Food Explorer & Home Chef
Cili Kampung brings traditional Malay family recipes from Langkawi to KL and the spice level is not for the faint-hearted. Despite being in a busy mall in KLCC, the restaurant managed to inject some kampung vines through its bubu ikan (fish net) lights and cozy …
East Asian restobar Shhhbuuuhleee on the top floor of REXKL, is all about small sharing plates, done by the same guys who started Chocha in Petaling Street, KL. After hearing so much about Chef Mui Kai Quan’s prowess in the kitchen, I finally managed to …
The Irish Duck Company (IDC) has entered the Malaysian Market, supplying premium Irish Hampshire Pork to restaurants and consumers. To celebrate the company’s launch in Malaysia, a luncheon was hosted at Grand Imperial Restaurant Pavilion, showcasing the high-quality Irish products through a series of carefully curated dishes, to highlight the unique flavours of the Irish meats. Present at the launch were Ireland’s Minister of Agriculture, Martin Heydon and IDC’s Directors, Joel Lim and Kennedy Low.
An exceptional culinary experience, premium Irish Hampshire Pork boasts a quality and standard unlike any other in the world. Irish Hampshire Pork — made from one of the oldest breeds of pigs in the world — is leaner, more succulent and flavourful, and has a richer, deeper red colouring. One of the oldest breeds of pigs in the world, Hampshire pigs are found only in the remote Drumlin landscape of Ballineagh Co. Cavan and are reared on a highly specified diet by McCarren Meats. It was the discovery of unique Irish products like this that inspired the start of IDC in Singapore.
Founded in 2014, IDC was created when its founder, Ronald Lim met with Silver Hill Duck in Ireland and discovered that despite the brand’s reputation for producing and supplying the world’s best ducks, Silver Hill Duck had not yet found its way into the Asian market. Today, IDC has established itself as the sole importer and distributor of Silver Hill Irish Ducks in Asia with plans to expand throughout the rest of Southeast Asia to address increasing demand from ASEAN countries.
“We’re excited to finally be able to supply our sister country with the quality Irish products we’ve come to love and enjoy. Thanks to the support of McCarren Meats, Bord Bia, and the Irish government, IDC has been able to introduce quality products that come from Ireland’s exceptional agricultural prowess and abundant resources to Southeast Asians. This expansion to Malaysia is a testament to our company’s dedication to excellence and we hope to be able to bring these offerings to other ASEAN countries soon,” said Joel Lim, Executive Director of IDC.
“The availability of Irish Hampshire Pork in Malaysia signals a continuation of the great relationship between Ireland and Malaysia. We hope that through this partnership, we’ll be able to provide Malaysians with more premium Irish products and strengthen the ties between our nations,” said Martin Heydon, Irish Minister of Agriculture.
Apart from Irish Hampshire Pork and Silver Hill Ducks — renowned for their exquisite “Wagyu of Ducks” — IDC is also the sole importer and distributor in Singapore and Malaysia for John Stone Fine Foods which produces, in Ireland, some of the finest dry-aged grass-fed beef, grass-fed lamb and wild-caught Atlantic salmon in the world. Through the development of a strong partnership with the Irish government and Bord Bia, IDC has been able to position itself as the leading source of quality Irish products in Southeast Asia with plans to expand exponentially throughout the region.
Irish Hampshire Pork is currently available at Grand Imperial Restaurants around Malaysia, with plans to include more restaurant partners in KL and Johor in the near future. While Irish Hampshire Pork is currently only available to B2B customers, IDC is also working to establish partnerships with retail outlets for the distribution of the product directly to consumers.
For more information regarding IDC, Silver Hill Irish Ducks, John Stone Meats, McCarren Meats and Irish Hampshire Pork, visit www.irishduckasia.com
Forging new friendships, celebrating October birthdays and an excuse to enjoy Chef Simon Philips wonderful food! The Chef’s Table featured at d ‘Alti Gusti (which means elevated taste in Italian) showcased a menu par excellence, a culinary journey exploring the Italian palate. Dishes weren’t just …
Casual approach to fine dining is quite accessible at Joon Dining which offers Set Lunch at RM48/pax for 3 courses or RM60/pax for 4 courses. (Bread is counted as the first course – which is weird, coz nobody counts bread, but there you go.) Dessert …
Fifty Tales. 3 friends. 1 goal. Great noodles, but it is NOT RAMEN, they insist. Noodle bar Fifty Tales now has its new home in Sea Park and gathering a PJ fan base after making waves in Bandar Sri Damansara and REXKL.
