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:

Deborah Henry & His Excellency Jose Ramon Baranano, Head of Turismo Madrid, Asia Pacific was present, and His Excellency gave a short congratulatory speech to Mr Ek & his lovely wife Mei Li.

Below: Amber Chia, Dennis Lau – the violinist, Mei Li – wife of Mr Ek, the owner & Deborah Henry, posing for pictures just before Chef Fernando Taberbero cuts the cake.

There were so many delicious canapes going around that night that me & unkaleong was stuffed! Deep fried peppered calamari rings in cute little paper cones, battered prawns with the most divine mushroom cream sauce, Albondigas (meatballs) in amazing, absolutely amazing tomato sauce, intensely flavourful paella & crunchy prawns in olive oil are just some of the marvellous canapes going around.
Lip smacking good food, downed with many many glasses of white & red Sangria, free flow champagne, red & white wine.  Me – *burps *, Unkaleong – *hic* !! :wacko:

As stuffed as we were, we gleefully waited in anticipation when the platter of cold cuts started going around. The plan was to take a few slices of each type to staple. But Mr Ek wouldn’t hear of such thing, and plonked down a WHOLE plate right in front of us. Ah well..it would be insulting to say “No” right??  ;-)
Then UnkaLeong proceeded to wipe the whole plate clean. Chis..greedy fella.

Then wooden boards of half-sized suckling pig went around. At that point I was wondering..if Mr Ek is hiring.. hhmmm…

We were spoiled with desserts after, and the chocolate macarons were heavenly, even for someone who hates macarons (me)!

CONGRATULATIONS (Dee Jai Duay Na Kha!!)  to Mr Ek and Mei Li, for the launch of El Meson! And our heartfelt gratitude for the invite! ;-)

For more on El Meson’s food:
Read this post – I tried almost 10 different dishes!
Or this one – the PORK BURGER is really good, do remember to ask for medium for a moist and juicy patty! There are other lunch items covered here too.

Note: Mr Ek is no newbie in the F & B scene, he happens to be the owner of The Social, El Meson & Planter Jim’s – (Telawi, Bangsar) & The YogiTree – Gardens, Mid Valley.

I got more pictures to share of the set lunches I had here at El Meson. But that would be another post ;-)

Oh, anyone up for the breakfast fry-up? :yes:

Well, I thought wryly, if I can’t siesta like the Spanish, at least I will dine like one.
And the latter fact holds true if one dines at the warm, welcoming alcove of El Meson.

With Chef Fernando helming the kitchen, a Spanish import to boot, my meals at El Meson (one of which I have blogged about; you can read about my indulgent dinner here ) had been pricey but never entirely disappointing, & had therefore, deservingly amassed more hits than misses in my book.

Their Ultimate Pork Burger – with mushrooms, bacon, cheese & caramelized onions, RM26 was my goal this time round, since it is part of their lunch menu which I haven’t had past opportunity to sample.

I’m sure discerning diners appreciate efforts by F&B outlets in attention to details, & I for one, would always have praises for a chef who doesn’t take shortcuts in the preparation of the sides that comes with a main course.
The freshly fried potatoes were fluffy & lightly seasoned; & thus was the perfect accompaniment to the burger.

Out of the series of Tapas we had, the terrine is a clear winner; an ingenious mish-mash of bacon, pork, apricot, pistachio and balsamic reduction.
The Calamares Rellenos stuffed with squid, Serrano ham, tomato (RM16) & Stuffed Tomatoes with prawns & squids topped with cheese and breadcrumbs (RM16) were divine & I was glad the mains followed quickly after, for all that actually made me hungry for more.

El Meson has upped their desserts offerings & we were given complimentary ones to share. (Thanks Ek! ;p )
My favourite was the Trifle, and here (though it may look un-photogenic) they scope it out from a big bowl and this is actually one portion. The custard layer was lovely, the jello addictive & the copious amount of fruits deceivingly assured us that this is a waist-friendly dessert

Then the molten choc cake stole the show. It was heavenly. The flow of chocolate lava doesn’t seem to stop oozing out! The outer layer was lightly crisp, and it’s warm & moist chocolate sponge was absolutely to die for!
Last was the flourless, sugarless chocolate cake; which though out-shined by it’s mate The Molten Lava, was still a worthy- to- order dessert.

