Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Royal Flush, by the Guys From Tom Dick & Harry

The invite read as follows:
Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Bruce Wong, I am one of the partners of the Tom, Dick & Harry's pub chain, Hoofed and also Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock Kopitiam. I am writing you this e-mail to cordially invite you for a first hand view and experience of our latest and most ambitious project yet, a chinese dining restaurant named The Royal Flush.
 
I honestly thought the guy was being funny, about the Ali Muthu & Ah Hock kopitiam, but guess what, it's REAL.  And in keeping with their funny memorable names, the latest in the portfolio of these guys' chain of restaurants, is ROYAL FLUSH.  
 
For this media pre-launch, we were treated to the SPOT ON menu....consisting ...

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Dim Sum Combination...a xiu mai, fish ball and xiu long bao, ...okay, nothing very mind blowing here, but it was good quality dim sum, and I believe dim sum will be one of the lunch staples.

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Twin Cold Combination...basically an oyster shot kinda thing, and some abalone like clam with two cherry tomatoes on top.  I liked the idea of the oyster shot, and that lovely slimy feeling of it slithering down your throat. 

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Grilled Cod Fish...okay, the names are very straight to the point...spot on, I guess.  No complaints with the cod.

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Grilled Scallop Bacon, kinda like pigs in the blanket concept.  You can't really go wrong with anything that has bacon, if you ask me. 

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My favourite for the night, grilled pork ribs, with some slight hint of sweetness, but a lovely cut of the rib that was tender and moist, and some slight fat.  Which is important.  Eating lean pork is like eating vegetables.

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Asparagus.  Love the fact that on the menu, its says, "ASPARAGUS".  Must be lost in translation somewhat, because the chinese menu has at least 5 characters, which I am SURE doesnt say just "ASPARAGUS". 

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Abalone Fried Rice ...these baby abalones are all the rage these days.  There must be an Air Asia equivalent of abalone farming, where everyone can fly, now everyone can eat abalone. 

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One of the owners, Ernest, giving his welcome speech. 

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Double boiled bird's nest, but I am not sure if it really was that.  It tasted more like honey sea cucumber with snow fungus, so maybe that was substituted.  A refreshing dessert for a rather heavy meal.

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Note the little labels... all through the night, thanks to Moet Hennessy Diaego, there was free flow Cloudy Bay, one of my all time favourite Savignon Blanc.  The other dessert was Crystal Peanut Dumpling.   The SPOT ON Menu is RM1200 nett...they also have the CNY Reunion Menu priced at RM1388 net, which sounds quite value for money, considering it has suckling pig, abalone, superior soup and yee sang. 

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The interior of ROYAL FLUSH



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Located in Oasis Square Ara Damansara, the facade of the building is pretty outstanding, you really cannot miss it. 

It should be fully operational by now, in time for all the Chinese New Year feasting. 

THE ROYAL FLUSH
Lot R01 Central Piazza
Oasis Square Ara Damansara
2 Jln PJU1A/7A
47301 Petaling Jaya
Tel : Tommy 012-2117 810 /Jonas 016 2912 737

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Ti Chen At Saujana Golf and Country Club

If you google maps it, you might be confused, and think TI CHEN is located in Saujana Hotel, and of course, to compound my confusion, the google map attachment on the "events" page showed Saujana Hotel.  It's a good thing I am old and slow, (in this case), because as I approached the road leading to the hotel, I drove at SNAIL's pace, (after being STUCK for an hour and a half on the SPRINT highway, which really should be renamed SNAIL Highway especially at peak hours) and lo and behold, caught a sign showing TI CHEN to the right, where the Saujana Golf & Country Club was located.  Hmm, strange, I thought to myself, but decided to go by faith, and follow the signs.  Further huge banners advertising dim sum lunches and chinese food reinforced my confidence that I was headed in the right direction. 

As I was hopelessly late, I had already missed the communal Yee Sang toss, though my fellow diners did leave a portion for me to partake, and toss myself.  Actually, food guru and empress of the floggers, Masak Masak, told me that individually tossed yee sang's are good because then you can toss according to your own wishes, and not have to share the communal wishes of good health, dragon horse energy, good business etc.  One could PERSONALLY wish for other things closer to one's heart. 


