I rarely go for food / drink reviews cos it usually clashes with work. I had a really nice evening where there happened to be a food tasting sess, AND a whisky tasting sess right after, that was on our way home, AND i happened to be free.

It seemed a plan aligned by the stars to me – eat food, line stomach, then drink contentedly!

First off, the food tasting was at Tiki Taka, Hans Gill’s new place he opened with his wife Chef Carrie Scully. Hans is an old friend of mine- we grew up in the same neighbourhood and he’s one of few people who greet me with my full name followed by variations: “Joyce Wong, how’s it going?” “Joyce Wong, long time no see!” “Joyce Wong, what are we drinking tonight!?”

Hans used to run dLegends in TTDI – which i used to patronize lots around 2010 before even finding out he ran it, Claudia and i threw a birthday party there in 2011, he garnered it an award for Perfect Tiger Serve at the prestigious HAPA – GAB awards, and then sold the bar to open Tiki Taka. I’m proud of him!

His work experience in Melbourne opened his eyes to the F&B industry in which he focuses on quality, creativity, service and cleanliness; and he’s totes into new challenges and ideas. Together with Carrie, they’ve opened Tiki Taka on Jalan Kasah (behind Jake’s, same row as La Risata).

Inspired by the food culture in Barcelona, Tiki Taka serves “unique interpretations of the eclectic flavours from around the world with the fusion spices of Asia” in the Spanish-inspired formats of pintxos and tapas.

“A pincho or pintxo is a small snack, typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country and Navarre. They are usually eaten in bars or taverns as a small snack while hanging out with friends or relatives; thus, having a strong socializing component.” [source]

As for its name, Tiki Taka is a Spanish style of football. Figures. Hans loves football (as do 2394820989 other guys in Malaysia). You can find at least three screens in the restaurant (i didn’t count) so if you wanna catch a game (or something else like the badminton finals) it’s a great option.

Havana cocktail with rum, mango and vanilla (RM 30).

Salmon Crema – dill creamed cheese, smoked salmon, black lumpfish caviar, truffle honey. RM 8

I love being able to order small portions especially if i’m out drinking cos somehow one’s appetite dissipates in place of excitement :p And it seems the older i get, the smaller the portions i eat… i feel like i get full more quickly nowadays. Give me 4 pintxos and i’m done for the night, really! I like not causing food wastage cos the portions are small, and spending less but tasting more!

Tomato & Serrano Ham with Balsamic Glaze, RM 6

The Salted Egg Crab Bun is a decadent combination of salted egg crab meat, curry leaves, birds eye chilli, and salted egg cream sauce that comes oozing out of a mini charcoal brioche when you cut/bite into it. RM 9.

This Nutella Bacon pintxos with banana on bruschetta is one of my favourites there.
It’s so good i shot a side view and aerial view.

Jason aka Smashpop in middle, and Joe’s face heheheh

Then it was time for the tapas:

Singapore Chilli Prawns with deep fried mantou buns. RM 24

The sauce is proper spicy

Squid Ink Pasta with creamy saffron sauce, citrus prawns, mandarin slice and szechuan chilli oil. RM 22

When the Quinoa Garden (butter quinoa and seasonal vegetables in passion fruit sauce, RM 22) was set in front of us, i thought it was the PRETTIEST salad i’d ever seen. Or top 5 at least. I almost wanted to live in it! If i was a tiny fairy i would… till someone eats me up.

Melon, Mozarella  & Tomato Salad with salted lime yoghurt gel, green chilli powder and olive oil. RM 22

Molecular Paella – saffron rice, roasted red pepper sauce, bacon gel seashell, fried mini crab, paprika prawn ball, candied citrus peel, lemon curd and parsley pearls. RM 25

Strawberry Chicken (RM 20) and Spicy Serrano (RM 25) Pizzas.
I was really full by then and managed a bit of each just to taste.

But i had a bit of room for dessert!

Jun loved the top one – Ice Ice Baby!, a fruit medley with mango sorbet, coconut ice cream, toasted coconut flakes, pandan palm sugar, buttered popcorn, and crushed peanuts. RM 12.

I love love love the Nutella Bacon Wantons (pictured at bottom). It’s deep fried nutella and bacon in crispy thin wantons with berries, balsamic glaze and snow sugar. RM 12. Oh my god i would make my way there just to eat that.

Me, with Chef Carrie Scully, and Jun!

Carrie is a Penangite who was previously in the corporate world before pursuing cooking. I’m so glad you left to feed us this way!

Jun, me and Joe! Mishie asked if we had our hair done at the same salon
Pic credit: Marvin Michael Kho

Specially curated breakfast menus are available 9am to 1pm on weekends.
Free valet parking for Tiki Taka’s customers.

“Whether through the streets, aromas and sultry sauces of Europe or the rich blend of spice and culture of Asia, experience a burst of flavor in your mouth, feast your eyes upon colourful presentations and smell the aroma of flavours trickling through the air, at Tiki Taka.

With a modern flair of ingredients, and friendly twist of flavours to suit the local palate, Tiki Taka showcases a wide array of fusion and authentic dishes from breakfast to dinner.”

Tiki Taka
FB: www.facebook.com/tikitakamy
IG: @tikitakamy

Operating Hours:
Monday – Friday:- 4:00pm – 1:00am
Saturday – Sunday:- 9:00am – 1:00am

138, Jalan Kasah,
Medan Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

The first time i had a meal at Sitka Studio was last year during the Love, Bonito appreciation lunch + dinner we organised. Since then, i’ve taken my mum to Sitka Restaurant downstairs and been meaning to return with Jun which we finally did! Joleyn was doing some freelance PR for them and asked me if i wanted to go, to which i said yes yes yes but our busy social calendar prevented Jun & i till i determinedly blocked the date weeks in advance.

Sitka Studio (which sits on the first floor) has a tasting menu which only happens twice a month. The contemporary restaurant is led by Chef Christian Recomio– also the owner of Moonfish Café in Aberdeen, U.K., a popular establishment with Spanish and French influences thanks to his previous stints in Barcelona and Northern France. He cooked at Moonfish Cafe for a decade, garnering it mentions in the Good Food Guide and a constant Runner Up position in the Observer Food Monthly Best Restaurant category from 2011 through to 2014.

Now, Christian has found his base in Malaysia to focus his craft and passion for food, with partner Jenifer Kuah. I’d heard of Jenifer from Joleyn but never met prior to that night, and found her an extremely warm personality (I can imagine Christian going: “And me, what? Cold?” Well, you are definitely very focused in the kitchen till some drinks ‘warm’ you up post-work)

Jenifer has been in the industry for 10 years with four distinct restaurants in her repertoire. With Sitka Restaurant and Sitka Studio, both Christian and Jenifer get to work on their vision of putting Malaysia on the food map by making good food from local produce made accessible to as many people as possible.

Proclaiming Sitka Studio a non-pretentious space, the dishes are created from local ingredients that are “caught, picked, foraged or grown within a few miles of Kuala Lumpur with only some interesting products brought in to complement, not dominate.” e.g. the truffle shavings we got to enjoy that night!

Sitka aims to show off the best of Malaysia’s produce by sourcing from local producers and building relationships with farmers, fishermen and milk producers to ensure everything is fresh and chemical-free. The team then experiment with new and traditional techniques like fermentation, brining, pickling, smoking, salting and marinating to present fresh ideas on a plate. Which are delicious. Very delicious.

But enough talking, there’s nothing like pictures of what we actually ate.

Sourdough bread with cultured butter so soft it felt like cheese, topped with fresh truffle shavings.

Sitka had fresh Italian summer truffles which they microplaned over their homemade butter, shrimp dumplings and almost anything they felt worked.

The tasting menu for that week.

Foie gras, cauliflower puree and grape on flattened chicken skin… this was one of my top two favourites that night.

The flavours of the rich foie gras and subtle creamy cauliflower gave a velveteen sheen to the crispy chicken skin in my mouth, which i would have happily nibbled on and praised the heavens for anyway.

Christian told Jun and i how he worked at the legendary Noma, to which both our mouths dropped open.

Pea custard with confit yolk and goat’s cheese.

This was Jun’s favourite of the night. He asked Christian how he managed to make the peas crunchy (chef talk, i was just scooping them into my mouth) to which Christian replied, “I’m not telling you.”

Prawn dumpling, smoked crab and preserved lemon

I ventured to the kitchen bar where any patron can observe the chef and his team prepping and plating.

They want guests to feel that they can be fully immersed in the restaurant and be able to ask questions or engage with the staff.

Oh hello truffles

I am in love with the wine we were recommended that night. Seeing we were gonna have an array of light and full flavours, i thought the pinot noir seemed suitable and it’s one i would return to have. It turns out to be an organic wine specially-sourced by Christian (he personally went to the vineyard and badgered the owner to supply them to him).

Sitka is an advocate of natural wines, and they swear how one feels absolutely no hangover after. Seeing i’m conscientious on buying only organic berries in the supermarket for my salads (cos berries absorb the most chemicals via their skin amongst most fruit!) it suddenly makes a lot more sense to also propagate that into my wine merrymaking.

Confit mackerel (which is cured then torched) served with truffle and fresh cherries in tomato basil dashi. This was the other of my favourite top two that night (i couldn’t pick just one favourite :p)

Chuck of lamb from Australia in lamb jus with pomegranate, topped with courgette

Jackfruit cooked in ginger with fried custard.

Oh i loved this heaps too… i ate it with wonder cos i’d never had anything that was so deceivingly simple yet enjoyable in so many layers. The custard was mixed with cornflour, deep fried, and placed atop tender sweet jackfruit cut into thin slivers and seemingly treated with WHAT I DON’T KNOW, and topped with dill and ginger flowers. Added bonus for the satisfaction of seeing the warm custard pop out when i cut it.

Organic berries atop burnt clotted cream and rose honey

One of my main thoughts in anticipation of going to Japan is always, “I can’t wait to EAT!”
Japanese food is one of my ultimate favourites in the world… and i have many.
I eat Jap cuisine in KL at least twice a week, and that habit didn’t cease before nor after our 2-week trip there last month.
Given, having had such wonders of sashimi enter my mouth brought my spirits down when eating it back in KL.
Japan spoils you cos once you taste such wonderful fresh seafood from the land it originates from, you’re ruined.

Thanks to Jun who researched all the places to eat!
I left it to the expert while i searched for art exhibitions and music gigs, blogpost on that to come!

We had many amazing dishes and meals there but these are my personal top favourites in no particular order.

