Food Explorer & Home Chef
I was going for something different with meehoon (rice vermicelli) other than the usual stir-fry and meehoon soup variations, and I found a recipe for Thai minced beef noodle. This turned out quite refreshing and the boys gave their stamp of approval so I thought …
Generally, I love oysters, but Oyster and Ice Cream? Chef Takashi Kimura makes it possible to have it all, with his take on Kakiemon Oyster and Ice Cream with Konbu Jelly. Not quite the blob of ice cream as one would expect, the cream in …
A first for me, as I have never been taught the different nuances of sake before. And I confess, even after eight shots of sake, I still find it hard to differentiate the various types of sake, only that they all went down real smooth!
This apt tasting session was a precursor to a Japanese Specialty Dinner.
Under the Junmai Daiginjo category, which means 50% polished rice without added alcohol, the chilled sake varieties were:
Izumibashi Junmai Daiginjo Kimoto: Omachi rice grown and harvestedby the brewery, with deep and rich flavours yet elegant, delicate and refreshing.
Koikawa Junmai Daiginjo: Smooth, fruity and light with umami flavour. Slides comfortably down the throat, extraordinary depth of taste.
Koikawa Junmai Ginjo (classic): Recommended for beginners, elegant and smooth, light and slight acidity. Good as warm sake for beginners.
Asahigiku Daichi Junmai Daiginjo: Using nom-pesticide Yamada Nishiki rice, gentle umami of rice with mild acidity that is well-balanced when served cold. Served warm, gives creamy smooth texture with slight acidic aftertaste.
Tokubetsu Junmai: Dry and smooth rice/malt flavour with a tangy acidic aftertaste, When warm, rich flavours spreads across palate with slightly sharp aftertaste.
The warm ones :
Komagura Munouyaku Yamada Nishiki: Obtained from pesticide-free Yamada Nishiki rice, mild and gentle aroma with taste derived from soft rice.
Benten Musume Junmai Nicori (limited edition): Distinctly cloudy in appearance, creamy and deep umami flavour, yet not too heavy with pleasant mouthfeel. When warmed up to 60 degrees C, you get a creamy and rich flavour that spreads across palate.
We also tried the Tokubetsu Junmai warm, which tasted quite different, as the nuances were clearer.
Descriptions were provided by Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar at Micasa All Suite Kuala Lumpur.
Far from my usual neck of the woods, Kinrara 8 in Puchong seemed unlikely to have anything interesting in terms of a cafe. Like a shinning beacon, we found My Own Bakes Cafe, a welcoming set up that served the neighbourhood. My other half had …
Was looking for a dinner venue and literally stumbled upon Saba-Hae. Game for anything new and especially if prices are accommodating, we gave this a try. The simple, fuss-free restaurant is styled after outlets that offer quick-grab-and-go services. There is also a long table and …
Annyeonghaseyo! In recent years, I’ve become a bit of a fan of Korean food and am always on the lookout for a good deal for BBQ.
As a belated birthday dinner for No. 1, we made a visit to Seo Gung Korean BBQ. The restaurant has been around for more than two years in its present location in Damansara Utama but we only discovered this place late last year.
Given its price tag, it’s probably one of the best Korean buffet deals in town. Even the soju and other similar brew are very reasonably priced.
This was better second time round as well. First time, you’re not sure what to expect and when you go the next, it’s always good to see if the food quality has been maintained.
For RM33, you get unlimited refill of meat – an assortment of chicken and pork – (and one small dish of octopus) and the buffet includes some 9 types of banchan, Korean pancake and steamed egg as well as kimchi jiggae! In KL/PJ, where to find this kind of deal, right?!
The only catch is, the meal must be finished within 1 hour and 30 mins. It sounds like too short a time but surprisingly, it’s quite doable.
And you would want to load up on the protein since it is free flow, right? But you know what? We only had a second refill, plus two other small plates of pork, even though there were four of us. And this despite having 3 men at the table who have healthy appetites!
Firstly, it takes a while for the raw meat to cook, and secondly, by the time you eat all the side dishes, you’re already half full already!
I knew this already so I made a point to go slow with the carbo-based banchan, but even then, my tummy could only put in that much.
Maybe, you can do better?
Add: 55, Jalan SS 21/1A, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 03-7733 2058
Since I had to pick up something from Old Klang Road area, Littlepeople Cafe popped up on the list of cafes to visit. Waze got a little confused and took us on a detour. But finally, found it on the ground floor of a residential …
It was a long time in making, 10 years since the last special bin release, but right at the start of 2020, Penfolds has already made history by releasing a new, rare wine from the 2016 vintage – Special Bin 111A Clare Valley Barossa Valley …
In the sweltering afternoon heat, Moët Hennessy Diageo (MHD) Malaysia further raised temperatures when it ushered in the Year of the Rat at Plaza Arkadia with a lion dance performance by one of the best troupes in the country.
In conjunction with the CNY festivities, Hennessy also launched its promotional campaign themed “Renewal of Hope”.
The collab between Hennessy and renowned Chinese artist Zhang Huan resulted in inspiring artwork of a resonant dreamscape entitled “Spheres of Hope” featured on auspicious-looking limited edition bottles specially designed for the New Year season.
“Every year, the world’s cities shine with red lanterns celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year. It is a celebration promising new beginnings and perpetual movement that Hennessy embraces generously. This is what we want to embody in this especially meaningful celebration,” explained Thomas Bouleuc, Managing Director of MHD Malaysia.
As part of the campaign, Hennessy also collaborated with renowned Malaysian landscape designer Lim In Chong, popularly known as Inch, to create the “Garden of Hope”. The tree installation showcases twelve trees with individual coloured spheres inspired by shades of Zhang Huan’s artwork.
Visitors to Plaza Arkadia can see both Zhang Huan’s artwork and the “Garden of Hope” throughout the campaign duration, which ends February 8, 2020.
Huan’s artworks will also feature on Hennessy’s promotions and publicity throughout the campaign and on a microsite specially developed by Hennessy for the festivities.
At the microsite, users can find out more about the ongoing events, create their own New Year greetings to share on social media with friends, and play games to collect points to redeem exclusive Hennessy bottles, free dinners or free drinks at participating restaurants and clubs.
The campaign also sees Hennessy fulfilling the hopes of eight people in the New Year in the categories of health, wealth, relationships, career, self, business, home and travel with gifts altogether amounting to RM38,888.
More details on http://innercirclevip.club/cny2020.
I was making my way to Nuromen, one of my favourite Sarawak beef noodles joints, as I haven’t been there for a while. Was surprised to see a burger stall in front as I entered. Turns out, it was The Burg, which used to be …