It's always a bittersweet time, the yuletide season, another year passes, one looks back and retrospects upon the year that has been....It could always have been better, but it also could have been worse. At the end of the day, we must remember to be grateful for the many blessings we take for granted. My trip to Nepal in October reminded me how fortunate we are here, in terms of material comfort, despite the continuous griping and complaining....Forgive me if I sound melancholic.
Okay, change of tune, then again, nothing lifts the spirit like a great Christmas dinner with great company and great food at a great venue. I had finally received an invitation to Majestic Hotel, prompting me to quickly text Thamby aka AWhiffofLemongrass, retired food blogger extraordinaire, to tell her, "OH MY, I'VE FINALLY GOTTEN ONTO THE MAJESTIC bloggers guestlist...LIHATLAH DUNIA" to which she retorted, "oh, I've been invited countless times, even though I've retired..#dunjealousme". Mind you, I've been there quite a few times, to have dinner with friends etc, but this was my first invite, so I have to say, I was thrilled. The fact that there were 5 functions going on at the same time, and me having to park near the Islamic Arts Museum, only served to build up an appetite.
Talk about hosting in style, each table had their own host, made up from the various staff of the Majestic Hotel, from front desk to marcomm...We were privileged to have the company of Sean Crockford, British no less, with a hint of Malaysian blood...
Torralta Prosecco Superiore Di Conegilano Valdobbiadene, a lovely light bubbly to start with and to destress ...
Colonial Cafe’s Christmas Eve Dinner menu is priced at RM280 nett per person or RM 380 nett per
person with wine pairing and Christmas Day menu is priced at RM220 nett per person or RM320 nett
per person with wine pairing. The New Year’s Eve Dinner menu is priced at RM350 nett per person or RM480 nett per person with wine pairing.
Chicken Liver Croster Starter Wood Smoke. Morsels of elegance, this was wolfed down in a jiffy, ..the rich liver pate in a little "box" of bread, glided down the throat effortlessly, lubricated with more Prosecco..
Infused blue mussel, scallop and salmon avocado puree, micro cress and creamy honey mustard dressing. I usually don't care for mussels, but these blue mussels are different from your ordinary GREEN ones, and taste far more refined, and the entire combination of marine pleasures paired wonderfully with the crisp Dourthe No1 Bordeaux Blanc.
That avocado puree was so good, there wasn't a dollop left after I was done with it.
Cock a Leekie - Scottish chicken and leek soup. I first heard Leaky Cock... sounds like a great name for an English Pub. According to resident Scotsman, Craig aka Mr Baby Sumo, he's never heard of such a dish in bonnie Scotland. I loved the soup, absolutely hearty, with grains of barlay, (said barlay by the scot, but spelt barley), chunks of chicken, and creamy leeky broth.
All elegant meals have a palate cleanser between the starters and mains, and this was no exception. The refreshing Orange Sorbet certainly cleansed any lingering fishy flavours, but the star of this was that dried orange slice...which no one else ate...WHAT A TRAVESTY, that was really the best part. I saw trays of goblets removed, sorbet finished, with that orange intact.
For mains, a choice of Baked Salmon with Lemon and Dill sauce, accompanied with seasonal vegetables, dauphinoise potatoes, paired with Bodega Norton Barrel Select Chardonnay Mendoza Argentina. I had a sliver of wife's salmon, but honestly, didn't think it was great. But I should qualify that I am so not a fan of anything salmon that is cooked.
or a choice of Trio's King Turkey Breast, Sausage in a blanket and herbs stuffing, creamy mash, minted pea and red wine gravy paired with Dorthe No1 Bordeaux Rouge. Now this dish was superb, moist breast of turkey, which I didn't know was possible (for breasts to be moist, I always assumed they took on the texture and humidity of blotting paper), and a whimsical sausage roll atop the meat, which was very delicious indeed. Buttery puff pastry encasing the stuffing... A "mystery" ingredient was that yellow "thing" in front, just behind the potato...The Chef told Scotsman that it was called a Turqini...despite his original guess of yellow beetroot. The skeptical Scotsman refused to believe it, and googled it, only to find images of turkeys in bikinis, etc etc...Clearly we had been taken for a ride, and it turned out, it really was yellow beetroot.
But this was a delicious mains, and very in keeping with the festive cheer.
You can't really go wrong with a Bordeaux, and meat....
Although generally I am not a sweet sweet dessert liker, Christmas Pudding, which inevitably is a recipe for diabetes, is an exception, for I love it. I shall be brutally honest and declare that Christmas Pudding without a brandy flambe is like Nasi Lemak without sambal....
The accompanying Vanilla Sauce and White Chocolate Ice Cream were nice complements and embellishment, but I'd have traded them in a jiffy for a peck of flaming cognac. But the pudding, notwithstanding it's virginal status, was rather good.
Petite Fours as the dessert to dessert....
A lovely evening, with all my favourite familiar faces, and a nice way to end my posts for the year....
My constant culinary buddies...CC Food Travel, alas, I couldnt post the pic that Ciki took of me and wifey, cos unlike MY gorgeous pic of them, hers of us made look fatter than Jabba the Hutt...
And my favouritest group of food bloggers, Kg Boy & City Gal, Ivy Aiwei, Brought Up to Share...all who endearingly call me "Ah Pa"....
Serenaded by the lovely Solianos...
Our wonderful host for the night, Sean Crockford, in charge of operations, I believe...
Larverly seeing everyone, and meeting new people, like the lovely Pei Leeng (with two Es)...
Feliz Navidad all...
OTHER OUTLETS IN THE MAJESTIC AT CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR
Contango
Celebrate the festivities at Contango, an interactive dining experience featuring festive specials as well as Christmas dessert temptations. Contango’s Christmas Eve Dinner Special and Christmas Day Lunch and Dinner Special are priced at RM180 nett per person. New Year’s Eve Countdown Dinner and New Year’s Day Lunch and Dinner Special are priced at RM200 nett per person. An additional RM70 nett per person will get a free flow of beer and wine. (OOH, that sounds like really good value)
The Smoke House
Embodying the delicious decadence of the 1930’s, The Smoke House at The Majestic Hotel Kuala
Lumpur features facilities and services with a pool table, a lounge and cocktail bar, a cigar room, a
private dining room and even a card room for those who want to engage in a game of bridge or
cribbage. With your own personal chef on call, it’s a luxurious combination of a specially crafted 4-
course menu, accompanied by 2 bottles of the highly coveted Mondavi-Rothschild Oakville, California, 2010, from their stellar Opus Wince collection priced at RM 10,000 nett for 10 people. Johnnie The Barman at The Smoke House serves up an impeccable selection of vintage cocktails and a connoisseur’s collection of single malt whiskies. Smoking jackets are also provided upon request.
For more information and reservations, please call +603 2785 8000
