Food Explorer & Home Chef
Deep inside Kota Damansara, PJ is a row of factory lots. We weren’t even sure if we were at the right place until we saw the words Carbon emblazoned across a grey building. Chef David Tay greeted us outside and took us through an amazing …
This is one instance where you can’t judge the resto by the building. A nondescript, almost drab office building in Brickfields, hides a lovely glasshouse on its rooftop. Spacious and bright, in the day it lets in a brilliant play of sunlight and in the …
It’s been years since I’ve stepped into Avenue K in Kuala Lumpur and I had no idea the top floor was such an attractive haunt for exotic food. Feliz, probably the only Peruvian restaurant around town, is headed by chef Franco Aldana who’s bent on showing off his country’s rich food heritage.
Occupying a large area with colourful tapestry and a green glass tiled wall grabbing attention right as you enter, the interior already gives off a vibrant vibe, giving a taste of what Peru could be like. There’s also al-fresco dining and drinks outside, the rooftop floor where you can ejoy a spectacular view of the city skyline.
To start, we had chicha morada, a non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn boiled with pineapple peel with spices. Really refreshing though for me, much too sweet.
Ceviche Limeno, Franco’s fav, uses leche de tigre (tiger’s milk which is a blend of fish trimmings, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks and chili) to marinate the barramundi. Slightly sour with a touch of sweet, plus sea grapes for a savoury edge, definite different from other ceviche that I’ve had – top marks for flavour and texture.
Tiradito De Tuna was raw tuna cut sashimi-style with a whole ballroom of flavours lent by the mango salsa, spices and a host of other condiments.
Pollo A La Brasa – roasted chicken accompanied by egg chaufa with Peruvian-style salad was chicken that had been marinated for 24 hours and usually eaten with either fries or chaufa – which is essentially Chinese Fried Rice given a Peruvian twist (bean sprouts). Felt some chilli padi would have sealed the deal! The chicken was tasty but somewhat uninspiring as it’s, well, roasted chicken.
We also tried Anticuchos De Lomo Fino, skewers of marinated and grilled tenderloin accompanied by white corn, sliced fried potatoes and chimichurri. This was tender and nicely different way to enjoy beef.
Even more interesting was Feliz’s signature rice dish, Arroz Con Mariscos which reminded me of a blend between risotto and paella. Not quite as mushy as risotto, it uses longer grains unlike bomba rice in paella. This seemed a carb I could get used to.
Our sweet Peruvian end to lunch were Alfajores, Tres Leches and Petit Foie Selection.
For now, Franco is keeping it to a pretty authentic selection of dishes so that Malaysians have a clear idea of what to expect if they ever go to Peru. In time, he hopes to up the ante and intro more new dishes.
What was interesting in our conversation with chef Franco was how Peru is huge on potatoes – seems that are more than 350 species there (while Malaysia has 5, and half of them imported), and that he loves durian!
As we get more global in our taste buds, you should put Peruvian down on the list too.
Add: L4-05, LEVEL 4, Avenue K, 156, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. HP: 01-1771 7742
Tiramisu anyone? By that, I mean latte – something in between a cake and a drink. Even looks like a tiramisu in a glass, except that you dive through layers of mascapone to get to the coffee. Nice, but too sweet for me. I preferred …
Does your wine taste cheap? The fault may lie with your stemware rather than your wine. Over the last two years, Artisan Blue which offers exclusive private RIEDEL glass wine tasting experiences in Malaysia, has been educating wine connoisseurs on how the design of a …
Get a load of the fat and rich marbling seen in a raw slab of meat! That’s Kobe for you! Did you know that only 10,000 heads of cattle are produced as Kobe Beef by Japan each year, and only 10 are imported into Malaysia?
In Malaysia, Maria’s SteakCafe is the only steakhouse to receive the prestigious recognition by the Kobe Meat Distribution Promotion Council. The Bronze Cattle Statue – the official plaque and certificate – is proudly displayed in Maria’s flagship outlets at KLCC and 1Powerhouse in Petaling Jaya.
Motomu Yoshida, official inspector of Kobe Beef, was in KL to share the finer points of enjoyment and educate the media on how to discern the qualities of Kobe Beef.
Among them were: the cattle must be born, raised and slaughtered in Hyogo Perfecture and of the Tajima strain of Japanese Black (Kuroge Wagyu); meat quality graded at least B if not A by the Japan Meat Grading Association; has a score of 4 or more on a scale up to 5; and Beef Marbling Standards must be at least 6 or higher on a scale of 1 to 12.
The media had a taste of this delicacy and made a side-by-side comparison with the Australian MB7 Ribeye steak, another fine piece of meat. During the 4-course tasting menu, we had Maguro Tuna, Hokkaido Scallops, Strawberry Granita and Kobe Beef steak/Australian MB7 Ribeye with a savoury Camembert for dessert.
Finally, what we all were here for: the main course was the Japanese A5 Kobe striploin, cooked ever so lightly medium rare to retain its integrity and natural juices, with sides of creamed spinach and hasselback potato. As an added treat and learning experiment, we also tasted the Australian MB7 Ribeye steak. Both steaks were chargrilled in Maria’s signature marinade.
I must say the quality of steaks at Maria’s were quite impressive, especially considering how the chef had to cook so many pieces of meat – all of them were nicely pink with the perfect doneness. While it’s not always the first name that comes to mind for a good steak, this experience taught me afresh not to judge a resto by its appearance.
Naturally, the Kobe beef stood a head above with its rich flavour and superb marbling, and meltingly tender texture. Certainly, one of the most meltingly tender and delicious beef I’ve ever had in my life, I confess it may not be something I would want to indulge in regularly given its richness and artery-hardening shock to the system. In fact, I rather enjoyed the Ribeye despite being tougher and more work for my mouth, as it had its own appeal.
All the dishes (except for dessert) are available on Maria’s regular menu. Kobe Beef is available at all its outlets.