1. Ei / Hide Sushi, Nakano

One evening, Jun and i made our way to Nakano to eat at this restaurant that only serves tuna. We didn’t have reservations (a little tough when you don’t speak Jap and neither do they, English) and they said (or rather, gestured) that they were booked all night so we got turned away. Rejected and hungry, we walked away planning where to go next, when we walked past this hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant that looked warm and cosy. I got a good vibe just peeking in at the local families, singles and couples eating there and decided on the spot it was where we were gonna eat.

It was amazing. Everything was in Japanese, nobody spoke English, even google translate couldn’t save us cos the menu was written in handscript kanji from up to down. It’s just the sort of place we strive to eat at – where the locals would love to go.

We ordered chutoro (medium fatty tuna) sashimi on the left that’s got me dreaming for days.

Playing it safe, we ordered a sushi platter to share, before watching the other patrons select individual sushis to their liking, and wizened up.

Uni you…

We liked the restaurant so much, we made a trek back to eat our last meal there before heading to the airport to go home!

During our 2nd meal there, we went straight the point and ordered specific sushi we wanted – sardine, chutoro and scallop above. The scallops were buttery and melt-in-your-mouth. Hell, even the chutoro was super MIYM. Jun and i said we’d eat as MUCH CHUTORO as we could since we couldn’t get any of the same calibre back home.

We tried monkfish liver, which we feel is like a cleaner gentler version of foie gras.

I watched this girl in her 20s put a piece of this sushi in her mouth, whereupon she closed her eyes, savoured it, smiled a little and went “mmmm” to her date next to her. Whatever it was, i wanted that!
“Excuse me…” i asked her after she’d swallowed, “.. what is that?” i gestured to her sushi, then to the menu in my hand.
She grinned and pointed out the name on the menu (which i still had no idea what it was) but pointed it out to the chef and ordered it straight away.

Thanks to Ringo who translated it for me, we found out it was ‘torched fatty flounder’.
Oh my, it was delicate and delicious. You know how cod breaks in your mouth into little pieces? This flounder breaks in slightly larger chunks, but its texture is best described as being close to cod. Divine.

This is the restaurant with no English name. I asked Ringo what it’s called and she said either Ei or Hide Sushi.

The only way we’d find it again is by looking for the back entrance of Namco Game which leads down to the alleys, and the restaurant is right next door to Jeune Matsushima jewelry store.

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2. Saikoro, Nakano

Ever on his quest for ramen inspiration, Jun made a long list of all these ramen places he wanted to try, with his only enemy being time. And a girlfriend claiming ‘there is only so much stomach space we have every 2-3 hours!’

“The owner of this shop, Koitani-san, is one of the ramen legends. He was a founding member of Bassanova, a shop instrumental in nurturing the ramen boom and one of the first to popularize kotteri (rich) ramen. He closed his original tiny shop four years ago and reopened in Nakano. His new shop is super stylized and diner-esque, with vinyl-topped fixed stools, a black-and-white floor, and a Formica counter. But what’s really amazing is that he threw away his original recipe and rebuilt his ramen from the ground up. What he came up with was brilliant. He started making his own noodles, thick and eggy. His soup is pork and chicken based, with whole smoked mackerel added at the end of the cooking process. He finishes the broth with a rich, dark shoyu and shingles the soup with thin slices of pork belly. It’s so different from his original bowl, which had a lighter flavor and a gentle, aromatic quality; this has more of an edge and is deeper and smokier.” – [source: Lucky Peach]

The kitchen team in Saikoro were very friendly and had almost this party vibe going on, quite unlike other famous ramen establishments where different rules are set (no pictures, sometimes even no talking. Just eat and ciao.)

Their famous ramen (880 yen) while ambient hip hop plays in the background.

It wasn’t memorable to me (but do bear in mind everyone is different as are our tastebuds!) and the key dish there that killed me (in the best way possible) was THIS:

Spicy tsukumen (900 yen). I’m not even a big fan of tsukumen cos i sometimes find the broth too salty for my liking.

But oh my god i’ve never had anything like this. As slick as the former, the tsukumen is slithering egg ramen evenly coated with gravy that’s balanced between acidity and saltiness. The spicy broth reminds me of curry laksa, but not exactly. I’m just trying to find the closest dish i can to describe its taste. It was lighter and oilier, but it’s FLAVOUR. HOMAIGOD just looking at the picture of it makes me almost want to cry. Or buy a flight there now.

Jun, seeing how obsessed i was with it, let me savour every last drop. I stared at the bowl like a drying well, having insane thoughts of RUNNING out of the restaurant with the bowl. (0_o which doesn’t make sense) BUT THEN i thought, “WHAT IF I had a NEVERENDING bowl of spicy tsukumen? Like a magic one! FOREVER AND EVER. I WILL NEVER WANT FOR ANYTHING IN LIFE AGAINNNN!!!”

This dish really brought out the psycho in me.

Arigatou gozaimasu!!!

This be where it’s at. Spicy tsukumen, i will come to you again.

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3. Ebisu Yokocho, Shibuya

This happened to be the same night as Saikoro, right after in fact. We went for supper immediately after dinner -_-
Jun didn’t even know what it’s called but had been here with his ex-chef before and loved it a lot. Well hidden from the main street, it’s a little maze of late-night tiny diners that each serve a certain type of food, and alcoholic drinks. Each diner only has a few seats so we just sat where we found some space and liked the look of what they were serving.

Bekohira’s famous beef tongue.
I’m unabashedly a big fan of ox and beef tongue ever since i was introduced to it in London at 17. No turning back after you try tongue.

We tried a stewed one first.

Then shared a grilled one, which i preferred. Well i liked both, but if i could only order one, this would be it!
Awesome place to go and drink all night and eat.
But wait… that goes for all the places we went to :p

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4. Konjiki Hototogisu, Hatagaya, Shibuya

Jun was determined to try the shoyu ramen at Konjiki Hototogisu, an establishment specializing in assari (light broth ramen). We walked down an alley where it was supposed to be, but it looked different from the pix and we paced outside for a bit before a friendly shopkeeper across spoke in clear English telling us they’d moved to the next alley. Thank god for her, we wouldn’t have found the place otherwise and Jun would have been so disappointed!

We didn’t have much time to spare cos it was nearing 2:30pm and some places are known to being very strict with closing after the lunch shift.

Success!!

I must say that i enjoyed this shoyu ramen a LOT more than i thought i would. I think i was getting a bit too much ramen at some point, but this tasted like a little work of art in a bowl. The flavours were gentle and subtle, like a ballerina doing an elegant fluid dance on my tongue.

Well worth the trip there to try it!

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5. Marzac 7, Meguro, Shibuya

We stumbled unto this modern Italian-Japanese restaurant while shopping around for a place for dinner in Meguro. I’m not usually big on fusion when i travel somewhere – i like to eat whatever delicious authentic traditional food i can get my hands on, but increasing encounters like this one are changing my mind. Every dish was satisfyingly fresh, and that blood sausage (which doesn’t sound great said out loud) was juicy with variations of texture. I would return just to eat this sausage.

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6. 35 Steps Bistro, Shibuya

Jun read about this izakaya run by a bunch of young Japanese chefs pushing the boundaries of contemporary Japanese food and all the pictures looked so good we went out hunting for it. Food blogs showed directions like ‘follow the lamps’ under photographs of nondescript white lanterns in an empty corner and i was like, “Are you serious?” It looked like any basic lamp. What sort of directions were these?!

You have to enter an unmarked entrance next to Shibuya City Hotel.

Called 35 Steps due to the number of them one has to take leading down to the basement, we went down the dimly lit staircase and through a door that brought us into a large room BURSTING with energy and luscious smells.

It’s customary in some places to serve you a starter dish which in this case was a welcoming salad (we missed our greens!)

The chef recommend in simple English for us to order the torched mackerel, which oh my god… you have to order this if you go there. You HAVE to.

It was succulent with a beautiful balance of sweet + salty, and would melt in my mouth with a few hesitant chews as to savour it longer.

Every dish we had in there was awesome… usually i’d pick one or two favourites, but 35 Steps scored a great average.

I don’t usually order chicken wings. I’m not a big fan as i’d eat one and then typically use my stomach space for something else i’d enjoy more. But i’m so glad Jun ordered these cos they must be my favourite chicken wings i’ve tasted in 10 years. And i don’t even like chicken wings! (Had to reiterate that.)

This was really special too, and Jun can’t get over it. It’s Japanese tofu cheese with honey, to spread over toast. It’s so strange yet goes beautifully together.

We had bamboo sake, tho no other local in there was having it so maybe we’ll just stick to the highballs and plum cocktails next time.

Our friendly chef “… is the head chef,” said Jun.
“How do you know?”
“Cos everyone has been taking orders from him the whole night, he’s manning the ship.”

We noticed fondly how the chef snuck glances at us as we took the first bites of every dish and had a little smile at the corner of his mouth as he caught our expressions. Sayang!

Had to go home and take my pants off after that.

Arigatou gozaimasu for your awesome food Tokyo. I can’t wait to return to eat more…. spicy tsukumen… I hope i dream of eating some of these tonight. Maybe i should stare at some of the pix before bed, and train myself to lucid-dream-eat. Hmmmmm

For some reason, i took notice of The Bowery Group despite never visiting their first outlet before (Bowery Petit in TTDI), thanks to their vibrant subscription emails showing off the various services they provide- catering for events, off-site catering for weddings/parties, gourmet takeaway, and food delivery (they send pizza slices and craft beer to your doorstep!!)

Founded in 2015, The Bowery Group opened its first flagship restaurant just last October at The Square in Publika Solaris Dutamas (on the same row as Social). Called BOWERY, the American gourmet Kitchen & Bar is heavily influenced by founders Aneesha and Fariz’s time in the Big Apple.

Lobster Mac & Cheese – Lobster Tail, Baby Peas, 4-Cheese Sauce, RM59

You can order artisan pizzas for RM33 by choosing the
– base (tomato or white garlic sauce)
– 4x greens (aubergine, bell peppers, jalapeños, mushrooms, olives, pineapples, roma tomatoes, zucchini)
– 1x meat (bbq beef brisket, beef meatballs, chicken bacon, mussels, pepperoni, prawns, roasted chicken, smoked salmon, spicy lamb sausage, veal sausage, turkey ham – wasn’t that a lot!! my stomach is rumbling typing all that. Blogging about food late at night is a terrible idea.)
– 2x dressings (aged balsamic drizzle, arugula, capers, gherkins, lemon, lime, mesclun, olive tapenade, pesto, sour cream, spinach, sundried tomatoes, 2 eggs)

I chose a tomato sauce for the base and jalapeños (cos i like that zing), zucchinis, aubergine, mushrooms and spicy lamb sausages, topped with sundried tomatoes and arugula. I seriously think it’s pretty awesome for RM33.

