The Circus Has Come To Town

I think it was about a month ago, and I am still having a hangover from such a fun party, hence the delay in this post.  CIRCUS, described as the place with modern bistro fare, and chic cocktails.  Located in THE most happening locale in KL, PAVILION, I honestly believe this place is going to rock.

The interior is elegant, contemporary without being overly ostentatious and I love the bar area.  If I worked or lived in the area, I think I might park myself there permanently.  It was with great anticipation that I went for the media launch, also because my buddies Ralph and Roger were gonna be there, and where they are, I always have a good time.

We were invited to take pictures juxtaposed against the photo wall, with various props that were rather hilarious.


Photo wall with happy people...



Lots of interesting decor on the walls.


Lovely canapes served...but most importantly, accompanied with free flow....tah dah...


Moet.  Tell me, how can the sight of bottles and bottles make one unhappy, even if it was a week night?  More Moet...











Swanky interior, perfect place to chill ...


The circus and it's clowns in the pic below...


A picture with the Man himself, Joseph Afaki, the visionary who has really made quite an impact in the KL F&B scene, with his Al Amar restaurants, and catering business. 

The kitchen is run by Executive Chef Spaniard David Caral, who has previously worked under Michelin Star Chefs Sergi Arola and Nobu Matsuhisa and the menu features extensive, international selection featuring hand-crafted gourmet pizzas, signature comfort food in an approachable fine dining setting

The man with the Midas Touch ...I really salute this chap, a foreigner, coming to our distant shores from Lebanon, and setting up a slew of F&B outlets. 



Outlet Telephone Number 03 2141 6151

Bookings Joshua Ivanovic, Operations Manager: +6012 682 3201
Aiman, Restaurant Asst Manager: +6012 672 6990

Website www.circus.com.my
Facebook www.facebook.com/CircusKL
Twitter www.twitter.com/CircusKL

Media Enquiries Ralph Zeidan, Sales & Marketing Director ralph@eatertainmentgroup.co +6012 222 6649

What The DUCK! Melbourne Peking Duck

Somewhere in the recesses of my mind, I remember reading or seeing somewhere about Melbourne Peking Duck.  Recently, mind you.  Then Paranoid Android sms-ed me to ask me if I would like to meet up for lunch with Makan Fairy Godmother.  I hardly ever turn down  a chance to meet up with this delightful duo.  When I asked where, Paranoid Android said, Melbourne Peking Duck.  I know Air Asia flies there, but isn't that a bit excessive for lunch?

Yesterday, as I was plying my normal route to Bangsar Village, I happened to look up, (like how Deborah Kerr looked up at the Empire State in "An Affair to Remember"...okay-la, damn drama I know), and lo and behold, I see, Melbourne Peking Duck, right here on Jalan Telawi 3.  Next to the Talk, above that Chinese Vegetarian place that has been there since time immemorial. (the Chinese vegetarian, not MPD.  MPD is new, only been open three weeks)

Anyway, my delightful lunch companions are already there, and we proceed to yabber away.  Makan Fairy Godmother tells me that I might know the owners as they might be from the same church.  Rather speculative.  I dismiss the notion with a royal wave of the hand, saying I hardly know anyone. Next thing I know, the owner comes trotting up and says, hey, I know you....Gosh, KL is really too small for adultery and iniquity.   Turns out, he's a friend's brother in law, and although we met vaguely a couple of times, mainly over Black Jack at Chinese New Year, (not the ideal venue to forge friendships), I was glad to hear of the association.

Now, the Set Menus are AMAZINGLY reasonably priced.  PD1 (No prizes for guessing what PD stands for) at RM78, includes a whole duck.....




(not a Hole Duck), sliced into 16 pcs served with Pancake, Scallion & Cucumber, and of course, the hoisin sauce, AND Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Shredded Duck Meat AND Duck Soup with Salted Vegetable & Tofu.

But we are bigger eaters than that, so we opt for PD2, at RM88 per set, which comprise A WHOLE DUCK....