The Spanish creme catalana (picture not here since I forgot to take any) came in small cazuela molds, just like how they made it in Spain. Aesthetically, it was easy to pass it off as Creme Brulee but according to Ek, i’ts preparation is different. Anyhow, think creme brulee but flavoured with cinnamon & lime zest instead.

I like El Meson for its innovative preparations & uncommon ingredients used in its dishes.
My advice for those who wants to try this place is to get a min group of 5, since the dishes ain’t exactly your typical dinners prices, & there is so much worth stapling here!

The bill came up to RM45 per pax & there were 8 of us that day. For the amount of food we had, I thought it was a steal!

Anyhow, in the case of El Meson in Bangsar, I’m certainly not complaining. The Spaniards are known for their fondness of pork and their Iberico pigs. It would be a shame if this is another pork-free outlet & we are deprived of this “delicacy” again.

To quote the owner Mr Ek, all their produce are imported, including their Chef, so authenticity is almost guaranteed!
And that sexy limb you see below is the leg of the Iberico pig……

………which looked like the below (pic courtesy of the Internet) when it was still alive.

Mr Ek, who is Thai; owns & runs Planter’s Jim, The Social (both in Bangsar) and now, his latest baby, El Meson.
YogiTree at the Gardens, Mid Valley is also under his realm of restaurants.

A most affable fellow, he graciously shared & explained to us about Spanish food, his experiences & the ingredients that went into our dishes; making our dinner most enjoyable & educational.
The Restaurant Supervisor was the epitome of good service as well.

Below: The master at work, Mr Ek craving the Black Leg for our Cold Platter.

And of course, any self respecting upper- class restaurant now boasts of a fine range of wine & alcohol, more so since this is Telawi, Bangsar.

A bread fan, I grilled Mr Ek and his Chef Fernando on the bread eaten with the tapas. My perception was since tapas is such a staple food, then perhaps the bread is made specially; (techniques or ingredients-wise) to go with it?
Apparently no.
Anyhow, he assured us the bread served here is baked in-house & is very much like the original Spanish bread eaten in Spain, which is slightly alike the Italian Ciabatta in texture, minus the herbs.

Taste-wise? Very plain. But that what makes it perfect with the flavourful tapas.

I stapled a piece for every type, since I’m not a fan of cured meats.
But I must admit, even for an inexperienced gourmet foodie like me, the superiority of taste & texture is prominent, compared to the cured meats one gets at the local deli.
Likewise, I’m pleased that the saltiness level is not as overpowering as I thought it might be.

Close-up shots of the Iberico & chorizo (the chorizos are the round ones).

I was wondering what is Salchichon since I have not heard of it. The google results I got was very enlightening. Allow me to share with you the gist of it.

Salchichon sausage is a dry-cured sausage of Spanish origin. It is classically produced on the plains of Spain, where steady breezes permit an even drying period which promotes complete curing in the sausage.
Made with pork from Spanish white pigs, ideally pigs which have foraged in oak forests for their food, developing lean flesh with a slightly nutty flavor.
The meat is coarsely ground and the fat is not separated, leaving distinctive white chunks in the finished sausage, before being blended with pepper, nutmeg, and other spices. It does tends to be very spicy, with a slightly creamy texture from the fat.
After the ingredients have been mixed, they are packed into sausage casings and allowed to dry. Traditionally, salchichon is cured outdoors on large drying racks positioned to take advantage of the breeze, although many modern producers cure in a drying shed to maintain food safety. Although the initial ingredients are raw, the curing process renders salchichon sausage safe to eat as-is once it has finished curing. Curing generally takes around 45 days.

A fully-cured sausage has a white crust and a slightly dry texture. When cut open, it reveals leathery meat speckled with pieces of fat and pepper which can be eaten plain as a snack or combined with bread and cheese in the Spanish style. Salchichon sausage pairs best with hearty red wines which can cope with the spicy flavor and enhance it without becoming overwhelming.

Next was another interesting starter; the Boguerones on Toast, which is slightly pickled Spanish Herrings with garlic confit, RM14.