Eggs & Avocado Tartine – Poached Eggs, Avocado, Smoked Salmon, Sourdough Toast, RM25
Not my favourite cos i’m a gravy kinda girl

They have impressive salad bowls too that i’m gonna return to try!

Above is the Spring Bowl – Charred Artichokes, Pomegranate, French Beans, Carrots, Beet, Corn, Radish, Red Cabbage, Mixed Greens + Mango Lime Dressing. RM26

We were given three cocktails to taste, but i would have appreciated them more another day cos I was just getting over the flu and my tastebuds weren’t keen on alcohol at the time (oh the surprise!)

Regardless, i love their names and the creative concoctions i daresay i haven’t seen before in KL. A Sago Melaka cocktail? Rojak syrup with tequila? 0_0

L-R:
Margarita Malaya – Tequila, Orange Curacao, Fresh Lime Juice, Rojak Syrup. RM42
Belafonte (Mocktail) – Fresh Watermelon, Pineapple & Lime Juice, Coconut Cream, Palm Sugar, Orgeat Syrup. RM26
Sago Melaka – White Rum, Sago Sago, Palm Sugar Syrup. RM42

An interesting offering is a punch bowl triad (Agua Fresca Sandia, Half English and Scarlet Sangria) that each serves up to 4-6 people, which is relative ‘cos that depends how much each person drinks XD

As for their dessert menu, everything sounds delicious. I don’t have a sweet tooth and i can’t believe i’m saying that i want to try them all. I don’t have a sweet tooth! I prefer savoury and salty foods most of the time!

Banana Tacos – Cream Cheese, Butterscotch Chips, Crumble, Chocolate Drizzle, Almond Brittle. RM23

We were so full and yet this was a beautiful medley or variations of sweetness, melting and brittle textures, and flavours. If you’re an insane chocolate fan, the Bowery Blackout might be your poison (chocolate ganache bar, chocolate soil, chocolate frozen custard, passion fruit puree). They have this Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta i’m SO TRYING next (comprising of fresh figs, sea salt tuile, and Tahitian vanilla frozen custard. What the whattttt).

Besides their desserts menu, all the cakes on display are also for any takers.

After eating, Baby and i took a walk (whatever movement we needed to digest!) into the indoor area of the establishment, all-in-all covering 3,500 sq. ft.

It *does* make me think of New York what with those bistro-like lounges (albeit in mint) and bar stools, teamed with a contemporary combination of brick walls, b+w mosaic tiles, brass accents, and white marble feature wall behind the 10-foot long bar.

On the raised area is a private dining room that can be cordoned off.

Me (obviously not having a great hair day), with founder Aneesha Veriah.

Fariz and her sat down with us for lunch and told me how they met in Changkat, to which she scrunched her nose at cos it wasn’t as romantic a story as she’d hoped it to be on how she met her husband.

Thursday is ladies night there, where girls get complimentary drinks from 8-10pm!

I just saw this in my emails today so thought i’d chuck it in here to share: they’ve got a lunch set menu for RM23!

If you’re interested in ordering Christmas dishes (like roasted turkey, Turkey Parmentier Pizza, Bowery Christmas cake, Cherry Rose Pavlova, Chicken Liver Pâté with homemade focaccia) check out their Christmas party menu: *click here*

As for New Year’s Eve, they promise fab promos along with an offering of dishes (like Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Popcorn, Jalapeno Lamb Sliders and Beef Meatballs in Pomodoro Sauce, Roasted Lamb Shoulder Provencal with Caraway Jus & Mint Jelly, Grilled Butterflied Chicken with Honey Mustard Glaze and Stir Fried Chilli Beef) to indulge in before fireworks go off at The Square in Publika on the stroke of midnight

Promos at BOWERY’s year end soiree:
– cocktail punchbowls such as Scarlet sangria will come with 2x complimentary nibbles of your choice
– an extra 1/2-pint will be thrown in complimentary to their regular 3 pints promo
– signature handcrafted cocktails such as crowd favourites Passion Fruit Colada and Bowery Brooklyn Blackout will be on a buy 2 free 1 promotion
– selected house bottles will be up for a Twin Bottle promotion exclusively for dine-in customers

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Open from 8.00 AM to 2.00 AM daily.

The Bowery Group
D4-1-16 Solaris Dutamas
No.1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur
tel: +60 (3) 6411 6496
mobile: +60 (12) 629 2588
email: pr@thebowerygroup.co

www.thebowerygroup.co
FB: www.facebook.com/bowerykl
IG: @bowerykl

“The cupboard is wide, the menu ever-changing and the experiments ever-underway.”

Jun has been on a cooking spree cos he took some time off from his corporate kitchen for Christmas & NYE, and prepared a dinner for his closest group of friends for Mr. B’s birthday, which we’d previously postponed so it had to be that week else it wouldn’t have been his birthday month anymore!

Alan watching Jun, while Siew examines my card collection that reflects the inner workings of my mind (and what a freak i am).

Scorching the bachi. Every time he brings my blowtorch out (thanks Chelle!) my heart flutters in excitement and i know it’s gonna be a good one. 

Plating the first course

Salmon mi cuit, bachi (tuna) belly tataki, and crispy salmon skin interspersed with onion + wasabi souvise, tomyam hollandaise, avocado puree, bacon and pickles.

My favourite components on that plate were the scorched bachi and crispy salmon skin, whose subtle gentle nuances were nicely rounded off with the savoury saltiness of the bacon and creamy cushioning of the sauces, with a pick-me-up from the pickles.

Jun instagrammed: “This is the 5th evolution of our salmon dish, and I’ve always felt the call for harmony and balance the more we made it. Subconsciously I’m hoping my journey and calling would be a reflection of my plates. Harmony.”

Siew is just eyeing the food, “Can we eat now?”

36-hour porchetta belly, torched ika, 70-degree yolk, baby kailan, charred sweet corn, pea shoots and pork jus, topped with chive flower.

Me, Jun, Mr. B, Chui Shia, Siew, Alan, Joachim holding Truffles, and Jasmine!

Thanks for coming and bringing ample drinks! I’ve never had a group over so organized in bringing such a curated array of drinks to accompany the meal (and thereafter) – whites, reds, Chita whiskey, Grey Goose, and bubbly. We finished almost everything 

The next day, Jun wanted to cook for my family because he could prepare the previous night’s ingredients in one shot for an additional group, and it was Nick’s 31st birthday!

The sunset on the 30th was pretty sweet

Sometimes i want to just throw myself into the sky and cease existence on earth. Yeah sunsets get me existential-emo.

I must say i rather gleefully ate the first course for the second night in a row. Tough life.

He changed the second course up with some beef instead

As delicious as it is beautiful: 56-hour Kalbi short rib, charred pimento, sweet potato mash, mustard seeds, chive flower scatterings, portobello duxelle and bordelaise.

Happy birthday Nick!!

Thanks for all the wonderful food Chef <3

Last month Jun and i went to the launch of Celebrate!, a collaboration between bespoke event planner Tish Lifestyle, and Sitka Restaurant. I recently blogged about eating at Sitka Studio *here*.

Jun, me and Shermaine

Jun, me, Jenifer, Shermaine and Mei Ling

Ili from Agak-Agak

Sparked by their boredom in the dining scene; Shermaine Wong (Founder of Tish), Jenifer Kuah (owner of Food Foundry, Feeka, Butter + Beans) and Chef Christian Recomio (award-winning chef and owner of Moonfish Café, UK) have come together to hold a series of monthly supper club events. Each monthly edition of Celebrate! will have a different cinema culture theme that will inspire the room décor, tablescape and menu.

February 14-16: In the Mood for Love
March 16-18: Andy Warhol’s The Silver Factory
April 20-22: Wes Anderson
May 11-14: Joy Luck Club
June 15-18: Fight Club

I’m already eyeing which ones i want to rsvp for!

Aimed to  “create, provoke and experiment unique dining experiences by uniting food, culture, cinema and music”, each ticket is priced at RM 140 nett for a welcome bubbly / wine / drink + 3-course menu.

To purchase tickets for Celebrate! supper club, drop by Sitka Eating House + Wine Bar on Jalan Batai or email info@sitkarestaurant.com. Tickets can be purchased via bank transfer and cash.

For more information, visit www.tish.my or www.sitkarestaurant.com.

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I went for Lilou and Heloise’s joint mum + daughter birthday party, which really means, it’s more of the daughter’s party filled with bouncy castle (i’m not complaining!) and sugar-high kids. The theme was purple Minnie Mouse and i helped organise the cakes (made by Little Collins) that day!

The birthday fondant cake is made of the cakery’s signature chocolate mud layered with chocolate ganache, the butter cupcakes with classic buttercream were topped with fondant cutouts, and the cake pops (not pictured) were red velvet dipped in milk & white chocolate.

Frances Voon has been running her Little Collins cakery & cafe in Solaris Mont Kiara for 8 years before expanding with an online cake store – www.littlecollinskl.com – so one doesn’t have to do cake runs for parties anymore. They deliver to YOU

Her little team of bakers and decorators provide ready-made cakes to choose from, party desserts, and custom make novelty cakes which customers can walk in to taste or meet for a consultation to build their “dream” cakes.

Thanks to Frances, KBF readers get 20% off orders till 30th April 2017!
Just quote promo code: kinkybluefairy

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And now, lots of food pictures of stuff i’ve been eating!

Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio

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My mum bought some fresh fish head and cooked up her fish head curry, one of my fave dishes! Even better when eaten as leftovers.

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I go to TK Chong in Damansara Perdana for my ipoh sar hor fun fix now. Previously used to go another in TTDI but i prefer the koay teow here cos it’s thinner and silkier, and soup for flavourful imho.

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One night Jun’s parents cooked dinner! I always look forward to having meals with them cos they’re always so good!

This was from a separate night, when Jun’s dad cooked one of his signature dishes – a Korean sour fish dish.

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I sometimes go to Kushiyaki Kuni in Plaza Damas for lunch alone. And always order the same thing -_-
Butttt if you’re feeling like a cold soba, i love the one here too.

