The Royal North Sea Yacht Club @ Oostende, Belgium

The Royal North Sea Yacht Club is the only yacht club located in the city centre along the Belgian coast. There are many restaurants, a train station, shops and busses within walkin distance. Luc made a reservation here for our dinner as he told me the restaurant at the yacht club is really good.

The restaurant and bar is located on the highest floor and it has a sunny terrace that overlooks the Belgian coast. However, the capacity of the restaurant is only 30 people and it's not easy to get a reservation here.

Artisanale Garnaalkroketten, Gerfrituurde Peterselie €16

Luc ordered a shrimp croquette with parsley as I decided to skip the appetisers. I was still stuffed from the previous beer session at Botteltje. This is a typical dish of the Belgians and also the Dutch because I remember eating croquettes every meal when I was in Netherlands. The Croquettes were piping hot and the outer layer was so crispy. It was very delicious indeed.

Klassiek gebakken kabeljauw met een lauwe aardappelsalade en tuinkruiden €25

I ordered a Classic baked cod with potato salad and garden herbs. It's been a challenge for me to understand the menu here as most of them are written in Dutch and sometimes with French. During my almost 2 months stay, I've learnt some words and I could also figure out some of the dishes especially if it's written in French. Sigh... it's a daunting chore to ask my bf to translate everytime at a restaurant but some staff were nice enough to explain to me in English. The cod was so good as it was fresh, fleshy and smooth.

Gebakken Zeetong met Garnituren en frietjes

Luc ordered a fried sole with fries and one dish that I really like during my stay here is the Zeetong which is also called a "dover sole" or "black sole". It's from a family of flat fish and it usually lives in shallow water with sand or mud at the bottom. It's really delicious when it's grilled and served with a little lemon juice.

Frietjes or also known as Belgian Fries because the people here find it offensive to call it French Fries. It's thicker than the normal French Fries and it has a firmer outlet layer. This is like a national food of the Belgians and I've not come across anyone here who doesn't like them. If you go to any restaurant, you can be sure that they serve Frietjes and people can eat them by tonnes!!

We had a bottle of 2011 Domaine Thibert Pouilly-Fuisse Bourgogne €42 which is affordable and the wine is definitely drinking very well. I think we'll never get these prices for such a good bottle when dining in Malaysia. I will miss the wines very much when I go home....

The happy bf after a good meal!!!

Royal North Sea Yacht Club

Montgomerykaai 1  

8400 Oostende

Tel: +32 (0) 59 70 27 54
website

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon @ West St London

It was a cold cold evening in London and since I am staying right in the West End of London, a visit to L'atelier de Joel Robuchon at "theatreland" seemed to be a great idea. Morever, not knowing what to expect from this 2 Star Michelin restaurant since this is my first visit to any of the JR chain restaurants, this is going to be interesting!

The restaurant in London consists of 3 different floors where the 1st floor is the L'atelier and you can choose to sit at the high counter concept like a sushi bar but we prefer to go to the first floor where they called it "La Cuisine" and it's a traditional seating and dining concept with an open kitchen and a wood-fired oven. I love the concept as I can see the chefs and staff working in the kitchen and how they immaculately decorate each dish before it is served. It's just amazing because I was just seated next to the kitchen! The third floor is La Salon which is more like a bar and terrace for a chill out evening.

Instead of bread basket, we were served this plate of thin crispy pastry that goes well on its own or with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I love the service here as they are not only efficient, the staff are so informative and so attentive. Now that's what I called a Michelin Star restaurant!

Le Jambon "Iberico De Bellota" £19

It's a plate of wafer thin slices of Iberico that feeds on acorns and are cured for a long time (as I couldn't recall how many because I was too busy eating) and served together with tomatoes on a crispy bread. I tell you... this is one of the best and most delicious Iberico Bellota I've tried! If I am returning, I would definitely order this again. The robust taste of nuts makes it all delicious even on its own.

Le Canard £29

 This dish consists of glazed duck breast, daikon and foie gras "mille feuilles" and braised lolly leg.I can't really remember the taste of this dish as I wasn't the one having it but I remember I did try the duck breast and it was oh-so-tender and flavourful.