It was one fishy fish ;-) , & tasted like sardine!
Texture was wonderfully meaty though. Top grade olive oil coated each fish unsparingly and the garlic tomato confit was pleasingly piquant.

Then we tried one of their soups & it happened to be a cold one. While I am not a fan of cold soups (blame it on my Asian roots) the Gazpacho - chilled tomato soup with grated egg and serrano, RM14 was thick, full bodied and slightly grainy. I slurped away unabashedly.

Finally we got on to the HOT dishes!

Hot Tapas: Trotters - Crispy fried and served with apple sauce, RM22.
The skin was crackly crunchy and the meat, though it looked deceptively stringy at 1st, which made me wary; turned out to be fork-tender and disintegrated in the mouth easily enough without much effort.
A bit plain on its own, the accompanying sauce carried its role well.

Hot Tapas: Berenjenas - aubergines in red pepper sauce, RM14.
I have always loved aubergines, more so when it was done so exceptional well here, with the red pepper sauce not too overpowering and quite flavoursome.
The name & the colour might be mildly misleading, for it was not spicy at all. Apparently, Spanish food doesn’t pack much heat; Chef Fernando had said to us.

Mains:
Oxtail braised in Moscatel & Matchstick Potatoes, RM40.
I barely tasted the Moscatel, a type of Spanish wine, & honestly, I felt that this was like a very well done ordinary oxtail soup.
The matchstick potatoes were a delight though, and I had fun chomping away at them, and they were even better soaked in the gravy!

Mains:
Linguini with Rabbit, Olives, confit Garlic and Herbs, RM32.
Rabbit meat was something I wanted to try for a long time.
And my verdict? It looks like chicken meat, tasted like chicken meat, albeit slightly more leathery & it gave my partner and I quite an exercise in jaw muscles building.

Dessert:
Homemade Spanish Blood Orange Sorbet w Orange Slices and Liquer (Cointreau) RM18.
This was something refreshingly different! Sour with a very sharp bite, I thoroughly enjoyed it, what more when it came swimming in Cointreau!

Bottom left: Fernando, a Spaniard who loves his chocolates, the chef who prepares everything from scratch and with passion.

Just as we are about to leave, Mr Ek treated us to some Smoked & Pickled Herrings, as opposed to the pickled ones we had earlier.
These were saltier, (naturally, since its smoked) and while the entree we had was smoother in texture & easier to melt on the palate; so to speak.
The smoked ones were slightly more leathery, which I speculate could be due to the smoking process that drew out the water.

So here’s another lesson on Spanish food.

Boquerones are small, fresh anchovies. Accompanied by crisp, fresh Spanish bread, a glass of ruby-red wine or refreshing Asturian cider, they are a delight to eat
Like its friend the sardine, the anchovy is an oily fish, packed full of proteins and minerals, protecting against heart disease, and “good” for cholesterol. What´s more, in many areas of Spain -in particular the Mediterranean coast – fresh anchovies are extremely cheap.

Traditional preparation of Boquerones vary slightly from family to family. However, the basic principles are always the same. After cleaning and filleting the fish,soak them, either in white wine vinegar or a mixture of half vinegar and half water. The vinegar will clean and bleach the fish and also soften any remaining little bones. Some may sprinkle the fish with salt; while others feel that the fish is salty enough already.

The fish has to be left for a good few hours soaking in the vinegar. After that, throw away the vinegar, & cover the bleached fillets good quality virgin olive oil, which will preserve them. One can add as much, or as little, sliced garlic as you wish, plus freshly chopped parsley.

Left chilled and completely enveloped in olive oil, these herrings shelve lives can be prolonged for a quite while.

Last but not least, I think I will be spending some idyllic Sundays here soon

Total bill for the dinner was RM290 incl of service charges & tax.

El Meson,
Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru.

The best part is, I managed to try out many food places (having had to bring them around KL and of course they paid… hahahah) and now… me got a HUGE backlog of posts to share!

Though i would rather blog about the middle eastern fare I had recently or the really enjoyable Laotian meal I had at Indochine, I chose this to get myself warmed up again to blogging again ;p as this post would be pretty straightforward.. AND I REALLY did loveeeddd the pasta!