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I obviously love my bara chirashi don.
Another regular fix is always Mei by Fat Spoon.

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Ok i can’t remember where this was taken sorry

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We still drop by Uokatsu in Plaza Damas for our mentai rice fix, but one might sniff that it’s not as satisfying since their expansion. Still order our same favourites when we go there – mentai rice, dburi sashimi, grilled hamachi cheek, miso soup and garden salad.

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Below are a bunch of things Jun cooks for dinner / supper at home on the fly with whatever ingredients he’s trying to finish off in the fridge.

Pasta and salads are something he fixes up quickly. Now i can’t bring myself to make a pasta cos i can’t get it as perfectly al dente as he does, and his salads are always more pompous and the dressings always a killer.

I love soup so one day he made soup to layan me. Please make more soup! XD

When he was perfecting his handmade ramen, he made so many variations of it that i haven’t eaten ramen since.

Ramen with 52-hr beef

Ramen with oyster, mushrooms, seaweed and sous vide egg.

Ramen with clam broth

Despite it all, we still love our maggi / nissin noodles… and he’d whip up maggi goreng for supper when we come home after events/parties. So much winnnnnnn

And once in a blue moon, i feel like maggi sup, especially asam laksa or kari. After he cooked maggi soup for me, it tasted so delicious i stared at it and declared, “I can never make maggi for myself again without thinking how it isn’t as great as yours!”

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Tai Yong is a dedicated chef (on the side, when he’s not managing Nagaba) and i am lucky to be invited over to his sometimes! This time round, he prepared his signature nasi lemak. He made every dish from scratch – the spicy four-angled beans, kangkung, fried ikan bilis, sambal, egg, sotong and ox-tail rendang.

It’s a bad idea to write this blogpost in the middle of the night.

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One time my mum cooked a simple dinner. I swear i could just live on food like this err day tho… just give me a smattering of home-cooked fish and vege and i’m a happy fairy.

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One night after an event where Jun and i were too polite to stuff our faces the food there, we were still hungry so we went for porridge at Imbi right after. Puas la, i can eat porridge every day too #asianforevs

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I’m currently off sang har mein cos i must have had it about 5 times in the past 2 months! Had non stop cravings for it and would grab diff ppl to eat it with me! Just had it at Sweet Inn with Baby last week as our New Year’s lunch and also had it with Jun on New Year’s Day, but the pic above is taken at Jeff Lee Kitchen in Sungai Buloh some time in November.

I really like the vege dishes at Jeff Lee’s, fresh and not heavy with oil as is common in Chinese restaurants.

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When Jun’s sister + family where in KL, we all went for sang har mein at Pan Heong near Batu Caves. I’ve been there 3-4 times and it’s so popular that we have to take a number and wait around 30 mins every time.

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I think i’m over my fish noodle phase too (i may speak too soon) as i was eating at the Fish & Noodle House in Damansara Kim so often the owners commented, “You come a lot!” 0_-

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Vegetarian Indian fix always at Ganga Cafe in Bangsar

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Tried Macha & Co. banana leaf at Kota Damansara

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Went for dinner with Jun, Tai Yong, Juan and their buddy from NYC; at Mum’s Place in Damansara Perdana. Should take my parents there soon.

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Beggar’s chicken, chilli crab, man tao, caramelized pork, scallop fried rice, and fish at a Chinese restaurant in Cheras with Jun and his parents.

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RM8 chicken rice for quick alone lunch in Solaris Mont Kiara after a workout at Bodytone, it’s on the same row as CIMB and on the pavement so hard to miss.

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Mummy cooked dinner for New Year before Nick went back to Singapore. Jun was sorely disappointed he had to miss out cos he had a clashing family dinner.

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Jun was craving Thai so we went to try Erawan at the new DC Mall in Damansara Heights. We started off with a scallop + pomegranate salad, before moving on to mains of cockle curry, and basil & chilli chicken. They were all very good! And too much for us both so i tapau-ed the cockles and chicken for Baby and i to snack on the next day. She loved it so much she shushed me to cease talking so she could focus on it.

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Jun and i met up with Tai Yong at Yung Kee Beef Noodles in Pudu, where they serve wagyu beef in your noodles if you want! We didn’t go for it cos didn’t see the necessity, and instead went for a medley of the tripe, brisket, striploin and jelly-like tendon. If you love beef noodles you gotta make a trip to this place, well worth it.

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Pictures below are all porky so if you are halal better stop reading here!

Family lunch at Naughty Nuri’s when they first opened in Atria

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Returned to the femes siew yoke rice place in Pudu, but i was kinda disappointed cos it just wasn’t as crunchy as i remember it 5 years ago. And it was like 50 bucks for 2 of us! Ok i’m just sore that it’s not that great anymore.

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And to end this post, Jun’s favourite porky restaurant – Ad Hog in Kota Damansara. Pictured above is the pork knuckle, tho we love the siew yoke (eating it feels like biting into childhood heaven) which we’d order with a fresh truffle oil salad and whatever Sam (the owner) would recommend. Great for groups, and it’s BYOB so you save on alco! Run by the loveliest couple, you should call beforehand to reserve the pork belly!

Tainan is a city whose name has taken fair credit in our minds when we think of cities pertaining to street food. The main reason for it is due to the influx of immigrants who would make their way into Taiwan via Tainan, and what else would the Chinese turn to for comfort while being able to flex creativity, industrialism and wealth… but food. Immigrants would set up food stalls peddling the best of their provincial flavours back home, but being in a new atmosphere pushed some to merge or instil new recipes that has become a major part of Tainanese culture.

Just a 3-min saunter down the street from the Jia-Jia-at West Market Hotel where we were staying, were the two most popular roads for daytime stalls. I don’t think there are enough vendors to accommodate the demand, which results in massive queues for deemed favourites!

This was the longest queue we spotted, that stretched around the block, all for a bowl of squid noodles which we were strongly recommended to try.

I’m apprehensive when it comes to queueing for food… my longest record being standing in the cold winter air for 90 minutes outside L’Entrecote in Bordeaux, and second being 45 minutes for Kagari in Tokyo. Both were worth the wait, but both also happened across the past 8 years. It exemplifies my unwillingness at queueing (fine, a little diva in there). I find it a little harder to swallow lining up for street food. Even the crawl to buy fried chicken was shocking >

Daphne surveying the queue for fried chicken cos its one of her favourite foods. We decided that she’d start queueing for fried chicken, while Jerry stood in queue for 5 of us at the squid noodles store, and i walked to the back alleys to check out anything else worth standing for.

The alleyway was filled with street food stores selling beef noodles, desserts, and dubious-looking bean stews. They were all crowded, with the longest line stretching a few shoplots long for… a barley dessert. Incredible.

I made my way back to the fried chicken queue (which lasted 20 mins) where Uli, Daphne and i waited till we arrived at the tiny store. I mean, the guy didn’t even have a shoplot, just a hawker booth in the middle of the pavement!

We bought 4-5 pieces for all of us and crossed the street to the squid noodle store, where Jerry had just got a table. Great timing.

The end of the queue *angel chorus*

The arrangement there is such that you get the table first, then someone else in your group goes to order/get all the food.

Yina and Jerry asked us to sit first; so Daphne, Uli and i obediently followed through and eagerly started on our piping hot fried chicken. Uli and i opted for chilli pepper to be sprinkled unto ours, and Uli had the misfortune of having the chilli pepper blow into her eye. She was tearing and cursing while we tried aiding her with tissue and attempts to look for eyedrops. There was nothing she could do but cry the chilli out… and it went on for so long (about 10-15 minutes) that Daphne and i couldn’t help but continue eating our chicken and quietly say to each other, “Damn, this fried chicken is sowh good rightttt” The skin was crispy and thin with the right amount of batter, and the chicken flesh was tasty and soft till it almost fell off the bone.

I might as well tell this story about how it was just *not* Uli’s day since i started it. She was tripping over things throughout the day… and Daphne would be like, “Eh, chill chill.” Sometime after lunch, we were just standing around and i was deleting pix from my camera when Uli took a giant step back right onto my white adidas slip-ons. I had on a mad straight face and the poor girl tried wiping it for me cos she was sorry.

Later that evening, i was talking to her as we walked out of the hotel towards the bus for dinner when she squealed, “Ewww i stepped on something!” I looked down to see her black ankle boot submerged in… an omelette.

A large yellow omelette, in the middle of the road.
I couldn’t help laughing cos it was so comical.

“It’s just not my day!” she sniffled.
“It’s okay, the day is almost over!”

Yina, her instagram husband Jerry, and Uli finally able to start on her chicken

The squid noodles were underwhelming for a 40-minute queue (nasib baik i wasn’t the one queueing else sure mengamuk). Its most redeeming quality was the clear squid consommé, but the noodles were too al dente and almost crunchy hard for my liking (not sure if that’s the way it’s supposed to be done) but not my personal preference.

The others stopping to buy some fried prawn on a stick, i had enough of fried food for the hour and hunted for a drink. Got myself a freshly-made strawberry smoothie >

If you were to look forward to an eating haunt in Tainan, my prime suggestion would be to go straight to the food night market. The majority of us agreed to spending 1.5 hours there before meeting back at our bus, but we regretted the decision later on because there is SO MUCH to see and eat! I think 2 hours or a little more would have been great.

There are three massively long rows filled with all types of food… it was so crowded that all of us split up into pairs in unspoken agreement so it’d be easier to move around, yet have someone to share things with (so one can eat more!) Turns out Daphne is a fussy eater so i ended up most of it myself :p

Coagulated duck blood, duck meat balls and other duck parts… i was very interested to try the duck blood but i couldn’t possibly finish the whole big bowl myself (Daphne wouldn’t have any) and still have space for other things, so we moved on.

We were drawn towards fresh meat being scalded in boiling soup with ginger, this was yummy

Oh we stood there staring in awe at the giant fried squid. In retrospect we should have just bought it and done a takeaway for the others to try too!

Gigantic aloe vera for drinks

Certain stores have their own dining areas, and some even have their own grilling amenities on the table for customers to BBQ their food

As you can see, pinball machines are adorably quite a thing there.
Daphne and i walked past some at Anping Fort earlier that day, and she exclaimed, “What is that! I want to play.”
I stared at the pinball machine. “What is that? It’s a pin ball machine… How can you not have seen one before?!”
She shook her head and continued walking, while i realised, “Oh my god. You are a 90s baby.”
My head started reeling with cassette players, the Walkman, the Discman, and so on till i decided to stop before my brain tripped over in my head.

