Gobo Upstairs New Menu

It's always a treat to be invited to Gobo Upstairs, and this visit was no exception.  I swear Christina Devina from Marcom was trying to feed us to death, judging by the amount of food she ordered for us to try....like feeding goldfish who have no memory of what they've eaten, and can literally eat to death.

The objective of the dinner was to introduce us to the new menu prepared by the Executive Sous Chef, and wow, what a feast it was.  A great night of wonderful company and wonderful food it was.

The freshly baked breads and butter, as delicious as they are, really should be omitted from our meal, as it took up unnecessary stomach space.

Baked brie with crisped apple for amuse bouche, a lovely pairing of savoury and sweet, and just the thing to titillate the palate in anticipation of a feast ahead.

Salmon lollipons, salmon gravlax infused with beet juice, avocado.  RM30.  What's not to like about smoked salmon, and avocado.

Salmon Crabcake with Grilled Prawn Salad, a meal on its own really, RM38.  Crunchy leafy greens, with a fresh prawn, and a dollop of avocado guacamole on the side.  As I said, it's a meal on its own, and it's in the STARTER section of the menu,

Angus Beef Carpaccio, RM35, the quintessential dish for the carnivore.  Melt in the mouth slivers.

Chef hard at work.

Side Note; Chef Kelvin who's been there for the longest time has since left to join his wife and baby in his hometown of Kota Kinabalu.  The every smiley chef will be missed.

LAMB LOIN, Arancini balls, roasted cauliflower, asparagus, pumpkin puree, porcini sauce.  Lovely lamb, even for a non lamb lover like me.  I used to like lamb in my youth, but these days not so much.  Arancini are balls stuffed with goodness...

Crispy and Tender, RM94, Sirloin with Soft Shell Crab.  Such a complete meal, seafood, beef, vegetables, ...I loved the roasted vegetables, and those potato fondant cylinders were delicious.

Zooming in on the sirloin, ...

And zooming in on the soft shell crab.

PAN ROASTED DUCK, Sweet pumpkin fondant,baby vegetables, cherry brandy sauce. If I were blind tasting it, I'd swear it was a chunk of wonderful beef.  A wonderful gaminess, yet not tough.  And that cherry brandy sauce really opens up the flavours.

TENDERLOIN 200GM AUSTRALIAN BLACK ANGUS MULWARRA CUT with Leeks, mushrooms, pomme puree, caramelised onion relish.  To be honest, this was the dish I was most looking forward to, but was the least impressed by.  Perhaps it was that particular slice of the day, but I found that particular piece to be ...errr.... I can't find the exact adjective, but it certainly wasn't the texture and moistness that I expected, although the doneness was perfect, as was the accompanying sauce.

Visually, that tenderloin looked perfect.  Perhaps we had reached a low marginal utility by the time this dish came, so the palate was hard to please.

Their signature TEAR DROP Spatzle type pasta with calamari, crispy spinach and lots of good stuff, oh, and of course, white wine, RM40.

The mango panna cotta was divine, just the right texture, RM23.  Such a steal, considering most cafes sell their desserts at prices close to this.

Apple Crumble Tart, RM23...all that's missing is a huge dollop of homemade vanilla ice cream.  MUST.

Hazelnut Royaltine, a must for the chocolate lover.  RM28.  Rich, and totally decadent, perfect with that tangy coulis, and summer berries.

For this quality of food, I have to say that this is really good value for money.

Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur, 50088  Malaysia
60 3 2332 9829  http://www.shangri-la.com/kualalumpur/traders/ 

Hwan By Chakri, Mid Valley Megamall

 A lovely little concept has mushroomed in the array of kiosks that line the passageways of the Lower Ground Floor in mid valley megamall.  Hwan, which means sweet in Thai, is a dessert on the go place, but also offers several options of savouries.

When first invited by proprietess, the very charming Caleen, of Chakri Palace, I assumed it was a restaurant outlet.  This is what happens when you don't do any preparation or research before hand.  I was intrigued when I discovered that Hwan by Chakri is a kiosk, and wondered where we would sit.

 The entire set up is too cute, the kiosk is in the shape of a tuk tuk dessert truck.  Caleen explained to us how this brainchild was conceived, and it happened when she was sampling the street food of Thailand with a local celebrity Chef McDang, in the non touristy parts, and was wowed by the wonderful desserts she had that were not readily available.

 Mee krob, a kind of vermicelli that is both sweet and savoury, which is very unique.  It is served with some salty peanuts, and is really an eye catcher as it seems to be the centrepiece of the entire kiosk.

Caleen explains to us about how the celebrity chef fella was very helpful, and she was so surprised he was so accommodating and receptive.

 The mango and sticky rice is a quintessential Thai dessert, and I love the different varieties of sticky rice.  Actually it's a very filling dessert, and certainly meant for sharing.

This Som Tam, or Green papaya salad, packs a nice punch, with the tang and the heat from chilli, and the crunch of the dried shrimp and peanuts, and tastes very healthy too.

 Mieng kheam has to be one of my favourite Thai starters, such a cornucopia of flavours packed within that humble kadok leaf.  It comes in a pack of leaves and filling, which you have to wrap yourself though.  So it could be a bit messy if you're eating it on the go.

