This cafeteria-like eatery is stunning in every way. The space is simple and clean, with long communal tables, metal chair and vintage(y) milk cartons that remind me of my old school days.

Pizza is No. 1 word search in Google? Is it? Look up and you can see puns, and witty quotes adorning the chalk boards.

Apple Crumble recipe for your perusal

B.I.G Lasagna (RM 18.90). It was huge indeed, with cheese and minced meat layered between lasagna cheese and drenched with a delicious pasta sauce. What an ultimate comfort food.

Every order of hot deli item comes with a side of salad. We chose the pineapple and codfish salad, but it was really bland

Salami Pizza (RM 19.90). It was great. The tomato sauce is neither too sweet nor acidic, the salami has a decent kick and the mozarella is served in a generous manner.

We were stuffed to the brim, but could not resist having something sweet. The carrot cake (RM 9.90) was dry and crumbly, which was disappointing.

There were hits & misses from the menu but Ben’s General Food Store is such a charming price that serves up simple, hearty fare with a decent price tag.

Bangsar Village I,
G17 & G18, Ground Floor,
No 1, Jalan Telawi Satu Bangsar Baru,
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2284 8790
Website: http://www.thebiggroup.co/

Opening times: Open daily, 10.30am-10.30pm

Samplings on the Fourteen is a fine dining fusion outlet initially set up by Berjaya University College of Hospitality. It serves as a training ground for the students during day time while Chef Val and his team run the show when night falls.

The dining room offers a choice of plush booths and spacious tables with just the right level of intimacy for an important business lunch or dinner or romantic special occasion.

The restaurant features an open kitchen where patrons can see the cooks perspiring over the grill or flipping the pan.

Samplings on the Fourteen is also equipped with an unparalleled views of the city, making it a perfect place to take a first date

The ala-carte menu is simple but well covered with 7 courses, namely ‘To Begin’, ‘To Warm’, ‘To Grain’, ‘To Fish’, ‘To Meat’, ‘To Grill’ and ‘To Finish’. In conjunction with MIGF 2011, we were presented with the MIGF Festival Menu (4 courses) with wine pairing.

Appetizer
Combination of Seared Foie Gras, Tomato and Onion Tart &
US Scallops with Yellow Mushrooms, Chive Salad
****
Cloudy Bay, Chardonnay

Seared Foie Gras, Tomato and Onion Tart was so delicious that will inspire even the most discerning palates. The sweetness of the tomato and caramelised onion complemented the thick, velvety foie gras so well. The US scallop, pan seared over high heat helped retained its juiciness and natural sweetness. Another well executed appetizer!

Soup
Light Smoked Duck Essence
with Ginseng Root and Raviolini
****
Cloudy Bay, Chardonnay

The consomme was delightfully delicious. Ginseng root has lends its aroma to this luxurious soup. The raviolini has excellent filings but the skin just felt a bit too thick.

Sorbet
Celery Mint Sorbet

Patrons can also request for the favourite tune to be played while indulging in Chef Val’s culinary delights.

Main Dishes
Roasted Australian Pistachio Crusted Baby Veal Rack
served with Greens, Potato Comfit and Truffle Jus
****
Nicolas Catena Zapata, Malbec

The Baby Veal Rack is one of Chef Val’s signature dishes. Baby veal is the most tender and lightest in color of all veal; hence the light hint of redness. The meat was so juicy and tender that it requires minimal chewing.

Main Dishes

Cajun Spiced Black Cod
Seared Prawns, Vanilla Oil and Escarole Risotto
****
Puligny Montrachet

Impeccably fresh and juicy, the cod fish was a flaky perfection! The sauce was refreshing, accentuating the natural flavour of the lightly seared cod.

Dessert
Ricotta Cheese Cake
Chestnut Mousse with Raspberry Coulis and Almond Crisp
****
Peter Lehmann Barossa Art Late Harvest Frontignac

Dessert was quite a let down after such incredible starters and mains. Though creamy, the ricotta cheesecake was bland. Same goes for the chestnut mousse, I was expecting something nutty and sweeter.

Samplings on the Fourteen is the perfect combination of spectacular view, warm atmosphere and innovative cuisine.