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Our menu for the night was the "Pearl Set" Menu, priced at RM1,146.10 nett for a table of 10.  The un-nett figure is of course the more beautiful RM988.00.  Actually it comes with two bottles of Misterio Cabernet Savignon Red Wine.  Sea Bird Nest and Jelly Fish Yee Sang.  Hmm, I am not sure what Sea Bird Nest is. 

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Double boiled herbal soup with fish maw.  Can't go wrong with this combination.  Kei Chee, (Chinese Wolfberry), red dates, angelica, ...

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Oven Roasted Chicken with Homemade BBQ Dressing.  I love the giant onion rings. 

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I've given up trying to take a decent picture of steamed fish, because they all look so ....dead, so this one is giving us the evil eye.  I generally prefer my fish steamed with a lighter sauce, or no sauce at all, especially if fresh, because it seems a waste to overpower the purity of the fish.  Fish was fresh, and well steamed. 

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The interior of Ti Chen....which incidentally means Emperor's Palace. 



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It's not Kitchen spelt by someone dyslexic.

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Stir Fried Tiger prawns with Fragrant Soya Sauce, very har lok style, which I love.  I could just suck on these babies...

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Braised Seasonal Vegetable with Dried Oyster and Sea Moss, (Fatt Choy).  Seems to be a compulsory dish in every CNY Menu, but since it's the token vegetable dish, I guess it's always welcomed. 

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Wok Fried Rice With Seafood and Crispy Bean Curd skin.  According to food afficianado Pure Glutton, the bean curd skin was not crispy enough, compared to the previous times they've been.  Being my first time, I have no yardstick, so I wouldn't know.  But the rice is fluffy and well fried. 

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Warm Nien Kow with Grated Coconut.  Yummy, love this take on nien kow which marries the traditional chinese with the Malay kuehs that are usually covered in grated coconut.  Great combo.  Must try it at home.

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Honeydew Sago infused with Calamansi Juice.  A brilliant idea, which makes this a most refreshing dessert after such a heavy meal.  My only grouse would be that it's a bit too sweet, the sugar syrup almost overpowering the tartness of the calamansi.  But then again, my tolerance and love for sourness and bitterness is above that of the average Malaysian.

Other menus range from RM1,180.00++ to RM2,288.00++ for a table of 10.  (they all come with some form of booze thrown in). 

For reservations, please call
Tel: 7843 1234
www.thesaujanahotel.com






Wednesday, January 23, 2013

You Don't Have to Be Pregnant for (Oriental) CRAVINGS

It's in the air, and this post is dedicated to all my friends who carry within them new life. (no, tapeworm and bacteria do not count as new life).

Many years ago, my mother raved about this place in 1Utama, with the delicious hokkien mee.  Strange place to find hokkien mee, I thought to myself.  And sadly, I hardly have the luxury of traipsing the mall on weekdays, and this outlet does not have Hokkien Mee on weekends.  This place I speak of is ORIENTAL CRAVINGS, located on the ground floor in the new wing.  (apparently its now the "old new wing", since the old wing is refurbished, and is the "new old wing").

I have eaten here a few times, but always in a rush, just before catching a movie, and have always found the food consistently good.  But as I was always in a rush, the food bypasses my tongue and the subtler nuances and flavours of the food gets wasted, so when the Makan Fairy Godmother invited me for lunch at Cravings, I was delighted.  Actually, apparently the lovely proprietess, Fay, had asked her to invite me.  I am acquainted with Fay by way of cake, as she had "shamelessly" name dropped Makan Fairy Godmother's name when ordering cake.  In the culinary world, it's equivalent to dropping the PM's name to secure a project.  But I digress.


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Just in case one wonders about the kosher-ness of the place, this cute lil sign says it all.

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And yet, to reiterate, another reminder....

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A fabulous pomelo salad, embellished with mint, bunga kantan, nuts, onions, coriander with a lovely tangy dressing, probably some fish sauce, and lime.  So refreshing it could wake the dead.

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Cucumber and calamansi ...I am sooo making this at home.  How could I not have thought of this combination earlier. 

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I had told Fay before that I have not tried her famous Hokkien Mee, and she so kindly ensured I was a Cravings Hokkien Mee virgin no more, and even ensured extra "liu", like liver, and lard.  Honestly, it did not disappoint, and right now, just looking at this picture, I am seriously craving for this again.  I feel like Pavlov's dog who's just heard the bell. 

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Lap mei fan, in keeping with the season.  I was watching French food at home last night, and so happened Laura Calder was bemoaning the lack of adjectives apart from "delicious", and was going through the thesaurus.  I am glad that done to death word "awesome" was not part of the accepted synonyms by the English speaking world.  She had toothsome, (which is quite nice), palatable (lacks enthusiasm), scrumptious, yummy, and scrummy...(a marriage of the former two).  So yeah, I would say the lap mei fan is SCRUMMY!  Fluffy grains of aromatic rice, the gaminess of the duck liver sausage, with the comfort of the usual chinese sausage, and the exotic chinese new year wax duck.  

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...and two oysters for hou see....

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Chilli prawns succulent and a delicious gravy, served with a pile of toast to lap up all that goodness.



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A dish apparently inspired by Pure Glutton, from one of her Penang posts, a silky smooth cheong fun that just glides down your throat, with pieces of fresh garoupa, in a most savoury soy based sauce. 

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Rice wine chicken, OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH, I would so give birth just to be able to have this during confinement.  This version is a bit sweet, Cantonese, I believe, and I can feel my breasts ..oops, chest, warming with a glow that is akin to sitting by a fireplace in winter.  I can see why women want to give birth.



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I can't remember what this is called, but it's basically some form of chicken chop, with a sauce to boot.  I was really full by this time actually, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why.

Food is reasonably priced, and delicious and scrummy, it's a place you can revisit over and over especially if you live or work around the area.  In addition to the lovely food, there was the sterling company of Fay herself, Makan Fairy Godmother, Paranoid Android and Pure Glutton.....a most fortituous lunch indeed.

ORIENTAL CRAVINGS
G359, Phase 2, One Utama

359 Ground Floor, One Utama Shopping Centre (The new wing),
Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya.
Contact : +603 7727 2581
F : +603 7726 3801


Monday, January 21, 2013

Artistry Of Spices At the Residence of the US Ambassador

Sometimes it pays to know the right people.  Okay, generally, it almost always pays to to know the right people.  Variety might be the spice of life, but knowing the correct variety makes it even spicier.  In this case, by virtue of knowing my culinary idol, Rohani Jelani, and her trusty sidekick, BabeIntheCity KL, I managed to score an invite to this very prestigious function, held at the residence of H.E. The Ambassador of the United States of America, Mr Paul Jones.  His lovely wife, Catherine Jones (also a trained chef), had emailed me asking if I would like to attend a cooking demo, featuring Rohani, Amy Beh and Manju Saigal. Needless to say my fingers tripped over themselves in my haste to reply in the affirmative.

I quote excerpts from the program, because why reinvent the wheel, especially if it it's written by H.E. The Ambassador himself.

 "This evening's Artistry of Spices program features a unique merging of art and food, Brookie Maxwell, a renowned New York artist, dreamed up the idea based on the theme: cook locally and spice globally. "

"Cooking and food became a major part of my life when I married Catherine.  She was born in India and only half jokes that that is where her first olfactory memories were formed sparking her culinary career". 

On the artistry aspect of it, "While collecting these goodies in Penang (a truckload of spices), Brookie painted scenes from the world of spices, using the spices, tumeric, cloves, cinnamon, chili and Chinese five spices as pigment". 

- Ambassador Paul W Jones.



All the stress that I felt being stuck in diabolic traffic leading the the Ambassador's residence dissipated the moment we arrived, in the gorgeous residence in Langgak Golf, with sprawling gardens, and a cosy house that was elegant, yet not ostentatious.  Of course, downing a glass of white wine pronto also relieved the stress almost instantly. 

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Bouquets of spice and herbs adorned the table as a centrepiece, replacing traditional flowers, and what a good idea it is too, for flowers are quite useless (unless you're a goat), whereas with a centrepiece like this, you can actually use the stuff afterwards, or guests can take them home if so inclined. 

