Goa By Sapna Anand

When two luminaries of the culinary world, one long time restaurateur of the established Souled Out, WIP, Hubba, and Tujo, (Soul Society) and one celebrity chef who even has her own show on Asian Food Channel collaborate, you know that it can only be something good.

Goa by Sapna Anand , located about Tujo, at the Ascott Kuala Lumpur, aims to bring Goan cuisine to the KL Food scene.  What is Goan cuisine?  The flavours are a unique blend of Portuguese and Indian culture and taste.

“Access to fresh seafood from the Arabian sea and influences from Muslim and Portuguese cuisines have evolved Goan food from a traditionally Hindu fare to the melting pot it is today. The one constant over centuries of growth is that the tropical region’s cuisine has always been centred around intense flavours and spices. So, stop by for a visit and live life with a little spice.” said Chef Sapna Anand at the launch of the restaurant.

At the launch, we were privileged to witness the signing ceremony between two gorgeous ladies, Sapna and Michele Kwok (of Soul Society), while being introduced to some background on Goa etc, which is where Sapna grew up.  It really sounds like a paradise, carefee, beaches, sun and sand.

I was fortunate enough to be invited a week before the launch, so I didn't have to compete with the media masses.  We started off with Paneer Pea Cutlet with an amazing Mantao (a chinese bun) with lamb. I could have just eaten a few of those and be happy.

The Goan Chilli Prawn was just amazing.  Cooked in garlic butter and coriander, so simple but so tasty.  The breads were used to soak up all that precious garlic butter.

Fish in saffron sauce, a decadent and rich, but yet not overpowering the natural flavour of the fish.

Goan Beef Vindalho.  A bit of trivia, the name Vindalho comes from the Portuguese Carne De Vinha D'alhos.  I always thought Indian cuisine hardly features beef, but evidently I was wrong.  Oh, this dish screams out for rice.  The ghee rice with which it was served was soooooo good.

Beach Shack Squid Masala, squid wokked with Goan Red Paste. Whats not to like. 

Oh, this Malabar Mutton Curry with Plantain Fritters is also to die for. Now oddly enough, I've NEVER heard of Plantain, which apparently is the cousin of the banana.  Tastes the same to me, maybe it's those gigantic ones.  And it's an inspired combination, this "pisang goreng" with the luscious curry.

For dessert we had this lovely rose ice cream and mango ice cream , completing our food coma.

Back to the actual event....

Our beautiful lady Sapna Anand.  I am always indebted to that chappie, Lyrical Lemongrass for introducing her to me.

I know the pic is way too bright, but it kinda encapsulates the mood, cheery brightness, the effervescence of Michele with the quieter shy charm of Sapna.

Some of the items on "display" .  The mantaos are RM25 for three, if I am not mistaken.

RM45 for the seabass in saffron sauce. 

RM28 for the Malabar Mutton....

RM18 for the Paneer Pea Cutlet...

And yes, there are vegetables too, RM22 for the 3 bean salad with puffed rice.

We didn't sample this at the first dinner....this is RM28, a Parsi style minced lamb with runny egg. Runny egg got my attention.

That's what friends are for...

RM28 for the Goan Beef Vindalho

RM28 for Goan Squid Masala.

Goa by Sapna Anand
Ascott Kuala Lumpur, 9, Jalan Pinang
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

t: 012-210 3055
e: hello@goakl.com.my
w: www.goakl.com.my

Retro Nights at Tujo Kuala Lumpur

I really take my hat off to the people behind the Tujo, Souled Out, WIP, Hubba group, for they really have been pioneers of sorts, changing the night scene in KL.  I recall fondly the original Souled Out in that little Shoplex in Mt Kiara, a cosy chill hangout place.

Tujo, for the uninformed, is located in KLCC, at the ground level of the Ascott building, (where Seven Ate Nine used to be), and is a trendy bar, whose tagline is EAT DRINK PLAY.  Pool tables and dart boards juxtaposed against a long well stocked bar accentuates their tagline.

The event of the night was to launch the RETRO BLASTS, which introduces different retro themes for different days of the week.

EAT, DRINK, PLAY...Well, we actually drank first, played and ate last.

The spacious and bright cheery interior makes the place very welcoming, and not intimidating despite its location at the well heeled KLCC area.

As part of the Retro Blast Launch the decor was bits and bobs from yesteryear, and the gift pack comprised ..

the quintessential Haw Flakes, that pok pok candy that pops in your mouth, polo mints, rabbit candy, ...the only missing thing was that bubble thing you blow from the end of a tiny straw.  I used to love inhaling the stuff.

