Celestial Court Revisited

The name Celestial Court conjures up images of the Chinese Mt Olympus, where slitty eyed Zeuses as well as the oriental equivalent of Athena, Hermes, etc lay in the council, mulling over the unsteadiness of mankind. However, such nobility aside, its essentially the Chinese grill during Sheraton Imperial, as well as we have to say, notwithstanding it being the halal joint as well as all, we have always found the food here utterly palatable. With the Starwood Card, we infrequently do come here for dinner, which is unequivocally good value.

Recently, we were invited to the Wine Pairing cooking during Celestial Court. we do not know because the little people conflict with such disbelief during the suspicion of chinese food with booze pairing. Why not? In fact, if anything, we suspicion it only healthy which chinese food be paired with splash of the little sort. Okay, Chinese flers are well known for putting ice in to beer, as well as red wine, etc... though of course, this was no such event. Dinner settled off with the little poetic hors d'ovres, plump har mai with prawns upon steroids, deep boiled seafood balls with fiery cheese in the centre, piping hot, as well as the drudge of the waiter, who kept repeating what they were everytime he came around portion us. Incidentally, by us, we meant Aly of Red FM as well as AlilFatMonkey. The Nomad Gourmand was tasked with removing an additional 2 food bloggers.

The pre-dinner Taylor's Savignon Blanc 2009, the crisp, light booze perfect for chinese food, as well as essentially remained my prime by the night.


















Duck & Bamboo Shoots Salad, Crispy Roasted Duck, as well as Steamed Fish Cake With Spicy Coconut Cream, which is basically otak otak. we adore the crispy roasted duck. They additionally do the really nice Peking Duck here actually.





I privately favoured the Savignon Blanc, rsther than than the Chardonnay, as well as we would have been happy to span the Sav Blanc with all my successive dishes. Someone upon the table opined which more Malaysians should learn to splash red wines, due to its complexity bla bla bla. Well, I've been by my red booze proviso in life, as well as have concluded which for the calm Malaysian weather, zero similar to the icy cold savignon blanc.


Pan Fried Scallop & Crab Dumpling. The scallops were juicy, uninformed as well as plump, as well as cooked only right. The crab blimp was alright. Not unequivocally the air blower of boiled dumplings.





Cod Fish With Miso. The fish was texturally flawless, as well as the flavour of the fish itself was good, none of which coddy smell which we infrequently get. But the sauce didn't do most for me. we cite the drier ways of portion cod, similar to sugar glazed.





Braised Oxtail Consomme La Mian with Taylor's Pinot Noir. My prime dish of the night. A clear, rational broth, poetic la mian, as well as the fat wantan full of tasty oxtail. It redefines wantan mee! Such decadence.


Refreshing Passionfruit Sorbet to cleanse the palate. Now, we wouldn't have minded an additional dip of this. Lovely smooth jelly which has no hints of ice crystals.


One of the bloggers showing us how to get brain freeze.





Stewed Lamb Neck With Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf. A good approach to finish the meal. If any one was wonderin! g if the y'd be full after the initial 3 courses, this definitely capped it. Tender pieces of lamb, with flavorful gluey rice, most similar to the finish of the wedding dinner.


Dessert was rsther than unique. Essentially kueh koci, with teh tarik ice cream. The teh tarik ice cream lacked the intensity of the strong teh tarik, though had the nice texture.

This complete set costs RM188++, with booze pairing, which compared with its "western food" counterparts, is the STEAL!!!





Cindy of Sheraton really kindly issues us the nominal carpark.


Chef Ho Boon as well as his group for Celestial Court.

Dim total here during Celestial Court is flattering good too, considering it lacks the requisite oink.

Thanks Cindy as well as Evelyn for the invite.

LUNCH : Celestial Court serves dim sum, the la carte as well as set menus for lunch every day from twelve noon til 2.30pm upon Mondays Saturdays, 10am 2.30pm upon Sundays as well as Public Holidays.

DINNER: Celestial Court opens from 6.30pm til 10.30pm, 7 days the week.

CONTACT

Celestial Court
Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel
Jalan Sultan Ismail
T: 03 27179900 ext 6988




Book Review & Writing Tips

Pastas in KL. New Rice, Old Rice, Jurrasic Rice?

from Paranoid Android by Paranoid Android

(no pork served in all the joints)

Back in the land of Carbohydria, a species of Carb that had been lost since prehistoric times was rediscovered after years of storage at the labs. Risus Sardonicus was it's scientific name, but it was simply known as Jurassic Rice or Old Rice. He has caused quite a stir in it's youth but had thought to have outlived it's usefulness until the current ruler of Carbohydria thought he would use Old Rice as the Minister of Dissemination.

