MIGF in Chynna

THREE OUTLETS, THREE CHEFS, THREE FESTIVAL PROMOTIONS AND A MICHELIN STAR CHEF, cries the press release.



So when Aly of Red FM asked me if I would like to attend the MIGF thingie at Chynna, I replied, "Hmm, let me think long and hard about this. Great company, great venue, possibly great food"...think think think..."duhh, [slapping forehead], I think I have to say YES".


The very affable Chef HH Lam, who has been with the Hilton so long, he says his H H stands for Hilton Hilton. (His real name is Chef Lam Hock Hin).


Cold Black Ink Soba in Sesame Sauce and Smoked Seared Hokkaido Scallops. The soba was delightfully al dente. At first bite, I initially thought the sauce was too salty, but surprisingly, as I continued eating, it didn't seem so, and by the end of it, all of us wouldn't have minded wiping our plates clean with a slice of bread.


Picture of a Picture..the Canon people took this nice pic of us...our fellow diners for the night are Celebrity Penang blogger, CK Lam, (the definitive Penang Street Food Guide), Eric Yong, Aly of Red FM, and ...little old me.

Double Boiled Duck Broth With Good stuff, Radix and Yu Zhu. Since Chynna is pork free, duck actually makes a fabulous substitute, because its fattiness and red meatness imparts a distinct flavour to the broth. Since I am one of those who goes, "Give Us This Day our Daily Soup" I was delighted with this dish. Clear, but so tasty, and chock full of goodness.


Seafood Platter With Canadian Cod, Curry Dry Prawns and Salmon Tangy Mustard Sauce. I personally liked the Cod the best, despite not being a big fan of cod. The salmon was also very well cooked, not overdone, still moist in the centre. The interesting sauces that accompanied the trio really complemented each one.


The Salmon, and a crispy bit of deep fried salmon skin. Absolutely yummy.





Sous Vide Lamb Cutlet With Pepper Mint Sauce. Behold the lamb. Not something you'd make at home, coz you need to marinate, vacuum pack it, steam it, and pan sear it. Excellent dish this. In fact, Chynna is famous for its lamb. Their mint fried lamb is always a hit.


Wok Fried Somen Noodle With Shell Meat served in a Golden Katafi. You know, every last bit of this was good. Even the golden katafi nest. Finished every last strand. Truly inspired, this dish. The piece of shell meat gave that interesting chewy texture, the noodle the springy texture, the nest, the crispy texture. Can a tongue handle so many sensations I ask!


I love the setting of Chynna.... the hot steaming steamers... I am not sure what they were steaming at that hour of night.


Coconut Mousse Cake With Pumpkin Puree. More western than chinese, as pointed out by my fellow diners. But good, nonetheless. A bit like a panna cotta, but not as smooth.



The Hilton PR people were doing musical chairs, flitting between Iketeru, Senses and Chynna, and here we manage to capture the very belle Bel.

At RM168++ per head without wine pairing, I'd say this was pretty good value for money, as far as the MIGF selections are concerned. Wine pairing is RM 248++.

I'm putting this up in a hurry so ahem, it'll get longest and soonest possible exposure, since MIGF only lasts a month, and a week is already gone.

Thanks to Chef Lam, Bel, Jean for being such gracious hosts, and of course to Aly for inviting me.

Villa Danielli, MIGF

It is upon us again, that annual event of gastronomic pleasures for an entire month. Our very own Octoberfest so to speak. The Malaysian International Gourmet Festival.



When all the best chefs showcase their talents. Actually, I think it's just an excuse to fill the gaps. Malaysia is one annual eating fest anyway. In the beginning of the year, there's the Chinese New Year frenzy, then there'll be Valentine's Day, ...any excuse to eat.

I was delighted to get an invite to Villa Danielli, by the lovely Evelyn Koh of Sheraton Imperial. Traffic that day however, was diabolic. It took my fellow diner, Unkaleong, 1½ hours to travel from his office at Citibank to Sheraton Imperial. Half the other guest were late as well.


The fine dining, elegant romantic setting...great for couples, nightmare for food bloggers...terrible lighting for photography.


Il Divo Malaysian Style? Preparing their next presentation?

Guest Chef Fabrizio hails from The Westin, Beijing Financial Street, and his Festive Menu which we got to sample included:


Cappesante marinate agli agrumi, micro insalatine, mandorle tostate...all these Italian names...sounds like a catholic liturgy...almost want to say AMEN after that...
Citrus marinated scallops, micro salads, toasted almonds
Torralta Prosseco, Piedmont Prosecco. This was probably my favourite dish. Simple, refreshing, fresh, and the tangy citrus complemented the scallops.




Crema di cannellini, raviolo al fegato grasso e granchio al vapore
White bean soup, goose liver raviolo, steamed blue flower crab
Kim Crawford, Malborough, Sav Blanc 2009. I love the soup, a thick, hearty wholesome soup, a meal on its own. I thought the raviolo was a bit too heavy.


Tagliolini di grand duro, cream di zucca, gamberi croccanti e chips di patate rosse
Hard wheat tagliolini, pumpkin veloute, crispy prawns and beetroot chips
Ruffino Libaio IGT, Tuscany, Chardonnay 2008. I'm impressed they managed to keep the crispy prawns moist on the inside.


Filetto di spigola, torata di pomodorini, rucola
Pan seared sea bass fillet, cherry tomato tart,, rucola. Initially, I thought it smelt fishy, but there was no fishy flavour accompanying the smell, and it was a delightfully light and clean dish.
Robert Mondavi Private Selection, California Pinot Noir 2008


Herb crusted Lamb Cutlets.




Cannoli Sciliani Ripieni di ricotta al cioccolato e canditi, salsa al pistachio
Deep fried crispy shells, chocolate and canditi ricotta, pistachio sauce
Ruffino Serelle Del Chianti, Tuscany, Vin Santo 2006. Now, I've always been fascinated by Cannolis ever since learning about it on EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, where there was one episode that featured this dessert. The ones I've had so far, in KL, have been shockingly disappointing, so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. The pastry was light, and almost fluffy, and the fillings were good too.






My fellow diner, and Evelyn of Sheraton.


The two chefs, Fabrizio, and resident Chef De Cuisine, Chef Kamaruddin, aka Chef Bob


Chef Bob's Festive Menu

Saffron risotto timable filled with beef ragout, green pea and poached quail egg served with fresh ricotta cheese and wild mushroom sauce

Mille Feuille of Purple Potato, tiger prawns, slipper lobster and tarragon mantecato

Gnocchi with white wine braised onion, venison ragout and light taleggio cream

Anchovies and stracciatella cheese ravioli with lobster and artichokes in red mullet star anise broth

Purple asparagus cream, oyster foam and basil oil with crushed pink peppercorns

Seafood soup caciucco style, spicy blue crab broth and fresh buffalo mozzarella

Lamb cutlet thyme gratin with parmesan potato lasagna, olive oil artichoke cream and herb jus

Sea salt crusted beef tenderloin wih crunchy polenta and white asparagus compote with grain mustard and beef jus

Pan fried wild sea bass medallion on capsicum panzanella topinambur cream and anchovy oil


Pricing:
5 course set RM220++
4 course set RM180++
3 course set RM150++

Wine Pairing
4 glasses wine RM120++
3 glasses wine RM90++
2 glasses wine RM60++

Many thanks to Cindy and Evelyn for playing the gracious hosts, as usual.

To contact, Call Sheraton Imperial, 03-27179900.