As a MIGF participant this year, the restaurant is offering 3 special menus for the whole month of October:

Samplings on the Fourteen
14th Floor, East Tower,
1, Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: 603- 2117 8000 ext 8131
Fax: 603- 2117 8155
Email: bth.samplings@berjayahotel.com

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Located right above Tanzini, Upper Deck is spotted with a uniquely different menu. The seasonal menus changes every two weeks, as a result of the unique synergies between Executive Chef, Johnny Fua and Upper Deck Sous Chef, Alven Tan.

Starting from RM 155++ for a 4 course dinner, a fine meal at such a prime location will not only impress your date but does so without hurting your wallet greatly.

Thanks to an invitation from Gladys of Goldis Berhad, we were privileged to be amoung the first few who get to sample a rare treat here.

Candle light dinner, anyone?

Together with Ivy, Rebecca and friend, we were in for a real treat! We made our way through a luxurious six-course dinner (RM 216++) featuring excellent colorful juxtaposition of flavors, ingredients and aromatics. And of course, we shared the plates to reduce waste.

An amuse bouche of crab meat with potato chip on top as a prelude to our 6 course dinner.

Baby Lobster Tail Salad

Assorted Heirloom Tomatoes, Garden Greens, Basil Ravioli, Aged Balsamico

Blanketed in an apple mint sheet, the fresh and clean taste of the baby lobster tail is a treat for seafood lovers. The heirloom tomato (also called heritage tomato in the UK) was very sweet and ripe. I have to say that the basil ravioli (dark morsel, on the right) caught my eyes! The ravishing ravioli bursted into basil juice as I took a bite and it was a nice, pleasant surprise.

Duo of Hokkaido Scallop

Caramelized Scallop, Edamame Purée & Carpaccio Scallop, Crab Roe Emulsion

An elegant presentation – fresh, succulent scallops gently grilled and served with on a bed of edamame puree.

However, I liked the Carpaccio Scallop with Crab Roe Emulsion better. The creamy crab roe emulsion paired beautifully with the natural sweetness of the scallops.

Momotaro Tomato Gazpacho

Chilled Momotaro Tomato Succo, Tiger Prawn Salsa Timbale & Apple Mint Oil

Our chilled soup came in a beautiful pinkish hue and garnished with maple leaf. Momotaro Tomato is one of the most perfect, attractive, deliciously sweet tomatoes available in Japan. This also explains why the flavour of the soup was excellent; subtly sweet and tangy at the same time. So refreshing!
s

Smoked Duck Tea

Smoked Duck Consommé and Ox Tongue Ragù Ravioli, Black Trumpet Mushroom

The consomme was delightfully delicious. Smoked duck, cooked with duck fat has lends its aroma to this irresistible soup. I love the ravioli too, thinking that beef tongue is one of the most delicious things ever!

Pacific Rainbow Trout

Dole Sweet Corn Risotto, Black Truffle, Styria Pumpkin Seed Oil

This is probably my favorite way to eat rainbow trout. The delicate sweet flesh contrasts nicely with the crunchy skin. Love the earthy combination of black truffle and sweet corn risotto by the side too!

Butternut Squash Cappellacci

Sea Urchin and Avruga Caviar

The cappellacci stuffed with creamy butternut squash, topped with sea urchin & Avruga caviar is definitely one of the best starters that we had that night! I don’t think I ever would have put these ingredients together on my own but I considered this creation at Upper Deck a brilliant combination.

Intermezzo

Sorbet of the day – to cleanse our palate for the main seduction

1824 Beef Tenderloin & Cheek

Slow-roasted Beef Tenderloin and Cheek, Swede Purée, Summer Root Vegetables, Zinfandel Reduction

Our steak was grilled to a perfect medium rare and it was nice and juicy inside. The meat itself has an intensely sweet, delicate and persistent flavour and the beef cheek (hidden beneath the tenderloin) was so tender that it literally melts in your mouth. Aboslute best steak I’ve had in a long time.

Fillet of Yellowtail King Fish

Oven-roasted Lemon Grass infused Hamachi Fish, Braised Kohlrabi and Fennel Broth

Though being a beautifully executed dish, the yellow tail king fish fillet pales in comparison to the pleasure of warm red, rare meat.