(For lazy readers. In case the irony of the name Risus Sardonicus is lost on those of you who are too lazy to type a few letters on Google, I will endeavor to explain it now. Risus Sardonicus or Sardonic Laughter is a condition characterized by the abnormal spasm of facial muscle which is sustained and results in a malevolent grin that renders the face scornful. It is characteristically found in patients who suffer from Tetanus which is pretty rare now, since almost every body has been immunized against tetanus, except for lofty Jurassic Politicians who may exhibit the scornful sneer when addressing lowly reporters. Ironically, Sardonic smile was first described by Homer when describing Odysseus' smile, because in Ancient Sardinia, it was believed that poisonous hemlock was given to the old and infirm, inducing a death facies that resembles a grin! Now, who says all that Greek Literature and History lessons are of no use? You can always act like a pompous snob. LOL)

Ravishing Ravioli with Hokkaido Scallop, Prawns and Lobster Bisque. From Sage.

The Kingdom of Carbohydria consists of many type of Carbs. Good Carbs, Bad Carbs and a myriad of species of other Carbs. Pasta and it's myriad of varieties made from durum, all type of wheat and semolina. The citizens or Carbohydria were living in relative harmony and peace and recently developed a sudden craze for learning the language of birds. Tweeting, if you may, to birds that flew across the country along their migratory paths. The birds, being chatter boxes, will carry the tweet along. Having bird brains and thus a small prefrontal lobe and an even smaller hippocampus, the birds were only able to to carry short messages, with 140 letters or less. None the less, the whole world was captivated by ths new bird language. The Kway Teows exchanged news with the Pad Thais up north, and the croissants in France were telling the Roti Chanai about Charlotte Gainsbrough's latest album. The world was happily tweeting away, 24/7.

Until one day, that is. Old Rice was rather cheesed by the attention given to this new language and ignoring his media babes of dissemination and pronounced that the Carbs of Carbohydria were spending too much time, aping the bad carbs from the west by learning this new bird speak and gawking at faecesbook. And users must upkeep the values of the respective religions of Carbohydria. And he accepted all that obsession with bird talk in a state of Cultural Shock. A rather sensible advice, if you ask the Android.

But the Carbs did not take it lightly. The whole country of Carbohydria was ablaze with the public lynching of poor Old Rice. They tweeted away with frenzy, starting the tweets with Ye Olde Rice... And the whole world was ablaze. Waffles and Pancakes from US of A was asking the Apams in Carbohydria who Old Rice was. It was both surreal and embarrassing.

Salacious Spaghetti with Pesto and Prawns. From Reggae Bar.

And being the inquisitive Android, true to my name, I sought out the carbs to find out why all the carbs were so sizzled by Old Rice. I started with Madam Ravioli. Instead of the traditional stuffed ravioli, we have two pieces of thin pasta shrouding an amazingly tasty ensemble of succulent prawns and perfectly seared Hokkaido Scallops bathed in an amazing Lobster Bisque. A truly beautiful creation and the epitome of fusion cooking.

-Gobbledygook Pushkins Poo... She said. Anybody but from him! Wasn't he the one who congratulated the shoe thrower for sniping the one bird in hand is worth two in the Bush with a shoe? Disgraceful. He has no right to take the uppity up up stand and talkity talk nonsen-such. Is shoe throwing at a proteinacious herbivore part of the uppity up up religious value? One thing I could never stand was to see a filthy, dirty old droogie, howling away at the filthy songs of his fathers and going blurp blurp in between as it might be a filthy old orchestra in his stinking, rotten guts. I could never stand to see anyone like that, whatever his age might be. Gobbledygook!

She sashayed sexily away, with the prawns playing peek a boo from her ravioli train.

(plagiarized in part from Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange)

The next Carb I interviewed was the Salacious Spaghetti with Pesto and Prawns. Brawny, sexy and filled with taste, it was covered with a perfect home made pesto Sauce. All the ingredients were balanced with Basil, Garlic and Olive Oil harmoniously blended into a heavenly concoction that breathed life into the otherwise mundane spaghetti that you can get anywhere.

-Yes, yes, the advice on twitter was rather benign, Mr. Salacious said. But I just don't like that Old Rice. He inseminates before disseminating, and if there is one thing I hate, it is processed disseminated disseminates! Besides, we are facing numerous problems. The Atkins have inverted the food pyramid. From the secure bottom we have been edged out to squeeze at the puny tip on top! Isn't there enough problems already without them yobbing about tweets and faecesbook? Shhesh!

Mr. Salacious left in a huff, and left with a trail of Pesto following him....

