip?" we were asked. We nodded since that was the way we usually eat the dip mashed together with the fried egg.

It was no fine dining fare but the dish enveloped us with a warmth and a totally feel good factor.

Comfort seems to be the big buzz word in Mukha...in its decor and the food.

The beef bamia (RM15) was another prime example with minced beef cooked with okra (or to some ladyfingers) with a little spice to make it interesting.

One spoon was never enough, as we ladled the tummy comforting dish onto crispy Arab toasts to enjoy.

I liked the lamb cutlets (RM29) beautifully grilled to a caramel brown colour. Each piece is like a lollipop with a dash of Mukha's own blend of spices that I slowly savour. It's not A+ perfect since the spices are rather mild but I enjoy the whole combo with the mash potatoes and french beans.

The Gulf Rice (RM16) was a let-down with a rather ordinary taste. Akin to our briyani, this version with chicken, vegetable chutney, poppadum and chutney didn't excite us at all.

Everything is washed down with a cuppa of their Shahi or mint tea that is served in dainty glass cups.

Someone relives his American days with an order of Cherry Coke.

To end, we looked forward to desserts. Red Velvet was the original intention but it had sold out so instead we settled for pavlova (RM9.50) and banoffee pie (RM8.50).

Everything felt light as air...even though we know it ain't especially the creamy calorie laden banoffee pie with the very short biscuit crumb. As we licked our lips and enjoyed the pavlova topped with fruits, the rain had subsided. Just in time as we walked off.

Will we return...is the question? I reckon we may since the place scored high on the comfort quotient. While the food won't exactly rock the world, it was still rather nice with a feel good factor.

Mukha Cafe
15, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Kuala Lumpur

(Halal. Place is same row as Penang Village and right next to Surisit Thai Kopitiam. More pictures in the Flickr set. See this link to the website for the menu and etc.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Hairy Crab & Iberico Pork @ Chef Choi Restaurant, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

2011-11-15T02:21:00.001+08:00

I love how a year is divided into these eating seasons.

There is Chinese New Year, mooncake festival and this particular year end favourite, hairy crabs.

Filled with creamy roe, these crustaceans also known as mitten crabs are best savoured steamed with perilla leaves. Enjoy these beauties with some ginger tea to get rid of any "wind".

Chef Choi also does this amazingly good braised hairy crab e fu noodles that we tried for the first time. The noodles is infused with the crabmeat and roe. Incredibly fragrant from the crabs, the noodles is best savoured in small portions. Simply heavenly that a few of us felt us wavering in terms of what qualifies as our favourite noodles in the restaurant.

Get here as soon as possible to enjoy this seasonal treat available until mid-December or until supplies are available.

The restaurant had also purchased a batch of Iberico pig hence the hairy crab dinner also had a large portion of oink.

The first dish to grace us was the suckling pig. Unlike the usual dishes, this one was far superior with crackling good skin and soft juicy succulent meat.

Incredibly finger licking that quite a few of us abandoned our manners and utensils.

Equally finger licking good were the BBQ Iberico baby back ribs. This was liberally livened up with quite a lot of salt but it worked well giving the ribs a deep smoky like flavour.

Another dish that was very well received was the Iberico pork loin sliced and fried with asparagus and XO sauce. The dish is light with the tender pork slices.

Chef Choi's sweet and sour pork is a big favourite among many of us from that dinner.

With using the Iberico pork, this humble dish seemed to be elevated to a more lofty status since the deep fried battered pork melts in the mouth with the fats.

The simplest dish seemed to have won all of our hearts.

A very home-like dish that I remembered my mother making is this pork patty one studded with water chesnuts for a bit of crunch. The texture of this patty reminds us of melt in the mouth Wagyu beef with the marbling fats. Simply addictive especially with a bowl of rice.

Needless to say, we ate the two bowls dry with some rice to soak up the great gravy.

Appearing in between the pig and the crab was the pigeon, a juicy succulent creature with a crisp skin.

Eat it with plum sauce and the spice salt on the side for a satisfying meal. We end with red bean paste (no water added and entirely pure) with 18 years old aged kumquat peel. The taste of this classic tong sui is beautiful - thick with hints of the golden citrus from the aged kumquat. There was also fresh sweet melons, MH bought that were wonderfully refreshing.

I'm not sure if I'll be eating hairy crabs again but believe me, I'm glad I sampled this year's crustaceans since the crab roe has a beautiful creamy texture and the braised noodles with crabmeat is to die for. Love the Iberico piggy too but we were pacing ourselves since we knew there was a lot of food.

Chef Choi Restaurant
159 Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2163 5866

(Non Halal. The suckling Iberico pork is available on pre-order. Certain dishes for the Iberico pork here are available daily but best you double check before going. The hairy crab is seasonal and available until mid-December or until stocks last. For more pictures see the Flickr set.)

* The meal was paid for by the restaurant.

BBQ @ Chef Choi Restaurant, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

2011-11-14T01:02:00.001+08:00

I almost forgot that I had these gorgeous pictures lurking around in my SD card.

Luckily, I managed to pull these out from the murky depths of my memory card to blog about this.

Strangely enough, despite this dinner being held many moons ago, the memory of everything has been etched in the brain.

We started off sensibly with the green salad. Crunchy lettuce leaves jostled for space with glistening red cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumbers on the large plate. It was no ordinary salad as we had a choice of two unusual and delicious salad dressings, first a creamy cilantro lemon and a light sesame shoyu one.

One of the biggest highlights of the meal were these fluffy golden brown yorkshire puddings.

These were perfectly risen and incredibly addictive especially with the brown gravy served on the side.

Honestly, if I was not expecting a huge feast I would have happily eaten these crispy battered puddings for dinner that night.

The BBQ menu here (available on special pre-order) features the best of moo, baa and oink...

Not a place that serves anything of lesser origins, the meats are all of premium quality and so well prepared that it can give the best steakhouse in KL a run for its monies.

For instance, steaks in KL seem to be puny and thinly cut that I often wonder if they can qualify for that term, steak.

Chef Choi's steak florentine is one hefty version - two fingers thick - juicy with a pink centre - cooked to meaty perfection that will have a steak lover crying for more.

The steak florentine scores in terms of flavour but the prime rib on the bone wins the hearts (and tummies) of those who prefer a more tender cut.

Both are equally good but a little different in their ways.

Don't forget the oink...in a form of a crunchy roast pork belly Chef Choi style.

Just a shade dry, it scored beautifully though in the crunchy crackling section. I'm officially in love with that golden brown crunch. Maybe I can be like Oliver and ask for more please?

Even the baa gets the best treatment ever - infused with rosemary to give it a hint of that herb and studded with garlic cloves.

The meat is juicy and cooked to pink perfection that needs no embellishment except a grind of black pepper.

We also dine on rich buttery boulangere potatoes. Each mouthful is simply heavenly that you don't care the starch and butter goes to your hips straight away.

There is also spaghetti alla vongole and a Spanish treat in the form of seafood paella, all in its fluffy glory and nary a soggy grain that can be usually found in versions served in restaurants here.

Last but not least, there's a touch of French in the desserts with a decadent apple tartin.

The classic one has a beautiful flaky puff pastry with sliced apples drizzled with even more decadence in the form of fresh cream

Ahhhh, definitely a meal to remember forever and ever.

Chef Choi Restaurant
159 Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2163 5866

(Non Halal. The BBQ menu is only available for special order. Call ahead to arrange. For more pictures see the Flickr set.)

* The food was paid by the restaurant.

Japanese Food @ Ten Japanese Fine Dining, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur

2011-11-10T01:30:00.000+08:00

No secret that I love Japanese food.

It is always the preferred choice whenever I dine out or even cook at home.

News of Ten's debut first came trickling through the Internet last month on the seventh.

Described as "a delectable exquisite fusion of Japanese and French cuisine at its finest" in the email, I was rather curious on what this meant.