Le Caille £29

This is a recommended dish from the restaurant as I can see from the many reviews, this is a must-order dish here. Oh well, this is also my first preferred choice as I love quails... as in eating them. This free range quail is stuffed with foie gras and truffle mashed potatoes. Did you see the beautiful slice of black truffle? The mashed potatoes is also a signature of Joel Robuchon where the potatoes puree is so silky smooth and are rumoured to be cooked with lots of butter in a Le Creuset pot. I absolutely adore this dish as the quail was tender and infused with foie gras which makes it so rich! After this meal, I'll never look at quails the same way again and perhaps with a sheepish nefarious glint in my eyes.

1999 Domaine de La Grange des Peres
I think this is the last 2 bottles they have at the restaurant. It was a great choice of red wine as I have not tried this label before and it's one of those must-try cult wine! Grange des Peres is one of those arguably the greatest and most respected domaine in the entire Languedoc region and availability is really limited.

 A complimentary white chocolate lolly with lemon sorbet. So refreshing and cute!

 

 Le Chocolate Tendance £11

 When I saw this on the dessert menu, I knew I had to order this due to a profession disease that I could not cure. It's a creamy Manjari chocolate, bitter chocolate sorbet with Oreo cookie crumb. Something so simple yet presented so beautifully and the chocolate was so rich, bittersweet and creamy!

 This is a happy me after the meal. I wished I had more space for some more food grazing but unfortunately I'm all stuffed by the end of the dinner!

 

 

 Next up, I would love to try more Joel Robuchon outlets all over the world.

 

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon 

13-15 West Street, 

London WC2H 9NE 

Tel:+44 0207 010 8600

Website

Hibiscus @ Maddox Street, London

Ranked #8 on the Good Food Guide 2012 and 2013, Hibiscus is one of my top priority in my dining list in London. Hibiscus is a brainchild of Chef Claude Bosi which he started in Ludlow way back in year 2000 and later in 2007, the restaurant was relocated to London and maintaining its 2 Michelin star. The restaurant also is named one of The World's 50 Best Restaurants by the Aqua Panna and S. Pellegrino awards in 2010 and 2011.

The facade of the restaurant was so simple that one wouldn't have thought that this place serves such fine cuisine. And lucky, the cab driver managed to locate this place with the address that I have brought along during the trip. There are so many Michelin starred restaurants in London and so don't expect all cab drivers to know them all.

 Chef Claude Bosi

The interior was also simple but elegant and I love the electric blue chairs that perked up the white interior. I was seated at a comfy couch that was half enclosed which allows some privacy. There's no air about Chef Bosi as he would walk around the tables and greet his customers. I even grabbed him for a photo opportunity (isn't that what a food blogger always do?). It was also very kind of the restaurant to prepare a nice card and signed by the chef himself on the table for my partner as we are celebrating a special ocassion together.

 

 Parmesan Cheese Balls & Olive Balls together with a bread basket to start our evening. I love those cheese-filled balls! That was not it as we were also given a glass of complimentary Rose since we are celebrating a special ocassion. Now, that is a true kind gesture!

His cuisine is quite gastronomical but with influences of French and traditional British cuisine. There's nothing too extravagant in his dishes as he wants to keep it close to the natural flavours of the ingredients. Hibiscus offers a very interesting seasonal menu for dinner. I took the 6-course dinner of winter menu as recommended as the portions are small and I could sample more of the Chef's specials. The degustation menu is a surprise and thus you won't know what you will be expecting. And I love these kind of surprises!

3 courses - £87.50 ++

6 courses - £95.00 ++

  8 courses - £105.00 ++

 

 Hibiscus "Kedgeree" served in an egg shell. 

Kedgeree is actually a traditional British breakfast from colonial India that consists of smoked fish, boiled rice, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, curry powder and ghee but the Hibiscus "Kedgeree" contains smoked Haddock, soft egg and a tint curry oil.

Leflaive Les Pucelles Puligny Montrachet 2001 Premier Cru

A deep gold hue, a nose of pears, apricots and jasmine flowers. On the palate, there's honey suckle, slight mint and spices coupled with citrus notes. The wine is dense, long lingering flavours and needs time for it to develop. Knowing that I love a Puligny montrachet, my partner made the right choice in picking up this from the wine list.

And a picture of me with my "Kedgeree". Pictures are all taken using the iPhone 5 and due to low light conditions, please bear with the quality of my food pics.

Salad of Devonshire Crab, Tokyo Turnip Smoked Olive Oil Cream and Ginger

I would have thought that the cream would be too overhelming and oily but it wasn't.

