Delectable Dumplings & Dim Sum at Ritz Carlton

The Chinese people, as an ethnic group, are so pragmatic, it almost steers everything towards material gain. Any opportunity to make money is seized quicker than you can say chink. I recall in my youth, a long time ago, Yee Sang was only served on the 7th day of Chinese New Year, till Chap Goh Mei. Mooncakes were also available 2 weeks before the mid Autumn festival. And rice dumplings, chung, or chang, whatever dialect you may choose to say it in, ...well, it's now like durians, available all year round, so much so, it didnt occur to me that there was an URGENCY to post this post, as the Dragon Boat Festival had come and gone without me knowing.

In a nutshell, legend has it that it's about this chappie called Qu Yuan, a good and erudite politician in the Emperor's court. The bad guys poisoned the emperor's mind, so Qu Yuan got exiled, and as he watched the decline of the empire, threw himself into the Miluo River in despair. Unfortunately I can't think of any modern day parallels within our policitians, so I shall not attempt to compare Qu Yuan with any of them. Oh, so in order to prevent the fish from mutilating his body (in the river) the peeps threw dumplings to feed the fish so that they'll (the fish) would eat the dumplings and not the man. And that is how we now have our glutinous rice dumplings.

But since I see them all year round, everywhere, I forgot that the actual date, 5th day of the 5th month in the lunar calendar, was actually 6th of June in the gregorian calendar this year.

Oliver Ellerton invited us to watch a demo on how these dumplings, and a couple of easier dim sum items, were made by Chef Tan of Li Yen. Aly and I sat waiting, in the fine company of Mr Ellerton, for 25 minutes before celebrity blogger The Nomad Gourmand showed up, and we were set to go.



I find myself highly unlikely to try making these darlings at home, purely because there is SO much work involved, and it takes an inordinate amount of fuel to cook these things...6 hours of boiling. Here at Li Yen, all the ingredients are laid out...hygenically prepared.


These are two ready made ones, for if we were to stay and eat those we make or the ones demo-ed by the chef, we would be there till nightfall.


High quality glutinous rice, pre marinated and seasoned with ....a lot of sauces. Soy, sesame, etc.


Split yellow bean. A crucial ingredient that gives the dumpling a wholesome beanie texture.


Roast Duck, & Roast Pork as well...unfortunately I do not have a picture of the roast pork.


Pigeon brains, otherwise known as chestnuts.



We need to make the dumpling healthy so a few slabs of lard will do the trick.


Chef Tan and Translator, for the benefit of Aly and Wackybecky who speaketh no Cantonese.


Lotus leaves. Not something you see everyday in your supermarket, but apparently quite common.


Hemp...legend has it that Eve, the first woman, used these to make fancy dresses, while Adam used the lotus leaf.


This reminds me of exams. Trying to cram everything into that little space.


In a few fell swoops, and folds that would make Kung Fu Panda proud, the dumplings are wrapped and tied...tah dah....


Wrapped....then tied....


These babies retail at RM32 each at the Ritz Carlton, which isnt bad, considering the amount of ingredients that go in, and that astronomical gas bill to cook it.


It was then the audience's turn to try their hand. The Brit went first....I shall not document the proceedings....suffice to say, the Chef had made it look FAR EASIER than it actually is.


We got to try the ready cooked dumpling....delicious!!! Such a kaleidescope of flavours, and textures. The melt in the mouth lard, the chewy duck, the aromatic and crunchy dried shrimp, simply fabulous. If you ate the lotus leaf it would be a complete meal....carbo, protein and vegetable.





Next we were introduced to tea infused dim sup canapes.


This is sooooo something that I must replicate. So easy, and so delicious. Prawns, basically pulped into a paste, slathered onto a triangular piece of white bread, coated with sesame seeds and deep fried. Excellent!





I loved this too, this unique fruit spring roll. Smithereens of chinese tea leaves were put in as well.


And there you have it! Longji Sesame Sandwich with Shrimp Dumpling and Crispy Shui Xian Springroll with Fresh Fruit.



What a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Thanks so much Oliver for the invite. I can't wait to eat at Li Yen again soon.

