CHASING FOOD DREAMS

Baba Can Cook

It still sits at the top of my list for my ultimate bowl of Nyonya Laksa… Uncle John’s Nyonya Laksa that is… undefeated ever since I had my first taste, I doubt I will ever find another bowl to compete with this. So when Baba Tan Kim Chye or more lovingly known as Uncle John opened Limapulo together with his godson, Alan Yun late last year at Jalan Doraisamy in Kuala Lumpur, I made sure to round up the foodie gang for a visit to my favorite Peranakan restaurant.

Helming LimaBlas previously, Uncle John and Alan now only operates Limapulosolely. It is always a joy to meet and see passionate people who takes their passion beyond anything. Uncle John, 73 years old this year, is still as gung-ho in serving up his legacy of scrumptious Nyonya cuisine as he was in his early years. To Uncle John, it is his duty to continue to dish up his family’s recipes and share the dishes with foodies from all over the world.

Limapulo takes on the same décor themed as their previous restaurants. It is a space for nostalgic charms of yesteryears cleverly matched together. Walking into the restaurant, diners are taken down memory lane of Baba Nyonya era with all its reconditioned furniture, old school memorabilia, and signboards. A touch of new life is injected through several pieces of modern art posters.

Peranakan Ale (RM4.50) is Uncle John’s homemade version of ginger ale. It’s lovely and refreshing so it’s a good choice to go with the strong flavours of the dishes unless you are not a fan of ginger.

Uncle John’s Nyonya Laksa (RM9.90) recently bagged the award for the Best Curry Laksa in the Klang Valley in The Star People’s Food Awards. That’s how good many deemed this bowl of Nyonya Laksa is, including myself.

I have had this Nyonya Laksa several times and each time, flavours are consistently good. His Nyonya Laksa is made from scratch and no additives are added. Instead Uncle John’s family recipes requires a list of fresh herbs and spices, all carefully balanced, pounded, cooked till fragrant together with more ingredients such as dried shrimp, coconut milk, tamarind and more. Once the laksa gravy is ready, it is then ladle piping hot onto noodles accompanied by shredded chicken, bean curd puff, fish cake slices, boiled egg, cucumber, bean sprout, calamansi lime and sambal.

Flavours are distinctively complex and yet the overall note of spicy, sour, sweet and savory really shines. The laksa broth is aromatic, robust and so creamy. There is a beautiful note of the dried shrimp together with the ginger torch that made the broth unique and piquant. Happy diners like me are glad to know that Uncle John’s Nyonya Laksa is available 70 bowls a day (prior to this it was only 17 bowls) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for lunch and occasionally dinner. Rest assured, I did full justice to this bowl as there is no drop of laksa broth left in the bowl…

At Limapulo, their version of Cucur Udang (RM9.90) is different from many sellers. Here, the prawn fritters is cut up and served with boiled egg, fried tempeh, cucumber and drizzled in a sweet and spicy sauce. The finely shredded kaffir leave, ginger torch and calamansi limes added more fresh notes. Unusual but since I love tempeh and prawn fritter, I am certainly not complaining. Portion here is larger as it caters to our big group that evening.

Pie Tee (RM10 for a set of 4 pieces) is a Nyonya classic. These are decent with crispy top hat shaped shells filled with yam bean filling and topped with prawn and chili sauce.

Limapulo offers a nice list of Nyonya set lunches or single meals. Nasi Lemak(RM9.90) is surely a choice that we Malaysians love at any time of the day. Here, the beautifully fluffy and lemakcoconut rice is served with curry chicken and its usual sidekicks of peanuts, anchovies, boiled egg, cucumber and sambal. Value-for-money lunch!

Our main dishes arrived and Gerang Asam(RM25) is definitely our favorite that evening of all the curries. The tamarind based curry is very appetizing and highly addictive. Piquant, tangy and spicy flavours are definitely crowd pleasing flavours. Depending on the catch of the day, different fish are used in this curry. That evening, mackerel fish cutlet is used and the firm flesh fish is delicious. The heavy flavoured fish is able to match the tangy curry well. Lady’s fingers are also often added in this curry to soak up the flavours. Yum… I made sure I piled scoops of the Gerang Asam curry on my rice.

Udang Masak Lemak Dengan Nenas (seasonal price) is a new dish at Limapulo. It is not on the menu yet but will be offer as a special on certain days when Uncle John can get all the ingredients to make this dish. It is cooked Masak Lemak style, so the curry is very different from the earlier one. This one is very rich, thick and creamy, redolent of lots of coconut milk and heavy dosage of spices. Prawns and pineapples are a common match in curries. The pineapple is supposed to add a natural fresh fruity note to the curry. The prawns were large, fresh and juicy, cooked beautifully in the thick savory and lightly tangy curry.

Ayam Berempah (RM17) is another curry that is heavily robust with spices. This is similar to chicken curry but is a thicker and dryer version of it. Uncle John is very good at balancing his spices, giving each curry a certain pedigree of flavours.

Uncle John keeps his menu small with his signatures. It’s always best to stick to what one knows best. Sambal Terung(RM15) is also a delicious signature which he had served up in previous restaurants too. Moreish notes sang all the way in the tangy and sweet eggplant sambal.

Sambal Bendi (RM15) is another dish that showed us how the Baba Nyonya loves their chili and spices. Even their vegetables is served with sambal. Lady’s fingers are blanched and served with a thick punchy sambal.

While we were dining, we spied our nearby table having the Nyonya Fried Chili (seasonal price depending on type of fish). Scad or cencaru is stuffed with chili paste and fried. It sure looks good and smells wonderful. Maybe for our next visit…

Uncle John makes a mean Mango Patchree(RM2 a piece). It’s a mango pickle and chutney that is a bomb of flavours. This condiment is time-consuming to make but is truly worthy once you had a taste of it!

Dinner ended with Nyonya desserts of Cendol(RM3.40), Ais Kacang (RM4.50) and Sago Gula Melaka (RM3.50). Traditional desserts that are icy, refreshing and a great way to clear the palate from all the curries and spices.

Limapulo showed that us that Baba can certainly cook too! Baba Uncle John that is… if only Limapulo is nearer to me because I would to be able to savor the Nyonya Laksa as often as I like. Oh well, not that distance matters to me because I know I would make my way there if Nyonya Laksa is what I am craving for. Don’t miss signatures of Nyonya Laksa, Gerang Asam, Ayam Berempah, Sambal Terung and Mango Patchree!

*Darn it, I am missing the Nyonya Laksa now as I am writing this post…

LIMAPULO

50, Jalan Doraisamy

53000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 2698 3268

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Baba-Can-Cook

GPS Coordinates: 3.158284, 101.699541

Business Hours:

Mon – Sat Lunch from 12pm to 3pm

Mon – Sat Dinner from 6pm to 10pm

Closed on Sunday

Juadah Iftar

As the holy month continues, embrace this buka puasa ritual with more mouth-watering spread at The Westin Kuala Lumpur at The Living Room’s Juadah Iftar Buffet dinner. Savor wonderful indulgences as of Malaysian cuisine’s vibrant melting pot of flavours and aroma whipped up by the culinary team in a modern and elegant ambience.

The all-day-dining restaurant Iftar experience promises a full Malaysian fare with over 15 live cooking station. Savor sumptuous spread of Malay cuisine together with Indian cuisines as well as Chinese and other international fare.

Chef Boobalan Arumugam and Chef Halim Sultan, who are the main chefs responsible for the amazing Juadah Iftar Buffet

Taking center stage at the Iftar buffet spread is traditional Malaysian spread of sumptuous Roasted Lamb with Westin Briyani Rice, Ayam Percik, Ikan Bakar, a host of curries, kerabu, ulam, sambal and more.

Enjoy tender spiced up Roasted Lamb with fluffy spice-infused biryani crowned with cashews and raisin. There is also the tender and succulent Ayam Percik, nicely baked with spices and then smothered in unctuous peanut spiced sauce. Besides the lamb and chicken, a beautiful masterpiece of Roasted Beef Rib makes great enjoyment with grilled vegetables and baked potatoes.

Hit the pots of Daging Gulai Nusantara, Gulai Ayam Kampung Pucuk Ubi Kayu, Ekor Asam Pedas, Ayam Rendang, Sayur Lodeh, Ayam Rendang, Sotong Sambal Petai, Ketam Masak Lemak and Sayur Goreng Jawa with Prawns as these are beautifully rich with flavours and textures. It is certainly an assortment of curries that really sums up authentic Malay cuisine’s unique flavours.

Savor these curries with Roti Jala, Ketupat, Nasi Impit, Lemang or rice as they are the perfect accompaniments to enjoy the rich and spicy curries. Don’t forget to add on the Chicken or Beef Serunding as well.

Check out the live cooking station where Ikan Bakar prevails. Choose the array of marinated fish and seafood and let the chef grilled it up. Savor there with the sauces and sambals. Alternatively next to the grill station is Chicken and Beef Satay Celup Warisan sitting in warming pots of peanut sauce.

More live stations whipping up Chicken Shawarma, Popiah, Roti John, Murtabak, Roti Canai, and Roti Boom fresh so one gets to enjoy these piping hot. There’s stations are crowd pleasers for young ones to adults.

For something hot and warming, enjoy Bubuk Lambuk Super Chicken, Sup Tulang Rawan Pattani, Indian Spicy & Sour Chicken Soup, Mushroom Soup and more.

Then there is the plethora of Aneka Kerabu, Ulams, Ikan Masin, Telur Masin, Sambals, Keropok, Jeruk Buah, Gado Gado, Tauhu Sumbat, Sotong Kangkung and so much more. There are also salads and dressings on the station as well.

The next station to watch out for is the Nasi Kandar station filled with an amazing potpourri of rice to be savored with Daging Kandar, Kambing Kandar, Ayam Kandar, Kobis Goreng Kunyit, Telur Sambal and more. It is literally a haven of flavours of luscious Nasi Kandar.

Besides the Nasi Kandar, there is also an array of Indian spiced fried Sotong, Ayam, Telur Ikan and Ikan Tenggiri Goreng.

More treats from other cuisines include Roasted Duck Mantao, Steamed Whole Fish with Garlic Chive Cream Sauce, Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, Dim Sum, Lok Lok, Asam Laksa, Curry Laksa, Mee Rebus and the list goes on…

Moving on to desserts, its literally a room filled with racks of sweet treats from Chocolate Fountain, a majestic array of Fresh Fruits, traditional Malay Kuih Muih, Cakes, Cupcakes, Puddings, Tarts, Jelly, Ice Cream, Ais Kacang and more. A must-have is the Deep Fried Ice Cream where the dessert is whipped up to order and diners will certainly be pleased with the crispy crust and ice cold combination of ice cream.

IFTAR BUFFET

RM118nett per adult from 18 June to 26 June 2015

RM148nett per adult from 27 June to 15 July 2015

*Complimentary for children below the age of 5 years old

Discounts Available

12% for group booking with minimum of 20 diners

SPG members enjoy 20% discount on total food bill.

For further information or reservations, please call Westin dining on 603 2773 8338 or email westindining@westin.com

THE LIVING ROOM

The Westin Kuala Lumpur

199, Jalan Bukit Bintang,

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 603 2731 8333

Website: www.thewestinkualalumpur.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/westin.kl

A Peranakan Love Story

A truly first in Malaysia, Hatten Grouppresents its fully-interactive live environmental theatre production of Nyonya Memoirs. Featuring a revolutionary new concept of 360 degree Live Peranakan Experience, Nyonya Memoirs is set in the historical city of Malacca at Dataran Pahlawan.

Premiered in May 2015, the theatre production of Nyonya Memoirs runs till 19 July 2015. Hatten Group spared no expense at this RM8million investment, taking on the very best of the production team, the star-studded cast, the theatre set and the costumes. The inspiration for this project is in line with the State Government’s goals to highlight local culture with the main objective of promoting a deeper appreciation for our city’s Peranakan heritage.

It is truly a wondrous theatrical show with musical and dance performances injected into Nyonya Memoirs. The concept centers on the traditions and customs of the Peranakan culture where everything goes by the Baba Nyonya beliefs. Located on Level 3 of Dataran Pahlawan, the Nyonya Memoirs production is amazingly gorgeous. The show is available every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with two show times of 4pm and 8pm respectively.

Boasting of a A-list production team of Atlantic Theatre and Production with renowned director, James Lee, winner of the Best ASEAN Film Award with the musical score directed by Tan Yue Hue, who has worked with international artistes while the cast is coached by Pearly Chua, nominee for Best Supporting Actress at the 43^rdGolden Horse Film Festival and the costumes are designed by Beatrice Looi, Malaysia’s top international fashion designer.

My family and I caught a Saturday show in the afternoon at 4pm one weekend. I was really excited when I walked into the theatre. To my surprise, I even met a very good friend, Merryn and her family there too that same day. We were ushered into a long hall decorated with Peranakan heritage.

Showcase displaying Nyonya kebayas with gorgeous embroidery works, hand beaded shoes and intricate jewelry pieces together with a typical Nyonya kitchen and its utensils, intricate wood carvings and finally a typical Nyonya cuisine of Nyonya Kuih had everyone busy clicking their phones and cameras while waiting for the show to start.

We were suddenly greeted by the housekeeper, Tao Jie who boisterously warmed us up with a few information about the cultures of the Peranakan and proceeded to guide us into the set.

Nyonya Memoirs is about a lover’s tale between a wealthy Nyonya girl by the name of Bao Zhu, played by Dorothy Foo and her love for a poor common Baba, Zhang Min, played by Evan Siau. The couple faces the obstacles of the family’s disagreement of their union due to the social differences of their respective lives. Immerse yourselves as the story unfolds through its own magical and musical production through the unusual concept of having viewers watch the show through a moving production set.

Nyonya Memoirs is performed in Mandarin mostly together with a mixture of Peranakan dialect thrown in such as Bahasa Melayu and some local languages. For those who are not well-versed with Mandarin, fear not as there are screen displays all over translating the conversation to English.

As soon as we step into the set, all 600 meters of it cleverly designed to echo the era of a typical Peranakan location, we were drawn to the main area of a garden right in the center of the room. Flanked with a green lawn and trees surrounding the garden, it is the main area of where the show starts off. Surrounding the garden are shops of yesteryears, typical Nyonya household and streets of those good old Peranakan days.