Lamb Rack in Granola Bar Crust

Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin, Baby Vegetables Niçoise,

Spiced Peach Chutney

The lamb rack was probably one of the most disputable dish of the night. Some of us thought that it was undercooked so plates after plates of lamb rack were being sent back to the kitchen to be re-cooked. Some of us liked it this way. Chef Johnny explained to us that the lamb rack was being sous-vide for hours to retain its natural flavours. While some may frowned at the pink, bloody centre, the lamb rack is safe to be consumed as a result of the long cooking hours.

Sous-vide (pronounced /suːˈviːd/), French for “under vacuum”,^[1] is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for a long time—72 hours is not unusual—at an accurately determined temperature much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 60 °C or 140 °F. The intention is to cook the item evenly, not overcook the outside while still keeping the inside at the same ‘doneness’ and to keep the food juicier.

I love my rack of lamb the way it is; it was a particularly tasty version. But in the end, it all comes down to personal preference.

Spotted the garden being laid in front? The soil was actually some cookies crumbs and the miniature vegetables just looked too cute to be eaten!

Coffee to curb post dinner food coma.

Sweet Ending

Assorted Tanzini Creation of Sweet Temptations – it was nothing to be shout about; the profiteroles were stale and the banana/coconut ice cream were a tad too icy for my liking. I guess desserts is just not Upper Deck’s forte at this moment. They are in need of hiring a pastry chef to ensure a sweet ending to every feast.

All in all, Upper Deck is marked by attentive service, good food (not so great dessert), and reasonable prices in a very romantic and sophisticated ambiance, making it worthy of our Highly Recommended restaurant of the year.

Upper Deck @ Tanzini,
Level 29, G Tower, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2168-1899

Opens only for dinner, except on Sundays.

No a la carte selections. RM155++ for four courses, RM185++ for five courses and RM215++ for six courses. Menu varies every two weeks.

The passion fruit hazelnut cake (RM 12) was nothing to shout about. We had a mediocre chocolate peanut butter cake before this too. So stick to our advice and skip the dessert.

Despite the limited dessert selection, I didn’t regret coming by for a dinner fix, for the service is fabulous and the ambiance of this place is lovely.

F Concept Dining by Buffalo Kitchens,
69-1, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru.
Tel: 2201-1710
Opening times: Open daily, 12noon-12midnight
Located above Chawan and opposite Bangsar Village.

The house is beautifully converted to a cafe like setting, with beautiful garden and Balinese theme man made pond.

The owner/chef, Huck Seng learns cooking to impress his three children (ya la! he’s married!). He is not trained as a chef, but he improvised along the way and his cooking is a hit among friends and families! Soon enough, friends came over for dinner and eventually they brought along more guests (friends of friends). That’s how the whole idea of starting up a home cafe was borne.

We made a reservation for a Sunday night and showed up a little late. We sipped on a refreshing drink (Basil Seed Mint Soda) while touring the place.

snacks – mini wonton with spicy shrimps

It was a rainy night and coincidentally, we were presented with two types of soups as our starters.

Sweet, rich and creamy; the pumpkin soup was a great tummy warmer. Instead of squashing everything together, the chef has thrown in some bite sized pumpkin cubes in there.

However, the asparagus soup was “lifeless” in taste and a tad too salty for me.

The Grilled Salmon Garlic Asparagus with Lime Rice was cooked perfectly and was delicious. And the crackly crispy salmon skin is the best bit!

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Baked Apples. The cheese was oozing out as we sliced it across – a picturesque scene! The chicken meat was plump and juicy. If you noticed, Huck’s version of cordon bleu is baked as a healthier and less greasy alternative compared to the original recipe that ask for deep frying.

Lemon Roast Chicken (whole bird, feeds 4) is the house specialty. I told Huck that the chicken dish is very “Jamie Oliver” and he laughed, admittedly told me that Jamie Oliver’s recipe is a source of inspiration for him as a chef. It is a simple and fail-proof recipe – just push  garlic cloves, whole lemon, rosemany and thyme into the cavity, then put the chicken intoa roasting tray. However, timing is crucial, and it is based on your experience most of the time.

As easy as it sounds, the chicken dish turned out to be amazingly juicy and flavorful

Wild Rocket Chili Chicken Spaghetti. Looks can be deceiving, as the mild looking pasta dish turned out to be quite spicy! It was delicious; and we enjoyed slurping up the spicy strands.

House Wine

Ginger Ale

By the time we were done with our food we were stuffed to the brim but Huck brought in more desserts! The Banana Chocolate Brownies with Ice Cream was really good. I haven’t had a good brownies for a very long time and their version surprises me! Soft, moist, buttery, nutty, and chocolaty with a hint of banana flavour; it was a big hit at our table.

Same goes for the rich, decadent and delicious Chocolate Mud Pie Ice Cream, it was so good!

The Creme Brulee was so smooth, rich and creamy! And the sugar coating is caramelized beautifully!

There’s no better way to end a big meal with a cup of brewed coffee!

the comrades

All in all, Huck’s Cafe is a beautiful hidden gem that serves quality food at a very reasonable price. Huck’s Cafe charges RM68 nett per pax for a three course meal with beverages included. Reservation is a MUST and can be made via their FB page.

Huck’s Cafe
26, Jalan 5/58,
Gasing Indah,
46000 Petaling Jaya.
Selangor.
Tel: 603-7781 2781

After hearing SO MUCH of good things about Sage, TWO failed attempts in securing a table for two, and getting rejected for walk-in ONCE, we were here finally (drum roll please).

We took a lift next to Isetan Departmental Store and my heart jumps, thinking that we were just a few steps away from Sage – the talk of the town. Initially, we were rather surprised to see that The Sage is tucked away at a secluded corner next to the parking lot. Once I shoved through the heavy glass door, a young lady greeted us at the door with a welcoming smile and a jovial presence. We were promptly seated near to the open kitchen where Chef Takashi and crews were busy creating superb rendition of dishes. The ambiance is perfect – classy, lush but not intimidating, with the occasional melody of glass clinging, soft whispering and sizzling at the background.

We were taking our own sweet time in reading through the one page menu. Read aloud some of the names in the menu and you’ll be condemned to a near eternity of grueling tongue twisters (Is it just me?). We settled for Sage Dinner at RM 140 nett because it offers more value for money than ala carte pricea as such: Starters at rm58, main course at RM78 and desserta at RM30. Do the math. One can opt for an additional course (Chef Special )at RM160 nett or the degustation menu at RM240 nett where advance booking is required.

Complimentary Bread. The breads were all good; crusty, warm and soft.

For starter, I chose the Feuillete of Anago with Foie Gras and Duxelles, loosely translated as puff pastry with salt-water eel, foie gras and mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs. The dish offers a myriad of flavor and texture! Think crispy layers of sweet and caramelized puff pastry, soft fatty salt-water eel and velvety smooth foie gras that leaves a trail of bovine juice in your mouth. Mmmmm…

Carpaccio of Wagyu with Sesame Vinaigrette and Asparagus. He had the wafer-thin slices of raw wagyu beef served cold, seasoned with sesame vinaigrette. The wagyu slices melts on your palate like the most sublime foie gras, and leaves a rich flavor behind.

What a great start to our meal!

My choice of main is the Lightly Salted Cod with Foie Gras, Roasted in Wood Paper (not foie gras again?). The cod and foie gras are impeccably fresh, with chock full of fragrant juices. Sauces are subtle, accentuating the natural flavor of the lightly salted cod and pan seared foie gras.

Rump Steak with Carrot Puree and Anchovy Sauce goes to KampungBoy, who is a steak person. The rounder pieces of steak with pink centre are actually the medallions, a cut of from the wagyu beef type. It is succulent, tender and very very tasty. On the side, we were given the braised ox shank topped with carrot puree. It is pleasingly tender and not at all gamey.

I was not entirely blown away by the Roasted Kougyoku Apples with Vanilla Ice Cream. Immediately, my face was contorting into a frown and later found out that Kougyoku apple is a kind of very sour apple from Japan. Sorry, I’m just not a fan of all things sour.

He made a smart choice by ordering the Ricotta Souffle served with Espresso Sherbet. Light, fluffy and airy, with a barely perceptible brown crust on top, the souffle is a perfect sweet ending.

The End – Coffee/Tea ?

What can I say? It was a very satisfactory dinner, the starters and mains were beyond excellence while we think that we are going to give it a pass to the desserts the next time (wrong choices maybe, as other floggers raved about the desserts).We will definitely be going back and would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. Ooo yes, Sage is perfect for Valentine’s Day celebration and to impress your dates as well. Reservation is a must, unless you want to try your luck and get turn down.

Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar

The Residences Level 6

The Gardens, Mid Valley City,

Lingkaran Syed Putra,

59200 KL.

Tel: 03-22681328

Email: sagekul@gardenshtlres.com

We were so glad that IT was over. The last week or so we have been cramming like crazy so to reward ourselves, we had a little dinner celebration at Pick n Brew. We were so lucky that busy buzzy Jackson was around the other day, so upon his recommendation, we opt for the Christmas All Day Special Set (RM 28++) that comes with a soup of the day, a main course and a drink.

Eggnog Latte (RM 15). A festive drink in US and Canada, it is a perfect blend of sweet eggy caffeinated goodness with some mild hint of brandy.

Christmas Carol & Minty Christmas

Flavorful, rich and aromatic, the pumpkin soup was very comforting despite being a little runny.

Grilled red mullet on stewed assorted beans
Drenched in delicious gravy, the fish fillet is no doubt, fresh and succulent. While being a big fan of beans in all form, I polished the plate clean.

Oven baked stuffed chicken with soft mushroom polenta and sautéed vegetables.
A medley of fresh herbs infuses the stuffing for the roasted chicken breasts, resulting in a very flavorful dish. Polenta is course Italian corn meal and the subtle flavor of it goes very well with any gravy. I can’t help but to keep digging in!

Pan fried breaded lamb on fondant potatoes and braised red cabbages
A delicious, tender and the lean cut of lamb with nutty crust is pan fried to perfection. Baked to a rich golden color, the fondant potato is rich and creamy while the sweet and sour red cabbage gave a very refreshing touch.

Beef escalope and lobster tail with sautéed mushroom and grilled potato
A lean cut of beef escalope with caramelized onion topping make a winning combination in this fabulous, flavorsome main. The delectable lobster tail is sure to delight any seafood lover too.

Sweet Ending – chocolate log cake, multi grain cookies with mocha pot coffee. Although feeling rather stuffed, I can’t stop munching on the light and chewy multi grain cookies!

With reasonable pricing and attentive services, we thought that Pick n Brew is the place to go for a relaxing afternoon or casual get together. The Christmas all day set has given us a mood of festivity; which reminds me that I’m not done with my Christmas shopping. Ops!

Most PJ folks must have noticed this place, a huge three storey themed restaurant that offers “24 hours couple dining and drinking”. The outside of The Cave looked so forbidding, so rocky and brassy, that I could never allow myself to walk past it without having a peep inside. Yes, despite all the negative reviews that we have heard about the food here, with an adventurous heart, we dropped by one night.

With rock-like formations covering the ceiling and walls, the exotic restaurant is pretty enticing. Upon entrance, we walked through a tunnel and were greeted by the sight of huge dingy cave room with bar and lounges that offer places for chilling out. The stairs will lead us up to more individual cave rooms for couples and small groups while third floor is an open cave area that can accommodates 70 pax. We were then led into our own cave room. The seating is pretty tight where couples have to sit side by side. Dim lights resembling flame torches adorn the cave walls in our little private room so you can hardly read the menu. The menu is pretty extensive, from lamb shank, pasta, steak to soba, smooth egg noodles and sweet sour chicken rice. You name it, they have it. KampungBoy thinks that it’s weird to have “Dai Chou” stuff at such a nice place, so we settled for the set dinner at RM 39++.

Tea

Roma Tomato and Orange Soup with Parmiagiano Stock. The tomato orange soup has an artificial tang to it. It’s more like slurping on extremely sour thinned-out ketchup. To make thing worst, I had mouth ulcer and the sour soup actually aggravate it further. Even KampungBoy is not willing to have another spoonful of it because the sourness is just repellant.

For main we had the Baked Dory Fillet with Tangy Lemon Juice. A tiny slab of dory fillet is served on a bed of greens and mashed. The fish fillet was OK but the gravy was bland.

The saving grace, mix berries crumble with vanilla ice cream comes last. Guess you can’t go wrong with crumbles and vanilla ice cream?

Paid so much. Die die must cam-whore! All in all, I love the cave-theme interior but the menu has failed in keeping with the theme. Imagine having CKT at such a nice place. The food was rather disappointing too; I can’t be so mean because they are still fairly new and probably need some time to ‘settle down’. It would be a great place for chilling out and drinks, but if you ask what about a proper meal? All I can say is let’s just see how thing goes then.

The Cave Couple Cafe & Restaurant Sdn Bhd
No 42, Mezzanine Floor,
Jalan SS2/61,
47300 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

03-78739888/9698
(Opens from 11a.m. to 1a.m. daily, apparently they are not operating 24 hours YET)

He once asked me, “What does your dream house look like?”
I told him…

My dream house has a secret garden like how Frances Hodgson Burnett put it, minus the air of intrigue and gloominess and lit up by myriads of colors. On a lazy Sunday evening, surrounded by blooming scent-ational flowers, I’ll sit with a glass of wine, do some readings on the same wooden bench where that hairy chest guy brushed his leg against the married woman under the last time they were here. (Any similarity to any real person is merely coincidental)

When slopping down keg beer out of plastic cups is not my kind of thing anymore, I need a home bar stocked with “sophisticated booze” 24/7. What’s better than the best timing to sweet talk the husband into buying me that Gucci bag that I’ve been eyeing when he’s sipping on his glass of tequila sunrise?

I love all things random in a home that is uniquely mine. I’ll put behind my head of matching sofas, matching carpet, matching wall colors, matching furniture and matching home décor pieces. There are no clear décor rules & policies to raid my home. I’ll have walls after walls of random graphics, paired with mismatched accessories that I managed to dig through from the Sunday lapsap (junkyard) sales and pieces that bring good memories.

Cappuccino Crush(RM 9)

Firefly (RM 13)

Sunset Cooler (RM13)

Mushroom Cappuccino – Mushroom Soup Topped with Foam Milk(RM10)

Shrimp & Avocado Salad (RM18)

Chicken Lollipops with Roasted Chili Mayo (RM10)

Fish n Chips – Tempura Fried Dory Fish with Potato and Yam Chips (RM19)

Lamb Chop with Garlic Black Bean Sauce Served with Pumpkin Mash and Frued Yam Wool (RM43)

Toasted Carrot Cake Served with Cream Cheese Frosting and Strawberry Basil Mint Coulis (RM12)

Ginger Crème Brulee Served with Almond Biscotti (RM12)

I woke up to some faint voices in the background, a small group of tai tais are talking about petrol price hikes and inflations over their cuppa. I’ll just stick to my old house where everything is in place and is small enough to fit in a trash can. How convenient!

This would be my last eating out of the month (after the second last, the third last, the fourth last just few days ago), I remind myself on my resolution to tighten my belt and work harder.

Palate Palette Restaurant & Bar
21 Jalan Mesui, Off Jalan Nagasari,
50200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-21422148
Fax: 03-21432148
www.palatepalette.com
p/s: 5/5 ratings for the ambiance, service and food, set lunch are also a/v at RM 20++

Invitation from FoodStreet

Fill in the blanks

Sorry for the lack of updates as I’m going to Kuala Terengganu during the _________ for a short __________. I’m in lazy mode currently, so let me present to you Pasta Zanmai @ One Utama that need no further introductions (and elaborations).

Heart throb loves sipping on hot ___________.

Soup Tori Pasta(RM 22) is a soupy version of _______ with tender juicy teriyaki chicken.

Unagi Kabayaki Set (RM 20) comes with thick slab of sexily glazing __________, rice, salad and miso soup.

Sansu Morin (RM 12) with Black Sesame _________, Green Tea Ice Cream with _________ and Chocolate ________ Wafer. Total _____ comes to RM 65 which is quite ________, considering the significant serving size that we get. As the name of _______ Zanmai suggest, it is better to stick to their pasta as the unagi kabayaki set that KampungBoy ordered is not that great.

G210B, Ground Flood Promenade
1 Utama Shopping Centre
1 Lebuh Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Contact: 03-7728 1210
Business hours:
10am to 10pm (Sunday to Thursday)
10am to 10.30pm (Friday and Saturday) 

It was my first time to the newly refurbished Hotel Imperial (Hotel Sheraton Imperial formerly) upon an invitation from Food Street. The revamption has brought to us a not only a whole new luxurious hotel, but also a hot spot for the epicureans – Essence.

