Talking to the new chef of Dish Kuala Lumpur, we found Steve to be down to earth and a really calm, cool and collected guy to talk to. He told us that Gordon Ramsey was not such a bad mentor after all. He did tell us one incidence where he was asked to make a Rabbit Ravioli with rabbit reduce stock, which fell apart every time he tried to put the finishing touches on it. There was this one huge food critic in the audience that night, and in the kitchen, nerves were frayed and emotions at an all time high. Steve could not afford to mess this one up. Being a little green behind the ears, Chef Steven chucked out his unacceptable rabbit ravioli attempt into a rubbish bin.. only to be caught red handed by Ramsay. Time was short and the Ramsay needless to say, went ballistic. That was about the only time Steven was at the center of what might constituted a rather loud kitchen upheaval, but he survived and went on to become an excellent Chef and to head Ramsay’s kitchen.

So why Kuala Lumpur?

As it turns out E&O’s managing director Datuk Terry Tham was a regular diner at the Claridge’s. As Chef Steve Allen and him got to talking, fate would have it, that this capable chef from East Sussex would soon get to spread his wings, travel to Asia and set up home in Kuala Lumpur. Steve is now the head Chef at Dish, Kuala Lumpur, and the rest as they say, is history!

Steve Allen started his culinary career at the exclusive Boodles Gentlemen’s Club in London’s St. James Street in 1996. He worked there for four years as an apprentice chef under Keith Podmore, developing his cookery skills before joining Cotto restaurant in Kensington under James Kirby as Chef de Partie in 2000. In 2001, Steve was a finalist in the competitive and sought after Gordon Ramsay Scholarship and joined the team at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s soon after, working his way up to the position of Head Chef under Mark Sargeant. (Watch the video – A day in the life of a head chef at Claridge’s)

Steve attended the renowned ‘Academie Culinaire de France’ in Paris to cultivate and strengthen his kitchen abilities and in 2003 he was a finalist in The Young Chef of the Year Awards. Just one year later Steve entered once again and achieved second place. In 2008 he was a finalist in The National Chef of the Year Awards.

Here is what to expect from Dish, and the fantastic expertise of Chef Steve Allen..

Here’s Steve, banging the be-juices out of some unassuming tuna

This heavy pounding is just a special technique in creating a starter called the Seared and Marinated Tuna, Pickled Radish with Crispy Quail Eggs. Once plated the flattened tuna actually looks like a flat piece of watermelon. Pretty ingenious really, and characteristic of Steve’s trademark fusion cooking.

Seared and Marinated Tuna, Pickled Radish with Crispy Quail Eggs

On the plate, every item comes together harmoniously. The pickled radish confers a nice sharp contrast in flavour and it’s crunchy texture complements well the softer tuna and the runny eggs. Pleasing on the eye as well as tastebuds. I loved this dish.

Pumpkin Soup with Mushrooms, Parmesan and Truffle

Steve has actually just rolled out, an ala carte menu featuring 34 phenomenal dishes. This pumpkin soup is one of the must have’s on that list. Same goes for the scallops.

Sauteed Scallops with Cauliflower Puree 

I died a dozen times over, eating this dish. This is one dish not to be gobbled up but rather to admire, ponder, turn over in your mind and your mouth, before you ingest it. A work of art that needs careful appreciation. I am now a huge fan of cauliflower puree. Who would have thought that such an ugly, bulbous vegetable that many children (and adults) struggle with at the dinner table, could turn out so refined, classy and subtle in flavour. Superb.

Vitello Tonnata, marinated veal, tuna mayonnaise and arugula

The star in this platter that looks like abstract art, is not so much the veal, as it is, the tuna mayonnaise. Chef Steve says that employing the oil form tinned tuna is the way to do it. The flavour is captured only in the oil and not water. What a remarkable dish. Another terrific way to enjoy arugula, I have to say.

grain fed steak

There is also a Lunch Set Menu, which comes in two courses (RM65) with a starter and your choice of either steak, duck of fish. You can also opt for dessert to be added on, at an additional RM10. The steak is superb – a juicy piece of 200g grain-fed meat on a chopping block which is served up with sides of rich and addictive truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, triple cooked chips, and an avocado, tomato, pine nut and parmesan chopped salad.

seared duck breast

If steak is not your thing but you still want some red meat, try the duck instead – this Seared Breast of duck on creamy potato puree and Braised duck leg with ginger carrot is not for the faint hearted. Very tasty, boarding on gamy – order this if you like a kick in your red meat. The Chinese style inspired stew that the seared duck is served with, is sweet and full of carrots and fall off the bone tender chunks of duck meat. The carrots add sweetness to the sauce.

The Lunch Set Menu is now in full swing, and gourmands will be happy to know that it changes every Wednesdays, bi-weekly.

Duck stew

Here is the starting point of the Salt Baked Cod, Red Pepper and Lemon Sauce from the ala carte menu. Baked inside a rather cool looking, but inedible salty pastry, this brilliant piece of white meat, is then placed at the centre of some sweet, juicy and plump peppers, oven-dried lemons, ribbons of zucchini and finished off with some red pepper puree. Super yummy!

Salt Baked Cod, Red Pepper and Lemon Sauce

Caramel Chocolate Delice

Loved this dessert of fresh raspberries, lime ice cream and candied lime rinds. The lime ice cream and the tangy raspberries lent a nice dimension to the rich dark chocolate dessert.

Pineapple Carpaccio, Coconut Sorbet and Tuille

And with this beautiful, bright and breezy dessert that looks great in a yellow theme, we conclude lunch.

Me and Chef Steve Allen

Now, with the winds of change, and a new and stronger force behind the kitchen, we are expecting better things to come, especially in terms of the revamping of the group’s iconic café chain, Delicious. We have great faith in Chef Steve Allen’s prowess and I for one, cannot wait to be wow-ed again, in the near future.

Roasted pumpkin salads with almond flakes & feta cheese are easy ways to start off, and although the pumpkin can be a little hard, I understand from my dining companions that when done right, the velvety creamy texture is superbly off set by the crunchy salad leaves. Not only that, we soon found out that the Chicken Tikka and the Shish Kebab with Cous Cous were inventive standouts. But really, you’re not here for an epic meal—G3 is all about the espresso and the coffee! Wow, the coffee here is so strong, it had my eye twitching from the sheer rush of the caffeine. While sitting at one of the side tables with the air-conditioning blasting on my back, far, far away from the noon day heat, and yacking endlessly with my friends about twitter and how you really don’t even have time to say something “Smart”, fast enough these days, I feel life is perfect .. perfect like a cup of strong coffee.. eye twitch and all.

Roasted pumpkin salad with almond flakes & feta cheese

Anyway, while we are on the subject of twitter and eye twitches, have another coffee and here are 10 Interesting Facts about the Wedding of the Year, The Royal Wedding – William & Kate!

1. At 29 Kate Middleton is the oldest royal bride in Britain.

2. Kate Middleton will be the first royal spouse who’s a university degree holder.

3. After the wedding, Kate will be referred to as “Catherine” instead of her nickname Kate.

4. Prince William’s pet name for Kate is “babykins” while Kate calls William “big willie”.

5. There are 1,900 invited guests to the Royal Wedding.

6. Sarah Ferguson, ex-wife of Prince Andrew, was not invited to the Wedding.

7. Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding will be the 16th royal wedding held at Westminster Abbey.

8. 160 horses will escort the royal carriage procession.

9. After the wedding, only Kate Middleton is expected to wear a wedding ring. Prince William will not wear a wedding ring.

10. Prince William and Kate Middleton are 15th generation cousins.

Chicken Tikka

Lamb Kebab served on a bed of Cous Cous

Ceaser Salad

Bread and Butter Pudding, Fig and Walnut Tart, strong strong coffee and Ciki’s involuntary eye twitch!

Like a G3, like a G3!

I always use to think of 7atenine as more of a bar/club than a restaurant.

Trendy and cool, this is a great place “to be seen” and also to people watch.

From the deep house that plays to the swanky deco and strobing lights, it is easy to see how I could have been mistaken.

We were recently invited by Aly of RedFM to a dinner review and here is what we thought of the food.

Wild, wild rocket salad – a house specialty !

Pumpkin Chowder with Wanton

Scallops divine!

Succulent salmon sashimi

Tingling Wasabe

Smooth creamy Mushroom Soup

Starters a.k.a. the Lusciously light, were delicious. We had, homemade mushroom soup, served with deep fried bun, Lemongrass infused pumpkin chowder served with crab-meat chestnut wanton, wild rocket salad with poached pear, grape confit, fresh mango, avocado & nuts tossed in walnut scented dressing, green tea smoked salmon lightly cured & finally cold smoked Hokkaido scallop, pan seared, layered with cod roe on marinated seaweed & passion fruit beurre blanc.