The theatre set is a sight to behold as there were just so many things that really reminded me of my own heritage as my father is a northern Baba himself, whom also just so happen to marry my mother who is actually a non-Nyonya.

An energetic and smiley storykeeper played by Li Qiang proceeded to gather everyone’s’ attention and rolled out the storytelling of the lovers.

The story kicks off with Zhang Mingetting all excited to propose his love and hand in marriage to his beloved Bao Zhu where he even gets the viewer involve by asking them their opinions. As mentioned, this is an interactive production so one may never know if you may just be included in the show!

Here are scenes of the lovers enjoying a serene and happy moment of themselves.

In every family, there will always be a few black sheep of the family whose intent are purely mischievous and malicious. In Nyonya Memoirs, there, they are the uncle and aunt of Bao Zhu, who simply cannot resist to inject their slandering of the couple at every chance they get.

I do have to admire both of Bao Zhu's uncle and aunt, seen here with Bao Zhu's father as they really played their part so well and both are really full of expressions and emotions.

Zhang Min meeting the family for the first time.

A solemn meeting between the lovers...

A scene from a typical NyonyaTok Panjangin the dining room where Baba Nyonyadines on a feast of sumptuous Peranakan cuisine. This is also where family times were once a must in every household as everyone would gather together for family time. Here it is to celebrate Bao Zhu's mother's birthday.

Here are more scenes of Nyonya Memoirsbut there will be no spoilers as one should really go and enjoy the experience yourselves!

Moments of despair from the couples as their family feuds continues with Bao Zhu’s mother, Yue Niang who objects while her father is left with heartache as he see his daughter suffers through the Peranakan beliefs.

The dashing Zhang Min is also left heartbroken…

Moment of hope as the couple tries to elope...

Unfortunately they were caught...

Viewers will be glad to know though that the couple did get their happy ending but you have to watch how they got it yourselves… there are quite a few touching scenes which I omitted here as I was too touch and busy enjoying those moments.

Go with an open mind and soak in the story whole heartedly for an unforgettable experience!

The show ended with the parade of Zhang Minand Bao Zhu’s grand wedding together with all the cast dressed in traditional wedding costumes at the Lover’s Bridge in the mall.

The Cast of Nyonya Memoirs

The 360 degree theatre experience is a lovely and fascinating experience while the cast and costumes are equally amazing. Together with the musical and dance performances plus the interactive parts, Nyonya Memoirs is a theatrical production unlike any others we have here in Malaysia. Don’t miss this truly heart-warming and delightful Nyonya Memoirs by Hatten Group!

NYONYA MEMOIRS

Showtime: Every Friday - Sunday, 4pm & 8pm

Venue: Level 3, Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall @ Melaka

Ticket pricing*

ADULT

RM52 (mykad holder)

RM66 (non-mykad holder)

CHILD (7 - 15 years old) or SENIOR CITIZEN (60 years old and above)

RM26 (mykad holder)

RM33 (non-mykad holder)

* Terms and conditions apply.

For more information or to book your tickets, please log on to www.nyonyamemoirs.comor visit the Nyonya Memoirs ticketing counter at Level 3, Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall or call hotline at + 6018 663 9696. Tickets can also be purchase online or at the concierge of Hatten Hotel & Estadia by Hatten Hotel.

Let’s Shake, Rattle and Roll with Chandon!

After our Chandon Wine Pairing with Dan Buckle, we headed up to the next floor of Eight Gourmet Gala for an amazing Chandon Cocktail Masterclass!

Just before we started our Chandon Cocktail Masterclass, Senior Winemaker Dan Buckle presented this year’s Chandon Limited Edition Brut Classic Summer 2015. Going in themed with Chandon summer colors, this year’s red, white and blue nautical stripes reminded me of summer sailing and the gorgeous summer spent on the beach and sea.

The Chandon Limited Edition Brut Classic Summer 2015 is refreshingly soft and dry finish with a complex summer apple and pear notes. There is a very delicate hint of citrus spice over notes of almond as well.

I was excited! Cocktails are my thing and I can’t never resist a bubbly or a cocktail. EGG’s talented cocktail maestro unveiled his serious cocktail gadgets and proceeded to guide us in making our first cocktail, the Tequila Royal.

Ingredients for Tequila Royal: 90ml Chandon Brut, 30ml Tequila, 15ml Fresh Lime Juice, 8ml Agave Syrup

After mixing all the liquids for the Tequila Royal, we topped it off with Chandon Brut and finished with a lime twirl!

The Tequila Royal is refreshing and so perfect for our hot and humid climate.

Next up, we also made Apple Gin Fizz, another delicious fruity and tangy cocktail with gin, apple juice, lemon juice, syrup and Chandon Brut of course!

Ingredients for Apple Gin Fizz: 60ml Chandon Brut, 10ml Gin, 10ml Lemon Juice, 10ml Fresh Apple Juice, dash of simple syrup

I love cherries… let’s Pop in the Cherry!

Another cocktail finished with Chandon Brut…

Love these cocktails with Chandon Brut! May favorite was the Apple Gin Fizz with its summery fruit notes…

‘SNAP & INSTAGRAM’ TO WIN A CHANDON SUMMERY 2015 LIMITED EDITION BOTTLE

Now everyone stands a chance to win a Chandon Summer Limited Edition bottle every month in June and July.

Simply follow these steps:

Step 1: Snap your best picture with the Chandon Summer Limited Edition life-sized bottle.

Step 2: Post it on Instagram, insert #chandonsummermy and tag the outlet (where the picture

Step 3: Get the most likes on your picture in Instagram to stand a chance to win the Chandon Summer Limited Edition bottle!

Winners will be contacted through Instagram.

Contest period: June – July 2015. Kindly ensure that you enable your Instagram post to be viewed by public for tracking purposes.

Make sure to enjoy your Chandon Summer responsibly and Good luck!

Thank you to Moet Hennesy Diageo and Geometry Global for the awesome Chandon Experience!

For more information, check our MHD Website: http://www.moet.com/and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moetMY/

Revel in Comfort Heng Hwa Cuisine of Putian

The sheer diversity of Chinese cuisine never fails to amaze me. Each region, each country, each city literally has their own dishes, usually dictated by the geographical conditions and produce. This round, its Putian which is the beautiful costal of the Fujian province in China. The people of Putian are also known as XingHua, Heng Hwa or Hing Wa. Malaysia has a small community of Heng Hwa in several cities so Heng Hwa cuisine is available usually in smaller towns.

The Heng Hwa cuisine is pretty unique. Based on the geographical location, Heng Hwa cuisine is blessed with many dishes from land and sea. The cuisine is humble and yet refine and comforting. It’s unpretentious and lets the ingredients speak for themselves in its purest form of cooking. A lot of their dishes are fresh and delicate in flavours, yet there are punches of robust notes in some ways.

So it’s my first time trying Heng Hwa cuisine at Putien Restaurant located at One Utama recently with my regular entourage of foodies a few weeks ago. Putienis celebrating their summer’s harvest fresh produce from the region. As mentioned, the cuisine relies mostly on their fresh harvest from land and sea and the natural flavours of the ingredients take centerstage. Putien goes all out and imports a good list of their ingredients from the region to ensure authenticity of their dishes. Putien’s chef is also from Putian and the restaurant now has two outlets with the first one in One Utama and the second in Sunway Mall.

That evening, we dine on the regular menu together with some of the Summer Harvest new dishes available at Putien from June onwards. I like the environment at Putien in One Utama. Decorated in a neutral light wood theme with some black for contrast, it is soothing at sight. The dining area is spacious and nicely sectioned off for privacy. There are also some private rooms as well. It’s modern and contemporary with bright lighting, sending warmness all over the ambience.

For drinks, I had their Nature’s Goodness(RM8.50) while my other half had their Homemade Sweet Corn Juice (RM8.50) served warm. I love my juice that was vibrant and refreshing. The healthy concoction of pineapple, green vegetables with plums is perfectly thirst-quenching and good for me too. The sweet corn is lovely too with its sweet and creamy corn notes.

Small bites are served while we waited for our food. The pot of Putien signature chili sauce is literally a pot of gold. The sauce is delicious and super spicy. I had copious amount of the chili sauce as it really is addictive. The chili sauce is available for sale at RM12.90.

Dinner started on a lavish note of exquisite Iced Abalone (RM37.00). The luxurious molluscs is affordable and is treated with great respect. Lightly poached, the abalone is chilled and served on ice. It is tender and delicate in natural flavours. Putian is famous for its premium seafood harvest and abalone is a good choice to order as one can enjoy the fresh and sweet delicacy in its natural flavours.

Iced Bitter Gourd (RM8.50) is presented like a bloom on ice. Translucent thin, the bitter gourd is lightly crunchy and is savored with a side of honey. It’s wonderfully refreshing!

More seafood appetizers with Drunken Cockles(RM15.50), another Putien signature of showcasing seafood in a minimalist way. Painstakingly half shelled and lightly blanched, the cockles are covered in pungent fresh minced garlic and chili with a wine marinade. This one packed a punch unforgettable flavours.

Looking deceptively plain, the Seaweed with Mini Shrimps (RM15.50) flavours tasted otherwise. There is a sense of earthy and lightly briny note in the lightly sweet and tangy seaweed. I enjoyed this dish a lot with its seaweed texture and the miniscule shrimps.

Braised Pig Intestine (RM18.00) had quite a few of us salivating at sight. The tedious process to clean, stuff and cook the pig intestine is alone worthy of the price. Braised in a 12 spices sauce, the intestine is nicely enveloped with deep rich spice notes. There is still a good bite to the 9-fold offal. Hand me a beer please…

The Stir Fried Yam (RM20.50) is one of my favorite dish that night. Cube yam is cleverly steamed and fried with a crispy layer and a creamy powdery inside. If I am not mistaken, I think this is coated with a layer of caramelized sugar based savory sweet sauce to achieve its crunchy outer layer. Love the simplicity of the yam as the balance of savory and sweet is just right while the texture is unique and very enjoyable.

Braised Bean Curd with Chinese Cabbage (RM29.00 small / RM43.50 medium) was served in a clay urn. The moment I took a sip of this broth, I knew it was a winner. Homemade bean curd by the chef are cooked with special Putian seasonal dried clams, Chinese cabbage, dried scallop and dried shrimp in broth. The broth alone is an oceanic pleasure of seafood essence. The bean curd and cabbage made the dish really humble as these are every day ingredients. The dish has such refine notes and yet is truly modest in some ways. Highly recommended for its comfort essence…

Putien Style Oyster Omelette (RM22.50) is another crowd favorite that evening. Baby oysters from Putian is delectably sweet with perky briny notes. The baby oysters are skillfully enrobed in fluffy egg with lots of chopped scallions and chives. One gets a burst of juicy unctuous oyster flavours with subtle hints of oniony notes. Savor the omelette with that awesome chili sauce for extra pleasures!

Though I thought that the Shredded Meat with Bun (RM6.50 per piece with minimum order of 2 pcs) was a tad oily from the buns, I didn’t mind it one bit. Sink your teeth into crisp and fluffy sesame mantao sandwiched with sautéed shredded pork tenderloin with lots of sweet onions. It’s aromatic and easy to enjoy as it is tasty.

From the Summer Harvest menu, we had the Pan Fried Tomatoes with Minced Pork (RM5.90 per piece with minimum order of 2 pcs). Tomatoes are at their best during this season and so it is showcased stuffed with minced pork, lightly battered fried and served with a light savory sauce. The tomatoes are indeed a joy to eat as it is so juicy and sweet. The filling and sauce balanced up the sweetness of the tomatoes with savory flavours. Yum…

Stir Fried Lotus Root with Prawn (RM38.90) is also another Summer Harvest dish. This one is relatively simple but nevertheless delicious with crunchy lotus root and sweet bouncy prawns.

I spied quite a few tables enjoying the Deep Fried Pig’s Trotter with Salt & Pepper (RM13.00 per piece with minimum order of 2 pcs) that evening. Using precise 7 inch pig’s trotter imported from Australia, it is a 12-hour cooking journey feat for a few minutes of enjoyment. Gloves are provided to allow diners to just enjoy them the way it should be enjoy. The finalized trotter is worth every bite. Crispy skin, moist gelatinous collagen, unctuous flavours and addictive, it’s a dish you won’t want to miss at Putien!

Besides enjoying the earlier dishes with rice, Heng Hwa cuisine also takes their noodles seriously. Heng Hwa noodles are unlike our noodles. There are quite a few types of Heng Hwa noodles and these are also imported from Putian region. It is almost impossible to get the noodles here as they are made to specific process perfected in that region’s geographical elements.

Don’t be fool by the plain looking bowl of Putien Lor Mee (RM21.50). It is a bowl of warm and comforting flavours. Silky medium thick wheat noodles are cooked in pork broth with prawns, pork belly, Chinese cabbage, clams and many more goodies. The moreish flavours of the noodles had me sighing at pleasure with every slurp. The dish is a sure winner with every one of all ages.

Fried Heng Hwa Bee Hoon (RM21.50) is another specialty of Putien and this one uses thin rice noodles or Bee Hoon. The rice noodles is somewhat different from ours as there is a silky and chewy bite to them which I really enjoy. This Heng Hwa Bee Hoon is milled by hand and is sundried at the crack of dawn to achieve its texture. It is sautéed with prawns, clams, peanuts and other ingredients with milky pork bone stock. It’s a best seller at Putien and the reasons are quite obvious, fresh ingredients and lots of love goes into making this dish!

Spinach with Salted Egg & Century Egg in Supreme Stock(RM20.50) was more familiar as the dish is much savored by many in other restaurants as well. Tender spinach leaves braised in supreme stock with the much Chinese-beloved salted egg and century egg yielded soothing flavours that many would enjoy.

After that long list of dishes, I didn’t feel heavy at all. It’s probably due to the fact that the dishes at Putienfocused on showcasing fresh ingredients prepared in minimal cooking time and flavours. The dishes are also pretty healthy and balanced, leaving us with room for some sweets.

Putien’s desserts is beautifully listed in its own menu. There is a good list of sweets and being the explorers we are, we had one of each to share. Sweet Potato Balls (RM8.00 for 6 pieces) seemed to share the same fame with our local ones as well as Taiwan sweet potato balls. Crispy with creamy and sweet potato mashed, the balls are delightful as snacks or desserts.