I didn’t get to try smelly tofu! The queue was so long and i was done with extended queues for the day

I had a dozen oysters for TWD 150 (RM22). Major score.
There was another store i spotted selling them for TWD 100, even cheaper!

OK honestly i was a little scared when trying the oysters cos i couldn’t believe they were so cheap, must be the lowest-priced i’ve encountered in my life… but they were thankfully fresh and succulent.

We queued a little while for popcorn pork

And had bowls of clams in soup whereby you could choose clam size (s, m, l) and soup type (we chose ginger, and garlic which was really good). I also had some snails, and Taiwan beer to top it all off!

I saw someone selling fried crickets and was curious to try it due to the trend of crickets being a great source for protein without compromising on energy used to raise livestock for consumption. Crickets could be the way of the future of food one day! #justsayin #maybe

Unlike the hard and occasionally sharp insect part that pokes one’s tongue that is reminiscent of my previous and sole cricket-eating experience in Bangkok, Tainanese crickets are small, crunchy and pleasant to eat. Kinda like soft shell crab, but more delicate.

After the crickets, we both ran for the bus where i went back to the hotel and worked till about 1am+. Woke up at 8am for breakfast of fruit, a fresh sandwich and Taiwanese porridge provided by the hotel.

If you’re a fan of street food but not of its potential hygiene issues or queues, a viable eating option would be Chih Kan’s Peddler’s Noodle, a second-generation family establishment that prides itself on serving famous local Tainanese dishes in a more comfortable and contemporary environment.

There was a feast laid out for us to try before we caught the high-speed train back to Taipei that evening!

Stewed pork knuckle

Danzai noodles, invented in 1895 by a fisherman who used to sell it from buckets strung on bamboo poles, comprise of minced pork and prawn on noodles in a little broth.

To fu fa (pudding) with brown sugar topping

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This trip was sponsored by Ever Rich x Lion Travel

Kuala Lumpur is in for a treat, because the Mothership has landed. Kuala Lumpur’s latest premium food truck has already begun making waves in the industry.

The Mothership is the brainchild of Malaysian party starters Alvin Teoh & Hoe Yin (more popularly known as DJs Goldfish+Blink) and their partners Simon Lam (Blink’s brother-in-law), who is the head of kitchen operations, along with VJ Anand (the executive creative director),  James Yam and Gerald Quek. The Mothership is the first offering by KAMI (the company started by the partners), and it definitely looks like they’re off to a brilliant start. Blink attributes part of the reason there were minimal hiccups in the planning and implementation stage was due to how these individuals aren’t just partners, but rather, family.

Blink and Simon who are from ‘foodie families’ came up with the idea one day when they were at home talking about the food they’d eaten throughout their travels. Fun fact: Blink’s grandmother is the Madam Kwan of the famed Malaysian Madam Kwan’s franchise, and Simon is a self-taught chef that used to run and manage Chinese restaurants in the UK.

Aside from being probably one of the coolest looking food trucks ever, The Mothership promises that at least 90% of the meals they have to offer are unique and completely new to the food truck industry in Malaysia. Check out the Mothership’s unique take on the hot dog >

The Po Dawg is a fried popiah shell, filled with pulled chicken as its main stuffing, alongside caramelized onions and The Mothership’s special blend BBQ sauce. It is their best-selling item, and definitely a must try.

Another fan favorite would be The Bolo >

The Bolo is The Mothership’s interpretation of the classic Spaghetti Bolognese using only the freshest locally sourced vegetables and grade-A minced beef.

But that’s not all they have. I personally haven’t tried everything they have on the menu, but I haven’t heard or read a single bad review thus far. Plus, everything there from the truck, to the graphics to the people are really cool. Here, take a look at their menu.

Described as ‘street food with a twist’, the menu combines flavors from around the world to create dishes that are ‘just right, and delicious’. For something truly unique, try the Commander Kim, which is a pressed panini kim chi bulgogi beef sandwich. Blink’s personal favourite is the Pasta Khap, a (very) spicy cold pasta that is inspired by Thai salads.

For the time being, The Mothership will land at Solaris, Mont Kiara daily from 6pm-12am. To keep up to date with their latest landing areas, follow them on Instagram @themothershipkl.

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Here are some of the other food trucks you should check out if you haven’t already;

Curbside Cantina KL

Usually spotted outside Podgy & The Banker, Curbside Cantina serves Mexican food with a little Malaysian twist here and there. Try their unique tacos that use Indian pappadom shells instead of the usual corn flour variety. While you’re at it, you can also enjoy Podgy & The Banker’s coffee, drinks and desserts with your meal. Follow their Instagram @curbsidecantinakl to ensure you’re in the right area to catch them.

Flaming Wheels

Flaming Wheels operates not just one, but a small fleet of food trucks, consisting of large trucks as well as small ones. Serving up food from all over the world as well as local bites, I hear they have really good burgers and tacos. Usually set up at different hot spots around KL, follow them on Instagram @flamingwheels.

BurgerGilerPower

A few years ago, Malaysia was introduced to gourmet burgers, utilizing ingredients such as higher quality meat, freshly baked buns and unique toppings. BurgerGilerPower has taken that concept and implemented it into a food truck, allowing them to bring the gourmet burger experience to their customers wherever they choose. While usually based in Taman Melawati, BurgerGilerPower does occasionally move around to different spots, so follow them on Instagram @burgergilerpower to keep up to date with where they will be.

Brader John Burger

We’ve touched on gourmet burgers, but there’s also something for all you Ramly Burger lovers out there. Brader John Burger is located right outside the Texas Chicken at Uptown Damansara. Take note it is only open from 8pm onwards, but opens all the way till 4am, and closed on Sundays.

Okay, back to the burgers, aside from serving regular Ramly Burgers, at Brader John you have a wide selection of patties to choose from- thicker juicier patties, and made from chicken, beef, lamb and fish. Also, Brader John’s secret sauce (I still can’t tell what it is, I’ve been there like 10 times) truly sets his burgers apart from the rest. Follow Brader John on Instagram @braderjohnuptown for more information.

Special Mention : The Macs Malaysia

While not technically a food truck, I think The Macs (A pop-up food stall in USJ14, Subang  Jaya) deserves a mention. For Mac & Cheese lovers out there, The Macs has one of the cheesiest Mac & Cheese I have ever tried. Plus, their specialty, the Mac Me Cheese You, is topped with beef bacon and crushed nacho chips to give your mac & cheese that meaty flavor and crunch. Located very close to the Petronas in USJ 14, Subang Jaya, you can visit their Instagram @themacsmalaysia to find out more about their location and offerings.

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Now that I’m done with this post, I’m way past hungry. Till next time then, I’m gonna grab myself a bite (or ten) to eat.

Figured now is a good time to blog about food since Ramadan is starting this weekend and it’d be a lil rude to post bout it then!
Not that the first pic is even halal… WELL I TRIED

Tai Yong took me to Ru Di Fook Noodle Bar @ Kota Damansara one Sunday evening after MONTHS of us not hanging out. He was getting mad at me. When the siew yoke came, it was beautiful but TY peered at it going, “So small!” Well, it IS a slightly more atas wan tan mee place, i was expecting it to come as so. Greedy TY la.
“Next time order big okay.”

While waiting for the food, the hip hop playing caught our attention and we slowly started bopping our heads along to it, while staring at it each other like we couldn’t believe the music there.
“The music is so on point.”

Right: I’ll definitely return to it, take my parents too. Check out my mocktail – it was delish btw!
So glad there’s a nice noodle place in KD!

Left: After Ru Di Fook, he took me to Foo Foo Fine Desserts in TTDI.
We were a wee bit over ourselves and ordered a dessert each and could barely finish…
TY had a green tea creme brulee, and i a salted caramel profiteroles. Two of my fave dessert factors, together! I had to try it.

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One weekend, Jun & i went to the Food For Good market at The Row.
Me mainly to support Idan, but also had a good laugh with Tony who introduced us to Rosana.

Left:
Rosana sells dry sambal under her brand Rosana’s Homemade Food. It is the bomb, i bought 5 jars.
The one i’m dipping into now to sprinkle on my salads and rice for an extra kick is her Kaffir Lime & Lemongrass dry sambal, made with shrimp paste + kaffir lime leaves + lemongrass + fragrant Sarawak black pepper + bird’s eye chilli + anchovies + shallots (no added salt, sugar or preservatives).

Right:
Idan was selling ox tongue rice and spicy green sambal under The Aiden Picnic.
I already have a full jar of green chilli from another local seller at a market i recently bought (called @RealSambal) so i got one for Baby called Sambal Queen cos she LOVES adding chilli to everything. It’s super pedas.

And then, i succumbed to buying 3 cookies for RM 15 from Dope Dough. I never heard of the brand, just stood there staring at the jars and was asked to try a little. I was sold -_-
I don’t even like cookies that much. I never buy cookies! (except for CNY). But these had generous soft chocolate bits in them, and had variations of flavours and nuts you could choose from.

After that we ran off before i spent any more on food and snacks.
Not bad for a 45-minute pit stop.

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When Aunt G and Uncle Mark were still in KL, they took us for dinner to Uncle Albert + Aunt May’s home, where Uncle Albert cooked a hearty spread of cheese on spinach, moussaka, two types of pastas, roasted a whole slab of siew yoke; and Aunty Pat proffered a Thai salad and cakes galore. Stuffed again.

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One weekday evening after Baby and i finished a briefing in our client’s office in Cheras, we randomly googled somewhere nearby and good to have dinner at while waiting the traffic out.
First choice was 45 mins away. “Feck no, i’m not driving 45 mins for dinner now.”
Second choice was an equally decent-looking seafood restaurant called Kam’s Kitchen, “15 minutes away. Done.”

I felt a bit jakun when the bill came and it was RM 40 (or slightly less) cos i was expecting RM 80 or more.
Think i’m so used to PJ prices that Cheras just upped its points in my head!

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Another work day, Baby & i skipped out to have Village Park nasi lemak cos Sheryl (being the pescetarian she is) was not joining us and we’d been having lots of fish lunches.

I have to order the kangkung and brinjal sambal to go with it so it’s less dry. Nasi lemak craving SORTED.

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Another weekday, i had lunch with Baby & Sheryl at the coffee shop at Happy Mansion. I ordered the curry laksa (cos i’m so obsessed with curry laksa, i usually have the organic one in BMS these days) and daymn, i’ve been thinking about this uncle’s curry laksa since! Plus i could add yong tau foo and siew yoke into it :p

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I’m equally obsessed with fish noodles, and tried the institution that is Woo Pin Fish Head Noodles in Taman Desa for the first time. The large coffee shop was super crowded!

