I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. I find all that wishy-washy propaganda just a way for Hallmark and restaurants to make money.  I mean, all these over sized fuzzy greeting cards certainly don’t make me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. Restaurants with their exorbitant prices don’t either.

Then I realised that the problem is not the celebration in itself. It is the fact that for many of us, outside of our weddings and anniversaries, don’t seek out to honor our relationships. Heck, some spouses don’t even remember anniversaries! That being the case, I am actually for the fact, that there is a system in place, that commercializes love and reminds us to spend money for a good cause. Well of course Valentine’s Day’s merchandising and advertising is self-serving, but at least it reminds us not to zip past our husbands and wives throughout the days, months even. It’s good to know that there are forces out there working to remind us to slow down and take our spouses out, to paint the town red.

As long as it does not burn a hole in your pocket! And yes, if this world were ideal, everyday would be Valentine’s Day with our respective spouses. But it ain’t. It ain’t ideal. And for those of us who cannot remember or do not have the luxury of time, let February the 14th help us slow down and remember, and be thankful for our special someone.

Speaking of burn-a-hole-in-your-wallet, I just had a ‘sampling’ of a Valentine’s Dinner at Samplings on the Fourteenth last week and I am happy to declare that it does not have to. For just RM158++ per person, you can enjoy a fabulous romantically tailored meal for two, amidst posh surroundings. The five course Valentine’s menu at Samplings on the Fourteenth, is inclusive of a glass of sparkling wine each, and a red, red rose, for the lovely lady. It really is a fantastic deal and I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Smoked Duck and Scallop with Wild Mushroom Salad and Lamb Lettuce

The Valentine’s Dinner at Samplings on the Fourteenth will start off with a rather appetising Smoked duck and Scallop starter, served on a bed of wild mushroom and pretty colourful, edible flowers as garnishing. The scallop was bouncy and succulent and went well with the smoky duck.

Saffron Seafood Soup flavoured with Fennel and Tomato 

This soup had a deep crab flavour, imparted by the Alaskan King crab, and was bursting with a heady seafood aroma, not unlike that of a bouillabaisse.

sorbet – pink grapefruit sorbet with Campari

A great and rather unusual palate cleanser employing bitter flavours rather than sour, to get the salivary glands going. Did the trick rather well I must say. Was starting to get a little bored with all the sour sorbets I’ve been having, of late. The Campari liqueur imparted a pink hue that gave this sorbet a whimsical romantic feel to it.

Main Course: Choice of either a Pan-Fried Cod Fish Fillet with Sea Urchin and Caviar Sauce; or a Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Seared Foie Gras, Port Wine reduction and Spring vegetables.

The Cod Fish itself was expertly cooked. The Urchin it was served with, took some getting used to  - I did not really care for it’s rather strong aroma that was a distraction to the finer flavour of the cod.

The Beef Tenderloin was hearty and really hit the spot like a good old fashioned steak. Would have liked it a little more rare though, but otherwise, a satisfying piece of meat. And then, there was the matter of a perfectly seared foie gras that did the dish justice.. may I have some more please?

Strawberry Delight – served with homemade double chocolate ice-cream and almond Macaron

And that, folks, is the rather well thought out, Valentines Day dinner at Samplings on the Fourteenth. If you decide to go, you will probably be pleased with the outcome of the dinner, as I was.

To conclude my Valentine’s day story, and as a final thought, ask yourselves, when was the last time you and your spouse went on a date? When was the last time just the two of you, snuck away for a intense night of romance? When was the last time you you bought something for your spouse as a token of your appreciation, love and honour? If your answer is more than 30 days for any of these, you’re overdue.

Time to get busy and get loving.

Every year at around this time, we celebrate MIGF, i.e. The Malaysia International Gourmet Festival in Kuala Lumpur. The MIGF has been around since year 2001. In the beginning, this festival was initiated in response to the industry’s need for a rejuvenation of the then, rather obscure fine dining scene. Though Malaysians have always enjoyed dining out, their overriding preference was for traditional restaurants and hawker food. However, today, Kuala Lumpur is very different and the appreciation for fine-dining has really taken off.

Chalet, the Swiss restaurant at Hotel Equatorial Kuala Lumpur is one of the participating restaurant of the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) 2011. They have been participating in this event for at least 10 years now. This year, Chalet’s theme is “Exquisitely Swiss”, and as they are renown for their authentic Swiss dishes, we were expecting something really terrific out of the restaurant. During this MIGF period, there will be many attractive packages up for grabs, if you dine at the participating outlets – at Chalet, you might stand to win a week-long dream trip to Switzerland valued at RM34,000! Not bad at all. We were invited to the preview of MIGF at Chalet recently, with special guests and sponsors of the night,  the Lufthansa MD and Swiss Ambassador officiating the dinner.

Bouquet of Green Asparagus Apple Balsamic dressing and Air-dried “Buendner” beef
To start off the night, we had a delicious starter of air dried Buendner beef, whose salty flesh was tempered by the sweetness of the green asparagus apple balsamic dressing.

Cappuccino of Morels with Caramel Pear Skewer
Then came the soup dish. This creamy morel mushroom soup possessed an earthy deep flavor, and this went well with the lightly baked pear slices. The pear was rather nice, as it was served crunchy, wrapped in sesame seeds and caramel sugars. Again a lovely balance of sweet and salty flavours was evident.

Onion Tart “Basel” with Tomato Coulis
We were then served a ‘quiche’ pie with a tomato pasta-like sauce. The tart had a creamy texture and was nicely savoury, which complemented the sweetness of tomato paste.

Sour Cherry Sorbet with Pineapple Crisp
The palate cleanser came in the form of a tarty cool cherry scoop, whose tanginess was unlocked with a sweet pineapple crisp.

Pan fried Giant Prawns with Poire Williams-Vanilla Sabayon and Roesti Potatoes
A delightfully crunchy prawn cooked in a wine based sauce and served over baked potatoes. No complaints here.

Sauteed milk-fed Veal Steak “Aargau”on Semolina Cake
The highlight of the dinner was the veal served medium, grilled and done in the style of Aargau. The meat was still moist, tender and tasty, doused with a wine based sauce and serve on top of a somewhat bland tasting semolina cake, which brought out and accentuated the meat flavors to perfection.

“Saanen” Mustard Ice-cream
As the grand finale, we were served a lovely timbale of ice-cream and fresh berries. A great end to the evening.

All in all this was a rather fresh and not to heavy menu from a quaint little swiss restaurant in Equatorial. The dishes were well balanced and my favourite of the night, was the veal. The wines served were mainly Chilean and Italian, reds and whites and in my opinion, they did not do the food justice. The selection of wines could have been improved, I thought.  At the dinner, I noticed a display showing a champagne bottle being opened with a sword. I actually wanted to do the trick if offered the opportunity.. but no such luck.

Speaking to Fritz Tschantre , the Guest Chef at Chalet this October for the period of MIGF, we found out that he hails from Aargau, a village in Switzerland. Chef Tschantre is married to a Malaysian Chinese. He informed us that he didn’t use any cheese in the dishes because he felt many Malaysian palates do not take to cheese flavors. We actually told him that now a days, many Malaysians love cheese. All the ingredients we dined on were fresh and specially flown in, except the local vegetables. The Morels mushrooms, which was a rather expensive item, were especially flown in just to create that particular soup dish. Veal is served medium in Aargau. However guest can request it done differently if they so choose. Chalet’s Chef de Cuisine, Hafizzul will also be around to show off his contemporary version of Swiss dishes. Diners will stand a chance to win a fabulous vacation to Switzerland for two persons. Check it out, at their website.

Now corporate travellers to Kuala Lumpur, can mix fine food and business under one roof, especially if they are staying at the G Tower Hotel. G Tower Hotel is the up and coming choice for corporate and leisure travellers visiting Kuala Lumpur, as it has both functionality as well as a swanky vibe to it.  The hotel is located at a prime spot within the city’s business, commercial and embassy districts. It is adjacent to the Ampang Park LRT station, offering access to popular destinations in Kuala Lumpur and is within walking distance of KLCC, famous for its shopping and the Petronas Twin Towers. It really is what we call, a “G”spot in the city.

Amuse-Bouche

But I digress. I meant to tell you about our dinner at the Upper Deck, Tanzini at the G Tower hotel. This spanking new fine-dining restaurant, set on the higher level of Tanzini, looked 100% the part. I love the way this place exudes glamour. With an indoor/outdoor rooftop area such as this, and with a dramatic view of the city’s sky scape, thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows some twenty odd stories above the ground, is it any wonder you feel like sashay-ing, rather than walking into dinner. Yes, in terms of ambiance, the Upper Deck has it pegged, all right.

So, let’s get down to dinner. To kick off this new menu, we shared an interesting spread of contemporary fine-dining starters and mains, with the other guests at the long table. It wasn’t until we were halfway into the dinner, that we noticed that we were actually having the degustation menu. Highlights in our meal of hits and misses were these well executed dishes, most notably the Soup of Smoked Duck Consommé and Ox Tongue Ragù Ravioli, the Butternut Squash Cappellacci with Sea Urchin and Avruga Caviar and the Baby Lobster Tail and Hokkaido Scallops starters. Of these, the most outstanding for me, was the Soup of Smoked Duck Consommé and Ox Tongue Ragù Ravioli. I managed to get a fair share and taste of this terrifically well flavoured soup of smoked duck,  and a lush, melt in your mouth ox tongue centre, encased in a perfectly textured ravioli. It was cooked al dente and the chewiness was divine. 

On the downside, since we had to share the already minute portions of starters,we actually missed out on the complete experience of flavours vs. textures, as it was rather hard to divided up the food and sauces equally. An excessively overcooked Pacific Rainbow Trout which was served with Dole Sweet Corn Risotto, was something I could not really wrap my tongue around. The fish was dry and the corn was a hindrance to the flavour.

Then came the sous-vide mains. If you’ve gone out to a fancy restaurant in the last five years or so, you’ve most likely eaten a protein that was cooked sous-vide in a water bath, whether you knew it or not. The process of vacuum-packing meat and cooking it in a precise temperature-controlled water bath has revolutionized the way fine-dining restaurants are run. The beauty of sous-vide cooking is that since you are cooking your steak in a water bath to begin with, there is absolutely no chance your meat will ever get above the temperature you choose. As a rule of thumb, 120°F rare, 130°F medium rare, 140°F medium, and so on. Apparently as far as temperature goes, a Chef I spoke to recommends, the 130 to 140°F range (about 54 -60°C). To all you hardcore carnivores out there who insist on cooking your well-marbled, prime-grade steaks rare, you are doing yourself a disservice. Unless it renders and softens, the fat in a well-marbled piece of meat is worthless and doesn’t taste palatable.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bloody steak or lamb, as much as the next person and have been a firm believer in “medium rare” since I was old enough to exercise my canines and incisors, but I would have preferred mine a little less rare. Anyway, upon returning the meats, the second time the food arrived – it was better. I truly enjoyed both the steak and the lamb on the second try. I must say, that the intrinsic flavours of the meats were superb, possibly due to the freshness of the cut plus the sous-vide technique employed in cooking it.

cheers!

Appetizer

Baby Lobster Tail Salad

Assorted Heirloom Tomatoes, Garden Greens, Basil Ravioli, Aged Balsamico

OR

Duo of Hokkaido Scallop

Caramelized Scallop, Edamame Purée & Carpaccio Scallop, Crab Roe Emulsion

Soup

Momotaro Tomato Gazpacho

Chilled Momotaro Tomato Succo, Tiger Prawn Salsa Timbale & Apple Mint Oil

OR

Smoked Duck Tea

Smoked Duck Consommé and Ox Tongue Ragù Ravioli, Black Trumpet Mushroom

Starter

Butternut Squash Cappellacci

Sea Urchin and Avruga Caviar

OR

Pacific Rainbow Trout

Dole Sweet Corn Risotto, Black Truffle, Styria Pumpkin Seed Oil

Intermezzo

Sorbet of the day

Mains

1824 Beef Tenderloin & Cheek

Slow-roasted Beef Tenderloin and Cheek, Swede Purée, Summer Root Vegetables,

 Zinfandel Reduction

 OR

Lamb Rack in Granola Bar Crust

Caramelized Onion Tarte Tatin, Baby Vegetables Niçoise,

Spiced Peach Chutney

OR

Fillet of Yellowtail King Fish

Oven-roasted Lemon Grass infused Hamachi Fish,

Braised Kohlrabi and Fennel Broth

Dessert

Assorted Tanzini Creations – Profiteroles with ice-cream and strawberries

Executive Chef, Johnny Fua and Upper Deck Sous Chef, Alven Tan

Choice of dining options is varied from a four course dinner at RM155++ per pax or a five course dinner at RM185++ per pax. This post features the Chef’s Degustation Menu, which is a six course dinner at RM215++ per pax. All in all, an interesting dining experience but we need to go back to check out the other items on the menu one of these days, for sure.

As I stand quietly, patiently, camera trained in the right direction of Chef Daniel and Sage’s open kitchen, my focus can now fall on its mostly exhilarating food: a decadent slice of Hiramasa King Fish with smoked Avruga caviar Cream that’s the stuff of dreams; a mélange of Consomme of Foie Gras with Fresh Mushroom and Pacific Oysters that’s pure rapture; a cut of precocious beef, the Wagyu Beef Striploin with Dauphinoise Potato and French Mustard Sauce that gets my vote for steak of the new millennium.

Sage is by far, my favourite restaurant for prolonged lunches. Here is Chef Daniel.. making sure I get the best experience I can, out of Sage’s 3 course lunch. We normally do 4 courses and take both the starters, a choice of mains and finish it off with dessert and coffee, because we are greedy that way, but also mainly because we can!

The Chef prepares our Hiramasa King Fish with such tender loving care..

Hiramasa King Fish with smoked Avruga caviar Cream

I alway love the fish starters on the Sage menu, because they are more often than not, very well executed. Less is best, and these subtle flavours of the Hiramasa King Fish are balanced to perfection with the other components on the plate. One of our dining companions commented that if we just had an entire steak of yellowtail kingfish, one prepared just like this, he would be happy to go home after eating that one dish. I am inclined to agree.

Consomme of Foie Gras with Fresh Mushroom and Pacific Oysters

Ah, Sage really had my husband in mind, when they designed this dish. The Consomme of Foie Gras was a light, rich broth, with a delicate sliver of foie, immersed in it’s own earthy foie and mushroom juices. This made the Foie Gras a lot less gamy in taste- something Cumi really appreciates. The Pacific Oysters were explosive sacs of creamy and musky flavours. Too good for words.

thou art the Foie in my consomme.. !

Pan Roasted White Pomfret Fish with Kataifi Prawn and Nantua Suace (mains)

For the choice of mains, I picked the fish. It’s a delight to sink your incisors into a layer of crispy pan seared fish skin that gives way to flaky white, moist flesh, cooked just right. The surprise came in the form of a perfectly executed prawn kataifi.. if only dining could always be this fun and creative. A classic French sauce consisting of a Béchamel sauce base, cream, crayfish butter and crayfish tails completes the ensemble.

Wagyu Beef Striploin with Dauphinoise Potato and French Mustard Sauce (mains)

Though I thoroughly enjoyed my mains, the smell of Wagyu that wafted over from my neighbour’s plate, had me doubting myself. My dining companions were really happy with the intense marbling , the quality cut of beef and the fabulous french mustard sauce, that combined resulting in a spectacular richness and flavor they could only describe as “outrageous”. That good huh.. I was lucky enough that one of them offered me a morsel and yeah, they were right – totally outrageous.

Green Tea Bavarois with Creme Anglaise, Red Bean Ice cream

2 choices of Artisanal and Fermier Cheese with Fig Terrine, Homemade walnut bread

Desserts, especially those that are Bavarois in nature, are usually top notch at Sage, so if you can set aside some nap time, post lunch, that would be ideal.. However, if you cannot, there is always that extra strong coffee that will get you through your sugar dive.

These simple yet outstandingly well prepared dishes are what keeps us coming back, and it amply illustrates why Sage attracts such ardent worship in the first place. If you have not already visited Sage, you are missing out. But don’t worry, than can be fixed, of course;)

Lunches are priced at RM100 nett per head.

So what was Ciki doing outside of Millesime, you might ask.. Well she was actually waiting of a wine tasting event to begin. This particular event was unlike any other and unique in itself, because we would soon be experiencing, the 5 famed first growths of Bordeaux by the glass, including the most sought after wine in the world right now, the Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Also available by the glass that evening, was the undisputed king of sweet wines, Chateau d’Yquem.

*Ciki, dressed by Peep boutique
photo by Eiling

That’s right. Great news folks, for those of you who are lovers of top end Bordeaux wines, because you will now be able to buy them by the glass in Millesime, which is believed to be the first restaurant in the region to serve these vintage wines in such a manner. “All the wines are from either the 2000 or the 2001 vintage, which we believe are drinking perfectly right now,” said Max Chin, chef and co-owner of Millesime. “We have a temperature controlled wine room and a Le Verre du Vin preservation system from Europe and this allows us to offer our customers this unique experience, which follows the theme of the restaurant where we are the only restaurant in Kuala Lumpur if not Malaysia that only has a prix fix menu that changes daily,” he added. Prices by the glass for these wines start from RM575++ and can go up to RM1075 per glass.

Along with these fabulous wines, Chef Max Chin will be providing complimentary finger food for the guest. Here are some photos and a video on the event that evening. The wines were presented by Lionel Lau, co-owner of Millesime, as seen in the video.

Arguably the most renowned wines on earth, the classed growths of Bordeaux continue to be the most sought after wines. While most of their wines are based on Cabernet Sauvignon, both Merlot and Cabernet Franc play important roles in adding layered complexity to the finished wines. Different regions produce different wines, with their own classic traits, for example, St. Estephe giving full, rustic wines, from the heavy clay soils, Paulliac produces wines with a balance of ripe fruits, minerals and structure, St. Julien’s wines have a rich blackberry core to them. Moving to the South of the region brings one to Margaux, with its notes of flowers and berries, and then to the Graves region with wines redolent of tobacco, gravel and smoke. To the East lies the famous appellations of St. Emillion, with its wonderful Cabernet Franc, and Pomerol, where Merlot rules and produces deep and plush wines.

Chateau Margaux 2001

Of all the first growths, Margaux is certainly a strong contender for being the most splendidly presented, its imposing 19th-century chateau which peers over the chai, barrel cellars and other buildings easily visible from the road that snakes up the Médoc past the front doors of many of the classed growths. These wines consistently show an ineffable floral perfume, silky texture and great persistence on the after taste. Grapes have been grown on the property dating from the sixteenth century. The Chateau Margaux 2001 is a seamlessly constructed wine with a deep ruby/purple color, and a beautiful nose of flowers, blackberries, and cedar. A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc, this forward, opulent beauty can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years.

Pithivier of Goose Foie Gras with Duck Liver Terrine

Chateau Haut Brion 2001

Chateau Haut-Brion is notable for its First Growth status, under both the 1855 and 1973 Médoc classifications, despite its geographical location in Graves. In Pessac-Leognan, the dominant soil type is the gravel (and sand) which gave Graves its name. Chateau Haut-Brion is extremely classic. Less flamboyant and concentrated than the Pauillac first growths (Latour, Lafite, and Mouton), Haut-Brion is closer to Château Margaux in finesse. However, its intrinsic Graves nature comes through with age, and a fine old bottle of Haut Brion has an aristocratic bouquet of complex, noble, and intense tertiary aromas. Haut-Brion absolutely requires aging to express its fabulous taste.

Merlot Braised Waygu Beef Cheek with Dijon Grain Mustard Sauce

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2001

This wine from Paulliac is smoky, with berry, coffee and tobacco aromas. The Chateau Mouton Rothschild is full-bodied, with lovely velvety tannins, plenty of fruit and a cedary aftertaste. Tight and compacted. This is better than the 2000 Mouton. It`s a baby 1986 Mouton. Solid and very, very fine. It actually persists for a long time on the palate. Best drunk after 2009.

Welcome to the Grand Cru..

Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2001

Ah, my absolute favourite of the Bordelais! Talk about expensive  taste (Max, what have you done.. my husband’s going to flip when he sees what I have cultivated a taste for.. ) Drinking surprisingly well, this wine has elegance and structure all the way through it. The nose is classic Pauillac – an interesting nose of pencil shavings, cedar and spices. In the mouth, the Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2001 has wonderfully balanced fruit notes and perfect tannins that keep melting into the background. Long, complex, refined, elegant, stunning. Years ahead of it, but actually not a shame to drink now!

Smoked Duck Breast with Black Truffle Sauce

Chateau Latour 2001

If Lafite is renowned for elegance, Latour is prized for power. Vines were first planted on the site in the fourteenth century, but Latour’s reputation stems from the late part of the seventeenth century. In recent years, no finer wine has been made in Bordeaux, for Latour displays an uncanny combination of deep color. Cabernet-dominated flavors of dark berries, licorice and minerals- the finest oak that money can buy and great length on the after taste. Typically, the blend is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

Piccata of Haloumi Cheese with Champagne Vinaigrette

Chateau d’Yquem 2001

In the world of sweet wine, Chateau d’Yquem is King. The 2001 remains one of few wines ever to be awarded 100pts by critic Robert Parker, his comments include: ‘set to take its place among the most legendary vintages of the past…will age effortlessly for 75+ years‘. This unique estate dominated the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac; with its own private ranking of Premier Cru Superieur. Being literally in a league of its own, the wines of Chateau d’Yquem are several times as expensive as those of its neighbours! Rather dense and concentrated on the palate, it offers up plenty of barley sugar and floral sweetness framed by a fine acidity. The palate gradually unfolds with time, fanning out, to give a balanced structure. This sauterne has great finesse, and will age beautifully. Its future will be measured in aeons of cellar time rather than mere years.

Eiling shows how much she lusts after the Chateau d’Yquem 2001. She says it’s better than an orgasm. Lionel and I, disagree:P (we agree it’s a great wine BUT not better than an orgasm! haha)

So folks, for those of you who are lovers of top end Bordeaux wines, you will now be able to buy them by the glass in Millesime, which is believed to be the first restaurant in the region to serve these vintage wines in such manner. Alongside these wines, Finger food (on the house) will be prepared by Chef Max Chin. Please note that these small plates, especially the first Pithivier that was created for the occasion, required pre-ordering, 1 day in advance. The Grand crus by the glass, are priced below.

Chateau d’Yquem 2001

Chef Max, Ciki and the Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2001

Sassy Eiling says, “only the best, at Millesime!”