Pumpkin Cream with Ice Cream (RM11.50) sounded a bit odd but the combination worked well in terms of flavours. The pumpkin cream is not overly sweet and the creamy cold coconut ice cream enhanced the pumpkin nicely. Blueberry sauce and crushed peanuts added a different twist to this dessert. Unique and delicious!

If you enjoy hot dessert, then Hot Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts (RM6.50) may be a good choice. Similar to the Teochew dessert, yam is steamed, mashed and cooked, the yam paste is creamy and silky smooth with a powdery note.

If you prefer more refreshing flavours, then opt for the Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Fruits (RM6.50) or Chilled Putian Loquat in Herbal Jelly(RM9.00). Both jellies are lighter on the palate and easy to enjoy. One uses lemongrass while the other opted for Chinese herbs for medicinal benefits.

Another unique dessert to try is the Purple Sweet Potato with Pumpkin Cream (RM9.00). Who would have thought pairing sweet potato with pumpkin in cold dessert would be a hit? This dessert is lusciously creamy and nicely sweet.

Putien showed finesse in serving up refine Heng Hwa cuisine. One can certainly taste the quality of the ingredients. Besides, there is nothing much to hide when ingredients are prepared simple and uncomplicated to show off the natural notes of the produce. Highlights for me are the Iced Abalone, Seaweed with Mini Shrimps, Braised Pig Intestines, Putien Style Oyster Omelette, Braised Bean Curd with Cabbage, Putien Lor Mee and FriedHeng Hwa Bee Hoon.

PUTIEN

G213A Ground Floor, Promenade,

1 Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing),

Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Tel: +603 7722 1539

Fax: +603 7722 2139

LG1.45 Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall,
No.3, Jalan PJS 11/15,
Bandar Sunway
46150 Petaling Jaya

Tel: +603 5621 1399

Fax: +603 5621 1299

Website: www.putien.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/putien.my

Operating Hours

11.30am - 10pm

Food That Makes The World A Little Better!

It’s fun discovering new places to eat! Especially when these places serve good food at affordable prices. Bofe Eatery, a little café located along Section 19, off SS2 area (same row as Mungo Jerry), would not have been known to me if not for OffPeak.com.Bofe, short for Best of Everything, is the three owners’ ode in serving up what they deem to be their best offerings to diners.

The 1 year old café is quaint and cozy. Bofe’s interior is designed by the owners themselves. Adding comfort to industrial theme, the café is made more personal by the renderings of one of the owner’s murals on the walls. It is also filled with collectible paraphernalia and magazines. Diners can choose the regular table seating or the banquette seating made comfortable with plenty of cushions. Bofe’s first impression left me feeling relax and warm.

Bofe’s menu has a good mix of Asian and Western dishes. The dishes seemed quite straightforward and has a good selections of cold & hot entrees, pasta, meat, seafood, kids, desserts and drinks. Bofe also has a separate menu for Set Lunch with value-for-money lunch treats.

We chose De Stress (RM8) and Detoxifier (RM8) for drinks and was pleased with the options of the fruit juices.

From cold entrees, we had their Paprika Chicken Soba (RM8.90) and Duck Salad Wraps (RM8.90). Both dishes are somewhat simple and easy eats. The paprika seasoned chicken slice is decent and goes well with the soba, greens and cherry tomatoes in sesame dressing. The duck wrap is also decent with its duck and lettuce with a sweet plum sauce. I did wish for more duck but with that price, it’s not too bad.

Crispy Crab Bites (RM11.90) and Prawns & Mango Cup (RM11.90) from the hot entrees are superb! Enjoying crab without the hassle is already a plus point for me in the Crispy Crab Bites served with tomato chutney. The golden balls are filled with lots of crab meat with bits of vegetables. They are juicy, crispy and tasty, especially when dunked into that tomato chutney sauce.

The Prawns & Mango Cup is served in mini serving ware and is a sight filled with bright colors. The combination of prawns and sweet ripe mango worked out deliciously. The surprise here punchy sweet and spicy dressing sauce.

Goma Smoked Duck Breast (RM19.90) won our votes for one of the best duck dishes that we have eaten. Literally the star of the evening, it’s a dish to order if you love duck. The dish is also their best seller. Plump smoked duck is pan seared till it has a nice amber hued crisp skin. The smoked duck is then served with creamy soft mashed potatoes, side salad and nutty sesame sauce. The salty and smoky notes of the juicy duck is just so decadent in a savory way. It also went really well with the creamy aromatic sesame sauce. The dish is so good, we had a second order of this awesome duck!

Salted Egg Soft Shell Crab Pasta (RM21.90) is another luscious dish worth its weight in deliciousness. The sinful spicy salted egg cream sauce is what makes the dish utterly moreish. Silky rich strands of pasta with sauce and mushrooms topped with crispy battered soft shell crab is practically soul food.

A good hearty plate of Braised Lamb Shank(RM34.90) in tangy Moroccan tomato sauce with lots of root vegetable and zucchini served on creamy mashed summed up the dish. Though the meat is beautifully tender and moist, I felt that the tomato sauce could use a richer depth of flavours besides just tomato flavours. The thick sauce is a good base for the heavy lamb shank and paired decent with the mashed potatoes. It is also a good portion to share among two eaters.

Besides the a la carte Western dishes, Bofeserves a few Asian dishes for lunch sets like this Javanese influenced Rames Rice (RM19.90) set. Chicken marinated with spices is cooked ‘penyet’ style till crispy and smothered in spiced sauce and served with a host of turmeric buttery rice, tempe orek, emping crackers and sambal belachan. The chicken is succulent and tasty with all the blend of spices. I really enjoyed this dish together with the rice and the yummy condiments.

Peranakan Duck Set (RM19.90) had us savoring duck braised in Nyonya style savory 5-spice soy sauce served with rice, spring rolls, emping crackers and sambal belachan. The duck has a good tender but firm texture and is quite earthy in flavours from all the soy sauce and spices. The sambal belachan certainly kicked up the flavours of the duck well and I like the crunchy emping crackers with the dish, lending more local Asian influences to the dish.

The lunch sets at Bofe is value-for-money as all the dishes except for one are under RM20 and comes with drink and dessert.

Check out Bofe’s cake chillers for their daily choices of desserts as the dessert list changes on daily basis. We had Nutcracker (RM9.90) and Snickers Cheesecake(RM10.90) that evening. The Nutcrackeris a nut based cake and is served warm with caramel and a pinch of salt on the side. The charming light and fluffy hazelnut cake with sweet and salty pairing is wondrously good and unique. The Snicker Cheesecake is decadent and chocolaty with chunks of toffee nutty snicker chunks. It is really rich so sharing is advisable for this one.

I had a Latte (RM8) that is very good with a beautiful balance of coffee and milk. Order a tea set of a slice of cake between 3pm to 6pm daily including weekends and enjoy a Latte at only RM1.50.

Bofe Eatery is a place made for good bites and drinks with affordable prices. The food here is dishes that certainly makes the world a little better, at least in my books. I like the uncomplicated dishes and the comfort flavours of them. Must-orders are Crispy Crab Bites, Goma Smoked Duck Breast, Salted Egg Soft Shell Crab Pastaand cakes…

BOFE EATERY

16, Jalan 19/36,

Seksyen 19,

46300 Petaling Jaya

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Bofe

Business Hours:

Tuesday to Thursday – 11.00am to 10pm

Friday – 11am to 11pm

Saturday – 9am to 11am

Sunday – 11am to 10pm

Closed on Mondays.

Book with Offpeak.my!Offpeak.my is an online platform that helps diners save money and time when booking great restaurants online. Once a restaurant is available in the Offpeak.my directory, you can simply book and enjoy unlimited discount on your favourite restaurant, every day, anytime. No more waiting for the right deal or coupon to come by. It’s easy to book and instantly confirmed.

Book now by downloading Offpeak.my App available on the App Store and Google Play, or visit our website www.offpeak.my or Facebook: www.facebook.com/offpeak.my

A Steamy Taiwanese Hotpot Affair!

My little one loves hotpot or steamboat. We do dine out quite often for hotpot since the little fella always request for this. I will admit I am quite a hotpot snob though because I prefer to patronize premium hotpot restaurants. Since it’s a simple cooking process of enjoying fresh ingredients cooked in soup, I like to savor fresh ingredients than all the processed stuff. In addition, I also prefer better quality soup than those laden with msg in the cheaper hotpot places.

That said, we came across Ding Emperor in SS2 serving up premium hotpot with affordable prices recently. Ding Emperor Steamboat restaurant opened last November and has been serving their signature Taiwanese style hotpot together with a list of premium ingredients on their a la carte menu. The restaurant also imports in special premium ingredients like Meltique beef, Iberico pork and Abalone for those who loves these lavish treats. There are also plenty of regular ingredients together with homemade balls as well. What makes Ding Emperor different from other hotpot restaurants is their signature sauces as well. Ding Emperor serves up various sauce condiments as well as their special chili sauces to go with the hotpot.

Ding Emperor’s décor echoed its name in grandeur. Dressed in a theme of black and gold with wood, the restaurant is nicely sectioned in several dining areas for privacy. Oriental motifs on glass and wood panels, arched doorway, bamboo poles, slate tiles and modern lighting completed the interior of the restaurant. Elegantly designed, diners can certainly enjoy premium hotpot in comfort and style.

There are two signature soups available at Ding Emperor, Hot Pot Chinese Cabbage and Hot Pot Spicy. You can order single soup on its own or go for the Hot Pot with Twin Flavours (RM18.00) like we did. The Hot Pot Chinese Cabbage soup has a creamy milky consistency with a lovely sweetness from the Chinese cabbage and fresh tomatoes while the Hot Pot Spicy is quite a fiery Ma La kind of soup enhanced with lots of aromatics.

We helped ourselves to the various condiments and sauces as our ingredients arrive. I mixed chili oil, crushed chili, sesame sauce, coriander, spring onions and soy sauce for mine. I love the sesame sauce as it really enhanced the chili with a creamy and aromatic taste!

Iced Honey Tangerine Juice (RM13.90 per jug) to quench our thirst. House brewed beverage that is refreshing and cooling…

I really enjoyed their homemade balls. We had their Handmade Squid Ball (RM8.90 – 4pcs) and Handmade Pork Ball (RM6.90) – 4pcs). Both are delicious with firm bouncy textures. Other choices of homemade balls are Handmade Chicken Balls (RM5.90), Handmade Fish Balls (RM5.90), Handmade Shrimp Balls (RM8.90) and Handmade Beef Balls (RM8.90).

We also had their homemade Abalone & Fish Paste (RM17.90) and Shrimp & Fish Paste (RM15.90). These are really good too with a softer texture. There is another one with Scallop & Fish Paste too.

Another must-order item are the Dumplings(RM8.90 – 4pcs). Also homemade, the filling is tasty and bouncy. We loved this so much we had another order of this dumpling.

There are some other unique processed balls like Tofu Fancy (RM6.90) and Salmon Wrap Sausage (RM6.90) and these were not too bad.

Our highlight of the night was their meat. Ding Emperor serves premium meats and we had the Iberico Bacon Belly(RM29.90), Iberico Collar (RM29.90) and Australian Meltique Beef(RM29.90). The Bacon Belly is quite fatty but when cooked in the broth, the fat turns a nice creamy and firm texture.

The Collar is one best cut of pork I had as there is a good ratio of lean and fat so the meat is very tender and flavourful. If you have never tried Meltique Beef before, you should. It is said to be equivalent to the premium Kobe but is named differently because it is not from Japan. The price tag is totally worth it once you had a taste of these special premium cuts of beef and pork.

Other hotpot ingredients we had that evening are Bean Curd Skin (RM4.90), Frozen Bean CurdRM6.90), Handmade Celery Noodles(RM4.90), Brown & White Shimeji Mushroom (RM6.90) and Yin Choy(RM5.90). The Frozen Bean Curd is a favorite of mine and though it’s not popular over here in our country, it’s quite a favorite in Taiwan and China. The texture is rather unique as the bean curd purposely freeze to achieve its texture. The noodles are also pretty good as these are handmade as well.

Besides the hotpot, there are some appetizers that one can enjoy while waiting for the hotpot such as Fried Meatball(RM8.90) and BBQ Chicken Wings(RM15.90 – 6pcs).

We really enjoyed Ding Emperor Steamboat as the broths and ingredients are certainly top-notch quality. I also didn’t feel thirsty after my meal, another good indication of no msg in the broths. Plus points for the delicious sauces as well. It’s a good place for family and friends dining with premium steamboat ingredients.

DING EMPEROR

58-60 Jalan SS2/67,

47300 Petaling Jaya,

Tel: 03-7866-0226 / 012-3015221

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dingemperor

Business Hours: Opens Daily from 5.00pm till midnight

Book now by downloading Offpeak.my App available on the App Store and Google Play, or visit our website www.offpeak.my or Facebook: www.facebook.com/offpeak.my

A Modern Dim Sum & Tea House

Hello Dolly! It’s dim sum set in a gorgeous modern day ambience that has many diners enjoying the much beloved dainty morsels at Dolly Dim Sum. Set in the metropolitan city of KL at Avenue K Mall, Dolly Dim Sum shares the same management as Fresca, a Mexican restaurant. And that is perfectly alright since diners can actually enjoy the best of both worlds of Chinese dim sum and Mexican dishes at one meal.

Dolly Dim Sum is the owners’ modern interpretation of a traditional Chinese tea house serving up delectable morsels of dim sum all day so diners can enjoy their fix throughout the day. The contemporary tea house is beautifully designed to maximize nature’s elements. Set right next to Fresca but offers diners a breathe of vibrant freshness, Dolly Dim Sumrestaurant is set with lots of glass panels to allow natural lighting to enhance the restaurant throughout the day.

If one dines in the morning, one can bask in the warm bright sunlight that offers diners some natural ray of sunshine minus the heat since the restaurant is air conditioned. In the evening, the glow of the sky with stars will set the mood for a more romantic ambiance in the modern tea house.

We loved the spacious scattering of seating available throughout the restaurant. Hints of bright baby blue liven up the ambiance which is set with lots of dark and light wood. From birdcages to dim sum steamers, these creative unique lightnings reminded us of yesteryear's’ elements from tea house and yet gave diners a modern sensation of artistic creativity.

Many may ask who is Dolly. Well Dolly is the pretty gal seen all over the restaurant on the walls. Dolly represent the modern gal who enjoys her dim sums. The dim sums served here are in fact deemed delicate and elegant, just like Dolly!