Ravioli of Smoked Potato & Hen's Egg Yolk, Truffle

I found this dish to be too salty for my liking and thus I told the staff about it. Otherwise it would be a very nice dish as I love the truffle and smoky flavours.

Grilled Hand Dived Isle of Skye Scallops, Pork Pie Sauce and Pink Grapefruit Gel

This delicate Scottish scallop is really nice but I was told that if I were to eat it in Scotland, fresh from the catch, it would even be better! The pork pie sauce was really interesting and who would have thought pairing it with a seafood and the grapefruit gel provides a citrusy and refreshing flavour to the scallop dish.

Adour Foie Gras Skewered on Liquorice, Pear Gel, Nashi Pear Confit, Shaved Black Liquorice

Service recovery was instant as they apologized for the salty dish and they offered this dish as compliments from the restaurant. When I think of Licorice, the sweet black candy comes into my mind. Liquorice is actually from the legume family and if you boil the plant, you can extract a sweet syrup from it. The foie gras pairs very well with sweetness, no doubt.

South Coast Monkfish, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower & Mulled Wine, Sauce Coq au Vin

The monkfish is a huge fish which looks like a cross between a flatfish and a shark and is popularly fished at the South Coast of England. It is also known as the "poor's man lobster" due to it's firm texture and the and a natural sweetness to the taste. I absolutely love those cute little brussel sprouts too!

Goosnargh Duck, Quince Aioli, Jerusalem Artichokes & Sharon Fruit

Goosnargh (pronounced as goose-ner) is a village in the City of Preston in Lancaschire, England and it's ducks and confed chickens are championed by the chefs. The producers in Goosnargh has a reputation for top quality birds fed on a chemical-free diet, so much so that there is an EU protection sought to prevent ducks produced elsewhere being tagged as coming from that village. Fantastic taste and structure, intense flavours and I simply love the crisp dry skin which felt almost like the crackling skin of the pork. Would you just look at the colour of the duck meat?!!

Melilot Panna Cotta & Hibiscus "Tarte Au Chocolate" with Indonesian Basil Ice-cream

The whole dinner was very enjoyable as the restaurant was spacious and the service was tip-top. A thumbs up to the team for the attention given to us and even the fine details I sent to them by email before the dinner was followed up. I made a reservation using Toptable and there is a penalty of £50 if I cancel the reservation within 48 hours which I gulped when I entered my credit card details while booking this place.

After the dinner, we were given a small bag each which contained a cute muffin and the tasting menu which we have just experienced. That is really professional! And guess how much was the bill?!! When I asked for the bill, my heart also jumped out from my ribcage. It's £800+ where the dinner for 2 costs around £300 and the £500 goes to the the bottle of Puligny Montrachet. And since my partner is so sweet, he took care of the bill.

Hibiscus
29 Maddox Street
London, W1S 2PA 

Tel: + 44 020 7629 2999

Website

 

Hours of Operation:  

Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 12:00pm - 2:30pm

Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 6:30pm - 10:00pm

Friday & Saturday: 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Francaises 2000

The highlight of the dinner on Monday night is also the subject for my post today because I couldn't find a more suitable title for this.

It was a dinner of my girlfriend's birthday and she invited some 14 of us for a dinner at Grand Palace in Pavilion KL. The champagnes chilling in the stainless steel buckets are awaiting to be uncorked and what a welcoming sight when you have a peep at those labels.

1st champagne for the night is undoubtly the star itself - a bottle of Bollinger Vielles Vignes Francaises 2000 which is also my first time tasting it. "One of the rarest and most expensive Champagnes and only created during exceptional vintages".

What makes this Bollinger VVF so special is that this is Bollinger's prestige cuvee (made entirely in 100% pinot noir) and is produced from ungrafted vines in two walled vineyards which the vines used to produce this champagne is from very small yields. The Bollinger VVF undoubtly creates an unbelievable experience for those lucky enough to sip them because when the yields are so small, it enables the grapes to reach a high maturity which is almost like a fine wine. The annual production of the VVF is only 3000-5000 bottles and each is numbered. The 2000 has a pale gold colour and a very attractive nose of pinot noir, honeyed and intense. It's a very fine bubbly with flowery notes, butterscotch and some hints of citrus. The finish was silky and vibrant but it could have been better if we were to chill it to another 2-3 degrees less. Such finesse!