I liked the soup, but fish-wise prefer the one in Damansara Kim.

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I stop by Fin for poke bowls when i’m around Publika, cos theirs is delicious! I’ve even had lunch there and taken away dinner so i could just hole myself up to work.

I’ve tried them all

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Sometimes when i’m feeling sad, i like to eat the mentai rice at Uokatsu (still!) and the Buri sashimi.

Eating that mentai rice makes me feel like someone’s hugging my heart.

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Had a crispy chicken craving the other day and instead of going by KFC (ew) satiated it in the form of the chicken poppers at Mei by Fat Spoon.

Tried their matcha latte for the first time! If you’re a crazy fan of matcha, they recently introduced a Matcha Menu.

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In between all that eating, i did my bi-annual detox at Pure Health cos it was about time, and i had some major reflection to do regarding a big life decision. I always receive clarity when i undergo the detox. I was on a liquid diet for 3 days (vegetable juice + nutrients) whilst going into the centre every day for a 45-min colon hydrotherapy session. I previously blogged about *why i do this*.

My ‘dinner’ one night during the detox.

Wendy said i need to put on a few more kg cos i’m underweight (at 40kg) and i said i eat a lottttt.

Wendy: You need to eat more.
Me: How much more?
Wendy: 5-6 times a day

When i heard that i was all ain’t nobody got time for that!
I said i’ll aim for 4 times a day.
So far i’ve been grazing in between meals and i feel like a cow.
Also, who knew how much time it takes to get food / prepare meals / chew the food in a more scheduled manner!?
On the super bright side, i’d rather have lost weight from stress than gain weight. Cos that happened before and it was NOT fun being angsty AND not fitting into your clothes!

My attempts at drinking something else other than wine at home on a Friday night.
Contents were simply apple cider vinegar + a drop of stevia + crushed herbs.
On a daring night, i put TWO drops of stevia, and felt stupefied right after how excited i was about THAT.

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Awesome thing about having a chef at home is i barely lift a finger to cook…
– above is mentai pasta with some chilli thrown in
– fruits cos we trying to snack healthy
– below is taken from Wesak Day, when Jun decided he really felt like eating pizza and also made breadsticks (which i couldn’t help but grab whilst hot).

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Then i was sick on and off last week thanks to the flu bug going around, and tapau-ed this supposed legendary porridge in Taman Paramount from Restoran Yong Tau Foo Khong Kee. It was pretty good, had generous amount of mushrooms + ingredients in it.

On right is cod fish Jun cooked to go with it. Made it a whole lot better.

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Then this last pic below just cos it makes me happy to stare at it.

I’ve been moaning about how i can’t find anything in the kitchen since i’m not the one who cooks much anymore. Every time i wanted to make something small- things would topple over, spill and i’d shut the doors in exasperation at how disorganized it all was! Different types of salt were in diff cupboards, pastas were chucked in the sauce drawer, snack food mixed with cooking sauce packets in the other cupboard… i swore i’d get to sorting it out when i got the chance.

Which i did when i was banished to being indoors from being sick.

Jun said it looks almost the same, and i indignantly said it. was. not.

Now at least everything is grouped via cooking milks, salts, flours, sauces, seeds, herbs and spices.
We’ve chucked out whatever’s expired / unknown, and i can reach for things without knocking something else over.

The end.

I’m so lucky to have eaten 3 home-cooked meals across 48 hours of weekday. I say this because i usually get a mom-cooked meal once a week, twice if i’m really lucky! (and almost always on weekends)

This week i’m beyond lucky!

I admired Mima’s (Baby‘s mother) buka puasa spread on her instastories last weekend, and Mima packed me siput sedut and curry fish to eat! Such an opportune time too cos work has been cray and just heating / steaming it was all i managed to do!

I had two bowls of that siput sedut btw. I couldn’t help myself.
Was trying to keep it, but i had such a treacherous day (12 hours in front of emails and presentations, 1 hour cleaning the flat) that i couldn’t stop gorging on that + Thai fried rice and Unbreakable to zone out.

Had all these passionate thoughts like,  “Mima is MAGIC!”
and
“This is so great, i have faith in humanity again!”
and
“I hope Baby is learning how to cook this!”

Then for lunch on Tues, i initially planned to work out and have lunch before an event at 3pm
but work stranded me all morn till 3pm, so i managed to heat the curry fish up and whack that with leftover porridge in 8 mins (i counted). While tearing myself away from the phone and laptop for those divine 8 minutes (also while thinking i may consider a career change cos this was ridic), i carefully cut the fish into small pieces in great thrill.

Ah, again! Those wonderful thoughts!
“Oh man, this just made… everything worth it. The world is round again!” [or maybe not ever] and
“Who needs to go out for lunch when you have THIS”

Later that night, i dropped by my parents not expecting food (tho my mum would never let me go hungry)
and had fried noodles with soft juicy char siew and barley made blue with flowers she picked out.

“Is this… did you make this char siew?” i asked
“… …  *grins* … why? …”
“Because, it’s damn nice!”
“Yes”
“Oh my god” *not talking cos mouth full*
“Ah Ee gave me the meat from Penang, only a special part can be made into char siew, and all the ppl will book it first but she knows the fellow”
“You could sell this. I would pay money to eat this.” *mouth still chomping*

I was so happy to eat home-cooked food.
After another harrowing day, it made me feel like LIFE IS OKAY, IT’S ALL OKAY.

I haven’t been living with my parents for over 10 years now that having home-cooked food on a weekday threw me off guard. Damn if you’re still living at home eating that after work every day – treasure it! Gold okay. GOLD.

And that, was has kept me sane so far this week.

But tomorrow, i run off the opposite side of the cliff – and get myself insane.

I told my dad over dinner how i was going to undergo this ancestral medicine ceremony tomorrow. He furrowed his brow into the famous Wong frown, contorted some confusion into it (last i saw this expression was when i told him i wanted to move to Cuba) and said one word. “WHAT?”

So i explained that it was toad medicine extracted from some toads (harmlessly) in South America, grounded into a powder, and when burnt, undergoes a chemical reaction that changes it into DMT. The highest form of DMT on the planet. I explained, “So what it does, is return you back to your most natural state, without any filters.”
“What filters?”
“Filters, that shape your world socially or mentally, coded from generations ago and since we were babies!”

He was speechless.

Poor Daddy, still pushing him since 1983.

It’s me! It’s me!! I’m baaaaack.

Yes, it is that time of the year again. The return of….. Tanggachi.

King has given me a new name this time around though – Rani. As she is Raja (King), naturally I should be Rani (Queen). We then devised a new hashtag for our upcoming adventures: #RaniRajaNightOut. Methinks it’s absolutely cutezies… which is what we are most the time.

And so we put on our biggest hoops and headed to The Locker & Loft for our very first #RaniRajaNightOut
Thursday nights at The Locker & Loft means you become the leading mixologist and come up with your very own signature drink (with the help of their resident mixologist, of course)! I quote King, “Wah! Aktiviti!”. Indeed. So instead of just getting crunk, you get to experience being a mixologist and then get crunk.

Date night! Us with our Tuak Sangria and another girly drink (both are on the menu).

We started off by filling out a little form that basically lets your barman know what flavours you like or dislike, to come up with a custom concoction that will well suit your tastebuds.

[Faridah/Baby] I like my cocktails sweet and girly so the concoction for my ultimate girly-fied cocktail are:

40ml of Amarro, 20ml peach schnapp, 10ml passion fruit syrup, 30ml lemon juice and 30ml egg white to make it foamy and fancy!

Next to me is Nik, the resident mixologist at The Locker & Loft and behind me is Deep, tying an apron on me which was 3x sizes too big.

He guided me and April through the whole process – proper way to mix, pour and shake!

Us coming up with The Rani & Raja.

Us on the final stage of our cocktail making.

True to her style, she is anything but conventional. So of course she needs a burner gun for her garnishing. It’s rosemary by the way.

Mutton Veruval Quesadillas, Grilled Watermelon Salad, Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta, Smoked Duck Aglio Olio Fettucine

We guess they saw how much fun we had and they wanted to get in on the fun too!

So if you have nothing particularly important to do on Thursday nights, head over to The Locker & Loft for Shake & Take! You only have to pay for the liquor you use in your mix! It’s fun and it will make you think twice before harassing any mixologist after this. It’s definitely NOT an easy job!

Thank you, The Locker & Loft for such a fun night! We’ll spread the love and return for sure!

The Locker & Loft guests that create their top 10 favourite cocktails will be invited back in September for the L&L Amateur Bartender Challenge, where the 10 chosen guests will undergo a face-off to win Best Cocktail, RM1,000 prize and bragging rights.

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The Locker & Loft

40A, Jalan SS20/10,
Damansara Kim,
47400 Petaling Jaya

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lockerandloft
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lockerandloft

I went to Fort gyms earlier today, and was telling Brian about the oyster affair i had at Southern Rock Seafood last Sunday.
B: I never liked oysters
Me: Well, i guess you either love them or hate them… *tries to be diplomatic*
B: I had my first oyster and was like yuck
Me: Ok stop. I think we can’t be friends anymore

I love oysters…!!! It’s one of my favourite foods.
When i was under Aunt G and Uncle M’s care in London at 17, i devoured all the oysters they’d proffer me till Aunt G told my dad, “Your daughter loves oysters and foie gras, and she’s becoming very expensive to feed!”

Thinking about oysters got me reminiscing about the day i ate so many oysters, i didn’t touch them for a whole year after.
Imagine that.
I out-oystered myself (which i never thought possible). And then i realised – i have all the pix from this particular day edited and in my blog’s backend for years *cough* and never posted them.

So in memory of my most marvelous oyster-binging day… a whole bunch of pix.

This was in the summer of 2015, when Jason + Neena + baby Aaron and i headed to Whitstable for the town’s annual oyster festival. A whole trip dedicated to oysters and wine. Saying no would have been a lifetime mistake.

Jason and i must have had 3-4 dozen oysters each, whilst Neena practiced more self-restraint. We started off with small oysters, and built our way up to larger oysters across a couple of hours. By the time we made it to eating the large oysters, they were so massive and cloying we had to stop at some point… i almost threw up oyster! (but glad i didn’t cos what a waste that would’ve been!)

