Hence with my little family, I suggested Acme Bar and Coffee at Troika since I have read and heard raving reviews about the food.

I can tell you upfront that my meal was less than impressive. Or perhaps that’s the problem when you walked in with high expectations.
 We paid RM39+ for this Crab & Watermelon Salad, which was basically some lettuce tossed in vinaigrette , chunks of poached crabmeat (yes, thankfully there was crab meat), sprinkle of almonds, cheese shavings and mirin soy mayo dressing over grilled watermelon cubes.

There was absolutely nothing memorable about the salad and I didn’t even think the flavours from the salad jived at all.
A bit dumbfounded, since everyone who has dined here has recommended this particular salad, I left the rest of the ordering to my close friends. One chose the Snails wrapped in Bacon (RM19++) and another the Salmon Mousse (RM19+).

They said nothing can’t be fixed with bacon; and I’m inclined to agree. Without the bacon, this dish might have been another disaster.

Thankfully the snails was not too salty from the bacon. The problem with this dish; as Leon succinctly put it; was that it lacked any aroma or depth of flavour. In other words, it bordered on tastelessness. The lacklustre garlic parsley sauce didn’t help at all.

Homemade salmon mousse with bread. Creamy salty salmon mousse. We dugged out some chunks of salmon which was even saltier. 

I think at this point we might have walked out if it wasn’t for the fact that it was CNY eve. Besides plain laziness, the flow of conversation & our close comradeship kept us to our seats. I for one, silently prayed that the main courses were going to be better than our appetizers, since I’m the smart alec who so confidently steered them to this place.

Sambal hebi aglio olio spaghetti, with prawn sambal & olive oil.

The pasta wasn’t al dente, but we were forgiving; given that this was the best dish of the night. The savoury, aromatic dried spicy prawns was fantastic with the pasta. Or wait, could it be that we were plain relieved that our meal are starting to show some promise? LOL.

Leon and I are heavy meat eaters. A steak or some form of meat are the norm when we dined together. We zoomed in on the Grass-fed Tenderloin (RM79+), specifically requested for medium rare, and crossed our fingers that we do not have to send it back to the kitchen if it was served overcooked.

It came perfectly medium rare, and we sarcastically raised our glasses to the Chef. What a feat it must have been; to get the steak right, considering the uninspiring dishes we just had.

Perhaps we raised our glasses a bit too soon, for the steak was overly seasoned and the fries had a bit too many shakes of salt. We left the fries untouched and had to eat the steak by first “removing” the outer layer of the meat where the seasoning was. Thankfully, the lovely pink interior-flesh was juicy and we enjoyed the natural flavour of the meat so at least it wasn’t a complete waste of RM79++.

The cakes on display was perhaps the favourite section of Acme. Throughout the night, patrons; especially ladies, would walk over and admire the cakes and pastries.

It was understandable; as the cakes were pretty interesting and looked delish.

Cempedak Pistachio Cake. RM15.

Pina Colada Cake. RM15. We checked for this one for alcohol, but unfortunately there isn’t any.

Banana cake with caramel layer frosting. RM13.

Apple & Olive Oil Cake with maple syrup cream cheese frosting. RM15.

Raspberry & Chocolate Cake with Chantilly Cream. RM13

Rhubarb Pie.

Bounty Cake – shaved coconut and chocolate layers. RM15.

Chocolate Cake – chocolate chip, ganache, and feuillantine layer. RM15.

Macadamia Cake.

We were wary at first, since our meal has been quite a hit and miss affair. Should we risk it & order desserts? Even Jo’s iced mocha was insipid and Leon’s coffee was flat.

Eventually we did settle for the Cempedak Cake, though more out of curiosity and fulfilling a need to wrap up dinner with something sweet. The cempedak fruit flavour was very pronounced but that was only in the cream layers. The alternating layers were plain pandan sponge which did a good job of taking away the overwhelming richness of the cake. Still, we couldn’t finish it as it was too creamy.

Will I be back?

I’m not sure. 
Perhaps the original chef was off for CNY thus the lackluster food that night? There were raving reviews from many satisfied diners that I’m just flabbergasted that my experience were so contradictory.

Anyone here care to share?

Acme Bar & Coffee
Ground Floor at The Troika,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mon – Thu: 11:00 am – 12:00 am
Fri – Sat: 11:00 am – 1:00 am
Sun: 11:00 am – 12:00 am

Website: http://www.acmebarcoffee.com
reserve@acmebarcoffee.com
+603 2162 2288 

Say helloooooo to Plan B!

Under the same management as Canoodling in BV II, ( I was informed by Aja, the Brand Comm Mgr that Canoodling has recently gone through a change of menu as well) Plan B looks set to be another iconic F & B outlet in Bangsar.

For a start, it certainly has all the makings of a successful one. Plan B offers a straightforward menu with firm favourites such as American breakfast sets, varieties of pasta, healthy salads & now, who wouldn’t fall in love with such desserts on display?

Left: Choc Banana Charlotte – RM11. Middle from back: Almond Toffee Bar – RM4. Caramel Bar – RM5. Rocky Road – RM4. Right: Mixed Berry Tart  -RM5.

Left: The Macadamia Caramel Cheese Cake – RM13 looks positively wicked. Right: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting RM9.

Lemon Tart – RM10.

Left: The Strawberry Cheesecake is a temptress with bright strawberries toppings  & strawberry sauce skirting its sides – RM5. Right: Looking wickedly as decadent as its name is the Choc Truffle Torte – RM12.

