Buka Puasa At the JW Marriott

Firstly, my apologies to my host, that British fellow, (with the Olympics, British must be flavour of the month), Mr Ellerton of YTL Group, for losing all my photographs from the preview of the Marriot Buka Puasa Event which was held about a month ago. The perils of digital storage. Secondly, thank you also for the photographs, courtesy of ...the organisers.

Before you gaze upon the official press release photographs, let me use my narrative skills to impress upon you the actual atmosphere itself. Held at the poolside, the food stalls are dotted everywhere, so do take care not to fall into the pool, when grabbing your succulent roast lamb on the spit. The aroma of perfectly charred lamb that Mary had, and the beautiful charcoal smell of the satay pit assail your nostrils, and no doubt, would be quite tough on the faster who is waiting to break fast.

The array of food, especially Malay food, is staggering, and interesting as well. Where else would you get a platterful of Tongkeng Ayam, (known as the Bishop's Nose, but I am not sure it's politically correct to refer to a bishop in the same breath as Ramadan), aka Chicken Buttocks. A lot of chickens had to be sacrificed for this dish, I can tell you. At least for Chicken Feet, each chicken yields two, but for the buttocks, only one.

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Tongkeng Ayam Goreng Bercili.



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Has anyone noticed how EXPENSIVE petai is these days? Especially in the City. I mean, don't compare with the Orang Asli selling it on the way up to Cameron Highlands lah. So, in any buffet, I tend to go for these things that are expensive. I'd load up on Petai. Sambal udang petai. Oh, even better, got udang also.

Another platter that I simply loved was the ulam platter, together with their vast variety of condiment sauces, from sambal belacan to tempoyak. Ulam raja, pegaga, kacang botol, petai, ....the usual fare, but with a good amount of accompaniment.

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Rendang Daging. Always a favourite.

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Masak Lemak Chilli Padi.

And, for the official press release:
KUALA LUMPUR Ushering in the holy month of Ramadhan, the citys happening hotel
has prepared a wide variety of traditional Malaysian delicacies for guests to experience.
Geared towards preserving heritage, the Ramadhan Buffet will feature 108 of the best
traditional dishes from various states of the country customarily served during Ramadhan.

The Poolside area on the 6th Floor and the Starhill Conference Centre on the 4th floor of
JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur will be transformed into a Ramadhan bazaar, to replicate a
kampong ambience.

Aside from the spectacular set up and displays to recall the nostalgia of breaking fast in a
kampong, another unique feature is the scrumpt ious menu. With a spread of over 130
different dishes from all the states of Malaysia, the feast will almost certainly delight every
member of the family. For those who yearn for the tradit ional kampong experience, the
Gerai Makanan Tradisi dan Selera Kampung highlights typical Malay dishes that are less
commonly served nowadays. Some of these dishes are Tongkeng Ayam (Bishop) Goreng
Bercili, Daging Salai Masak Lemak dengan Bachang and Kupang Masak Rampai.

The extensive spread of authent ic Malay cuisine includes the ever popular Malay ulam or
salad select ion such as petai, kacang botol, ulam raja, and Jantung Pisang, complemented
by local versions of dressings such as sambal belacan, cincaluk, budu and tempoyak. Local
appet izers to whet the appet ite are acar buah, acar jelateh, and keropok ikan. Some of the
local favourites featured at the happening hotels Ramadhan bazaar stalls are nasi dagang,
satay, ikan bakar, ayam tandoori, rot i canai, chicken rice, ais kacang, a fresh fruit stat ion and
more.

Priced at ! RM60.00+ + per person at the Conference Centre and RM70.00++ per person at the poolside area, from 7.00pm to 10.30pm, guests are invited to experience yet another
beaut iful Malaysian custom which is the berbuka puasa tradit ion with family and friends.

From great food to excellent dcor, the culinary team intends to bring to mind the
Malaysian heritage by encouraging the silatul rahim, the building of sincere human t ies
amongst family and friends at berbuka puasa.

This Ramadhan, be prepared for a gastronomic experience while we serve your heritage in
the most traditional manner!

For reservations, call 03-2719 8666 or e-mail to bukapuasa@ytlhotels.com.my.

Ramadan Buffet 2012 @ The Mill Cafe, Grand Millennium KL

What is your favorite food/dish at a Ramadan buffet?

For me, it is definitely the roasted lamb! If the lamb is good, then you will see me eating plate after plate of lamb. Which was what I did at the Ramadan Buffet at The Mill in Grand Millennium hotel last week.



Themed "Gemersik Selera", The Mill Cafe ushers in Ramadan with asumptuousspread of authentic Malay delicacies, barbecue and seafood delights, and their famous roast lamb. You can find regional specialties such as ayam panggang Seksyen 8, nasi ulam, nasi kerabu, kupang sambal Perlis, udang masak kerutup Linggi and many more. There is also an International spread of Indian Tandoori, Japanese maki and sushi, pizza, pasta and desserts. The buffet is priced at RM98++ per person, available daily from 6pm-11pm.

The buffet spread at The Mill Cafe

The Mill Cafe dining area


My favorite section has to! be the roasted lamb, one of their signature dishes. Since I was early, the chef kindly carved out a piece of lamb loin for me... it was so tender and delicious! I went back for more - I lost count how many times I loaded my plate full of lamb, accompanied by the mint sauce. And make sure you get some of the crispy skin too, it's oh-so-good.



Kerabu Perut / Jantung Pisang / Manga Muda


I love the lemang here too, they were soft and went well with the serunding and Indian lamb kormas. Oh and the cheese naan is so good too!


Yummy lemang


Nasi kerabu


Ikan bakar


Satay


Tandoori chicken and grilled crabs

Fresh seafood


The dishes are rotated daily, but if you see the glazed oxtail, do try it. Even Hubby who usually doesn't like oxtail loved this so much, he went back for seconds. It was gelatinous and flavourful, with tender meat.

Glazed oxtail

Cheese naan


Ahh, and desserts... I love the kuih seri muka, kuih talam, kuih lapis.. just to name a few. And there are also lots of Western desserts to choose from including panna cotta in shooters, profiteroles, cakes and chocolate fountain.


Lots of desserts to choose from



Chocolate fountain

Colorful kuihs

Traditional performance


Thanks to Anushya from Grand Millennium KL for the kind invite.

Pork-free.

Price: RM98++ per person.

Location: The Mill Cafe, First Floor, Grand Millennium Hotel, 160 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2117 4163/4164

GPS Coordinates: 3.147694, 101.712338

In NY, Humms high-end bet bucks casual dining trend

Humms Eleven Madison Park in New York has three Michelin stars. Reuters pic
NEW YORK, Aug 1 Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm is having a dream year.

His New York City restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, has three Michelin stars and in April was named one of the 10 best restaurants in the world on the S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna list produced by Britains Restaurant Magazine.

A month later, the James Beard Foundation awarded him the title of outstanding US chef.

But when he took over as head chef of the fine-dining, European-inspired restaurant in 2006 the then 29-year-old chef was going against the trend at a time when food trucks, gastro pubs and tapas bars were gaining popularity.

Humm, who was born in Strengelbach, Switzerland, spoke to Reuters about his success and passion for cooking.

Q: With the awards and success, do they validate your choice of becoming a chef rather than an architect like your father?

A: Of course, its nice to be recognized, especially with the James Beard award because its voted by your peers. But what really validates that my choice is that after 22 years of cooking, (is that) Im anxious to come to work because I really love cooking. Thats the biggest validation for me.

Q: In your first cookbook published last year, you wrote about forging an identity for Eleven Madison Park. What do you mean?

A: We want to be much more unique. We really want to have a real point of view. We list the 15 to 16 ingredients in our menu because I have never seen it done before. And I truly believe its the best way of dining between having some choice while still at the same time to have surprises.

Q: Does Eleven Madison Park have a signature dish a first-time diner must order?

A: We have a signature dish which is the whole roasted duck in lavender honey. The dish is not on th! e menu b ut we always have it. But really a restaurant like ours is not one that has signature dishes. We actually try to stay away from it even if people fall in love with the dish. Eleven Madison has to keep evolving. Its the nature of the restaurant really since its inception. Before our time, it has evolved and always changed. Its almost like in fashion, you know in fashion every season there is a little change.

Q: What is the state of fine-dining in the United States? Eleven Madison features most aspects of traditional fine-dining, bucking the casual trend fuelled partly by the successful restaurants of your contemporaries such as David Chang and Caesar Ramirez.

A: I admire them both a lot. Eating at their restaurants you could feel their personalities. Thats why I love those restaurants. We went completely against the grain. We went into it during the time of a recession. We put a lot of money into this big restaurant and we went full-on fine dining at a time when people wanted to do things more casual and have a fine-dining restaurant to be much, much smaller.

I do believe in fine dining. We are busy and people love what we do, so those are signs that there is a place for it.

Q: You come across as a laid-back, happy person. Are you the same way in the kitchen?

A: I am very content for sure. I like to have a quiet kitchen. I dont like a lot of noise. I dont believe in motivation by fear and screaming and yelling. Thats not me. I like to have a good time. I like to tell a joke. If you have the right people, you dont need to yell at them.

Radicchio Salad with Mozzarella, Mango, and Basil (serves 8)

Basil oil

4 cups basil leaves

1 1/2 cups grapeseed oil

Combine the basil and oil in a blender and blend thoroughly on high speed. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking vigorously, until the oil reaches 220F. Chill the oil over ice and then ! strain t hrough a coffee filter.

Lemon vinaigrette

1 1/2 cups lemon oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon oil and lemon juice. Season with the salt.

2 heads radicchio tardivo

2 mangoes, peeled and sliced into thin wedges (32 wedges total)

3 tablespoons Lemon Vinaigrette

8 buffalo mozzarella, 2 ounces each

1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons fleur de sel

64 small basil leaves

3 teaspoons Basil Oil

Cut off the bottom of the radicchio and reserve the tips. They should be about 3 to 4 inches long, and you should have 112 pieces total. Place the radicchio in a mixing bowl with the mango wedges and dress with the lemon vinaigrette.

Place a buffalo mozzarella in the centre of a plate and season it with a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of fleur de sel. Arrange 4 mango wedges and 14 leaves radicchio on the plate and garnish with 8 sprigs basil. Spoon 1 teaspoon basil oil on the salad.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients, to serve 8. Reuters


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zucchini rice gratin

zucchini, tomato and rice gratin

As promised, I am here to aid you with you midsummer afternoons zucchini nightmare, er, bounty. But please, just because I try to help people who werent wary enough of friends bearing baskets of zucchini doesnt mean that I should be mistaken for someone who never lets zucchini expire on her watch. I went away for the weekend and left my last haul to meet a terrible end in my kitchen. Let this gratin be my zucchini repentance.

sliced zucchini
lightly roasted tomatoes and zucchini

I started making this zucchini rice gratin a few years ago. At the time, well, rice wasnt my thing. I wouldnt say I didnt like it, just that it never, ever occurred to me to make it, which likely related to the fact that I burned it 100% of the time I made it, which led to pot-soaking and -scrubbing and a plague about our apartment known as a Grumpy Dishwasher. It hardly seemed worth it for a bit of rice. Ive since figured out that nearly every package of rice lists the wrong amount of water (I always need more) and that on the gas stoves Ive had, even the thinnest wisp of a flame, the lowest I can make it before the burner goes out entirely, will cook my rice in about 2/3 of the suggested time. I share these tips just in case any of you out there also need to go to Rice Remedial ! School, though you guys seem smart. I bet youve got this figured out already, and long before you wrote a cookbook that uses it no less than three times.

mixing rice, onions, herbs, parmesan

... Read the rest of zucchini rice gratin on smittenkitchen.com

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Ozeki Italian @ Cosway

Ozeki Italian: Round Two. Earlier entry: July 11, 2012.

Returning to Ozeki Japanese's Italian offshoot at Wisma Cosway for more fusion fun; there's never been a Caesar salad like this in KL, laced with wasabi, blended with brilliantly creamy, basil-infused scrambled eggs and topped with marinated raw salmon.

Is it Italian polpette or Japanese hamburg? A bit of both, probably: protein-packed minced duck with half-boiled egg, sauteed spinach, raisins and pine nuts.

Spaghetti with (deep breath!) house-made corn marigold paste, garlic, olive oil, grilled black cod, Japanese chili pepper and soy sauce. Can't ask for fish that's more plump and juicy, but the pasta tastes blander than a pesto preparation.

That's a wrap! Succulent slices of lardo _ cured pig fat _ blanketing tender, charcoal-cooked salmon with Japanese pickles and vinegar-marinated capsicum.

Shiny happy piglets: oven-baked crispy suckling pig, intriguingly marinated with Japanese fermented rice and salt, served with a dipping sauce of Japanese mustard and pumpkin puree. Tasty, but a little too steeply priced at RM98++, since we had nothing but the head.


Ozeki Italian Cuisine,
Ground Floor, Wisma Cosway, Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2148-9390
Open daily for lunch and dinner, last orders by 10:30pm