If you think the starters were amazing, wait till you see the Mains a.k.a. the Luxuriously Lavish!

We were served the 789 platter of a combination of braised lamb shank, ginger poached chicken & charbroiled tiger prawn, the Saikyo cod which was pan fried to perfection, accompanied with seasonal vegetable & miso jus, Seafood linguini of scallop, tiger prawn, fish & squid cooked with a generous pinch of garlic, Pommery grilled chicken breast served with garlic mash potato & pommery mustard glaze, smoked duck breast mille-feuille, Sukhotai grilled lamb cutlets on taro puree, asian pea sprout & thai bbq sauce, and last but not least, the Gambero char broiled beef topped with prawn & scallop !

Of these, the most outstanding for me were the red meats. I loved the smoked duck breast mille-feuille for its rich flavour. It was smoky without being gamy. I also thoroughly enjoyed the grilled lamb. Those little lamb cutlets were perfect bite sizes which you can pick up at the bone and eat daintily with you fingers! The flavour was awesome.

Finally, Ciki at bursting point, was served Desserts a.k.a. the  Sinfully satisfying!

Deep fried chocolate dumpling with coffee sauce , dark chocolate gateau which was flourless 55% dark chocolate with vanilla ice cream, sticky rice mango served with coconut ice cream & fresh mango and plantain brulee  of caramelised banana with dark rum infused crème brulee. Wow! What a night..

My favourite dessert was the flourless chocolate gateau for obvious reasons.. flourless! LOL. Not just that but I love anything which is heavy on the dark chocolate and this dessert really was.

If I failed to mention earlier, Ciki loves 7atenine for the cocktail drinks as well!

Do not pass up the Caipirinahs – e.g. the thaipirinha, a special spicy thai syrup that will slowly but surely go to your head! I also loved the apple passion which had this super aromatic infusion of passion fruit coulis intertwined with apple syrup – a great lady’s drink. They also serve excellent Margaritas and Mojitos here .. don’t forget to catch the happy hours at 7atenine daily from 4.30 – 8 pm and Wednesday Ladies Night , for great cocktail offers.

All in all a great night out. Thanks Aly of RedFM and the 7atenine team for being such wonderful hosts!

Truffle butter.

It’s not some snooty food obsession to turn up your nose at.

It is a cult initiation that only the privileged are handed the password to.

It is an illicit love affair with no way out.

It is a taste like no other. One sniff. One slather. You are totally hooked.

Close your eyes. Sip your wine. Embrace the musk.

Truffle butter. I have found my raison d’être.

Cilantro is back.

And with it, perfection on a plate.

Exquisitely fresh, creatively crafted dishes by the man himself , Chef Takashi Kimura, be prepared to dine on contemporary cuisine in a soothing atmosphere where you will be treated like the princess that you are.

Trust me when I say that Cilantro is the luxe version of Sage.

Everything is taken up a notch.

And yes, of course I love this place for the Truffle butter that they serve . This stuff does not come cheap and due to the perishability of the truffle, it can last only a couple of weeks, tops. The butter that is used to make it is far creamier than normal butter. Something I would kill for, on a regular basis. Fortunately, I do not have to incur the wrath of God by breaking Commandment no.6,  as this very truffle butter, object of my obsession, will soon be available for purchase here. Eating crackers in front of the T.V. just got way more expensive!

The Food

Salad of Summer Seafood and Vegetables with Ohba Vinaigrette

Poached Grain Fed Chicken with Foie Gras and Mushroom Jus

Steamed Seabass with King Crab and Spinach Broth (option 1)

Grilled Wagyu and Angus Beef (option 2)

Mascarpone Ice Cream with Espresso Jelly and Tuile

Verdict

What can I say about the food?

Although inspired by French cuisine, Cilantro employs a lot of Asian ingredients that are seasonal and superbly fresh. You can see the careful construction of aesthetically pleasing contemporary French-Japanese cuisine come alive on your plate. The colors, textures, shapes and finally flavours are just a delight to behold.

Of the entire dining experience today, I must say that I enjoyed the Salad of Summer Seafood and Vegetables with Ohba Vinaigrette and the Steamed Seabass with King Crab and Spinach Broth the most because, the freshness of these two dishes were startlingly apparent. Also, Chef Takashi Kimura’s resulting dishes ultimately are a reflection of his prowess in taking a bit from each ingredient, throwing them together and then letting the flavours merge to wonderful, harmonious effect. Of course the other dishes had little surprises of their own and were equally good, but I will not ruin the experience for you by revealing everything. At the moment, Cilantro offers the Evening Menu i.e. the 7 course degustation that goes for RM300 ++ or the Lunch menu that is inclusive of a glass of Kir Royale for the amazing amount of just RM150++ .

Cilantro. Perfection personified.

Let the harmony and subtle magic on your plate transport you into a different culinary realm.

The invite was clear.

We had to show up at Westin, for the Kaesler Winermaker’s dinner.

Right, so I know Westin, but who the hell is Kaelser?

The original Kaesler vineyards were established in 1893 by the Kaesler Family, Silesian pioneers who came to the Barossa Valley, Australia in the 1840′s and who took up the 60 acre allotment in 1891. Winemaker Reid Bosward and his partners then bought the Kaesler vineyards in 1998.

Apparently even in this day and age, Reid Bosward is  is still using a huge variety of oak barrels and goes to great pains to match each wine to ensure the most complimentary fit. One of the other ‘success secrets’ behind the excellent wines to come from Kaesler obviously relates to his ability as a master blender. Reid openly admits that he is not a one man band when it comes to making wine – he is ably supported by Stephen Dew in the winery.

Well, lucky us! Tonight we would get to meet Stephen(photo above) and he would host our Winemaker’s Dinner at Westin KL. For Stephen Dew’s full C.V. kindly refer the the end of this post.

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Introducing, the Old Bastard

Why do women always fall for bastards?

Ye Old Bastard..
I tell you, these Australians are amazing. Australia has certainly made Syrah its own, even bestowing it with a new name – Shiraz.

In the warm, dry climate of Australia this grape produces an intense, unique flavour that is distinctly Australian. There are different years available but let me just say that the Kaesler 2003 Old Bastard Shiraz is the most expensive of the lot.. and oh, the poor bastard who is going to pay for it!

I’ve heard it as being described as a big, brooding bouquet that is tighter than a Swiss bankers vault.

This wine is like a full-throttle Formula One that races round the mouth. All the components are there but was a criminal waste to drink it immediately back then when it was bottled, as it takes time for the components to mesh. Now the perfect drinking year for this wine is supposed to be 2010.. which is right about now. We cannot get luckier than that as this wine matures here and now in the present! Rated as Excellent, who cares about the price – as long as someone else is paying for it.. that’s what my friend Eiling(photo above) says and you can see just how in love she is with the Old Bastard.

Right, dispensing with the introductions, on to dinner at The Living Room, Westin Kuala Lumpur.

Hokkaido Scallop crudo, green apple sorbet, cucumber

The first course of the night was the Hokkaido Scallop crudo, green apple sorbet, cucumber and this was paired with the Old Vine Semillon 2008. The refreshing crunch of the cucumbers paired with a somewhat summery aroma of fruits really brought out the zesty flavours of this white wine. I liked the fact that the Semillon was not a dry wine, which might have over-powered the scallop and green apple sorbet.
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Apricot and almond beignet, creamed wild mushrooms, creamed tarragon butter emulsion

Next up, the apricot and almond beignet, creamed wild mushrooms, creamed tarragon butter emulsion paired with the Viognier 2008 (pronounced Vee-on-yay). The Viognier smelt spicier than the previous white and had a creamy finish. This was definitely a more powerful wine and when served chilled went rather harmoniously with the buttery and creamy texture of the wild mushroom.   This dryer white brought out the flavours in the apricot and almond beignet and heightened its taste.

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Baby beetroot in flaky pastry, horseradish, chives

This was one of my favourite dishes of the night, only because I am a huge fan of beetroot and pastries too, of course! Baby beetroot in flaky pastry, horseradish, chives paired with the Stonehorse Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre 2007 -what’s there not to like?
This shiraz was a gorgeous, bright garnet color and smelt like spicy berries. The acidity and the length of the aftertaste was great at balancing the somewhat ‘earthy’ taste of the beetroot. Cumi does not like beetroot for this very reason. I like it, for the same reason! (Cumi says it’s like eating a mouthful of earth..) Anyway, if you notice the shiny, gold leaf on top of the pastry you would be correct in assuming that it is in fact, gold. This starter has probably improved our health a little bit because gold is actually employed in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis!