The waitress recommended the Raspberry & Lemon Cake with Meringue – RM9, but since I generally shy away from anything sour or desserts with meringue; I skipped this.

Choc Raspberry Cake -RM11. Another saliva – inducing item. Thick chocolate sauce, moist chocolate cake..and I’m guessing that the raspberry sauce is encased within…

These are some pretty colourful fondant cakes – RM9.

Macadamia brownies – RM11; these looked very dense & rich …

….and so does the chocolate and cookie bar -RM5. Dieters, do not step into Plan B. Else you would have to resort to YOUR Plan B – screw the diet! LOL.

Tomato & Zuchini muffins – RM10. This is certainly something new! I packed one for take-away.

It was big & heavy…

…and absolutely delicious!!! If you love sun dried tomatoes, you’ll love this! And no worries, the muffin doesn’t taste have any raw-ish vegetables at all.

An island at the side of the restaurant proudly displays the daily freshly baked croissants and danish pastries.

Check out the puffy chocolate, almond & plain croissants. All reasonably priced from RM5-6 each. :good:

I love anything bananas & this chunky loaf caught my eye.

A thick cut from this wholesome Banana loaf is only RM9++. Looks can be deceiving yes; but I’m still willing to bet that this is good, based on the looks of it alone. Oh dear.. there are just too many desserts & I want to try them all!

The orange flourless cake – RM9/slice is another cake that I’ve prioritised for my next visit. Thick cuts of oranges lined on the surface & the sunny orange shade makes me feel happy already! At the back of the Orange cake is the Red Velvet – RM9. A quick check revealed that the red shade is from colouring & not beetroot. Ah well…

I still bought one home anyways. The Red Velvet by Plan B was tweaked slightly by having layers of rich chocolate in between the buttermilk sponge. While the cake sponge were rather plain when I ate it on its own (I wanted to taste the cake as it is cos it’s obvious that the thick layers of chocolate would overpower the buttermilk sponge, the very essense of a Red Velvet cake), it’s decent if you eat the cake as a whole, with chocolate layer, cream cheese frosting and all. However, I won’t order this again.

Left: Carrot Cake. Right: Lamingtons – RM9.

Chocolate lovers rejoice! Flourless + Fudge. I can just imagine how divinely chocolatey this is!

Scones. Simple and satisfying if done right. Can these be better than the ones at The Haute Food Co in Plaza Damas? Only one way to find out.. oh my, as you can see, a re-visit with a bunch of sugar-lovers is in order!

The interior of Plan B excludes a cafe-like atmosfera. Patrons includes white-collars workers, families, expats and students.  Well, this is Bangsar after all. Over my lunch, Plan B was buzzing with business & seems to be off to a good start. :yahoo:

So what does Plan B offers, both food & drinks wise?

Breakfast & Brunch. Till 6pm.
I’ve found my weekend brekkie joint! Yes! ;-)
Just look at the eggs options alone – Eggs Benjamin, Eggs Benedict, poached eggs, Eggs Royale… Ooohhh…

There are add-on sides as well, if you wish. Avocado & Feta Mash sounds positively yummy no?

Soups and Pies. My choice would be the Wagyu Beef Pie or Morrocan Lamb Pie.

Burgers and Sandwiches – MY FAVOURITE!!  ;-)
I’m eyeing the house-made corn beef (for real?? Not canned ones??), Ox tongue, rare roast beef and duck confit sandwich.

Salads for the health-conscious.

I couldn’t resist ordering a salad & my choice was The Chopped Chic Salad, RM18++- Pungent blue cheese, crunchy romaine leaves, sweet PEARS, crispy turkey bacon, tomatoes, onions & cucumbers.
With such interesting mix of flavours due to the different ingredients thrown together, this hearty salad was delicious; as each element of the salad paired very well with one another.

Some savouries displayed at the counters.

For tea-time, other than the repertoire of desserts on display, Plan B has a “small bites” section & from 6pm onwards, the dinner menu (with rotating specials daily) tantalizes with the likes of Duck Confit, Spiced Lamb Rump and Slow cooked Wagyu Cheeks.

For lunch, both the Asian dishes & Pasta menu offers a pretty decent selection. It took me 20mins to decide my order, and that was just for the salad. LOL.

Drinks Menu.

Plain water is provided for FREE in these bottles and the Butterscotch Milkshake, RM8++ is a steal; a superbly thick, sweet & rich concoction.

Coffee & Tea, at only RM5 – RM7++.

There is WINE & beers for the alcoholics ;-)

I bumped to an old friend Jasmin & she kindly shared her Caramel Bar – RM5++ with me. The Caramel Bar was pure decadence; a thick layer of chocolate on top followed by gooey caramel coated nuts and ending with a hard chocolate base.

Plan B is bought to you by BIG, a F & B group that is also the owner of For Goodness Sake & Canoodling in BV II, with Plan B being their newest baby. Another venture, T Forty Two (opening in Dec) will be taking over The Banquet in BV II. Plan B has a simple aim; which is to offer good, homely unpretentious food that is affordable with emphasis on quality ingredients in all their dishes.

Well, sounds like a delicious concept to me. I must say I’m really excited for the BIG group, and I really hope they keep it up!

Updated 6th Dec 2010. Another review here – Eggs Benjamin, Nasi Lemak, Pasta & Lamb meatballs!
From the time of this post til today (7th Dec), there have been varying degrees of feedback from other foodies & friends. However, the general conclusion is; service is bad & their western repertoire fares better than their Asians.

