MMM...MOONCAKES!

Nutty delight...you can't go anymore traditional than this!

Chocolate in your mooncake anyone?

Mooncakes today have come a long way from its earliest version of baked pastries filled with plain sweet lotus paste. In recent years, the local mooncake market has been so lucrative that commercial bakeries and confectioneries outdo each other annually to grab a bigger slice of the market. So much so that sometimes the newer mooncake creations seem like a culinary experiment that has gone totally awry. A case of too many chefs spoiling the cake?

Here's a peep of the good and unusual ones available.

DYNASTY OF NEW FLAVOURS

Renaissance KL boasts of mooncakes with new, unusual fillings alongside the more classical variants. The innovative fillings incorporate fruity flavours such as durian, mango or orange paste, pandan lotus paste and chopped dried persimmon encased by snow skin or the chilled, unbaked skin. These are very light on the palate, with refreshing fruity-citrusy nuances coming through clearly.

There is also snow skin mooncake with green tea and walnut paste which strikes a chord with us for its mildly bitter aftertaste. Special mention must be made of the assorted baked nuts with ham mooncakes – the nutty filling is imbued with the delicate fragrance and appetizing tanginess of ‘san kat’ (wild lime) and ‘kat peng’ (candied lime pieces) in addition to the sublime flavour of Yunnan ham.

Dynasty's classic baked mooncakes are filled with either white lotus seed or pandan lotus seed paste that comes with single or double salted egg yolks. Prices range between RM7.00 and RM14.00 per piece. Specially designed elongated wooden gift boxes bearing the outlet’s Chinese fairy motif are available.

DYNASTY CHINESE RESTAURANT (non-halal)
Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel
Corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail & Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel - 2771 6773

TEA AND FLORAL INFUSIONS

Dim sum chef Leong Kok Meng rises to the occasion with two distinctive flavours that unmistakably exude the mooncake’s Chinese origins.

Sweet osmanthus or ‘kwai fah’, a native Chinese flower that is favoured for its heady peachy-floral scent is used to imbue the lotus paste filling. However, the sweet osmanthus flavour is barely discernible. It would have come across better if the lotus seed paste has been used on its own instead of being added with the salted egg yolk. Still I discovered a nice peachy aftertaste lingering in my throat after eating two wedges of the said mooncake.

Much loved by Chinese tea connoisseurs, the Pu Er tea is Chef Leong’s choice in the making of his smoked ‘Pu Er’ Mixed Nuts mooncake. These robust, earthy tea leaves and hickory wood chips lent their lovely aromas to the smoked assorted nut mixture for the mooncake filling.

Other varieties available include plain red bean paste in either baked or snow skin, pandan lotus with single yolk and snow skin mooncakes with lotus paste and salted egg yolk. Spring Garden’s mooncakes are priced from RM11.00++ onwards per piece depending on the variety.

SPRING GARDEN RESTAURANT (pork-free)
Crown Princess Kuala Lumpur
City Square Centre
Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Tel – 2162 5522 ext 5511

FOREST BERRIES AND MORE

Hong Kong chef Chan Kong Tung and dim sum chef, Chan Teck Woo put their heads together to conjure up fillings made from forest berries, white lotus seed with ginseng, golden custard with sweet corn and cheese with honey and walnut amongst others.

Made from strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and cherries, the mooncakes' sweetness is tempered by the berries’ tangy nuances.

Less extreme but equally interesting variants include mini snow skin with green tea, coffee or chocolate-whiskey fillings. Otherwise, you can’t really go wrong with traditional temptations like the Hong Kong white lotus seed paste with single yolk and pandan lotus seed paste with single yolk mooncakes.

Prices for Tai Zi Heen’s mooncakes range between RM8.00++ and RM14.00++ per piece.

TAI ZI HEEN (pork-free)
Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Conlay
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel - 2170 8888 x 8200

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Received a comment recently about one of the restaurants I reviewed. The person felt that I had misled readers of the said article and claimed that the food was not authentic enough.

This commentator also disagreed with my comment about the fish dish...with all due respect, it's ok by me to critique my writing. I just don't feel it is justified to judge restaurants or dishes too harshly - yes, we pay to eat and have every right to eat decently. But passing remarks or discussing it with close friends and family are acceptable - after all people's memories are short and verbal negative comments are somewhat easier to forget. Not when one is doing food writing or reveiws though.

I soon learn quickly that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword when I started my food writing and restaurant review stint. Like the famous saying from Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibilities...", those of us who are entrusted to write about food realise we have to walk a fine line between being honest and upfront for the sake of being credible, and being diplomatic and allow room for some of the outlets' misdemenours.