Hold on, my brain started clicking...is this more like Cilantro or the atypical traditional Japanese restaurant?

Like a cat whose curiosity is piqued, I decided to join the opening rites.

Sampling their special menu for that day definitely perked my interest. While I would not peg it as Cilantro-like, this seemed to veer towards the traditional food. However, they did have some fusion items with the use of French ingredients such as foie gras.

There was also the bonus flashbulb moment of Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai making an appearance. He didn't do much in the kitchen (maybe flambe something as caught on screen) but he was all smiles and cheekiness with his watermelon (I wonder why though?).

Since I can be rather thorough about my reviews, I went back this time for dinner.

I was blown away......by the fresh sashimi on a Friday, the day shipment arrives from Japan.

Ten seems to favour Tasmanian ocean trout instead of the usual Norwegian salmon for their sashimi selection giving it an edge compared to the other places. In comparison, the trout has a richer taste with an incredibly "buttery" mouthfeel. Everything on that assorted selection such as the kingfish (hiramasa), tuna belly (toro), botan shrimps, scallops and even the local fish, the garoupa was fresh and sweet that we both slowly savoured each piece.

Equally good was the wagyu tataki, lightly seared with just a well balanced ponzu sauce that didn't overpower the sweet natural taste of the beef but complemented it.

I also enjoyed the salmon avocado roll (RM32) - the combination of the creamy avocado with salmon topped with ebiko is something you can't go wrong. One item I did notice when I tasted the sushi and maki is the rice here is exceptionally good with each grain beautifully formed. In a later lunch, I just picked each grain to slowly savour it.

I started to plot my return here...should it be the kaiseki for RM300++ per person for ten courses or the set lunches that are offered from Tuesday to Friday.

I decided on the lunch whereby the sets range from RM45 for the items like yakisaba (grilled mackerel), chicken teriyaki or the inaniwa udon sets to RM80 for the wagyu set.

Each of the sets are served with chawan mushi, an appetizer (that day it was a hijiki or seaweed one), a salad, miso hotpot (a sweet tasting soup with chicken and seafood), a bowl of rice and pickles.

Unlike other places, no fruits nor sweets are offered in the set. You can also order today's pick from a handwritten menu.

The sashimi set (RM65) is said to offer 12 pieces of sashimi but I think I counted more on my cherry blossom platter.

It is different from the one I got for my deluxe version (that was double its price) but the selection was still a head over the usual Japanese outlets. Let me see what I had - ocean trout, garoupa, amaebi prawns (smaller and not cloyingly sweet like the other places), tuna and scallop.

Aside from the sashimi, wagyu tataki, I was blown away by the steamed monkfish liver (ankimo) with ponzu sauce. Unlike other places which seem to favour a firmer texture, this one was steamed to a creamy foie gras texture that had me sighing over my meal as I nibbled on each piece with seaweed and the cucumbers on the side.

So I guess the millon dollar question on everyone's brain is will I return again? I think I will since this place is definitely one of its kind. Moreover, as you know how things work in Kuala Lumpur - today's star can easily fall as quickly as it rises so it is always best to seize the opportunity (or carpe diem) the food now or never.

Pictures (top to bottom) 1. Wagyu tataki with ponzu sauce (RM80) 2. & 3. Sashimi moriawase (Deluxe, RM150) 4. Deep fried prawn dumpling encased in burdock vegetable with Japanese cherry tomato and egg yolk with balsamico. 5. Salmon and avocado roll (RM32). 6. assorted sushi. 7. Sashimi gozan lunch set (RM65) 8. Chicken gratin, grilled chicken marinated with miso and wrapped in iceberg lettuce and seaweed with foie gras and chicken terrine. 9. Green tea cake. 10. Ten's interiors and its sushi counter. 11. Iron chef's many faces. 12. Sushi chefs prepare for the lunch.

Nibble on this:

1. Ten means heaven in Japanese.
2. The original outpost is Australia's Gold Coast where they started in 2009 .
3. The executive chef is Hiroshi Miura and the executive sushi chef is Atsushi Nishibuchi.
4. Miura has cha-kaiseki and ryotei training while Nishibuchi is trained in edomae sushi (tokyo-style sushi) and has worked in Tokyo and Sydney.
5. Source of supplies is the most important for Japanese restaurants so go on days where it is super fresh. The fish is airflown from Japan on Tuesday and Friday. Fish is also sourced from Singapore on Wednesday and local fish is sourced from our markets on Wednesday and Friday. The local fish they get is horse mackerel, garoupa, prawns, squid and baby tuna.
6. Prices range from RM10 to RM80 for entrees, sashimi moriawase is RM80 for entree and RM150 for deluxe version, salad is RM35 to RM80, main dishes range from RM40 to RM150, sushi moriawase is RM70 for entree and RM120 for deluxe, maki range from RM15 to RM38, rice and noodles from RM30 to RM45, desserts are RM25 each.

Ten Japanese Fine Dining
D5-G3-5, Solaris Dutamas
Off Jalan Duta
Kuala Lumpur

(Pork Free. Open for lunch from 11.30am to 2.30pm for Tuesday to Friday; dinner is from 6.30pm to 12 midnight with last orders at 10pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Closed on Mondays. To get here, best you take the new entrance to level B3 from the Kencana Petroleum side (from Jalan Duta, take a left turn, go straight at first traffic light and then turn right at second traffic light) and go up to level G3 for block D5. The restaurant is located near Kencana Petroleum side and right opposite Overtime Bar. For more pictures, see the Flickr set. See their facebook page for more details.)

Note: Part of the review was invited while another part was paid by the reviewer themselves.

Sky on 57 @ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

2011-11-09T02:46:00.001+08:00

Slotted in between deadlines, I managed to steal away for 24 hours to the little red dot down south aka Singapore.

The occasion was my twin nephews' birthday celebration, which we honoured with a visit up in the sky....or more precisely, the Sky on 57, Justin Quek's outpost in his homeland.

Located on the 57th floor of the busy Marina Bay Sands (I swear the lobby for the resort reminds me of Grand Central Station as you wait for the valet) and across from the famous Ku De Ta, the lounge offers sweeping views of the harbour area - a mix of buildings such as the Fullerton Hotel, the Formula One track, the Merlion, Louis Vuitton's little isle, and even Sentosa Island.

It was rather nice to catch the last of the sun's rays just before it set for the day as we sat down for Justin Quek's modern Asian cuisine.

It was my first time dining on his food even though I've read tons of literature on the man including his cookbook. This is one of his many restaurants amongst the other places he has in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The six-course meal starts off with a little demi-tasse of mushroom cappuccino, light on the tongue yet packed with the earthy flavours from the mushrooms.

Just before we start the meal, we admire the hand painted starter plates depicting Asian children and couples. I love the one where a serene girl is doing a yoga posture.

The first course was Nordic salmon trout slow cooked to a flaky buttery texture topped with Oscietra caviar that you savour with the smoked potato mousseline painted on the piece of slate. I love the slight smoky taste of the smooth potatoes that I shamefully scraped it clean.

Truffle season seem to have hit us with a double whammy. I've been eating the autumn ones in almost every meal these past month.

I love Justin Quek's rendition of capellini with ham and Alba white truffle. It reminds me a little of Sage and Cilantro's food since they also love using the thin pasta but this version was lovely coated with this almost invisible sauce that made the whole course so light yet rich with flavours from the wafer thin truffles and the slivers of ham.

We had a double whammy of truffles, this time it was braised abalone topped with autumn truffles. This again reminds me a little of a Modern Chinese dish since abalone is always a must for Chinese banquets and it is paired with white rice. Except this dish was very well refined one with muted restrained flavours with a thin slice of tender abalone and served with asparagus spear.

One of Justin's specialties is his signature suckling pig with the roasted crackling skin. From what I have read, it is the same one also served in Whisk, Hong Kong. Unlike the atypical suckling pig skin that has a rough texture, this one is smooth and crisp like a Peking duck. This was served with a yuzu pepper sauce, tomato and a zucchini blossom.

Another specialty is the Nordic crab served in a light ginger broth and vermicelli. Whisky is added to the crustacean rich soup to give the rich broth a more mellow well rounded taste.

We end the long meal with dessert and a little sparkler action for the boys.

Poor chaps, they huffed and puffed the sparklers thinking they were candles. The cake was rather ordinary, a rich chocolate mousse but I loved JQ's Signature Apple Tart. The wafer thin baked apple tart had just the perfect balance - crispy thin puff pastry with a bit of apples and almonds - complementing the vanilla ice cream on the side.

In terms of the whole dining experience, I would rate the skyline views tops versus the dinner. While the food was well prepared with beautiful ingredients, it felt a bit lack-lustre and didn't inspire me to return quickly for their other mod-Asian offerings like chicken rice, bak kut teh and even chilli crab served during lunch.

Sky on 57
Sands Skypark Tower 1
Marina Bay Sands

Tel: 02-6688 8857

(Non Halal. For more details including its menus, see this link. More pictures are in the Flickr set.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

The Miele Guide 2011/2012 Asia Top 20 and Top Five Restaurants in Malaysia

2011-11-02T22:54:00.002+08:00

last year's Cilantro Miele Guide award

Tonight was the big gala night at Resorts World Singapore where they announced the Asia's Top 20 for The Miele Guide.

Here are the results:

1.Iggys, Singapore (1)
2.Andre, Singapore (new)
3. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Hong Kong (2, down)
4. Robuchon A Galera, Macau (3, down)
5. Caprice, Hong Kong (10, up)
6. Cilantro, Kuala Lumpur (8, up)
7. Mr. & Mrs. Bund - Modern Eatery by Paul Pairet, Shanghai (new)
8. Pierre Gagnaire a Seoul, Seoul, South Korea (new)
9. Bo Innovation, Hong Kong (19, up)
10. Tippling Club, Singapore (15, up)
11. Antonio's, Phillipines (5, down)
12. Mosaic, Bali (6, down)
13. Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong (new)
14. Gunther's Modern French Cuisine, Singapore (13, down)
15. Dum Pukht, Mumbai, India (17, up)
16. Dakshin, India (new)
17. Yung Kee, Hong Kong (12, down)
18. Sarong, Bali (new)
19. Les Amis, Singapore (11, down)
20. Bukhara, New Delhi, India (14, down)

For Malaysia's Top 5 restaurants for 2011/2012, they are:

1. Cilantro
2. El Cerdo
3. Erawan Thai & Fusion
4. Kampachi, Equatorial Kuala Lumpur
5. Sage, Gardens Residences

There are more restaurants in the guide (a total of 500 all over Asia), so get your copy from Miele or a bookshop near you.

Notes:

Three restaurants from India in the Asia Top 20. An increase from two last year.

There are no restaurants from Tokyo considering it is the city awarded with the most Michelin stars. Last year, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo was placed in no. 9 but it dropped out from the top 20.

Cilantro Kuala Lumpur goes up two places to no. 6 (Congratulations to Chef Takashi Kimura and his team).

New award called Chef of the Chefs Award goes to Umberto Bombana from Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong.

Chef Andrea Zanella @ Il Lido, Jalan Mayang, Kuala Lumpur

2011-11-01T00:55:00.001+08:00

November beckons. A new month and hopefully we are back on track after the 30-day Royal Selangor Pewter Get Your Jelly On! challenge. Thanks to all who supported throughout the way. Back to clearing up the massive backlog (she looks at horror at all those unprocessed pictures!).

When Chiaroscuro closed its doors, many were devastated since it meant they lost the chance to dine on Chef Andrea Zanella's Italian fare. Luckily for his diehard fans, he is now part of Il Lido Kuala Lumpur and continues to weave his magic. Since he had taken over Il Lido KL, I managed to sample his food, first in a tasting and subsequently for a weekend dinner.

The menu has now been changed to a pork-free one to cater to corporate clients. Some patrons (as we overheard one night) were visibly upset but honestly, if you managed to get your hands on Chef Andrea's wonderful handmade pasta, it is worth abstaining from pork to taste how he makes flour and water work so well together.

I'm easily pleased and rather content with the appetizers I have sampled so far. One of my favourites is the crab salad with watermelon and tomato elisir (granseola con anguria elisir di pomodoro alle erbe for RM48) - fresh crabmeat in a timbale form that tops refreshing watermelon. A tomato elisir (as it is called here for extracted tomato water) round up the lovely light dish that is topped with slightly peppery shiso cress and dill.

The green asparagus with organic egg and porcini pesto (asparagis alla milanese, RM39) has a comforting vibe with its woody porcini flavours and the soft egg yolk, which begs you to mix everything together to enjoy it. On another night, I enjoyed the fresh citrus tinged seafood carpaccio with citrus dressing (crudita d'venezia, RM48). Let me remember what I ate, I think it was a yabby, anchovies, king fish and scallops that I relished on. Even the rucola salad with pecorino cheese, walnuts and pear (RM32) was great refreshing way to eat the peppery greens with the diced pear and cheese shavings.

I've always loved the primi (first) course, where you indulge in pastas and Chef Andrea's versions are so dreamy. I love the light sweet taste of the ewe milk ravioli with milk and honey (ravioli al miele tartufato, RM48) from the use of the honey balanced with the earthy taste of the truffles. The raviolis were also pillow soft. On another night, when we were told the house special i.e. beef ravioli with mushrooms, we knew we had to order it. Wise decision as it was heavenly. On the heavier and robust side is the linguine with olive pesto and bottarga (linguine con pesto di olive nere e bottarga, RM54.) It is a very much acquired taste since the black olive pesto can be strong tasting with the fish roe but I love the whole combination since it packs a wallop of salty flavours from the bottarga mingling with the earthy black olives.

Before I move on to the secondi (the main and second course), there's also their sublime "carnaroli" risotto with crayfish (risotto con gamberi di fiume, RM59). The seafood perfumed risotto has a beautiful light yet creamy texture attributed by the use of carnaroli rice instead of the usual arborio. Lovely!

Next comes the secondi course. One of their signature dishes is the veal ossobucco with saffron risotto (ossobuco con risotto, RM89). In this version, it is served in a very neat deconstructed manner - marrow bone and the crowning glory of the slow cooked veal sandwiching the saffron risotto. Incredibly decadent as you spoon each forkful in the mouth, as the tender veal mixes with the aromatic risotto with the soft bone marrow.

But I must admit my heart (or more likely my tummy) was hooked on the Angus beef short ribs braised in Barolo wine (coste crociata di Angus brasate al barolo, RM78). I loved the whole ensemble, the tender hearty beef ribs that melted in the mouth with the right mix of meat and fats and the rich jewel sauce made from the robust yet very aromatic Barolo wine. This was definitely the perfect pairing. However, I was not blown away by the poached barramundi fillet with aromatic vegetables and herb pesto (persico di mare all'acqua pazza, RM82). A little light on the palate, I felt this was a little too mild compared to the robust flavours I have been trying out.

We end with desserts. The classic wobbly pannacotta is still around so don't fret. The only tweak to the sweet menu is the addition of a lemon flan with strawberries (omaggio a sorento, RM29). I loved this tangy version - it has the drama of the molten chocolate cake minus the richness with a citrus tang that works well especially after you are well sated from a heavy Italian meal. Don't forget the addictive chiacchiere - traditional Italian sweet little fritters that you munch on while you sip your coffee.

Il Lido
183, Jalan Mayang
Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-21612291

(Pork Free. Open for lunch from Monday to Friday, dinner is from Monday to Saturday. For more pictures, see the Flickr set.)

Note: Part of the review was invited while another part was paid by the reviewer themselves.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 30 - "Nasi Lemak Bungkus" (Coconut Gelato Jelly with Sambal, Coconut Egg and Cucumber Jelly)

2011-10-30T19:49:00.000+08:00

30 days is over...

Feels like yesterday when I received an email from Royal Selangor Pewter asking me to join this challenge.

When I decided to say yes to the challenge, I was very apprehensive. Juggling work and my crazy hours is already a roller coaster ride hence throwing in a daily challenge for such a long period seemed like a crazy idea.

But I stubbornly decided I'll do it. Part of the reason wasn't the prize but more because it was for a good cause since cancer has touched so many of our lives affecting friends and close family. Even in that 30-day period, I saw a friend pass away from lung cancer after a battle of two years.

The 30 days was a roller coaster ride, some ups when the ideas work and of course, the downs when the jelly plops out in a sunken mess...

No matter how emotional it has been, the best thing is I had lots of fun. It gathered friends around me who gave ideas. Friends and blog readers would often ask too what is next encouraging me with kind words. And of course, the other half would nag me to death about what I am making. He was the big time keeper pushing me to move my butt to make jellies.

The pressure kinda mounted for this last jelly...people asked me am I doing a big thing for this finale.

I decided to do a version of nasi lemak, Malaysia's favourite dish that they must eat every morning or night. When I meant a version, this wasn't just rice and sambal. Instead, this version held a few surprises. It is loosely based on a version I saw a certain famous chef make once for his television show. Once it airs, I will reveal more about him and the show.

Like everything in life, when I make the jelly things change. I had envisioned a smooth fluffy coconut base similar in texture like the one I had made for my root beer float. BUT when I combined hot gelatine liquid with the coconut gelato, it gelled up into small bits that strange enough looked like rice. I added sambal tumis to the tip just like how they do the real stuff.

After that it was chucked in the freezer and left for a few hours. The the truth came...the unveiling and it plopped out nicely. Next came the whole assembling, like how to wrap a nasi lemak bungkus (packet in Malay). Luckily there were youtube videos giving tips so that was tackled.

I had also made jelly eggs, as a play of the hard boiled eggs that usually go with it. But the peanuts and fried anchovies (ikan bilis) was kept true to the whole dish. Even cucumbers left over from yesterday's jelly was used, encased in a wobbly cucumber jelly.

The verdict...it was rather nice indeed and that was for dinner. A definitely unique way to eat nasi lemak cold instead of piping hot but the sambal had a mellow spicy taste that rounded up the sweet coconut flavours.

Do give it a try and experience it yourself. Even though the October is almost over, there's still time to hurry over and support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association at the Royal Selangor website. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge.

"Nasi Lemak Bungkus"

nasi lemak
4 1/2 teaspoons gelatine powder
2 tablespoons hot water
150g coconut gelato
4 tablespoons sambal tumis

jelly eggs

yolk
50ml coconut milk
50ml water
3 tablespoons caster sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons agar agar powder
drop of yellow colour

egg white
100ml coconut milk
100ml water
40g caster sugar
5 teaspoons agar agar powder

cucumber jelly
1/2 cucumber, cut into slices
50ml cucumber juice
1/3 tablespoon gelatine powder

fried peanuts
fried ikan bilis (anchovies)

To make nasi lemak: Bloom gelatine powder. Melt with hot water. Mix hot gelatine powder with cold coconut gelato. It will fluff up and cause it to gell into small bits similar to cooked egg white. Take a few tablespoons out and mix with sambal. Line the moulds like cling film. Top with sambal mixture. Compress coconut mixture on top. Freeze to set.

To make jelly eggs: Make the yolk by combining coconut milk, sugar and agar agar powder together in a pot. Heat over low heat until it is combined and thick. Remove. Add food colouring to look like the yolk. Pour into round moulds. Leave to cool. Set in a fridge. For the egg shells, crack the top and remove the eggshells and pour out the egg. Wash and dry out. Make the egg white section by combining the coconut milk, sugar and agar agar powder together over a low heat. Once it thickens, remove and pour into a jug. Pour a little in the egg shell. Add egg yolk. Cover with remaining egg white mixture. Continue for rest of eggs. Chill in the fridge for few hours till set.

To make cucumber jelly: Bloom gelatine powder. Add 1 tablespoon hot water to melt. Combine with cucumber juice. Pour into a flat mould. Top with cucumber slices.

To assemble: Remove nasi lemak from mould. Place on banana leaf. Crack jelly eggs and cut a slice out. Cut out cucumber. Serve with fried peanuts and ikan bilis.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 29 - The Winner (Chinese Shao Xing Wine Jelly with Chicken Roulade and Cucumber)

2011-10-29T23:54:00.000+08:00

Remember the camera giveaway, well we have a winner....aka the Ravenous Rabbit.

She came up with this interesting combination of the famous Shanghainese drunken chicken with cucumbers to give it a crunchy texture, which I recreated for today's post....

Congratulations to her creation as it is a rather creative one that she insisted must have the crunchy cucumbers for texture.

In this classic dish, the sweet amber tones of the Shao Xing rice wine pair beautifully with the chicken, which has taken a form of a roulade.

Originally I had intended for it to be circles - chicken followed by cucumber but the size of the mould didn't let me do that. Of course as Murphy works his law, even the chicken pieces didn't stick to the mould and floated a little away.

Despite those little hiccups, I am still very pleased with the texture, taste and whole look of the jelly.

The jelly has a rather more-ish appeal especially when eaten cold as the Shao Xing wine adds a sweet taste to the chicken.

I reckon this will be the perfect appetizer for any meal to serve at home. Maybe the restaurants will start imitating the idea as I can imagine diners will be impressed.

Thanks again to all of you who contributed the ideas.

Chinese Shao Xing Wine Jelly with Chicken Roulade and Cucumber (Makes 2 moulds)

chicken roulade
1 whole chicken leg, deboned

wine layer
100ml Shao Xing rice wine
50ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon gelatine powder

cucumber layer
150ml cucumber juice
1 tablespoon gelatine powder
1/2 Japanese cucumber, cut into thin slices

To prepare roulade: Place a large piece of cling film on a flat surface. Place the deboned chicken leg on top of it with the skin down. Using the cling film, roll it into a cylinder shape. Tie the two ends tightly to form the roulade. Steam over high heat for 20 minutes. Remove and soak in ice cold water to cool. Once cooled, pour away the chicken stock to use in wine jelly and cut into pieces. Set aside.

To prepare wine layer: Bloom gelatine powder. Heat stock and wine gently in a pot. Add to bloomed gelatine powder; whisk to combine thoroughly. Pour two tablespoons into mould. Freeze for 15 minutes to set. Remove and place chicken roulade pieces on the side of mould. Pour wine jelly mixture to cover. Chill to set.

To prepare cucumber layer: Bloom gelatine powder. Add 1 tablespoon hot water to melt. Add to cucumber juice; whisk to combine. Place cucumber slices on top of wine layer. Pour cucumber jelly and chill for 5 hours till set.

Unmould and serve straightaway as a cold dish.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 28 - The Comeback (Chinese Almond, Longan and Raspberry Jelly)

2011-10-28T23:55:00.000+08:00

The failures really have shaken my confidence but I'm glad to say we're back on track, with a proud standing cone of Chinese almond, raspberry and longan jelly.

It's a rather simple one and an old fashioned one.

In fact, my mother was just talking about eating this on Monday.

Being of the older generation, she has fond memories of this as a dessert served in the good old days....like she describes it, cold almond jelly with canned longan and a red layer topped with ice cubes.

Rather than make it from scratch (soaking the Chinese almonds or apricot kernels, as they are actually called) I took the easy way out and employed the good services of one of my favourite restaurants aka Elegant Inn at Menara Hap Seng.

We were there for a wonderful lip smacking meal (geoduck sashimi, salted egg yolk crab, goose liver fried rice and etc) hence I packed back their Chinese almond dessert, a must whenever we dine here.

This was set with gelatine and the bottom layer was the raspberry jelly studded with longans.

As I was trying to unmould the jelly, I ended up melting the sides that it had an attractive appearance with the trickling milk that reminds me a little of Christmas trifle.

It definitely does not look retro anymore. Hopefully mum will approve of this and that curse of mine has gone off forever.

Chinese Almond, Raspberry and Longan Jelly

150ml Chinese almond dessert
2 tablespoons raspberry jelly powder
4 tablespoons gelatine powder
100ml water
canned longans

Bloom 2 tablespoons gelatine powder in a little water. Combine with almond dessert in a small pot. Heat just below boiling point. Pour into mould. Leave to chill. Scrape the surface of jelly to allow next layer to set together. Place longans on top arranged in a circle. Melt jelly powder with half of the water that has been boiled. Mix and add remaining water. Cover the longans. Chill for 5 hours. Unmould by dipping it in hot air.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 27 - Rainbow Jelly

2011-10-27T23:55:00.000+08:00

I seem to have been struck by the wobbly curse.

Second day running and my jelly refused to cooperate.

Sigh.....

You think I would have achieved a plateau of perfecting making jelly with the mould after so many days but I guess when Murphy's Law works against you there's nothing to it.

I thought it would have been brilliant to combine the jelly mixtures with ice cream to give it a marshmallow light effect.

But I guess I did not anticipate how wobbly it would become once set.

Oh well...maybe I should have added a teensy weensy bit of agar agar powder to firm it up.

Help....my jellies definitely need a nip tuck surgeon!

Rainbow Jelly (Makes two moulds)

purple layer
2 tablespoons port wine jelly powder
100ml water
2 tablespoons vanilla ice cream

yellow layer
2 tablespoons lemon jelly powder
100ml water
2 tablespoons vanilla ice cream

orange layer
2 tablespoons orange jelly powder
100ml water
2 tablespoons vanilla ice cream

pink layer
2 tablespoons strawberry jelly powder
100ml water
2 tablespoons vanilla ice cream

To make each layer, mix jelly powder with half boiling water and half cold water. Combine with vanilla ice cream. Make each layer on top of each other. Chill for 6 hours. Unmould by placing in some water.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 26 - Sinking Ahoy (Tuna Tartare, Yuzu and Cucumber Cream Jelly)

2011-10-26T23:47:00.003+08:00

I am definitely not a great engineer as today's jelly effort is one that was sinking away...

I tend to leave things to the last minute when it hits mid-week since I don't have time to experiment much.

Hence you get structurally unsound jellies like this particular one.

The top bit aka the tuna tartare was just too heavy for the soft just set jelly to support that when I unmoulded it, it shook like a Tower of Pisa.

Luckily it didn't topple down like London Bridge in the nursery rhyme but it wobbled tremendously whenever I moved it.

The whole flavour combination started from what to do with this yuzu juice I had bought and needed to contrast with the sharp citrus fruit.

While the flavours were lovely on its own especially the very refreshing cucumber cream jelly, the whole combination didn't have a well rounded taste I was looking for.

I kinda suspect the sharp tang of yuzu was a little jarring with the cool cucumber and the textures of the tuna. Next time I reckon it is better without the yuzu since the cucumber cream jelly is a big winner in refreshness.

In the meantime, let me see when my Tower of Pisa will collapse or maybe like the real thing, it'll just keep tilting on one side.

Tuna Tartare, Yuzu and Cucumber Cream Jelly

50g tuna sashimi, cut into squares

yuzu layer
50ml yuzu juice
100ml water
2 tablespoons gelatine powder

cucumber layer
200ml cucumber juice
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons gelatine powder

1 tablespoon gelatine powder
150ml water

To prepare yuzu layer: Bloom gelatine powder in water. Add a little hot water to melt. Mix yuzu juice and water together. Add gelatine mixture with it and pour into a tray. Chill for 2 hours to set. Cut into cubes.

To prepare cucumber layer: Bloom gelatine powder in water. Add a little hot water to melt. Combine with cucumber juice and cream. Pour into a tray. Chill for two hours to set. Cut into cubes.

To assemble: Line the mould with cling wrap. Pack tuna sashimi on top. Bloom gelatine powder in water. Add hot water to melt. Pour into a measuring jug. spoon a little at the bottom of tuna sashimi. Add yuzu cubes and pour jelly to bind. Add cucumber cubes and jelly to bind. Chill for 2 hours to set. Turn over and serve.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 25 - Pink Clouds (Raspberry White Peach and Wine Jelly)

2011-10-25T23:02:00.002+08:00

One of the things I love about this challenge has been learning the different ways to work with gelling agents.

Through some research and books, I discovered this interesting way to create clouds and bubbles within the jelly.

Relatively simple, you need to just make a variety of different coloured jelly, scrape them and combine them together with one jelly mixture.

For this particular first time effort, I had a three flavour combination - raspberry, white peach, and white wine.

The clear bits and the softer peach tones are slightly overpowered by the red raspberry colour but nevertheless, it is still rather pretty especially when it is sitting on my new handmade Bitossi bowl (I love the varying lavender shades of it).

Maybe one can go wild and add more colours but I can imagine it will look rather rojak after some time.

Raspberry White Peach and Wine Jelly (Makes three moulds)

100ml white wine
4 tablespoons gelatine powder
4 tablespoons Raspberry Jelly powder (I used the Aeroplane brand)
200ml hot water
100ml white peach juice

Get ready three individual bowls. Make the white wine jelly by combining 1 tablespoon of softened gelatine powder and a little hot water to melt. Sieve and pour into a bowl. Freeze for 15 minutes. For the raspberry jelly, melt jelly powder with 100ml hot water. Combine 1 tablespoon of softened gelatine powder. Sieve and pour into a bowl. Freeze for 15 minutes to set. Soften 1 tablespoon gelatine powder. Add 1 tablespoon hot water to melt. Add to white peach juice and whisk to combine. Sieve and pour into a bowl. Freeze for 15 minutes. Remove set jelly from freezer. Scrape each jelly with a fork. Mix together all three flavours. Make remaining jelly with 100ml water and 1 tablespoon softened gelatine powder. Put a little of the scraped jelly in the mould. Pour clear jelly mixture to bind. Add more scraped jelly and jelly mixture until it reaches the top of mould. Repeat for second mould. Chill for at least 5 hours. Unmould and serve immediately.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 24 - Smurfette (Blue Cherry Vanilla Cream Soda Jelly)

2011-10-24T23:49:00.000+08:00

One of my wackiest ideas for this jelly competition is this particular entry, named after one famous blue tinged gal aka Smurfette.

Just like the ambiguous cartoon character she is named after (is she good or bad?), this particular sweetie is a little hard to decipher.

She may look a little weird with her blue colour (attributed by these interesting berry tinged cherries by Roland) but she actually tastes rather good.

I had paired her off with Thomas Kemper's vanilla cream soda which gives it a light pleasant vanilla taste that blends well with the sweet and slightly crunchy cherries.

.

My particular jelly was rather wobbly since I was actually short of time and only chilled it for two hours. Maybe next time it should be a bit longer to give it a crunchier texture. Nevertheless, it has a rather soft texture that can be quite pleasant to slurp down.

Blue Cherry and Vanilla Cream Soda Jelly (Makes two)

1 bottle of Roland blue cherries, drained and stalks removed except for two cherries
1 bottle of Thomas Kemper vanilla cream soda
2 tablespoons gelatine powder

Soften gelatine powder in water. Leave to bloom. Add a little hot water to melt. Once melted, add vanilla cream soda and whisk together. Place cherry with the stalk at bottom of the mould. Pour a little jelly mixture in the bottom. Divide the cherries among the two moulds. Top with remaining jelly mixture. Leave to chill for 2 hours or more. Unmould and serve immediately.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 23 - Xmas (Christmas Pudding Jelly)

2011-10-23T22:58:00.000+08:00

Since I started on Halloween, I might as well go the extra mile and throw in Christmas.

This particular jelly is inspired by the famous jellymongers, Bompass & Parr.

In their book, they have a recipe for Hippocras Jelly, one that is made with mulled red wine.

Rather than spending time making the wine, I decided to take a shortcut and use a cordial with similar flavours.

I'm a big fan for Belvoir Fruit Farms elderflower presse that I used to make my strawberry and mint jelly. This time I used Spiced Winter Berries cordial (from Village Grocer) that uses fruit juices mixed with spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

As good measure, I also included two 10 cents coins within the jelly. It signifies that you will have good luck if you manage to find it.

I kinda did not expect it but the mixed fruits (sultanas, mixed peel and glace cherries) seemed to have expanded and floated outside of the jelly to create a pretty effect.

Do give this recipe a try as it is a great alternative to the more stodgy Christmas pudding. The hint of warmth from the spices definitely makes this a keeper recipe. I'll definitely make this again for the upcoming Christmas. Just add decadent custard and you will have a big winner on your hands.

Christmas Pudding Jelly (Makes for one mould)

5 tablespoons Belvoir Spiced Winter Berry cordial
175ml water
1 tablespoon gelatine powder
4 tablespoons mixed fruits

Mix the cordial and water together. Sprinkle gelatine powder over a little water to soften. Once expanded, heat the cordial mixture. Pour the hot mixture into gelatine mixture. Add a little mixed fruits in the mould. Pour jelly mixture. Keep adding a little mixed fruits and jelly mixture until it reaches the top. Chill for 3 hours or overnight for a firmer jelly. Unmould and serve straight away.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 22 - The Old Timer (Cold Chicken Jelly)

2011-10-22T23:45:00.000+08:00

The Internet is driving me mad...so slow and just when I have to sort out all my posts.

Aargh! This is so frustrating.

Okay, rant over...I better get on to today's post.

A fellow blogger aka alilfatmonkey had asked me to consider doing an old time favourite, the cold chicken jelly from Pudu's Sek Yuen.

The Chinese restaurant is famous for serving retro food from the 1960s including this appetizer.

Usually made in a rice bowl, it has shredded chicken set in jelly that is served on a bed of lettuce.

I've made my own version, with a few short cuts since I had to maximise my time during this weekend.The ingredients are cobbled together from the chicken rice shop. Clear chicken soup for the jelly base while the poached chicken is shredded.

My version contains a little surprise nestled within that you get to by digging through....a poached egg with a soft egg yolk centre.

Set on a bed of Japanese cucumbers and served with a pinkish sauce that reminds me a little of prawn cocktails, it's finger licking good that I wished I had made more.Do give the simple recipe a try as it'll definitely surprise your friends and family at home.

Cold Chicken Jelly (Makes for one mould)

170ml chicken soup
1 tablespoon gelatine powder
shredded chicken
1 egg, poached
Japanese cucumber, sliced thinly

sauce
1/2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1/2 tablespoon chilli sauce
1 tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise
1 tablespoon condensed milk

Soften gelatine powder by sprinkling over a little water. Bring soup up to boil. Add to gelatine powder to melt and combine. Place shredded chicken in mould and pour over jelly mixture. Set the poached egg in the middle. Surround with chicken and jelly mixture. Chill for 2 hours or more for a firmer jelly. Mix the sauce ingredients and taste to your liking.

To serve: Arrange cucumber slices in a circle. Unmould jelly by dipping mould in hot water. Place jelly on top of cucumbers. Drizzle sauce on the side. Eat and have fun looking for the egg that oozes out.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 21 - Halloween (Candy Corn Jelly)

2011-10-21T23:57:00.002+08:00

Candy and Halloween....that works like magic for me.

Local kids don't seem to have adopted the habit of trick and treat yet.

But at my home, since it mainly houses Japanese expatriates, the kids tend to ring your doorbell and ask for sweets. Hence there is always a bag of chocolates or sweets at home to make sure they don't walk away empty handed.

However, I guess things will change with time since Halloween is getting rather commercial in Kuala Lumpur. Instead, the big kids seem to party more - getting dressed up in costumes to "scare" each other.

Hong Kong seem to celebrate it in a huge way. Last year, I was hanging around Lan Kwai Fong and witnessed how the islanders dress up - witches, devils, YMCA guys, cavemen and etc. The amusement parks also go all out and while it was rather juvenile, I kinda enjoyed doing almost all the haunted houses in Ocean Park. They weren't that scary but more like fun to see how everyone reacted to the surprises round the corner.

This particular jelly is inspired by the infamous candy corn from Jelly Belly (hmmm, what a great rhyme). I used real condensed milk for this jelly to create the creamy milky and yellow portions. Not sure if any of you are aware but Malaysia has no condensed milk anymore. Instead we are subjected to this doppelganger version called sweetened creamer. No dairy solids within that thickened creamer but instead it is the cheaper palm oil base. Kinda sad how that has been taken from us since the taste we grew up is now gone forever.

It is not that you can't source for the condensed milk anymore but the real ones are usually imported in from overseas and cost a tiny fortune (RM10 above). I often ask people to bring back a can of it from abroad (this can is from London).

Candy Corn Jelly

4 teaspoons gelatine powder
500ml water
100ml condensed milk
1 orange jelly packet

few drops of yellow colouring

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons gelatine powder over 250ml water. Leave to soften. Heat up over low heat, stirring until it melts. Add condensed milk; whisk to combine. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of gelatine mixture in the mould. Chill until it sets. In the meanwhile, sprinkle remaining gelatine powder with water. Heat up over low heat and make sure it is melted. Add jelly powder contents, whisk to combine. Pour 8 tablespoons orange mixture on top of the milk layer. Chill to set. Colour the remaining milk mixture with yellow colouring. Pour to form bottom layer. Chill for 4-6 hours to set. Remove from the mould by dipping in hot water.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 20 - Root Beer Float Jelly

2011-10-20T23:34:00.000+08:00

Ten more days to the end of this challenge....

It's becoming routine nowadays that I suspect I'll miss my crazy jelly moments or more like roller coaster ride.

It starts out with a high, that eureka moment where I start thinking how about capturing a certain memory in jelly form. Like this root beer float, a drink from the past.

The memories for each jelly is often sweet...like this one where I remember sipping from tall frosted glasses at the A&W drive in.

Then comes the actual engineering of the jelly, how to recreate it. After that comes the tinkering in the kitchen - the layering of the jelly where I'll curse myself and say I should have taken an easy way out.

Once it goes into the refrigerator, I kinda forget it until night falls.

Then the self doubt starts...what happens if it fails? I don't have a back-up plan. So I heat up the kettle, rummage through the refrigerator.

It's a small elation on my part when I see it had set properly. Then comes the dangerous dip with the hot water, the shaking and of course, it comes out from the mould. Whew! It's okay and it wobbles beautifully.

Once the beauty shots are taken, then it is tasting time while I edit pictures and write it out.

Did it work this time? I reckon it did as I love the ice cream tip and the slight fizzy taste at the end. The Bundaberg root beer is rather faint in taste but it kinda feels almost like the real thing. All I need is some waffles with ice cream or a coney dog and I may think I'm back in the A&W drive in.