Surisit Thai Kopitiam @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

Nowadays, the pig seems to have found a new home in Taman Tun Dr Ismail...in the numerous pubs sprouting around the Lorong Rahim Kajai area and now, the latest is this no-frills Thai kopitiam.
In Thai cuisine, pork is often used in many dishes. As most of the Thai places opening up in Malaysia are mindful of the religion restrictions, they tend to omit the por! cine ele ment. Moreover most of the Thais come from the Southern region that is still very much influenced by our Northern states.
Opened about two weeks ago, this kopitiam is run by Sita, one of the founders of Bangsar's Montien and her two nephews. The name Surisit is an amalgamation of their names. It does service the whole day hence you get breakfast, lunch and dinner with different menus. Breakfast is pork noodles, porridge while there are different lunch and dinner menus. As they are still very new, the menu is still going through changes as the owners are still experimenting with what dishes appeal to the diners.
We sampled the dinner menu and of course, it was zoom into the pork dishes since these are so rare. There were three choices of tom yam soups (seafood, chicken and pork), of course we chose the Tom Yam Ka Moo (clear tom yam soup with braised pork hocks, RM25.90) - light, well balanced with the salty, sweet and sour taste, and of course the fork tender pork.
The big winner of our meal was the Mun Thod Gapi (crispy fried pork with shrimp paste with deep fried lime leaves and chilli sauce, RM16.90 for small and RM24.90 for large). At first we joked that we're eating Hakka char yoke but a taste of it revealed its differences - the subtle taste of shrimp paste, its crusty top and of course the burst of flavour from the deep fried kaffir lime leaves and the chilli sauce. Incredibly addictive that we even ordered a second dish. Instead, the classic Phat Krapao Moo Sap (mince pork with Thai basil, RM12.90 for small, RM17.90 for large) seemed bland and uninteresting. Somehow the aromatic Thai basil leaves just didn't manage to carry the flavours through.
While we would have loved to gone completely pork crazy, we did also balance out the meal with the Pla Thod Nam Pla (Crispy Thai Style Garlic Fri! ed Fish, RM32.90). Essentially this was deep-fried siakap fish served with a sauce on the side. The sauce was a bit of a let-down. A little too watery and we detected soybean paste within, spring onions and etc that reminded us a little of a similar Chinese dish. Instead we went for their amazing chilli sauce - it looks fiery but it was sweetish and addictive. That sauce when paired with the fish, saved that dish. Also on the table was theKhai Luk Koei (Son in law eggs, RM9.90). These hard boiled eggs are deep-fried, doused in a thickish slightly sweet sauce and garnished with lots of shallot crisps - a combination that worked well but wasn't very exciting to the palate. One must not forget the greens that came in the form ofPucuk Paku Yam Pla (kerabu pucuk paku RM12.90 for small, RM16.90 for large). A friend had earlier eaten here and raved about this dish but this time round, it wasn't so good she admitted. The elements of the ferntops, prawns and coconut milk - seemed to lack that sourish tangy taste needed to balance it.
No desserts for us as they ran out but we did end it with some fresh mango. Usually they do serve Thab Tim Krob and mango glutinous rice. It's still very much early days for the kopitiam but I reckon they're going to be a big winner once all the wheels are greased properly. Am curious to return for breakfast as I heard the pork noodles are wonderful. I would love to compare that to the Section 17 market's version. For me, I reckon they have me literally hooked on that crispy pork dish. Just give me a bowl of plain rice and I'll be a happy camper with that meal.


Surisit Thai Kopitiam
No. 17, Grd Floor
Lorong Rahim Kajai 13
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Kuala Lumpur


Tel: 03-7710 0173


(Non Halal. Place is further down from Penang Village. Open from 8am-10.30pm daily. More pictures in the Flickr set.)


*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

PlayStation + Smartphone = Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY!

The worlds 1st PlayStation Certified Android smartphone is coming on our way! Sony Ericsson combines the best of a gamepad smartphone with the convenience of PlayStation Portable (PSP) in your mobile, great news for gamers and even non gamers! With Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY, there will never be a dull moment because now you can enjoy non-stop entertainment with the best games on your mobile.

The sleek and sexy Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY features:
Slide open to the touch-sensitive gaming controls with PSP-like gaming buttons.
Fast gaming speed with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and WiFi/DLNA support.
Immerse yourself in the clarity of the game on its 4-inch screen.
Get behind the wheel of Grand Theft Auto, dribble on the field of Winning Eleven, visit the different realm of Final Fantasy, there is an unlimited array of PSP games available to download.
Other features to enjoy include the 5MP camera with LED flash and GPS support.