We had to break for hot food in between

After oyster mania, we dropped by the supermaket and i watched Aaron whilst they did parent-ey things like buy milk

Lunch next day was hot food for sure! >

That’s it!

My phone has an incredible number of food pix… as i reckon most Asians would.
A bunch of expats i stood around talking with commented how the first question most Malaysians ask them = “What is your favourite Malaysian dish?” or “Have you eaten today? What did you eat?”

Behold my urm food diary below. A most random collection of food pix from across the past few months 

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Thanks to 303-year-old cognac brand Martell for having me at their glamourous luncheon, where all the dishes were paired with Martell cocktails and their new cognac: Martell VSOP Aged In Red Barrels. The cognac is matured exclusively in casks of fine-grained oak from France which are selected by the Cellar Master for its reddish tinge and subtle woody undertones.

We were served 5 courses: cyrstalline Iceplant with fresh scallop and fishcake, baked half Boston lobster with garlic & butter, crispy grouper fish, braised 8 head abalone with pan fried foie gras, and chilled winter melon in Thai coconut with egg tart.

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If you’ve been following my blog since its 2008 days, you might remember how i would frequent Somo in Mont Kiara. One of my oldest friends Andrew (who opened Somo) just launched Curious Kitchen @ Tropicana Avenue – an open-concept restaurant serving tomahawk steak and Iberico that’s grilled over charcoal in front of you.

I’ve been recommending my friends to order their: mushroom soup, truffle mash (i daydream about this), Iberico tenderloin, and ratatouille.

Temp weekly menu

EatDrinkKL did a review *here*

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Random food shots from my birthday month:

Clouds, Didi & Sarch took me for Japanese dinner at Koyaku 

Mei Sze took me to Majapahit and gave me the cutest silver clutch that looks like a giant sweet from Isetan ngawwwww

TY and i went for sang har mein at Jeff Lee’s (cos i love sang har mein soooo much), but then he forgot to bring cash so i ended up paying hahah. Then he bought me lunch next time we met XD

Tianna and i went to Eatomo cos we’re both pro-pescetarian. On right was another meal i had with her at Fittie Sense in Bangsar.

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Bunch o instastories i took at Locker & Loft where i frequent for weekday drinks.

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61 Monarchy has fancy bar snacks while enjoying whiskey. I love talking to Chris the bartender there! He’s incredibly knowledgeable if you want to bring a client/date to impress with whiskey.

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A lotta people have love/hate feelings for Grub in PJ. Their food prices are very cheap for steak by their cutting out training waitstaff (so you gotta layan yourself with cutlery and order at the cashier) but i like the concept.

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One day some time back Val’s old friend Bruce was here from Dubai and the boys were craving steak so we went to Beato

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Southern Rock Seafood had an oyster festival so i traipsed along to meet Ying Nee + Jon, Clouds and ExquisiteFox.

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My old friend Jesh was in town, last i saw him was in Tokyo 5 years back, and maybe Singapore and KL a few years prior to that! He’s one of those that are soooo good at keeping contact and wishing me happy birthday every year (i’m not that kind of friend unfortch!)

Me, Jesh, J Henry and Lisa

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Dinner at Table & Apron one night with Baby before she left for Munich

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My curry laksa obsession still lives on… below are from Aman Suria, and Seapark

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William and Steph had Mian Noodles (handmade noodles with siew yoke and char siew available on weekends), and TY lovessss his Simple Life veggie meals (he goes vegetarian 4 days outta a week)

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When i eat at home, i eat very simple and clean food when possible.
I started making vegetarian stock to freeze in portions so i can cook myself noodles on nights i don’t want to eat out.
Sometimes, i tapau leftovers from outside meals and chuck in heaps of veggie + seeds in.
Other times, i simply steam pumpkin and broccoli and eat with various nuts and seeds :p

Made salmon sandwiches one weekend night

And a couple of pastas, recipes from Half Baked Harvest

Lazy weekends call for delivery from Mei by Fat Spoon so one can hide in allllll day

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And… i always take pix of dinners my mum makes, cos no meal can taste like hers. Nothing like home-cooked food!

I’m glad i have a bowl of food in front of me as i type this all out… despite it being salad…!!!

At some* point, i’d like to go vegetarian a few days / week like TY and Kenny and a number of my friends who are veering towards a healthier lifestyle.
Recently i’ve been going vegetarian Mondays-Tuesdays (except this week, cos Raya…) and maybe in the near future, i can effortlessly go vegetarian 5 days/week and then… fully?

My primary reasons to shift towards being vegetarian are:
1) the planet. Methane gas caused by the meat industry is the largest influence for climate change in the world. All the energy that is spent growing grain to feed livestock to feed humans, HAS caused the atmosphere to heat up, the oceans to absorb 98% of that additional heat, the corals disappearing drastically, and no more fish by 2050. Tragic chain of events right. Thing is, this is all fact.
2) our bodies and colonic system aren’t meant to digest meat in the amount we consume it, and causes mucus buildup and disease.
3) bodily vibrations. Eating something that undergoes suffering in turn feeds our body with its last vibration, which is why i sometimes avoid meat when i’m feeling frustrated, depressed or anxious.

Looks like a food post ended on a rather ethical note!
But this is how my thoughts run through my head at most times these days… rather serious!

xxx

I’ve already been buying Amazin’ Graze by the box load especially for Chinese New Year (as to have a healthy option for gambling snacks besides the traditional butter-heavy ones in red-lidded containers). When the brand sent me a whole bunch to take with me to the States, i was more than happy to receive them as i knew they’d be enthusiastically inhaled.

I didn’t take any pix of the products at Burning Man cos promoting brands just isn’t encouraged there (and also i can’t say i took that many pix cos handling a camera wasn’t feasible), but i can say that the nuts were much appreciated when we were sometimes wandering around the cold playa with no actual food in sight. Once i passed a packet around and it was gone in 15 minutes. So great to feed people something nutritious with Malaysian flavours intact!

This Saturday 22nd, i will be a panelist at the Discover the New Amazin’ Graze event. I’m not even sure what they want me to talk about regarding Freedom. Guess i’ll be winging it? Haha.

KinkyBlueFairy will be giving away 10x free passes!
If you’re interested, please email dayana@kinkybluefairy and CC joyce@kinkybluefairy your full name, mobile number, and if you’d like to come with a friend. Please entitle the email “I love KBF & Amazin Graze!”

Discover the New Amazin’ Graze at Dojo KL, and witness the brand new look and improved taste of your favourite granolas, nut snacks, and nut butters. Meet the co-founders and grazers, and discover a day of wellness, amazin’ bites, passion, and freedom.

Lineup:

10:00-11:00 – Discover Confidence: Tropical Yoga Session with co-founder Amy Zheng

11:30-12:30 – Discover Wellness: Make Your Own Locally-Inspired Breakfast Jar
(chia pudding and overnight oats topped with superfoods and granolas)

12:30-14:00 – Discover Bites: Granola Bar, Nut Snacks, Vegetarian Pizzas and More

14:00-15:00 – Discover Passion: Panel Discussion
(Edmund from Inside Scoop, RenYi from myBurgerLab, Claire from The Hive Bulk Foods)

15:00-16:00 – Discover Freedom: Panel Discussion
(Joyce from KinkyBlueFairy, Suzanne from The Picha Project and Claudia Low)

FB Event Page: facebook.com/events/1944332695626599/

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** Below written by Dayana Faisal @dyafaisal **

Walking into the Amazin’ Graze head quarters, I was greeted by the Amy, one of the founding members of Amazin’ Graze along with Ching & Sabrina. All three women, who were previously working in the corporate sector, had decided to pursue their passion to a better healthy living lifestyle. It all started out in their home kitchen where they started brainstorming on the idea of what products to create.

Amazin’ Graze first started out in 2015, where they were selling their homemade granolas at flea markets every weekend. Not long after that, business picked up and across the span of three years – has grown to a team of 40 people, 4 product lines, 3 seasonal ranges (Christmas, Merdeka, Chinese New Year) and over 200 retailers selling their range.

KBF and other fellow bloggers were invited to the homegrown brand’s headquarters for the revealing of the new & improved Amazin’ Graze. We were guided to their in house kitchen where Amanda (from R&D) told us that we were going to make our very own granola.

I was excited! There were four stations, the first where we were given a mixing bowl with rolled oats in it. We started off by choosing our selection of nuts, seeds and superfoods (chia seeds, buckwheat, flaxseed, goji berries, coconut flakes). Next, we chose a flavour (chocolate, coconut or green tea). Obviously I went with the chocolate The next station held sweeteners (such as gula melaka syrup and honey) and canola oil, which was a lil tricky as Amanda had to weigh it to ensure the ratio was right. Dry and wet ingredients needed to be combined to make it stick together. Once everything was mixed, we had to place it onto a tray and into the oven it went! While waiting for our granola to cook, Amy brought us out front and showed us a short presentation on what changes Amazin’ Graze had undergone.

Besides updating their packaging and logo, local flavours were incorporated into their products, they shared how their plans to penetrate other countries by 2019.

While Amy was talking, bowls of their nut mixes were placed in front of us to try! Anyone who knows me, knows I don’t like eating nuts but let me say how I was binging on their snacks nonstop. Exciting times for them! Kudos to changing my mind on eating healthier.

When people invite me out for a “healthy meal” i would normally cringe and politely decline their offer as I am known for having banana leaf or nasi kandar for i love me a hearty meal. But after meeting with the lovely people from Amazin’ Graze, I can attest that I am a changed person and not all healthy food is tasteless. :p

I went for the launch of Sushi Ryu and Bar Shake, the new sushi and Japanese cocktail joint to emerge in KL city. Located on the first floor of Platinum Park KLCC, Sushi Ryu proffers Michelin-level sushi and sashimi prepared atop a chef’s counter constructed from hinoki wood.

The establishment is ensconced in a warm ambience, due to its calculated lighting (which i appreciate – too low and i can’t see jack. Too bright, and lights annoy me.) Tones of cedar and onyx are methodically spread throughout the room to best suit its aesthetics, their befitting positions showing off slight nuances created by highlights bouncing delicately off their various textured surfaces.

Sushi Ryu’s 11-seater sushi counter, banquette seat tables, and two private dining rooms (with their own separate entrances, no less); are connected to Bar Shake via an unobtrusive door. The latter space is a darker room of a heavier feel with its smooth leather lounges and bar with backlit metal grills; modeled after the likes of famous cocktail bars in Tokyo.

