MIGF 2011 @ L'Heritage

It has been sometime since my last review, and with exams and stuff now finally out of the way, I am finally back. In this post, I just thought I'd share with you Chef Anna Suzanna's 10 course feast at L'Heritage for this year's MIGF.

 L'Heritage is an elegant restaurant, whose design takes after the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. It is located on the 1st Floor of the Royale Chulan, on Jalan Conlay, off Jalan Bukit Bintang. Our experience was priced at around RM 200.

As we waited for our food, we was served complimentary Cinnamon-Flavored Bread, accompanied with a Cream Cheese Butter. Truly mouthwatering - I had to be careful not to fill myself up before the other courses arrived.

 Amouse Bouche

Asparagus Carpaccio with Fine de Calir Oysters and an Escabache Salsa

The oysters were truly one of the most juiciest oysters I've ever had - impossible to eat it in a bite. Accompanied by the salsa and shaved asparagus, the oyster liquor left at the bottom of the shell was a perfect end to the course. 

Foie de Canard

Pan Seared Duck Foie Gras on Baby Pear Marmalade, Morel Mushroom and Redcurrant Reduction

The epitome of decadence. The foie gras was incredibly rich, silky and smooth interior was covered by a crisp exterior. The sweet marmalade and a poached pear were a great accompaniments, however at times, the sweetness of it all overpowered the foie gras.

Fruits de Mer

Grilled Rock Lobster with Apple Salad Beurre and Buttered Escargot

This dish was alright. The apple salad was a good accompaniment to the lobster, though the lobster meat itself was a bit tough. The escargot was slightly dry too - though the dish as a whole had a good balance of flavors and textures to it.

 Poisson

Slow Poached Salmon Trout in Shellfish Oil, Quail Egg Confit with Chanterelle Bordelaise Sauce

The salmon had a wonderful feel to it, however there was still a hint of fishiness at the back of my mouth unfortunately. The quail egg confit had an interesting texture as well - it had an unusually crisp exterior and a soft interior. Those chanterelle mushrooms had quite a funky texture too!

Soupe

Smoked and Roasted Garlic Soup

As this soup was a consomme, I did not enjoy it as much. It was a simple soup with a clear cut flavour and had smokey undertones to it - a contrast with the other, 'richer' dishes. Ultimately, this soup really did not appeal to me - I'm not much a fan of clear soup.

 Sorbet

Peach Sorbet with Cinnamon

A simple, slightly sourish sorbet, with a warm undertone to it, as a result of the cinnamon. A lovely palate cleanser. Plus, the presentation was wonderful too!

Agneau

Lamb loin with Spinache Crepes, Braised Roselle and Verde Salsa

The lamb was incredibly succulent and flavorful thanks to the think layer of fat around it. The braised roselle, I thought, served as a great accompaniment to the dish. The crepes, however, were slightly tough to eat, and had a bit of a floury texture to it...

Bœuf

Grilled Wagyu served with Blue Cheese Roesti and Vin de Bourgogne Glaze

The wagyu was served with shaved truffles with added even more flavor to it. The meat in itself, however, was not as tender as I imagined - though still satisfying nonetheless. The blue cheese roesti had the robust aroma that you'd expect, though eating it with the beef, overpowered the beef.

Fin Douche

Guananja Valrhona Chocolate Brulée

My dessert was incredibly rich and bittersweet. The crisp top of the brulee gave way to a silky, smooth centre of pure chocolate. Beyond yum.

 Fromage

Assorted Cheese with Homemade Crackers Wild Berries and Dried Fruit Compote

And just when you think its over, its not! The cheeses served as a delightful end to the experience. The fruit, simple dried pieces of apricot, accompanied the cheese and biscuits well. The homemade chocolates, too, made a great accompaniment with coffee.

My MIGF experience this year, completely different from my last, and despite the minute let-downs in certain courses, I was left completely satisfied. The annual MIGF is something I think everyone should join and experience, as each of the experiences I have had since 2007, I have not forgotten.