While it is all too easy to be 100 percent judgemental and call a spade, a spade - those of us who are life long learners in food, cooking, buying, experimenting and eating - will emphathise with the chefs and owners also on the need to live up to the public's expectations. Constantly and consistently. Being human beings, we are imperfect so there will be times when things go wrong and dishes, service, ambience, etc. do not turn out the way one has anticipated or expected.

"Nobody ever open a restaurant to serve bad food" is another motto that I kept very much at heart. Which is so true isn't it? Opening a restaurant takes guts, money, passion, time, labour & 101 things that we won't know about if we are not in the business. Like they say, you won't know how I feel until you have walk a mile in my shoes. So I don't think I have the right to pass a death sentence on any restaurant or chef for that matter - the food may be mediocre or not up to scratch or not to my liking...I prefer a live and let live attitude cos someone else may find the food is acceptable, just to their preference or taste - there's just no accounting for different tastebuds or palates. One man's meat is another man's poison remember?

Now back to my reviews...I will comment on the food but really that remains my personal opinion. I try as much as possible to relate the personal aims, dreams and ambitions of the restaurants' chefs/owners on why they choose to be in the business or what drives them to create a particular dish. But what I refuse to do is to run them down or be downright harsh on them - just because I don't like the taste of the spaghetti or reckon the fish is not cooked properly? When it comes to food there's no wrong way or right way - just like wine tasting, go for what you like. It's all personal in the end so what's the point of being too serious about it? I prefer to let readers form their own opinion and draw their own conclusions.

Even with food creators, outlet owners and operators, I always tell them it's not my review that will draw in business for them. It's their own efforts, hard work, food quality, taste and consistency that will win people over. Now isn't that great food for thought? You tell me.

Wan tan mee with 'to-die-for' fresh prawn wan tans 

Ipoh famous 'hor fun' or flat rice noodles - in KL 

Great Balls For Trial...Cuttlefish balls & Stuffed Beancurd Rolls 

A TASTE OF TRADITION

Ipoh has always been famous for its silky smooth ‘hor fun’ (thin, flat rice noodles), crunchy beansprouts and delicious chicken rice. But if you are residing in KL and Selangor, why not enjoy these traditional Ipoh delights at Restoran Chan Thoong Kee?

This unassuming outlet serves possibly one of the best tasting Ipoh ‘hor fun’ that I have ever eaten. The smooth rice noodles can be enjoyed in flavourful, clear chicken broth with shredded chicken, sliced prawns and aromatic Chinese chives or dry-tossed with superior grade oyster sauce. Priced at RM4.00 (small) and RM5.00 (big) per bowl, I can assure it is worth every ringgit you pay for it.

What made the ‘kon lo’ noodles so distinctive is the use of superior grade oyster sauce that is imported directly from Hong Kong. Redolent with the enticing aroma of dried oysters, its slightly sweeter formulation complements the thin strips of bland rice noodles very well.

Savour the fresh prawn ‘wan tan’ (RM6.00 small, RM12.00 large) here - the dumplings consist of whole prawns that are springy to the bite, a testament to their superb freshness.

My parents and hubby always go for the ‘wan tan’ mee or egg noodles (RM5.00 small, RM6.00 big) in soup or tossed with dark soya sauce and fragrant oil. Their nice, mildly chewy texture do not have the usual chalky smell or taste of ‘kan sui’ (lye water).

Additional side dishes to sample include beancurd rolls (deep-fried rolls of beancurd sheets filled with fish paste, RM1.00 per piece) and cuttlefish balls (a mixture of fish paste and finely chopped dried cuttlefish, RM1.00 each).

If you are a 'farn toong' (a die-hard rice eater), the Hainanese chicken rice (RM4.00) is highly recommended. The rice is tasty and fragrant without being overly greasy and will leave you wanting more with the smooth, succulent steamed chicken.

Diners can also order ‘tong sui’ or sweet dessert broth from the adjacent Foong Wong Café to end their meal. Freshly made on a daily basis, the sweet broths available include ‘foo chok yee mai’ (barley with gingko and bean curd sheet), red bean soup, ‘tow foo far’ (soft beancurd dessert), sweet potato in sugar syrup and sea coconut with longans.

All the ‘tong sui’ broths are priced at RM1.80 per bowl except for the sea coconut with longans which is served at RM3.00 per bowl.

I truly believe the outlet’s consistency in maintaining its food quality and great value-for-money will continue to draw us and legions of their customers back.

Other Chan Thoong Kee branches are located at Berjaya Times Square and Jalan Hang Lekir, Kuala Lumpur.

RESTORAN CHAN THOONG KEE (non-halal)
No 11 Jalan Barat
Off Jalan Imbi
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 2142 2779

STEAKING IT OUT

Small cake that's big on taste - guaranteed to make you break out in song!