I really have to thank my gf for this rare opportunity to taste such a rare champagne!After that it was followed by a DP 2003 and then a Bollinger La Grande Annee Rose 2002, all which she has carefully selected from her collection.

 We had a huge platter of fresh salmon sashimi and oysters. All the men were served more oysters than the ladies for obvious reasons...

Another appetiser platter followed with soft-centered century eggs with pickled ginger served on spoons, local cherry tomatoes on skewers to compliment the caramelised pork livers a.k.a chinese version of porky foie gras. Ok, I still prefer the goose/duck foie gras...

The other dishes that we had includes the lobster bisque (chinese style), chinese sausage with kailan, prawns on skewers served with fried yam slices and capsicum and then the other dish which I could not remember which part of the cow it's from. heheh...

The red wines that were served on the same night. 

It was also my 1st time sipping on a Penfolds 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 magnum.  Seriously there was so much hype about this 707's and I thought it's something that I need to try once in a lifetime and voila! I got to try it that night. But I must say that generally an Australian wine especially a cabernet sauvignon has a superb nose. The nose was intense, oaky, full of dark berries but the palate was rather disappointing. The tannins are balanced, there's hints of peppery notes, ripe fruits and oak but it doesn't match the intensity of the nose, it was lacking in depth and finish.

Ooh.. but I so love the Cos D'Estournel 2003 from the Saint Estephe appellation is the second growths of the Bordeaux Classification 1855. It is a very superb wine is a good vintage. The nose was outstanding with earthy notes, prune, black berries and minerals. The mouthfeel was very good, fine tannins and balanced with a full-bodied palate. There's plums, blackberries, licorice, sweet spice notes and hints of smoke. What a wonderful wine!

The red wines went so well with this roasted Spanish Iberian Pig ribs. The ribs was marinated with herbs and it's almost 12 inches long! This is so flavourful and the meat is just so tender!

And when I thought we were done, the Hainanese Chicken was served together with 3 different sauces - chilli, black soya sauce and ginger sauce.

That was not the last dish I assure you because every birthday boy and girl will have to have a bowl of the longevity noodles in the chinese culture and thus we all had a bowl of that. And forgetting to mention the Old & Rare Bunnahabhain 33 years old as night cap. *filled to the brim.... A toast to my girlfriend's birthday and thanks for this wonderful dinner of great company, food and wines.

Grand Palace

Level Six, 

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, 

No. 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 

55100, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: +603-21431128

Yeast. A French Bistronomy @ Bangsar KL

Those looking for a new place to try in town should really visit YEAST. If you think that this place serves everything flour, yeast and bread and you'll be wrong. Yes, they do have their own bakery section with an interesting array of fresh bakeries daily but they do serve a very good French menu.

I really like the interior of this bistronomy (a combination of the word "bistro" and "gastronomy") as I felt that I was transported to Paris when I was sitted at the dining table overlooking the open kitchen with copper pots and pans hanging from the ceiling and the black and white tiles matches the parisian ambience perfectly.

I love the bread basket with a nice assortment of breads. The multigrain loaf was really nice. And that night, we ordered a bottle of wine from my favourite region - Margaux. A La Sirene de Giscours 2007 at RM340.

Gateaux de Crabe RM28

We had a special request to have the appetisers to be shared by two and thus we both have a crab cake each and nicely presented on separate plates. It's a crispy crab cake with diced green apples, cranberries, toasted walnut, roquette and garlic aioli sauce. The crab cakes pass my test and I enjoyed every single bit of it which is one of the better ones I've tried in town.

Foie Gras de Canard RM45

The duck foie gras terrine was pan-seared and then served with port, balsamic and fruit reduction complimented with a brioche toast. The fruit reduction is like a chutney and it tasted so good with the toast. Thumbs up for this dish too!

Boeuf Bourguignon RM48

This is actually a typical French cuisine where the beef short ribs are braised with wine. This is so tender that it melts in your mouth. Served with root vegetable puree and crispy fried onions. Although the portions aren't big, the satisfaction you get from the taste will fill you up.

Confit de Canard RM42

Another classic example of French cuisine is the duck confit which I love very much. I must applaud that the chef here did it so well with the duck so crispy on the outside and its meat so tender and flavourful and sprinkled with some herb-bread crumb cassoulet. A must-try!