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A traditional indian mouth freshener, this combination of spice emits a liquorice type flavour, probably from the aniseed, to cleanse the palate. 

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The night begins with the Ambassador saying a few words, Brookie Maxwell's introductory speech, and the Ambassador's wife introducing the chefs. 

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Manju Saigal, a native of Punjab, grew up in Mussoorie, at the foothills of the Himalayas.  How thoroughly exotic.  She first learned to cook from...get this, her grandfather, and her mother.  She demonstrates how to cook Achari Sabzi, a pickled vegetable dish, Lemon Rice, Seekh Kebab, (seekh means skewer), and Kesari Murg (chicken with saffron).  Saffron, as we know, is the most expensive spice in the world.  I wonder if the spice referred to in Frank Herbert's DUNE series was saffron. 

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There we have it, our sampling platter of all the items mentioned above. 

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Next was Amy Beh, established food columnist in the Star, and probably a name even the least culinarily inclined would have heard of.  Her name card even says, "Celebrity Chef".  She demonstrated a Vegetarian Herbal Spiced Soup, (something like Bak Kut Teh but without the Bak Kut (pork ribs)... which she thinks she will rename Chai (vegetarian ) Kut  Teh, but strictly speaking, that's wrong as well, since there's not "kut" (Bones).  Considering it was devoid of meat, it was surprisingly flavourful, and probably quite healthy.  The other soup, duck and salted mustard green (Kiam Chye Ark) was also tasty.  Of the three, hers were probably the easiest, since for the soup, you literally just chuck everything into the pot. 

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The Ambassador gets a whiff of, not lemongrass.... but the other oaky spices that form the base for the vegetarian bak kut teh. 

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Steamed Spicy Fish Custard, or more commonly known as otak otak. 

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Next up, (Amy Beh's demo seemed to take a long time, waited soup never boils), was my idol, Rohani Jelani and her trusty sidekick, BabeinthecityKL.  For those who have never heard of Rohani (and shame on you if you haven't), she is the owner of Bayan Indah Culinary Resort, and runs the most amazing cooking classes.  Her name has been around since time immemorial (which is amazing, considering she's still very young)...

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Rohani demonstrated Nasi Kunyit, Chicken Rendang (I can vouch for this recipe of hers, which I learnt in her class, and it not only works, but is delicious and is quite easy to prepare, and doesnt require laborious long hours of cooking and stirring that requires a body builders biceps), Masak Lemak Udang Dengan Nenas, (Prawns and Pineapple in Coconut Milk), and Onde Onde, those lovely green balls that squirt out gula melaka as you pop them in your mouth.


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Rohani's sampling platter.  Absolutely yummy. 

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Rohani rolling the onde onde balls..such an expert, she doesn't even need to look.

And finally, created and made by Catherine herself, the most amazing crumble I have ever had, together with Chocolate Pots with Garam Masala, and Curry Ice Cream.  Yup, curry ice cream.

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Actually this is called Apple Mincemeat Crisp, but is basically a crumble.  Sooooo soooo good, cos it marries the tangy Granny Smith apples with the sweet and rich mincemeat, so reminiscent of a Christmas dish, and topped with a dollop of whipped cream.  Sublime. 

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I wonder why no one has thought of this sooner, Curry Ice Cream, afterall, we have wasabi ice cream, and a whole host of other exotic flavours, yet this obvious choice ...I loved it.  The subtle curry flavour, and the creaminess of the ice cream, it really should be a quintessential Malaysian dessert.  I can imagine a dollop of durian cream to go with it.  The ice cream was accompanied by oatmeal walnut raisin cookies with five spice, Chocolate Cinnamon Chilli. I must have been so enthralled by the ice cream and crumble, and totally forgot to take pictures of the Chocolate Pots with Garam Masala, which was also superb.  



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One for the album.

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What a fabulous evening.

Special thanks to Catherine Jones and the Ambassador for hosting such a fascinating event, and thanks to Rohani & PS for submitting my name allowing me to be in the presence of such distinguished culinary glitterati.