Presentation: 9/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Overall Taste: 8/10

General Impression: 8.5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

MIGF 2010 @ Neo Tamarind

As a foodie, one of the events that I look forward to the most is the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival. I make it a point every year, to pay homage to two different restaurants. This year however - just like the last, I only had a chance to visit one. I paid a visit to Neo Tamarind, Restaurant & Lux Lounge a week ago with a friend of mine. Neo Tamarind is located along Jalan Sultan Ismail, opposite Equatorial Hotel.

We were treated to a spectacular gastronomic feast, one of which I've never had before. The 6 course menu costed RM155 per person, without wine. The only problem I had was that the surroundings were way too dark for my camera to operate properly. I took a few shots…but gave up in the end. Therefore, I was not able to take a picture of every course served. My apologies.

We while waiting for our feast to begin, we were treated to Warm Bread, paired with Hummus and Tomato Salsa. The hummus was rich in flavour with a hint of lemon, and with the chickpeas gridded to a perfect consistency. The tomato salsa was sweet, with the coriander adding freshness to it.

Then we were served a pair of complimentary appetiser. The appetiser consisted of Crispy Salmon Flakes with Pickled Green Tomatoes, which provided a nice balance of sweet and salty.

Our first course was the Samhadi Rainbow Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and topped with Truffle Oil, Fine Herbs and a Balsamic Reduction. The different colours of gnocchi had different flavours, respectively. The gnocchi was soft, and its flavour was enhanced by the truffle oil and wild flowers.

Our second course was the Semi-Raw Agent. This dish contained Seared Crusted One Side Tuna Loin topped with Sakura Mix, Red Wine Jelly, and a glass of Wasabi Foam. There was an interesting combination of flavours and textures in this dish, with the sakura mix being crisp, the red wine jelly being soft and sweet, the tuna fish added a smoky flavour and the wasabi foam added a nice kick. The dish, as a whole, tantalised my taste-buds.

Our third course was the Hot Liquid Agent. This dish contained Poached White Cod Loin in Beetroot Broth and Prawns in Marscapone on a Sweet-Corn Coulis, topped with Avocado Oil and Black Ink Salt. The cod loin was well cooked and of a generous portion, though the beetroot juice purely added colour alone, to the fish. The prawns were plump and succulent, and the subtleness of the dish was a nice contrast from the previous course.

Our fourth course was the Hot Flame Agent. This dish contained a Melon-Mint Shooter as its centrepiece, decked with Duck Ribbon and Foie Gras, and a side of Blowtorched Watermelon and Sweet Potato Mash, topped with Orange Salt. The foie gras was pure decadence, though there was too much of orange salt which overpowered everything. The subtleness of the blowtorched watermelon and the melon-mint shooter, however, added some balance to my taste-buds.

Our fifth course was the Hybrid Agent. This dish contained a Cold Seared Scallop coated in Habanero Fish Roe, a serving of Matcha Foam, Grilled Grade 7 Wagyu Beef and a Port Wine Glazed Portobello Terrine. The centrepiece of our dish - the wagyu, was simply amazing - truly melting in my mouth. The dish consisted of a nice combination of hot and cold, though the scallop with fish roe was a bit too fishy for my taste.

Our last course then, was the Sweet Agent, which consisted of a Chocolate Truffle, a Green Tea Doughnut, a Warm Chocolate Cake with Candied Kumquat and a glass of Mocha Foam. The chocolate truffle was unusually cold, though it had a nice texture to it. The green tea doughnut however, was incredibly hard - and the chocolate cake, more hot than warm. The mocha foam truly was divine and on the whole, the dessert was a nice myriad of textures and temperatures.

My experience at Neo for the Malaysian International Gourmet festival was truly an unforgettable one. My palate was treated to a spectacle of amazing textures, flavours, temperatures which in the end - seemed to combine wonderfully into a big and wonderful ensemble of FOOD.

With the exception of the manager being a bit of a bitch (mind the language), and the incredibly dark lighting, I am definitely keen to come back for a taste of their a la carte menu. As for the MIGF experience…

a truly unique one indeed.

Pictures here, courtesy of the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival website.