What makes Dolly Dim Sum so fun is that diners can order from Fresca while dining in Dolly as well. So this means, I get to order a Margarita to go with my hankering of dim sums. And so our dim sum party kicked off with us cheering with our Margarita (RM28.00) from the Fresca menu. Deliciously refreshing and quite boozy, we knew we were off to a great start!

For those going the safer route, their Raspberry Cooler (RM10.20) & Avocado Smoothie (RM15.00) are pretty decent too.

The menu at Dolly Dim Sum may not be as long as other dim sum house but it offers many classic choices sufficient to fulfill any dim sum cravings. And since this is a pork-free restaurant, Dolly Dim Sum has one of the better pork-free dim sums that I have tasted in the city. All dim sums are cooked upon order, ensuring each one is fresh and served piping hot.

We started with the steamed dim sum with my all-time-favorite Siew Mai Dumpling (RM9.50). These plump dumplings had all the passing mark of a tasty and refine Siew Mai. Despite the missing swine element, the kitchen team certainly knows how to whip up a Siew Mai with a good bouncy texture. Using a mix of chicken and prawn, the Siew Mai Dumpling is moist and flavourful.

Crystal Prawn Dumpling (RM9.20) is another good choice for those who enjoys the pungent notes of oniony chives with sweet juicy prawns encased in a translucent crystal skin. These had a good bouncy bite too.

Dolly Dim Sum also has a decent Steamed Beef Ball (RM9.20). Not often seen in many dim houses these days, the house made beef balls are enhanced with mandarin peel to give the beef balls a hint of citrusy note. The umami notes in the beef balls is delicious while the texture is ‘QQ’ enough to pass my books.

Steamed Chicken Wing (RM8.90) is one of my favorites of the lot. Chicken wing pieces are steamed with black beans, chili strips, fragrant garlic and leek oil. The flesh is so tasty and smooth. Every bite is moreish and super delicious!

There’s also the spicy dim sum of Spicy Szechuan Dumpling (RM10.90) for those who likes the presence of the heat factor.

Egg Custard Bun (RM7.50) is so decadent and literally luscious in flavours. Mini fluffy baos are generously filled with oozing salted egg custard cream. The savory and sweet custard is so creamy and sinful. If you love salted egg like me, make sure to order this..

Mini Dolly Cupcake (RM6.90) is Dolly Dim Sum’s version of steamed brown sugar cake or ‘Ma Lai Gao’. The light and fluffy cupcake is not too bad. Simple and studded with pumpkin seeds, the cupcakes have a lighter flavour than the classic ones that I am used too.

On to the fried dim sums, we savored their Chewy Meat Croquette (RM8.60). An old school classic, ‘Ham Sui Kok’ showcase savory meat filling encased in a lightly chewy glutinous rice shell and fried. It has a nice savory robust flavour and the textures of the meat and skin is a good and unique combo.

Dolly Mozza Roll (RM11.50) may not be old school but I certainly am not complaining! I like this dim sum a lot. Sweet juicy prawns with mozzarella cheese is wrapped with bean curd skin and fried to golden brown. The oozy cheese and prawn is a winner while the crispy skin definitely added extra points to the dim sum.

Another dish worth ordering is the Pan Fried Radish Cake (RM8.60). Steamed radish cake studded with dried shrimps and dried scallops are pan seared until it has a nice crisp skin. The contrasting crisp layer with the soft creamy center is so delicious. It has good robust savory flavours too.

Dried Scallop & Shandong Peanut Porridge (RM12.80) had us enjoying silky smooth congee flavoured with dried scallop and chicken essence. It is served with peanuts, julienned ginger, scallions and sesame oil.

My little one enjoyed the Royal Golden Fried Rice (RM24.20) so much so he quite a few helpings. The fried rice is so fluffy and eggy. There are prawns and lots of scallions as well to boost the flavours of the rice while tiny pearls of ebiko added a nice popping texture and saltish flavours. I enjoyed this too…

Crispy Egg Noodles (RM25.20) is also very flavourful. Thin crispy egg noodles are nicely sauced up with silky starchy gravy cooked with chicken, mushrooms and vegetables. This one makes good filler too and is a nice comfort food when you want something light.

So whenever you happen to be in the city and is craving for dim sum at any time of the day, head over to Dolly Dim Sum for a Chinese dim sum tea house with a modern twist. And while you are there, go ahead and order a few cocktails or Mexican bites to add more spice to your dim sum meal!

DOLLY DIM SUM

G9-G9A Ground Floor,

Avenue K,

156 Jalan Ampang,

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2181-3830

Website: www.dollydimsum.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dollydimsum

Business Hours:

Open 11.00am till 10.00pm

A Chinese Feast of New Temptations!

Tai Thong, a restaurant name highly popular in our F&B industry has recently launch more new temptations at all their outlets. Diners can enjoy a sumptuous treat of their modern injections of classic dishes concocted by the Tai Thong team of chefs in various outlets from now till end of the year.

Starting out 1971, the multi-award winning Tai Thong restaurants has always been a pioneer in serving up authentic Cantonese cuisine in our F&B scene. Today, Tai Thong Group is still one of the leaders in Chinese cuisine in our culinary scene and its many outlets are serving up a list of classic dim sums and Chinese dishes injected with touches of modern influences. The Tai Thong Group has many outlets with some pork free outlets as well as non-halal outlets. From now till end of the year, check out these promotions going on currently at the various Tai Thong restaurants.

For Dim Sum lovers, Tai Thong is proud to present 2 series of Tai Thong Dim Sum. First up, the Black Temptations Dim Sum series features four delectable dim sums from dim sum Chef Loo Kok Seng.

Pan Seared Dumpling with Fish Paste & Cheese (RM9.80), an East meets West concoction of fish paste and cheese is delightfully enveloped in a black and white dumpling skin. I do admit to enjoy this ying and yang combination. Enjoy this hot for the ooey-gooey melted cheese sensation!

Glutinous Dumpling with Sesame Paste (RM6.80) is one of my favorite dim sum that day. The lightly chewy and soft black sesame mochi encasing nutty and creamy black sesame filling is marvelous and very aromatic. A pleasurable dim sum with an oozing filling popping in the mouth…

Who would ever thought of combining the king of fruit with the rich salted egg? Charcoal Bun with Durian & Salted Egg(RM9.80) was very well received by many who was also surprised at how the flavours of this pairing turn out to be. The black bun and its filling turned out to be very rich and sinful in flavours as advised by many foodies.

Do try the refreshing Chilled Coffee Flavoured Jelly Cake (RM5.80). I enjoyed the big hit of coffee note in the jelly balanced with a layers of creamy jelly. The lightly chewy texture is another plus point to this dim sum dessert.

Black Temptations Dim Sum series available from 1 August 2015 till 31 October 2015

For those who enjoy spicy flavours, don’t miss the Spicy Szechuan Dim Sum series. Showcasing four spicy dim sums, this series will certainly heat up your senses. The only gripe here is one might need to wait for a little while as this series is only available in November only.

A hodge-podge of yellow chicken glutinous rice topped with spicy Nyonya sambal wrapped in bao bun, the Chicken Bun Nyonya Style (RM10.80) proved to be a winner in my books. The pungent salty and lightly sweet Nyonya sambal was the highlight of this dim sum. Inspired by the classic Kai Wo Bao, this version is very tasty and piquant.

Dumplings are also spiced up in heat with this Pan Seared Spicy Dumpling (RM8.80). Nicely pan-seared on one side together with a piece of crispy white lacy wrap, the minced meat and seafood dumpling has a good bouncy bite with spicy savory flavours. Definitely one of my favorite spicy dumplings of the meal!

Spicy Dumplings in Pepper Soup (RM9.80) showcases another delicious minced meat and seafood dumpling in a peppery broth. There’s plenty of black pepper in the dumpling for extra peppery heat too. This is a dish I would definitely reorder again as it has bold spicy flavours that worked well with the seafood dumpling.

The dish that took me by surprised was the least dim-sum looking dish of Seafood Curry with Puff Pastry(RM11.80). Beautifully baked golden puff pastry is capped on a bowl of piping hot seafood curry. The piquant curry is tastefully spicy in heat and has nice chunks of squid, prawn and fish. A tad oily but I still enjoyed the curry with the buttery flaky puff pastry.

Spicy Szechuan Dim Sum series available from 1 November 2015 till 31 January 2015

Besides the dim sum promotions, diners can also enjoy Tai Thong’s current Barbeque Promotion and Jade Perch Promotion at all their outlets for a limited time only.

The Barbeque Promotion is certainly one to watch out for as there are a few barbeque dishes specially concocted by Tai Thong’s chefs.

First up, a majestic looking Flaming Beijing Duck served with Crispy Bun (RM88.80) had all of us experiencing a fiery flaming action as we watch the Beijing Duck being lite up! I didn’t manage to catch the flaming action but one look at the beautifully lacquered duck with its glistening skin had me drooling at sight.

With quick and deft slicing actions, our Beijing duck had its skin nicely cut into rectangle pieces and serve with the side of crispy Mantao buns, scallion, cucumber and hoisin sauce.

The skin is gorgeously crisp and nicely flavoured with a touch of caramel sweetness. Sandwich everything together for a mouthful of delectable crispy duck skin with a good bite from condiments. Simply delicious!

The rest of the duck was whipped back into the kitchen for a second preparation for the duck. Our preferred method was Salt & Pepper style. Unlike most Salt & Pepper dishes, this one was not battered and deep fried, allowing us to enjoy the dark meaty flavours of the duck.

Other barbeque items include Braised Triple Platter (RM23.90) and Duet of Deep-Fried Shatin Chicken and Smoked Duck with Chilled Jelly Fish (RM23.80)

Barbeque Promotion available from 1 July 2015 to 30 September 2015

Fish lovers will be pleased with the Jade Perch Promotion, an Australian fish that is rich in Omega-3 fish oil and has a smooth, soft and sweet flesh.

Taking on a creative approach, we tried the Baked Jade Perch with Chilled Garlic Pickled Cucumber Sauce (RM68.80). The bits of pickled cucumber together with chili and garlic is so yummy with tangy, sweet and savory notes. The condiments even enhanced the sweetness of the fish, making it quite addictive and delectably unique. Other Jade Perch item include a Deep Fried Jade Perch with Tamarind Sauce (RM68.80)

Jade Perch Promotion available from 1 May 2015 to 31 August 2015

For list of Tai Thong Restaurants, please visit their website: www.taithong.com.myor Facebook: www.facebook.com/TaiThong

Your Friendly Neighborhood Italian Restaurant!

Olive Garden Italian Kitchen has finally landed on the shores of Malaysia. The famous American Italian restaurant chain, with a staggering 800+ outlets worldwide, has been serving comfort Italian cuisine since 1982. Started in Orlando, Florida, the family friendly casual dining restaurant takes on modern Italy traditions by serving hearty Italian food that one can enjoy on daily basis.

Joining its other sister chains of Red Lobsterand Longhorn Steakhouse, the first Olive Garden Italian Kitchen opened in Mid Valley Mega Mall on May 2015. The restaurant is not as big as its other international chain but is designed with comfort in mind. Echoing its other international outlet theme, Olive Garden Italian Kitchen Malaysia has lots of natural wood and stones elements to exude warmness and comfort when dining. The dining area is sectioned and diners can choose from banquette seating to the regular table setting. One can even catch a glimpse of the kitchen actions in the dining room.

The menu at Olive Garden take diners into the homes of modern Italian where there are lots of hearty Antipasti, Piadina or Flatbread Pizza, Soup, Pasta, Meat, Seafood and Poulty Main Dishes as well as Dessert.

Kids below 12 years old Eat for Free all day and all week. T&C applies.

One highlight of every Olive Garden restaurant all over the world is their Unlimited servings of Soup or Our Famous House Salad together with their freshly baked Breadsticks with any order of entrée for the diner. Olive Garden’s Breadsticks is authentic Italian bread that is deliciously warming and simply a must at every Italian table. The Breadsticks have a medium dense texture and has a beautiful aroma.

The house signature Our Famous House Salad(RM15.50) offer diners a simple garden green salad paired with fresh tomatoes, red onion, black olives, croutons, Italian dressing and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Kudos to grating fresh parmesan cheese at the table as most restaurants do not offer such a treat these days…

I love soups and the Italians are famous for their soups. Nothing fancy but rather homestyle hearty and rustic soups that warms the tummy at every meal. One gets three choices of soups at Olive Garden. From Pasta e Fagioli (RM11.80) to Chicken & Gnocchi (RM11.80) and Minestrone(RM11.80), these soups are good for our heart and soul.

Pasta e Fagioli and Minestrone are tomato-based soups while the Chicken & Gnocchi is a cream based soup. While the Pasta e Fagioli has beans, ground beef and pasta in the soup, the Minestrone is a vegetarian classic of vegetables and pasta in tangy tomato broth. The Chicken & Gnocchi is a good choice for those who loves creamy soup and this one has bits of roasted chicken, spinach and soft traditional Italian pasta dumplings called gnocchi.

To kick off any meal at Olive Garden, one should start with some of their Antipasti dishes, especially when dining in large parties. Since we had quite a large group that evening, we shared their Sampler Italiano (RM59.90) which has Calamari, Lasagna Fritta and Shrimp Scampi Fritta served with two sauces.

Lasagna Fritta is actually pieces of lasagna crumbed, fried and served over Alfredo sauce with a finishing of marinara sauce and parmesan. One can opt for a spicy or non-spicy version of deep fried crispy Calamari or Shrimp Scampi Fritta. The Shrimp Scampi Fritta is lightly crumbed, fried and tossed with garlic and lemon butter or a spicy hot pepper sauce. Everything on this sampler appetizer platter is delicious when savored hot.

The Italians do love their cheese and so cheese dishes are plenty in the Italian cuisine. We had an order of Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta (RM29.90), a three-cheese fondue that is best enjoyed with bread. The oozing melted cheese had us enjoying bold cheesy flavours of mozzarella, provolone and parmesan. Salty, cheesy and umami flavours are my kind of food!

More cheese and this time, it’s on Italian flatbread pizza called Piadina. We had their Triple Cheese Carbonara Piadina(RM18.90), another three-cheese of mozzarella, parmesan and Grana Padana all melted on crisp thin flatbread with roasted cherry tomatoes and crisp beef bacon. Yum…

Chicken Parmigiana (RM26.90) is one of the more popular Italian dish that is much-beloved by many Italian households. Crispy crumbed parmesan chicken is fried and topped with homemade marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese before being finished on the broiler to gratin it all together. The chicken is always served with a side of spaghetti with marinara sauce. Everything on this dish screamed simple but delicious comfort food that one can enjoy on a daily basis.

