Introducing Chef Mun, At Gobo Upstairs, Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur

I love Gobo Upstairs, not least because of it's casual ambience, lovely bar area, but most of all, I love going there because I always somehow end up having a great time, with good food and good company.  Prices here are actually reasonable, considering its an upscale hotel, and let's not forget the wonderful skybar at the top, so it really is a great venue for entertaining.

This time around, we were there for the unveiling (sounds bridal) of the new chef, Junior Sous Chef Fun Keng Mun, or better known as Chef Mun.  The young bashful unassuming chappie presented his special menu for the media, which was superb, paired with Chilean Vina Maipo wines.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Tomahawk Steak, which we shall describe more about later, but this collage encapsulates the different faces of Chef, serious, candid, friendly.

We were also introduced to the Vina Maipo wines by their sommelier

AMUSE BOUCHE, Honey Roasted Beetroot, toasted walnut / feta cheese paired with Vina Maipo Vitral Chardonnay.  Who would have thought that the humble beetroot can taste so nice, especially when the usual raw beetroot is earthy and almost bitter.  This one was almost sweet.

The retinue of chefs assembling the next course ...

This was my first glimpse of Chef Mun, and he obliges me with a bashful grin....

For those who've never been, this is the bar and lounge area of Gobo Upstairs.

STARTER
GUP Cold Platter of Mackerel tartare / wedges salad 6 / vodka cured salmon paired with Vina Maipo Vitral Chardonnay. Till now I am not sure what wedges salad 6 meant...I must have had one glass chardonnay too many.

GUP Hot Platter
salmon crab cake / crispy prawn durian mayo / balsamic tuna also paired with the same Chardonnay.  A bit of a "controversial" dish this one, because of the potentially off putting durian mayonnaise.  Whilst ardent durian fans like myself would have sneered at the miniscule and almost non presence of durian, the converse would be true of a non durian fan, who would probably find it most unpalatable.  I suggested they serve this as an option, and best to ask the guest upfront if they are game for the adventure, bearing in mind that the hotel services a lot of foreign as well as local guests.  Heck, Theresa Goh herself avoids durian like the plague.

For the mains, I opted for Baked Cod with Miso Honey, wasabi, bean curd / wilted romaine paired with  Vina Maipo Vitral Sauvignon Blanc or Vina Maipo Vitral Chardonnay.  Excellent cod, flaky, but firm, melt in the mouth, and exceedingly tasty.  Actually, there was a lovely lobster bisque soup in between the starters and mains, but I failed to get a decent photo of it, so you'll have have to imagine, like back in the days pre the digital age, when food articles relied on the strength of the word rather than the power of a visual.  The lobster bisque was sufficiently lobstery, and the consistency of the broth just right, not too watery to be like a local Har Mee instant noodle soup, nor so thick as to be able to stand a spoon.

An array of wines, and look at the number of bottles consumed, and these were the media peeps.

As mentioned earlier, the main course of Wagyu Tomahawk (sharing) with pomme purée / buttered vegetables, paired with Vina Maipo Vitral Cabernet Sauvignon, Pampas Del Sur Estilo Malbec was really the star dish of the night.  Whilst for a normal piece of steak, perhaps it's easier to prepare at home, but the tomahawk, (when did the tomahawk suddenly become a thing?  I never heard of it growing up, was it knows as something else?  Daging Cap Kapak or something? ) looks difficult to cook well, and Chef Mun did a great job.  Lovely char on the outside, and the meat itself, oh, simply divine, the perfect ratio of fat to lean, melt in the mouth, and the best meat of course is the one at the bone...

.....as is demonstrated here.....

And like all fine performances, an encore is needed to conclude, which appeared in the form of raclette , a cheese that is serve melted, which I absolutely LOVE.  The smell is akin to our local salted fish, and the flavours, wow, such a explosion that my culinary vocabulary escapes me.

Of course the added bonus of wonderful company makes food taste even better....

What a great night it was.

For information, a 1.5kg grilled tomahawk for sharing is RM820 nett.  I think it can easily feed 4-5 hungry ones.

Gobo Upstairs Lounge & Grill

Location : Level 6
Seating : 75
Operation Hours (Lounge) : 10:00am to 1:00am
Operation Hours (Grill) : LUNCH
12:00pm to 2:30pm Monday to Friday
DINNER
6:30pm to 10:30pm daily
(10:15pm – last order)
Reservations : (60 3) 2332 9910
Email : goboupstairs.thkl@tradershotels.com

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/ 

Top Meats and Taste of Australia by Guest Chef Greg Farnan At Gobo Upstairs, Traders Hotel KL - UNTIL 15th October

ONLY UNTIL 15th OCTOBER!!!

