A Day Off With Chuck Hughes

NEWSFLASH. As at press time, ie, Thurs 23rd 2012, 2.52 pm, Ritz Carlton is giving away a free table for an exclusive dinner with Chuck Hughes. Click here to find out how to win.

Actually I did not know Chuck was coming to town, if it wasn't for the fact that I was alerted by Unkaleong, my regular googlechat mate. Also, because of the number of times I had been unable to attend events organised by Alice George PR, I wasn't sure if I had been struck off the guest list. So, I was rather chuffed when I did get the invitation to come and watch Chuck Hughes, to quote the words from the press release, "One of Canada's hottest young Chefs, and the ever charming host of Chuck's Day Off on AFC".

To the ignorami of the culinary world, Chuck is the YOUNGEST Canadian chef to win the Iron Chef America. That is not surprising, because he regaled us with tales on how he started cooking at age 8, and how he wanted to grow up and be a millionaire and own lots of businesses. It's inspiring to see how dreams are achieved, but sadly, for us mortals, it sometimes serves to magnify our own shortcomings and failures of dreams that we fail to achieve. But before I become morose at the expense of Chuck Hughes' success, let us veer back to the event at the glitzy Ritz Carlton. It was kinda deja vu, the familiar faces who were there at Adrian Richardson were also there for this event. This is the 3rd in the series of AFC celebrity chef events held at the Ritz Carlton.

Host for the day was the effervescent (thanks Lyrical Lemongrass for the adjective that I was struggling to find) Xandria Ooi. She dug out of Chuck his culinary adventures in KL thus far, which included the tasting of durian, which he claims he loved. Of course the usual things celebrity chefs say, about how wonderful and diverse our country is, the different kinds of foods are amazing, etc etc and so forth. But then again, it is true, isn't it? We do offer a huge variety of cuisine, so in my opinion, anyone visiting Malaysia is privileged. She asked him if he googled Malaysia before coming, which he says he did, and all he saw were towers, towers, and more towers. Ministry of Tourism, please take note. We are more than just the twin tower.


I guess it's no surprise that a Celebrity chef on AFC would be animated, lively and entertaining, if not, they'd just be relegated to a kitchen somewhere, and not behind the TV Cameras. He is very obliging when it comes to striking a pose for the cameras.



The menu for the day was Popcorn Rock Shrimp with Spicy Honey, Pan Seared Beef Carpaccio with potato chips, fried capers and lemon aioli, and a Chocolate Rice Arancini.


The many different faces of Chuck Hughes. He does have a lot of different facial expressions, and looks different in real life compared with the TV show, and photographs, depending on which angle you view him from.


And so the cooking demo begins....

A writer from Flavours asks, What is Quebec Food? His reply made Quebec Food sound like the dullest thing on earth, after oat bran. According to Chuck, traditional Quebec food was just meat and potatoes, and it wasn't until the trade routes and the East India Company brought herbs and spices to the new world, that the foods became more interesting. (Okay, I paraphrased that entire thing and embellished the history).





He tosses the shrimp into flour first, (after Ms Chirpy Xandria goes, OOOOOOh, I always dipped in egg first, to which he replies, and that is why I'm the chef and you're the emcee"), followed by egg, followed by cornstarch.



Now the thing about these events is, I guess he cannot demonstrate anything too complicated, or the audience might get lost. So really, the demonstration is easy to follow, and I'd say fairly easy to replicate. The Spicy honey does add a nice zing to the dish.


Again he strikes a pose, and points to the poster asking "who IS this chap?"


Popcorn Rock Shrimp. As opposed to R&B Shrimp I guess.


A cross section of the popcorn rock shrimp. We learn that the perfect temperature for deep frying is 275°C, which he also has tattooed on his arm. Now that's another story.


We move on to the next dish, which is the pan seared carpaccio.


I love the fact that it comes with homemade potato chips. His whipping of the aioli was rather entertaining. Basically it is a mayonnaise, whereby the whipping of the eggs and oil emulsifies and creates that thick mayonaissey sauce.





He regales the audience with tales of the tattoos...





He points to his back describing his rear tattoo. He makes it clear that he has no tattoos elsewhere,...(where? ) and none on his neck, or exposed areas, for fear that it might have been a deterrent in getting a job, in his younger days. But now, obviously, that is no longer a concern, and the body canvas is part of his trademark.


Finally, the Chocolate Rice Arancini. Made with arborio rice (usually leftovers from a risotto base), it basically forms a casing around a ball or two of chocolate ganache and is deep fried. According to the programme it was supposed to be a tapioca arancini. We do not know the inside gossip as to why the tapioca decided not to show.






Again, he obliges us with his poses on the AFC photo wall.

If you are ever in Montreal, do drop into his restaurant, Garde Manger and a newly opened Le Bremner. For more information on A DAY OFF WITH CHUCK HUGHES, please go to the AFC Studio Website, www.theafcstudio.com

A Private Affair... and A Classy One Too

Every two months, or so, a group of old friends (by my definition, an old friend is one I've known more than a decade) get together for dinner. It is not some random event, it is deliberately and meticulously planned and thought out. The name of the group, alas, cannot be revealed, because the unilateral dictator of a chairman intends to franchise it, and we have taken oaths of secrecy. Its constitution, harsh. If you are more than half an hour late, eg, 30 minutes and 24 seconds, you are fined, a bottle worth RM200 for the next gathering. Despite the reign of a dictator chairman, the members of this secret society find ourselves drawn to the magnetism of the dictatorship, and find ourselves very masochistically looking forward to this bi-monthly event, striking out all other appointments of lesser worth.

Organising and sourcing of venue is by rotation. The organiser of the day will be under a lot of stress and duress, to ensure this covert group gets to eat in a place that is considered a hidden gem, reasonably priced, etc etc, but underlying all this criteria is, the presence of the all important spirit, known as Booze. In various forms.

This time round, the role of organiser fell to the last of the eligible bachelors in the group, Mr E.S. who we shall call, err... Coke for short. We waited with eager anticipation, as dates were bandied around, with the spate of public holidays, our schedule had gone haywire. Finally, a date was settled upon by all, except one couple, and lo and behold, Coke unveils the grandiose plans. A rooftop private dining room, catered by a group of gorgeous hot chicks, who are also part of his fan club. (apparently).

An open kitchen and four hot chefs, who looked remarkably cool, and unflustered, were preparing canapes, and starters, while a familiar looking wait staff served us FLIRTINIS, served in test tubes. Shot glasses are so yesterday, and the apparatus du jour has to be test tubes. Heck, it will be beakers and pipettes next.


Test tubes.


Smoked Salmon on a Wasabi Cream on Cracker. The lovely wasabi mousse gave this starter a nice kick, and went well with the Flirtinis, which incidentally, were rather potent.


Something you certainly don't get at most catered events. Spicy Sri Lankan Tamarind Pork Belly. I loved this starter. It was totally different from the usual stuff, and a perfect accompaniment to the whisky. For those who drink, that is. Not me, of course.


Very ladida table setting.


Complete with Menu, but one would expect nothing less.


Lemongrass Prawns.... hmm, a bit short and sharp on the description. Shall we say, crustaceans skewered with a stalk of fragrant de serai...these were on the hot plate ...not served yet. Though that didn't stop me from helping myself, being the pleb that I am.





Hot hot hotttt....just like the next starter....


Baby Anchovy Sambal Crostini. Okay, could've done with less bread, but the sambal was aromatic and spicy. The bread however was rather good, toasted on the outside but very soft and moist.


Actually, these were meant to be a surprise, but heck, it was an open kitchen.


Just look at them, cool as cucumbers. If it were me, I'd be in my singlet, sweat oozing from every pore....as I oil my way around the floor....


Those are not strepsils.


BACON WRAPPED SIU YOKE kebabs, and chilli pork pasta. Just in case you have a low cholesterol count, baconnnn wrapped siu yoke. I have to give it to them, the combination works. I mean, can one have too much lard? Nevah, I say. The pasta was done just right ...then again, they were under the watchful eyes of the guests, as they cooked in that open kitchen.





Bombay Bombshell and Eggplant Moju. The bombshell is the one wrapped with puff pastry. Upon retraction of the skin, it is revealed that beneath lies a lovely fluffy briyani rice with lamb curry at the base. The eggplant moju, like a chutney, is superb.