And the great news is it is now available from as low as RM848 on Celcom Exec:

Sign up now and enjoy:
- FREE Multimedia Dock DK300
- FREE exclusive games
- Stand a chance to participate in Sony Ericsson Xperia Play gaming contest to win RM100,000!

Enjoy call rates as low as 10.5sen/min (after 30% discount), free mobile Internet and calls within network on weekends and even low monthly commitment fees!

Find out more about the exclusive Sony Ericsson Xperia PLAY packages on Celcom Exec, as well as phone specifications, features and more. Visit the website for more details : http://www.celcom.com.my/smartphones! /android .php#android1

J.J Abrams "Super 8" and Inspiring Italy at Favola Le Meridien KL

To be honest, there is not a lot we can thank for from the 80's. But the one thing the decade of bad shoulder pads did get right was movies with children.

Sure, there have been getting and there are still plenty of movies that have children as lead characters in the past two decades. But the children we've seen on the silver screen these days usually are emotionally like adults (generally most things with Dakota Fannings, Abigail Breslin or Chloe Moretz); are the creepy horror movie characters (think anything that resembles Ju-on and its nasty Hollywood remakes); or are the juvenile action heroes (Kick-Ass, Harry Potterand the likes come to mind). And lets not forget vampires too these days.

What we don't see a lot of are children being just children. However, I feel that might all just change after watching Super 8 earlier tonight. Which I have to say was just mint (for the uninitiated, that's '70s speak for cool!).

J.J. Abrams' new movie focuses on a group of children who accidentally get involved in something sinister when a train wrecks in their small town. While "Super 8" is another movie that puts a group of children in the forefront of the action, critics and bloggers are raving about the movie's success at getting back to the kind of adventure that made a lot of the 80s movies so popular, and so memorable to adults today. J.J Abrams also unveiled that this is his most personal film to date, in which he takes us back to his own geeky boyhood love of monsters, things blowing up and the magic of making movies.

Like many of us, Abrams grew up with films like Close Encounters and E.T and there are definitely Spielberg-like echoes in his Super 8, then again Steven Spielberg is also the ! producer of this movie too. But Abrams insists he's doing more than an homage to those classic films of the '70s and '80s.

In his interview with moviefone, J.J Abrams said, "Many of his [Steven Speilberg] films shared elements that this movie visits. I hope that when people see 'Super 8,' they realize it's not just a Xerox or a film just aping other movies. The heart of the movie involves these kids and their parents and each other. But clearly, it's influenced not just by Steven's movies, but films by John Carpenter. I was so influenced by their movies as a kid, it felt like the appropriate thing to use them in this film." He also cites Charles Laugton's The Hunchback of Notre Dame's heartbreaking story, Irwin Allen's disasters movie and even Japanese Toho monster movies as inspiration.

Humorous, heart-warming, action-kicking with childlike innocence and feel good factor, J.J Abrams' Super 8 is the sort of movie Hollywood should be making to bring back that good ol' movie magic charm.

SUPER 8, the movieopens internationally at a cinema near you this weekend.

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The problem with not blogging frequently, is that my posts are piling up like a hill behind me. And just when I finally get around wanting to write about a dinner I had "recently" about a month back at Le Meridien KL, along comes another event. Since this is more time sensitive, I'll go right ahead into posting this first.



Like director J.J Abrams who clearly believes in innovation, Chef Fabrizio Bigi also highly believes increating on top of something which has been perfected before. His approach in reinventing aged old classic Italian recipes has garnered him an invitation to the Le ! Meridien Kuala Lumpur, as the guest chef at their signature Favola Italian restaurant.

Chef Fabrizio hails from the north of Italy and grew up on a diet consisting mainly of parma ham,parmesancheese, balsamic vinegar and loves doing creative things. He reckons that if he wasn't a chef, he would either end up a painter or a musician. But as fate has it, he ended up choosing a career in cooking and started off owning his own restaurant back in his home country by the age of 30.

Then one day in 2003, he felt like he needed a change, sold his restaurant, packed his bags and went out to discover the world. It was also then, that started learning the English language and within 6-months later, he found himself a job in Egypt as a chef. Good fortune continues to push him along and it hasn't stopped since then. Nowadays, China is his base and works for the kitchens of Prego at The Westin Beijing Financial Street.



At the recent press launch, Chef Fabrizio shares with us that the secret to contemporary Italian lies in the play of new texture, flavours, aromas and most importantly - like all good Italian craftman would say - style. He tells us how he would usually start off with an imagination of how the dish would look like before he actually cooks them. Watch this video below as he demonstrate to us how to reinterpret a good ol' Eggplant Parmagiana.



Fresh off its successful Vietnamese culinary event recently, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur is now showcasing another gastronomical extravaganza, wit the Tastes of Italy. Held from June 4 - June 12, 2011, this dinner promotion will feature guest Chef Fabrizio Bigi - the master of contemporary Italian cuisine - and enjoy the wide array of! over 20 dishes that will be displayed at the Favola Italian Restaurant - with his own interpretations of Italian favourites including the Eggplant Millefeuille, Fresh Goat Cheese and Basil; Saffron Risotto, Crispy Seafood and Red Rossi; and the Spaghetti Maine Lobster and Fresh Spring Herbs Pesto, to name a few. Prices range from RM25 - RM130 per item on the promotional ala carte menu.

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Favola
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
2, Jalan Sentral,
Kuala Lumpur Sentral,
50470 Kuala Lumpur
For Reservations, call the Dining Desk at +603-2263 7434 or email: dining.lmkl@lemeridien.com

DATE + PECAN SCONES

I have this almond strawberry shortcake recipe for the book that I have now made four times. I love this cake, but honestly I would be ok if I didnt have it again for awhile. Not to mention there are two of us in this lovely apartment, and I have a paranoia about food going to waste, so even while giving some away to friends, guess who has been eating a lot of cake? Yea. So I went to Zumba last night, trying to make up for cake and scones. Have you been? Its so ridiculous that I keep going back. Its a workout of embarassing salsa-type moves that make me feel like I am in some terrible latin childrens musical. The high school girls in their booty shorts and the older women who wear jingly belly dancing belts, its entertaining, but still liberating in its own way. I think its because there is no way you could take yourself seriously in that hour, and I like being forced into that state of mind.

I have unsuccessfully made scones a few times, but this recipe is my sweet victory for the previous batches which either spread flat or came out tasteless. Their edges may be imperfect and they dont have the lighteness that a bakery scone using all white flour yields, but I wouldnt change it. The spelt and oat bran give a warmth and heartiness to the scone, while it still welcomes a thin shmear of creme fraiche or butter. The trick to a good scone is to use your hands, not tools, so you can be gentle as possible as to not overmix and work quickly so the batter stays cold. I may not be a master yet, but these are pretty delicious.

DATE + PECAN SCONES // Makes 8
Ratios adapted from Maria Specks Ancient Grains for Modern Meals

1 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 Cup Spelt Flour
1/2 Cup Oat Bran
1/4 Cu! p Natura l Cane Sugar
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Nutmeg
2 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/3 Cup Chopped Pecans
5 Medjool Dates, cut in small pieces
6 Tbsp. Butter, cold
1 Egg
3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp. Orange Zest

Turbinado Sugar for Garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Mix both flours, oat bran, sugar, salt, nutmeg and baking powder together. Mix in the chopped pecans and dates.
2. Working quickly, cut the butter into chunks and work it in to the flour mix with your fingers until you get small pebbles.
3. Whisk the egg, cream and zest together and add about 3/4 of the cream to the flour and incorporate with as few stirs as possible. Add more of the cream as needed until you get a shaggy dough that just holds itself together. Pat it together and let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in two and make two disks that are about 1.5 thick. If you just want to cook four scones for now, wrap the other disk tightly in saran wrap and keep it in the fridge. Cut the disk in half, then in half the other way so you get four triangles. Place them on the parchment. Brush a bit of the remaining cream on top and sprinkle a few pinches of turbinado sugar on top. Bake on the middle rack for 16-18 minutes, rotating the baking tray half way through cooking. Remove to cool. Serve just above room temperature with a bit of creme fraiche.

Nasi Lemak at Medan Selera 223 (among other things)

Domestication, albeit reluctantly, has reminded me of how expensive groceries are these days. Every cent counts, really. But I'm determined to only lose old habits, not interests, with my now frugal financial management system - an adaption of what I'd learnt from some multinational corporations. It's doomed to fail but I guess it'll be a good learning curve.