Olive Garden also has a large dish called Tour of Italy (RM59.90). It’s a dish one orders when one cannot decide what to eat. Three classic dishes of Chicken Parmigiana, Lasagna and Fettuccine Alfredo is a dish meant to be shared unless one can really packed on the carbs. It’s a familiar platter of Italian favorite flavours all at one plate.

Here’s another lasagna dish of Lasagna Primavera with Grilled Chicken (RM38.90). Its layers of pasta and vegetables with ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese lasagna baked till soft and melted and served with grilled chicken and creamy parmesan sauce. It’s a nice change to be enjoying the light vegetable lasagna instead of the richer meaty one. The grilled chicken also made the dish a bit healthier.

If you are up for a treat of the king of crustaceans, Olive Garden has a scrumptious Lobster Fettuccine (RM53.90) that seafood lovers will rejoice in happiness. The pasta dish has Maine lobster tail and shrimps cooked in a rich lobster seafood cream sauce served on fettuccine pasta. The sauce is moreish and full of seafood essence. Every slurp is creamy and delicious while our lobster tail was nicely cooked till tender.

Another seafood dish that is bound to be a favorite with many seafood lovers is Pasta Pescatore (RM41.90). Fettuccine pasta is tossed with creamy red pepper seafood sauce with chunks of shrimp, bay scallops and mussels. This dish is quite creamy and has a subtle red pepper sweetness. Best savored hot, we polished off this pasta whole-heartedly…

Being an ardent salmon lover, I am always up to ordering salmon dishes when I see one. The Salmon Risotto (RM45.90) certainly caught my attention. Pairing up with another favorite dish of mine, the risotto, one gets a nice piece of grilled salmon, shrimp, seafood risotto and a tomato and basil pesto. I like my salmon cooked with a medium center so make sure to let the staff know how you like your salmon cooked for extra pleasures.

Besides seafood, Olive Garden also has a few beef specialities. We had their Steak Toscana (RM79.90) and Center Cut Filet Mignon (RM79.90).

The Steak Toscana is a piece of nicely marbled ribeye cooked to your likings. Simple flavourings of butter and fresh herbs are added to the ribeye to enhance and keep the beefy flavours. Enjoyed this with creamy garlic mashed potatoes for a solid steak and potato dinner!

For those who prefer leaner cut but tender meat, go for the Center Cut Filet Mignon as the premium center cut filet is deliciously tasty and tender. Also prepared with minimal ingredients, I can really take the beefy goodness of the filet with a light hint of buttery richness. This one is served with grilled vegetables.

We ended our meal with Italian desserts of Piccoli Dolci (RM6.80 for 1 / RM18.00 for 3 / RM29.00 for 5). These are mini glasses of layer desserts inspired by Italian desserts. Choose from the five flavours of Almond Tiramisu, Chocolate Mousse, Lemon Mousse, Dark Chocolate Caramel Cream and Strawberry & White Chocolate. My favorite was the Dark Chocolate Caramel Cream and Lemon Mousse.

Then there is the Black Tie Mousse Cake(RM12.80), a chocolatey and cheesy cake that is lusciously rich and decadent. Dark chocolate cheesecake, creamy mascarpone custard and chocolate cake is a match made in heaven in the dessert world. Utterly rich with dark chocolate notes, the cake will have chocolate and cheese lovers sighing at pleasure.

Another famous Italian dessert that appears in almost every Italian restaurant I know is the Tiramisu (RM12.80). Olive Garden’s version is fairly light with a good note of espresso soaked ladyfingers sponge and a thick layer of mascarpone custard before being finished with a generous layer of cocoa powder. This one is a non-alcoholic version so kids can enjoy them too.

We enjoyed our dishes with lots of happy giggle juices of Frozen Strawberry Margarita (RM31.00), Frozen Tiramisu (RM29.50), Long Island Limoncello (RM32.50) and Strawberry Passion Fruit Limonata Mocktail (RM16.50). They make a mean and super refreshing margarita here so make sure to order one!

Olive Garden great for hearty Italian comfort food. It’s also a great place for casual dining with family and friends. With a plus point of Unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks with every order of entrée and kids below 12 eat for free, Olive Garden makes dining there a satisfying pleasure!

OLIVE GARDEN ITALIAN KITCHEN

Lot F051 Mega Mall

Mid Valley City

Lingkara Syed Putra

59200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2201-0221

Website: www.olivegarden.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/olivegardenmalaysia

It’s a Party of Indian Tapas!

I have always link Indian cuisine with home cook and comfort food. Eating a cuisine that laden with a myriad of spices and slow simmering curries to be savor with roti or naan is simply soul food for me. When I crave for spicy curries or bread, I would want to enjoy a simple meal of carefully balanced spiced curry mopped up with flaky roti or crisp garlicky naan. That said, I would never had thought to party with Indian cuisine tapas style till I had savor this at Fiercer.

Fiercer by Fierce Curry House is famous for their Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. Located in Solaris Dutamas, Publika, Fiercer is the offspring of the famous Fierce Curry House in Bangsar that has been serving up hearty portions of banana leaf rice to their many fans for a while. Fiercer doesn’t serve banana leaf rice but rather their signature of Hyerabadi Dum Biryani and a host of northern Indian dishes set in a modern and contemporary ambience.

Owner Herukh Jethwani and his wife Aahana came up with the creation of Indian Tapas while they were honeymooning in Spain. Driven by their passion for food, both are taking Indian cuisine to a whole new level of creativity. We were invited for a sneak preview of Fiercer’s Indian Tapas which is available now and is the perfect morsel of sumptuous Indian flavours packed on a canapé.

We kicked off the tapas experience with Pani Puri (RM10), a popular street snack in India. Crispy pillows of hollow puri shells are filled with creamy potato cooked in spices and served with a spicy tangy mint chutney. Served in shot glasses, these were so adorable and packed quite a punch of flavours from spices and herbs.

Fiercer has a solid list of canapés topped with the restaurant’s signature dishes. Our treat of Chicken Makhanwala (RM25) or Butter Chicken as it is more commonly known, is a firework of flavours. Creamy luscious butter chicken oozing with spicy and tangy notes of garam masala, chili, more various spices, yoghurt and more hit all the right notes of soul food. Paired with crispy baguette, I certainly wouldn’t mind devouring quite a few of these at all. Bring it on…

Samosa Chaat (RM12) looked like a pile of mess but once you had a taste of this snack, you would definitely enjoy what the mess is made up off. Crispy potato and onion samosa are drenched in minty tamarind chutney and yoghurt and topped with some fresh herbs and crispy bits. This is super yum with spicy and creamy flavours. There are more variations of Chaat in the menu so pick your choice of Papri Chaat or Aloo Tikka Chaat and more.

They sure love their potatoes… not that I mind because I am also a huge potato fan. Jeera Aloo (RM17) is another potato dish cooked with lots of spices, chili, onions and herbs.

If you are a fan of mutton, then you have to try their Gosht Keema Masala (RM32). Minced mutton cooked with heavy doses of spices till tender on canapés are damn good on crispy toast with mint chutney. Bold spices, smoky aroma, lightly tangy and creamy, there is something really addictive about this dish that many fans will agree with me.

Seafood fans will definitely enjoy the Prawns Tikka Malai (RM32) and Fish Methi Masala(RM24). The Prawns Tikka Malai has a lovely smoky charred aroma as well as sweetness from fresh prawns while the Fish Methi Masala had a firm but tender fish in robust and herbaceous flavours. There are more seafood prepared in other various styles and served canapes too.

Besides Indian Tapas, Fiercer’s Hyderabadi Dum Biryani is a delicious force to be reckon with! Based on the owner’s aunt’s recipe from Hyderabad, Herukh has tweaked the recipe to his own perfection over the years. With more than 20 ingredients for a pot of Dum Biryani, it’s no wonder Fiercer’s version is superbly flavourful with fluffly long grain Basmati rice seasoned and layered with meat or seafood and steamed for hours. Fiercer does not only offer the classic Dum Biryani with mutton, chicken or fish but has taken theirs to a whole new height of lavish ingredients with lobster, scallop, crab, cod, squid, venison, lamb shank and more with prior reservations.

We had their Hyderabadi Dum Biryani Fish(RM20) which has a large piece of mackerel cooked with the biryani rice and spices. The biryani comes with some curry gravy, vegetable achar and raita. It was delicious…. fluffy rice grains well flavoured with lots of earthy aroma of spices. After digging into the layers of the rice, we unearthed a large piece of fish. The fish was tender and tasty too.

When savored with all the side condiments, the biryani was even tastier as the gravy added more level of flavours, the achar gave a tangy and refreshing note and the raita cool down the heat of the spices. I have had their chicken version prior to this visit and it was also very good.

Besides the biryani, we also had their Gosht Rogan Josh (RM28) and Chicken Orange Double Braised (RM30). The Gosht Rogan Josh packed quite a punch in flavours. Fiery, robust and complex, the thick mutton curry is cooked with lots of spices, onions, ginger, garlic and yoghurt. Famous for the punchy heat, savoring the Rogan Josh with rice or naan is simply divine. The boneless mutton is also very tender and has really soaked up all the goodness of the spices.

The Chicken Orange Double Braised is probably the only dish that is not spice laden or spicy in heat in the whole menu. Made famous from the owner’s family restaurant Bangles from yesteryears, the dish is braised boneless chicken simmered in sautéed onions, capsicum and a fresh cream based sauce flavoured with orange juice. Its lightly sweet, creamy with hints of tangy orange notes. The dish is good for adults and kids.

Other must-order treats from Fiercer are their vegetable dishes of Bhindi Masala (RM17), Eggplant Masala (RM17) and Tadka Dal (RM15). Both Bhindi Masala or Lady Fingers Masala and Eggplant Masala shared similar flavours but has their own unique note carefully balanced by the garam masala spices.

The Tadka Dal is one of my personal favorite dish at Fiercer. Unlike a lot of dal curries, this version has so much complex flavours. The creamy and tender yellow lentils are slow cooked with lots of onions, tomatoes, spices and chilies. The result is marvelous as I kept on ladling spoonfuls of the gorgeous dal onto my rice and naan.

There are many assorted Indian bread served here from naan, roti, to chapatti, poori and Roomali roti. We had their Mixed Naan Basket (RM14) of Plain, Coriander, Butter and Garlic Naans that was fluffy and tender and served piping hot.

No doubt its quite hard to save room for desserts but somehow we did. Fiercer’s classic Gulab Jamun (RM6) turned out to be another favorite of mine that evening. The milk balls soaked in heavy syrup is delicious. It has intense milky flavours and is very sweet of course but that’s what most Indian desserts’ characteristics are. This is one of the better Gulab Jamun I have tasted in the city.

Besides traditional desserts, Aahana has her own dessert business, Pretty Little Layers Desserts that offers diners a list of Western desserts such as Cakes, Mousse, Pannacotta, Cake Pops and other sweet treats. Check out their Facebook page here or call them at 019 985 1945 to order. Delivery is also available at certain Klang area for a small fee.

We had their Chocolate Mousse (RM18) and Mango Panna cotta (RM18). The Chocolate Mousse had a solid bittersweet note from the dark chocolate used while the Mango Panna cotta was perfectly set with a lovely sweet fruity mango flavour.

Don’t forget to enjoy your meal with Fiercer’s concoctions of Lassis! We enjoyed our Pineapple and Starfruit Lassi (RM10 each) very much…

FIERCER

D1-G3-5 Publika,

Jalan Solaris Dutamas 1,

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-6211-2066

Facebook: www.facebook.com/FiercerMalaysia

Business Hours: 11am to 11pm

Go lavish all the way this beautiful Mid-Autumn festival with a gift of opulence and sumptuousness of champagne and mooncakes!

Making a grand comeback this year, Veuve Clicquot in collaboration with Grand Imperial Group of Restaurants presents a harmonious union celebration with Veuve Clicquot Champagne and Grand Imperial’s delectable mooncakes.

Chong Wai Keng, Brand Ambassador for Moet Hennessy Brands reaffirms that the premium gift set reflects Madame Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin’s innovative spirit of its exquisite champagne with our celestial tradition.

With a history of 240 years in champagne making, Veuve Clicquot champagne is the world’s second most popular champagne and is considered by consumers to be the most exclusive and the most prestigious. With a motto of “Only One Quality, The Finest”, Veuve Clicquot champagne is indeed an extraordinary bubbly that is highly prized all over the world.

Chong Wai Keng, Brand Ambassador for Moet Hennessy Brands, Executive Dim Sum Chef Fanny Foo and Dan from the Grand Imperial Group

Who would have thought that Maison’s finest champagne – the Brut Yellow Label makes such a gorgeous pairing with our traditional mooncakes? The epitome of the house of Veuve Clicquot, the Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label is well-known for its fresh citrusy notes and subtle aromas of brioche and vanilla. Its bubbly factor together with its elegant bouquet compliments the mooncakes beautifully and heighten the delicate flavours of the mooncakes.

Available from 15th August to 27th September 2015, this limited edition Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label and Mooncake Gift Set, priced at RM288 nett, features a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label (75 cl) with four delectable mooncakes including Assorted Fruits and Nuts with Chicken Bits, White Lotus Single Yolk, Almond with Sesame White Lotus Paste, and Pandan Lotus Paste Single Yolk.

This opulence gold box set of Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label and Grand Imperial Mooncakes makes it the perfect giveaway this Mid-Autumn festival to family, friends and business associates. Limited to only 1000 orders, this exclusive gift set is available at all Grand Imperial Group of Restaurants at RM288 nett.

For purchases, kindly contact the following six outlets listed below:

Grand Imperial Restaurant, Pinnacle Sunway(03-5888 7222/ 03-5888 7221)

Grand Imperial Restaurant, Bangsar Shopping Centre (03-2283 1118),

Grand Imperial Restaurant, Hartamas Shopping Centre (03-6201 3777),

Grand Imperial Restaurant, One Utama Shopping Centre (03-7729 7223),

Grand Imperial Restaurant, USJ19 City Mall(03-8024 8777)

Grand Imperial Restaurant, Casa Klang(03-3345 2118)

For further information, kindly visit www.veuve-clicquot.com, www.mhdm.com.my and www.grandimperial.com.my

An Enchanting Kaiseki Experience!

