Royce for Xmas

No I don't mean a Rolls Royce (though secretly I wished Santa was real and he'll send me a new car!). Back to my dreams....

Look what I've received for Xmas!

 See how nicely they wrapped the chocolates up for me?

1st criteria for fine chocolates - quality packaging but of course not all chocolates with a nice packaging equals to quality.

 

 Royce Coffee Bean Chocolates

This is a new product from Royce. I had been buying Royce since a few years ago and it's good to see that they have expanded their chocolate range. These coffee bean chocolates are actually whole roasted blend of Dominican Republic and Arabica coffee beans and enrobed with smooth milk chocolate. Coffee Bean chocolates are not new in the market but what makes a good combination is the quality of the coffee beans used and the chocolate that was coating it. This one here makes a nice bite due to the milky taste of chocolate that takes off a bit of the bitter taste of the coffee beans. They come in 5 X 34g packs in a box which makes it convenient to snack.

The bread and butter of Royce is its Nama Chocolates (RM45). And this is also one of my favourite chocolate when I want a sinful indulgence.

"Nama" means fresh and it describes one of the main ingredients in making these Royce so delicious is due to its fresh Hokkaido cream. This is not your typical chocolate. These Nama chocolates are actually called ganache due to the ingredients that make up its recipe. In layman terms, it can be called a "soft chocolate" because of the cream that is added to make this chocolate so silky-smooth that it melts in your mouth. I like the BITTER variant compared to the other 7 variants that are available for this range. It's less sweet, with hints of cognac and a slight bitter finish.

It's also nice to see Royce has opened more outlets here in KL as compared to years ago when I can only get them from KLCC. For more info, click on this link.

Have a Royce Xmas! (as I was writing this, I just popped a few of them in my mouth)

Urban @ Hotel Istana KL

Gosh! I just realised my last visit to Urban has been this long! I guess that it's time to revisit Urban and see if this place still lives up to my expectation. It's not the most popular dining outlet in town but my friends and I liked the privacy here.

We ordered from the degustation menu and it solves my problem of thinking what to eat!

Breads are always a very important starter at any fine dining restaurant. Urban serves a very unique soft bread that is dark brown in colour and it goes very well with the olive oil or even the pesto. Then for the butter selection, they had 2 very interesting flavours - curry butter and parsley butter. Both tasted equally good which surprises my own palate.

Kumamoto Oysters done in 2 different styles as amuse bouche. Love both styles.

We started with a bottle of Chateau d'Armailhac 2006 from Pauillac. This is perhaps the least well known Bordeaux property in the Rothschild portfolio. Did you also know that the tending of the vineyards and making the wine is down to the team at Mouton Rothschild? This wine has a very dense ruby colour and it's best decantered 30 mins to 1 hour before drinking. The nose has a very earthy, fruity and leafty edge to it and on the palate, it's full-bodied, dry and tannic but tight and slightly off. We had a feeling that there's something wrong with this bottle that night as this is not our first bottle of d'Armailhac and it's not supposed to taste like that.

The 2nd bottle we had was a Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere 2006 from Pessac-Leognan. This bottle of red has a very beautiful nose of fruit, concentrated sweetness with a smoky character. On the palate, it has soft chewy tannins, plush and sweet but lacking in some acidity and less impressive compared to the nose.

This is a tuna rolled in seaweed and served on a spoonful of spaghetti. I liked the contrasting textures of the semi raw tuna with crispy seaweed edges while the spaghetti balances the taste of the meat.

The entree is a slow roasted Roma tomato salad with extra virgin olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, Kalamata olive powder and ginger mozarella ice-cream. At first I thought it's pretty weird to serve ice-cream with an entree but it blends in very well because it's a mozarella ice-cream and not a sweet-based ice-cream. Very interesting but ice-cream melts too fast.

