A fine 2 Michelin Star dining at Nuance @ Duffel, Belgium

I just found out that a small country like Belgium would have a total of 106 Michelin Star restaurants listed in the 2012 guide and in the province of Antwerp itself, there's 15 outlets with 1 & 2 Michelin stars. That's quite impressive isn't it? Looking for a Michelin Star dining outlet back in my country is like fishing for sea urchins in the Klang River because there's none. 

Located on Killaanstraat in Duffel, is a french-belgian fine dining outlet that looked so humble from the exterior but if you have a Michelin guide in hand or if you are residing in Antwerp, you will know that Nuance is a 2 Michelin Star restaurant ran by husband and wife team - Thierry Theys and Sofie Willemarck. Born on the same year as me, Chef Theys has already earned his first Michelin Star when he's 26 years old. Guess what I'm doing when I'm 26?!! My achievements is nothing as compared to this talented young man. Today he heads the kitchen with his wife whom is also the restaurant manager. Together they make a good team in keeping the standards at Nuance.

So what brought me there? Luc has made a reservation for lunch and Thomas and him has been telling me that this is a restaurant that I cannot miss and I have to have a fine meal there. We ordered a set menu which consists of 6-7 dishes with dessert. And even before our first course is served, we were already served with 5 different types of amuse bouche which is not inclusive of the super-tasty freshly baked breads. The amuse bouche is not only a teaser to our tastebuds, it is also a fine food art for the eyes.

 Clams with yellow tomato, mi-confit and verveine.

 Focaccia with salmon and basil, citrus cream and smoked yogurt. 

 Feuilletine of foie gras, strawberry jelly and white balsamic and pepper jam.

Spicy jus of watermelon, spanish anchovies and parmesan cheese.

Aged beef roll, cassava chips and tamarind.

We chose a bottle of D.O Ribera Del Duero, Alion Cosecha 2008 for EUR125. Steven Wullaert, the sommelier at Nuance is also awarded the Best sommelier in Belgium in 2012. He will be the best person to be serving the wines and to ask if you have any doubts about the bottles.

After sampling so many amuse bouche, finally the first course of the set menu arrives. I think I'm already half full from the numerous delicious tastebud teasers.

Mackerel, radish, grapefruit and hibiscus dressing. 

I'm not a big fan of radish but this dish brings a refreshing and light start to the menu.

As you can see, the sight is as appealing as the taste itself. Chef Theys has his own presentation style and he tends to always have them beautifully arranged on one side of the plate. It makes you wonder if there will be more food arriving for the other side of the plate.

 Norway crayfish, garden beans, zucchini rolls and cream, chimichurri (a type of sauce from Argentina made of red peppers, onions and garlic). The crayfish was well-prepared and flavourful without over-cooking and the pairing sauces compliments the dish really well.

 John Dory, sepia (squid), juice of sepia, chips with soufled rice and ink, white asparagus and mayo of Verveine. As you can see, the presentation of the food is really simple but yet stylish in its own way. This dish is well executed and the soup is really tasty.

Luc's main is a Texel Lamb shoulder with a slice of "varnished" eggplant, morilles/morchella (a type of mushroom), cream of ricotta and black garlic. Writing this makes me think of my limited food vocabulary. The only thing I knew would be lamb and eggplant. The rest sounds really foreign to me. The lamb was just tender, juicy and it's not even gamey as I am a little paranoid towards gamey meats and thus I asked for something else instead of having this lamb dish.

I opted for shoulder of veal with "varnished" eggplant, buckwheat, carrots, cream of black garlic. It's exactly the same garnish as the lamb but I had the veal instead and there was not even a single tinge of regret as the veal was grilled medium rare which retained its juiciness of the meat and it was so tender. I really like the cream of black garlic which is something that I've never heard of.

 Finally after plates and plates of savoury courses, the dessert arrives. The Rhubarb and Strawberry dessert looks really delish especially with the use of the different shades of red. The strawberry is slighty yellowish and greenish not because it's unripe but because it's a cross breed between strawberry and pineapple. Isn't that exotic? It's slightly sour and sour is not my favourite taste.

Another Strawberry dessert and also an iced strawberry. It's Belgium and they are really crazy about strawberries! However, I must say that Belgian Strawberries is the best!

The citrus cake with mousse of cucumber, white chocolate, jasmin flower and the Buddha head made of Gin & Tonic. I was surprised when they served me this dessert as I saw something resembling the head of a Buddha. The restaurant has the mould custom-made for this dessert and I absolutely adore the presentation and the refreshing taste of cucumbers. 

After the 3 desserts, we were served another few plates of petite fours. It's like a never-ending journey of culinary display by the talented chef. Every dish was a delicious mixture of tastes, textures and sight which touched the hearts of every foodie like me.

Thomas is really doing a good job as an intern at the restaurant. He has been attentive and was even kind enough to explain the dishes in English for me and in Dutch for his father. And as when I thought we have reached the end of our indulgent afternoon, he came to us with a basket of freshly-baked madeleines. How could I resist that?!! I tried so hard to find a space in my digestive system to fit that wonderful madeleine and I did! I swear that it would be the last piece of food I eat for that afternoon.

After that I requested if I could see the kitchen and meet the Chef Theys and they are so kind to accomodate the request. Visiting the kitchen of a Michelin star restaurant for the first time, I'm really impressed as the kitchen was so in order! It's not big but hygiene and cleanliness is definitely a priority here as I can see the staff climbing onto the stove counter and scrubbing the walls. Apparently they clean the whole kitchen after every lunch or dinner. Wow... this is really a good practice!

Another feature of this restaurant is that they sends you a handwritten bill instead of a printed one! Our set menu are priced at EUR100 each and if you would like a wine pairing, that would be another addition of EUR40/50. In the end, we spent 4 hours dining at this restaurant and we returned home feeling extremely full and satisfied. This is truly a gem in Duffel.

Restaurant Nuance

Killaanstraat, 6-8, 2570 Duffel

Tel: +32(0)1563 4265

Closed on Tues, Wed and Sat noon.

www.resto-nuance.be

Brancaia and the Super Tuscans @ Favola, Le Meridien KL

When Martin Kronenberg introduced himself, I can’t help but notice his lack of Italian accent and the absence of all the “la” and “le” in his conversation. Wow, that’s quite unusual! Only after a short introduction by the man himself on the history of Brancaia, it helped to solve the mystery of his background.

It was in 1981, where a Swiss couple fell in love with the then abandoned Brancaia wine estate (Castellina in Chianti) and decided to own it. Two years later, Brancaia made the first rank in an important Chianti Classico tasting and then found its fame internationally.  Martin and his wife,  Barbara Widmer are the 2nd generation who runs the winery now. And she was actually studying architecture then and a visit to her family's vineyard in Tuscany changed her mind! While Barbara is in charge of the wine-making, Martin travels around the world and manage the distribution of the wines.

BRANCAIA comprises of the three estates Brancaia (Castellina in Chianti), Poppi (Radda in Chianti) and Brancaia in Maremma (Grosseto). Their 170-acre Brancaia estate in Maremma, the long and beautiful coastal region of Tuscany which some believe may one day deliver wines that rival Chianti Classicos or even Brunellos di Montalcino.

 

This is the 1^st “Brancaia Il Blu Super Tuscan” 7 vintages vertical wine tasting organized by Straits Wine Company held at Favola in Le Meridien KL with the presence of Martin, the CEO of the winery. I was invited to have a taste of these wines on Sunday which was the same day after my Adidas KOTR run. It was quite challenging for me to try to stay awake and quaff some wine at the same time. However, I did and I'm proud of myself!

Tuscany (Toscana) is to Italian like Bordeaux is to French. It's a region which gave some of the world's most important reds. Some say it's the land of Brunello and also the award-wining Super Tuscans. Equally, it's also a region with many other interesting wines.

 U Mei with Martin Kronenberg

Tre 2009
Blend: 80% Sangiovese and 20% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 13.5%

When we arrived, we were poured a tasting portion of Tre 2009. It's the bottle with a yellow label. Martin calls this a "Baby Super Tuscan" because this wine is easy drinking, easily accessible and great as an aperitivo. This wine here goes well with the salad or pasta dishes due to its light body.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2009

Blend:	80% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot
Alcohol:	14%

Next, we moved on to the Chianti Classico 2009 which has a very big nose. It's matured 16 months in French barriques at least 8 months in the bottle. Therefore this wine here has silky tannins, sweet oak and lots of red fruits. There's lots of power and boldness in this bottle but do allow it to breathe as I found the wine to have a better finish after 15-20 minutes.

Ilatraia 2009

Blend:	40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Petit Verdot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol:	14.5%

Before I knew it, Martin has already poured the previous wine into a silver wine bucket and moved on to pouring us a glass of Ilatraia 2009. As explained by him, this wine has fruits from Maremma and the wine is indeed full bodied, soft and silky with hints of vanilla and blueberry notes. This is one wine that showcases the ability of of lady winemaker because the wine was very elegant (just like a lady) and according to Martin, it can be aged for another 20 years!

 Some cold & hot antipasti for the night

There's just so many to try! Even with just a tasting portion from each bottle, all the wines that were showcased that night could easily make you crawl out of the private dining room of Favola. They don't call me an alcoholic for no reason. I paced myself and in between, I made sure I had some food as opposed to drinking on an empty stomach which could easily make you go tipsy turvy.

Il Blu 1994, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2008

Il Blu (Magnum) 1997, 2000, 2003, 2008

The Il Blu is Brancaia's top wines. These are Brancaia's flagship Super Tuscan that have depths of elegance, complexity and intensity and through out the vertical tasting of 7 different vintages, I've managed to pluck out my favourite years. It is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 45% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are aged 20 months in French barriques and then matures 12 months in the bottle, prior to release

Il Blu 1997

This is the key vintage to Brancaia's wines because it was a great year for Super Tuscan wines, which put Tuscany on the world wine map. This wines has a balanced tannins and acidity. It's truly a bold wine but at the same time it's still elegant and has sweet notes coming from the Sangiovese.

Il Blu 2002

The year 2002 is a poor vintage for Tuscany with rains in August and September. Although it's a difficult harvest year, Martin believes a good winery should be able to make consistent quality of wines even if its not a good year. True to his word, the 2002 vintage did not disappoint. This wine here has a young and wild side to it with black cherries, dark fruits and a good structure. There's lively tannins and smoky flavours which makes it perfect for more strong flavoured meat or gamey dishes. A 92 points from Wine Spectator.

Il Blu 2004
I like this vintage due to its flowery undertones apart from the black fruit notes. It has velvety tannins and a very balanced palate. Full body and long finish.This is a classic vintage for Tuscany.

I enjoyed the night because it opened up my knowledge towards wines from Tuscany and the wonderful wine region of the Maremma coast in Italy. A good wine need not be too expensive and true to the word, Brancaia's wines are affordable.

Tips:

Q: How to spot a bottle of Super Tuscan?

A: Have a peek at the back label of any Italian wine bottles and there should be a print of these 3 letters - IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica)

Q: What is room temperature for wines?

A: According to Martin, most of the time we have the wrong room temperatures. Red wines should be chilled to at least 15°C before drinking.

.

* for enquiries and orders, please contact Mars at +6016-2282151.

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

Wines of the World & Ribs by Vintry @ Medan Damansara KL

It was one helluva evening. As when I was making my way to the restaurant, I got myself into an accident, not really minor and not really that major. Partly it was my fault so I paid for the lesson learnt - Kaching kaching RM1200 gone! It could have bought me a bottle of the wines that I'm drinking that night.

Anyways, I was at Ribs by Vintry which is a few doors away from Vintry (the wine outlet) on Jalan Kasah at Medan Damansara. This outlet serves wines as well as ribs! Lol... The convivial and casual dining outlet here serves a repertoire of pork ribs, beef and also lamb. It's the place you want to have a hearty meal and drink good wines.

Solaia, Opus One and Almaviva

The highlights of the dinner wasn't too much about the food but more on the wines. Since it was just a few of us, we had 3 bottles of wines from 3 different regions of the world and these wines are iconic to each wine producing regions of its own. The line up are - Antinori Solaia 2007 from Tuscany in Italy, Opus One 2007 from Napa Valley in California and Almaviva from Chile in South America.







We started off the dinner with a bowl of thick cream based Wild Mushroom soup (RM14) that is garnished with fried Basil leaves. There's a also a platter of Honey Fried Cheese (RM16) and also Sauteed Button Mushrooms (RM16) with garlic and basil for starters.

Antinori Solaia 2007

The first bottle that we were drinking that night was the Antinori Solaia 2007 . Antinori makes some of the world famous Italian wines such as the Super Tuscan - Tignanello and then adjacent to Tignanello in the Mercatale Val di Pesa zone of Chianti Classico, lies a 10 hectare vineyard for Solaia (also called as "the sunny one"). Solaia 2007 emerged today with a current blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in 100% new oak.



Piero Antinori didn't want to recreate a Bordeaux-style claret, but rather to convey the versatility and the finesse of the Sangiovese grapes. Thus, the Solaia 2007 has an intense ruby red colour, displays an array of super-ripe black cherries and plums, cassis and sweet oak. This is one of those smooth and supple wines that is not heavy on the palate and it's considerably opulent and balanced!This is truly a wine with finesse and character. Rated 97 points by RP, there are 6500 cases made for this wine and it's best drank during 2017-2017 according to him.



This is one of those wines that you should try alongside some of the most expensive Super Tuscans such as Tignanello, Sassicaia and Ornellaia. I think I prefer the Solaia 2007 to an Ornellaia 2007 anytime!

Opus One 2007

This is probably my third bottle of Opus One, the first being an Opus One 1999. One of the factors that bring fame to this wine is that it's a collaboration between Baron Phillipe de Rothschild of Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi to create a single Bordeaux style blend based upon the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.



The 2007 Opus One is composed of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. During fermentation and maceration, component lots received an average of 20 days of skin contact prior to 19 months of barrel aging in new French oak. It's two of the strongest wines ever made at the Opus One winery. On the palate, you can taste a tight & firm notes of blackcurrant, licorice and minerals. It's full-bodied and instense, well-structured like a bordeaux style wine and end with a good, persistent and lingering finish. One of the more voluptuous wines I've tasted that leaves a very good impression. RP gave it a 95 points and states that it can be drunk now or cellared for 25+ years.

Almaviva 2003

The last wine of the night is the Almaviva 2003 from Chile. This is another winery and wine born of the joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Viña Concha y Toro. Almaviva is the only non-Bordeaux produce to be handled by the famed French negociants and marketed by them. Production of Almaviva is limited ensuring its exceptional quality. Thus, on its own merits, Almaviva has joined the elite in the world of wine that represents a massive qualitative step forward for domestic production.



Rated with 95 points from Wine Spectator, this is a wine in the Top 100 in 2006. It's "very dense, with loads of raspberry ganache, black currant and fig fruit layered with loam, tobacco, mineral and cedar notes. Lots of grip on the finish, with impressive balance between the tannins, acidity and oak. Built like a Pauillac. Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2007 through 2015."



For me, among the 3 bottles of wines that I tried that night, I really liked the Almaviva 2003. There's something about it that makes it irresistible like the dense and complex notes coupled with its balanced tannins and long finish. I loved the cigar notes with a slight orange zest. It's indeed and exceptional wine.

Of course we did have other food besides the starters. There's a Vintry House Salad (RM28) consisting of romaine lettuce and rocket, sliced white button mushrooms, jamon, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives. Then, we had a Braised Beef Ribs (RM69), BBQ Pork Ribs (RM42 for a medium portion) and some other dishes.





Even after so many dishes, we still managed to find some stomach space for some desserts. We ordered a few recommended desserts such as the Chocolate Brownie (RM14) served with Vanilla ice-cream, Warm Apple Crumble (RM15) served with Vanilla ice-cream as well and a Tiramisu (RM15) to end the night on a sweet note.



Overall, the food here is satisfying and it's a great place for wine drinking as well as it's unpretentious and laidback. I was very glad that I had a chance to try the wines that I've wanted to and now I can move on to other regions! Cheers...

Ribs by Vintry

120-122, Jalan Kasah,

Medan Damansara,

50490 Kuala Lumpur



Tel: +(603) 2096 1645

email : sales@vintry.com.my

Opening Hours

Mon - Sun : 12.00pm till 11.00pm.

Kitchen closes from 3.00pm till 6.00pm.

Tenuta Dell Ornellaia Dinner @ Prego Westin KL

Did a friend a favour and he bought me a meal at Prego at Westin KL during the Tenuta Dell Ornellaia wine dinner. Wohoo! Honestly, I'm looking forward to dining at Prego as I've heard that it serves good Italian and moreover, it's going to be Ornellaia that we're drinking. How bad could it be?

This is my 2nd Ornelllaia wine dinner and I was there early with the rest of the gang where we were served with an endless flow of Primo Fraco Valdobbiadene Prosecco which is an apertivo for us before dinner. A lovely bubbly to start the evening is always welcomed! This is a light straw coloured sparkling with a palate of crisp apple and refreshing bubblies that will definitely help to fizz up the dinner.



The obligatory hors-d’oeuvre was a simple Bruschetta with Micro leaves that is served with a dose of Ornellaia Extra Virgin Olive Oil that replaces the normal "butter". I was very greedy and I sipped the virgin before allowing the bruschetta to be lubricated. Ooh... did I used the wrong description for this?

It's almost impossible to buy this Olive Oil as it is grown upon the grounds of the Estate and of course the production is limited. The oil has a very nice golden colour with a tinge of green. You can even taste some grasiness in the oil with some sweet almonds and spicy notes. Hmm... a perfect olive oil for salads too!



Together with the Natural Mussel Bisque with Smoked Herring Roe, we were served a glass of the Le Volte 2009 which is the starter of the meal. For a start, the bisque was not warm enough and I wasn't impressed with Le Volte 2009 as expected. I've tried the 2008 before but this 2009 wasn't exactly what I expected. It lacked the finish and to me it's still a very young wine need to be cellared for a couple of years more.



Then, we moved on to Le Serre Nouve 2006, 2007 & 2008. These are the "second vin" of Ornellaia produced from the younger vineyards. I have written about the tasting notes here and to make it simple, I don't know why but this 2nd time around when I tasted these wines, I somehow felt something was lacking. I liked the 2006 more than the rest due to more matured tannins.



For this vertical tastings of Le Serre Nouve, we were served King Crab Legs, Toasted Pannetone with smoked butter - browned and caper sauce. The dish comes in bits and I didn't find it particularly outstanding. After that, we had the Diver Scallop and Squid, paired with Spinach puree, grain mustard and truffle aioli. This dish came a bit cold as I would like my pan seared scallop to be a little warm. They did overcooked the scallop a little too.



So the dinner did not go too well and we were all waiting for the highlights of the night - Ornellaia 2006 & 2007. The wines were paired with Salmon confit, creamed white asparagus, Vincotto and Blackbean, Seared belly with pepper spray. Again the dish wasn't dressed to impress as I felt that the sauce didn't jive well with the salmon. The other main dish was the angus beef short rib which is braised and grilled and served with mushroom risotto and that too was cold. I didn't finish my rib.

The Ornellaia 2006 as I've mentioned before was made in a year filled with unusual quirks that may spell disaster but then it managed to pass my palate. It is complex, intense and has a lively tannin as compared to 2007 which has a glossy and velvety smooth tannin. I like the 2007 when compared side by side.

However, the hype and excitement for this 2nd round of Ornellaia tasting did disappoint me a little. I found that the wines didn't tickle me the right way anymore. There were so much of high expectations on this italian producer of Super Tuscan wine in the DOC of Bolgheri in Toscana. But now this Italy's top Bordeaux-style wine pales in comparison to some of the lower priced Bordeaux wines in my humble opinion.



Perhaps the more interesting highlight of the night was the showcase of a large collection of Riedel decanters. I've never seen so many shapes and designs of decanters in one sitting and that night was definitely an eye opener. I really like the Riedel "Eve" decanter which has a design like a snake and the way the wine was poured is indeed a conversation piece! If you rub pour it the wrong way, the wine ain't gonna flow, baby! However, the problem with this decanter is the storage. Where the hell I'm going to have such a tall cabinet for it?!! Beautiful but not practical.



Like the Top Chefs said, it ain't complete if there's no ending to a meal. The dessert of the night is the Ornellaia Olive Oil and Botrytis Riesling Cake with Roast pears. The cake was a bit too sweet for my liking but the pears were ok. And with it, I downed a shot of Ornellaia Grappa which wasn't my cup of tea.

Well, I'm glad I've finally gave Prego a go and the wines a 2nd try. Overall, I am quite disappointed with the wine dinner as it didn't live up to the grand style of this Italian label. But having said all these, I learnt one thing - it's not all about the price!