Plan B,
Ground Floor, Bangsar Village I,
59000 Bangsar, KL.

Set Lunch – at RM150 nett. A weekly rotating menu, only available on Fridays.

No. 8 of The Miele Guide 2010/2011. Yes, even at No.8, Cilantro is the first Malaysian restaurant to make it into the Top 10 of the Miele Guide.

Then, why wasn’t I impressed with my lunch yesterday?

Well, I blame it on the glowing reviews that I’ve read of Cilantro’s set lunches during the 1st 2 weeks when they first started their Fri set lunches. ;-) As discussed with a fellow gourmet diner, the menu this week lacked pizzaz & was simpler. Darn.

The Friday set lunch comes with a complimentary glass of Kir Royale. All things considered, RM150 for a 3 course set lunch, with Kir Royale & coffee/tea is still value for money, considering that this is Cilantro after all..

Fresh bread and their legendary truffle butter starts off your meals here at Cilantro, be it lunch or dinner.

All pictures here are taken with the Sony Nex 3, with 18-55 mm lens. While pictures are sharper generally, I find it hard to focus on an object most of the time. Not sure if I’m using the wrong lens. For example the pic below.

Cilantro Restaurant was smaller than I expected. Service was unobtrusive & each course was paced out nicely.

Our appetiser scored high points around the table & I relaxed, allowing myself to settle into a state of complacency that the rest of lunch would be just as wonderful.

However, (it could be just me nitpicking); I thought that the salmon, although fresh, lacked taste or flavour. The oyster was fine. Same goes for the avruga.

Duck, foie gras, all in a bowl. Definitely one of the reason why I agreed to this week’s menu.
Looks wonderful doesn’t it?

Indeed the consomme was. The deceiving delicious looking pinkish slice of duck wasn’t. It was way too gamey & after chewing on it for 10 mins I passed it to my serviette. Thankfully the foie gras was decadent & buttery rich.

It came in a small but extremely solid soup bowl, (almost 3kg by my estimates). Heavy enough to knock an assailant senseless. LOL.

Forever on the lookout for good beef (I can’t understand why is it so hard to find a good steak in KL!!!) I had my mind made up for my main course right after I read the menu online. The Master Kobe sounds like it’s the answer to all my beef-y woes. I was sure it’s going to be perfect..

But sorry to say, it wasn’t great. No melt in the mouth texture that I positively adore in my beef. But it was good nonetheless, in a way best put as ” Good for it’s price, good enough to eat”.

The other choice of main was the Seafood with saffron rice. Plump scallops, half a huge prawn, some shellfish & cod. The owners of this main was generally pleased with it, other than a general consensus that there was barely any hint of the elusive saffron.

My fav part of any meal was next. But by now I wasn’t expecting much…

Well, you know what they say about good things happening when you least expect it?
The Feuillantine of Apple with Calvados Ice Cream was a lot better than how I had imagined it to be.
Cooked apple slices laced with strong flavour of apple brandy (the Calvados ) topped with creamy vanilla ice crem.

Well, if I’m going to be a bitch, I’m going to say I had better ice cream, but hey, I think I’ll stop whining now. I’m sure most people do not have any complains on Cilantro B-)

Pics: The lounge a floor below from the restaurant. Cosy, private &  clandestine.

Considering a meal here? Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar in on the ground floor of Micasa All Suite Hotel.

Opening Hours

Lunch – Fridays only (12.00pm-2.00pm)
Dinner – Monday-Saturday (6.00pm-10.30pm)
Closed on Sundays

Dress code is smart casual.
Address & Contact

Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar,
MiCasa All Suite Hotel,
368-B, Jalan Tun Razak,
50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: +603 2179 8082
Fax: +603 2164 3730
Email: cilantro@micasahotel.com
GPS:  N03° 09.416′ E101° 43.351′

Corkage Policy
No charge corkage for wine and champagne bottles brought into the restaurant but a minimum fee of RM25nett per person is applicable for the service and glassware provided. Alternatively, Cilantro offers an extensive and reasonably priced wine selection to encourage a wine and dine experience here.

Corkage for hard liquor is RM150nett per bottle.

June & July’s menu is HERE..
** August Menu HERE..plus..
** September Menu: HERE.

And surprise surprise… I’m back for my Oct month fix of French fusion cuisine here at Nathalie’s.
Hehe, that’s expected isn’t it, since I’ve been back every month once or twice at least. ;-)

The routine is now familiar; the crusty bread with the lovely creamy butter starts off the meal.

By now, each visit to Nathalie’s has become an anticipated culinary lesson for my partner and I. We started off with numerous photo shots to immortalize the visual feast, then moving on to dissect the dish as we start our private little quiz figuring out the ingredients. This is followed by a test of the tastebuds as we savour each bite and each component on the dish, appreciating the play of flavours & textures working in harmony in each one.

Now, who says eating can’t be educationally fun? ;-)

Roasted Pineapple Tart, Exotic Fruit Sorbet RM19 was the last dish but it is so pretty that I just had to begin my post today with it.

This has got to be the best version of a pineapple dessert ever. The “flower ” crowning the sorbet is a thinly sliced pineapple roasted til crispy. The black specks on the pineapples is actually vanilla & thank god there wasn’t any hint of cinnamon (I detest cinnamon, I just do) anywhere on this superb dessert. A wonderful ending to our lunch yesterday.

My lunch accomplice had this Morel and Chicken Timbale, Morel Emulsion – RM30 as his starter. A quick google educated me that morels are actually a sort of mushroom. Well, no wonder, for the sauce was certainly buttery & wafted of earthy fungi scent.