Another entree would be the Creamy Seafood with Saffron Tagliatelle Pasta which I really like because of the rich and thick creamy sauce but it's not over the top due to the addition of lemon juice. However, the lemon juice was too much and it overwhelmed the dish and we did provide feedback to the chef about this. Otherwise, this is really delicious!

Grilled Black Angus Sirloin with roasted parsnip, Nasu Dengaku, Glazed shallot and red wine jus.I had mine at medium-rare and it turned out to be wonderful. The meat was juicy and there's the smoky flavours from the grill and taking it without any sauce is the way to go. This place used to serve the USDA Prime beef for a certain time period and I just missed it!

Dessert was a Creamy Vanilla Malibu Fennel parfait with glazed pineapple and mango sorbet.It's really out of the norm because I've not tried any ice-cream with fennel seeds before. It's really interesting to try an ice-cream made with spices and then paired with a mango sorbet and sweet glazed pineapple. It's not my kind of dessert but at least I am adventurous enough to try.

It was so nice of a friend to bring along this Dalmore 28 year-old Stillman's Dram. It's a very rare find because this bottling by Whyte & Mackay which has been discontinued. This is a very dynamic and lively whisky with sherry notes, orange marmalade, briny and with hints of spice. It's very well-balanced and I like this very much.

Then, another friend brought delightful Chocolate Whisky Truffles from Grandjean Freres where each of these truffle is handmade and brought in freshly from Switzerland. The packaging itself is already very impressive though simple and each of these fine whisky truffles are individually boxed. Guess how much for a box of 10 pieces?!! It costs a staggering RM188. Having said that, if price is not a matter, then this chocolate is worth the try and many more tries after that!

I don't know how much is the degustation menu we had that night but the appetizers are RM 50 nett per dish, the mains are RM90 nett per dish and the desserts are RM40 nett per dish. There are also 2 different set dinners available with an appetiser, main course and dessert (comes with tea or coffee) for RM145 nett and RM185 nett. This place is really worth visiting as well for its stellar dishes and service.


URBAN
Lobby Level, East Wing,
Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur
73, Jalan Raja Chulan,
50200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2141 9988 ext: 3691

Business Hours: Opens Mon - Fri from 12m - 2.30pm for carvery lunch and 6.30pm - 10pm for dinner. Saturdays open for dinner only. Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays.

Urban Spoon Bistro @ Sri Hartamas

On the 2nd day of New Year, I was invited by Sean & Chef Tawfeeq Seow whom are the owners of Urban Spoon Bistro in Sri Hartamas, situated at the building right opposite the Hartamas Shopping Centre. It's quite a new place and I was surprised that I didn't know about the existence of Plaza Damas 3 which already house a few restaurants since its opening a few months ago.

My sister, Yiling and I were invited and so we thought it would be a good idea to go together. At the very same day, there was a birthday party going on at their bistro located on the 1st floor which caters to private functions. Everyone was so busy but despite that, we still have very good service from the staff.

Apple Mojito, Watermelon Margharita, Soho La, Lychee Gimlet

(RM25/glass)

What's a better way to start the year off with some cocktails? I personally like the Soho La which has interesting layers of colours and also a play of textures. Their Mojito was a little off tune that day and thus I prefer the watermelon-based cocktails for a fresh afternoon.

The restaurant has a cosy yet upmarket style with the blend of colours by matching the gloomy colours with bright strips of turquoise. I like the classy bar and the naked brick wall. However, seating wise may be a bit tight and not too spacious.

The chef asked us what we would like to try and as usual, I told him that I'll leave the menu in his safe hands. We started off with a Soft Shell Crab Tempura (RM18). This salad is an interesting twist to the normal soft shell crab salad because they used a thai style sauce on it. There's apple papaya som tam and also garlic dressing. It's really a good start to the meal with the sourish and refreshing taste.