An invitation to dine at Gobo Upstairs, Traders Hotel KL is always a treat, because they always have these wonderful guest chefs, (apart from their own great chefs), and these evenings at these events are filled with uproarious laughter, and usually culminates in a food coma, and well, for some of us, a happy buzz.

This event is no exception, with guest Chef Greg Farnan, whose facial expressions and comical demeanour is a treat in itself.  Not one of those diva chefs, he really strikes me as a blokey bloke, and displays a passion that is evident even just by observing him.

Hailing from Perth, (although I read somewhere he is a Kiwi by birth), he is the Head Chef and Operations Manager for BWG Steakhouse, The Old Brewery & Riverside Brewhouse.

Chef Greg Farnan will be in attendance at Gobo Upstairs Lounge and Grill from 10 to 15 October 2016 (both dates inclusive). Menus will range from a 2-course (RM135 nett), 3-course (RM165 nett) and 4 course (RM190 nett). There is also a  wine menu. Ala carte menu will also be available so if you want to catch the guy who "named" the iconic Tomahawk steak, waste no time.  Yup, twas he that named that cut of meat the TOMAHAWK.  I always thought it was an American invention.  Oh well, I guess not everything comes from the US of A.

Greg and the Tomahawk

Some behind the scenes captures..... He seems to interact well with the local staff....

We started with a Grass Fed Angus Beef Tartare with quail egg, served with Grant Burge Pinot Noir Chardonnay.

The sparkling helped cut out any rawness that might have arisen from the tartare... and the tartare was a good balance of tender meat, a slight tanginess, and even a tartare averse person such as me was impressed.

Bubbly to start with

The second dish, lamb sirloin carpaccio with beetroot and coriander broth, was amazingly tender, almost melt in the mouth, without any of the lamby smell.  Paired with a very oaky Grant Burge Summers Chardonnay 2013, which I personally did not like.

Australian Rainbow Trout with blistered corn, jalapeno salsa, heirloom tomatoes.  Although it looked somewhat salmony, the trout was totally different, and so much better.  Paired with the pride of the winery, the Grant Burge The Holy Trinity Grenachr Shiraz Mourvedre 2011, which was a superb pairing.  The full bodies, yet not too heavy wine with aromas of plim and cherries complemented the fish, so who says fish needs to go with white.  Actually I would have preferred this to pair with the lamb carpaccio as well.

That's a lot of cow ribs there..... almost a small village of  Native American Indian population going to war...

I was in cow paradise, ...MARROW,.
Breaking into the iconic Annie Song

The sun'll come out
Tomarrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomarrow
Come what may

Tomarrow!
Tomarrow!
I love ya
Tomarrow!

Seriously lady, get on with it, I have some steaks to cook ya know....and a bone to pick...

Finally....

Somewhere midway into the meal, we were given a special treat by in house mixologist, Awie, with his signature NEGRONI...boy a lot of alcohol goes into a negroni....

And finally the piece de resistance...literally....THE TOMAHAWK....

Well, what can I say, it was bloody good....and those roast potatoes in duck fat are absolutely to die for.  I absolutely LOVED the marrow....

Although I didn't get to try the vegetarian dish, Mellisa who was seated across from me, the definitive carnivore, is a vegatarian so I got to ogle at her lovely looking vegetarian dishes.

Me and the Chef...

Baked Australian Brie with Quince paste, apple crisp paired with a LOVELY Grant Burge 10 Year Old Tawny...

And to end the night, a special surprise send off, a B52 shot.  Gasp.

PS Note:

The Tomahawk is one of largest steaks in Australia, weighing in at 1.3kg – 3.6kg (1.8kg
average). Each Tomahawk is a rib-eye, or scotch fillet on the bone, and comes from the
coveted Wagyu beef. Its namesake is the mammoth 30cm of rib bone left on the cut which
consists of tender intercostals meat; a carnivore’s dream.

Gobo Upstairs Lounge & Grill seats 70. The lounge is open daily from 10:00am to 1:00am.
The grill is open for lunch, Mondays to Fridays, from 12 noon to 2:30pm, and daily for dinner
from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. For reservations, please telephone (60 3) 2332 9910 or e-mail
foodandbeverage.thkl@tradershotels.com.