We demolish the walls of perfectly al dente penne to reveal the Chicken timbale inside, which turned out to be almost of chicken- meatball- texture but in a good way of course.

And yea, google tells me that “timbale” is “individual serving of minced e.g. meat or fish in a rich creamy sauce baked in a small pastry mold or timbale shell“.

Always in need for fibres, my order of Citrus Scallops in Carpaccio, Mesclun & Citrus Dressing RM29 did it’s job. I love that Nathalie used grapefruit for the citrus dressing rather than boring lemons. It made the salad very fruity-zesty (though it was a bit too sour for me) & refreshing. The slivers of crispy ginger on top was unexpectable but actually went well with the whole salad.

Generous slices of scallops, avocadoes, and loads of leafy greens.

On the mains. He opted for the Revised bouillabaisse (fish and saffron soup, fish fillet, potatoes and toasted bread with rouille sauce) – RM57 probably from the moment he saw it on the menu. A gourmet diner, I’m not surprised if he had the “original” before.

Well, he loved it. And that says a lot. In laymen terms, I would describe the soup as “watered” version of lobster bisque. Hearty seafood + prawny flavour.

Again, in my quest for a fibre rich diet, I opted for this dish mainly cos it has the word “cabbage” in it’s name.

Stuffed cabbage with Beef, chicken & Parmesan, Fresh herbs & Chicken Broth- RM37.

At 1st sight, it reminded me of a similar looking Chinese dish. But the stock was certainly French. Rich, rich rich. I couldn’t finish it! The minced meat was perfectly seasoned & I was quite regretful to have wasted a portion of it.

Starters - Oct Menu:

Mains - Oct Menu:

Desserts - Oct Menu:

A wonderful lunch. Thank you, my shy lunch accomplice for the quiet time & company.

And yes,  the rest of the Oct menu does holds promises of further exciting dishes. A 2nd round is certainly in the works. ;-)

GPS:  N03 10.25′    E101 39.91′

Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio
A-4-1-5 Dutamas Solaris,
Jalan Dutamas, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.
T: 6 03 62079572
W: www.nathaliegourmetstudio.com

pla dib @ The Heritage Village, Seri Kembangan is one such place. Apparently a franchise from Thailand, pla dib (meaning raw fish in Thai) does Thai fusion and does it damn well.

With the restaurant named after ‘raw fish’, I was hard pressed not to order the Salmon Labb (RM10), a ceviche wannabe dish.

Raw salmon slices doused with shoyu & lime juice, sprinkled with chilli flakes & crushed peanuts made the perfect starter. The fish was at parts raw (sections that weren’t ‘cooked’ by the lime concoction) & parts cooked slightly. Each slice was delightfully tangy, sweet, spicy and sour, a medley of flavours all on the tongue at the same instant. Hmmmm… yummy!

My choice of main was this intriguing Black Fried Rice (RM20).
It is actually Thai jasmine rice with squid ink, fried with seafood and comes with a raw egg on top. I likey!!

Pour it over the rice & mix, stir & blend it all in.

Truth to be told, you can’t taste the egg since it would have been overpowered by the condiments used to fry the rice. But this dish is seriously very tasty. Somewhat like normal fried rice but chewier in texture, more fragrant as the spices used are different & the BLACK colour just added to the novelty of it all.

Even the fried basil leaves were fragrant, crispy & sweet.

Unka ordered the Set C (RM30+) and I must say their sets are value for the moolah, specially since we ordered the duck confit!

The starter of Crispy Squid with Salt & Pepper on Mixed Salad was as crispy & lightly seasoned as it should be for us to savour the taste of the fresh seafood. The delicate dressing doused on the greens wrapped up this little salad nicely.

Duck Confit with Fettucini. Ohhhh… I really liked this dish. A drumstick (no thigh sorry ), with the texture of the duck succulent within & nice crispy edges on the outer layer.

The fettucini was lightly tossed in some sweetish savoury sauce & I was glad that the Chef took the trouble to create something different from the usual boring pasta sauce.

Certainly one of the better duck confits I have eaten! Not better than Nathalie’s but an improved version of Silver Spoon Trattoria’s in Menjalara Kepong.

Oh, the set lunch came with coffee or tea, both of which we tried (on different occasions ) & concluded that it was pretty bad as it was thin & weak.

The Thab Thim Krob (RM8) came as part the set. To avoid the Thab Thim Krob from diluting once the ice melts, pla dib serves theirs in the form of ice -shaved coconut milk so each spoonful tasted the same as the first, even if the ice has melted.

My order, the Durian Gelato (RM8) is pure frozen creamy durian, with actual durian bits in it! Pungent & sweet, I love this!

During another lunch date, we ordered from the set lunch menu again; SET B (RM23+) which comes with a 3 pcs steamed mussels with Thai Basil, Black spaghetti with wasabi mashed potato & Flamed Crispy Mango with strawberry ice cream.

The mussels were scrumptious +  fat & it came in an appetizing garlicky fragrant sauce. The black spaghetti was lightly tossed with oil (of which we hope is olive oil), the seafood fresh & bouncy & the wasabi mashed potatoes has the merest sting of the notorious horseradish yet enough to make it interestingly palatable.

His dessert came as part of his set lunch, while I got mine complimentary cos pla dib is running a promo currently where 1 main course gets a dessert free. Unfortunately, I do not get to choose, so both of us ended up with the same dessert. The mango and STRAWBERRY ice cream (seriously, choc/vanilla would have been a way better choice!), was mediocre. The mango could have been of better quality too.

