Le Meridien Dine

De Meridian (Meridien in French) Line is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole...ooops, hangon, we aren't talking about that....Sorry, the Le Meridien DINE is not an imaginary dine, though it would be to some people, some less fortunate people who have not had the opportunity, as we did. You see, what we had was really quite an astounding spread, a real treat to the palate, and I feel blessed to have been part of this unique experience.

We were invited by a mysterious chap, Damian, to attend mysterious "A Night Of Discovery", at Le Meridien. No details given. Rather exciting, like a groom on his wedding night. A night of discovery. The very name already sends shivers down my spine. The rendezvous begins at the Conservatory Bar. All the guest, in eager anticipation, fight the traffic by taking alternative means of transport, air, rail and sea, to get there on time. Except KY Speaks and Haze who were late... heh heh.

Very glitterati. Free flow Mumm champagne and canapes, so very dainty. It is of course impolite to ask if the canapes were the main form of nourishment for the night, but we are put out of our misery by Damian and Andrew Fairbairn, (the Starwood rep) who reminded us more than once, to PACE ourselves, as there was a LOT of food to come. Good, at least I didn't have to down 20 test tubes full of lovely gazpacho to get full.





KY and Andrew Fairbairn....KY puts on his best sultry sexy look....


If there was ever a jolly Chef title, then it without a doubt goes to Chef Antoine Rodriguez, the affable funny Executive Chef of Le Meridien. And we were fortunate enough to have Antoine personally oversee our entire meal from start to end.


Favola was the next stop. Ah, we've had many a lovely memory here at Favola. A dizzying array of tapas at the Crudo Bar, from tomatoes in all shapes and sizes, to mozarellas from Italy to Langkawi. Yup, some illustrious gwai loh is now producing local dairy products from the grassy plains of Langkawi. And it passes the test and discerning palate of Antoine.







Favola still has amazing breads, and delicious dips as accompaniment. Really, one could get full on bread alone. But man does NOT live on bread alone, as we found out.


A starter of a duet of antipasti, Smoked salmon with cold cucumber and macadamia puree, grilled peaches, buffalo mozzarella, Pecorino rocket and Radicchio salad. Thoroughly refreshing.


Pan seared foie gras on wild mushroom risotto in clear beef broth. To DIE FOR!!!! So so good. The risotto was so utterly flavourful, I think my tongue ran out of adjectives. And the foie gras, ...if this had been the end of the dinner, I would have been quite contented. Blissful. Melt in the mouth goodness.


But as luck would have it, this was NOT our last stop, in fact, we were only midway.

Next stop....PRIME....one of the best steak places in town


What a gorgeous sight to behold. A Wagyu Marble Score 12. In the old days, it was Bo Derek score 10, and that was the max. Just looking at the meat made me ....happy.


Look at that marbling. One has to stop and pause and think of the kind of life the cow in question must have had. Probably ate the finest grass, and grain, fed beer and massaged daily. What a life.


Other varieties of meat, from Marble Score 6 Wagyu to Australian Angus Beef were also laid out for us to see. ..and subsequently eat. At this point, I should've just made a bulk order of Lipitor.




I am sure not many dead cows get this kind of paparazzi like publicity and attention. But ours did.


See, I told you he is a jolly chef.


You just gotta love this guy!


I love the ambience at Prime. It is posh without being pretentious. And it was pretty crowded! That is always a good sign. We were ushered into a private corner.



Three happy campers. Can you figure out who they are?


You know, it pains me to have to recollect this....seriously, the beef was SOOO good, I feel like Pavlov's dog salivating everytime I look at this pic. Melt in the mouth, alas, my limited vocabulary cannot do justice to a marble score 12 wagyu. Sublime, divine, ....and seared to utter perfection.

Charcoal Grilled Blackmore Wagyu Chuck Flap Tail Marble 12, served with Roma Tomato Confit, Brocolini and Braised Intercoastal on Mascarpone Polenta.



To finish the job, and kill us off, completely, dessert at Latest Recipe. I always enjoy their teppenyaki ice cream, but the pastry chef there had prepared a special platter of dessert for us, and I so could not stuff anymore ice cream into myself.

The platter had Honeydew Sago Shot, Carrot Cake, Lychee Tart, Chocolate Mousse with Citrus Jelly, Vanilla Crème Brule and Agar Agar









And this waffle may look a bit out of place, but it was prepared personally by Chef Antoine, from the buffet table, AND is the BEST waffle I've ever had. Crispy on the outside, moist and soft on the inside, tall and airy....seriously. The BEST.

It has been a joy and a pain recollecting such a fabulous night. Pain because I am now left yearning, and yearning.... ooh, that reminds me, I do have the Starwood card.

Thanks so much to Chef Antoine, and the rest of the Le Meridien Staff for having us, and for Damian for putting together this unforgettable NIGHT OF DISCOVERY. Indeed, it HAS been.... and every bit as good as they said it would be....Ahhhh....dreamy sound....