The moment I stepped out of Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel elevator and saw Sasagawa Japanese Cuisine restaurant entrance, I knew it was going to be an unforgettable dining experience. The gorgeous entrance with its artistic wood framework and lustre glass panel proudly etched with the restaurant’s name is mesmerizing.

Sasagawa has just taken over from Makishima at the hotel and officially operated as of June recently. Barely a few months old, the restaurant has already been the talk of the town. Named after and helmed by Chef Hitoshi Sasagawa who trained under Iron Chef Challenger Chef Tadamichi Ota, is set to showcase his skills in creating traditional and authentic Japanese dishes to our Malaysian diners. Leader of the Ota Faction of traditional Japanese chefs, Chef Ota defeated French Iron Chef Sakai in the Iron Chef challenge, reaffirming the skills and knowledge of authentic Japanese cuisine.

Sasagawa is the perfect venue for the 38 year old Chef Sasagawa to showcase his culinary repertoire. Japanese cuisine is all about featuring the freshest and finest ingredients that Mother Nature has to offer and so Sasagawa stays true to the same concept in serving premium imported ingredients flown in directly from Japan four times a week for the restaurant’s menu. Gourmands have the option of a full regular a la carte menu or simply be surprised by their Kaiseki dinner courses or Bento lunch courses.

The majestic and Zen ambience is designed by local designer from Kyoto to replicate the tradition and atmosphere of Japan’s culture. Using lots of wood backed by modern touches of contemporary furniture and influences, the restaurant has lots of sectioned private dining rooms as well as its regular dining room. The awesome architectural structure of the wood element creates a halo pathway leading to the private dining rooms. There is also a Zen fountain at the entrance. The restaurant also has bar that played dual roles as a sushi bar as well as a perfect bar to hang out to the long list of Japanese sake and whisky together with other beverages.

Our evening was graced with a serene Zen ambiance, excellent discreet service and an unforgettable Kaiseki experience. Kaiseki,a multi-course haute dining experience, pays homage to the skills and techniques of Japanese cuisine together with the ingredients. Gourmands are taken on a journey of selected premium ingredients prepared with minimal cooking touches to enhance the true flavours of fresh quality ingredients.

There are basically 3 choices of Kaisekiof Yuki (RM460 – 9 courses), Hana (RM350 – 8 courses) and Tsuki (RM280 – 7 courses) at Sasagawa. There are no minimum number of diners so one can even order Kaiseki while your other dining companions enjoy a la carte. Chef Sasagawa recommends diners to make reservation at least 1 week in advance in order for him to offer the finest ingredients from Japan in the Kaisekiexperience.

Our Hana Kaiseki experience showcase 8-course meal of Appetizer, Sashimi, Simmered Dish, Main Dish, Steamed Dish, Deep Fried Dish, Shokuji and Dessert.

APPETIZER

Our Appetizer or Hassun course has 3 small bites of Egg Tofu, Cutlass Fish and Boiled Greens with Fried Tofu served on long wooden plate as per its tradition. These are meant to tease and open up our palates with a delicate ode to the Japanese cuisine.

Egg Tofu Topping with Salmon Egg, Golden Powder, Radish & Wasabi was my favorite of the three. Exquisite in sight, a cube of smooth, creamy and luscious egg bean curd was cleverly paired with a host of salty roes, crisp fresh radish and a tiny dab of fresh Japanese horseradish. Evoking all taste senses, this egg bean curd was further enhanced at sight as well with edible gold.

Cutlass Fish Nanbanduke, Kikka Flower & Loofah Marinated with Vinegarhad a fresh and vibrant flavour. Sweet Cutlass Fish was delicately battered, fried and served in a pickled form. Edible Kikka flower may not add flavour but was crowned on the fish to reiterate the importance of presentation of the cuisine.

The third appetizer of Boiled Greens in Bonito-Flavoured Soy Sauce, Fried Tofu & Mizuna Baby Fish reminded diners that the cuisine originate from humble homes in the country. Its simplicity of greens, inari and tiny Mizuna baby fish represents the land and sea produce of Japan.

SASHIMI

The second course of Otsukuri was another tribute to Japan’s cuisine and its surrounding ocean that produces some of the best seafood in the world. Every Sashimi served in the Kaiseki course varies as it depends on the freshest available catch imported from Japan four days a week.

For our Sashimi course, we had the honors of savoring Otoro (Fatty Tuna), Maguro (Tuna), Ishidai (Parrot Fish), Salmonand Tenshi Ebi (Angel Shrimp). Each sashimi is truly a haven of oceanic sweetness. Worthy in every sense are the Otoro of luscious creamy fatty tuna and the sweet firm Ishidai sashimi enhanced by fresh wasabi and premium soy sauce…

This platter of Sashimi prepared by Chef Sasagawa serves 3 pax.

SIMMERED DISH

The next course features comfort pleasures of Nimonoor simmering ingredients in sauce or broth to gently cook and enhance its flavours. Chef Sasagawa is set to please all diners so if you should have a certain diet or ingredient that you do take, do let him know in advance and his dishes will be set to cater to your requests.

That evening, our simmered dish was a Kuroge Wagyu Yamato-Ni. Kuroge Wagyu is from one of the most sought after breeds of wagyu – the Japanese Black cow. Small cubes of Kuroge Wagyu is paired together with Japanese Turnip Boiled in Syrup, Pumpkin, Baby Eggplant Oranda-Ni, Lady Finger, White Onion and Bud of Japanese Tree Pepper. The beef is beautifully tender and so deliciously flavourful from its simmering in a sauce of sweet red pepper, soy sauce, Sake and soup stock. Every element played its role, whether in taste of texture, and the sauce completed the symphony of flavours in this dish.

One of our dining partner does not take beef and so he was served Abalone or Awabi Yamato-Ni. Similar to the wagyu, the premium mollusk was given the same treatment of simmering and pairing of ingredients.

POT STEW

Our fourth course of Suimono was another treat of the sea. Torched Octopus, Seabass and King Crab with KUJO Green Onion, Mizuna, Maitake Mushrooms & Lime is served on the side together with a pretty silver pot of Japanese Style Onion Soup Stock sitting on a small burner.

As soon as we lifted the cover of the pot, the aroma of the broth is simply sublime. A nudge of sweetness and smoky aroma starts tantalizing us as we quickly placed all the ingredients into the broth to gently stew it.

What a treat! A myriad of ocean’s treasures and the sweetest green onions with peppery Mizuna greens and highly-prized Maitake mushrooms has soaked up the beautiful smoky and sweet broth so well. This dish truly evoked all the senses of sight, taste, smell and sound in great depth.

STEAMED DISH

Special Chawanmushi with Goma Tofu topped with thin sliced winter melon, wolfberry and sesame cream is our Mushimono course of the meal. The delicate course of egg custard married with a piece of sesame tofu is beautiful. Simple and so comforting…

DEEP FRIED DISH

Our sixth course was Agemono and Chef Sasagawa chose to showcase a popular dish of Prawn Tempura with Andes Salt. Normally, tempura is served with a tempura dipping sauce but Chef Sasagawa wanted to let the sweetness of the Angel prawn shine through its light crisp batter, so Andes salt was paired this round. There were also baby eggplant, lotus root and Shishito chili pepper.

Crisp, juicy and yummy!

SHOKUJI

Our last savory course was a Shokuji set of rice, miso soup and tsukemono pickles, a must in most Kaiseki meals.

Inside this Kama is a Kamameshi or Rice Cooked Small Kettle.

The pot unveiled rice crowned with a piece of salmon, small chunks of abalone, burdock, inari, salmon roes and shiso leaf. Believe by the Japanese to be the best method to cook rice, the short grain rice is cooked till tender but has a lovely bite. Mix all together and enjoy a bowl of fluffy rice with lots of protein and treats. A solid and filling end of rice, soup and pickled seaweed with Arima-ni.

DESSERT

Dessert was Yukimi Daifuku, vanilla ice cream encased with a mocha skin.

Chef Sasagawa held up to his promise of showcasing Japanese cuisine in the most authentic presentation and flavour at Sasagawa. The Kaiseki experience is a treat and worthy of its price with the quality of the ingredients, coupled with Chef Sasagawa’s skill and the restaurant’s ambience. There are value Bento lunch sets too so head on over to Sasagawa for an authentic and multi-sensory Japanese dining in the heart of our city.

SASAGAWA JAPANESE CUISINE

Level 2, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel

Jalan Sultan Ismail

50250 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 2602 3288

Website: www.sasagawakl.asia/access.html

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sasagawa.asia

Business Hours:

Lunch 12.00noon to 2.30pm

Dinner 6.00pm to 10.00pm

In The Mood for Italian Feast!

Italian cuisine can be so romantic, just like its people and culture. While some Italian restaurants tend to opt for casual comfort, Fuzio Bar & Ristorante takes on a refine and romantic concept. Located in the bustling city area of Jalan Berangan around Changkat Bukit Bintang area, the Italian bar and restaurant is set in a three-storey building with three levels of dining and bar.

It’s my second visit to Fuzio. My first visit to Fuzio was to savor their collaboration with Jasmine earlier here. Glad to be back again at Fuzio and this round was to savor the restaurant’s menu of Italian cuisine. The warm glow of the soft lighting at Fuzio gave the restaurant a refine and romantic ambience. Fuzio’s owners also support local talents and displays talented art pieces all over the restaurant. Diners or art fans will be able to purchase these beautiful pieces of art as well as admired them while dining.

Fuzio’s menu is all about traditional Italian cuisine injected with their own modern twist. The Italian restaurant also offers a selection of wines to be paired with their menu. From Antipasti to Pasta, Pizza, Main Course, Small Bites and Dessert, the dishes here have a refine touch. Fuzio also has a full fledge bar list filled with lots of cocktails, beer, wine, liqueur and even Italian liqueur like Limoncello and Grappa.

We unwind our evening with Fuzio Coolerand Lemon Juice since the next day was a work day. If you are game for some giggle juice, then you must order the Fuzio Killer, the alchohol version of Fuzio Cooler!

Frankenstein, a cocktail that is just so gorgeous to look at and delicious as well!

From the Small Bite menu, we had an order of the Deep Fried Calamari (RM24) while waiting for others to arrive. Simple but well executed lightly battered fried calamari goes well with the tartare sauce served.

At Fuzio, one simply must order their Antipasti (RM88 for 2 or RM148 for 4). It is a tradition to enjoy a platter of Antipasti as the first course of a formal Italian meal. There were six of us and so we had a long board of scrumptious antipasti of Cecina ham, Lamb Salsiccia, Smoked Duck Breast, Salmon Carpaccio, Tomato Caprese salad, Eggplant Involtini, Tomato Bruschetta and cheeses such as Gorgonzola, Tallegio and Grana Padano. This was such an impressive sight and presentation.

The cured meat is simply moreish and perfect with cuts of sweet crisp melon. The lamb salsiccia sausage is spicy and peppery with a good bite. I really enjoyed the antipasti tremendously as there are just an abundance of flavours of salty, sweet, spicy, tangy and cheesy bites. The caprese salad, eggplant and bruschetta balanced up the heavy cured and smoked meats beautifully. There is also a good selection of soft, medium and hard cheeses too. The antipasti is perfect with wine or beer…

Our main course started to arrive and the first was the Spring Chicken Risotto (RM72). A whole spring chicken is stuffed with porcini risotto and roasted. It is served with a vegetable stack of eggplant, zucchini, carrot and peppers, grilled asparagus and a rich brown gravy.

The chicken is tender, succulent and flavourful. When we cut the chicken to unveil the risotto, there was a delicious aromatic of porcini. The risotto is tasty and aromatic albeit a little soft. It’s a great pairing of ingredients in this dish.

Creamagliera di Agnello (RM76) translated to Grilled Lamb Rack with Goat Cheese and Rocket Salad. Three solid rack of lamb grilled with a layer goat cheese is paired with a rich dark sauce. The tangy and creamy goat cheese went really well with lamb. The rocket salad lightly dressed was a great side to the meaty dish.

If you prefer beef over lamb, then the Filetto di Manzo alla Griglia (RM78) or Grilled Angus Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Cartoccio is another great choice.

Cooked to medium rare as per our request, the tenderloin is nicely charred and so juicy. It is served with roasted potatoes, asparagus, mushroom baked with truffle oil and sauce. The mushrooms are just as good too with its lush truffle aroma and earthy flavours. High points goes to the premium quality of beef used as the meat as very flavourful on its own although sauce is provided on the side.

My favorite main dish of the evening was the Merluzzo Al Forno (RM68) or Baked Cod Fish with Pesto Mashed Potato. A huge thick piece of cod was simply cooked to perfection. The cod was so sweet and creamy with a gorgeous silky texture. It was cleverly paired with pesto mashed, sautéed vegetable, lots of crispy leeks and a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar. A must-order if you love cod!

Everyone enjoyed the Funghi Pizza (RM32). It’s got all the passing marks of a delicious pizza with thin crust nicely baked, hearty tomato sauce, mix of cheeses, lots of mushrooms and finished with more truffle oil. We could literally smell the beautiful truffle aroma even before the pizza was placed on our table.

Our last main dish was Spaghetti alla Carbonara (RM38). Cooked the way an Italian would be proud off, the carbonara has pieces of smoked duck breast and mushroom in heavy cream sauce. For any cream sauce pasta, I always recommend everyone to enjoy this while hot for the best flavours. This version is extra rich and sinful with lots of moreish flavours. The smoked duck is not a classic ingredient used in carbonara but I certainly didn’t mind it because it gave the dish more flavours and it’s a good substitute for bacon.

Desserts are a must in any Italian meal. It sweetens the Italian touch with more luscious cream, chocolate and sweetness. We chose their Tiramisu (RM28) Chocolate Flan with Gelato (RM28) and Panna Cotta with Mix Berries Sauce (RM24).

The Tiramisu was pretty decent with its usual coffee soaked sponge, creamy and fluffly mascarpone, sprinkling of cocoa and rounded up with chocolate roll and strawberries.

The Chocolate Flan had rich dark chocolate flavours with a hint of bittersweet note. It’s always a solid pairing of warm chocolate and vanilla ice cream. The Panna Cottahad also set beautifully and was smothered with berries coulis. Vanilla cream and strawberries is another marriage made in heaven when it comes to flavour pairing.