I ate most of the food off his plate ;-) but for my main I had the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Roasted Rice (RM20).

I actually find the “roasted” rice more interesting that the chicken itself. It was shaped into a little cute triangular cube! Very chewy in texture, the outer “crust” was nicely crunchy while the insides remained pillowy soft. The smoky flavour from the grill added character to it too.

The boneless pieces of chicken though marinated with lemongrass and tumeric lacked much flavour within. Squeezing the lemon over it helps. The chicken came across as very healthy as there was little oil used & in some ways it got me thinking of “ayam percik” . ;p

pla dib Restaurant
G13 & 14, The Heritage Village
Jalan SB Dagang
43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor
(opposite Mines Shopping Fair)
Tel: 03-89381936
Business Hours: 12.00pm to 3.00pm; 6.00pm to 10.00pm
Closed on Tuesdays.

GPS: N 03 10 25′
E 101 39 91′

A little trivia:
pla dib is located at The Heritage Village in the Seri Kembangan, across The Mines Shopping Fair. If you can find your way to The Mines, it is very easy to locate this place.
Its origins is from Bangkok.
Besides KL, pla dib has outlets in Singapore.

GUINNESS® fans will have the opportunity to sample creative GUINNESS® infused dishes & enjoy GUINNESS® at happy hour prices during these pit stops, starting at 17:59 (pm) – which happens to be the year GUINNESS® was established.

Also, one can hop on board the Arthur’s Day Bus to take part in exciting games & grab exclusive Arthur’s Day merchandise. For the  “Ultimate Arthur’s Day VIP Experience” contest, the winner together with five friends will be whisked away, pampered and treated like VIPs this Arthur’s Day.

Myself had a chance to experience all this first hand few days back when I was invited to staple Souled Out’s GUINNESS® infused dishes at Souled Out. So here is moi enjoying a shot of GUINNESS® Lychee Shooter as my appetizer.

Wonderful stuff! Even for someone who generally avoid alcohol, I enjoyed this cos it was sweetish & smooth.  ;-)

That was followed by a platter of Souled Out’s GUINNESS® infused dishes – the GUINNESS® Battered Fish & Chips, GUINNESS® Chicken Yakitori and Meatballs in GUINNESS® Sauce.

I find the chicken skewers pretty much alike a normal chicken yakitori, not a Guinness “infused/flavoured” one. Perhaps the flavouring was very mild.

The meatballs fared much better. The gravy was very robust flavoured with a hint of bitterness from the Guinness. I would have preferred the Guinness accents to be stronger though.

The fish and chips had absolutely no taste of Guinness & the batter was a bit thick & oily. The redeeming factor was the Garoupa fish, winning me over with it’s flaky & sweet flesh. This was certainly yummier without the batter ;-) .

Bangsar-babe (bangsar-babe.blogspot.com) and moi.

The GUINNESS® infused dishes in full portion.

We were served some additional dishes after the tasting platter and their signature salmon pizza lived up to its reputation. I loved the generous slices of smoked salmon and the thin smoky pizza crust.

To those who are going to the Arthur’s Day celebration this 24 September at Surf Beach, Sunway Lagoon, let’s rock the night with international acts Flo Rida, Colby O’Donis, Sean Kingston as well as homegrown acts Pop Shuvit & DJ Fuzz!

But if you aren’t, fret not, you can always enjoy your pint of Guinness your way, anytime & with some Guinness infused dishes at Souled Out! :yes:

I dropped in for a quick lunch today as my friend wanted to try Chef Nathalie’s creations after reading numerous blog posts about it. Truth to be told, I only partook a bite of each dish as I’m still nursing a “stomach flu”, whatever that’s supposed to mean. All I know is that it’s blardy annoying to puke everything you eat.

Anyways..

We started with the Crab & Spinach Charlotte, Salmon roe, Creamy Mustard Sauce, ( RM27).  This dish/dome is like a work of art! So prettyyy!

But to consume, it has to be “torned” apart..

..and it does taste as good as it looks! Plentiful of crab meat & spinach tightly encased in that little dome & all coupled nicely with the creamy sauce.

I gave a yelp of joy upon seeing “duck confit” on the mains menu. I was expecting the duck confit to be somewhat like the one I had previously (pic in the post HERE) . But the Duck Confit & Porcini Hachis Parmentier, Porcini Sauce,  (RM50) turned out to be this. . .

My friend Kevin gave it thumbs up, while I sulked that it wasn’t the duck confit that I envisioned it to be. It was a very well prepared duck confit nonetheless, bold in flavours & moist in texture. I personally find it to be a tad salty, but that’s coming from a low- tolerance- of- sodium person so it’s best for you to judge it yourself.

We moved on to desserts, and I finally found something on Nathalie’s dessert menu that caught my fancy, the Revised Rum Baba, Orange Soup with Rum, Apricot Sorbet & Orange Espuma, (RM22).

A rum baba is actually a cylindrical yeast cake, supposedly originated from Poland/France (I’m not going to go into details of the argument of the originating country) & it is soaked in rum after baking, hence the name. Here at Nathalies’, I barely tasted any rum and upon enquiry, was told that it has indeed been soaked in rum for 24 hours prior to serving.

Well, the yeast cake itself wasn’t great, but its accompanying sides of Orange Soup with Rum, Apricot Sorbet & Orange Espuma certainly made up for it.