Presentation: 9/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 6/10

Overall Taste: 9/10

General Impression: 8/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Lunch at the Reggae Bar

It had been sometime since I visited Changkat Bukit Bintang. When I did, a few weeks back, I decided to try the food at The Reggae Bar, since I hadn't been there before. At night, The Reggae Bar is a club with girls in short skirts, bottles of booze on tables and music spinning till the early hours of the morning. Though in the afternoon, The Reggae Bar is a fully operating restaurant with a variety of dishes on their menu.

The restaurant is located on Changkat Bukit Bintang, and is easily identifiable due to its strong Jamaican design and bright use of colours. I decided to try out their set lunch menu, as it had a considerable amount of variety that you could choose from. The set lunch comes with the soup of the day, and is priced at RM 18.

There is an extensive variety available on the set menu for you to choose from. The set is served on a single plate, making it easier for you to eat in a single go. I think this concept is a good one as it allows maximum interaction among diners with minimal waiter interference. The waiters, though, were incredibly friendly and hospitable and definitely made me feel welcome.

As an appetiser, I was served Cream of Mushroom Soup with a Hot Bun. The soup was incredibly smooth and rich, filled with plenty of mushroom chunks. The flavour of the mushrooms was evident, though not too overpowering to the extent of being pungent. The bun served was nice and warm, as well as fluffy - though I was pretty sure that it was not homemade.

As a main course, I ordered the Stuffed Chicken Breast with Turkey Ham and Cheese, with Jus Herb and Sauteed Vegetables - as recommended by the waiter. The chicken was a bit dry and overcooked for my liking, though its skin was crisp, and the brown sauce complemented the chicken very well.

The addition of the turkey ham and cheese provided a bit of the much needed moisture to the overall texture of the dish - this made the chicken a lot more tastier and enjoyable for me to eat. The vegetables were well cooked through, with each vegetable retaining its own individual flavour, as well as a hint of dill to them.

On the whole, my experience at the Reggae Bar was a pleasant one, though a thorough review of the restaurant would probably only be obtained once a variety of dishes have been sampled. I truly will consider going to the Reggae Bar to try more of their dishes whenever I am in Changkat Bukit Bintang in the future - and I suggest that you give this place a try too.

Presentation: 8/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Overall Taste: 7/10

General Impression: 8/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

A light Indian Dinner @ Aryan

It had been a long time since my mum and I tried Indian food, and so while my dad was having a meeting nearby, both of us decided to try an Indian restaurant named Aryan, located on the first floor of the Weld Shopping Center on Jalan Raja Chulan - right in the heart of the busy city.

The restaurant featured both an indoor seating area and an outdoor balcony. We decided to sit on the outdoor balcony, which had a wonderful view that overlooked the Jalan P.Ramlee and Jalan Raja Chulan intersection. The interior of the restaurant featured contemporary decor, but with an Indian twist.

You could opt to try their dinner buffet worth RM30, but my mother and I decided to order off the a la care menu instead. As an appetiser, we were served complementary Poppadoms with Condiments. The poppadoms looked like they had just come out of the frier and were nice, crisp and hot. The condiments too were unique, with the mint paste and yoghurt adding a refreshing twist, and the sweet chilly paste added a nice kick.

We were served Kashmiri Pulau, priced at RM14.90. The pulau contained a whole lot of condiments, such as green beans, raisins, cauliflower and mango. Upon tasting the dish, the raisins and mango added a nice sweet touch to it, but the rice was loaded with butter, and became too rich for us in the end.

We were then served our Butter Chicken worth RM22.90. The dish was very rich in flavour, due to the amount of butter and cream added to it. This reduced the spiciness of the dish, which had a slightly sour hint to it, and it complemented the rice wonderfully. The chicken pieces were small bitesize ones, which were tender and present in abundance.

Then we were served Palak Paneer worth RM15.90, which is essentially Indian curd cheese in a spinach curry. The spinach tasted wonderful, and was not spicy in any way - spinach haters would be willing to eat this, as it doesn't taste like spinach at all. Though, the goats cheese wasn't well formed - and when we asked them if it was spoilt, they acknowledged that the cheese wasn't matured yet, as they prepare the cheese fresh in the kitchen. An honest attempt at making things fresh, but a failed one nonetheless.

