NEW 'TEA-RIFIC' TREATS FROM NEWENS TEA HOUSE

Fancy afternoon tea with Anne Boleyn-inspired treats in April? Perhaps you prefer to revel in a Joyous May Afternoon Tea? How about frolicking over Summer Holiday Afternoon Tea in June?

Newens Tea House will lay out these interesting afternoon tea themes so when you’re in the mood for some tête-à-tête, nip into Feast Village Starhill Gallery for a spot of tea. Inspired by the famous second wife of King Henry VIII and Queen of England in the 1530s, Newens will proffer free-flow of aromatic black STS Tea to complement the selection of typically English savouries and sweets.

 

Besides the signature Maids of Honour Tarts, the set features tempting Mini Kew Pasty, Mini Chicken Pie, Mini Salmon and Onion Quiche. They pass muster although unlikely to create much of a ripple.

Ditto for the Scones served with Clotted Cream and Preserves. It was irksome when our request for more cream was dismissed outright, leaving our group to share the scant dollop. Nobody can begrudge the chefs due praise for their creative handiwork of a small Anne Boleyn portrait perched on the Shortbread Cookie. A solitary Earl Grey Macaron, a shot glass of English Trifle, Mini Apple Pie and English Fruit Cake complete the sweet array.

Heralding the merry month of May is Joyous May Afternoon Tea with a free-flow of aloe vera and tropical fruits infusion — enticingly called Life and Beauty Tea. Picnic-worthy Open-Faced Salmon Rose, and Egg & Caviar Sandwiches partner ubiquitous Scones with Clotted Cream and Preserves in addition to Strawberry-flavoured Maids of Honour Tarts.

Sweet flirtations beckon with Apple and Hazelnut Cake interspersed with dainty portions of Vanilla Cupcakes and Rainbow Cake.

To welcome the summer season in June, the Summer Holiday Afternoon Tea with free flow of Iced Fruits of Paradise Tea flavoured with mango, pineapple and papaya will make its appearance. Nibbles consist of Assorted Homemade Sandwiches, Chocolate-dipped Fresh Strawberries, Mixed Berries Crepes, Panna Cotta, Cream Horn, Madeline and Rainbow Cake.

The thematic tea experiences are available throughout each respective month from 2.30pm to 5.30pm daily at RM150 nett per set for two persons.

 

For reservations at Newens Tea House, please call tel: 03 2719 8550 or email: newens@ytlhotels.com.my or visit feastvillage.com

EEL APPEAL & NEW A LA CARTE AT IKETERU

 

Dunno what to eat this summer? In Japan, eel’s the reigning summertime fave, highly prized as a stamina-boosting food says Chef Ricky Kamiishi. At Iketeru, he proffers a sumptuous seven-course Unagi Set Menu (RM350nett per person) and also a special Unagi à la carte menu which runs until 31 July 2015.

Delivered twice weekly from the Miyazaki prefecture - an area renowned for premium unagi – in Kyushu island, the unagi is sought-after as the eels from here are more tender with desirable marbling (fat).

Chef Ricky Kamiishi stays true to traditional cooking methods cherished by the Japanese hence you’d find specialities like Unajyu, grilled eel basted with a sweet sauce laid atop rice or Nagoya-style Unagi Hitsumabushi which renders the eel skin is crispy and enticingly aromatic, among others.

At the preview, we sampled delicate portions of Uzaku – grilled eel with an appetising salad of cucumber and wakame seaweed macerated with vinegar sauce (mixed with a little dashi or bonito stock), flecked with sesame seeds. A refreshing yet ethereally light curtain-raiser to prime one’s palate.

The set also includes eel ‘dumpling’ (a delightful spongy-light combination of tofu, fishcake and vegetable) simmered with bonito sauce, topped with curly slivers of negi (Japanese leek).

Another pillow-soft creation is Japanese omelette with eel (top most pix) – the tamagoyaki’s wondrous fluffy lightness enrobing an exquisitely flavoured slice of eel in its centre.  

Pink pickled ginger stems appear alongside Unagi Shirayaki – a deceptively pared-down dish which involved the eel being steamed with sake before it is grilled with a touch of salt. The eel’s inherent sweetness is discernible when you bite into it.

We love the toasty accent of the maki roll wrapped with bamboo leaf; the slightly sticky rice acting as a clear canvas to capture and show the eel’s natural deliciousness at its best.

 

The chef has also rustled up a new a la carte selection starting this month. Among them is broiled salmon carpaccio-style, a simple but superbly delectable delicacy that allows you to savour the salmon belly’s voluptuous richness.

Teppanyaki grilled lamb rack looks set to be another surefire hit with diners. Using prime meat from Australian lamb rack, the dish is teppan-cooked to perfection, complemented by plump black mushroom, lightly charred broccoli florets and crispy deep-fried garlic flakes on the side.

Those partial to steamed offerings may prefer steamed cod with rice wine – a sublime combination of sweet cod, silky beancurd, buna shimeiji mushrooms and Japanese spinach; stimulating the tastebuds with its impossibly coy flavours and varying textures.

New dessert choices include vanilla wrapped mocha, chocolate and cheese ice cream…again the treats are mildly sweet to satisfy one’s sweet tooth without going overboard.

For reservations at Iketeru, call tel:03 2264 2596 or visit www.life.hiltonkl.com for more information.