War of The Handphone Desserts

Today, we have the showdown between handphone desserts....Blackberry Vs Apple. Well, actually, only one contestant showed up, ie, the Blackberry. But only because the spectators could not stomach BOTH blackberry AND apple in one sitting. Now that I think about it, Blackberry & Apple sounds like a divine combination. In any case, Apple on its own has been done to death.

I was inspired a few weeks back, by new culinary see foo, QUAYPOCOOKS, who showcased her Blackberry on facebook, and from then on, I knew I had to have it. Short of driving out immediately to the nearest supermarket in search of them, I exercised some restraint, and waited till my next outing to the wholesalers, before I finally settled on a box of 600gm frozen ones. They do freeze well you know. Just dont expect to receive any email while they're freezing.



Anyway, finally, opportunity presents itself, with some Value Talk Time, at family dinner, when I could introduce my latest err... creation. From the outside, it looks pretty enough, perfect, almost, ....


But oh my goodness, when I cut into it, did it bleed like any hot blooded human....juices of crimson red flowed everywhere, and this is what happens when you take shortcuts....

Here's the recipe I was meant to have followed.

However, being the lazy bum that I am, I cheated, Well, theoretically, I didn't cheat, but I actually did compare with another recipe, that stated that if using frozen blackberries, (probably Celcom plan), I was to thaw and pat them dry. Can you imagine me sitting around patting dry each individual berry? Even after a shower I don't bother...well, there are only two la, in that particular case....

So, here's what I did:

4 cups of blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup plain flour
Toss the above together, in one happy motion....in a bowl, or you'll get blackberries everywhere...
Pour into an unbaked pie crust, (without the top on, obviously - if you have to ASK for the recipe for pie crust, then you obviously aren't qualified to make this)

I grated the zest of one lemon, (isn't it cruel to take the zest out of anything...I hope the lemon didn't feel too sourly about it), dotted it with some cubes of butter, before laying on the top layer of pastry. You can do that lattice thingamajig, which actually, might have been a good idea, ...AIYO, as I type this, I remember now I didn't make any holes for the steam to evaporate, no wonder so much liquid...slappppp forehead and face palm....

Brush with egg wash, (that just means egg la), and bake in an 180 C oven for ...until its golden brown, like the color below. Ooops, above.

I served it with mascarporne cream. (Whip up 100gm of mascarporne with some sugar to taste, and some whipping cream)

Verdict - Actually, I love the tart taste of the tart...pie. whatever. The blackberries, which actually aren't black at all, what a misnomer, and false advertising, impart a lovely tangy but not too sour flavour, and though the liquid made it messy, it was delicious to eat..or rather, drink.

So, do try making it, but remember, pat your frozen berries dry, lovingly, or you might squash them to death, and, remember to put holes for the pie to let out steam. We all need holes to let out steam, what more a pie.

Happy Baking.

Buka Puasa Di Latest Recipe, Hotel Le Meridien

The recurring annual festivals are a reminder of how quickly time is passing us by. It seemed like yesterday that I was enjoying the Soup Gearbox in The Melting Pot, Concorde, and before you know it, the invitations for Buka Puasa reviews start to flow in again this year. This year however, some hotels have even started previews of the Ramadan fare before the start of the fasting month, I guess perhaps to give the media a headstart as to the available options out there, and believe me, the options are many.

To be honest, I am not a buffet fan. Going to a buffet I feel is like buying a CD. There are rarely more than one or two songs that I usually like in an entire album, and likewise, in that vast cornucopia of food choice, I'll be lucky to stumble across one or two items, and eating in a buffet is like playing culinary russian roulette. So over the years, I've wisened up, and take only very miniscule portions as a reconnaisance move, and IF I like something, at least I wouldn't have been filled to the brim.

The first of such buffets this year that I went for is the one in Latest Recipe. Actually, the buffet here has always been above average, I felt, because the Indian Food section is nice, and I also like the Teppanyaki section, with its Teppanyaki beef. In the days of yore, when Latest Recipe was indeed the Latest, they even had scallops in the Teppanyaki, but I guess that is now but a distant memory.


I love zeroing in on the desserts counter. I loved the fact that this one had vast choice in fruits, and the Chief Food Editor of Malay Mail and I had a wonderful time eating a lot of those lovely lychees, ...the ones with the teeny weeny seed and lots of sweet succulent flesh. The other thing that is quite outstanding in Latest Recipe is their Belgian waffles. Lovely crispy on the outside, and moist and melt in the mouth on the inside.


There are cuisines to represent all the major components of the Barisan Nasional parties, ie, Malay, Indian and Chinese. I love the Gulai Paru, (lung), and the serunding, from the traditional Malay section. As I said earlier, the Indian section is really very very good. For those with an appetite for carbs at dinner, the briyanis and naans are superb.


A lot of vegetable choices too, from Ulams, to stir fried chinese, to make your own Caesar Salads, or any other salads.


The teppenyaki station is definitely not to be missed, and the salmon sashimi is also worth spending the stomach space on.