 Thai Fish cakes, very reasonably priced... I think everything here is less than RM10.

 Durian sticky rice... A must for durian enthusiasts, but certainly not for the durian averse, as you can tasted the durian pulp very distinctly.

 The very unique take on Thab Tim Krub, the red ruby dessert, which is served atop a coconutty ice cream with some sticky rice.

 As a final encore, that thai green mango salad, which is yummy.  I just love the combination of flavours, which is more or less same as the som tham, but the green mango is a bit more crunchy than the green papaya,

The traditional Thub Theem Krab.  ..

Hwan is located in front of Macdonalds and the Chinese Medicine Hall, you absolutely cannot miss it if you are walking into Jusco Supermarket.

Revisiting Nosh, And Wowed By Their Splendid Dessert Selection.

I cannot believe it's been six months since they opened...I have since been back and was again swoonified by their Valrhona Platter which is literally chocolate heaven, and I would not bestow such accolade on many establishments.  But ingredients are everything, and it seems to be the philosophy of owners Ann Lee & Judith, so, half the battle is won.

Recently, Ann asked me to come over to sample their new dessert menu, but yelling and screaming and throwing a hissy dramatic protest, I could not make it due to a prior commitment, but she graciously offered me ANOTHER opportunity to come and sample the new menu, so yay, I did not miss out.  And boy, I was glad I didn't. 


For starters, a smoked salmon salad.  Very healthy, I suppose, all that leafy greens, and smoked salmon, (was a bit on the salty side to me, but I duly gave my feedback), with a tangy olive oil based dressing. 


Yummy lamb and sweet potato gnocchi.  The use of sweet potato instead of normal potato I felt was a fabulous idea, cos it didnt feel as "carby", (you know how carbs are the evil du jour of the the world these days, poor carbs.  Bet you a few years down the line, they'll discover that proteins are actually the evil ones), nor was it lamby.  I find my tolerance for all things ovine deteriorating with age, so it was pleasantly surprisingly palatable.  But hey, if you are a sheep fan, go for this....


Potato risotto with beef bacon.  Lovely crunchy bacon bits (albeit kosher) paired with the soft risotto, a good combination. 


Someone had ordered this pretty coffee drink...that sounds so amateur, coffee drink, but I think it must have been a cappuccino.  Lovely artwork, which after a sip, kinda resembled a sexy lady's bottom if you ask me.


Got resemblance? Or is my mind just warped. 


Isn't she beauteous? Chocolate orange.  Layers of jaffa flavoured cake and ganache, orange and chocolate really must have been a couple in a previous life. 




Earl Grey Creme Brulee - The wonderful bitterness of earl grey tea complements the caramelized sugar topping.  Silky eggy creme brulee that just slides down your throat


Creme au chocolat with a hint of strawberry mousse, the tang vs the sweet.  Again, I stress, their ingredients are excellent, so really, paired with the creative flavours, it is really very very good.  Oh, and wait till you hear the fabulous deal they offer.  Read on...


Coconut Panna Cotta ...such an elegant looking dessert, if it was an actress it would be like Audrey Hepburn.  Distinct coconut taste, so if you like coconut, this would be great for you.  I found it to be a bit on the sweet side, probably with the syrup.


For some reason, this reminds me of a shaggy dog, or a soft toy.  But actually, it was one of my favourites.  Sweet potato azuki gateaux.  I LOVE AZUKI, and I'm not talking about large red kidney beans that cheats use in their ice kacang these days.  Azuki, or the equivalent of our hong tou, red beans, lovingly boiled and cooked into a paste.  It was a dark day when Haagen Daz stopped that line of flavour in Malaysia.  So yeah, azuki, green tea cake, and sweet potato.  That reminds me, I better head over to Nosh pronto to have this again. 


Walnut Tiramisu, contains alcohol.  No complaints, not wow, but tiramisu is a comfort dessert, and this version is definitely in a class above the usual stuff you get elsewhere. 




Strawberry Cheesecake, because I think people like familiar.  Offer them too many new novel things, they go mad.  Not to mention, it IS a very photogenic cake. 


Ooh, ooh, my other favourite.   Deconstructed lemon and peach tart.  Sorry, I am gonna have to make this myself at home once your offer is over.  I just love it.  Lemon curd, cream, crumbly tart bits, peaches, and crispy filo pastry.  So so good.  The variety of textures and flavours, simply amazing. 


 Blackforest pavlova.  Contains alcohol.  I'll be honest, not my thing.  Not a pavlova fan.  Too airy.  Like a blonde. 


Apple Cinnamon Cake - I likey.  Solid cake, chunks of apple, moist and lovely. 




Here's the fabulous deal. 
RM19 for 2 desserts
RM29 for 3 desserts
RM39 for 4 desserts
RM43 for 5 desserts.
SERIOUSLY, DAMNNNNN GOOD VALUE!!!!!




We were given some homemade ice cream to try, but since it's not on the regular menu, it's no point torturing readers by telling them what they can't have.  Needless to say, it was superb.


Second round of coconut panna cotta for some who missed out.



The very affable Chef Joe, executive chef at Nosh.



NOSH
No 7 Jalan Telawi 3
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-22013548