Scrumptious Charcoal-Grilled Lamb Steak - no sauce required

Char-grilled NZ Steak at its best!

It's hard to imagine a good steak is best savoured without sauce. But here's what Somerset Grill is advocating. The owner, Augustine Kow, who has spent his tertiary education years in New Zealand, is keen to educate local palates on the fine art of appreciating steaks on its own. Using prime cuts of NZ beef and lamb of course.

Kow's personal interest and inherent talent for cooking and eating probably stems from his Hainanese background. His father was a cook and used to work for Federal Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. But it was not until recently that Kow has the chance to pursue his interest in food - bread and butter issues took precedence as he focused his energy on building his jewellery and watch business.

With Somerset Grill, Kow is aiming to recapture the fond memories of great steaks that he had in NZ.

“When you pay to eat steak, we believe that is exactly what you should be getting,” said Kow firmly. “I want our customers to be able to taste the meat’s natural flavour, its juiciness, its tender and succulent texture, instead of steaks with sauces that disguise or overwhelm the meat’s taste and texture.”

Here the beef and lamb are marinated or ‘aged’ for a day or two with specially concocted herbs and spices, based on recipes that he has kept with him for the past 20 years. The chefs are trained for 3-6 months on the finer rudiments of using the charcoal grill to produce varying degrees of doneness for the steaks.

Opened about one and a half years ago, Somerset Grill is located along the busy main road leading into the residential area of Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

The outlet has a relaxed and friendly ambience about it. Several beautiful Tiffany ceiling and standing lamps make for interesting conversation pieces whilst you wait for your food to arrive. For the prices that you pay here, do not expect fine-dining service but the young wait staff is alert enough to ensure diners are promptly attended to.

Light eaters can opt for the Augus goulash (RM9.90), a hearty lamb stew that is cooked for over three hours with lots of root vegetables and fragrant herbs, or their delicious pies – Marco Polo (filled with chunky chicken, melted cheese, diced vegetables and spices, RM9.90), Sinbad’s Diet (fish, tuna and crabmeat pie) and Nemo’s Choice (salmon pie, RM9.90).

The best-selling items are the Somerset Rib Eye (RM33.90) and the Augus Lamb (RM21.90). When the steaks were served, we were already salivating after inhaling whiffs of the dishes’ mouth-watering aroma.

The Somerset Rib Eye is quite substantial. We had asked for it to be medium rare and it turned out exactly to specifications. Extremely tender and moist with a delicate briny after taste, the meat has a splendid smokiness in it. Don’t turn your nose up on the side dishes as the simple salad of shredded lettuce and cabbage actually complemented the steaks very well.

For those with a penchant for lamb, the Augus Lamb is splendid with its elegant peppery and slightly nutty nuances similar to that of a refined, well-marinated lamb ‘satay’. Other equally salubrious choices include the Somerset t-bone steak (RM38.90), Somerset sirloin (RM32.90), Somerset Bay char-grilled salmon (RM23.90) and Somerset Valley spring chicken (RM18.90).

Dessert mostly consists of cakes in singular servings. The Opera cake (RM8.90) is irresistible with layers of coffee almond cream alternating with Japonais biscuit mix whilst the Chocolate Exotica (RM9.90) is an indulgent treat of French chocolate mousse and hazelnut paste with a soft-centred filling of chocolate praline.

If you prefer something slightly fruity, sample the Oona Apple Pie (RM6.90), a Swiss apple pie with cinnamon and raisins or the Apple Cheese Cake (RM9.90), a rich cream cheese cake with apple dices.

The remaining sweet treats include Cappuccino Corretto (RM8.90), Hungarian Walnut (RM7.90), Felchlin Caramel (RM9.90), Mocha Glory (RM6.90) and Mississippi Mud Brownie (RM6.50).

Somerset Grill definitely makes the cut if you want to enjoy a good steak and other Western-style dishes without having to spend a fortune.

SOMERSET GRILL (pork-free)
No 10 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : 7722 1678

Business hours – daily 11 am to 3 pm; 6 pm to 11 pm

THAI THAT BINDS

Unusual but nice...deep-fried chicken with herbs make superb mouthfuls

Som Tam - green papaya salad to whet the appetite

Tantalising Deep-fried Catfish with Mango Salad

Meet Ahmad Rasly Hj Osman and his wife, Sandy who are determined to offer genuine and affordable Thai food in Kuala Lumpur.

Having worked in Bangkok for the past six years, the couple were often told by the many Malaysian friends who visited them that it is virtually impossible to find delicious yet reasonably priced Thai dishes back home. So upon their return, Rasly decided to open Baan Khun Li (‘baan’ means house, ‘Khun’ is the Thai honorific for ‘Mr’ and ‘Li’ as in Rasly) which translate into 'House of Mr Li'.

The outlet itself is simply decorated with a Thai statuette at the main door, and some dark wood accents and Thai woven fabric hangings on its walls. Warm mood lighting that lends the place a cosy feel.

Most of the outlet's specialties are culled from Sandy's collection of recipes with the balance coming from their chef.

You must order the green papaya salad (RM8) as a starter to whet the appetite with its tantalizing tartness.

Then go for the tom yam seafood (RM14-small, RM22-large) which is guaranteed to bring a tear or two to your eyes and awaken your palate with its robust spicy and sour nuances. It also has a lovely creamy finishing from the addition of coconut milk whilst squid, prawns, sliced fish, oyster and button mushroom complete this mouth-watering concoction.

If you are looking for something different, deep-fried catfish with mango salad (RM12) is a good bet. The outlet uses fresh catfish bought from the Sunday Thai market in Petaling Jaya (outside the Siamese Buddhist Temple) specially to make this dish. A painstaking dish to produce, we were told the catfish needs to boiled, deboned and flaked before it is deep-fried over high heat with dried chilli. As a result, the fish flakes turn out nice and crispy and are served with roasted peanuts and a bowl of salty, spicy and tangy mango salad. Yummy!

Other enjoyable dishes include deep-fried seabass with Thai chilli sauce (RM25), fried chicken and herbs (RM10), Massaman bef curry (RM15) and steamed seabass with garlic and chilli (RM25).

The Massaman beef curry here is light and creamy with tender and chunky beef pieces, potatoes and ground peanuts. Although the fried chicken with herbs was a little nondescript at first, we eventually found that it tasted quite superb when both the chicken and the mixture of deep-fried garlic slices, strands of tiny green peppercorns, shredded ginger, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves are eaten together.

Desserts were sold out the evening we went to Baan Khun Li but I found they usually serve Thai cendol and ‘tab tim krob’ or chilled waterchesnuts dices in coconut milk at RM5 each.

So now what are you waiting for? Go on, head over to Mr Li’s house for a real Thai home-cooked meal.

The outlet can seat up to 60 persons inside and 40 persons outside at the patio area.

BAAN KHUN LI (pork-free)
Lot 13A Perdana The Place
No 1 Jalan PJU 8/5G
Bandar Damansara Perdana
47820 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 7727 1780 / 7726 2713

Business hours – Monday-Saturday 12 noon to 3 pm; 6 pm to 10 pm

Cherry Trifle

Ultimate treat of Cherry Black Forest Cake

Dainty tartlets with Bing & Rainier cherries

(photo below)

Cherry Chocolate Mousse Cake

CHERRY-O!

Many Malaysians balk at the mere mention of cherries because they mistook the flaming red maraschino or glaced cherries for the real thing.

I can assure you fresh cherries taste nothing like the ones preserved in the bitter-sweet liqueur. Instead, they are plump, juicy and delightfully sweet - one of the best summer fruits that we are now lucky enough to savour with the advent of modern-day logistics.

My girlfriend who reps for the Washington State Agricultural Marketing Board, often clues me in on when the cherry season arrives and this year, she even asked if I'd like to buy a box of fresh cherries for my own enjoyment. Despite the rather steep price, I was not to be deterred and agreed immediately to order a box.

These diamond of fruits are worth every single sen I paid for them. Of course, I was unable to gorge a 9kg box of cherries in a sitting so I played fairy godmother and distributed the lovely fruits around to family and friends.

My only regret was not taking a shot or two of these superb fruits whilst I had them - my girlfriend and I shared a box of Bing and a box of Rainier between us so we had the best of both cherries so to speak! Nevertheless, they were truly out of this world...even my other half who usually refuses to eat fruits, polished off more than his fair share of cherries! My kid loves them too...

The Bing cherries with their shiny, mahogany skin and lightly tart sweetness were just too good for words. They turned out to be more sturdy despite my not-so-careful handling so they lasted a wee bit longer than the delicate Rainier cherries. Of the two, the latter was sweeter with a delicate crunch. But they bruise easily and ripen incredibly quickly so we really had to raced against time to finish the whole lot!

Sweet cherries were first discovered in Asia Minor (present day Turkey). Dispersed throughout prehistoric Europe, cherries were brought to America by ship in 1629 and modern sweet cherry growing began in the Northwest of the United States of America when Henderson Lewelling transported nursery stock from Iowa to Western Oregon.

Did you know that the ‘Bing’ variety was named after one of Lewelling's Chinese workmen? It was on this farm that the cherry tree was first developed from seeds in 1875.

It takes a new tree nearly 10 years to reach maturity. The crop volume and quality are susceptible to many factors – fluctuating temperatures are a constant threat. New buds form on the tree following harvest and remain dormant for the next season. Frost is hazardous to these delicate buds and if the temperature drops to ‘bud-kill threshold’, cherry growers have to use wind machines, orchard heaters and overhead sprinklers to ‘warm’ bud temperatures.

Each spring, thousands of bees are specially brought in by the cherry growers to their orchards to ensure the cherry blossoms are pollinated or else the blooms will not turn into fruits. It generally takes about 65 days to grow the Northwest Cherries to full maturity.

At harvesting stage, rain can be a real nightmare as temperature, wind speed, amount and duration of rainfall can cause the cherries to absorb too much water and burst! To minimize damage, the cherry growers will rely on wind machines to dry the cherry trees. Some orchard owners even go to the extent of hiring helicopters to hover at specific heights to blow the rain water off the fruits!

The cherries are allowed to ripen completely on the trees before they are handpicked at the peak of their freshness and flavour. Harvesting usually occurs between mid-June and mid-August.

Since the fruits are highly perishable, the cherries are manually collected in shallow bins to minimize bruising and kept covered to prevent the stems from drying. The cherries are then ‘hydrocooled’ – a practice that douses the cherries with ice-cold water when they arrive at the packing house and as they move through packing lines. Industry-developed tools for measuring cherry firmness and sugar content help ensure quality before the cherries are packed in sturdy cardboard boxes with polyliners to maintain a high humidity level and a low level of oxygen surrounding the fruit.

The golden-skinned ‘Rainier’ cherries with pinkish-red blush which come from the crossing of two dark sweet varieties, the ‘Bing’ and the ‘Van’, are especially fragile, requiring ten times the labour per acre to harvest compared to dark cherries.

Unlike the dark sweet cherries that need only harvesting once, the ‘Rainier’ cherry tree may be harvested as many as eight times as the delicate cherries do not ripen uniformly. They also require specially designed, foam-lined picking containers to hold the fruits to reduce impact and handling, thus maintaining their fine texture, clear-coloured flesh and delicate, sweet flavour.

A good source of fibre, Vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium and potassium, cherries are low in calories and fat. They are also sodium- and cholesterol-free and relatively high in anthocyanins, a family of antioxidants that have the ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Although nothing beats the wonderful taste of fresh cherries, these delightful fruits are remarkably versatile and can be used for a wide variety of desserts.

Some of the cherry desserts that we have sampled at the Sheraton Imperial KL included cherry blackforest cake, cherry trifle, cherry butter cake, cherry cheesecake, cherry crumble, cherry mousse, cherry rice pudding, cherry roulade, walnut cherry cake, cherry tartlets, cherry clafoutis, cherry crêpes and cherry cheese strudel amongst others.

The cherry blackforest cake is top notch – the dark, rich chocolate cake is the perfect foil for the Bing cherries. Quite similar to this is the cherry roulade, miniature chocolate Swiss rolls of cream and cherry halves.

We also liked the cherry strudel with its layers of light, airy puff pastry filled with creamy ricotta cheese, mildly sweet custard and cherry halves.

Don’t make the mistake of eating the cherry butter cake on its own. It can be rather dry and unimpressive of its own. Add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream to it and you'd be amazed how fabulous it can taste! Ever had a cherry brûlée before? If not, you must try this luscious dessert that has fresh, plump cherries and ricotta cheese in it. Another outstanding creation is the walnut cherry cake that combined the fabulous Rainier cherries with the distinctive flavour of chopped walnuts.

Besides these desserts, you can enjoy fresh cherries with ice-cream and yoghurt, or blend them with milk and cream to make cherry ice-cream, or use them in your favourite salads. There is really no limit to what you can do with these splendid fruits. If you like more information on cherries or tips and recipes, visit www.nwcherries.com. Cherry-o everyone!

Dreaming of Durian? Order this! Glutinous Rice with Durian Pur�e & Coconut Cream 

Quicky meal - Montien Set Lunch 

'Must have' Massaman Lamb Curry 

Sour, Salty & Crispy Fish Skin Salad  

Khanom Jeen - slurpilicious Thai laksa 

Nahm Prik Long Rea - tasty way to relish vegetables 

GOOD THAI-DINGS

Not all Thai restaurants are created equal. Not where Montien - the newest Thai restaurant that has just opened recently at One Bangsar is concerned.

Owners, Sita Jayadeva and Vivian Chan are not kidding when their outlet boasts of a 'Truly Thai' tagline. With a treasure trove of Thai recipes inherited from Sita's mother, the two best pals since school days are determined that Montien will continue the legacy where the now defunct Café d’Chiangmai, a Thai restaurant owned by Sita's mother in Penang for the past 28 years left off.

Now a trained chef in her own right, Sita Jayadeva acquired her passion for food and cooking skills from her mother. Together with Chan, they conceived everything for Montien from scratch with stunning results.

Firstly, its interior furnishings are significantly different from other Thai restaurants with nary a wooden sculpture nor carving in sight. Befitting its Thai name of heavenly palace, Montien is modern and chic with predominantly dark wood and frosted glass accents in stark, clean lines. Walls are done up in warm hues whilst Thai silk throw cushions add soft bursts of colours throughout.

The outlet has been garnering rave reviews since its opening. Already many customers are fast becoming their regulars who return to dine with family and friends twice or thrice weekly, and helping to spread the word.

So what is so different about its food? Since most of the recipes are culled from Sita’s personal collection, diners can expect some delicious surprises. Having dined there on two occasions, I dare say Montien’s specialties left a most favourable impression.

The fish skin ‘kerabu’ or salad known as Yam Narng Pla Krob (RM20++) is a tantalizing starter with pieces of deep-fried red snapper skin tossed in a refreshingly tart and mildly salty salad of sliced tomatoes, red chilli, onion and coriander.

Moving on to its signature dishes, you must try its mouth-watering ‘Nahm Prik’ concoctions - tasty Thai relishes eaten with fresh vegetables.

The Nahm Prik Long Rea (RM14++) is a thick dipping concoction made with minced chicken, dried prawns and salted egg. Served with a platter of raw long beans, sliced cucumber and cabbage, fried brinjal, steamed okra and crisp-fried flaked catfish, the flavourful dip proved to be so irresistible that even my dining partner who usually shun veggies, ate this healthy platter without any complaint!

I can hardly wait to return and savour the others – Nahm Prik Kapi (spicy shrimp paste relish), Nahm Prik Pla Tu (mortar-pounded frigate mackerel relish), Nahm Prik Ma Krea Yau (brinjal and egg relish) and Nahm Prik Kung Kaew Khai Tom (glass prawns and boiled egg relish).

Special mention also must be made of the Montien Platter (RM20++) that entices you with a great combination of Thai ‘money bags’ (a daintier version of Chinese wontons), prawn cakes, stuffed beancurd with minced prawns and chicken, steamed sago balls filled with minced chicken served with fresh chilli and lettuce.

Another ‘must try’ is Khanom Jeen or Thai Laksa. Rice noodles are accompanied by fresh vegetables such as beansprouts, long beans, shredded cabbage and cucumber, salted vegetables and a lime wedge in a rich fish (RM18++) or prawn (RM22++) curry. It was a splendid combination of flavours and textures, with the smooth rice noodles acting as the perfect foil for the aromatic and creamy curry with the raw, crunchy vegetables tempering the gravy’s richness. Personally I found this scrumptious Thai laksa as good, if not better than the one that I had tasted in Bangkok last year.

If you are partial to curries, the Chu Chi Kung (RM30++), prawns cooked in a special Thai curry paste and Massaman – Thai Muslim curry (RM25++) will certainly whet your appetite.

The large, fresh prawns came split in halves, generously covered with thick, fiery red gravy. Redolent with exotic Thai spices and shredded kaffir lime leaves, the sublime prawn curry tasted out of this world. Not overly spicy but enough to leave your tastebuds tingling.

Just when we thought nothing could outshine this rich, indulgent delicacy, along came the Massaman lamb curry (RM25++). This delicious Southern Thai Muslim curry originated as far back as the 16th century. It is hard not to be enthralled with this superb dish of tender cubes of lamb and potatoes prepared with fragrant Thai spices, sliced onions and crisp-fried sliced shallots. We found that the Thai cardamoms in the gravy – they look like chickpeas but are smaller in size – imbued the curry with a delicate citrusy-peppery aroma and taste.

Set lunch priced at RM25++ per person is now available to cater to the office crowd who wish to enjoy a quick, sumptuous lunch. The menu changes weekly and will comprise two starters, rice with a curry, dessert and a cup of jasmine tea. The first lunch menu, for example, will incorporate Hor Mok (a smooth mixture of fish, curry paste and coconut milk steamed in banana leaf cups), Thai mango salad with minced salted egg and dried shrimps, green chicken curry with white rice and caramelized tapioca with coconut cream.

“It also serves as a good introduction to our specialties for those who have yet to try us,” said Vivian.

Dessert runs the gamut of the usual Tham Thim Grob (waterchestnuts and sliced jackfruit in fragrant coconut milk RM7++) to the less commonly found Ma Muang Nahm Pla Wan (crunchy green mango sliced and served with special Nahm Pla Wan dip RM10++). We sampled the Man Chiem (RM7++), a delightful Thai dessert of steamed tapioca topped with coconut cream and sesame seeds, and Khao Niaw Thurian (RM12++).

The former came up to expectations – we also had this on our previous visit and it was just as good. Now if you are die-hard lover of the King of Fruits, then the latter is an absolute ‘must have’. The glutinous rice was warm and had a lovely chewy texture. Generously topped with sinfully sweet and creamy durian purée and smooth coconut cream, it was just heavenly! Our only worry is this dessert can be a little inconsistent as it hinges very much on the quality of durians used. Having had this on our last visit, it was a little disappointing as the durian purée turned out to be a little chalky and stringy. Nevertheless, don’t let it deter you from ordering this wicked sweet – I am sure the outlet will strive to keep up its high standards to ensure this turns out right. And with the durian season in full swing, there’s no better time to sample this dessert.

The outlet has a seating capacity for 50 downstairs and 80 for upstairs including the al-fresco patio.

If your jaded palate needs spicing up, Montien is just the place to have a truly Thai dining experience.

MONTIEN (pork-free)
ONE BANGSAR
63E Jalan Ara
Bangsar
55900 Kuala Lumpur
Tel 22833116
Fax 22833226

Business hours 12 noon – 3 pm (last order 2.30 pm); 6.30 pm – 10.30 pm (last order 10 pm)

NO BALLS PLEASE!

Melaka is under sieged - this time by hordes of tourists! It's amazing how bus and car loads of them swarmed this tiny state famed for its rich historical past and super-hyped up Peranakan and Portuguese food.

Despite numerous visits to Melaka in the past, we have never had the chance to sample its famous chicken rice balls - a novelty and really major draw for any visitors to this part of the world. I kid you not!

So we were determined on that very weekend that we would get our hands on some, by hook or by crook. Maybe it was the unbearable scorching afternoon heat, the endless stream of holiday makers or maybe it was just plain complacency...I knew we were suckered into the hype of these so-called famed chicken rice balls the minute we sat down and were very much welcomed with some really bad attitude from the lady server.

While the foursome ahead of us were kind enough to vacate their table for us (we had our cranky seven year old girl in tow) rather speedily, one of the workers who helped to clear the table gave us a taste of the ugly Malaysian inhospitality.

Her unsmiling face and surly manner were quite enough to curdle your blood - obviously she reckoned we were undeserving of some simple, basic courtesy despite being paying customers. When we placed our order for half a chicken and four portions of rice balls, she haughtily told us off that she was most certain it would be insufficient for us three adults and a kid, and rudely warned us that should we even dream of asking for additional orders of the chicken and rice balls, then we had better be prepared to wait!

I was shocked and irked by her rudeness but I stood my ground and told her firmly that we were satisfied with our decision, thank you very much.

As it turned out, the meal was really nothing much to shout about. We just could not figured out what was all the fuss about ... ok the free-range chicken tasted so-so. It was not spectacular - the meat was lean and tasted all right with soya sauce and fragrant sesame oil but that was about it.

The novelty of seeing the chicken rice done up in smooth ping-pong balls (only these were slightly larger) soon wore off and we were not induced to eat more of it. Seriously, it was quite tasteless and greasy which made the experience of eating this specialty a non-event. Children being children, my kid ate up most of her portion thanks to the fact that they were rice balls and not the usual heap of steaming rice one would get else where.

I had to lace mine with lots of chilli sauce - at least the condiment was above average - it was a perky concoction of vinegar, ground chillies, garlic and shallot.

Let's just say the next time we return to Melaka, we won't be hankering for chicken rice balls that's for sure. Ah, but happily our visit did end on a happy note. After feasting on the superb local durians at this small, makeshift stall along the old road leading to Alor Gajah, the King of Fruits presented us with a completely different experience altogether...looks like we will consider returning to this little state after all.

Liqueur-laced Chocolate Mousse 

Scrumptious Scallops 

Fish befitting the Emperor in your life a.k.a. Daddy 

Pan-seared Beef Fillet 

FATHER OF ALL FEASTS

Now that mothers have had their share of loving tributes for the year, this time around it'd be Dad's turn.

OK besides the pre-requisite Father's Day cards and ho-hum pressies, it is almost sacrilegious if you don't take the man out for a good chow-down. After all, a man's heart is through his stomach no?

In KL, one can eat well regardless of price but hey, are you gonna stinge on Dad? Besides posh hotels, stand-alone eateries are now getting into the act of whipping up extra-special scrumptious delights just for that day. Trendy eatery, Bon Bon Brasserie in Bangsar is one of them.

Chef Dhillon Ng's ‘home-style’ French-European dishes comprise mainly meat items matched by strong, robust flavours are supposed to reflect Dad’s masculinity. Of course, seafood and poultry dishes are included for fathers who prefer these.

I suspect most Dads will enjoy the amuse bouche (literally translated, it means amusement for the mouth - French-style appetizer in short). Although you won't get an inkling of what it will be come Father’s Day, ours was a dainty slice of seared tuna with grated pickled ‘daikon’ (radish) and pesto on toast. Needless to say it served an exquisite prelude for the other specialties to come.

Out of the seven starters that will be available, we sampled two – seared scallops on kataifi nest with dill shallot vinaigrette and sautéed field mushrooms with Saint Maure goat cheese and garlic jus.

Personally I don't know anyone who can resist plump, fresh scallops. These were just nicely cooked so they were sweet and succulent on the palate whilst the kataifi (finely shredded dough popularly used in Middle Eastern and Greek desserts) and topping of baby sprouts provided different textural contrasts. Mmm...

The dill shallot vinaigrette perked things up a little but it was the finely chopped kelp pickles and sesame seeds that struck a memorable affinity with the scallop trio.

Despite the slightly burnt phyllo casing, we were all for the sautéed ‘chanterelle’, trumpet and button mushrooms. The baked starter turned out to be a heavenly match between the mushrooms’ rustic, earthy flavours and the mildly salty, robust and nutty nuances of the Saint Maure goat cheese. A drizzle of aromatic garlic jus added that final flourish to this delectable creation. Again we were impressed by the clever combination of different textures – how well the light, spongy texture of the mushrooms offset the crispy phyllo pastry and soft, melty goat cheese.
Anyway I discovered that Saint Maure is considered one of the best goat cheeses in French cuisine. This gourmet delight is easily recognisable by its small log shape and thin, smooth rind with blue-grey moulding. It also has a long straw traversing the middle for holding together this soft cheese and to ensure easier handling.

Other enticing choices include consommé of beef with ravioli of oxtail and foie gras, salmon gravlax with pickled fennel, pearl onion and extra virgin olive oil, seafood bisque, terrine of foie gras with port and spices and homemade brioche and Bon Bon’s best-selling duck rilette in phyllo with crisp fennel and spiced honey.

Of the seven main courses, we can vouch for the pan-roasted fillet of beef. Nicely seared on the outside, the tender beef fillet remained pink and juicy inside. Accompaniments for this are vegetable caponata (a Sicilian relish of eggplant, onions, tomatoes, anchovies, olives, pine nuts, capers and vinegar cooked in olive oil) and tapenade jus (a Provençale paste made from capers, anchovies, ripe olives, olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings).

Equally good was the seared emperor snapper with mushroom risotto and crisp chorizo. This imported fish from Australia is highly regarded for its sublime texture and clean, clear flavour. We thoroughly enjoyed the snapper’s firm, sweet flesh paired with the creamy risotto (an Italian delicacy of cooked short-grain rice) richly imbued with the beguiling aroma and slices of mushrooms and fine strips of crisp chorizo (Spanish beef sausage).

The remaining mains comprise braised lamb shank with saffron, herbs, dried fruits (a mixture of dried pineapple, jackfruit, apricot and prune) and garlic mash, roast spring chicken with sautéed vegetables and truffle jus, roast beef polenta with haricot vert (green beans) and pommery mustard jus, seared duck breast with garlic mash, pea sprouts and orange marmalade jus and pan-seared cod with red miso, roma tomatoes and haricot vert.

Cap off your celebratory lunch or dinner with any of these six desserts – mini pavlova with strawberries in a passion fruit soup, mango mille feuille (rectangular French-style pastry consisting of thin layers of puff pastry sandwiched with cream and mango), lemon tart with chocolate mousse, classic vanilla crème brûlée, chocolate torte with espresso ice-cream and Valrhona chocolate mousse with Grand Marnier.

We had the crème brûlée (it means ‘burnt cream’ in French) which is top-notch. This classical treat with its superb custard-like texture and a caramelized sugar topping is not overly sweet and will appeal to light eaters.

The Valrhona chocolate mousse is more decadent as the ultra-smooth and rich chocolatey mousse is laced liberally with the renowned Grand Marnier orange liqueur.

With the flexible option of having two courses for RM58++ or a three-course meal for RM70++ per person, we reckon this special feast with Dad won't burn such a big hole in your pocket.

BON BON BRASSERIE (pork-free)
20 Jalan Telawi 2
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel : (03) 2283 1100

Shiok! Steamed Chicken with Pickled Carrots & Spring Onion 

'Sauna' Prawns anyone? 

Fish Steaming in the Hot Stone Pot 

Close-up of the Hot Stones