Capricious Capellini with Trio of Seafood and Togarashi. From Sage.

The parade continued with Miss Capricious Capellini, an elegant Pasta. Fine and dainty, it was laden with the fruits of the sea. Scallop, Prawns and fish and Topped with Togarashi or Japanese 7 Flavours Chilli Pepper. Each morsel bursting with flavour and tinged with slight fiery spiciness that was seductively intoxicating.

-Smegmus Facies! Thay's how I would describe that wailing jurassic entity! Before he said anything about the bird language and faecesbook, I already made up my mind that he was and arrogant airhead. I saw him in yuuble tubies, his Risus Sardonicus flashed at the reporter from the Daily Planet. His sneer! Changing Modes indeed. I will a la mode his smegmus facies with freshly made chocolate truffles from my throne room! Bah! Taking the Moral Highground. Risus Sardonicus facies fecundis... Sign of an ailment indeed!

And she pranced away, spirited and carefree, yarbling the new bird language on her mobile...

Fastidious Fusilli with Pesto From Vineria.

Dr. Fastidious Fusilli rolled in with lots of pesto and tomato mix. Herbal and fresh at the same time, it was plain, but excellent.

-A glaring display of a disease of those in power today. Flip flopping inconsistency. Censor one day, no censor the next, and get upset when reporters ask them about the flip flops. We are not Mohingyas! (a noodle soup from Myanmar). Those in power have been employing a lot of unnecessary carbs exhibiting signs of a variant of the Hands, Foot and Mouth disease. It's the Hands and Foot in the mouth disease. Easy cure for this cocksuckie viral affliction, easy cure. Just drop the arrogance and think before you speak. Nobody can be right all the time. Think before you speak. La Maladie du jour. A contagious malady......

And the Fastidious Fusilli rolled out gravely, shaking it's head.

There you have it. The Carbs were Cheesed off because of not of what was being said. It was because of who said it and how it was said. Simple.

*This is a work of fiction and any similarity with with other person, alive or dead is purely coincidental* :p

Now, time for the advertorial.



A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. A very philosophical book about Morality, Goodness and Free Will. It questions the abuse of liberty and the dangers of a totalitarian government. Very good read. There is also a very, very watchable film version by Stanley Kubrick which is the first film to be produced in Dolby. Shout out to me if you wanna borrow it. And the poster above is the stage version from Norway in 2007.

Peace out.

Sage,
6th Floor, The Gardens,
Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 603 2268 1188

Vineria
G-133, Bangsar Shopping Centre, KL.

Reggae Bar 2
Changkat Bukit Bintang

Delicious Hot Chocolate

Clearly we need something milky as well as chocolatey as well as comfortable as well as tasty to go with those marshmallows that we insisted we make.

Hot chocolate. Made with all those random/open/half empty/spilling all over a cupboards bags of chocolate chips we have in my kitchen.

It only makes sense, dont we think?

Not space station science.

Totally only hot chocolate.

Delicious Hot Chocolate

makes a single large or dual tiny portions

Print this Recipe!

1 1/2 cups divert (any fat content we fancy)

3 heaping tablespoon bittersweet chocolate chips

2 heaping tablespoons white chocolate chips

In a tiny saucepan, gently heat divert over low heat. Whisk often so a divert doesnt burn.

While a divert is heating, bring a middle saucepan with dual inches of water to a boil. Place a heat-proof play with chocolate pieces over a simmering water. Make sure a bottom of a play does not hold a simmering water. Youre formulating a double boiler. Cool, right? Stir a chocolate pieces until melted.

Add a melted chocolate to a hot milk. Whisk together until completely blended as well as super tasty looking. Pour in to mugs as well as tip with marshmallows or slightly honeyed whipped cream.

See Some Cool, Strange & Funny Stuffs

Restoran Sim Hap Ke, Taman Connaught, Cheras

One of a prime Chinese restaurants in a Cheras area is Restoran Sim Hap Ke. When you initial moved to KL, you mostly looked upon a internet for grill recommendations as good as this incited out to be a single of a improved finds.

The grill itself isn't really big, as good as a place fills up really quickly. There is no menu here; you possibly order formed upon a captain's recommendation or take your collect from a numerous cinema of meals intoxicated over a restaurant's wall. It's not an easy task as a lot of a meals look really appetizing! The following meals were tried over several visits to a restaurant.

If you was to choose my favorite plate from this restaurant, this has to be it. The Deep Fried Squid with Salted Egg is superb. The pickled egg beat was light, perfumed as good as frail without being oily. Utterly delicious! In fact, I'm longing for a little as you write this post.

