Food Explorer & Home Chef
I was whisked away over a weekend to Solaire Resort Entertainment City in the Philippines recently, and what an experience it was! The huge imposing facade of Solaire Resort greeted me way before I was anywhere near, it’s that big. Once we arrived, it was …
It’s literally been more than 2 decades since I last visited Manila in the Philippines for a fashion shoot. I can hardly remember much of it – bits of Makati, the old church, going around in a taxi – that’s about it. This time round, …
I’ve been to quite a few Tiger Food Festivals in the last few years and I must say this year’s was quite happening! Some 10,000 guests flocked to 1U Shopping Mall, PJ from Sept 5-8 for the Tiger Crystal Food Festival which has become a must-visit event for food lovers.
It was hot, hot, hot, yet guests showed up in full force to enjoy the mix of delicious food across four Food Zones. Of course, ice-cold Tiger Crystal was the perfect salve for the heat, light and refreshingly. There was the Tiger Crystal x CU Mart zone, offering a vibrant mix of grab-and-go bites from Korean convenience store CU Mart. This zone was all
about exploration and customisation as attendees discovered new ways to enjoy familiar favourites.
Foodie Lane united street food from around the world, from the familiar Japanese ramen and Italian pizza to local Malaysian delights. Top food vendors included Blue Reef Fish & Chips, Dai Tao Lalapot Kepong, Kinori Sushi, Isan Kaya, Na Jie China BBQ, Lut Gastrobar, Ramen Mob, Otaba, Little Lor, Undisclosed Location and Warung Babi Guling Jenny, among many others. The zone was a true celebration of global and local
cuisines.
The Supper Club zone offered intimate, interactive experiences with some of Kuala Lumpur’s most talented chefs from local restaurants Ember, Fire & Slice, Harmony House and Round Pizza. Diners enjoyed a front-row seat to culinary excellence here.
Inspired by North Asian dessert bars, the Dessert Bar zone had sweet stuff crafted with Tiger Crystal as a base ingredient, the likes of Coley, Dao Desserts, Donut Plan and MMM Café by Lesim.
We stuffed face, checked out lively games, live performances on stage and moved to the DJ spinning tunes. All in all, a successful outing with Tiger Crystal – looking forward to next year’s do already!
Yun House, the Michelin selected restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur. played host to a brand new menu of bold flavours, creatively crafted by Chef Jimmy Wong and his talented team. With colourful garnishes and innovative plating, pushing the boundaries of Cantonese fine dining, …
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 night, a gorgeous view of the city skyline.
Luuma Dining & Bar offers a decent collection of cocktails, including a selection of creative surprises by the bartender when you order the Luuma Surprise. Cocktail prices are pretty competitive if not, a little lower than usual drinking spots.
The food rises above usual humdrum bar food to really praise-worthy mutton varuval (great with garlic bread) and an innovative take on nasi lemak with pasta (highly recommended). Spicy and expertly nuanced with herbs, the mutton goes well with garlic bread or rice while the essence of Nasi Lemak has been nicely encapsulated in the plate of pasta, complete with anchovies, peanuts and sambal in the mix.
Pizzas come large and unabashed with interesting toppings such as the Smoked Duck Pizza which came with duck and sliced peach. Surprisingly yummy, though I would ask for less BBQ slathered across next round. Prices range around RM40-something depending on the topping or less that’s perfect for sharing.
We also tried the Aglio Olio Tiger Prawns Pasta – good, but not inspiring, especially since there’s other creative options like kam heong pasta and delish pesto. Skewers of Chicken Tikka Kebab, with a nice char and juicy chunks of chicken, was impressive, especially with the house mint sauce.
Only the Sirloin Steak which came with fragrant and better than average Black Pepper Sauce failed to live up to expectations as it was overcooked and tough.
There’s a host of other stuff, both Western and Asian-fusion fare, on the menu so there’s lots more to explore here. It’s also a great place to host an event, even weddings have been held here. What’s really nice is how the skyline looks so different and even prettier at night. I would definitely say yes to a repeat visit.
Add: LEVEL 20, MENARA SENTRAL VISTA, 150, Jln Sultan Abdul Samad, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. Hp: 019-499 6770
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 …
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 glass can significantly improve the aroma, taste and texture of a wine.
Co-founder Jeff Ng of Artisan Blue, an alcoholic beverage wholesaler, took us on a journey of discovery that explored the uniqueness of RIEDEL glasses. Armed with a 286-year-old history, the Austrian glass manufacturing label has built its reputation on designing specific stemware to uncork the personality of different grape varieties and the subtle character of wines.
We tried 4 grape varieties – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon – using top-of-the-line RIEDEL Performance Tasting Set. Backed by science, the architecture of each glass including its size, shape and opening, is optimally designed to control the amount of contact between air and wine while directing the flow of wine at the ideal speed to the correct part of the tongue.
Exquisitely crafted from crystal with a fine, elegant stem and perfectly stabilised base, the laser-cut, fine rim creates a seamless transition from glass to mouth. For comparison, a joker glass ( a standard-shaped traditional wine glass with a thicker rim diameter) was used to prove that when it comes to wine, the right glass does matter.
In between sips of fine wine, we savoured mustard seed-crusted cream cheese and gouda truffle from France, also brought in by Artisan Blue. While learning the art of glass handling, washing and proper wine etiquette, Jeff regaled us with stories of his adventures through the vibrant vineyards of Europe.
He stayed in a vineyard during his trip to Tuscany, Italy and visited the top vineyards such as Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Château Angelus in Bordeaux, France where he learned firsthand about the different grape varieties, terroir and winemaking techniques.
After a personal invite to visit the RIEDEL glass-making factory in Kufstein, Austria, he was inspired by his eye-opening trip to share his knowledge and insights by offering an experience rather than just a product. Jeff is currently pursuing the coveted title of Ambassador for RIEDEL Glass to empower more wine enthusiasts to drink less and enjoy more.
The passionate wine connoisseur says, “My mission is to make the love of wine accessible to all with a focus on fair prices, quality education, and unrivalled tasting experiences. I believe wine is a powerful tool for building connections and creating memorable experiences.”
Artisan Blue also imports its wines from renowned winemakers from Italy and France including Barolo in the Piedmont region in Italy, Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône region in France and Burgundy region in France.
Artisan Blue’s exclusive RIEDEL glass wine tasting experience is at a special price of RM189 (valued at RM1,900), available for a limited time only.
For more deets, visit badwineorwrongglass.com or call Jef at 012-349 6705.
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? …