We also had another Italian favorite of Affogato (RM18). Fuzio’s version will hit you hard with bold espresso notes and cold ice cream. Love it!!

Latte to finish our beautiful Italian meal…

When you are in the mood for some Italian love, Fuzio Bar & Ristorante is a great place to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine with its large selection of wines or simply to chill in the evening at their rooftop bar with friends and loved ones…

FUZIO BAR & RESTAURANT

29 Jalan Berangan, Bukit Bintang,

50200 Kuala Lumpur.

Phone: 603-2110 0303

Website: www.fuziobar.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Fuziobar

Celebrating Mid-Autumn with Mooncakes and a Mid-Autumn Reunion Set Dinner!

As we approach the coming festive of Mid-Autumn, it’s time again to savor mooncakes! These delicacy traditional treats symbolizes the joy of reunion during this festive season with family and friends. This year, Toh Yuen from Hilton Petaling Jaya is presenting their five premium baked mooncakes and its refreshing twist of pillowy snowskin selections with delightful velvety fillings.

Toh Yuen’s mooncakes are beautifully encased in a Celadon hued gift box this year in themed with its restaurant. The gift box makes an ideal and elegant gift to family, friends and business associates. Diners can buy them ala-carte or in gift box sets of 4 baked skin or 6 snow skin mooncakes.

Chef Wai and his mooncake creations of Traditional Baked and Snow Skin series…

The Traditional Baked Series features Red Bean Paste, Pandan Paste, Pure Lotus Paste with Single Yolk, Mixed Five Nuts and White Lotus Paste with Double Yolk. These are priced from RM23 to RM26 each or RM88 in a box of 4.

The Snow Skin Series offers mini mooncakes of Lotus Paste with Sunflower Seeds, Yam Paste, Green Tea Paste with Red Bean, Black Sesame Paste and Dragonfruit Paste. These are priced at RM17 each or RM118 in a box of 6.

There is also the premium Snow Skin Musang King Durian Paste where the King of Fruit is now a favorite treat of many during this festive season. The premium Musang King Durian Paste mooncake is priced at RM34 each.

All Toh Yuen’s mooncakes are made with less sugar for a health purposes.

Enjoy 20% early bird discount for 10 boxes and above purchased before 15 August 2015. Also enjoy 15% discount for purchase of 100 boxes and above as well as 10% discount for purchase of 50 boxes and above. CIMB card holders also enjoy 20% discount when they present their card when purchasing these petite treasures. Prices are inclusive of 6% government tax for take-away. For orders, please call (03) 7955 9122 ext. 4073/4.

Besides celebrating the festive with mooncakes, diners will also be able to enjoy an exquisite Mid-Autumn Reunion Dinner with your loved ones and business associates at the Toh Yuen Chinese Restaurant. Enjoy Cantonese cuisine set in an elegant contemporary ambiance this September month with Toh Yuen specially crafted 8-course Mid-Autumn Reunion Dinner Feast by Executive Chinese Chef Ben.

An unusual appetizer to kick start the dinner but the Boiled Beef Ribs with Lemongrass scented Spicy Garlic Sauce is simply delicious. Tender and lean, the beef pieces are superb when dressed with the moreish spicy sauce redolent of lots of lemongrass and garlic.

The next course of Double Boiled Cucumber with Scallop Soup Topped with Green Peas was a pretty sight of whole dried scallop stuffed into cucumber braised till soft and topped with snow pea. Sitting in a pool of golden supreme broth, the dish was full of seafood essence and soothing in comforting flavours.

Chicken with Salted Egg with Barbeque Sauce was a personal favorite simply because the flavours rocked! Pieces of fork tender chicken thigh topped with salted egg yolk and pan seared before being covered in a Chinese sweet and tangy barbeque sauce.

The next course is fish and we are sure that the Baked Cod Fish with Wasabi Mayonnaise will be a crowd pleaser. The highly prized cod is well marinated and baked to a golden hue. It is lightly smoky, sweet and savory with light hint of wasabi. The cod is paired with some greens to balance up the richness of the fish.

Pan- Fried Lamb Chops with Coffee Sauce evoked the East meets West influences where rack of lamb is marinated in Chinese seasoning and glazed with a coffee sauce. Served on a bed of sautéed onions and peppers, the lamb is tasty and robust with coffee flavour masking the heavy aroma of the lamb. The bit so fat on the lamb also added more flavours to the tender meat.

The Stir –fried Scallops with Dragonfruit and Lotus Root was a delight to eat. A platter of colors of crunchy lotus root, peppers and dragonfruit compliments the sweet fresh scallops so well in flavours and textures. This dish is really easy to enjoy with all the ingredients’ natural flavours.

Our last savory course was a treat of Crispy Noodles with Tiger Prawns. A crispy noodle cake is served Cantonese style with starchy gravy and tiger prawn. Classic Cantonese noodle dish that never fails to satisfy when cooked well…

The feast ended with another East meets West dish of Deep fried Chinese Pancake with Ice Cream.

The Mid Autumn Reunion Feast is available at RM1800 nett for a table of 10 persons from 1 September – 27 September 2015. The menu items are also available on ala-carte from RM30 nett per dish. Price is inclusive of 10% service charge and 6% government tax. For reservations, please call (03) 7955 9122 ext. 4073/4. Visit Hilton PJ’s F&B blog, www.ZestPJ.com for latest F&B promotions and entertainment scenes.

TOH YUEN CHINESE RESTAURANT

Hilton Petaling Jaya

No.2 Jalan Barat

46200 Petaling Jaya

Website: www.petaling-jaya.hilton.com

Facebook: www.fb.com/hiltonpetalingjaya

Feasting on Fruity Mooncakes and Dishes!

The Tai Thong Group has always been one of leading pioneers in mooncakes and this year, Tai Thong is making another grand showcase of their traditional mooncakes and their modern mooncakes at the Tai Thong Mid-Autumn Indulgence Press Conference. Besides mooncakes, Tai Thong is also presenting their Mid-Autumn Indulgence with a series of fruity inspired dishes in themed with their new mooncake flavours.

It’s certainly a gorgeous Autumn Indulgence of refreshing fruity mooncakes this year!

The festive season are brought to life that evening with Chinese classical musicians, DIY Mooncake corner, Chinese jester on stilts and a bold drum performance. After some speeches, Mooncake Master Chef Yiu Wing Keung proudly presents his latest four new Mooncake flavours of the year.

A quick Masterclass in Mooncake making, Chef Yiu introduces his influences of fruits and nuts behind this year’s theme. While mooncakes tend to be really rich and heavy in flavours, he has incorporated fruits as his main theme of new flavours to add a fresh fruity note and nuttiness in mooncakes. The new flavours are also in perfect for those who prefer healthier options for the festive treats.

Tai Thong’s new fruity crafted creations has two Baked Blueberry Lotus with Dried Fruits & Assorted Seeds and Orange Lotus with Palm Sugar & Assorted Seed together with two Snow Skin Mango Kiwi with Assorted Dried Fruits and Snow Skin Pineapple Lotus with Jackfruit Mochi.

Baked Blueberry Lotus with Dried Fruits & Assorted Seeds has sweet elements of blueberries and dried fruit bits marrying with nutty sweet notes of luscious lotus paste coupled with a delectable thin caramelized flavour of the baked skin.

Elements of citrusy orange works wonders with lotus paste in BakedOrange Lotus with Palm Sugar & Assorted Seed. The fresh juicy notes of orange takes precedence in the flavours of this mooncake, making it lightly tangy and sweet while the subtle richness of the palm sugar gave the mooncake a luscious caramelized aroma.

When mangoes and kiwis combine, one can be assured of a harmonious balance of fresh juicy sweetness and tangy notes. Both fruits are always a much beloved favorite so creating the Snow Skin Mango Kiwi with Assorted Dried Fruits was already a brilliant pairing of delectable flavours from the get go!

The most unusual pairing of pineapple and jackfruit turned out to be another crowd pleaser. Who would have thought that pineapple would go so well with jackfruit? Each bite of the Snow Skin Pineapple Lotus with Jackfruit Mochi was a burst of juicy vibrant fresh pineapple flavours with the jackfruit aroma and taste leaving a delicious end note.

Tai Thong is also famous for their durian mooncakes and even has their own durian farm to ensure that their quality of durians take precedence in all their durian mooncakes. Best seller from time to time are the Imperial Musang King Royale, where the king of fruits held court in the lush distinctive flavours of the highly-prized Musang King!

There are also plenty of other Tai Thong Mooncakesmaking a comeback this year. Check out their Baked Skin series and Snow Skin series at all their participating outlets and leading supermarkets.

Tai Thong Mooncakes are HALAL certified by the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (JAKIM), are HACCP compliant and free from artificial colourings and flavourings.

In celebration of the Mid-Autumn festival, Tai Thong Group culinary team has also whipped up a fruit and nut inspired Special Mid-Autumn Menu available from 8August to 27 September, 2015.

Enjoy lots of seafood paired with fresh fruits and nuts this season with family, friends or business associates at all Tai Thong restuarants for a memorable and delicious gathering of good food with great company!

Soups are indeed a must in Chinese meals and what better way to warm up the tummy then with a piping bowl of Double Boiled Chicken Soup with Papaya and White Fungus. Enjoy a heart-warming bowl of chicken broth filled with goodies of dried scallop, chicken, papaya and white fungus. It’s the perfect health remedy for both heart and soul…

Echoing the luscious flavours of their new fruity mooncake, the culinary team whips up a delectable Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Mango & Kiwi Sauce. Lightly battered and crispy golden soft shell crab pieces are a delicious platform when paired with sweet creamy fruit sauces made with ripe luscious mangoes and tangy kiwis. There were also crispy rolls of mango and kiwi plus fresh slices of kiwis to jazz up the soft shell crabs!

A dish that was so pretty to look at with vibrant colors had everyone salivating at the Pan Seared Scallops with Blueberries & Apricots. Sweet nuggets of fresh scallops lightly cooked and dressed with a delightful blueberry and apricot sauce on lettuce leaves makes a light starter at any meal sweet.

Crustaceans rocks with fruits! Stuffed Prawn with Palm Sugar & Fresh Orange and Fried Prawn with Pineapple & Jackfruit Sauce had everyone enjoying these crustaceans with gusto. Expect sweetness with lots of fruity elements in the dishes. Savoring dishes like these won’t leave one with heaviness as the fruity notes are rather refreshing and delicate.

If you need your carb for the meal, the do try the Spicy Pineapple Fried Rice with Vegetarian Floss. A unique twist to our much-beloved fried rice, this one has lots of savory and spicy notes with cubes of fresh sweet pineapples and savory floss.

End your meal with more sweetness as Tai Thong Dim Sum Chef offers his take on two fruity desserts of Peony Puff Pastry with Pineapple & Jackfruit and Blueberry & Cranberry Sponge Cake. Taking classics and turning them into modern fruity creative desserts, Tai Thong has truly gone all out to make this Mid-Autumn Festive a sweet and fruit one!

More details of Tai Thong Moon Cakes and Special Mid-Autumn Menu are available at their website www.taithong.com.my and Facebook: www.facebook.com/TaiThong

Samsung Celebrates The Note Legacy with a Star-Studded List!

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia

The Samsung Galaxy Note5 is here! Samsung Mobile Malaysia launches its latest Samsung Galaxy Note5 at Sunway Pyramid on 3 September, 2015 with a star-studded line-up. Celebrating five outstanding years since Samsung first created its Galaxy Note series, Samsung is proud to celebrate The Note Legacy with Malaysians.

The Galaxy Note5 is a stunning compilation of the latest technology, the most powerful to-date in the Galaxy Note line. Members of the media, blogger and distinguished guests were present to be the first to check out the Note5 at the Media Launch. Marking the 5th anniversary since its first launch in 2011, Samsung Malaysia Electronics is going all out to commemorate the Galaxy Note5 with The Note Legacy and its five inspiring stories that formed this legacy.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

“The Galaxy Note series heralded exceptional innovation within the technology industry and launched a new standard in the smartphone culture. Every Note we create is more powerful than the last and today, the legacy lives on through our new Galaxy Note5. We are proud to introduce the most refined Note experience to-date by combining all the latest technology that users expect from the Note series,” said Lee Sang Hoon, President, Samsung Malaysia Electronics.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, Mobile, IT & Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics

Samsung Brand Ambassador, Dato’ Lee Chong Wei was also present to commemorate the event.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, Mobile, IT & Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics, with Samsung brand ambassador Dato’ Lee Chong Wei and Lee Sang Hoon, President, Samsung Malaysia Electronics.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

The Note5 is more powerful and more personal than ever. The sleek design of the Note5 allows it to fit ergonomically in one hand with a narrower bezel and curved back while looking gorgeously fashionable. The improved wide flat screen allows easy and smooth write on while the curved shape makes it easier to use the phone with one hand.

Engineered with the most powerful technology today, the Note5 has a lot to offer such as 5 Megapixels f1.9 (front) camera for better selfie, 16 Megapixels OIS (back) camera for brighter photos, Faster Charging functionality with a full battery charge within 1.5 hours, Enhanced Screen Write, Octacore Processorfor faster functionalities, Customizable Air Command, OffScreen Memo, Live Broadcast, Smart Select, Collage Video, Wider Selfie and more. These can only mean faster, better, easier, wider, brighter and better functionalities overall for today’s generation of smartphone users.

The Note Legacy would not have been complete without the following Samsung Galaxy Note icons– award-winning producer, actress and passionate arts advocate Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina; actor, director and singer Aaron Aziz; talented singer, songwriter and entrepreneur Yuna; TV host, emcee and write Lynn Lim; and Malaysia’s hottest Youtube sensation duo, Jinny Boy and Rueben King.

It began in 2011 with five inspiring stories through five years that formed The Note Legacy. The original Note started a mobile revolution and a new standard in the smartphone culture in 2011 and was welcome by many.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

Then in 2012, Samsung worked with Yuna to create and compose her first ever music video, Sparkle, which was shot entirely on the Note II.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

In 2013, the charming Aaron Aziz helped build the Note3 story where he inspired Malaysian fans to widen their horizons and follow their dreams through his notes.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina, Lynn Lim as well as Jinnyboy & Rueben took the S Pen functionality of the Note4 to its finest creativity in 2014 with their personal ‘live’ arts.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

Leading to current, The Note Legacy holds special commemorations for many more years to come. As part of the Note Legacy, Samsung will be embarking on a series of activities with the five Note icons in the upcoming months, so stay tune!