Root Beer Float (Makes two moulds)

vanilla ice cream layer
100g vanilla ice cream
2 1/2 teaspoons gelatine powder
50ml hot water

root beer layer
300ml root beer
50ml hot water
2 tablespoons gelatine powder

Sprinkle gelatine powder over 1 teaspoon of water. Leave to bloom. Add hot water to melt. Combine gelatine mixture with vanilla ice cream. Spoon 2 1/2 tablespoons of mixture into mould. Place remaining mixture in another bowl. Chill in the refrigerator to allow it to set. Sprinkle gelatine powder over 1 tablespoon water. Add hot water to melt. Mix with root beer. Slowly pour over set vanilla ice cream layer. Chill for at least 5 hours. Remove from mould by dipping in hot water.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 19 - The Decadent One (Smoked Salmon Mousse with Caviar)

2011-10-19T20:08:00.000+08:00

I've decided to give mid-week blues a bit of boost...the decadent way.

Instead of a jelly, I decided to go for a savoury mousse.

Not any ordinary mousse but a luxurious one topped with lots and lots of caviar.

One does love this a lot - the soft luxurious mousse that touches your tongue with a whisper while each caviar egg pops in the mouth.

There's also the savoury kick on the end that makes you crave for more and more.

Believe me, I just shot the picture and swiped a bit from the top and I could not stop eating it.

One suggest you alleviate the guilt with some crackers but hey if you're suffering from mid-week work blues, just throw wind to caution and pop bits of this decadence in the mouth.

Smoked Salmon Mousse with Caviar (Makes for two moulds)

2 pieces smoked salmon
180ml thick cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon gelatine powder
1 tablespoon water
lumpfish caviar

Blend smoked salmon, 60ml cream and butter together. Sprinkle gelatine powder over water in a bowl. Leave for 1 minute. Heat up in a small pot till it melts. Mix with smoked salmon mixture. Beat remaining cream until it forms soft peaks. Combine with smoked salmon mixture. Line the mould with cling film or greaseproof paper that has been greased. Chill for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the mould. Add as much caviar as you like. Slowly enjoy the decadent treat with plain crackers.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 18 - The Brit (Steamed Maple Syrup Pudding)

2011-10-18T23:45:00.000+08:00

When I was studying in England, one of the best things I discovered was my love for steamed puddings.

My hall of residences was a little weird. Instead of a cafe food system for dinner time, we'll always sit down to eat together at an affixed time.

The food was never great stuff you would write home about but one thing stood out, their incredible ability to churn out these soft steamed puddings that we would eat with lashings of custard.

Every time they served steamed pudding, I'll make sure I attend dinner. The soft texture of the pudding with the creamy custard was so worth while sitting through rubbery lamb chops and awful fish and chips.

I've decided to recreate a little of my university memories with this steamed maple syrup pudding. Maple syrup ain't very Brit though (in fact it came from Minnesota Red Lake where I visited the Native Indian tribes) but I didn't want to use golden syrup since there's not much taste to it.

Do enjoy it and hopefully it'll create a memory for you that you can relive another time just like how steamed puddings hold a big significance for me.

Steamed Maple Syrup Puddings (Makes 2 moulds and a little more)

125ml maple syrup
75g butter, softened
75g caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted.
125ml milk

Heat maple syrup for 7-9 minutes or until thickened. Grease the moulds lightly with butter. Ladle thickened syrup inside and chill while you make the pudding batter. Beat remaining ingredients until combined. Spoon mixture into moulds. Cover with foil. Steam with the water up to 1/2 way through for 40 minutes. Remove and unmould. Enjoy with extra syrup and vanilla ice cream.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 17 - Sweet and Sour (Lychee Assam Boi Jelly)

2011-10-17T23:47:00.001+08:00

The blog seems to be going through the warmer shades of the rainbow...first yellow yesterday and now this brilliant orange in this jelly inspired by a favourite drink, the Lychee Assam Boi - a refreshing sweet and sour beverage to beat the heat.

It's not a perfect jelly as I kinda envisioned it as a riband version since it was going to be a combination of two flavours. Unfortunately I didn't realise that the clear portion would have been overshadowed by the bright orange. If you look at it closely, you can make the clear jelly parts but they don't come out too well in the photos. However, it did make a very pretty jelly when I shot it.

I loved the taste of this though. Very refreshing as the assam and lychee tastes don't overwhelm each other. I reckon a few of these will definitely beat the heat away.

Lychee Assam Boi Jelly (Makes two moulds)

10 assam boi
450ml boiling water

450ml lychee juice, drained from canned lychees

4 tablespoons gelatine powder

Place assam boi in a bowl. Add boiling water. Leave for 1 hour. Strain the liquid. Place 2 tablespoons gelatine powder in a small bowl. Add a little water and leave to bloom. Heat the assam liquid and bloomed gelatine powder. Whisk to combine. Slowly bring to boil over low heat. Pour into a measuring jug. Place remaining gelatine powder in the same bowl. Add water to bloom. Heat lychee juice in a clean pot over low heat. Add bloomed gelatine powder; whisking to combine. Bring to boil. Remove and pour into measuring jug. Add layer by layer of lychee and assam boi jelly and chill for 4-5 hours. Unmould by pouring hot water over the mould.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 16 - Bersih (Mango Bavarois)

2011-10-16T23:19:00.002+08:00

Yellow signifies many things.

For me, it's the sign of bright cheery things (which I hope are coming my way this coming week).

For some, it is the trademark colour for the call of electoral reforms in Malaysia hence the name "Bersih" that means clean in Malay.

There's definitely a lot of pink and green in the blog lately but not enough of this bright cheery palette.

The original intention was to make mango pudding that failed spectacularly in a pile of mush on Saturday. Hence I decided to rework the recipe and made it to a creamy bavarois. I suspect the gelatine powder could be a little less so this jelly can have a soft texture. Now it has a rubbery crunchy texture that is rather pleasant to eat especially chilled.

Here's to a great cheery Monday and electoral reforms in this country. We definitely need both of them.

Mango Bavarois (Makes 2 moulds and a little to spare)

100g caster sugar
6 tablespoons gelatine powder
200ml water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
200g fresh mangoes, strained
100ml water
100ml cream

mango puree, made from blending fresh mangoes

Combine sugar, gelatine powder, water, lemon juice in a pot. Stir over low heat until it comes to boil. Turn off the heat. Add mangoes and water. Reheat. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Whisk cream until it forms soft peaks. Combine with the mango mixture. Pour into moulds. Chill for at least 2 hours. Remove from the mould and serve with mango puree.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 15 - The Stack (Pandan and Coconut Crepes)

2011-10-15T23:00:00.000+08:00

Halfway through this challenge and today seemed to be the worst ever.

The first idea had an epic fail. I turned it over and it was just one big puddle on the plate.

Then came the second contingency, the crepe stack. I had visions of a beautiful conical one.

Obviously I'm a bad engineer since that's not possible unless I have varying sizes for round cutters.

Hence the second nightmare began, I made one stack that looked like the cat had dragged in since it had all sorts of sizes.

Okay, so it was back to the drawing board to make another batch.

I patiently made a batch of green pancakes and cut them in rounds with my Royal Selangor pewter mould.They make beautiful perfect rounds that look gorgeous stacked up with the coconut filling.

I was finally happy with the results and its taste, nice and light with the coconut filling - after so many tries I have my winner.

The Stack (Pandan and Coconut Crepe) (adapted from Nonya Recipes by Debbie Teoh)

coconut filling

1/2 grated coconut

100g palm sugar

50g sugar

100ml water

2 sprigs pandan leaves

crepes
160g plain flour
1 teaspoon corn flour
1 egg
160ml thick coconut milk
300ml water
2 tablespoons pandan juice
few drops of green colour

To prepare filling: Cook palm sugar, sugar, water and pandan leaves tied in a knot until the sugars melt. Add grated fresh coconut; mix to coat thoroughly. Over the heat slowly heat up until the sugar mixture dries up a little. Remove from the heat. Set aside on a plate.