Dry Rub Roast Chicken on A Bed of Sweet Potato Mash with Baby Spinach and Feta Salad .....Okay, truth be told, I am so not a fan of breast meat, ...chicken breasts, that is. I am not sure what dictated the choice of breast, but I did suggest that if chicken is to be served, it is best to offer a choice of thigh or breast. The marinade was lovely, as was the mash and salad, but breast. I thump my own at the thought of the waste.



"Death by Chocolate" Cake with Slut RaspberriesIn Sparkling Mosquito Gelee...oops, Moscato.

I was quite stuffed by this time, and also half intoxicated by harmless looking test tubes. As far as I recall, the sluts were great.

Now, anyone looking for caterers for a private function, can contact A PRIVATE AFFAIR. How does it work? Well, for starters, you have to have your own venue. It could be anywhere, your house, your grandmother's house, your apartment rooftop. Obviously there is a minimum charge, they can even cook for two, apparently, if so required. Aww, how romantic. So not me.

Contact : 016-2580500 - Ms Chand.
Website: aprivateaffair.webs.com

Incidentally, the hot chick chefs are doing this as a hobby, as and when they can, so it really is the luck of the draw if you CAN even engage them.

I can't wait to attend another event catered by them.

Erawan, And the Most Fabulous Cockles Ever

Sometime before Christmas last year, (that seems like a lifetime ago, and warrants a blogger's execution and the stockade for such tardy writeups), Makan Fairy Godmother (Marian Eu) invited us for lunch at Erawan.

Now, I have heard so much about this place, such as the need to be punctual for your reservation, and how .... err, the Chef is a perfectionist, and cooks the dishes by the table, so if you suddenly decided, oooh, that curry was nice, let's tambah, you'd have to wait your rotation. But the one recurring thing that unanimously was agreed upon, the food IS excellent. So it was with trepidation and nervousness that I made sure I appeared punctually, and must have a bit too punctual, as no one else was there yet. The occasion? Kind of a celebration for them making it to no 3 Best Restaurant in the Miele Guide.

This would be reason to celebrate indeed!

The place oozes charm, as if every piece of decor had been lovingly thought and placed. You can certainly feel that personal touch, of the owners, and this is accentuated further when you meet them. You can tell that this is a restaurant with soul.





Platters of delicious looking stuff, not necessarily Thai, await the guests.


Just look at the glorious display of lup chup. Such intricate workmanship.


Invidual starters, in canape fashion were served. Everything is so flavourful, and tantalizing to the palate.





An interesting twist to the traditional Thai fishcakes, served in mini burger buns. My only grouse was the bread filled us up and took up valuable space, considering the other delights that awaited.


Lovely prawns in Thai sauce, in a mini croissant. Quite a dizzying array of flavours. As it is, Thai food is already rather complex, with myriad herbs and spices. Add the masterful creativity of Korn, the Chef & Co Owner, you get a real treat.


But SERIOUSLY, if I was on death-row, and had one last meal to request, it would be THIS! The best cockles curry ever. Huge, succulent cockles swimming in a glorious red curry. My tongue was doing cartwheels in delight. Pardon the disturbing imagery.




Traditional Mieng Keam served untraditionally. So elegant, and such a great entertainment idea.


Salmon Carpaccio kind of thing. Fresh, and succulent.


Oh, another dish to die for. Duck breast with Basil. I always thought the chinese do duck best, ...well, this is pretty darn good.


Lemongrass prawns. Like their other marine counterpart, the cockles, these prawns are equally succulent and sweet. They take great pride in sourcing the freshest ingredients, and the Chef goes to the market himself daily.


Deep fried grouper, ...almost in a dancing style.















I forget the names of the last few dishes, because I was already in a food coma, and was stuffed to the brim. I blame the bread.

Seriously, I cannot wait to return here for a full course dinner. Now, the bummer is, they will be closed for renovations from Feb 15 for a month, I hear. So do call them first before heading there. Oh, in any case, you need to reserve before hand, as I don't think you are likely to get a place as a walk in customer.

Details of the renovation closure can be found here on their website, together with any other information you may need.