Table 23 @ Jalan Mesui KL

Jalan Mesui is fast becoming another popular dining street near Changkat Bukit Bintang. Afterall, it's only a short walk from the busy street and it's right next door to Palate Palette and No Black Tie. Due to the proximity of this place to Changkat, it's is really easy to find and you won't miss the colourful signboard..

Sherlene Siew is the brainchild of this place. Previously a property developer, she's indeed a risk taker when she told me how Table 23 started. She conceptualised the whole restaurant from decor to food which I sensed her passion from the way she speak about this place. I like the raw bricks, unpolished wooden tables, hanging light bulbs and spacious dining area. For me, less is more.

Potted Shrimp (RM15)

A few slices of Olive bread which is toasted and crispy served with a ramekin of shrimps cooked with spices and also a homemade grape chutney. The spices are subtle with a tinge of lemon for that zesty flavour which goes very well with the toast. For sweet tooth diners, you'll like the grape chutney which is gives you a sweet start to the dinner.

Pear and Fennel Salad (RM17)

Tossed with a lemon juice, vinaigrette and olive oil dressing. I love the generous portions of rocket leaves and caramelised cashew nuts. Not often do we see fennel salad here in KL but this salad would have been better in my opinion to be served as a side dish than an entree by itself.

Poached Salmon (RM36)

The salmon is poached and laid on a garlic herb polenta base, served with a sake mirin sauce and topped with crispy carrot shavings. Unfortunately, the salmon was a little dry that day when I tried it but I must say that the sake mirin sauce is very interesting and the crispy carrot shavings are quite addictive. Can I have more as snacks?

Beef Cheeks (RM55)

The winner of the night would be the Beef Cheeks slowly braised with love for 6 hours. It's served with diced parmentier potatoes with a crisp outer layer and powdery inside, sauteed julienne cucumbers, bacon and cherry tomatoes. I love how they paired tomatoes with beef cheeks as the beef cheeks could be heavy but when paired with a tomato based sauce, it gives it a little sour and sweet taste to the dish. I would really recommend this as the beef cheeks are so tender and they came right off when I put my knife through it.

Pavlova (RM18)

Served with strawberries, fresh cream and drizzed with mango puree. Light and fresh!

Chocolate Guinness Cake (RM15)

A dark chocolate cake made with 1 pint of Guinness and a layer of cream cheese served with a scoop of Vanilla ice-cream. This is like consuming a pint of Guinness without having to drink it. A recommended dessert here.

I wasn't sure if I could still button my pants after the meal but I was sure that I had quite an enjoyable time there with the company of Sherlene and also my dining partner. This is not a fine dining place nor a casual cafe but Sherlene would call her place a western gourmet dining outlet which is not to be missed. And I would love to come back and try some of their lunch menu which consist of local cuisine. Thanks to Sherlene for the dinner invitation.

Table 23

23, Jalan Mesui,
50200 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

Tel: +603-21410023

www.table23.com.my

Opening Hours:

Mon - Fri : 11.30am to 3.00pm & 5.30pm to 1am

Sat : 4.30pm to 1.00am

Closed on Sundays

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

Have a cup of tea at TWG @ Pavilion KL

Sorry for the long spell of silence as I was so lazy to log on to my blog to write for the past one week due to hectic schedule and Xmas holidays with so many parties! Here's to wishing everyone a beautiful Xmas and Happy Boxing Day!

I should have written about this much earlier as the visit to TWG Tea Salon & Boutique at Pavilion KL was the day Nanang came to KL and we had our dinner at Pressroom. This place used to be occupied by Cafe Stelle by Raffles and now it has been replaced with a beautiful & posh TWG. If you have been to Singapore often enough, you'll see that the TWG tea salon is very popular and it's always full with people having a cup of tea or even meals there. 

TWG stands for "The Wellness Group" and it was established in Singapore and its luxurious concept of Tea Salon & Boutique aims to share the passions of tea with all tea lovers.

The chairs here are really comfy. Seriously.

And I didn't realise great minds share the same wardrobe style.

The varieties of Tea here is so extensive, a noob like me would just close my eyes and pick one. Afterall, what are the chances that I'll get a tea that tastes like whisky?

TWG claims that they have over 800 single estate fine harvest teas and exclusive blends, as well as tea patisseries and other tea infused delicacies and the KL outlet offers 450 varieties. It's evident in their tea menu. For a while there I thought I was reading an inventory report. A pot of tea starts from RM18 to a hefty RM73 for some Darjeeling varieties from India. Wow, it's like drinking a glass of expensive wine with that price.

One can also buy loose tea, tea bags, patisseries and also tea acessories here at their tea boutique. I like the deco as it's colourful and classy. I would like one of those oversized tea cans too!

I like their golden tea pots and delicate white tea cups. 

Cha King Tea (RM23)

 

 I had the Orange Wood Tea (RM18) which is a perfect tea for the evenings. It has a slight dark wood colour and a hint of orange peel. Felt so ladylike when I hold that dainty tea cup!

We had also some desserts such as the green tea mouse and scones. You should really try their scones served with TWG tea jelly and whipped cream. Prices starts from RM18.

You can walk up to their dessert chiller and have your pick.

Their macarons here looked tempting too.

Even Nanang could not resist taking a picture with the scones!

The next time I'm here again, I would love to try their food menu. They have quite an interesting menu such as Wagyu Beef Burger (RM43), Tenderloin with Polo Tea Sauce (RM55) and pan-seared foie gras (RM43). Such a great place for chit chat and tea and more....

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Level 2, Lot P2.16.00 & 2.34.01
168, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2142 9922

Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday (10am-10pm)
Website: http://www.twgtea.com/

Ten on Changkat @ Changkat Bukit Bintang KL

As interesting as the name sounds, food and drinks here are available at RM10! This is another place under Werner Kuhn's empire on Changkat Bukit Bintang which is managed by Andreas Konig and he invited us for a tasting after dinner at Dining in The Dark which is just upstairs.

Sleek, white bar with multi-colour lighting that bringa out the mood.

One of the drink selection from the "highballs" where the list consists of 20 drinks resembling light cocktails. There's also shooters and fizzes priced at RM10. Premium drinks are priced at RM20, half pint of Carlsberg & Asahi are at RM10 and RM20 for a full pint.

The food consists of light food, pizzas and tapas are all priced at RM10 as well. How interesting right?!! We tried some of the selection that night - Crabcakes with Mint Yogurt sauce, charcoal grilled chicken wings, chicken croquette, and fettucine pasta with caramelised onion and beef.

Panna Cotta Three Ways for dessert!

If you spend RM100, you'll be given a RM10 chip as a token for your next visit. Every RM100 spending here is rewarded with a RM10 chip. It's really like a real casino chip and this is quite creative!

The ambiance is nice, the food is acceptable and reasonably priced and the ultimate reason why I should come here again is the service and you can just eat around the world at RM10 for their tapas & drinks!

That will stretch your money baby...

Ten on Changkat

46 Changkat Bukit Bintang,

50200 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

Tel: +6012-248 5797

Mon - Sun: 4:00 pm - 3:00 am

http://www.facebook.com/tenonchangkat

Dining in the Dark @ Changkat Bukit Bintang

This is the much talked about dining experience in town right now. If you have no idea what it is all about, the best is to head down to Changkat Bukit Bintang and experience it for yourself.

This is Werner Kuhn's latest concept restaurant on Changkat Bukit Bintang, located on the 1st floor of Werner's on Changkat corner outlet which is just 2 doors away from The Whisky Bar. Actually I have heard about him wanting to realise such a concept restaurant months ago and it was until a week ago he finally get this place running. I asked Hue Gee to come along and be my "blind date" for the night.