Having started at Bandar Sri Damansara, then to Chu by Fifty Tales at REXKL, the partners Aaron Khor, Aaron Phua and Bimmy Soh have a good feeling about the old neighbourhood and hope to help diners reimagine how dai chow can be different but still a family meal.
For lunch, it is mostly a noodle and rice menu. Among others, there’s Beer-braised pork with OG noodles – pork lard with dry noodles, pickled cucumber, Chinese wine and marinated egg. Ruby Dragon noodles with taucu chilli sambal, meatballs. Emerald Dragon noodles with spring onion pesto, braised ham choy and beer braised pork. Steamed beef slices. Nyonya Laksa created without any hebi (dried shrimps) or belacan.
Such are the noodle creations at Fifty tales, with novel elements such as cekur and palm sugar, among others, to elevate taste notes. The signature noodles, made from scratch, come as al dente as true blue Italian pasta, except that this is wholly made and conceived by Malaysians. Which can take getting used to coz real Italian pasta sit on the fine line of cooked and uncooked, and it is the same too with these. Some customers might feel this is not Chinese noodles as they know it, but for Aaron K, this is how he remembers it to be when his mother made it.
People talk about the OG noodles like how they remember it at REXKL, akin to an institution, and the PJ version apparently falls short. I’ve never tried them before so based on this version, I would say, it’s a pretty decent, albeit not mind-blowing rendition. My personal fav was the Ruby with its slightly spicy take and deep umami flavour. Would have been nice of the pork slices were thicker but then again, pork don’t come cheap these days.
The Salted Olive Rice, marinated overnight with Shaoxing wine and soy sauce, was a bit on the salty side, but it just means you are encouraged to add more rice!
There’s a different menu available at night – Cincai Dinner they call it, with not so simple dishes, and definitely nothing cincai about the prices. I’ve yet to try that. I hear the signature corn-fed aged chicken is something else, tho not cheap.
The Fifty Tales premises boast an old Chinese home feel with contemporary strappings. The three young partners strive to enliven a sleepy old neighbourhood. I applaud them for trying to reinvent old school Chinese cuisine, making it more accessible and appealing for the next generation. May not be for everyone, but in my books, it’s always a good thing to have variety.
Add: 19, Jalan 21/11b, Sea Park, Petaling Jaya. hp: 012-249 2697
My mum cooked black soy sauce chicken for us all the time when I was growing up. It was one of my favourite dishes as it went so well with rice. Even now, my boys are always happy when they know there’s ayam pongteh on …
Promo code: PW2023KEWM to get 10% discount! Prepare to embark on a captivating journey into the vibrant world of Peranakan culture, artistry and cuisine during a spectacular weekend celebration like no other. Mark your calendars for Nov 3 and 4 for a gastronomic and cultural …
Japanese rice bowl chain brand “Densetsu no Sutadon-ya” opened their first Malaysian outlet in Lot 10, KL earlier this month. Owned and operated by Antworks Co Ltd, Densetsu no Sutadon-ya started off in Tokyo in 1971 and now sells their signature dish in 198 outlets across Japan.
Sutadon-ya originated as a hearty meal for a Tokyo shop’s staff and went viral in the traditional way – by word of mouth. The name comes from the word “stamina” and “donburi” (rice-bowl dish), and Sutadon-ya is rapidly expanding across the globe, finally landing on Malaysian shores this 2023.
The menu draws from their most popular dishes in Japan alongside international favourites. Their signature dish is the popular Tokyo Stamina Rice which consists of a bowl of thinly sliced pork doused with a special garlic-soy sauce heaped onto a bowl of warm Japanese rice. The menu is rounded out with classics such as Tokyo Stamina Curry, a mild Japanese curry loaded with onions and garlic, and Tokyo Stamina Fried Chicken, a karaage bursting with garlicky goodness and much more.
I tried the Eel Set which was steamed egg with eel. Unlike the usual Japanese chawan mushi, this was wetter and had more gravy, more depth and umami. Was great with rice, which by the way, was quite different as the grains were larger and stickier, more like glutinous rice, and was quite fragrant on its own.
Also tried the Okyo Stamina Meal which had takoyaki, the signature garlic soy sauce pork slices and a choice of three toppings. Quite a filling set as the portions are largish, and rhe sliced pork lived up its reputation as it was tasty and tender.
Meal sets start from RM35 with a number of interesting side dishes to choose from as well as an attractive take out bento menu.
Add: Level 4, J’s Gate Dining, Lot 10, Jln Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
The rebranded Sixteen, formerly known as Lea Deux Garcon, has undergone a slight revision to adjust to younger inkling. There are more plants, the decor has adopted a more hipster appearance and the menu revamped to cater a working lunch crowd. Nice to know that …