Kevin’s choice of Raspberry Frozen Souffle, Pistachio Dacquoise, Pistachio & Raspberry Coulis RM20, showcased  the best of Nathalie’s skills in the desserts department. One can’t go wrong with ordering sorbets here.

Below: Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio Sept 2010 menu. We peeked at the other diners’ choice of dishes and we agreed that for starters, the tuna bites with the Arugula Sorbet (it was really presented as a scoop of sorbet!) looked intriguing while for the mains, the Cod looks positively lovely; a big slab of translucent white meat, almost glowing in its paleness. Yup, that shall be my choice for my next visit! ;-)

* Check out June & July’s menu HERE.

** August Menu HERE..

Note: Solaris Dutamas is NOT Solaris, where the Cold Storage is.
To get here, go PASS Solaris on your left, head on straight till you are at a T-junction. Turn RIGHT. Drive along the road which will eventually curve left.
After about a minute, you will see a block of commercial building on your left. There are a lot of F&B outlets, etc here. You can’t miss it.

GPS:  N03 10.25′    E101 39.91′

Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio
A-4-1-5 Dutamas Solaris,
Jalan Dutamas, 50490 Kuala Lumpur.
T: 6 03 62079572
W: www.nathaliegourmetstudio.com

Close on Sun.

Opens Mon to Sat: 9am – 6pm.

Cooker hoods just like in Nathalie’s kitchen? Shop online for cooker hoods and other kitchen appliance at low internet prices with fast home delivery service – kitchenapplianceshop.eu

Unfortunately, the area completely eludes me. And Old Klang road is not a vicinity I would venture into voluntarily. GPS coordinates would have been helpful, if any could be found.

The only option left then, was to get a human GPS. The one that I know, however, happened to be a lazy won’t -travel-far-for-food-unless-it-is-bak kut teh bum.

So one weekend, I refused to eat lunch unless lunch is at Nambawan. And wisely, the other half figured that instead of dealing with a sulky bitch, a phone call to find out exactly the location of Nambawan Cafe would be a better alternative.

And thus the weekend was saved. I sat in Nambawan Restaurant & Cafe a short while later & happily browsed through the menu for my order. ;-)

The area isn’t the Old Klang road that most of us know. To get here, you’ll have to drive past Sunway Pyramid on your right, head towards Taylors’ Lakeside Campus & turn in at the Shell station before the toll. Anyhow, hold on to your bags & valuables tight here as the area feels a little dodgy. But the food was worth it. Or more specifically, the price of the food was worth it!

I had my heart set on the Pork burger @RM6.90 though there were other more tantalizing options threatening to sway my decision. The patty won points from me simply cos it was FATTY, THICK, JUICY  &  redolent with herbs. It crumbles a bit easily but I didn’t mind. There wasn’t any “gummy” texture that reminisces of too much fillers, ie flour.

Tastewise, it was delicious; not too finely grinded, but with obvious chunks of meat giving it a satisfying & meatier bite. It wasn’t overly seasoned too, of which I’m glad since I have low sodium tolerance.

Another brownie point goes to the sauce. Instead of a lazy slap of mayo, the sauce provided was tangy & sweet, almost like salsa but not quite. Layers of fresh cucumbers, lettuce & tomatoes completes the assemble.

The bun was of the cheap variety, but heck, it is a cheap burger, so I’ll shut up. ;-)

The other half had the Stone-charbroiled Pork Belly with roasted potatoes and garden salad (RM13.90). Another value for money dish, for the hearty slab of pork belly would have easily cost RM25-30 at other joints.

The charbroiled pork’s colouring was lovely, slightly charred outside but the insides still pink & fatty ;-)

Oh, the roast potatoes were also very addictive, beautifully browned and flavourful. This is a good reason to eat carbs!

Would I return?

Yes I would. Very reasonable priced items & there is still a lot more to sample from the menu. Ingredients are fresh & preparation is obviously well planned, for even side dishes are uncommon & the sauces original. Location is effy but it is really not that hard once you have an idea of where it is exactly.

NOTE: This place has gained popularity and a recent visit by a friend last week was a test in patience as the place was packed. Anyhow, he reported that the food was good & hoped that Nambawan continues to maintain the quality (food-wise) & improve it’s service levels to cater to the influx of customers during peak periods.

Nambawan Restaurant & Cafe
10, Sri Manja Square One
Taman Sri Manja
Jalan Klang Lama
46000 PJ.

Tel: 016-224 1533 (Yap), 013-263 2772 (Gilbert)

Business hours: 12 – 3pm, 6 – 10pm.
Close every other Monday, please call up to check 1st.

And I agree wholeheartedly, as it was a dinner nothing short of amazing.

Stephen Mercer, winner of the Australian Golden Chef’s Hat Award by Age Good Food Guide for 6 consecutive years!

As an invited guest of Executive Chef Kevin Cape, I languished in the company of 4 master chefs & had the opportunity to have my taste buds stimulated with Chef Stephen Mercer’s modern Australian cuisine. Yes, it was an excellent night. :yes:

From top left to right: Chef Stephen Mercer, Leaf – PA to Master Chef Jacqueline Qiugiong of Shook! Shanghai, Taya – wife of Chef Kevin Cape, Chef Wai of Pangkor Laut Resort, Master Chef Massimo Martina, Exec Chef Kevin Cape.

Bottom left to right: Rebecca Saw ;-) , Master Chef Jacqueline Qiugiong of Shook! Shanghai, Soo Yee – PA to Chef Kevin Cape.