Anything with light or glowing watches have to be kept in a locker before entering the dining area.

The experience that you will get for RM88++

Drinks are not included.

For drinks, there's red and white wine available by the glass for RM20/glass, Carlsberg by the bottle at RM14, fresh juices and soft drink at RM10. Water is not provided as well but you can request for a bottle of Mineral water for RM5.50.

After the pre-dinner aperitif, you will be escorted into the dining area whenever you are ready. We were led into the dinner table by a visually-impaired waitress and we walked hand in hand just in case someone got lost in the dark. You can't imagine how dark it was. I really can't see anything at all!!!

This is what you see in the restaurant. I guess this is the easiest food review ever with no pictures needed for the food that we ate.

The experience

Darius, the waiter responsible for our table briefed us about the orientation of the cutlery and glasses on the table. There's only a fork and a spoon laid on the right side of the table, no knives were needed probably for safety concerns. Joining me and Hue Gee were Meena (from A Whiff of Lemongrass) and her friend. While anticipating our entree, we had so much fun talking in the dark. Gee told Darius that his voice resembles Big Bird from Sesame Street so we asked him how does he looked like out of curiosity. He told us he looked like Harry Potter. Now imagine Harry Potter with a voice like Big Bird...

Did you realise that whenever we go out for a dinner, most of the time we would be busy with the phone instead of having a quality conversation without undivided attention to our friends and family? What happened to those days without handphones? But seriously, we really had a great time laughing and making jokes at the dinner table, most of the time with my eyes closed because it doesn't matter if you open or close your eyes. You will still see NOTHING.

The Food

The entree plate consists of 3 different compartments. Don't read this if you want the dinner to be a surprise. Or maybe I shouldn't even blog about the food! 

Ok. I shall not spoil the surprise. Just enjoy the food and try to figure out what you have just eaten. It's quite fun. At some point of time, some of us started using our fingers to eat. Who cares?!! Nobody can see a thing in there and you probably can smudge your face and no one knows. A word of caution - better don't wear white. 

The food will not be piping hot due to safety reasons which I can understand. In my opinion, the food was fine but don't expect something out of this world. It is the experience of dining in the dark that is unique and trying to guess all the types of desserts on the plate is really fun!

Conclusion

We really had so much fun in a pitch dark restaurant. However, this is not for everyone as some people might not be able to take such an experience. After our dessert, we felt that we need to see the light again and we got Darius to lead us out of the dining area. When we can finally "see" again, we were surprise to see him and he certainly doesn't look like someone with such a voice. See, the interesting thing about dining in the dark is that it lets your imagination run wild. It also eliminates "bias views" about the other person due to their physical appearance. Werner told us that he will be planning some "blind dating" dinners here and I think it would be very fun. So stay tuned....

Dining in the Dark

46 1st Floor, Changkat Bukit Bintang,

50200 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

Tel: +603-2143 2268

www.dininginthedarkkl.com

Pressroom @ Pavilion KL

Well, it was a surprise that my dear friend from Jakarta was in town and we decided to meet up for dinner at Pavilion KL. Since it was raining, Pavilion seemed to be the perfect choice of destination except for the less perfect traffic flow. It was a havoc in the parking area and I had to circled the basement for more than 20 minutes before getting one.

 Beautiful Xmas deco at the concourse area of Pavilion KL

There's even a mini train going around the area.

 As usual, I will be the one left with the responsibility of deciding where to eat. Sigh... I seriously would love someone who tells me what to eat and where to eat for a change. Hmm... I'll just make sure my future partner would be the one making these decisions. There's just too many choices in food life. I chose the Pressroom which is located on the 3rd floor of the alfresco area of Pavilion where Coffee bean is located. I can't remember which outlet did Pressroom overtook but it's quite a nice location.