Next, we had a Roast Beef Salad (RM18) which consists of french beans, shallots, lemongrass, chilli, eggplant with lime and fish sauce dressing. This also reminds me of a thai style appetiser but the main ingredient which was the roast beef was just a good compliment to the salad. You can taste the juicy beef slices which is aged and hand-sliced. It's really a good piece of meat! Now imagine all those taste interwovened into one dish. Yummy!

We are into really serious spicy business here with the next dish presented to us in the form of fried breaded Jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese (RM18). I was skeptical at first to try it as I am not a big fan of spicy food but in the end I did convince myself to try one. At the first bite, it was sweet and you can taste the cheese but towards the end, you can feel the spiciness creeping into your tongue. Well, it's not too spicy and if I can take it, anyone can too!

Carrot and orange bisque (RM14)

This soup is made with orange, carrot with seafood ceviche and braised leeks. It's interesting to see an orange goes into making this soup. It's creamy, but lucky it's not starchy. You have to really consume this while it's still warm. The tangy taste is very subtle but the more distinct taste comes from the seafood and leek.

We're finally moving into mains after at least and hour and a half there. Things were moving a bit slow that afternoon and I guess it might be the party that's going on upstairs. We heard that the Emperor Tang Duck Confit (RM38) is a must try. The presentation is really impressive with a use of roasted baby potatoes, french beans, soy and calamansi reduction. While the duck did have a crispy skin, I felt that the meat was a bit dry. The sauce was a combination of sweet and savoury but somehow I felt that there's something missing with this dish.

Yaki fillet of cod (RM55)

I personally like the cod with sauteed tomato, oyster mushroom, seasonal vegetables, wasabi mayo, anise-mirin glaze, bonito flakes. The fish was fresh and you can see the flakes of the fish beautifully lined. The bonito flakes is certainly a very odd ingredient to the dish but it does pair very well because you get this roasted umami taste to it.

Perhaps one of the best mains we had that day which everyone enjoyed was the Cajun Wagyu Beef Burger (RM38). It is served with home-made spicy tomato chutney, cheese and a fried egg. The minced beef patty was good because the meat has retained it's juiciness and fats through the grilling process and the egg yolks oozes out as you cut into the burger.

After almost 2 hours there, we were still not finished. Coming up, we had 3 desserts. We had a Zesty crepe with vanilla ice cream which is not in the menu yet, Black pepper tamarind macerated strawberry & peach (RM14) with chardonnay au gratin & watermelon-basil slashy and a Chocolate cherry fondant (RM18) with vanilla ice cream and alcoholic option if you prefer. All the desserts were very good particularly with the chocolate dish that comes with preserved cherries and oozing chocolate that make you dance.

We weren't quite done here until the fat lady sings coffee were served. We had a cuppa and a good conversation with Chef Tawfeeq Seow whom has a bevy of experience from his previous stint at some of the 5 star hotels in KL. Although fusion is the word best describe this restaurant, it's certainly not one of those that serve half-past-six fusion food. For the price you pay for, I must say this is a good deal.

An obligatory picture of satisfied patrons and the chef.


Urban Spoon Bistro
Plaza Damas 3,
Jalan Sri Hartamas 1,
50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603-6201 2108
Facebook
Business hours: Mon - Sun 11:am - 11:00pm

Forlino @ One Fullerton Singapore

Monday is usually not the best day to start the week. Who the hell would have the mood to dress up for dinner at a glitzy sassy fine-dining restaurant, sipping wines and champagnes, indulging in all those rich culinary and then waking up early the next day to go to work knowing that it's only Tuesday - the week has just begun. Well, maybe those who doesn't have to go by the official clock in hours would! I'm not one of those but since I'm on holiday, I could do that too.

And that very evening, I was taken to a beautiful Italian restaurant at One Fullerton located in Marina Bay which is built on Singapore's reclaimed land. The restaurant, Forlino, pride themselves as Singapore's Finest Italian Restaurant and I'll tell you why I had to agree whole-heartedly.