Vege Penne alla Pesto.

YES, IT IS green. You’re NOT getting a year older over the New Year and neither are you going colour-blind.

To me, it was delicioussss-ly green. For I like my greens.
(hhmmm.. a bit too much of the use of the word green here ;p).

But hey, going green is the new pink!

Anyways, it was an attempt to eat light after a whole week of celebrations you see; and from the menu, it said “grilled vege with penne”..
“Grilled veg.. hmmm.. I could do with some..” I thought.

Admittably, I did had a shock when it came looking all alien-green and was deliberating on whether I have made the right choice. Kinda hard to push the whole plate away and not eat it in front of your guest, though I must say it didn’t look too appetizing at first sight. LOL.

As usual food never fail to surprise me. I’m sure we have all been there – looks great but tasted bland, looked like a mess but was absolutely delightful in every mouthful. This fortunately, falls in the latter category.
It was really really good. And I mean really good. Heavily tossed in Olive oil, with the blend of greens which consist of basil, parsley and pinenuts (info courtesy of the chef), it was served with strips of grilled mushrooms, zuchinni slices, aubergines and tomatoes.
It was a dish that’s scrumptious although meatless. If being vegetarian means eating this, I don’t mind!
In short, I truly enjoyed it. Welcomed a pasta dish that is out-of the-ordinary.

My dining partners was less adventurous and the UK one ordered a tuna sandwich. Tuna sandwich??
The bread for the tuna sandwich was supposed to be a panini. Slap me but my mind register panini as 2 square piece of bread with criss-cross pattern on the top, courtesy of the panini press.
This one came looking like this.

Of which got me wondering “La Bodega can’t afford a proper panini press?”
Taste-wise? well..it was…uummm..edible? Ok ok.. it was..errr.. ok la. Sorry, it was quite forgettable really..

Waldorf apple chicken sandwich.

Sounded interesting from the menu; green apples, walnut and chicken. Got my friend Karen hooked on the first sentence.
But was she hooked from the first bite?

Oh no. Sadly no. It wasn’t bad, mind you. But all F & B establishment should really really be mindful of their dishes that comes with nuts. Rancid nuts are a heavier turn-off then a man with sagging chest in a tight tee. SERIOUSLY.

I guess this dish made up for it in size, for the bun was a thick slab of dough, though a bit dry and hard in my opinion, but filled generously with chunks of chicken & green apple.

Let me get on with the drinks. Nothing much for me to blog about when you have dining partners who orders soft drinks in an establishment like this. *slap my forehead*.
But I ordered this – from London.

Liked the pic? (Half naked girl jumping over a bloke..real holiday drink. Just having it on my table makes me feel relaxed already ;p)
It is utterly preservative free, colouring free, sugar -free (darn, why can’t they just make it price-free? Hahaha)
Blood orange (whatever that means), ginger (yeahh!) and Manuka Honey.
Very refreshing. Tangy. Makes me feel like health -freak. Ha.

Dessert. Never miss ordering dessert. Ever. And the choice is Creme Brulee. Why? Cos it says on the menu “Spanish version…”
Ok, that’s it. Decided. Bring it on.

Smooth, rich and creamy but with a mild ginger aftertaste. Not sure is that the Spanish-ed part of it?
As I’m a fan of ginger, I’ve got no complains. Not sure about others. Don’t say you’re not warned.
However, as to the rules of how a creme brulee should be, I’ll say its got it. The top was crispy with the sugar nicely burnt and crystalised. The whole custard was not too sweet, though the burnt portion is. But that’s Creme Brulee for you.

It was overall an enjoyable meal. Been here for its tapas and the famous cheese burger before (that was before I blog so no pics) and it haven’t disappoint so far. But do avoid ordering the Spanish omelette, cos it’s basically thick egg omelette that you can fry at home.
Prices are reasonable and it’s a good place for people watching if you are sitting outside, as it is at the busy walkway of the Pavillion al-fresco dining boulevard.

Ok, that’s it! My first post of the year! Finally! So much later than all the other floggers! Hehee..

Still, I hope it’s not too late to wish all of you HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!
Happy eating, blogging and great knowing all of you!