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

Samsung’s Notable icons Yuna, Aaron Aziz, Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina, with Luke Au, Head of Product Marketing, Mobile, IT and Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics, Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, Mobile, IT & Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics, Dato’ Lee Chong Wei, Lee Sang Hoon, President, Samsung Malaysia Electronics, Justin Joo, Business Advisor, Mobile, IT & Digital Imaging, Samsung Malaysia Electronics, Jinny Boy and Reuben Kang, Lynn Lim.

picture courtesy from Samsung Malaysia & Tian Chad.com

Actor and director, Alan Yun was also present with friends

With so many reasons to own a Samsung Galaxy Note5, users are encourage to get an even better deal with at the Samsung roadshows! Visit any of the roadshows below, purchase a Samsung Galaxy Note5 and receive Free Battery Pack and Wireless Charger, worth up to RM538.

More promotion detailsavailable here.

Samsung Galaxy Note5 Roadshows:

KUALA LUMPUR - Orange Concourse, Sunway Pyramid from 4 Sept to 9 Sept 2015

PENANG– Main Concourse, Gurney Plaza from 4 Sept to 6 Sept 2015

JOHOR BAHRU– Level 3, Concourse, Sutera Mall from 4 Sept to 6 Sept 2015

There are also more promotions going on including a Trade-in for your old Samsung Note so don’t miss the roadshows to get your hands and check out the latest Samsung Galaxy Note5!

www.samsung.com/my/galaxy/note5

For further information, please visit www.samsung.com/my or visit Samsung Mobile Malaysia Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/samsungmobilemalaysia

Affordable Japanese Cuisine

If you are ever in Puchong area and is craving for Japanese cuisine, head on over to Setia Walk Puchong and check out Bonbori Japanese Cuisine. We stumbled on Bonbori through OffPeak.com and found the restaurant to be very reasonable in serving up affordable Japanese cuisine to many one evening. The restaurant is located on the first floor on the Setia Walk but it has deterred many diners from finding this hidden gem.

We were there one early Sunday evening and the restaurant was already filling up fast. The ambiance is pretty simply and minimal in décor but there are some Japanese elements and knick-knacks to remind you of its roots. Though the restaurant is not big, it does still have a main dining area, a private room and a long sushi bar for sushi enthusiast!

The menu boasts of a solid selection of Japanese cuisine with the usual Sashimi, Sushi, Maki Rolls, Appetizers, Salad, Stews, Tempura, Teppanyaki, Grilled Seafood, Donburi, Noodles, Fried Dishes and Desserts. Despite the crowd, service was decent as the wait staff did their best to scurry around with the orders.

The Sashimi menu has some really good deals. Our platter of Hachi Shoku Sashimi (RM69.90) had salmon, butterfish, tuna, yellowtail, scallop, surf clam, octopus, pink shrimp and shrimp roe. Each sashimi comes in three pieces and these were really delicious. The presentation was also gorgeous, making this dish even better. I know a selection of such portion would have certainly cost more in other Japanese restaurants. Another plus point is that they serve Yellowtail which is quite an expensive fish and my all-time-favorite, so I highly recommended this sashimi platter!

We tried some of their creative Maki rolls and were recommended their two latest Maki rolls on their menu. These are specials and may change from time to time so definitely ask for the specials of the day.

Aburi Trio Maki (RM21.90), a delectable combination of flying fish roe encrusted roll and finished with slices of salmon slathered with more fish roe mayo and torched to a nice toasted touch. Creamy, salty, sublime…

Our second maki was a definitely an elegant and pretty one… Rose Maki (RM26.90). Coiled slivers of salmon and mango with pearls of salmon roe formed the rose on the maki. Such a delicate and delicious roll with lots of sesame seeds and sesame dressing for aroma and flavours. Must order!

We had an appetizer of Special Kakiage(RM11.90), a simple snack of crispy tempura vegetables doused with some special sauce, mayo and masago. Decent snacking before mains…

It may be such a simple and common item but I always enjoy tamago. Japanese makes their a little sweet and savory with a delicious firm texture. Here, the tamago is amped up as Tamago Mentaiyaki(RM11.90). A version of fluffy tamago topped with fish roe mentaiko sauce and also torched for extra richness.

We decided to order some salad and opted for Aigamo Salad (RM15.90), a version with smoked duck breast and sesame dressing. Sufficiently pleasing in flavours as the slices of duck breast is delish plus we get our greens for the meal too.

We were recommended the Unagi Tofu(RM18.90), featuring deep fried tofu topped with grilled unagi and omelette. These were an interesting combination and turned out to be a superb one as the smoky eel really enhanced the crispy tofu, strips of egg omelette, seaweed, sesame seed, unagi sauce and mayo. Pop the whole mount in your mouth at one go for the burst of flavours.

Normally I don’t order stews but since I were told that the Shake Atama Kimchee Soup (RM26.90) is a signature dish, I thought I gave the dish a try. It’s not bad and rendered much hearty notes of spicy pungent kimchi in hot broth with pieces of salmon head. Order some rice with this dish for a full meal.

We finished our meal with Salmon Kushiyaki(RM12.90) and Bacon Asparagus(RM14.90). Both grilled skewers are decent but nothing to shout about. Though one cannot go wrong with bacon, so if you love kushiyaki, then order their Bacon Asparagus.

Bonbori offers diners affordable Japanese cuisine with good quality in Puchong area. Go early as there are limited seats in the restaurants and most diners come with family or large parties.

BONBORI JAPANESE CUISINE

G-01-1, Block G, Setiawalk,

Persiaran Wawasan,

Pusat Bandar Puchong

47160 Puchong, Selangor

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Bonbori-Japanese-Cuisine-at-Setia-Walk/129878747189432

Business Hours:

Lunch 12.00pm – 2.45pm

Dinner 6.00pm – 9.45pm

Book now by downloading Offpeak.my App available on the App Store and Google Play, or visit our website www.offpeak.my or Facebook: www.facebook.com/offpeak.my

Jewels In The Lotus & A Chef’s Showcase Feast

More autumn harvest treats awaits at Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaruant, One World Hotel! Indulge in Chinese fruit cake or better known as mooncakes and a feast of Chef’s Savours from now till end of September 2015 at Zuan Yuan with family, friends and business associates to rejoice the traditions of Mid-Autumn festival.

Dim sum Chef of One World Hotel, Jordan Chin, is bringing back his mooncake signatures plus a few new flavours this season at Zuan Yuan. From traditional to innovative flavours, Zuan Yuan’s Baked Mooncake series and Snow Skin Mooncake series are a treat for the young and old.

This year’s exquisite treats features choices of nine baked mooncakes and eight handcrafted snow skin mooncakes. Savor the delightful Baked Mooncakes of White Lotus and Black Sesame Paste with Single Yolk, White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk, Supreme Mixed Nuts or Tiramisu and Walnut to name a few.

The Teochew Deep Fried Teo Chew Yam Paste with Single Yolk is simply divine. Layers of flaky pastry enveloping creamy powdery yam paste with sinful salted egg yolk is simply a Must-Have! These need order in advance as they are only made fresh upon order each day so call for reservations earlier for this mooncake.

The Snow Skin Mooncake of Red Bean Paste with Pumpkin Seed, Durian Lotus Paste or the Green Tea Lotus Paste and more is another signature of Chef Jordan. Chef Jordan uses special mocha flour to give his mooncakes an undeniable chewy mochi skin texture that is a sure crowd pleaser. All his flavours are also beautifully vibrant and nicely sweetened.

For the health conscious diners, Chef Jordan has prepared Baked and Snow Skin White Lotus Paste (sugar cane free) and Pandan Lotus Paste (sugar cane free).These are perfect for those who are not allowed to consume regular sugar due to health reasons.

The Mid-Autumn Jewels are elegantly presented in a beautifully crafted packaging and serves an ideal gift for business associates, family and friends! The mooncakes are available ala – carte or in sets of four baked skin and eight snow skin mooncakes. It is priced from RM13 nett onwards (Prices are inclusive of 10% service charge and 6% Goods and Services Tax.)

For orders or enquiries, please call Zuan Yuan at 603 7681 1159 or email to zuanyuan@oneworldhotel.com.my

Since we cannot survive alone on mooncakes, enjoy A Chef’s Showcase available for the whole month of September by Chinese Chef Michael Chew at Zuan Yuan. Through his culinary journey in working in Brunei, Chef Michael is pleased to showcase his list of innovative dishes garnered from all his rich experiences from his stint abroad.

Diners can expect a lavish selections of recipes such as the Double Boiled Fish Maw Soup with Papaya and Aloe Vera, Braised Fish Maw and Sea Cucumber with Yellow Superior Broth, Traditional Deep Fried Wrapped Chicken, Sliced Wok Seared Canadian Cod Fish with Preserved Vegetable and Wolfberry as well as Pan Fried Lamb Rack with Cumin and Chilliand more.

Enjoy a soothing Double Boiled Fish Maw Soup with Papaya & Aloe Vera that will guaranteed to warm up the tummy and even the soul…

The Traditional Deep-fried Paper Wrapped Chicken was a crowd pleaser that evening. As we opened up the parcel, a whiff of luscious aroma really tantalized our senses. The chicken was deliciously tender and very flavourful with hints of light gingery note in the background of the salty sweet soy marinade. Marvellous!

Sliced Wok Seared Canadian Cod Fish with Preserved Vegetables & Wolfberries proved to be another winner. Sweet and creamy sliced cod fish was cooked till just right with ‘Suet Choy’, evoking timeless classic flavours that every one of all ages would enjoy.

For carbs, we had the Stir Fried Vegetarian Noodles with Superior Soy Sauce and Fried Rice with Seafood, Fried Garlic & Golden Dried Scallop. Both noodles and rice are sufficiently decent and flavourful.

End the meal on a sweet note with exquisite treats such as the Chilled Osmanthus Jelly, Chilled Lemon Grass Jelly with Lime and Aloe Vera, Steamed Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Ball Coated with Groundnuts and many more…

ZUAN YUAN CHINESE RESTAURANT

Lobby Floor, One World Hotel

First Avenue

Bandar Utama City Centre

47800 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-7681-1159

Website: www.oneworldhotel.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/OneWorldHotelPetalingJaya

Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur is bringing its signature mooncakes back this Mid-Autumn festive with a Mooncake Oriental Showpiece. Unveiling another splendid packaging creation by the Concorde. Own one or all three of the Concorde’s oriental mooncake jar for a brighter, memorable mid-autumn celebration. Sheer elegance in every way… Guests can add the oriental jar to their own mooncake packaging collection.

The cylinder-shaped mooncake jar has two components. Guests can choose to have the inner coloured jar in purple, orange and fushia. The other component which is the jar holder has intricate oriental pattern. The idea with this year’s packaging is to create a beautiful jar with multiple use. Treat it like a decorative piece, place it anywhere in the office or in your home. Make it as your candle holder for example, light a scented candle, place inside the jar and see the warm glow effect in your bedroom. Another idea is having your favourite blooms in it. Whichever way, use your creativity in making full use of the jar.

This oriental jar perfectly fits four mooncakes. With 11 mooncake flavours this year, most of them are with the classic, traditional fillings. Amongst them are Japanese red bean, plain pure lotus or with single/double yolk, golden pandan pure lotus, white pure lotus paste with single yolk, assorted fruit nuts and white lotus black sesame.

The award winning Snowskin Musang King is back! This signature mooncake is packed literally with pure musang king durian. Each bite of the mooncake will have durian lovers rejoice with glee…

Price ranges from RM98.00 nett – RM168.00 nett (4 pieces). All mooncakes are ‘halal’ certified. Mooncakes will be on sale from August 6 till September 29 with a specially set up mooncake booth in the lobby of Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Guests can also make purchases at Mid Valley Exhibition Mall (east entrance lobby, ground floor) from September 9 till September 27, this is in conjunction with the mall’s mid-autumn fest. With limited Mooncake Oriental Showpieces, guests are advised to book early. Corporates companies can make their purchases directly too.

Special Offers

15% Discount for all types of jars

20% Discount for 3 jars and above

25% Discount for 50 jars and above

Please for more information and orders, please call 2144 8750 or email fbkl@concorde.net

SNAP & POST CONTEST

Win RM1,500 worth of hotels stay and meal vouchers for this Mid-Autumn festival. Purchase a jar of 4 mooncakes from Concorde Hotel KL's lobby or Mid Valley (start from Sept 9-27) and join the SNAP & POST Contest!

How to Enter:

1st: Buy a set of mooncakes (4 pieces with the mooncake jar)

2nd: Snap your creative idea to use the jar

3rd: Follow Concorde Instagram (@concordehotelKL) and tag #MidAutumnLuxe

4th: Post your photo on Instagram

Contest will end September 27, 2015. Concorde Hotel KL will announce the winner on October 7, 2015. You can post as many creative photo ideas you have, so make sure to join!

CONCORDE HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR

2 Jalan Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +603 2144 2200

Fax: +603 2144 1628

Website: http://kualalumpur.concordehotelsresorts.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/concordehotelkualalumpur

Limapulo @ Jalan Doraisamy Kuala Lumpur

Buka Puasa @ The Living Room, The Westin Kuala Lumpur

Nyonya Memoirs @ Dataran Pahlawan, Malacca

Chandon Cocktail Masterclass ft. Chandon Limited Edition Brut Classic Summer 2015

Putien Summer Harvest @ One Utama

Bofe Eatery @ Section 19, Petaling Jaya

Ding Emperor Steamboat @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

Dolly Dim Sum @ Avenue K

Tai Thong Presents New Temptations of Dim Sum, BBQ and Jade Perch Promotions

Olive Garden Italian Kitchen @ Mid Valley Mega Mall

Fiercer by Fierce Curry House @ Publika

A Lavish Mid-Autumn Festival with Veuve Clicquot

Sasagawa Japanese Cuisine @ Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel

Fuzio Bar & Ristorante @ Jalan Berangan

Mid Autumn Oriental Treasures @ Toh Yuen, Hilton Petaling Jaya

Tai Thong Mid Autumn Indulgence of Mooncakes and Fruity Feast

Samsung Galaxy Note5 Media Launch

Bonbori Japanese Cuisine @ Setia Walk, Puchong

Mid Autumn Jewels @ Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant, One World Hotel

Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur Mooncake Oriental Showpiece