We were seated at a table set amid lush greenery that makes one feel like being in a suspended garden. Taking a few steps more reveals a whole new dimension – a dimly lit place brightened by colourful cushions, eccentric neon lights and sleek red walls.The all day dining restaurant offers ala carte as well as international buffets to tantalize one’s taste buds.

Those seeking a tasteful, culinary adventure are sure to find it in the restaurant’s exciting spread of buffets. However, my sole purpose here was to meet Michael Huynh (aka Chef Bao). He was making his first appearance here in Malaysia to share with us his unique culinary experience featuring a special taste of Vietnamese cuisine, but with a twist of New York.

Fusion ya mean? Many have been arguing whether globalization is good for the earth or the economy, but I’m pretty sure that the influx of various foreign flavours has definitely enlivened the gastronomy world. Chef Bao is daring in introducing bold flavours or new ideas in his cooking. He brings together ingredients from different cuisines in imaginative juxtapositions, through the methods of preparations and presentations.

From Top Left

Lamb Nem on Lemongrass Skewer (RM34)

Lamb Nem on Lemongrass Skewer arrived in an eye catching display. Tender pieces of lamb are cooked on a lemongrass skewer and drenched with a delicious home made satay sauce. The side of star fruit, red onion and orange in kalamansi vinaigrette was really appetizing as well.

Spicy Beef Cube and Pomelo (RM30)

Alternate layers of beef cubes, pineapple cubes, and pomelo slices are arranged alternately on a ring of pineapple. Intensely spiced, sharp and tangy, the beef cubes have won our hearts over.

Tamarind Tomato Gazpacho (RM26)

In the mood for something light yet flavourful, we opted for the chilled Tamarind Tomato Gazpacho. The cool, seasoned tomato soup is served with huge slabs of marinated bay scallop and garnished with diced grape tomatoes and pineapples. Thinking of this sourish cold soup makes me shallow my saliva again and again.

Pan Roasted Quail with Duck Confit, Quail Egg, Sweet Soy and Daikon Hash (RM40)

Tender, slightly sweet and delicious, the quail meat is simple and satisfying because it is done perfectly. I love the flavourful duck confit, the delicate quail egg, the daikon hash (raddish cake slices) and the sweet soy sauce which did a good work in tying all the flavours together.

Fermented Bean Curd Lacquered Roasted Black Cod with Heart of Palm Puree (RM65)

An unusual twist from the usual miso cod fish, the immaculate square fish slice is slathered with creamy sweet palm puree. Credits to the chef for the perfectly cooked fish, it was succulent on the inside and crispy on the skin.

Ginger Honey Crispy Barramundi (RM65)

It was spreaded with a generous serving of caramelized endive, cherry tomato and sausage herb vinaigrette. The seared barramundi’s delicious crispy skin reveals flaky, succulent, tender meat. A lift of fork is enough to set the fish flakes apart.

Lemongrass Crusted Lamb Chop (RM70)

I was attracted to their diminutive appearance on the plate, like little meat lollipops. The lamb has very intense flavour of lemongrass and fantastically delicious. The pears add a note of fall and match up with squash for sweet, full-flavored gravy.

While the freedom and creativity lies on the chef’s palate, we had a great satisfying Vietnamese meal, fusion Vietnamese meal to be exact. Do jump at the chance to savour on Chef Bao’s cooking with a modern riff before 13^th April. You’ll eat so well and drink so deliciously you’ll forget your whereabouts.

Michael Huynh (Chef Bao, left) – Best Chef of 2003, by New York Magazine

Essence
First Floor
Hotel Imperial Kuala Lumpur
(formerly Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur)
Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur.
Opens from 6.30am – 1.00am

Bao @ Essence – 4 – 13 April 2008

Buffet hours:

Breakfast: 6.30am – 10.30am RM55++ (adult) / RM27.50++ (6-12 yrs)

Lunch: 12noon – 2.30pm RM68++ (adult) / RM35++ (6-12yrs)

Dinner: 6.30pm – 10.30pm RM88++ (adult) / RM44++ (6-12yrs)

Sparkling Sundays Champagne Brunch 12noon – 2.30pm

RM198++ per adult (inclusive free flow of champagne) / RM98++ food only & children Rm49++ (6-12 yrs)