The Mojitos Bar...

The week begins with CHILL on Monday featuring special acoustic performances and drink promotions.

Tuesday's child is PLAY, and as the name suggests, its game night.  With a brand-new pool table and dart machines, patrons will have the opportunity to take on the Tujo House Champ in their game of choice. Anyone who defeats the House Champ in pool or darts will receive RM30 Tujo dining vouchers.  For the more sedate, and averse to physical activity, it's also BINGO night.  Best part is, there's a  Beer Buffet for an hour (RM70++) or two (RM110++) .

WINK Wednesdays is Ladies Night, featuring special cocktails and promotions specially for the ladies.  Resident DJ, Sanjay Paramount will be playing the best R&B tunes from the 90s and early 00s. AND THE CLINCHER, Ladies who post their best poses with the “house hot hunks” on WINK Wednesdays also stand to win a bottle of bubbly every week. GASP.  Talk about discrimination, why isn't there a Man's night where  Men get to pose with house hot chicks.

Thursday LIVE nights, Tujo turns it up to full retro blast with its resident LIVE band, “Albert, Vijay & Bada”.  One the liveliest cover bands who will belt out tunes from The Beatles to Queen, it would be great dance music.  Thursdays at Tujo will also feature performances by Malaysia's Queen of Soul Elvira Arul ...



....and supreme songstress Joy Victor  on alternate weeks. There is also a Wine Buffet on Thursday LIVE nights.

The DANCE party continues when Friday night rolls around with DJ Jinggo serving up the best party hits from our favourite eras.

Saturdays sound particularly interesting, as my friend celebrity chef Sapna Anand, queen of spice will be featuring the Goan cuisine with Thali sets starting from RM35.  I really need to check this out.

“Here at Tujo, its always been about the overall experience. Our patrons are all lively, fun, and know how to have a great time. So, we simply wanted to be the venue that enables them to do so by offering different activities and entertainment each night of the week. There’s something for everyone at the Tujo ‘playground’, and we’re excited to be able to showcase that more vividly through our new concept,” explained Brian Choo, Executive Director of SOUL Society.

Some of the lively and fun patrons Brian Choo was referring to in his speech...

For more information on Tujo and its latest offerings, visit http://tujo.my or the TujoKL Facebook page: http://fb.com/TujoKL

TUJO
Ascott Kuala Lumpur, 9, Jalan Pinang
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

t : 012-210 3055
e : ask@tujo.my
w : http://tujo.my

Star of Bombay At Tujo With Mitchell Lam

Apologies to the organisers for this very belated post.

Sometime ago, we were invited to this event.  Now, because of my age, I have selective hearing and reading, and I only remembered seeing Mitchell Lum aka Kai, Bacardi Brand Ambassador, so I actually rolled up to Tujo expecting Bacardi.

Bombay Sapphire used to the THE gin in my younger days, the blue bottle gave it that classy look, compared with the pedestrian Gordon's and Beefeater of its time.  Now of course the market is inundated with all kinds of gin.  Nevertheless the brand is nostalgic, and it was also my first time trying the Star of Bombay.

Bombay Collins, which is obviously inspired by Tom Collins, was a spritzy refreshing cocktail, well, you can't really go wrong with basically gin, lemon juice and soda.  And syrup of course.  RM30

The STARITini, close cousin of the MARTini, also very drinkable.  Consisting Star of Bombay, Noilly Prat Vermouth, and Olive.  RM30

The Rowling, Star of Bombay, Cinnamon Stick and Orange Twist.  RM25.

What I liked about them were they were not overly sweet, and all very zesty.

A little info about the man of the hour, Mitchell Lum. 

MITCHELL ‘KAI’ LUM
BACARDI Brand Ambassador – South-East Asia

Mitchell Lum (aka ‘Kai’)  basically hails from Hawaii, (how exotic is that), bartending first from the basement of his family home in Honolulu and eventually ending up in Thailand, where he spearheaded the opening of 4 bars for a few hotels in a span of two years.  He won Top 8 spot worldwide when representing Thailand in the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition 2016, and was  offered the role of Brand Ambassador (Thailand/Philippines/Vietnam) to lead their advocacy and training programs.

Anyway, now that he's based in the region, hopefully we will find him teaching workshops or slinging cocktails in KL again soon.