Patrons can order between two omakase selections from traditional Japanese binded hand-pressed menus; that include chopped otoro with caviar, white fish sashimi drizzled with truffle soyu, and soba with uni and caviar. Accompaniments in the form of hand-picked artisanal sake feature boutique breweries like Nabeshima, Kokuryu and Kid.

Owner Chef Kiichi Okabe did the honour of slicing up the tuna that was served that afternoon. Bringing more than two decades of experience which was spent mostly in the US and Dubai, Chef Okabe’s most recent stint was at two-star Michelin spot SHOUKOWA in Singapore.

Me, Chrys, Dian and Liz. Cocktail at Bar Shake.

Right: Chelle & i

I found myself caught up in a conversation about a girl with a suspicious number of Hermes bags. The price of a bag got me mentally calculating the amount of difference it could make, and i blurted out, “Guys, i can’t help thinking how many hungry people one bag could feed.”

I think i killed off the convo right there.

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The Lunch Omakase Menu is priced at RM279++ (12pm-3.00pm).
Dinner Omakase Menu is priced at RM579++ (6.30pm – 10.00pm).
For full menu listing, please visit ryu-sushi.com

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Facebook: facebook.com/sushiryumy
Instagram: @sushiryu.kl
Website: ryu-sushi.com

Sushi RYU
Unit 3.3 Level 2
Tower 1 Platinum Park
Persiaran KLCC 50088

Tel: 03 – 21811533 / 019-3313595
Email: eat@ryu-sushi.com
Operation Hours:
Monday – Friday: 12.00pm – 3.00pm / 6.30pm – 10.00pm
Saturday: 6.30pm – 10.00pm

Bar Shake
Level 2, Tower 1 Platinum Park
Persiaran KLCC 50088
Tel: 03 – 2181 1531
Email: drink@bar-shake.com
Operation Hours :
Monday – Saturday: 4.00pm – 12.00am

Facebook: facebook.com/barshakekl
Instagram: @barshake.kl
Website: bar-shake.com

Despite having drank many-a number of Mount Gay cocktails, i recently learnt that the handcrafted rum is the world’s oldest rum producer..! Proven by a legal deed dated from 1703 confirming the existence on their sugar cane estate in Barbados, Mount Gay rum is still made using only the finest sugar cane molasses and pure water filtered through the coral heart of the island.

“Perpetuating a long-standing Barbadian tradition for more than 310 years, Mount Gay rums are handcrafted from a blend of single column and double copper pot distillates and matured in toasted oak barrels, delivering aromatic, flavorful taste, body and refined character.”

If you’re wondering why it’s called Mount Gay rum, its name honours the dude who perfected it back in the day, dear Sir John Gay.

I walked into Joloko to be greeted to select a cocktail. Managed to sample both that afternoon

Mount Gay International Brand Ambassador, Miguel Smith, was present at the luncheon to take us through the brand story.

Born in Barbados and based in London, Miguel amassed over 15 years of experience in the drinks industry in Barbados and the UK (including time at Brompton Brands’ Mahiki, which i went to in 2010!, and Brompton Club); before joining the Mount Gay team to run marketing initiatives for for Europe, Asia and Pacific regions.

“Being born and bred in Barbados, I have a personal passion for this award-winning rum. […] what makes Mount Gay so unique and special: our unparalleled history, our British heritage, our Caribbean roots, our artisanal production and of course our complex flavours.

By understanding that rum has a real history and over 300 years of refinement into the quality spirit that it is today, people can appreciate rum as a fine drink for all occasions.”

The Mount Gay portfolio in Malaysia includes Black Barrel, XO, and Eclipse.

Mount Gay Eclipse is matured between 2-7 years in American whiskey casks. Its intensity hits you at first sip, before your tastebuds adjust – allowing a smooth disposition to follow. So if you’re doing a tasting and tempted to reach for water, don’t! Let your body do its thing.

Approachable to consume at 31°C, it reminded me of holidays; purely due to the amount of rum i used to enjoy in my 20s on islands like Bali…

I sipped it along with my first course of bone marrow with herb salsa and pickled green peppercorns. Decadent and delish!

We then sampled Mount Gay Black Barrel – which has a sweetness in the middle with smoky aftertaste, proving to be the perfect bridge or intro to rum or whiskey.

I opted for a pescetarian main of chargrilled barramundi with rum-coconut sauce and vegetables.

Dessert was delectable sticky date pudding with burnt butter caramel and macadamia nuts, which we were encouraged to pour our Mount Gay XO upon.

Vasenta from FEMALE, me, and Aileen from Women’s Weekly.

May from Rémy Cointreau

Thanks for having me Mount Gay!

More rum and more fun to come!

xxx

Italy.

One of my favourite countries in the world, to the point that it lists as one of the places I would move to for its effervescent culture and lifestyle. My first time in Italy was so long ago that I couldn’t find pictures of it because while digital cameras has already existed, cloud storage did not. XD

My dad took us to Venice in the early 2000s, and I continued exploring the rest of the country and its many unique spots many years after. I love Italy so much; I have a gigantic tattoo of Italian gelato on my arm, and a sailboat representing the catamaran which I traversed Southern France and Italy in.

I always tell people that once you eat pasta in Italy, your standards will increase to heavenly heights and the only way to taste it again… is to go back! Sometimes, I dream of the pasta in Bologna because it’s that special, being handmade by little old Italian ladies in the afternoons day after day, year after year. No new chef can replicate the energy that goes into food to taste like how local veterans make it!

Besides flavours, Italy is just so RICH in culture.

These are photos shot from more than a decade ago, hence the super short hair!

Buongiorno! Grazi mille!

The remnants of Italy’s history linger proudly in the 21st century with its current music, architecture, people, and food. Italy was even the main port through which all coffee passed before being sent across the continent, first receiving beans that came from ancient Ethiopia and subsequently mixed with Indian Arabica.

Legends say that 18th-century Venice saw intellectuals and artists socialising in coffee houses whilst indulging in music and literature. Imagine what a time to be alive back then!

We can’t travel back in time, but we can evoke historical atmospheres via taste and scent, like how Nespresso’s Coffee Houses flavours hope to capture. Through complex flavours of their new limited edition coffee blends, each Nespresso Coffee Houses flavour transports us to two distinct moments in history where coffee culture has since thrived, paving the way to the coffee we enjoy today.

I was gifted the Caffè Venezia and Café İstanbul capsules to try, which you can get at their boutiques in Gardens Mall, 1 Utama, or online!

Caffè Venezia, recognizable from its golden baroque capsule design, is potent, complex and fruity with wild and floral notes. Lots of depth for someone who loves their coffee strong but not too intense!

This Inissia machine has been a godsend – it’s been so quick to prepare coffee for guests the past few months, and I don’t have to pop outside for a pick-me-up anymore!

The rich, generous foam naturally formed during the brewing process is called crema, and is a main characteristic of Nespresso coffee.

Apparently, that is my naughty face when I’m up to something, according to my photographer Mr. Valentine.

Now that we’re on the subject of history, here’s a short background on Nespresso – the brand began with the idea to empower anyone the ability to create the perfect cup of espresso like a skilled barista, without having to step out of the comfort of your home or office.

Founded in 1986, its invention has redefined and revolutionised the way millions of people enjoy their espresso coffee and shaped global coffee culture. The ubiquitous Nespresso machine can be spotted in many restaurants and hotels you step into the world over, ready to deliver high-quality coffee experiences regardless of where you are.

If you’re curious to try it for yourself, drop by the Nespresso Boutique at The Gardens Mall, or their pop-up at 1 Utama Shopping Centre soon because it’s only for a period of time. If you already have a Nespresso machine and want to try the Limited Edition capsules, you can order them online at www.nespresso.com/my/

This post was brought to you by Nespresso. ☕

#coffeehouses
#CafeIstanbul
#CaffeVenezia
#NespressoMY

Andrew whatsapped me to pop over to Curious Kitchen for an Iberico-tasting event.
I said i could, but would be late cos I was busy smashing a deadline.
He sent me close-ups of shiny sliced ham and said he'd keep sending them till i appeared.

My response: Dude... evil!!

I wish i could have gone early cos he presented a session on 5J Iberico De Bellota Gold Label Jamon and i love nerding out to new info, especially in relation to my interests. And quality food is one of them!

Despite regularly feasting on Iberico at Curious Kitchen (i'm so fortunate it's in my neighbourhood!), i had no clue there are different Iberico classifications.

(1) Iberico de Bellota = Free-ranging Iberico fed on mostly grass and acorns

(2) Iberico Cebo de Campo = Free-ranging Iberico fed on mix of cereals, grass and acorns

(3) Iberico Cebo = commercially-reared Iberico

Iberico Cebo is not pure-bred Iberico as the livestock are mix-bred, so any restaurant can state that they're serving Iberico to you as long as the pig had some strains of Iberico genetic heritage.

Iberico de Bellota is 100% Iberico as the lineage of the livestock is meticulously recorded.

Andrew told me previously that he'd visited the farm in Spain to check it out in person and ensure legitimacy.

This jamon leg was imported from Spain and retails for RM 6,000 upward.
We got to experience it freshly-sliced by a trained carver.

When i slipped a slither into my mouth, i was halfway conversing with Mark and got a little distracted, what with the mini-explosion of smooth salty flavours skimming across my tongue.

Mark: How do you like it?
Me: I feel like i'm in Europe

There's a specific nuance of flavours that is impossible to replicate unless you're having the real thing!

I chewed very slowly, its texture soft and tender, allowing the oily juices to leisurely roll and slip around my mouth - extending its full flavour and potency. I wasn't going to waste it, food like this should be embraced and enjoyed!

I got to sample the jamon with 12yo to 18yo Glenfiddich whiskies, nyum.

You can find out if they have any to sell (depending on available stock) on:
curiousgrocer.com

As for Curious Kitchen the restaurant & bar, check out their IG @mycuriouskitchen

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I spent the rest of the night meeting new people, drinking wine, and when everyone decided to call it a night, Andrew took me to SS2 to whack fresh frog porridge. Legit.

I got some DMs after posting it: Wah, eat iberico then frog??

Honestly, i've been trying to eat lessss meat recently but it has to be a very conscious decision when scheduling lunch meetings - to select a healthy, vegetarian or Japanese option. And when i do indulge, i would prefer it to be from wild or free-range animals that weren't force-fed growth hormones and whathaveyous.

The post 5J Iberico De Bellota Gold Label Jamon @ Curious Kitchen appeared first on KinkyBlueFairy.