I'm not a huge fan of pig's intestines so you usually had a few bites of a Stir Fry Pig Intestine's with Dried Shrimp as good as Cili Padi. It had a great chewy texture, as good as a dried shrimp flavoured it intensely well. The Unc desired it.

The House Special Tofu with Loufah Gourd (seng kwa tofu) is a must-order for us everytime you dine here. The tofu is silky smooth, as good as a gravy is glorious to go with rice.

As for greens, a Stir Fried Kai Lan was tasty as good as had a great crunchy texture.

On a initial revisit here, you enjoyed all a meals you systematic as good as accomplished them in no time. We found ourselves longing for more, so you systematic a DongPo Pork. The DongPo Pork here is flattering decent, nonetheless it is usually ranked second after my favorite during Loon Sing, Nilai.



The pig was proposal as good as good flavoured. It had which great melt-in-your-mouth covering of fat. However, upon another ocassion which you systematic this, you did find a gravy to be somewhat overseasoned as good as as a result saltier than usual.

The Salt Baked LaLa (clams) is a single of a specialty meals here. On a initial visit, you were unhappy when a captain informed us which there was no lala accessible which day. you guess they would usually offer this when they get uninformed lalas. Since it was a single of a many talked about meals upon a blogosphere for Sim Hap Ke, you was awaiting to be blown divided by a taste of this dish. The lalas were uninformed as good as luscious as good as a essence went good with rice. It was great though not spectacular.

The Three Flavour Ribs was a rsther than singular tasting dish; sweet, sour as good as savoury owing to a cili padi! , curry leaf, butter as good as lemon used. The ribs were utterly meaty as good as tender. This is a plate which has to be eaten really quickly as a sauce becomes starchy after being left for a while.

My mum's favorite vegetable plate here is a Sei Tai Tin Wong (Four Heavenly Kings) which consists of french beans, four angled bean, petai as good as ladyfingers. The vegetables have been stir fried with XO sauce as good as sharp shrimp paste. Very perfumed as good as crunchy!

The Braised Pork Belly with Yam Slices was flattering good. The pig swell with a rootless fat was a delight to eat.

Verdict: What you similar to many about this place is which a food is always good flavoured as good as easily portioned. There have been still many meals here which you have yet to try, such as a 1 tub chicken though you would have to turn up some-more diners to join us as a portion is huge!



Opening times: 10.30am to 3.00pm; 5.30pm to 10.00pm. Closed upon Thursday.

Service: Good.

Price: No itemized billing. Expect to pay RM20 per person.

Location: Restoran Sim Hap Ke, 26, Jalan Waras 1, Taman Connaught, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 012-398 5688 / 012-319 3381

GPS Coordinates: 3.082837, 101.737368
See Some Cool, Strange & Funny Stuffs

Wine Sediments - News & New Products

Three engaging snippets of headlines extracted from this weeks torrent of press releases:

Georgian Wine Society Launches Adopt A Vine: The Society has partnered with Telavi Wine Cellar to reserve an grant of vines in the Kondoli Vineyards in Kakeheti. Not names that many would be familiar with we would think. Adopt A Vine business can select either the white Mtsvane or the red Saperavi grapes for the 2011 vintage. One vine is 29.99 or three for 54.99. From any of the adopted vines you reveive the singular bottle of wine.

Chris Bowling, founder of The Georgian Wine Society says: "We wanted to
offer the business the some-more original way of getting concerned with Georgian wine. 'Adopt the Vine' is the singular present, most some-more engaging than the bottle from the supermarket. You learn exactly how the booze you splash is created, from grape to glass. The vines have been singular in number, so hit us shortly ifyou instruct to reserve yours."

See www.georgianwinesociety.co.uk

Virgin Wines Christmas
Now into its twelve days of Christmas promotion Virgin wines is gripping the expect details secret though business can demeanour brazen to the different offer, sent via email, any day. Free gifts, one-off special deals as well as vast assets have been promised. Head over to Virgin Wines facebook page for the possibility to win giveaway booze any day too.

See Virgin Wines Christmas

Ask Men Top Wine Blogs
A brand new site to me is AskMenUK though it is packaged with fashion, health, lifestyle as well as party headlines as well as articles. Plenty to keep you amused as well as desirous for ages. The excellent fellows at the back of the site have just released their tip 10 Wine Blogs For Men list.
Spittoon is there as well as so have been the Bibendum Ti! mes (for that we occassionally write), Robert McIntosh as well as his Wine Conversation, the wonderful Sourgrapes from Ireland, tradesman Bordeaux Undiscovered as well as the rarely useful MatchingFoodandWine.