Frugality has led me to shop at discounted gift certificate or coupon websites. Most, if not all, of the products and services offered are of a leisurely nature than necessity. And Ive been a stalker cum customer for a month now. Hear me being foolishly paradoxical here.

One of the coupons that I'd redeemed was for a few hair treatment sessions. My friends and relatives can attest to my evident hair loss problem and I must say, are more concerned than myself. With a significant, shocking discount, I thought its worth a try. Miraculous treatment or not, at the very least, I'll be able to get a diagnosis from the package, I thought.

Session 1 was a psychological war field in the consultation room. I understood the severity of my receding hairline from the scans and their explanation but to inject every consolation and solution with a special, promising treatment and its obvious advantages was too much to bear. These customized treatments are not cheap. I bargained hard, just to know their cheapest offer. Throughout the process, I've been approached by two very persistent consultants. Their marketing skills were good, no doubt. One empathetic-looking consultant said it's a pity if I continue to neglect my oily scalp and start balding at such (flipped and studied my customer profile) a young age. I must admit that I was slightly, just slightly sold at that point. Regained sensibility, I reminded myself that I came to redeem my coupon, got a diagnosis and understood my situation, unconvinced of the procedures and therefore, unwilling to pay the exorbitant amount. That's that. They'd done their best and I t! ried to be understanding. For courtesy sake, I'd informed them that I can't make a decision at that point as I won't be available for treatment due to my tight travelling schedule. And that I'll return when I can afford the time. They restrategized. Apparently, I can even be treated abroad as well - by purchasing their DIY treatment kits. There were many, many points worth debating there including the effectiveness of DIY kits versus in-house treatments and the content of the kit. But they are running a business and it's only right for them to sell. Unfortunately for them, I wasnt convinced.

In the 1.5 hours of Session 1, I wondered if appearance should hold such importance in one's life. And if it's worth the cost. I'd only say yes if it's related to one's profession or that it affects one's health condition. Why bother when my family, good friends and (ex) girlfriends have been accepting of my different shapes, sizes and looks throughout the years? No one seems to think less of famous figures like Bruce Willis, Prince William and Vladimir Putin just because they are balding, right? With my head wrapped under the steamer, I felt ashamed. But at least I now know that my scalp's ridiculously oily. So, I should perhaps wash my hair 21 times a week to unclog and prevent more blockages.

Speaking of good friends (I've digressed too far and wide in this post, havent I?), we were at Medan Selera 223, another uncharted territory for me, much like the hair treatment center. At night, its a busy and crowded al fresco foodcourt that tests ones vigilance in securing a seat. Reward comes in small packs of nasi lemak with savoury, mildly spicy sambal thats best smoothened and flavoured with a couple of soft-boiled eggs. And theres the list of usual beverages like teh tarik and Horlicks to keep the conversations going. Here, affordability means that its able to attract pe! ople fro m all walks of life. Regardless of the buckets of dripping sweat (its quite hot and humid here), worn out clothes AND receding hairline, everyones having a good time. And thats all that matters, isnt it?

Medan Selera 223
Jalan 223,
Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia

View Rooftop Bar

An eagle's nest of a bar, with a soaring 29th-floor panorama of KL's skyline.

View opened this week, supplying an excellent escape from the city's evening traffic nightmare. It's a spacious hangout, split into three sections: an alfresco bar ...

... a whiskey lounge ...

... and a champagne room.

One highlight: customers are encouraged to customize their own cocktails. Simply name your choice of spirits _ vodka, gin, tequila, rum, etc _ then inform the resident mixologist whether you'd like it soft, silky, smooth or crunchy. For a creative twist, your own selection of herbs, spices & fresh fruits can also be thrown into the mix.

Our concoction was conservative but memorable: a creamy whiskey cocktail, laced with cinnamon for an aromatic potion of pleasure.

Mary's Melon (42Below Manuka Honey, muddled honeydew melon, De Kuypers melon liquor, rosemary syrup, vanilla liquor) & South China Sea Punch (Falernum almond-ginger syrup, passion fruit, orange, lime, Havana Club Rum).

The View Rooftop Bar,

G Tower, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2168-1800