Tea At the Ritz Carlton

I guess if you can't have tea at the Ritz, on Picadilly, then tea at the Ritz Carlton, Jalan Imbi, is the next best thing, especially when peppered with the company of good friends, AND on a weekday afternoon. It's the life that tai tais were born for, and alas, we can only have a foretaste of this life every now and then.

That dashing young lad from the Ritz Carlton, British too, Oliver Ellerton, asked our motley crew over for a tea tasting, by Ronnefeldt Teas. Of course, we started practising our pinky waving and the propah way of holding the tea cup and saucer, and did the requisite Eliza Doolittle "How kind of you to let me come" in propah diction. And in Hertford Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.

We are ushered from the plush lounge to a private table, and are greeted by Andreas Aufmkolk of Ronnefeldt who very kindly acts as our "lecturer" for the day. Now, the first surprise is, Ronnefeldt is NOT British, as you would think tea producers are. They're actually German. Andreas goes on to explain the history of tea, which I think unanimously the legends start somewhere in China, with an Emperor discovering it by accident or some variation of that story. He then goes into the technicalities of teas, the different grades, different methods of production, different colors...they're quite human, really, tea leaves, they have black, yellow and white... and even red. (the fruit teas anyway).


Very boardroom style of having tea, with the Chairman at the helm. He patiently explains each different tea as they come along, and suggest the food with which they are to be paired.









For a detailed history and types of tea, please refer to the newly appointed tea walking wikipedia, Ms Ciki of Cumi & Ciki, at her blog site HERE.

No reason to reinvent the wheel by regurgitating what she has already articulated so well. But to summarise, the great and famous tea growing regions in the world are Assam, Darjeeling, in India, then there's Ceylon (aka Sri Lanka) ...then there's of course Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Oomph.


A lavish tea spread in true English Afternoon Tea Style accompanies the various teas. Scones with clotted cream, eclairs, cucumber sandwiches, etc.










Larverly profiteroles, and larverly background.


The aroma lingers on the brewed tea leaves. I felt tempted to put them over my eye lids for relaxation.


Clotted cream that makes your heart go .... ARGHHHHHHH....








The final tally. Teas that were served were (clockwise from left top)-
Darjeeling Summer Gold - A black tea, though the name does not necessarily reflect the color of the brew. The brew is a gorgeous light golden color. Hails from the Mahanadi Valley India.

The High Grown Ceylon - Grown in Nuwara Elya (above the clouds) in Ceylon, it is a delightfully light but yet fragrant tea. My favourite of the lot.

Irish Whisky Cream - Another black tea, with guess what? A natural whisky flavour. Isnt that amazing. Thats like alcohol-less whisky. Lovely, but not for me. It's cruel, tantalizing me like that.

Fancy Sencha - A green tea, very chinese, and very drinkable.

Jasmine Gold - Very chinese tea like. Palatable, and seemed to go well with the savouries.

Herbs & Ginger - I love this non-tea tea, an ayuverdic blend of ginger, verbana,very refreshing, and I suspect wind repelling. (though we wouldn't say that in polite company).

Soft Peach - another infusion, with no real tea leaves. Very feminine.



The bad news is, Ronnefeldt teas are NOT available retail. So you can't just get them off a shelf in the supermarket. BUT the good news is, the Ritz Carlton serves them, and not just the few we had, but a whole astounding variety.

It was a lovely afternoon, and Mr Ellerton, how kind of you to let us come.

CHYNIIS, SS2 Mall

The first surprise of the night was the sheer size of the SS2 mall. I hope to insert a picture here eventually, but I was so taken aback by the sheer size, I had lost all presence of mind to snap a picture. A road that was previously a dead end, (from Rothman Roundabout, you go past Greenview and go straight, instead of turning left to SS2, and just follow the road) now leads to this gargantuan structure that looks like a giant space ship that landed in an empty field. It is quite a spectacular sight.

The 2nd surprise was of course to find this treasure trove of culinary delights in CHYNIIS. (pronounced ...well, err..Chinese). When Aly first asked us to check out this place with her, my first thought was, CHYNIIS? Is that the people born in Chynna? (the Chinese restaurant in KL Hilton). If you think that was bad, Aly thought it was pronounced CHEE NEES. Hallo! Well, the restaurant wing of the mall actually faces the houses in SS2, in that road where the old Paris shack used to be. So it is better to access the restaurants from there, as there is now a valet parking service for RM4.

We were joined by the owner, and very gracious host, Mr KH Saw (who also owns D Italian Kitchen), Stephen, a freelance Star Reporter, Nicholas, a body builder chef, Joyce, wife of the owner, Sai Fun, a freelance copywriter who helped come up with the name, and our usual motley crowd, Aly, I am the Witch, Mr I AM THE WITCH, (Saucer) and Lexie of Red FM. With such a crowd, could dinner have been anything less than fun?