Check out the full list at AskmenUK Top 10 Wine Blogs

The Single Malt Whisky Flavour Experience Gift Pack
An affordable way to introduce the loved the singular to the universe of whisky; the splash zone that the singular trim looking fellow referred to not long ago should unequivocally be featured some-more in Spittoon. This miniature bottle pack offers four contrasting whiskys - Talisker, Delwhinnie, Glenkinchie as well as The Singleton of Dufftown, together with 'The Flavour Map', the beam on tasting singular malt whiskies. The recommended cost for this is 12. Produced by Diageo, no tradesman specifics were provided.

Living & Leisure Buzz

Augustdiners Travels: Krabi, Thailand (Part 2)

....continues from part 1


Krabi Island is important for the island hopping activities, there is the couple of usual routes, hong island, down payment island, phiphi island, as well as 4 island.
Since you were set to go snorkeling, you were endorsed to select the 4 island package which include of phra nang cave, Tup island, chicken island, as well as Poda island

There have been many transport agencies which offers the day debate for any of these island, the prices variesby the little.You can either select to share with the open which can be utterly unflexible as you need to share the vessel with others.

Instead, you opted for the in isolation speed vessel which you rented for the day for 7000BAHT (RM700). It can fit up to 12 pax though you only had 6 onboard. The great thing is, you can select which island to stop at, as well as for how long. We suspicion it was the great deal. They move us to all the in isolation snorkeling spots as well as you had the total island to ourselves so you can do stupid things as well as not feel embarrased about it.

NOTE of advice:Our road house would have chargedus 1000BAHT additional though instead you dealt with the chairman who arranges the trip directly. Same goes with the cab fares, understanding with the transport agencies without delay as compared to removing the road house to call in for you. Ours would have charged us 200 BAHT extra.

1/ Let the tour begin. We actually woke up early as well as made it to the seaside by 10am. Pretty considerable deliberation we're upon legal holiday as well as AM not suppose to arise up anytime before 11am!It wasnt the perfect weather, in fact the sky looked similar to it was melancholy to sleet anytime. But nevertheless it was perfect for us- we're the type who's sensitive to object (except Crazieapple who prefers the tan)

2/ the a single during the back of the wheeljust kidding, i'd rsther than die than to let her take charge. =PWe were given event to expostulate the speedboat, though i'm utterly put off when the man starts removing touchy











3/ as well as the snorkeling began
Arent they adorable?

4/ There were the lot of fish, however not the lot of varieties, as well as the corals looked bleached. Hmm.. But hey, you speckled NEMO as well as DORIE so you were happy
5/ This island is called Chicken island as well as you wonder why..
6/ We stopped off the in isolation island, for the discerning sunbathing session. solely there's no sun. But there's ASAHI to save the day. *yep, you actually brought along the trip the little alkie given there was an icebox available as well as alcohol is freakin cheapbut please don't tell mom* hehe
8/ The girls playing with the cold water
9/ Camwhore much?
10/ Then things got the littl-eeee silly
11/ Lonely asahi in the waste beach

12/ The water was most clearer here, i didnt stick upon them girls though instead solve withfloating nearby the seaside for the bit though i was told which there w! ere some -more varieties of fishes here, only in less quantity
13/ We afterwards made the lunch stop during PODA island, as well as it was the first stopped you actually saw some-more than the single vessel by the beachside. Many travellers were already half naked baking without sun. *something i dont understand, why can gwai lou sunbathe anywhere, anytime- even when there wasn't any object around?*Lunch, was rsther than pathetic. There were not many choices around, only the single grubby worn down place which says "restaurant"We were skeptical of course, though you were hungry too. Turns out utterly unmemorable as expected

We pressed ourselves stupid even with the poor food. So you decide to rest up before the subsequent snorkeling stop. And whatelse can you do if not sunbathe?CAMWHORE of march =)









14/ oops, held in action- it was Heineken this time. hehe















15/ If anyone asked what ROFL means, only impute to me. I consider i could give the flattering great reference.I was nearby excitable by then
16/ Of march there's the signature wondergirl pose.Anyone going to their unison this Saturday? since you are! haha God knows why.. i dont even similar to them much.
17/ Gerai Makanan Krabi. =P They sell all from drinks, snacks to burgers as well as hotdogs
18/ US =D

19/ Fresh Fruits upon board
20/ After digesting the food as well as laughter during Poda Beach, you requested to go for another snorkeling place, this time you were brought to the little different island, where the fishes wer! e not so friendly. They contingency be the hungry bunch, since they biteand it hurts!

That's all for now, its removing late. Stay tuned for the final part of the Krabi trip. =D

Living & Leisure Buzz