Fried Meehoon/Hor Fun/Rice (choose one) with shredded duck meat, and Duck Soup...



The waiter with the dexterity of a surgeon carves the duck up effortlessly, into ...what must have more than 16 pieces.  I LOVE that they actually leave a thin layer of meat as well with the skin.  I realise this might be a bone, or meat, of contention, whether to have pure skin, or skin and meat, or skin and bone...oh wait, that's Ciki...



Gorgeous slices of glistening crispy skin with tender succulent meat. 


Look at all that white meat.  It must be healthy. 





Now, the Chef's wife is very specific on HOW to fold your Duck Pockets.  Unlike the usual roll popiah style, which results in the sauces coming out of every orifice, this method holds everything in.  Refer to the above diagram.  The circle is the pancake. Place the scallion, cucumber, sauce and duck at THREE O'CLOCK.  (denoted by the square).  Fold over your pancake.  ie, bring 9 O Clock over to 3 O Clock.  Then fold up the 6 and 12 O Clocks till you get this.





Being the naughty boy that I am, I tried doing it at various hours, this particular one being at 12 O Clock. The good news is, it tastes just at good, regardless of the time. I like the pancakes too.  They are not the eggy sort, which I dont like, nor the floury popiah type, which can be very stodgy.  This seems like a cross, and is the perfect thickness.


Chef and his lovely wife, who really exudes enthusiasm that is contagious.


Stir Fried Heong Fei Miu, at RM15.  Fried perfectly, still crunchy, just the way I like it.


The fried hor fun, which is part of the set.  Flavour is great, if not a bit on the oily side.  By now, I was realising that the set is really too much for three people. 




Why was there so much duck left at the end of the pancakes?! Actually, this set can easily serve four to five people, if you ask me. 




Duck Soup with Ham Choy and Tofu.  Despite the use of ham choy (salted vegetables) the soup was just right, and not with Hypertension inducing levels of saltiness. 





Lovely wobbly herbal jelly (kuai lin kou)..RM7 per serve.

Actually, the pricing I have to say is very reasonable.  The RM88 set is more than enough for 4, and in fact, for the carbo averse, the RM78 set which replaces the carbs with bean sprouts is a better choice. 



At the end of it, Paranoid Android and I were haggling for the bill, as both of us wanted to buy Makan Fairy Godmother a belated birthday lunch.  Just when I thought I trumped him with my "this is my neighbourhood, your money's no good here", the owner, King Hong insists that lunch is on the house.  So paiseh.  The benefits of being seen with the Makan Fairy Godmother.

By the way, Happy Belated Birthday, Makan Fairy Godmother, lots of hugs and God's blessing upon you always. 

OH, and on Sundays, ducks sell out faster than you can say "quack", so if you intend to come on Sunday, better call to reserve.  

Thanks for lunch, KH, and you can be sure that I'll be back very soon.

MELBOURNE PEKING DUCK
24-1 Jalan Telawi 3
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-22021588
Closed on Mondays, Open 11am-10pm daily (except 3-6pm).

My Inaugural 2012 MIGF Experience at Lai Poh Heen And Mandarin Grill

It is always a treat to eat in Lai Poh Heen at the Mandarin Oriental, because as far as pork free Chinese dining goes, it definitely ranks as one of the better ones, and Chef Ricky Thein, Executive Chinese Chef does take pains to ensure innovative and creative dishes tantalize our palates.  MIGF, or the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival stretches from 1-31 October, with quite a number of participating restaurants.  But like choosing a spouse, one has to be selective, I suppose....and unfortunately, cannot indulge in all the participating restaurants.





To begin, we were treated to the Hunan Ice Chilled Whole Baby Abalone.  Hunan in the way of preparation, and not in origin, according to Jean. 


The presentation is really rather attractive.  Bits of pomelo, avocado, kiwi and spicy sesame sauce makes the abalone salsa on this platter of crushed ice, almost poetically.  I am not sure of the significance of the caramel sugar stick though. 