I'm quite a fussy person when it comes to a fine-dining experience. A fine-dining experience starts at the moment you stepped into the restaurant, down to the cutlery and service to the moment you waltzed out the door. I expect nothing but a stellar dining experience if I were to pay through my nose for that meal, boy.

The dinner at Forlino started on the right note. We were ushered to our tables with a GREAT view of the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer and the Merlion. After taking our orders, they served us the still water, the Silex that we brought to the restaurant and then our amuse bouche. I must say that for every fine-dining restaurant, the amuse bouche is the first dish to impress. Well, the creampuff with Parmigiano and drips of bell pepper puree was impressive. It's light, fluffy and the cheese wasn't too overpowering either. E Buonissimo!




For appetisers, I had a Pan Roasted Goose Liver with Lambrusco Wine and Motello Cherry (S$32). What I loved best about this dish is that the goose liver was so tender, moist and fine. The sauce and poached pear slices was a good combination, resulting in the savoury and sweet taste. Then when I laced it with the Motello Cherry, it tasted even better because the this cherry has a rich and complex flavours. Don't be surprised if you taste chocolate in it too. I told the Chef that there should be 2 cherries instead of one!



My dining partner ordered the Spanner Crab with Tuscan Bread & Tomato Salad and Champagne Vinegar (S$32). Initially I wanted to order this but since I can steal a bite from his plate, I should order a different dish instead. It's aesthetically impressive from the bowl and on the palate, it's as good as it looks. The whole combination was refreshing, tangy and it has interesting textures of tomatoes, crab meat and greens all interwined together. An appetising entree indeed which is building up to the mains.

Silex 2005

One of the wines that I really wanted to drink was this Silex from Didier Dagueneau, one of the greatest Sauvignon Blanc producers in the world and dubbed as "one of the greatest winemakers of our generation". Sadly his legacy could not be continued as he died in a microlite accident in the Dordogne region of France at the age of 52 in 2008. He was also known as the "wild man of the Loire" due to his notorious behaviour and his different approach at winemaking. Therefore, his wines are immensely pleasurable as they are special, as unique as the man himself. As wine writer James Turnbull puts it: "No other wine born of silex soil has the firm and austere authority of Dagueneau’s."

Having tasted the Pur Sang 2006, I can't quite take my mind off Didier's wines. And now, having the opportunity to taste the Silex, probably his most famous wine, I would have an orgasm even before sipping. Seriously if you think a Sauvignon Blanc is just another white, you'll be so wrong until you've tasted Didier's Silex or Pur Sang. This white from Pouilly-Fumé has so much minerality that you'll find this a surprise. On the nose, you get these white flowers, verbena and nutty notes. It has a light yellow hue, indicating that it's still young and on the palate, you'll get to taste the zesty, floral notes as well as its richness and balanced acidity. Though this is not as lime-zesty as the Pur Sang, I find this very much elegant and refined. A 96 pointer from Wine Spectator is quite a fair review. I don't think I'll ever have a chance to taste his wines anymore and so it was indeed a cherished moment when I sipped my last glass of Silex 2005.

After the appetisers as we were enjoying the wines, we asked them to hold our mains for another 15 mins. After a while, the staff came up to our table and served two identical covered plates to us and I thought to myself, "how come the two mains come in the same plate although we ordered 2 different dishes". And voila when the lid was lift off!

It was Chef Mario Caramella signature dish - the Spaghetti 'alla Chitarra' with Lobster which I wanted to order initially but decided to go for the beef cheeks instead. It was indeed a very nice surprise 2nd course which I didn't expect. To be able to describe this dish in words might not be something I am able to do but to put it this way, "the dish was so well executed that I find no words to oblige a 2nd helping". The pasta was cooked al dente, absorbing the sauce so well and the lobster is still moist, juicy and tender. You can taste the burst of freshness and the sauce is not overpowering as well.

This is the main I ordered - Wagyu Beef Cheek with 100% Chocolate and Red Wine sauce (S$45). I ordered this due to 2 factors, one being I shall not give beef cheeks a pass if it's in the menu and second, I am intrigued with the combination of chocolate with beef cheeks. Actually, there's so many dishes on the menu that I wanted to try but sadly I don't have the space for everything. The beef cheeks is braised so tenderly and the chocolate and red wine sauce doesn't seemed to be a red eye to the dish. It blends very well, creating the slight sweet taste to the meat. There's also the herbs, carrots, onions and well mashed potato that is fine and beautiful to pair with the richness of the wagyu beef cheeks.

This is the Milk-fed Veal Shank with Vin Santo Wine and Forest Mushrooms Ragout (S$58). It's funny that I seldom take veal though it's supposed to be a very good piece of meat due to the young cattle instead of the meat from older cattles. This veal shank is delicious! The meat is extremely tender, meaning no extra amount of strength needed to chew this. I must say that Chef Mario is very good with sauces as they tend to pair the dish so well and you'll want to have every morsel of it!

1997 Arnaldo-Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco

To go with our mains, we had another bottle of wine, this time a red made with Sangratino grapes made by Arnaldo Caprai which is considered as the Best Producer of top quality Sagrantino di Montefalco in the region of Umbria in Italy. This is one of those Italian wines that I've not tasted nor heard before and surprisingly, it exceeded my expectations. On the nose, you get these leathery and chocolate notes. On the palate, I can taste the ripe fruits such as plum and blackberries, there were also herbs and earthy notes with a touch of oak. The tannins are still young but it's a silky wine with a good balance and decent length. It's about S$250 for this bottle but I think it's worth it, considering we are drinking this at Forlino.



Our dinner seemed like a never-ending meal. It's a Monday and there were only a few tables which granted us extra attention from the staff due to a reasonably quiet day of the week at the restaurant. I didn't order any desserts and Ganesh, the restaurant Manager has the liberty to decide what we should be having to give a sweet ending note to our dinner. My wish came true, as they really served me their signature Molten Lava Chocolate Cake with Mascarpone Ice Cream and Persimmon Coulis. Well, I was thinking to myself that this dessert better pass Eiling's chocolate test or else I'll fail this dessert miserably. First bite into the cake and I was memerised beyond words. The chocolate was oozing out and the cake was so chocolatey! My perfect chocolate dessert needless to say!

Then there was also the Tiramisu which they claimed that it's one of the best desserts too. Okay, I'll take a spoonful and see if it's really that good. Well, one thing for sure, there's liquer in there which makes the Tiramisu more "real" as I dislike having a non-alchoholic tiramisu. The cocoa powder was rich and the textures were all there. I'll still stick to the Molten Lava Chocolate Cake thank you! It's one of the best chocolate desserts I told the Chef, almost speechless when I was trying describe how good it was.

Whimsical deco, impeccable service and fabulous waterfront scenary.

The phrase above truly summarised my experience at Forlino. I like how meticulous they are towards the service and also in their set-up of the tables. The staff did iron each table cloth one very table! Every dish was served in perfect manner, with explanation of the dish and politeness. The chef was friendly and he came out to greet his customers as well. The food was excellent, timeless menu, impeccable service, picturesque waterfront view and wonderful company. Forlino is truly a class above the rest.

Limoncello & Chiacchiere

Just as when I thought dinner has ended, Ganesh came holding a cute glass container holding a gold amber liquid. Desserts hasn't quite ended as in every Italian tradition, we should end with either a shot of Grappa or a Limoncello. I prefer the latter which also happened to be the chef's own special concoction which he made it himself. Very wonderful limoncello with hints of sweet honey. I think I had 3 shots because my date isn't fond of sweet stuffs.

One of the best dinner dates I ever had! This place is worth visiting again and again. I'm sure my 2nd visit won't take too long.

Forlino

#02-06 One Fullerton | One Fullerton Road Singapore 049213 | Tel: 6877 6995

Opens Daily

Lunch: 12pm - 2.30pm | Dinner: 6.30pm - 10.30pm
reservations@forlino.com
www.forlino.com

Define your Future

Yes, these are indeed 3 very big words. Honestly, when I was in high school, I didn't know what I wanted in life, how am I going to get there and will I get there? Thinking about the future is really a serious thought and heck, I don't even know how to start!

That's why, parents played a major role in our lives. Not only they are our closest role models that we live with from the day we are born into this world, they are also the ones whom influence our way of life from the start. My mom decides what I should study after high school and even right to my first job. That's how important my parents are in shaping my future. Of course, the rest is up to us.

I started my career in the chocolate industry taking care of a local chocolate brand portfolio. It was my 1st job and I thought why not give it a try to see if I like what I'm doing. From that day onwards, it was no looking back and I'm onto my 3rd chocolate company and has almost 7 years of experience in this industry. I've gone through chocolate tastings, chocolate development, sales & marketing from small brands to international brands. And that, I must thank my education which sets the path for me.

Walking down the path in choosing the right institution of higher learning is no easy feat. Imagine the hundreds of colleges/universities to choose from locally and maybe thousands internationally. How could one choose? It's not like walking down the aisle of a supermarket choosing a packet of orange juice where you can pick another label if you don't like the previous purchase. But choosing the right college/university is crucial. It's your future!

And the best way to learn more about the institution of higher learning that you're about to choose is to attend its Open Day. That way, not only you can get clarifications from the institution, you can also visit their campus and find out about the facilities apart from the programmes offered. Remember, it's not all about studies, extra curricular activities and events are equally important in shaping who we are.

So why not head on to Sunway Education Day on the 17th & 18th Dec, 9am to 5pm to explore the many pathways to your dream careers. There will be talks and showcases, or drop by to chat with their education experts who are ready to help you choose your preferred education path.

Explore, Experience and Enjoy the interesting events around Sunway Campus on Education Day weekend!


Campus Showcase

- Discover Sunway Campus: The convenience of our bus transportation, the new Sunway Monash Residence, the generous Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and cutting-edge research we do here.

Culinary Masterpiece

- Culinary magic unfolds as Sunway Hospitality students craft a sumptuous 3-course meal and inviting pastries just for the guests!

Works of Art

- Watch the talented crop of artists from Art & Design and Performance & Media show off their amazing works at the idea3 Gallery and the Roof Top Theatre.

Career Test

- Explore which career is most apt for you through our computerised Aptitude and Interest Test.

They are open every day from now till 15th January 2012. Opening hours are 8.30am to 5.30pm on weekdays and 10.00am to 4.00pm on weekends and Public Holidays. Info here.

Did you also know that?

Fact #1! Sunway University is voted as Reader’s Digest Gold Trusted Brand Award 2011.

Fact #2! Over RM80 million Scholarships awarded through the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation!

Fact #3! ACCA @ Sunway is the only programme in Malaysia with 8 Consecutive Platinum Status.

Fact #4! Sunway VU MBA programme is ranked 6th top MBA in 2011 in Australia by Financial Review BOSS and utilising SAP-Software Enabled Teaching & Learning approach.

Fact #5! Sunway is the only provider of ICAEW programme in Malaysia

Fact #6! Sunway Diploma in Hotel Management, Culinary Arts and Events Management programmes are validated by Le Cordon Bleu.

Fact #7! Sunway degree programmes are validated by Lancaster University, UK, (Ranked 9^th out of 100 Universities in The Times Good University Guide 2012).

Fact #8! With Sunway BSc (Hons) Accounting & Finance; you can gain exemption for ICAEW/ ACCA/ CIMA/ CPA!

Fact #9! Experience campus living with Sunway Monash Residence, Sun-U Residence and Sun-U Apartment and enjoy a safe campus environment with the presence of committed Ancillary Police and trained security professionals.

DEFINE YOUR FUTURE
through A WORLD of EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

I've chosen mine. Have you?