This is our dessert for the night which I forgot its name but it's a pear frangi (RM16) and served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

The founder of Yeast, Christophe Chatron-Michaud was very nice and friendly. And credit goes to the restaurant manager who makes us feel so comfortable and the service was very good too!

And so I went there again for tea time on the same week with my girlfriends.

Limonata Soda (RM9), Virgin Mojito (RM12), White Button Mushroom Pastries (RM11), Orange Soda (RM9), Green Apple Iced Tea (RM8) and a smoked duck (RM10).

 

It was a very hot afternoon but siting outside didn't really bother us and we love the ambience. I truly recommend this place for its simple and classic French menu. A great place for lunch, tea and dinner. You should really try it!

Yeast Bistronomy

24G, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2282-0118

Website

1st taste of alcohol on 1st Jan 2013

Starting a new year is always exciting especially when you start the year with a bang! And this bang in my own term means a good meal with more awesome drinks! I had a feeling that after writing so many posts, some of you might think I'm a living alcoholic. Actually I'm not but I don't resist a good glass of alcohol in regardless of how often it is.

 

 Clockwise from Top Left : Dom Perignon 2003, Armand de Brignac Gold, Krug 2000, Bahans Haut Brion 2003 and Chateau Montrose 2003

Since it was the year of 2013, my friend decides that we should drink some 2003 wines to usher in the new year and I couldn't believe that my 1st taste of alcohol for the year was a bottle of DP 2003. As always, the DP is a yeasty champagne and the 03 has a good bouquet of fruits and on the palate you can taste its minerality, peaches and pears with honey. It's a dense champagne.

The Chateau Montrose 2003 was the one that I have been anticipating. Dubbed as the totally perfect Chateau Montrose 2003 by Robert Parker who gave this a 100 pointer in his tasting notes in May 2008, I was very curious to revisit the wine which I drank in July 2009 together with the Chateau Ausone 1993 and Chateau Haut-Brion 1993. This bottle today would have cost over a thousand ringgit but the question is whether you can still buy this from the market? I love the Ch Montrose 2003 for its gorgeous bouquet of blackberries, earth, cassis and cedar wood which hooks you to the tip of the glass. It's a full-bodied wine with silky tanins and with a decade of cellaring and a good aeration, it definitely opens up this wine. The palate is layered, complex and the finish was just superb. A winner for the night!

 

The clear favourites of the champagnes for me is the bottle of Krug 2000 and followed by the Armand de Brignac Brut Gold. The Armand de Brignac which is popularly known as the best champagne in the world does live up to its expectations. Besides falling in love with the Aces of Spade Gold opaque metallic gold bottle, this Brut cuvee only uses Premier Cru and Grand cru-rated grapes. Costing at almost RM1200 a bottle, this champagne better be awesome and it's indeed awesome! It has a a floral bouquet with honeyed sweet fruits and creamy palate.

However, drinking them side by side, I am absolutely fond of the Krug 2000 which I had such a rare opportunity to taste it twice in two occasions. It was certainly a very prized bottle because the House of Krug decided to create a vintage for the last millenium. It was known as the one of the most intense, dramatic and romantic Krug Vintages ever made which is also meant for cellaring. The Krug 2000 is not only vibrant but it has very expressive aromas of honey, pears, caramel and nougat. On the palate, you get the zesty notes of grapefruit, dried apricots, hazelnuts and coffee aromas. It's creamy, superb finish with layers of floral and fruity notes. A very long lasting impression on my palate. This was also the bottle that I had a bet with my godfather that he should open the last bottle of his when I ever get married. Haha...

We had some really comfort food at the chinese restaurant at Grand Palace in Pavilion KL. It's like my friend's favourite restaurant because we will never get sick of chinese food coupled with the good service and also some of the well-trained staff to pour the wines. To start off with, we brought our own smoked oysters and the Tartufata (truffle condiment) on crackers for appetisers. hehe.... Then we had some fried prawns on skewers, a stir-fried bean-sprout with egg dish served with fresh lettuce, sharks fin soup and braise pig livers.

While everyone was pretty much filled up, we were served with more food - honey bbq pork ribs and abalone with fish maw and mushrooms. All the food was done very nicely which compliments the wines and even the chef, Jason came and join us for some drinks.

A nightcap - Old & Rare Bunnahabhain 33 years old in Sherry Butt.

Flavours of cigar, cedar wood and spicy!

Happy New Year!