The Pomelo Restaurant @ The Banjaran Hot Springs Retreat

SOME LIKE IT GREEN! at The POMELO RESTAURANT.

26th Oct to 6th Nov 2011.

VEGETARIAN & SPA CUISINE with French Star Chef LAWRENCE ABOUCAYA.

Hey guys! I was just informed about this upcoming Gourmet event at the Banjaran in Perak!
Needless to say I’m pretty excited to learn more about this super healthy, natural, good, simple, yet uplifting, happy creative and delicious cuisine. I have already made my reservations and would be travelling to The Banjaran to sample her food!

Though it may not be reflected in my blog (I know I blog devoted on PORK Burgers and my love for meats); I assure you that I do take my greens religiously everyday, especially during lunch time, as I need the fibre. Beside regular workouts, I do follow a healthy lifestyle regime as much as possible.
So yes, to all those who kept asking me how do I stay slim with the amount of food I ate, the answer remains “Exercise, controlled portions & never neglect the vegetables & fruits!“.

ABOUT THE CHEF.

In 2011, the world renowned chef Alain Ducasse came to eat in Pousse-Pousse (Lawrence Aboucaya’s Restaurant in Paris). He fell in love with the creativity, taste and presentation of Lawrence Aboucaya’s cuisine. He then invited her as a guest chef at one of his most prestigious restaurants, the Plaza Athénée in Paris, France.

Bursting with colors, so good in the mouth, Lawrence Aboucaya’s cuisine has been applauded by the best French food critics. Everyone agrees “she is one of a kind”.

About The Cuisine – Introduction.

Food is an essential element of health. It is also our first link to life, the power structure and sources of pleasure. Taking the time to have a good meal is to take the time to look after yourself. The meal is also a time for sharing and pleasure, which is not a shame.

We eat with our senses: smell, sight, taste, touch and hearing. Therefore, all menus are a photo gallery of colors and odors where one’s objective is: the gourmet pleasure.

Many of Lawrence’s recipes are vegan with great diversity in flavors. While respecting the natural flavors of the product she kept the real essence within each ingredient. The simplicity is in revealing the essential.

Her plates, vegetarian and vegan, are well balanced, healthy and rich of vitality.

Detox Menu / Revitalization.

Menu detox / revitalization aims to drain the body gently. It brings an energy boost, helping to eliminate toxins. The detoxification activates the operation of the organs including the liver and kidneys. Two very important central purification organs of the body

Are you fatigued, stressed or lacking sleep? A course of detox and revitalization can be a great benefit. It also calms the digestive discomfort by helping the liver and intestine.

In the menus, Lawrence has integrated foods and spices that will make you feel good. The juices of herbs are extremely rich in chlorophyll that cleanses the digestive system. They provide trace elements and antioxidants that are powerful and refreshing. The herb juice, such as wheat grass, is a real “blood transfusion”.

Green vegetables are low in calories. They provide water and fiber organizing and facilitating diuresis. They contribute to decrease the acidity of the body.

Sprouts are “boosters” of energy by the concentration of vitamins and trace elements.

Cereals such as rice or quinoa have the distinction of being easily digestible with high satiating power.

Menu – Weight loss

In the menu weight loss, we discover the best foods for weight loss and preventing fat storage. It is in no way starving or adopts draconian dietary restrictions. As we know, that always leads to an imbalance of the body synonymous and leads to failure.

Refined sugar is our enemy. However, fruit sugar and carbohydrates contained in unrefined cereals are beneficial to health. This sugar contributes to the proper functioning of our cells and our brain is a major consumer.

Our dishes are free of saturated fat, another enemy. These saturated fats are found especially in red meat, sausages and butter.

However, we emphasize the benefits of Omega oils 3, 6 and 9. They have a surprising great diversity of taste. Vegetable oils do not occur if kept raw.

All selected vegetables: cucumber, endive, lettuce, watercress, turnips, mushrooms, artichokes, asparagus, eggplant, broccoli, celery, zucchini, spinach, fennel, mâche, purslane, tomato, green beans, leeks, salsify, peas, red cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, pumpkins, palm hearts, and sprouts.
These are associated with cereals (completely cooked or half cooked), quinoa, rice, red beans and white, lentils, barley, kamut, buckwheat, chickpea, épeautre. All have a particularly low glycemic index. This association makes digestion easier.

Goat cheese and sheep cheese are chosen because they are low in saturated fat.

The desserts showcase the fruits that have low glycemic index (a selection chosen according to recipes weight loss) watermelon, papaya, orange, pear, apple, grape, kiwi, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, gooseberry, guava, persimmon, mandarin , melon, blackberry, blueberry, peach, plum, rhubarb. To enrich the flavor, goji berries, potent anti-oxidant is a great source of vitamin C and ginger is excellent for anti-fatigue.

Menu – Anti-aging.

The purpose of the anti-aging menu is to slow the natural aging process. It results throughout life by the loss of vitamins, trace elements and the accumulation of free radicals produced by the body.

The ingredients in this menu insist particularly on food nutrients and antioxidants and those which provide trace elements such as calcium or magnesium.

The plants we use in our dishes such as green tea, ginger, rosemary, garlic, onion, turmeric, mushrooms (shiitake, reishi, maitake) are all stimulants in the body.

Algae is particularly rich in calcium and magnesium such as nuts (almond, hazelnut and sesame). Lentils are very rich in iron and potassium.

We emphasize the benefits of oils rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9. They nourish the skin and nervous system support. They are anti-inflammatory and prevent cardiovascular problems. They are amazing in their diversity of taste.
All red fruits and vegetables in this menu are the major antioxidants that help fight against free radicals.

Oh my, I can’t wait to try all these myself next week! Such vivid colours and amazing creativity in all Chef Lawrence’s dishes! I’ll be driving down to The Banjaran next week, anyone care to join me?? Drop me a comment here!

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat.

No 1, Persiaran Lagun Sunway 3, 31150 Ipoh, Malaysia.

The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat is an integrated luxury wellness retreat located in Tambun, 15 minutes from the city of Ipoh in the state of Perak. This 5-star retreat includes private villas situated on a 17 acre valley nestled within a cluster of magnificent limestone hills and features a combination of natural caves, pristine jungle, waterfalls and geothermal hot springs.
Email : info.kl@thebanjaran.com
Phone : +605 – 52107777
Website : http://www.thebanjaran.com

ipoh, Perak