Bijan Wine Pairing Dinner

Considering MALAYsia IS predominantly Malay, it's quite strange that there are not many proper Malay dining restaurants that spring to mind, in the Klang Valley.  You can probably count them on two hands actually.  In fact, I can only think of one handsful worth.  As in proper restaurants.  Mind you, the prices at some of the nasi kandar places etc beggars belief and if you closed your eyes and looked at the bill, you might be forgiven for thinking that it was a fine dining.

So if I ever get asked the question, where does one go for good Malay food in nice surrounds, I unequivocally would say Bijan.  Memories of their jiggly Pandan Pudding make my glands salivate subconsciously, like a dog hankering for a bone.  Bijan actually means "sesame"...and is pronounced the with the Malay J, which is the normal J, and not the french BEE JHHHHHAAAAN....

I was therefore delighted when Paprika asked if I would like to attend a wine pairing dinner at Bijan.  Obviously, wine pairing with Malay cuisine isn't a norm, for obvious reasons, but if you extricate the cuisine from its religious and cultural norms, actually the cornucopia of flavours really do make for an interesting pairing.

I was surprisingly early, and could select my seat, despite being stuck in a 30 minute crawl on Raja Chulan.

After such a jam, nothing is more appealing to behold than these things...

To start, the Satay Wagyu With Chicken Skin..paired with the Battaglio Piemonte Chardonnay 2012.  The Wagyu Satay was decadent, but the CHICKEN SKIN satay was amazing.  I could have just eaten that all night.  I would have preferred a Sauvignon Blanc to the Chardonnay, as I feel a SB would have contrasted the flavours of the satay better.  Also, it didn't help that the Chardonnay was not properly chilled.  Note to organisers, make sure your whites are COLD COLD COLD!!! It was a pity, because it did taste remarkably better when it was more chilled.

Sup Kepayang Urat & Daging Tetel which wsa a spicey beef and tendon stew in Kepayang Sauce.  Absolutely loved the exoticness of this dish, although, where the white was warm, this was cold.  Nevertheless, the flavours of the traditional Malay spices really made this soup quite palatable.  Paired with the Langhe Dolcetto 2011.

Gorgeous presentation of Sotong Panggang Sambal Hijau, quite a traditional Malay dish of grilled squid, with the quintessential sambal hijau.  The slightly charred grilled taste gave it that extra oomph, as did the spiciness and heat from the green sambal.

This dish was paired with the Battaglio Barbera D'Alba 2010, a very drinkable red.

Kambing Masak Hitam, a lamb in a special black sauce.  This was my favourite dish of the night, the myriad flavours from the black sauce completely masked any lambiness, with the right balance of flavour, and heat.  All testatement to the chefs of Bijan's creativity really.  I loved the little side of nasi dagang.  Which wasn't enough.

Served with the Battaglio Barbaresco DOCG 2008.

Oh, it was one of those rare occasions where the Queen of Bloggers, A Whiff Of Lemongrass, deigned to grace us with her presence.  When I sat down, I was told that the corner seats were reserved by Mr Harvey, which I naturally assumed were Caucasion.  But turns out, that fler up there is Mr Harvey.

Kek Kelapa Kukus, a steamed coconut cake served with a Moscato D'Asti 2013.  To be honest, I am not a fan of dessert wines, so this did nothing for me.

Bijan really does have a lot to offer, and one of their fortes is their wonderful desserts.

For reservations:
Bijan 
3 Jalan Ceylon, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
03-2031 3575