Santapan Cita Rasa At Gobo Chit Chat, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur.... For the Upcoming Holy Month of Ramadhan

Ramadhan is upon us once again, a reminder how fast time flies.  It's always a delight to indulge in authentic Malay cuisine, because actually whilst we take it for granted, from a culinary viewpoint, it is laborious work to prepare.

This year, at Gobo Chit Chat in Traders Hotel KL, a sumptuous feast awaits diners.

Lovely fare from ulam ulaman to rendangs, and masak lemaks,...Tempoyak with the ulams...

The cockle curry was particularly delightful...

Malay Kuehs, pengat durian, and on the lower right hand corner, badak berendam (its either hippos or rhinos, soaking),,,,  the Pengat Durian is to die for by the way...

And for variety, the other stuff in the international buffet are also available

Free flow New Zealand natural ice cream, which is reason enough to come for this buffet, it you ask me....

A variety of lemang, this version using black glutinous rice.

Sup gearbox, a quintessential item at break fast buffets...

Oriental flavours are also available, ...

My plate of ulam, doused with sambal belacan and tempoyak.  Do you know how expensive petai (Smelly bean) is these days?!!! Just eating copious amounts of petai makes the buffet price worthwhile.

There's also the seafood barbeque section.

The Gobo Chit Chat buffet with Malay traditional dishes is available through out the Holy Month of Ramadhan,. The Citarasa Santapan buffet dinner is priced at RM125 nett per adult for the
1st & 2nd week (26 May to 9 June 2017) and RM135 nett per adult for the 3rd &
4th week (10 June to 24 June 2017). For every group of 6 persons, one dinesfor free. For reservations, kindly call (60 3) 2332 9888 or message us on
Facebook; www.facebook.com/TradersHotelKualaLumpur.

Jameson Irish Whiskey - Told You The Irish WhiskEys Are Making a Comeback

There was a time in yesteryear, very yesteryear, when Irish Whiskeys ruled the world, that was when Ireland (the Republic of, now) was still part of the British Empire, and it stood to reason, that as the sun never set on the British Empire, so too the reach of whiskeys throughout the globe must have been sizeable.

But after the Irish War of Independence, (presumably they won), they were no longer given access to the free markets of the Commonwealth, and in its place, the Scottish whiskies now became the flavour du jour.  To add salt to the wound, America was undergoing Prohibition, probably due to too many drunkards, And that was how the Irish Whiskey empire fell...

.........but take heart, rising from the ashes of defeat now rise the phoenix of victory, and these gems are once again making waves...

Well, this Jameson, let's not be hoitty toitty about it, is an easy, drinkable drop that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, it is a blend, and is surprisingly palatable.  To introduce the drink and for sake of comparison, we were to taste it juxtaposed against the bestselling American Whisky, and bestselling Scotch,

But before the formalities, nothing like a few cocktails to lighten the mood, and the head.

Kieran Crowe, the Brand Ambassador, gave a scintillating 'lecture' on how the Irish Whisky was made, and despite the absence of modern day multi media, it was actually even more riveting to listen.  Irish whiskey is triple distilled, or at least this one is, distinguishing it from the Scottish cousin, who is only distilled twice usually.  The peat in some Scottish also differentiates the Irish.

"John Jameson established our way of making whiskey in 1780 and we’ve been proudly sticking to it ever since. It might not be the easiest way, but insisting on the finest ingredients, triple distillation, and aging our whiskey in seasoned oak barrels has been the secret behind our signature smoothness" - Jameson Website.

The comparative tasting was with the Scottish JW Black Label, and GASP, the Americal Jack Daniels.  I know some whisky/whiskey snobs would pooh pooh the very idea of these libations, but it was actually a good comparison, and if that was the same playing field, then I have to say, Jameson wins hands down.

Then it was time for shots....and need I say more.... the evening started to be blurry...

The coat of arms, and the motto which means WITHOUT FEAR...