Next, the double boiled "Kung Fu" soup, which no, does not contain the Panda of the same fame.  Elegantly served in what Eric Yong described as too big for a cup, and too small for a bowl, this clear but absolutely divine broth envelopes a cluster of very interesting sea food, ...


That thing on the spoon looks like a scallop had procreated with an abalone, and apparently that is precisely what it was, a painstakingly re-engineered scabalone.  (Scallop + Abalone).  No, it does not happen in nature, only in Ricky's kitchen.  My favourite dish of the night. 


Trio of Corn Fed Chicken, a Szechuan pepper spiced, wok seared with crispy skin menage a trois. 


Steamed Dragon Grouper roll, with Hong Kong Kai Lan and superior wine sauce.


Sun Dried Scallops Glutinous Rice, Serve in Dim Sum Basket.  Unlike the usual hor yip fan, (lotus leaf wrapped rice), this wrapping was edible, and it tasted as stunning as it looked.  Fluffy flavourful glutinous rice, encasing a huge scallop within. 









Chef Ricky in his signature Chef pose.  He is a Gold Medalist reciepient in the 5th World Golden Chef Competition for Chinese Cuisine in 2005.






Sweet Sensation - Peanut Coated Buttermilk cubic, green tea sauce, passion fruit infused coconut pudding.
The lunch time price is RM228++ per person without wine, and the dinner menu, which is the same, but for an additional Mandarin Orange Sorbet, is RM288++ per person, without wine. 





We move on to the next stop, the Mandarin Grill, where the flickering flames welcome wayfarers on a cold wintry night.  Well, not quite, I exaggerate. 





The futuristic entrance to the Mandarin Grill almost makes me expect to be beamed up somewhere or other. 




A wide selection of nosh is available for diners at the Mandarin Grill. 


The elegant interior of Mandarin Grill...


The breads in Mandarin Grill are superb, and usually I try not to eat too much bread as it expands like a sponge, but these hot buns with the gorgeous creamy butter and sour cream are too good to resist. 


Dug Leg Confit A la Orange - Braised apple red cabbage roasted potato dumpling.  Actually this dish is surprisingly main stream, for an MIGF dinner, which actually suits me fine.  You know how when you go for a classical concert, I actually prefer it when I know a few familiar favourites.  There's odd comfort in the familiar.  No complaints with the duck.  Love the accompanying braised  apple and red cabbage jam.







Rabbit Loin "Perigord", one of two choices in the Festival Dinner Menu.  Lamb lettuce, cep mushroom, truffle juice. 


Doversole Fillet, with salsify, baby spinach and grenobloise sauce, three words in one sentence that is beyond my vocabulary.  According to our friendly waiter, dover sole is the smallest flatfish, as opposed to Halibut, which is the biggest. 




Okay, that's not soap.  I don't know when all these foamy stuff came into vogue, probably with the advent of molecular gastronomy, but someone remarked on my facebook page that it looked like soap.  Plebians.  [tossing nose into the air with a snooty sniff, though secretly agreeing].  Halibut Fillet Winemaker Style, champagne choucroute, pomme chateaux, caramelized grapes.  The flavour of the fish was superb, though my piece might have been just slightly overcooked.  And fish can be so unforgiving. 




The choice of mains is either the fish, or the Pure Black Angus Tenderloin "saliou" with foie gras, brussel sprouts, smoked celery puree garnish bourguignon. 




For Dessert, White and Orange, white sacher sponge, bourbon vanilla bavarois, orange custard





This is Chef Reto Weber's second year in the festival.  He is the Chef De Cuisine, and has worked in 2 Star Michelin Star, Waselhorf, in 2000.


Some petit fours to wrap up the dinner, and selection of teas and coffees.

The Lunch menu at the Mandarin Grill is RM165 ++ for 2 courses, or RM195++ for 3 courses, without wine.  For dinner it is RM345++ without wine.

Check out their other festival offers
Mandarin Grill 03-21798960
Lai Poh Heen 03-21798885

Thanks to Jean, Jesslyn and Bel (in abstentia) for your ever gracious hospitality.