Saturday, March 24, 2007

LaDiDa Lafite Lunch

I had heard so much about the Lafite promo lunch, also cos they have this new smancy fancy chef from Spain (I think) who uses all these canggih manggih cooking methods, such as liquid nitrogen. Lafite for dinner, or any other time, is probably out of my budget, so this was a rare opportunity to be able to peek into the enclave of the lifestyles of the rich and famous.....

Priced at 68++, the lunch has a mini buffet starter, and dessert, and a pleasing choice of mains. By the way, how did I end up talking about restaurants? This is meant to be a recipe blog....a well. Must be the contagious influence of the floggers. Yar, anyway, stacked up on a glass column, are the mini appetisers. The menu has a set of instructions on HOW to go about eating your lunch, something to the effect of:
1. Pick up your base plate from the table, and proceed to the buffet appetisers.
2. If you wish for a 2nd helping of starters, please ask for another base plate.
3. Notify the waiter when you are ready for your mains.
4. YOu will be provided with another base plate for your dessert.

I'm surprised they didn't stipulate we should walk with elegance and poise to the buffet, and not like some mahjong group yabbering away at 2 million decibels so that the entire Lafite knows who's son is doing what, and who's daughter is marrying who.

Teeny weeny portions, of a myriad variety of starters, such as thai beef salad, seared tuna, salads with their individual syringes of dressing. The thai beef salad was probably the most notable. Smoked salmon rolled around cream cheese, bits and bobs of sushi wannabes, ... the breads were wonderful, but it's served with that dreaded unsalted butter... bleagh, also, breads fill you up. Oh, my fellow diner, big time lawyer from Melbourne, on his sabbatical, had arrived earlier and text me asking if he may order a drink while waiting. I replied, "yar, if you must, your drink will probably cost more than your meal". (I am cheap, and make no effort to hide that fact).




For the mains, we had a choice of pasta, lamb, chicken, tenderloin and cod. I vaguely remember being advised to take the cod, but who can resist the words tender and loin.... which actually, might have been a mistake. It was alright, but I've tasted better. Oh, when I was busy snapping pictures, the chef walked past, and quipped, "you fellas aren't from KL Hilton are ya"...


Melbourne Lawyer had the lamb which was rather good. Very tender, and succulent.

And the crowning glory that makes or breaks any dining experience. Dessert. A pleasing choice, from creme brulee, blackforest slice, cream cheese mousse, mini pavlovas, fruit salads....well, to be honest, nothing particularly stood out as orgasmic, but they were all good. I mean, nothing that makes you go, OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH, this is absolutely fabulous. My personal favourites were the creme brulee, and pavlova, which wasnt too sweet, so it might be possible to make a meringue nest with less sugar.

Dessert

Mini pavlovas

Some kind of white chocolate mousse

Overall, at 68++, for that kind of quality of food and ambience, it really is a steal. No wonder that it is always quite crowded and it's advisable to book in advance. COffee and tea are not part of the set, though the way they ask you, you'd think it was (part of the set). Not wanting to sound TOO cheap, I risked it, and ordered coffee as did my friend. Now, his carrot juice was RM22++ and coffee RM18++, so I was right, his drinks bill was RM40++, more than lunch. (discount card mah, so the RM68++ is 50% off lagi). We live in an ironic world if you think about it. Paying RM22 ++ for a glass of carrot juice.... ( I personally would never order something like that)

Finally, for the benefit of Tummythoz, I sneaked this pic of the men's toilet, because, the minute I walked it, it had this dizzying effect, and I was quite disoriented as to where the urinals were. Mirrors on every wall, with that infinity effect.



20 comments:

boo_licious said...

Hee hee, let me tell my friends and hopefully they'll take leave one day but am saving up for some major expenditure soon in April though. I have fond memories abt previous Lafite dinners where they use the same concept - buffet appetizers and desserts.

fatboybakes said...

ah, those were the days, of the lafite buffet appetisers and desserts, all for about RM100++...strangely, it was far more affordable then than now.

boo_licious said...

Yup! I think portions were also much bigger. Srill remember how fascinated I was when they serve the cape gooseberries (never seen before mah!) and they even had a chocolate chess set which you can eat.

The saddest part of all these places - they don't serve with the big metal cover which they whip it open at the same time. I remember how I loved that as a kid. It made my meal so grand and special!

Diary of Kay El said...

If the chef de cuisine you blogged about is Kevin Cherkas, then he is from Canada..... Was there a few weeks back...

Unknown said...

how to get the shangrila hotel card?? :D

Rasa Malaysia said...

Beautiful pictures...how did you get that dreamy blurry effect?

teckiee said...

whats that long red needle looking thing?

fatboybakes said...

boo, yarrrhor, so nice those silver covers. gave you such a sense of appreciation, and you knew you were in a "classy place"

diaryofkl, i dunno his name, possibly he from canada la. cant remember what the spanish connection is.

kampung, u can purchase the shang card at 498++. u can email me if u want them to call u.

RM, pleasela, nothing compared to your masterpieces. picasa, for this effect. free software.

teckie, that long syringe is the soya sauce for the sushi.....pretentious hor. but cute la.

Unknown said...

wah rm 500..wait till i grad in 3 mths time..i'll email u again..dun wana use parents money for that now..

boo_licious said...

Yup it's Kevin Cherkas - he was featured in yesterday's Sunday Star, young chap with lots of tricks. Told bf abt this and he was drooling over the article so we're going sometime next mth for his birthday. How long is the promo on for?

fbb - since you love fine food. Westin having their Taste of Australia fair in May. Looks very good with cooking classes, wine tasting, chocolates and this guy called Mark Best who's Sydney top chef.

UnkaLeong said...

The orchids real ah? Pavlova looks good!

fatboybakes said...

orchids? as in the ones in the toilet? well, i dont usually notice such things, but since its shang, yeah, i'm pretty sure they'd be real.

ooh, boo, i just got the westin card.

boo_licious said...

wah! Now you can ladida dine at Westin too.

Tummythoz said...

Wow, how many privi cards u hold? 0_o!!

Hey, TQVM. Can c u but where's d urinals? Was ur heart going bip-bop-bip-bop when taking these? D excitement of being caught? Good feel right?

fatboybakes said...

tummythoz, look properly, u ca see the urinals in the reflection. and u're right, my heartbeat did kick up a notch in anticipation of being caught....

i only ever used to have one priv card at a time, but suddenly, ...i have THREE!!! oh well, the main beneficiary will be the wife i guess...since i'll be forced to go out two by two more often....

boolicious, yup, intend to ladida dine at prego... heard so much about it..

psst, do you know, with the privilege card, its cheaper to have haagen daz in KL hilton than at haagen daz itself?!!!!

boo_licious said...

be warned though as prego's food can be quite "off" sometimes though. Like my friend say, must complain a lot then it improves tremendously.

MeiyeN said...

wanna go, wanna go! maybe like boo said, take leave and go for da lafite buffet!

fatboybakes said...

isnt it SO disappointing about prego, and many other restaurants in town...consistency is always an issue. i've never been, but i heard exactly the same thing. from very good to very bad.

mei yen, why have to take leave to go buffet ah?

Diary of Kay El said...

Looks like you had a better deal (I have no privilege card unlike some ppl...) and experience with lunch at Lafite than the dinner I had... do read my experience at below if interested : http://diaryofkayel.blogspot.com/2007/03/lafite-at-shangri-la-hotel-kuala-lumpur.html#links

MeiyeN said...

that rm 68++ buffet applicable on weekends? if weekdays, must take leave else... boss gonna "fried-me-sotong" :p