To prepare crepes: Whisk all ingredients together; sift to remove any lumps. Heat a frying pan; grease with a little oil. Pour one ladleful of batter in the hot pan. Shake to let batter cover pan. Cook over low heat. Remove and place on a plate. Keep it seperate with paper towels. Continue until the batter finishes.

To assemble: Cut the crepes into round shapes with the Royal Selangor pewter mould. Set aside. Place one piece on a plate. Add coconut filling and spread. Add another crepe. Repeat with coconut filling and crepes. Serve immediately.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 14 - The Clear One (Elderflower, Strawberry and Mint Jelly)

2011-10-14T23:26:00.002+08:00

If I don't work with jelly, I get little anxiety attacks.

While I can experiment with new fangled ideas, there's a niggling thought at the back of my brain that I should be championing jelly.

Hence this particular jelly that came about as a "throw together in the fridge" version.

I often find my good ideas unraveling after mid-week, hence the best intentions are never fulfilled.

Being short of a few items for the next planned jelly meant I needed an emergency one.

Hence I went through the fridge and emerged with this concoction - the base is elderflower jelly from an au naturel elderflower drink I love from O Gourmet (thanks to my friend CS who introduced me to it). Then as usual I raid my mini herb garden and emerged with lots of tiny mint leaves. Then there's some almost dying strawberries that I salvage to make this very pretty masterpiece of red and green.

Believe me, this can also be known as the Throw Together jelly since it's a mish-mash of everything.

In terms of taste, it's not fantastic but I do love the cold elderflower jelly, a great idea to enjoy my favourite drink.

Elderflower, Strawberry, Mint Jelly

450ml elderflower drink
2 tablespoons gelatine powder
mint leaves
strawberries, cleaned, stalk removed and halved

Place gelatine powder with some water to allow it to bloom. Heat elderflower drink; add gelatine powder and melt. Pour into a measuring jug. Place mint leaves and strawberries in mould. Pour a little elderflower jelly into mould. Fridge till set. Repeat with mint, strawberries and elderflower jelly until it reaches to the top. Chill for 4 to 5 hours. Unmould by dipping moulds into hot water. Place plate at the bottom. Tilt to unmould. serve chilled.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 13 - McSteamy (Steamed Rosemary Creme Brulee)

2011-10-13T23:26:00.001+08:00

I love how my friends rally around me for this 30-day challenge.

After the initial..."you're crazy" statements, they start sharing ideas and recipes.

Take for instance, LH whom I met last weekend over some Yemeni food.

She was raving on about a steamed creme brulee recipe she had just picked up in Singapore.

Sounded darn interesting, hence I decided to give it a try.

The original recipe had a rosemary flavour but I understand it was tweaked to a lavender version.

Since I didn't have any lavender buds, I decided that I'll raid my rosemary plant. It's strange as the rosemary is the only plant doing well.

Just goes to show how "green" my thumbs are when it comes to plants.

Despite the weird combination, I must admit the rosemary flavour is rather light and slightly floral.

I did love the creme brulee, a rich creamy one with a light texture. Thanks LH! You're the best.

And don't forget it works well with the pretty Royal Selangor pewter moulds holding it. Now I wonder what the Grey's Anatomy fans will say to its nickname.

Steamed Rosemary Creme Brulee (Makes for 2 moulds)

400ml cream
1 teaspoon rosemary
70g caster sugar
4 egg yolks

Bring the cream to boil over a low fire. Add rosemary and leave for 15 minutes to infuse. Meanwhile, beat the sugar and egg yolks together. Strain the hot milk and pour a little to egg yolk mixture to temper (whisk in). Add egg yolk mixture into hot milk and whisk to combine. Pour into moulds. Cover top with foil. Steam over low heat for 10 minutes or until the middle no longer wobbles. Cool. Chill for 4-5 hours. Remove from the refrigerator. Sprinkle a layer of sugar on top. Blow torch until it browns. Eat immediately.

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 12 - French Cone (French Toast with Caramel Apples)

2011-10-12T23:29:00.002+08:00

It's mid-week and I'm singing the Jelly blues.

Work has caught up with me.

With all that stress, the grey brain cells can't seem to think up an inspiring idea.

Apologies but today is a rather lame entry that looks like a roti canai!??

Inspired by the menu on Ben's General Food Store (that started serving brekkie), I decided to make the French Cone (nope it ain't a cap).Per the menu, it described their breakfast item to be made from a rich Bavarian loaf. This was rather simple to acquire from the next door deli.

However making it into a cone was a big challenge. If I used the side crusts to create the outside wall, it works perfectly but since the loaf was originally a bit on the deeper brown side, it comes out an unappealing darker shade of brown.

I experimented with the inside of the loaf but this instead gave it an appearance like dimpled roti canai from the eggy mixture. I guess I just could not win this battle.Despite its ramshackle look, it tasted rather alright with the caramel apples I had also made. A bit on the sweeter side but I guess that's the liberty you pay with caramel sauces.Since I'm not much of a morning person, it was rather nice to sit down to a "morning" meal at night.Hopefully I'll shake out of my mid week blues or else the challenge is going to get rather (yawn) boring.

French Toast with Caramel Apples

1 bavarian loaf or croissant
2 eggs
50ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 green apple, sliced and cored
50g caster sugar
20g butter
3 tablespoons cream

Beat eggs, milk and vanilla together. Dip slices of the loaf with egg mixture. Stuff into the Royal Selangor pewter mould with the crust facing outwards. Press down to form a cone. Use a knife to loosen it out. Pan-fry it on a hot frying pan until all the sides are slightly brown.

Melt sugar in a clean pot. Once it turns into caramel, add butter to melt. Add apples and cook till soften. Add cream just before serving.

To serve: Place caramel apples on a plate. Top with the French Cone and serve immediately

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.

Get Your Jelly On! Day 11 - Ms. Mat-Cha (Green Tea Pannacotta)

2011-10-11T23:22:00.002+08:00

Meet Ms. *Mat-Cha.

She is one slippery babe.

Just throw her into hot water and she slips out of the Royal Selangor pewter jelly mould in a whoosh!

Or like how Nigella Lawson describes it in Top Chef about pannacotta (her kind)..."should have the texture of the wobble of a 17th century courtesan's inner thigh."**

Despite her wobbly shortcomings, she was a delectable creamy morsel that was enjoyed with relish.

As she whooshed around, I reckon it would have probably been safer to have eaten her in the mould with a teaspoon to avoid any mishaps. But if you want to live a little dangerously, go ahead and dip her in hot water to see how she'll melt for you.

Green Tea Pannacotta (From Awaken the Appetite and based on a recipe by Janice Wong)

1 teaspoon gelatine powder
1 tablespoon water
150ml milk
150ml cream
3 tablespoons caster sugar
4 teaspoons green tea powder (preferably Japanese)

Sprinkle gelatine powder over water. Leave for 5 minutes or until it has bloomed. In a small pot, bring to boil milk, cream and caster sugar. Stir in the gelatine powder; whisk to blend. Mix the green tea powder with a little of the hot milk to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the paste to make sure there are no lumps. Sieve mixture into a measuring jug. Divide among the two Royal Selangor pewter jelly moulds. Chill overnight. Unmould by pouring a little water around the moulds. Loosen with a knife and turn over. If hot water is used it will melt quite quickly. Serve immediately.

An alternate way to serve would be to eat it straight from the mould as the pannacotta is very soft and creamy.

* Mat-Cha is the Japanese word for green tea

** Thanks to the Ravenous Rabbit for that useful insight into the wobble factor

Reminder: Support the cause by buying a Royal Selangor Nick Munro pewter mould as all proceeds go to breast cancer welfare association. Also, do remember to submit your suggestions to booliciouskl@gmail.com or leave a comment for the mould to win the Olympus camera VG-110. For more pictures, see the Flickr set for all the whole Royal Selangor Jellyriffic challenge. To view, all the jellies, see this link to the Royal Selangor website.