Chef Zubir, Celebrity Chef (one of the judges of Malaysia Master Chef) shares with the media, and this entire Ramadan spread is themed REDEFINING TRADITIONAL MALAY CUISINE. Other specialty dishes include Sup Jernih Udang Galah, Ikan Kerapu Ranggup, Rusuk Lemby Panggang A La Mongolia, Pengat Durian and much more. He explains that the difference between the roti jala eaten as a savoury, vs eaten as a dessert is the former is usually yellow, whereas the lacy pancake served with the pengat durian is white. Now, THAT was GOOD.

Throughout the fasting month, the buffet is RM128for adults, and RM64 for children, from Mondays to Friday from 6.30-10.30. BUT if you go from 9pm onwards, its only RM88(A)/RM44(K), but only for Mon- Thurs. On Saturday and Sunday, its RM118 and RM59.

Call 03-22637434 to book.

Fresca At the Gardens

Honestly, I haven't had much exposure to Mexican food. I have not had the privilege of staying in Mexico, or its border, for any length of time, though I have been to the border town of Tijuana when I was 15, for all of a few hours. And to be honest, neither is it a cuisine that I would indulge in regularly, and by regular, I mean more than once every two months or so. The cuisines that I can and do eat regularly are Chinese, Japanese, NonFine Dining Western, (like steaks, etc), Malay and Indian.

So since I am no afficianado, I can only say what I think I tasted. Probably the most common stuff that I've been exposed to are nachos, and fajitas, and even then, from Hard Rock Cafe, so I am not sure if that is the real deal, or Americanized.



Guacamole, to go with lots and lots of nachos. The word Nachos always reminds me of this politically incorrect joke, about Nacho Cheese. This white guy comes home with a roll of cheese, and the wife asks, what cheese is that? He says, its nacho cheese. The wife said, how do you know? He says, oh, actually I just picked it up as it was rolling down the road, and this African american dude kept shouting, that's nacho cheese, that's nacho cheese. Corny? Well, like nachos la.


Can't go wrong with Nachos. Lovely grilled cheese, and rather fine quality corn chips.


Gotta love the presentation.


Jalapeno Martini. I have to say, there is a STAGGERING array of cocktails at this joint, from Margeritas to Martinis. Even blue coloured ones.


Like this. The blue is from the butterfly clitoria flower, also down as daun telang. Nah, I kid. It's from Curacao. That blue liqeur.


Taufulo here having a go at the jalapeno. Very brave. But nothing compared to what a friend did years ago with a Habanero. Nevertheless, a valiant effort, bravo.


Jalapeno Poppers, breaded deep fried jalapenos with monterey jack cheese and minced beef.


Tacos Ensanada - Flour Tortillas With beer battered fish and coleslaw. My favourite dish of the night. If I were battered, I'd wish to be battered with beer.


I love anything that pops in your mouth with surprises within. That sudden burst of creamy cheese and meat ....and all deep fried, together with the margarita, quite the epitome of sin and everything bad.


Tiger prawns sauteed with guajilo chillies and garlic. The prawns were fresh, but the dish didnt taste particularly mexican to me. I mean, chilli and garlic are rather staple Malaysian innit?!





Our hosts were most generous with the alcoholic beverages.


Sopa de Fideo - The mexican version of chicken soup for the soul, with angel hair pasta. Described as comfort food for adults and children alike, yes, definitely this hearty chicken soup warms the stomach and soul.


Costilla Asada - moving on to the mains, these shortribs, braised and slow cooked for hours, was tender and meat falling off the bone.


I tried to suck on the marrow, but to no avail. This is quite a heavy meal, so unless you have American portions type appetite, I would suggest sharing this with you loved one, ..or a random stranger if you have no loved ones.


A well stocked bar is to me what a jewellery shop is to a girl.





Chicken and Beef Fajitas. Fajitas are such a great communal food, everyone participating in the assembly, and the rolling, much like our popiah. Except its very meat centric. I love the combination of meat, sour cream and avocado wrapped in a tortilla.




Carne Asada a la Tampiquena, Grilled tenderloin with onions, Mexican red rice, enchiladas verdes. Was quite stuffed by this time, so only sampled a morsel of the tenderloin, which was tender, and I liked the red rice, which reminded me of nasi tomato.


Apple Enchiladas- Must be the Mexican version of apple pie. Yummy, I loved this dessert. The flour tortilla wraps give it a nice touch, to the usual shortcrust pastry of apple pies.





And who can say no to freshly fried churros, dipped lovingly in warm chocolate sauce by those perfectly manicured fingers.

Fresca (which means Fresh) is strategically located at the Entrance to the Gardens Mall, so you can't miss it, opposite the Han Room.

Address : Fresca Mexican Kitchen & Bar
Lot G-242A, Ground Floor,
The Gardens, Midvalley City,
59200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
GPS : N03 07.053 E101 40.659
Business Hours: 11am to 11pm (Mon-Thurs, Sun)
11am to Late (Fri – Sat)
Tel : 03-2201 2893

An Afternoon Of Decadence With Galvin Lim, Of Les Amis, In The Mandarin Grill

The invitation from dear Jesslynn, Communications Exec of the MO, read, Media Wine Lunch Preview Of Contemporary European Cuisine With Galvin Lim, Group Executive Chef of Legendary Les Amis Group of Restaurants, Singapore, at the Mandarin Grill. It is seldom I see so many words that I love, all encapsulated in one invitation. Wine, Lunch? European Cuisine? Legendary Group of Restaurants? Mandarin Grill? Wow, it was like I had struck the eater's bingo. So, even though the event was on a Thursday, I thought oh well, life is leasehold, so why not indulge.

The thought of driving into the city, especially to Mandarin Oriental, is daunting, but the idea of driving BACK AFTER a wine lunch, is even more so. So, I decided I would join the rakyat and hitched a ride on the LRT, the best way, really, to get from Bangsar to KLCC. The MO was as usual, bustling with activity, and I was delighted to see that charming Belle, a familiar face, who led me to our little cosy enclave....




Wow, that is a LOT of alcohol for consumption at lunch time, I thought to myself. How absolutely lovely. And, a generous flow of Laurent Perrier champagne, which was absolutely sublime.


I had the good fortune to be seated next to Raymond Lim of the Les Amis group, (which encompasses a whole list of restaurants, like Les Amis, Cepage, HK, Au Jardin, Torisho Taka by Aoki, La Strada), who was great company for this luncheon. His vast knowledge of wine, and food made the hours fly by very quickly. Of course, the wonderful lunch, which ended at 4pm, is easily the best lunch I've had all of this year and last. Seriously.


Freshly baked bread which is so good, but so fatally filling, and really, should be totally omitted when serving such a lunch, as it takes up valuable stomach space.


Two types of butter, and fancy sea salt.


Scottish Clams Served on Black Sea Salt. No, not salt from the black sea, but Sea Salt which is black. I am not sure how this is achieved, or if it's from its natural state, but the glasses of Laurent Perrier, and subsequent other tipple, is like a "delete" function in my brain.





Eggplant Caviar. Gobules of goodness (and fish spawn) popping in the mouth, a staggering variety of textures, with the chewiness of the octopus, and the soft creamy texture of eggplant, and the salty marine goodness of the caviar.


I love eggs. If there is one thing I can eat everyday, (and heck, actually I almost do), it's egg, WITH a runny yolk. Pair this with my favourite white asparagus, this Ciabatta wrapped in white asparagus is really to die for. And that runny yolk. Something so simple, yet so incredibly good.





And these were just the WHITES to go with the first two starters. Not to mention the champagne before that.


Slow Cooked Danish Halibut "Sous Vide" Style - Black Winter Truffles, Potato Gnocchi and Sakura Ebi. Served with Perrin Reserve, Cote Du Rhone Blanc, 2009. Classy hor, old world white some more. Need I say more? Just look at the ingredients, and WEEP! Okay, perhaps the truffles were winter truffles, therefore could not have come from Europe, but they were still good. (From Australia)


Char Grilled Wagyu Rib Eye Cooked in hay.


Actually, there are two cuts here. One is the rib eye, the other is...err, I can't remember, but it is leaner than the Rib Eye, which is marbled. But both cuts simply melt in the mouth. I am not sure what the effect of cooking with hay is, maybe its an euphemism for cooking with grass, ...and begs the question, where does one buy HAY to cook with? Raymond, who has to eat the same thing again that night, gave me his chunk of meat, which I gladly accepted.


These glorious bovine beauties were served with M Chapoutier Bila Haut, Cotes Du Roussillon 2009. Live vicariously through me, and imagine a very red faced, chirpy diner at 3pm (which would be around the time we had the beef). On a weekday. It's nice to indulge in such decadence once in awhile.


For dessert, "sunny side up", pineapple with chilli. An interesting creation, consisting pineapple, some espuma like substance, and a hint of chilli. It's almost like eating air....very light.


Deconstructed lemon tart. Well, the menu says "Fancy Lemon Tart", but I love using the word "deconstructed" these days. Whilst of course, there is nothing random or messy about this particular creation, the use of deconstructed will hide a pot of sins (thanks Awhiffoflemongrass for you help with the collective noun) for messy bakers like me. Served with Chateau Tireculs Les Pin la Graviere, Monbazillac 1997, (NINETEEN NINETY SEVEN! I just got married that year). A perfect end to a perfect meal.


We have here Chef Galvin Lim of the Les Amis Group.

Now, as all fabulous shows should, this ended with an encore. From Raymond's personal stash.







Hibiki, single malt from Japan. The Japanese seem to not follow the usual Scottish in terms of aging, ie, not the usual 12,15,18,21....

This 17 yr old Hibiki, really made the day end on "high" note.

I must have reeked like a distillery as I waded amongst the rakyat in the LRT on the way back to reality.







Anyway, a truly fabulous and memorable lunch. Raymond, if you are reading this, do let us bring you around for Street Food the next time you are in town!