Sai Fun explained how the name came about. Due to the diverse-ness of Chinese cuisine, and the sheer number of dialects alone, each claiming their own specialty, and the varying chinese cuisine in different countries, its difficult to put a label or categorize the type of Chinese food, so really, the most logical name would be Chinese Food, but obviously, you can't spell it like that, hence the stylized CHYNIIS. (which incidentally is to be spelt in full caps).


There's something very empowering about swallowing these little shrimps whole, eyes, and all. Very V-like.... not to mention, addictive. Crispy and savoury, actually these are the perfect accompaniment for an icy cold glass of Tiger. (hor Aly).


Mr Saw very kindly explained to us the concept of Chyniss, which really, is to gather the favourites, and in some cases, lesser known cuisine from the various chinese dialects, from the four corners of the country. For example, the very interesting fish ball dish from Sibu, ...which we will see later. A lot of creativity goes into some of these dishes, while at the same time, maintaining old favourites like Sang Har Mee, etc.


Crispy Pork Belly with Rolled Chargrilled Cuttlefish. Lovely caramelised pork, layered with fat, and fried to a lovely cracker like consistency. I would have prefered more pork, and less cuttlefish. It's not that I didn't like the cuttlefish, its just that I loved the pork more. Actually this dish is another one that would go well with beer.





Baked Giant River Prawns with 'Dang Gui' and Butter - 'Dang Gui' is Tong Kwai in Cantonese, or cordyceps (no relation to biceps or triceps) in English. Cordyceps powder ground and infused into the prawn shells. How fabulous is that. You get a lovely flavour when chewing the prawn shell. The prawns are succulent and fresh, and the sauce accompanying it is fabulous. Cries out for rice though. Pity rice has such a bad rap and its become unfashionable to be a fan tong. (rice barrel)


Check out our shrimp. I think this pic was meant for Terry of Red FM, who is observing Lent and is abstaining from all good food.


Tea Smoked Village Chicken - Now the thing about Chinese cuisine is, most of this stuff, you definitely would not have the time and patience to make at home. There is an almost unbridgeable abyss between what Chyniss ..oops, Chinese flers would eat at home, and what you'd eat at a restaurant. Well, to me anyway. The idea of smoking a chicken, or anything else, for that matter, is just too mind boggling, but I am glad they DO do it in restaurants, because the flavours are just so complex and titillating to the palate. You get the charredness of smoke, without the carcinogenic carbon, the subtle tea flavour, (Pu Li tea I think they use), and the wonderful texture of Free Range Kampung Chicken, which imparts a kind of gaminess to the whole dish. I'd say this was one of my favourites.


Fish Balls with Japanese Potato Glass Noodles - I can imagine my kids would love this dish. Potato glass noodles are quite unique to me, I don't know if I've had them. Fresh fishballs made from ...well, fish...or Tenggiri to be precise. (Mackerel).





CHYNIIS House Special Boneless Crispy Chicken- Now, if only all chickens were made like this. This chicken is all dark meat (Aly heard this chicken is all duck meat). What they've done is made sure the entire dish , even the bits that look like breasts, are actually leg/thigh meat. I wonder if they have another dish that is all breast.





Beef Squares with Beancurd Skin and Puffed Rice - This is a rather unique dish as well. Beef patties sandwiched between foo choke, served on a slice of tomato, and topped with rice crispies. A myriad of textures. I enjoyed this dish too, (actually I enjoyed ALL the dishes) and definitely it is something different.


CHYNIIS Sang Har Mee - There seems to be proliferation of places offering this particular item on the menu, but given the close proximity this place is to "Verdant Vistas" I guess it makes sense for them to serve it too. I almost fainted when I heard Joyce say they had purposely reduced the noodles as she thought we might be full from all the other stuff which is of course true, BUT, me and noodles, we go a long way, and its a love affair that has not ceased. I am one of those that wouldnt mind half a prawn with a LOT of noodles. And, the noodles here were GOOD!!! Springy and "song". Loved it. Of course the prawn and the sauce speaks for itself....rich, and artery clogging.


Wah, so long ah!


CHYNIIS Special Handmade 'Man Tou' With Hot & Spicy Chili Crabs - I forgot to take a picture of the Mantou because I was telling Lexie a silly Mantou joke (which I thought was hilarious), but them mantous (pronounced Man (as in "Mon-ey") Tau ) were gooooood! Dip them into this chilli crab sauce, ah, heaven on a bun. The crabs were chock full of roe.


Dessert was Steamed Sweet Potato Cake Crusted with Crispy Oats. Not too sweet. Just right.


Three pretty maidens all in a row.



Well, another place to bring family and friends for a good Chinese dinner. I can imagine the conversation. What shall we have tonight? Chinese? Yeah, CHYNIIS. Where? CHYNIIS la. Where la, not what. No no no, CHYNIIS. In SS2 Mall.

Thanks again Mr Saw, for having us, and to Aly for inviting me.

G 45, 46 & 47, SSTwo Mall

No 40, Jalan SS2/72

47400 Petaling Jaya
Tel : +603 7956 7288

For larger and fuller pics, go to the PHOTOBUCKET ALBUM HERE