Graduation time, for attendees....

So yeah, I am now an official Jameson Irish Whiskey Taster...better than other degree I've obtained thus far.

Distributors locally are probably Pernod Ricard Malaysia, since Pernod Ricard does own Jameson.

What a great night, thanks to Walauwei for the invite.

Modi & Rosa, A Pleasantly Italian Experience

Whenever an invite comes from Makan Fairy Godmother, I know that it will be a good meal, for a lady of her stature probably has an inbuilt filter that automatically detects bad food.  And while it may have been a bit of an overkill for me to have two rich meals back to back, (had another decadent dinner the night before), oh well, what a man would do for his art.

Modi & Rosa, from the founders of iconic Modestos, (though that has since changed ownership), and the name refers to the husband and wife.  Some people have names that just call out to be a restaurant name...I can't imagine me opening a cafe or restaurant using the names of wife and me.

Modi & Rosa is in Glo Damansara, that spanking new mall, which at the moment, seems a bit err...dead, which is good for parking, (Parking is only RM1 for the first 3 hours, cheaper than dbkl street parking), but with all the eateries there, I am sure it is a matter of time before the place becomes abuzz with people.

The restaurant has two sections, one is the regular restaurant, and one is a wine bar.   Menus are interchangeable, and there's passageway linking the two.  For lunch, we were seated at the Dining area.

I know, taking pictures of bread is so passe, but I specially liked the flat crispy bread that was served, so I thought I'd feature it.

The Alla Modi Rosa pizza, RM38, which is rocket, truffle oil, tomato, and mozarella cheese.  I know rocket seems to be the durian of vegetables (is it a veg or herb?), some people hate it because of the bitter aftertaste, but I love rocket.  A light pizza, perfect as a starter.

Mozarella Di Bufala, which sounds so much more exotic in Italian, ...Buffalo Mozzarella with tomatoes, basil and extra virgin.  As in extra virgin olive oil.  RM28.  Actually, what was missing was a glass of white wine.  Then again, it WAS lunch, and I was still reeling from the excesses of the previous night.

A glorious combination of Tuna e Tartare di Promodoro, RM35, pan seared tuna with tomatoes on toast.  I am ambivalent about Tartares in general, sometimes they tend to err on the raw side for me, and you can't just pretend it's sashimi, but this was nicely prepared.

Black Angus Tenderloin on toast with sour cream and mexican chilli, OOOH yum, almost like a fajitas sans the tortilla... Actually, too much bread in these Italian dishes...I could feel the yeast making me rise and expand.

The classic Minnestrone.  RM16.  I can't say I am a fan of Minnestrone, because as far as non creamy soups go, sigh, I am typical chink, and love my clear soups.  However, for creamy soups, that's a different matter altogether.

Smoked Salmon Caesar Salad, or Insalata alla Cesare...well, what can I say, it's a salad.

Delicious, Linguini Alla Modi Rosa, seafood baked in foil, an Italian Cartocci style dish.  I could eat this and leave happy.  Easily my favourite dish of the meal.  RM55.

Braise Wagyu Beef Cheek in Beef Jus, or Guanca di Manzio, RM68, which is pretty good value.  Sometimes I find the cheek a bit gelatinous, and am inclined to turn the other cheek and order something else, but this rendition of the dish was really very good.  Tender meat, that melts in the mouth but yet retaining its texture.  Highly recommended, and the mash is great too.

Creamy spinach, sigh, so deliciously unhealthy, but well, at least it's spinach right.  RM10 for these sides.

Branzino Amalfi, RM56 oven baked Mediterranean sea bass with bread crumbs.

And dessert, a yummy cream brulee, that scored on both texture and taste.  RM18.  Totally worth getting fat for.

Lava Tortino, RM28.  Although I personally find lava cakes a bit yesterday, there's always that sense of anticipation of seeing that molten chocolate flow out, like fluids from Vesuvius.  And I've been told by many an F&B operator, lava cakes are still a very popular dessert, hence its presence in many menus.

