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

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

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

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

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

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

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.