Chef Stephen Mercer’s menu: RETURN OF THE OZ

Chef Stephen Mercer

6th July & 7th July

Amuse Bouche
Smoked salmon royale with horseradish foam
****
Carpaccio of Beetroot with Goats‟ Curd Panne Cotta, Asparagus and a Truffled Walnut and Honey Dressing

****

Seared Scallops with Ox Cheek Tortellini, Black Bean Puree and a Chilli Glaze

****

Assiette of Lamb with Potato Fondant, Summer Peas, Mint Oil and Shiraz Reduction

****

Mille Feuille of Strzelecki Blue with Port Wine Gel

****
Callebaut Chocolate Mousse with a Mandarin Puree, Raspberry Sorbet And Spiced Rice Paper

****
Coffee
&
Petits Fours

Even before the amuse bouche was served, decadence in the form of black truffles (at EURO40 /100g) pizza landed on our table. Truffles, according to Master Chef Massimo Martina are best either raw or very lightly heated, just enough to incorporate their essence into the dish, hence you’ll find that most truffles are shaved/slivered over food, and it’s aroma & taste so distinctive that it lends a flavour of its own.

Our Amuse Bouche of Smoked salmon royale with horseradish foam was prepared with pureed salmon, cream, tomato juice & eggs. It was wonderfully creamy, the horseradish foam surprisingly tasted very mayo-like & the tomato juice was what that gave it a distinctively different taste that saved it from being a common salmon mousse.

It was a wine pairing dinner, and the wines indeed flowed freely throughout dinner. (Names of wines as per menu above).

Carpaccio of Beetroot with Goats’ Curd Panne Cotta, Asparagus and a Truffled Walnut and Honey Dressing. The beetroot is sweet, the walnuts are sweet, there are slivers of truffles on top again & the goat’s cheese was smooth, creamy & tofu-like. Tastewise? The best I can manage is “Unusual” :-)  .

Who says chefs doesn’t take pictures of their food? ;-)

Seared Scallops with Ox Cheek Tortellini, Black Bean Puree and a Chilli Glaze.
Lightly seared & fresh scallops is a formula that never fails.

But it was the cheek tortellini with the salty black bean puree that does it for me. Though not a fan of beef, this little bulb opens up to meltingly soft flakes of red meat that was faultless.

Assiette of Lamb with Potato Fondant, Summer Peas, Mint Oil and Shiraz Reduction. ‘Assiette‘ means simply a plate, platter or assortment of a certain food in French. Here, I had an assiette that consisted of a lamb cutlet, lamb roulade & breaded lamb croquette. Each cut of lamb was wonderfully pink & juicy, with a hint of gamey-ness of which I opined should be presence in lamb anyways.
I absolutely love, love, love this dish. :heart: It’s probably the best I have ever had; & shall be my benchmark for preceding similarly- prepared lamb dishes from now onwards.

I wish to have this everyday for lunch. Yup, it was seriously that well prepared. Stephen Mercer indeed did lived up to his reputation. Hence the deserving “If God is in the detail, then dining at Mercer’s is heaven” .

As per my previous launch dinner, the master chef of the night does a demo of one or two of  his/her dishes for the night. Chef Stephen Mercer here prepared the amuse bouche & his dessert – Mille Feuille of Strzelecki Blue with Port Wine Gel.

Mille Feuille of Strzelecki Blue with Port Wine Gel. This is seriously a matter of preference. I like my desserts sweet. And non-pungent. This is blue cheese. What do you think?

Ahh…this is my kind of dessert ;-) . Callebaut Chocolate Mousse with a Mandarin Puree, Raspberry Sorbet And Spiced Rice Paper. Callebaut is the name of the company which was originally Belgian but is now partly Swiss owned. It produces chocolate for consumers and for professional chocolatiers.

It was dark, rich & not overly sweet. As how a perfect chocolate dessert should be.

Chef Massimo Martina is as adept with his iPhone camera as he is with his kitchen utensils ;-)

Petits Fours. The macarons were really barely edible.

That’s it. The week of Haute cuisine menus known as the Midsummer Nights Feast Festival @Starhill Gallery. Watch out for it next year!

I am anticipating even more & perhaps, even bigger names for next year’s festival? Too bad I missed out on 2 Stars – Michelin Chef Burton-Race’s dinner. Reservation was full weeks before he arrived!

Note: This dinner is part of the Celebrity Chefs menus for the Midsummer Nights Feast Festival @Starhill Gallery 2010, 2nd – 9th July 2010.

Note: Each outlet in StarHill Gallery runs their own special menus for the week of Midsummer Nights Feast every year. The special menus for each outlet this year is HERE.

I had dinner here just a week before at their launch, where 3 master chefs showcases their individual specialty dishes. Pics & review HERE!

Starhill Gallery
181 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 03 2782 3855

I have always said to NOT expect anything less than the above from any projects from the YTL Group. And that’s exactly what one can anticipate from YTL Corporation’s annual Starhill Gallery’s Midsummer Nights Feast.

A week of fabulous food & wine, paired with music & entertainment to create a convivial, festive experience that CELEBRATES life (Ok, I’m not going to argue with that!) by engaging all the senses & the intellect.

The map of all the restaurants in Starhill Gallery, KL.

In its’ third year (the first year for me! :yes: ), Executive Chef of YTL corporation and founding chef of Shook! restaurant Kevin Cape will head the festivals with Chef Johann Ong (Shook! KL), Chef Jacqueline Qiugiong of Shook! Shanghai. (pics below in the same order)

International culinary celebraties to look out for is Master Chef Massimo Martina from Italy, Chef John Burton-Race - 2 Star Michelin and host of Channel 4 “French Leave” and “Return of the Chef” and Stephen Mercer .