The ubiquitous coffee art....

The restaurant has lunch specials at RM38++ and a kids’ menu at RM18++, in addition to its main menu.

Happy Hours are from 3.00pm to 9.00pm daily.

Modi & Rosa
Glo Damansara Mall,
LG.06, 699 Jalan Damansara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.
Open daily from 10.00am to 10.00pm.
For reservations, please call +603 7733 1719 or email reservations@modirosa.com.

New Chef, New Menu at THIRTY8, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

It's been awhile since I've been to the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, and had forgotten the spectacular views afforded by THIRTY8, which is the restaurant on the 38th Floor.  Getting there is rather unique, because you take the express elevator from the ground floor, to the lobby which is on the 39th floor, and walk down to the 38th.

THIRTY 8 currently has a new Executive Sous Chef, Stefan Beck (German Chef) who has transferred over from Park Hyatt Sydney.

To start with, a lovely Tuna Tartare, Mango Condiment and Crunchy Vegetables. RM74.  Of course since tartares are raw, the freshness is crucial, and the tuna was very fresh indeed.

Another raw-ish starter, the Black Angus Beef Carpaccio, Quails Eggs, Confit Mushroom, and Shaved Parmesan.  Loved the texture of the beef, which had a primal feel about it, as if this was the way food was meant to be eaten, raw. RM70

Chef Stefan Beck

Slow cooked Beef Short Ribs with crushed sweet potato and gremolata...apparently it's been slow cooked for 48 hours.  The result of which is an exceedingly tender chunk of meat, falling off the bone but still retaining the beefy texture.  One afterall does not want the meat to just dissolve in the mouth.  RM105.

Plump juicy Grilled Scallops with Capers and Pomegranate, RM120.  Seared well, cooked on the outside and just rightly done inside.

My favourite dish of the night, Sustainable Alaskan Black Cod, with black bean chilli sauce.  A very Asian feel to this dish. By the way, the menu at THIRTY8 does include an Asian or Chinese Wok Section for every category of food, so it's not just WESTERN.  RM120.

I really loved this daring dessert of Lavender Cheesecake with Marinated Rhubard and Strawberries. The tartness of the rhubarb really complemented the cheesecake, and the lavender flavour was subtle so as not as to feel you were having a mouth spa. RM40.

Trio of Macaron Sliders, with Raspberry Lychee, Green Apple, Coconut Mango and Passion Fruit. RM45.  As I am not a macaron fan, this would not be something I would order, although the sorbets on its own were fine.

Desserts are created by the new pastry chef, Chef Ashutosh Kumar who came over from Hyatt Regency Gurgaon in New Delhi, India

The stunning city views from the poolside.

A little background  about the new Executive Sous Chef Stefan Beck, the newly appointed Executive Sous Chef of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Born and raised in Germany, Stefan specializes in classic European and Western fine-dining cuisine which he prepares with a creative modern twist and the use of fresh ingredients. From the time he was young, Stefan has often involved himself in harvesting fresh fruit and vegetables from his home-garden and creating dishes from these. Recognizing his enthusiasm for food, his family encouraged him to pursue a career in cooking.


Prior to joining the Hyatt family, Stefan worked in several well-known hotels and restaurants within
Germany as well as in the United Kingdom. His experience within the Hyatt family began with Hyatt
Regency Mainz, Germany in 2008. Two years later, Stefan joined Park Hyatt Canberra, Australia and
in 2011, he was part of the re-opening team for Park Hyatt Sydney, and, later on, led kitchen
operations as the Chef de Cuisine. Since January 2017, Chef Stefan has worked in Malaysia as part of
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s culinary team.

Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

12 Jalan Pinang

50450, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

+ 60 3 2182 1234 PHONE
+ 60 3 2203 9166 FAX