Pretty tasty. With three starters, I would have been happy to call it a night right here, but obviously there was more to come. This was just the warm-up.

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Roast lamb neck, crisp ice fish, eggplant, tzaziki, smoked bone marrow, cherry puree

This next dish I did not like so much. I found it too salty and just a mess of tastes that I could not comprehend. There was too much going on on that plate and after awhile all the flavours merged into one. This was the roast lamb neck, crisp ice fish, eggplant, tzaziki, smoked bone marrow, cherry puree paired with the Stonehorse Shiraz 2006.

What I can remember though, of this dish, was that the fatty marrow was nicely tempered by the tannins and the acidity in this Shiraz.

How was this Shiraz different from the previous one? Well it was more full bodied with a velvety finish and this was just perfect for the rich, somewhat gamy lamb in the ensemble.  I tasted a slight, lingering liquorice aftertaste in this red too.
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Licorice port glazed braised angus beef short rib, smoked potato puree

Our second main course for the night was a licorice port glazed braised angus beef short rib, smoked potato puree paired with a wine that I am still excited talking about even now, The Bogan Shiraz 2006.

If you cannot afford “The Old Bastard” , then trust me when I say, the Bogan is really good enough.

If you cannot afford “The Old Bastard” , then trust me when I say, the Bogan is really good enough. An outstanding wine that comes for the Australian vineyard at Marananga, this was my favourite wine for the night.

With an amazing dense, dark purple colour that you just want to lose yourself in (for a couple of hours), the Bogan was the perfect match for the equally densely flavoured licorice port glazed braised angus beef short rib. The Bogan’s full-bodied, structured taste could be the only answer to such an intense and heavy main course. An oaky taste dominates and the aftertaste is luscious and prolonged.

As with any good thing/good sensation,  the longer you prolong it the better. Same goes for the Bogan.

As with any good thing/good sensation,  the longer you prolong it the better. Same goes for the Bogan. This was really the highlight of the night for me. A voluptuous, sexy red that I won’t soon forget. I think I should send Cumi out for a case or two since writing this post has got me salivating all over again.

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Marshmallow, citrus salad

As the night drew to a close, dessert of marshmallow, citrus salad was served with a charming Riesling – the Rizza 2009. Rizza is made from 100% estate grown Riesling. It is a refreshing, semi sweet style of wine that is low in alcohol and perfect to enjoy with desserts or equally as a drink by itself.

Rizza is what many locals in the Barossa Valley refer to as “Riesling” , and is also a turn of phrase for “palate cleanser”. I only like this sort of super sweet Riesling served so cold you get a brain freeze from it. Anything less would be difficult to drink.  This Rizza would be an amazingly refreshing aperitif on a hot day.

All in all a great night out with the other bloggers, KY, Haze and Eiling.  Thank you Stephen Dew for being such amazing story-teller and for sharing your inspiring, wine-making tales with us. Thank you also to Yoke May of the Westin for this kind invitation to participate in such a lovely dinner.

Stephen Dew’s CV:
Stephen Dew has worked as Winemaker for Kaesler & Nashwauk wines since 2002. Stephen is responsible for the day to day running and management of the Barossa based Kaesler cellars. All estate Kaesler and Nashwauk (McLaren Vale) fruit is processed through this facility. Throughout his time working with Reid Bosward at Kaesler, Stephen has been
an integral part of the company’s growth through acquisition of old vine vineyards and
development of single vineyard wines.

Below is a summary of Stephen’s career:
1989 First vintage in the wine industry at Lindeman Wines, Karadoc.
1995 Assistant Winemaker for vintage at Passing Clouds winery in Victoria.
1995 Returned to Lindemans and entered the Micro Lab, got a white coat and the power to
shut down a bottling line down with one signature, found it was a good way to annoy people!
1997 Attended University to study Business, but returned to the wine industry to once again pursue winemaking.
1998 Vintage at Penfolds Wines, Barossa Valley.
1999 Cellar door manager at Charles Melton Wines.
2000-2001 Vintage at Cellarmaster Wines.
2002 – to date,  at Kaesler and have never looked back, making some of the worlds
best red wines and enjoying every bit of it.