It's such a coincidence that the 3 of us ordered the Melon Blizz Smoothie (RM15) which is a blend of watermelon and berries. The drink comes in a very nice red shade with a heavy watermelon taste and hints of berries. A cool drink for the evening but that night it was freezing due to rainy weather.

 

 Salad Landaise (RM24)

Nanang ordered a salad that came with 3 slices of baguette topped with duck rillettes (which is actually a spread similar to pâté). The salad consists of greens, cherry tomatoes, smoked duck breast and gesiers (slices of duck gizzards). It's a well-executed salad dish with some pretty interesting ingredients. Don't you think so?

 Everyone gets to order a dish so that we will not push all the responsibility of ordering (which is really heavy one) to one person. The menu at Pressroom is quite limited and I didn't find anything I fancy that very night and decided to just order a Roast Beef Sandwich. This is like a tummy filler but lucky the roast beef was done right with its tenderness and juiciness intact.

 We also ordered a Salmon (RM40) which is done in a oven style that is served with herb oil and a mash. It looked rather simple but I was glad that the salmon turned out to be really good. It has a crispy skin on top and it tastes like it has been pan-seared while retaining the moisture of the fish in the inside. Love it.

Nanang, Me & Hue Gee

It was really nice to catch up with my dear friends on the weekend. And did you know that he has his own fashion label in Jakarta specialising in batik called Lina and Lim.H? After dinner guess where we went for dessert?!! Saving it for the next post. Stay tuned!

The Press Room Bistro @ Pavilion KL
Lot C3.10.02 Level 3, Connection, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel No.: +603 2148 8098
Fax No.: +603 2143 1089
Email: info@pressroom.com.my

Opening Hours :
Monday - Sunday & Public Holidays: 9.00am to 2.00am

Tenjin Japanese Cuisine @ Grand Millenium Hotel KL

This is a revisit of Tenjin at Grand Millenium Hotel in KL which is conveniently located just beside Pavilion on Jalan Bukit Bintang. They now have a new chef and we are curious about the changes it brings to the restaurant.

Eihire RM32

Grilled Sting Ray Fin - Savoury and perfect as starters to go with the sake.

Potato Salad RM12

I've always like the potato salad here with a powdery texture.

Salmon Salad RM38

Fresh salmon slices with greens and mushroom topped with ebiko.

As for the sashimi moriawase, we had an assorted serving of Kanpachi (amberjack), Tai (red snapper), hotate (scallops), Maguro (tuna). The sashimi ranges from RM30-50 for 5pcs. The green leaves that are used to decorate the platter is called Perilla or Shiso in Japan and should be eaten together with the sashimi to prevent or cure seafood poisoning. It tasted a little minty.

Tempura Mori

Assorted tempura fried to a crispy golden batter

Unagi Kabayaki (grilled eel) and Saba Shioyaki (Grilled Mackerel with salt)

Normal portions are served at RM78 and RM28 respectively.

Asari Miso Soup RM10

A short neck clam with miso soup. The short neck clam that night was not at its best that night.

Garlic Fried Rice RM12

A little expensive for a bowl of fried rice but I enjoyed every morsel of this fragrant fried garlic served with japanese rice.

Gyu Shougayaki RM38

Stir-fried sliced beef with ginger sauce and topped with sesame.

The last additional order that we had that night was the Sanma shioyaki where the pacific saury is salt grilled and I liked it with a little lemon juice. The fish was perfectly grilled and the tip is to savour its belly because it's the best part of the sanma.

My friends got this sake for our indulgence that night. I just can't believe how much I have drank that night as shots came after shots. For just the 5 of us, we had 2 bottles of this 1800ml sake.

It's worth coming here to try out the dishes from the new chef. The menu remains pretty much the same except some chef specials. 

Tenjin Japanese Cuisine
Grand Millennium Hotel KL
160 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603 2143 9399
email: tenjin@tenjin-gmkl.com
Website

Business Hours :
Lunch - 11.30am - 3.00pm
Dinner - 6.00pm to 10.30pm