Lastly, to complement our meal, we ordered the Mixed Raita worth RM6.90. Though the portion of the raita was large, the raita was simply way too salty for us, despite the fact that there was a reasonable amount of content in it.

On the whole, our trip to Aryan was satisfactory, though we were not completely impressed. The waiters there had a hard time communicating with us, and that became really stressful for both my mother and I. The food tasted alright, but there are many more Indian restaurants in Kuala Lumpur that serve better and more authentic Indian food - and at a much cheaper price too.

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 5/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Chu Cha on Jalan Alor

The arrival of the World Cup meant one thing for me; a screwed up biological clock. Though the 4am bed times and sleep-ins till the afternoon weren't the only things that had changed about me - I ate at very odd hours too. When I had some friends over to watch the Germany vs Spain semi-final match, I had scratched my head for quite some time when it came to thinking of an apt place for having dinner at midnight.

After a long, contemplative thought, the words 'Jalan Alor' came to mind and I thought to myself - brilliant. My friends weren't Malaysian and had not been there before. Jalan Alor would be the perfect place for a late dinner. For those of you who don't know, Jalan Alor is a famous street off Bukit Bintang road, renowned for their hawker stalls which line the street on both sides - from one end to the other.

It took us quite a bit of time to get there as the roads were jammed upon turning into Tengkat Tong Shin, though we reached there eventually. Our restaurant of choice was an establishment named Chu Cha. The restaurant, brightly lit with fluorescent lights, is located on the Left Hand Side at the very beginning of Jalan Alor. Other than ordering from the restaurant menu, one can sample the many stalls there, serving up dishes like Char Kuey Teow and Satay.

For starters, we had ordered Satay. The satay compromised of grilled beef and chicken on skewers, and served with a helping of raw cucumbers and onions, as well as peanut sauce. I would recommend that you order chicken satay instead of the beef, as it was really tough and chewy when compared to the chicken pieces, which actually tasted pretty good. The peanut sauce was sweet, though its consistency was a bit watery and it lacked in spiciness. The cucumbers tasted dry, though the onions tasted quite fresh.

We then ordered Fried Char Kwey Teow, which was priced at RM5. The Kwey Teow contained all the ingredients I loved - bean sprouts and scallions which tasted fresh and crisp; prawns which though de-veined, were cooked to perfection and tasted succulent; and cockles which were huge and juicy. Definitely, one of the better Kwey Teow's I've tasted despite its steep price.

We then ordered from the restaurant menu. We were first served Chinese Spare Ribs. The meat tasted reasonably succulent, though its crust was a bit soft and its flavor was overpowered by that of the sauce, though on the whole it tasted satisfactory, though I have tasted better.

Up next was the Chinese Fried Rice. I did not try the fried rice but it looked good and loaded with ingredients like Chinese sausage pieces, prawns, green beans, char siew and egg. As I saw my friend eating it all up, it indicated to me that this was something good and worth trying, if you don't mind a fat loaded meal - the dish simply glistened in the light. I wonder how much oil was used?

Last up was Mixed Vegetable Stir-fried in Soy Sauce. The broccoli and cauliflower tasted crisp and fresh. The carrots tasted a bit soft, but the sauce complemented all three vegetables well, though overpowered the mushrooms - which soaked up all the sauce. Sauce spewed into your mouth when you took a bite at it. Not a nice feeling.

I was reasonably satisfied by the dishes on the whole, but I must admit that I've tasted better Chinese food at other places. The one thing I was not satisfied by, however, was the total price of all three dishes - a whopping RM55.

I would recommend one to go there for the atmosphere and the experience, but not the food. You could try a different restaurant along the road, but because of the fact that Jalan Alor is a tourist attraction, all the restaurants there are steeply priced so that their owners get a whopping revenue.

Dining on the streets of KL while the Twin/KL Towers tower above you is truly something unique, though don't expect fantastic tasting food. KL has so much better stall food to offer, and at much cheaper prices too.

Presentation: 2/10

Ambiance: 3/10

Service: 3/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 3/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic