THE MALAYSIAN TWIST IN A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

“Let’s do the twist” is the clarion call that Shook!’s executive chef Matthew Ona plans to send out for this year’s A Journey Through Time at Starhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur. The premier watch and jewellery exhibition returning for the eighth year will showcase rare private collections, first-in-market editions and exquisite timepieces from over 125 luxury brands, 20 of which are debuting in Malaysia.

Gala nights from 21 – 28 November will see guests relishing scrumptious creations by Chef Matthew Ona and his team at Shook! based on the Twisted Malaysian Fair theme. With the minutes ticking away after we arrived, samplings of what’s in store came fast but not too furious. Dainty rolls of Brown Sugar Smoked Pacific Salmon with Cucumber Yogurt Tzatziki and Salmon Roe quelled our rumbling tummies. Slick and succulent, one could polish off quite a few of them at one go.

Expectations were heightened and met by the Chilled Prawn Salad with Avocado, Cilantro and Toasted Cumin. Cusped in little buttery pastry tart cases, the subtly spiced accent lent an apt touch to the delicate morsels. Rustic and rich with coy tinges of garlic and chives, it’s best to go easy on the Braised Wild Mushroom Vol Au Vent with Roasted Garlic Cream & Spring Chives. These wickedly decadent offerings primed our tastebuds adequately for the upcoming preview dishes.

Chef Ona who hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota, started his culinary journey at the age of 14. From the U.S. to the Bahamas and onwards to Tokyo and Shanghai, Ona was previously the Executive Chef of Shook! in Shanghai before his current KL stint. Wise to the ways of us Asians and our love for strong flavours, the chef soon proved his mettle in pleasing discerning foodies. Veering from West to East, Ona’s time-travelling selection would have the well-heeled crowd savouring every culinary moment during the week-long A Journey Through Time galas. 

 

The classic French Salad Nicoise appeared in new guise with Ona serving of Yellow Tuna Carpaccio Nicoise-Style, adorning the lightly seared squares of fatty fish with tiny quarters of sun-dried tomato, Kalamata olive, green beans and organic egg. Fresh herbs and lemon dressing lent finishing touches to the bright, summery salad.

Next we were whisked away to Land of the Smiles where the Thai-inspired Spicy Lemongrass Broth sparked riotous flavours on our tongues. Lightly creamy on the palate, the inherent sweetness of shellfish was discernible, melding seamlessly with the broth’s briny-punchy-tangy accents whilst shrimps and seasonal mushroom added bouncy, tender textures.

The main course of Rusuk Rendang Puncak Mahligai brought us back to familiar home ground; emphasising Malaysia’s culinary heritage with beef short ribs grilled and then painstakingly braised like rendang. We love the clean, orderly presentation that makes this perennial delicacy so haute; the buttery meat set atop a pool of smooth unctuous spiced gravy, accompanied by a pair of turmeric-poached shallot, crisp slivers of fried ginger and kaffir lime leaf, crowned with a whole red bird’s eye chilli.

Using local fruits and herbs to great effect, the Malaysia Flavour 2014 dessert was a mind-boggling platter; a future-forward creation that looks like a UFO. The stunning ensemble is something that I think the Demon Chef aka Alvin Leung would approve of…we went wild over the cornucopia of lemongrass jelly, coconut mousse, pandan sponge, mangosteen sorbet, peanut gianduja crème and gula Melaka sago pearls. Like pieces of a puzzle, the different components somehow fitted perfectly and caused time to stand still.

For details on A Journey Through Time, visit www.ajourneythroughtime.com.my or call

SHOOK! for reservations: +603 2782 3875. Address: Feast Village at Starhill Gallery,

Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

TEN HOT HITS OF CHENGDU CAN DO

Mapo tofu, hot pot and dan dan noodles are some of Chengdu’s most famous dishes. Hailed as UNESCO’s City of Gastronomy, the capital of Sichuan province sets foodies’ imagination and tastebuds alight with its plethora of kick-ass chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Local dishes run the gamut from fried and stewed to steamed and boiled with strong fiery-hot to sour & spicy flavours.

To spur more Malaysian visitors to visit Chengdu which is also home of the world-famous giant pandas, the Dorsett Grand Chengdu has flown in their chefs: Zhou Xiang Rong, Bill Wang and Harry Chen for a charm offensive; enticing food-loving locals to sample the city’s piquant fare at the Chengdu Can Do Food Festival from 27 October to 16 November.

Topping the hot chart is Beef Shank with Chilli; the slices of flinty meat flecked with bits of red chilli gently scorching the tastebuds amidst the leafy bright freshness of coriander.

Coming in a close second is the ‘ma la’ (tongue-numbingly hot) yet tender Steamed Chicken in Chilli Oil with a rounded nuttiness from the generous sprinkling of sesame seeds in it. Blunt the burning effect with some Papaya with Honey Sauce or refreshing Lettuce with Sesame Paste.

Briny and zingy accents coupled with crunchy texture rule in the Marinated Black Fungus with Chillies and Jellyfish Head in Vinegar with cucumber strips heralded a welcome change of flavour dimension as the appetisers go.

Third winner has to be Double Boiled Duck Soup with Pickled Radish – an appetisingly sour, salty and mildly spicy broth with little yellow chilli padi in it. The faint-hearted may opt for a slightly unctuous but heartwarming Seafood Broth with filigree strands of egg or Assorted Mushroom & Bamboo Pith in Superior Soup – by far, the mildest broth with a peppery edge similar to that of pig’s stomach soup.

Notable mains to look out for include Steamed Fish with Chopped Chilli, Green Peppercorns and Garlic, Kunpao Prawns and Beef Ribs with Green Chilli. We picked the bones clean off the fish; its inherent sweetness amplified by the accompanying piquant topping.

Kungpao Prawns

Cashew nuts, rotund dried baby chillies and diced spring onion lent layers of textural and robust dimensions to the springy prawns coated in some caramelised sticky sauce; effectively reining in a bit of the diminutive chillies' kick-ass hotness.

Interestingly, the chopped green chillies piled atop the beef rib slices tasted more herbaceous than spicy hot; its fresh acidity balancing the meat’s lush richness.

More little round chillies made their presence felt in the Braised Duck with Chillies. Bathed in mildly tangy-sweet tomato sauce, the duck was so fork-tender that we could scoop up the meat with a spoon.

Ramping up the hotness to mega sweat-inducing levels are Braised Sea Cucumber and Braised Abalone with Mapo Tofu. The first offered a plethora of textural contrasts – from the crunchiness of bamboo shoot to slippery succulence of mushroom set against the warming heat of ginger, the smoky zing of diced red bird eye chili, the fresh clean taste of chopped green scallions and the pungency of garlic.

Tart and zesty hot, Chengdu’s famed mapo tofu – diced custard-soft beancurd flavoured with Sichuan peppercorns, red chilli oil and minced pork was given a luxe touch with whole abalones bearing criss-cross patterns.

The Boiled Dumplings with Chilli Sauce were decent too; stretchy wheat skin parcels generously filled with minced chicken with scallions. Again the ubiquitous chilli paste gave them a delicious punch that won’t scorch your tongue too badly.

It would be unthinkable not to try the Poached Noodles with Vegetables in Hot Chilli Oil. Freshly hand-made by the chef in attendance, the rough ribbons of chewy noodles are pleasantly tangy having been tossed in a sourish vinegar-based dressing with black fungus giving extra crunch.

Vegetable dishes are no less intriguing in the Chengdu foodscape. The crunchy and sweet Stir-fried Cabbage with Chillies won us over with its faintly charred overtone.

Spice fiends may prefer the Mixed Vegetables in Chilli Oil – a lethal pool of tart and fiery-red chilli oil brimming with fish cake, fish balls, bamboo shoot, beef balls, squid and sliced lotus root.

Surprisingly, the Boiled Mustard in Mineral Water was better than we had expected; the green’s delicate sweetness enlivened by a dollop of ground chilli paste.

The Chengdu Can Do Festival is held at Checker’s Café and served buffet-style at RM88++ per adult for lunch and RM108++ for dinner.

CHECKER’S CAFÉ, Dorsett Regency KL, Jalan Imbi, KL. Tel: 03-2716 1000

MAGICAL TIME AT J&P MAGIC HOUSE

As a little girl, Taeko Hasegawa loves going to magic bars and shows in Japan. The power of magic has such a spellbinding effect on her that it prompted Taeko to open J&P Magic House in KL with her husband Hiroyuki.

Barely months old in the city F&B scene, J&P (Jewel & Planet) has already cast its spell on Japanese expats, tourists and locals with its resident magicians’ performances. The demure expectant mother hopes that their magic would bring as much joy to both children and adults here as it did to her.

Sited in a refurbished double-storey shophouse, Taeko has drawn on her love for Moulin Rouge to give the restaurant a seductive boudoir-like setting while the upstairs lounge mimics a plush gentlemen’s club cum study, designed for intimate soirees. 

She tells us her choice of a mod-Italian menu is due to the cuisine’s wide appeal that transcends gender, age and race. “It’s easier to eat compared to Japanese or Asian cuisine which requires fiddling with chopsticks.”

 

Moulin Rouge-inspired interiors that oozes seductive opulence

 

Sliced toast served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil plays second fiddle to the scrumptious cheesy carbonara dip. The five-course dinner opens with a salad; it can be a refreshing feta cheese salad that has mixed green with swirly carrot spirals, black olives and diced feta drizzled with balsamic dressing.

 

Entrée is usually pasta - we sampled a scrumptious fettucini chicken bolognese (minced chicken with carrot, onion and celery in a robust tomatoey sauce with parmesan shavings (a la carte orders at RM22-RM42 per plate). Cooked al dente, it's a surefire crowd-pleaser.

 Alternatively, there's pizza which we can vouch for especially the Pizza Quattro Stagioni (RM30). Generously topped with artichoke, green olives, pepperoni, turkey ham and mozzarella on a tomato sauce-slathered base, you'd be hard-pressed to stop at just one slice.

Prefer something more substantial to leave you replete? Then take your pick from the main courses available such as grilled lamb rack with black pepper sauce and grilled veges (RM56), grilled barramundi with spinach, black caviar and baked tomato (RM48) and mixed seafood platter (RM62) among others.

 

 

Turf or surf? You decide...lamb rack (top), fish and seafood (bottom) main courses to tempt you

 

 

Classic dessert such as panna cotta (RM18) with fresh fruits, tiramisu (RM20) and molten chocolate souffle (RM22) are the sweet mainstays to build up the anticipation for the impending show.

Our skepticism vanished the minute the magicians displayed their nifty tricks at our table; astounding us with cards and coins that disappear and reappear out of thin air. We like how the performers rope in diners to help, making the experience even more memorable.

Trust us, the show is so enjoyable that time will just fly by in a bat of an eyelid. It makes for an entertaining evening out if you're tired of the usual ho-hum dinner and drinks amidst loud blasting music.

 

Call ahead and book yourself for a magical experience at J&P Magic House. For your info, the 1st show is at 9pm (seating at 7pm) priced at RM188 nett per pax inclusive of 5-course dinner and 2 drinks. The 2nd show at 11pm (seating at 10pm) is RM88 nett per pax inclusive 1 dish and 2 drinks while the 3rd show at 1am (opens at midnight) is RM88 nett per pax inclusive of 1 dish and 2 drinks. If you prefer to catch the show only (11pm), it's RM50 nett per head.

J&P Magic House, 19 Jalan Berangan, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2110 0221