The dashing Master Chef Massimo Martina from Italy.

Chef John Burton-Race - 2 Star Michelin and host of Channel 4 “French Leave” & “Return of the Chef”. 

Stephen Mercer, winner of the Australian Golden Chef’s Hat Award by Age Good Food Guide for 6 consecutive years!

“If God is in the detail, then dining at Mercer’s is heaven” – such is an accolade awarded by a food critic to Stephen!

And so below, I would like to present to you what the super Chefs has in store for you this coming Midsummer Nights Feast @ Starhill Gallery 2010!

Kickstarting on the 2nd of July in Shook! KL, the trio of Shook!’s chefs brings you the menu below:

NOTE: ALL MENUS ARE PRICED AT RM200++/pax without wine pairing  and RM260++ with wine pairing.

Chef Kevin Cape, Chef Johann Ong & Chef Jacqueline Qiu

2nd July 2010

Amuse Bouche
****
Red Snapper with Celery Root Puree
Pepper Smoked Tapioca, Jade Salad, and Lily Bud Lime Sauce
****
Marsala Scented Sea-Scallops and Citrus Fruit Salad
****
Johann’s surprise dish
****
Medallion of Grain Fed Beef Cooked at 59.5°
With Caramelized Shanghaiese Infused Eggplant
And Roasted Chilli
****
Symphony of Desserts
****
Coffee
&
Armani-Dolci

Next, Chef Massimo brings you the best of Italy.

Chef Massimo Martina

3rd July till 5th July

Amuse Bouche
****
Bagna Caoda to eat and to drink
Bagna Caoda da mangiare e da bere
****
“Yellow” (saffron flavoured) Cannelloni with bechamel Castelmagno cheese
Cannelloni “gialli” con besciamella al Castelmagno
****
“Gavi” wine flavoured beef baked with pears in low temperature
Manzetta al “Gavi” cotta a bassa temperatura con le pere
****
Ginger parfait with dark chocolate sauce
Semifreddo allo Zenzero con salsa al fondente
****
Coffee
&
Petits Fours

Be blown away by Chef Stephen Mercer with his modern Australian cuisine, aptly named “Return of the Oz”.

Chef Stephen Mercer

6th July & 7th July

Amuse Bouche
Smoked salmon royale with horseradish foam
****
Carpaccio of Beetroot with Goats‟ Curd Panne Cotta, Asparagus and a Truffled Walnut and Honey Dressing

****

Seared Scallops with Ox Cheek Tortellini, Black Bean Puree and a Chilli Glaze
****

Assiette of Lamb with Potato Fondant, Summer Peas, Mint Oil and Shiraz Reduction
****

Mille Feuille of Strzelecki Blue with Port Wine Gel
****
Callebaut Chocolate Mousse with a Mandarin Puree, Raspberry Sorbet
And Spiced Rice Paper
****
Coffee
&
Petits Fours

Hold your breath next for Chef John Burton-Race’s (2 Star Michelin and host of Channel 4 “French Leave” and “Return of the Chef”) “The Race is On”, which features an exclusive of Anglo-French Haute Cuisine, infusing the tastes of classic French Haute cuisine with a “lighter” touch, but maintaining the intensity of traditional French flavours.

Chef John Burton Race

8th July 2010

Amuse’ Guelles
A Chilled Tomato & Basil Consommé with Choux Buns Filled with Goat‟s Cheese
****
Tortellini of Crab with Robust Crab Bisque
****
Fish Course
A Fillet of Seabass with Glazed Leeks, Wild Woodland Mushrooms and a Chive Butter Sauce
***
A Double Cutlet of finest Lamb with a Herb and Parsley Crust,
Served with Garlic Creamed Potato, Tomato Fondue with Baby Spinach
****
Pre Dessert
Tartlet of Strawberries Topped with its Sorbet and a Lime Sauce.
****
For The Dessert
Passion Fruit Delice Nougat Glace with an Exotic Fruit Salad,
Scented with Coconut
***
Coffee
&
Petits Fours

And last but not least, on the last night of Midsummer Nights Feast @ Starhill Gallery  2010, Chef Kevin Cape, Chef John Burton – Race & Chef Wai presents their menu.

Chef Kevin Cape &  Chef John Burton Race & Chef Wai (Pangkor Laut Resort)

9th July 2010

Amuse Bouche
****
Ravioli of Seafood
With
Siamese infused Bouillon
****
„Black Charcoal and Vanilla Smoked Center Cut of Petuna Ocean Trout
With
Confit of Summer Rhubarb, Valencia-pomme William Coulis
****
Meat Course
A Double Cutlet of Finest Lamb with an Herb and Parsley Crust,
Served with Garlic Creamed Potato, Tomato Fondue with Baby Spinach
****
Pre Dessert
Tartlet of Strawberries Topped with its Sorbet and a Lime Sauce.
****
For The Dessert
Passion Fruit Delice Nougat Glace with an Exotic Fruit Salad,
Scented
With Coconut
***
Coffee
&
Armani-Dolci

There you have it!
The special menus for the Midsummer Nights Feast @ Starhill Gallery (2 July – 9 July 2010)!

ALL MENUS ARE PRICED AT RM200++/pax without wine pairing  and RM260++ with wine pairing.

Meanwhile, you’ve got 3 weeks to plan & save up for a meal with that special someone!  :yahoo: