This is great news as I have just signed up for my very own SPG Card. This card entitles me to 15% discounts at Prime, Favola, Latest Recipe, Villa Danieli, Celestial Court, Essence, Prego, Splash, The Living Room, Five5enses and Qba Latin Grill & Bar as well as over 300 participating restaurants and bars in Asia Pacific.. not bad if you think about how often I eat out!

At this launch hosted by Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, we had three great Chefs under one roof, cooking for us. First up was Chef Garth Welsh who cooked for us our starters of Prawns, Haloumi cheese and watermelon. Australian born, Chef Garth Welsh is The Westin Kuala Lumpur’s newest addition to its evolving culinary team. As the new Director of Kitchens, Garth will oversee the overall kitchen operations and menu engineering of the hotel’s six signature concept restaurants. Prior to this, Garth was the Executive Chef of the Sheraton Full Moon Resort and Spa in Maldives. He spearheaded the team in all the hotel’s restaurants –Sea Salt, Feast, Baan Thai andSandCoast. Next with the main course of steak, was Chef Antoine Rodriguez. Born in Bordeaux, France, Antoine has gained his wealth of 30 years experience in culinary knowledge through his travels to Caribbean Island, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Thailand, Africa and Turkey. As Le Meridien’s Executive Chef, Antoine is responsible for the overall culinary operations, food conceptualization, promotions, menu planning and ensuring high quality service delivery standards of 110 kitchen professionals. Last but not least, was Chef Rajesh Kanna who prepared our dessert for that afternoon. With 17 years experience of professional experience in the food and beverage industry, Chef Rajesh has gained the respect of his peers and recognition from the people within and outside the culinary world. While at the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel, he has organized and executed various themed and unique menus for celebrities, key socialites and ambassadors.

L-R: Chef Rajesh Kanna of Sheraton Imperial KL, Chef Antoine Rodriguez of Le Meridien KL, Chef Garth Welsh of The Westin KL

This loyalty program just announced a mix of new culinary benefits at over 500 restaurants and bars for SPG members globally to enjoy. In conjunction with this announcement, SPG launched a new website, www.SPG.com/restaurantsandbars, where SPG members can take advantage of these exclusive discounts at more than 500 restaurants and bars worldwide, including Prime, Favola and Latest Recipe at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, Villa Danieli, Celestial Court and Essence at Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel as well as Prego, Splash, FiveSen5es, The Living Room, Qba Latin Grill & Bar at The Westin Kuala Lumpur.

the new SPG website

The website will also feature an opportunity to register and win an around the world VIP culinary journey with an SPG member only sweepstakes ‘Around the World in 5 Meals’. Members can earn Starpoints for these dining experiences and turn a night out into a weekend getaway. Through the SPG Moments program, SPG members will have access to VIP culinary experiences with world-renowned chefs such as Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Masaharu Morimoto. Currently available for members residing or travelling to North America, exciting culinary moments in nearby cities around Asia Pacific will be announced in the near future.

Chuck Abbott, Regional Vice President for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in South East Asia says that this represents a platform that showcases their award-winning portfolio of restaurants and chefs from around the world. Through proprietary programming, content, special access and discounts, they have created a resource that is ideal for their loyal guests.

L-R: Chuck Abbott, Regional Vice President for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in South East Asia and the lovely Cindy Yoong, Director of Marketing and Communications, Starwood Hotels.

In Kuala Lumpur, SPG members can receive 15% discounts at Prime, Favola, Latest Recipe, Villa Danieli, Celestial Court, Essence, Prego, Splash, The Living Room, Five5enses and Qba Latin Grill & Bar as well as over 300 participating restaurants and bars in Asia Pacific, and continue to earn Starpoints on all eligible food & beverage spend to get even closer to their next dream vacation. As part of SPG’s continued commitment to providing one of a kind experiences for its members, SPG.com/restaurantsandbars will also feature chef cooking classes and videos with SPG chefs demonstrating how to create their signature dishes.

Some photos of that afternoon’s events:

We were greeted by starters – 3 tables representing the 3 participating hotels and Chefs

swanky ipads that showed the menu for the day

the best things in life are free.. or heavily discounted! Get your SPG card today;)

The rather impressive lunch table

Me and Harvey - Harvey John Thompson is the GM of Le Meridien KL

Chef Garth Welsh really outdoes himself with the Starter of Prawn, Haloumi and Watermelon Salad

This Salad was so huge and yet exquisitely delicious, I could have stopped right there, and been happy to call it a day! We each had before us, individually plated starters of 3 huge prawns layered between 3 neatly cut, massive square chunks of grilled haloumi cheese and 3 succulent slices of watermelon. This was then tastefully garnished with pomegranate and a characteristic tabouleh dressing. The best way to eat this dish is to cut a small portion of prawn, cheese and watermelon and eat it in one swift mouthful. Too good for words!

Chef Garth Welsh tells me he saw my posts on the Sheraton Maldives and how he and Chef Sven Cepon were good buddies up in the Maldives!

The fabulous mains of Roasted Beef Tenderloin, by Chef Antoine Rodriguez

This next mains that showcased beef cooked in 3 ways, all served on the same platter was pretty impressive. Provencal crust with crushed pink peppercorn, clear beef jus, poached oyster blade in rich beef consomme (served in a shot glass), braised beef cheeks stuffed in a hollowed-out carrot trunk, fresh goat cheese and pistachio in beetroot jelly tube and apricot chutney and last but not least, a Yukon gold and orange sweet potatoes cake, with garlic & chives cream sauce.

He is my favourite Chef, so of course he can do no wrong in my books! LOL

The final and most beautifully plated dessert by Chef Rajesh Kanna - Tiramisu (from Villa Danieli), Chilled Mango Cream with Pearl Sago, Pomelo & Vanilla Icecream (from Celestial Court), Chocolate Madagascar topped with Poached Vanilla-scented Apricot (from Essence) & Black Sesame Macaron (from Toastina)

Chef Rajesh did a fine job of the desserts.. the sweetest ending to a terrific lunch!

So much fine talent under one roof.. I fear the room will explode! 

Around the World in 5 Meals Sweepstakes – Win an Around the World Food Journey

To celebrate the launch of the new culinary benefits, SPG is launching an exclusive SPG member only, global sweepstakes, ‘Around the World in 5 Meals.’ SPG members are invited to create a tailor made ‘around the world’ food experience by selecting five destinations from all participating venues on a world map. SPG members submit their journey to be entered into a sweepstakes and one lucky member will then win their around the world culinary experience. To reward those SPG members that dine in participating restaurants and bars on an ongoing basis, every meal in a participating venue represents an extra entry to the sweepstakes. Register at www.SPG.com/aroundtheworld.

For more information about Starwood Preferred Guest please visit SPG.com.

Every Monday to Fridays, Millesime hosts a Gourmet Hour, which is essentially their version of happy hour, and it starts around the time one kicks off work, between the time of 5.30pm to 7.30pm. If you’re the sort that does not take to pub peanuts nor cheap finger food too well, then you will be right at home at Millesime’s Gourmet hour – only the best, ingredients and best gourmet snacks will be served, free-flow, between the appointed time.

the rosy and delectable, seared tuna.. a beautiful blush

You will get to enjoy gourmet sandwiches, all on the house, and you need only pay for your drinks. The selection of gourmet bites will differ depending on availability of ingredients. The drinks themselves can range anywhere between RM40 to RM1000 for a glass of wine, depending on what bottle tickles your fancy. Think top end Bordeaux wines, and you won’t be far off the mark. Of course there are also more affordable tipples to choose from, such as the Oxford Landing Estates Chardonnay priced at RM38 per glass, or if wine is not your thing, they serve beers too such as one of my all time favourites – the Weihenstephan.

choose your poison!

Sandwiches with high end fillings such as Smoked Salmon, Smoked Duck, the terrifically sinful melt in your mouth Kobe Beef and washed down with wines of your choice are just the tip of the iceberg. One of my favourites served by the chef is the Haloumi Cheese with Beetroot – if you are a fan of beetroot and its earthy flavour you will love this. Coupled with the salty and rich Haloumi, it’s just too good for words. A less sinful item to order, if you are going easy on the red meats, would be the lightly Grilled Portobello Mushrooms seasoned with olive oil. These go superbly well with the refreshing Oxford Landing Estates Chardonnay, especially on a hot, muggy evening. If you are a wine connoisseur, you will be happy to know that Millesime also offers the 5 famed first growths of Bordeaux by the glass, including one of the most sought after wines in the world right now, the Chateau Lafite Rothschild. These wines by the glass here, priced at approximately RM500 upwards, are really something else. Order this and it would truly be “Gourmet Hour” at Millesime!

Lionel gives us a quick intro on the Gourmet Hour at Millesime 

lightly grilled Portobello Mushrooms

Haloumi Cheese with Beetroot

 Kobe Beef Sandwiches… divine!

 smoked salmon open faced sandwiches

smoked duck, open faced sandwiches

 Apart from that, some new offerings at Millesime include, the Petite Menu, a 3-courses for RM200++, the Menu Gourmet, a 4-courses for RM220++, and the Menu Degustation, a 5-courses for RM250++, which is available for dinner. Every Wednesday of the week, there is a 4-course lunch menu with wine pairing priced at RM120 nett. On Fridays, the Wine Lunch consists of a 5-courses meal and is priced at RM150 nett. Check out Millesime’s Facebook page for their weekly menus.

The Cune winery in Haro, is made up of a group of buildings, mostly from the 19th century and arranged around a courtyard surrounded by pavilions used for wine production, aging, and bottling. Soft and supple on the palate, the Reserva Rioja, is a great wine  from a very well-respected linage, and is made from a careful blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano grapes. A wine that would make a good partner for our main course as we would soon find out!

Tapas trio – Kalamanta crab fritters, Pollo Pasteria and Brie Cheese wrapped with Bacon and Dates

So on to dinner.

The first platter known as the Chef’s Special Tapas Platter had an assortment of 3 carefully arranged tapas bites. As we were seated immediately across from Oscar, her strongly urged us to not stick to the recommended paired wines, but rather to fill up our glasses with the different wines and choose for ourselves, what paired with what tapas. This was the first time I had tried this technique at a wine dinner but I must say, that by the end of the night, I quite got the hang of it.

We decided that the both the Contino Reserva 2006 (balsamic finish, velvety) as well as the Viña Real 2008 (good tannins and balanced acidity) paired well with the Pollo Pasteria. The Viña Real complemented the rather strong tasting and spicy chicken pasteria, and so did the Contino Reserva. These two wines managed to mellow the bold flavours of this particular tapas.

We then moved on to experiment with the whites. We found that the Monopole 2010 which was a citrus and floral white, went terrific with the Brie Cheese wrapped with Bacon and Dates as well as the Crab fritters. The white wine had a nice bouquet that enhanced the sweetness of the dates, and brought out the flavours of the porcine and cheese. An interesting and unexpectedly clever pairing. This wine had the same flavour enhancing effect on the Crab fritters.

Mr Oscar Urrutia holds the crowd captive with his riveting stories from the vineyards of Rioja

And if you miss anything, Mr Roderick Hull was there to fill in the bits of the missing puzzle

Lobster Tail Romesco – Fresh Lobster Tail with Romesco dressing and Capellini

This sweet, succulent and tender lobster flesh paired superbly with the Contino Reserva 2006. The Contino was of an intense and deep garnet colour. It also had a high aromatic bouquet and a strong flavour of black fruits. On the palate, it was warm, full bodied and fragrant, with a long fruity and spicy aftertaste.

Contino wines are produced at a small estate located near Laguardia in the Rioja Alavesa region, not far from the Ebro which meanders around the estate in a great, sweeping arc. There is a farmhouse with cellars several centuries old, and 66 hectares of vineyards, all purchased by José Madrazo Real de Asúa in 1973 with the sole aim of producing single vineyard wines in the same vein as any leading Bordeaux château, here using a mix of French and American oak.

Pan Seared Red Lamb Tenderloin with Quince Aioli

The garlicky Quince Aioli and tender pan seared lamb, was a great match for the Imperial Grand Reserva 2001. Bright and deep ruby colour, the nose shows unexpectedly marked Tempranillo characteristics, with undertones of blackberry and liquorice. On the palate it had sufficient body and structure to give great length and finesse in the finish.

The Imperial range, which comprises a reserva and gran reserva, has been around a little longer, since the 1920s in fact – the gran reserva is a great wine, which sits comfortably with the very best Spain can offer. With regard to the Imperial Gran Reserva, the fruit is sourced from vineyards around Villalba and Haro, using only that from vines at least 20 years-old. It is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, all harvested by hand, destemmed and cold-macerated, before temperature-controlled fermentation and subsequent ageing for the prescribed time in a mixture of French and American oak.

Pan Seared Wagyu Beef

I loved my mains of Wagyu beef! It had a great fatty marbling that complemented “the final wine and highlight of the night” to perfection – the Imperial Grand Reserve 1999. The Imperial Gran Reserva 1999 is particularly impressive – it was awarded a whopping 94 points on the Robert Parker. This wine is a true classic of Rioja. The grapes for the Imperial Gran Reserva come from the Rioja Alta region, from vines with at least 20 years of age.

The Imperial Gran Reserva 1999 has a very expressive nose of spice, balsamic notes, violets, licqourice and black fruits. Incredibly elegant on the palate, it is a wine of finesse, with intense flavours and a lengthy, pure, silky finish. Imperial Gran Reserva 1999 is an absolutely classic example of the finest Rioja Alta wines and I loved it!

Cava Cheese Cake

This cheese cake served with warm fruit compote, pecan nut and red wine plum dressing was a great end to a fabulous night. Wine and dine, and all things fine.. Life should always be this way, don’t you think;)

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.

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.