Ms. Jazz Reviews: Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie

I love having a bunch of friends that see eye-to-eye with me on the enjoyment of food, not necessary fine but all kinds, although admittedly all of us are quite weak in the hawker food department. Our so call ideal place to meet for Malaysian food is wong ah wah @ Jalan Alor. FIGURES


On suggestion by Jon to do dinner- he chose Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie and has been gushing about this place. Since opening he has went there every month to try the menu of the month. Now, no way Im doubting a person who goes out fine dining with a vengeance.

However, since I have my reservations with Nathalie Gourmet Studio in Solaris (sister outlet), having to go back there to try a few times, and having to conclude that their main course always fail to impress while their desserts always divine, I told myself that Im going to go to Cuisine Gourmet with an open heart.

While Nathalie Gourmet Studio in Solaris takes a more casual approach and predominantly focuses on cooking classes and macarons, this new outlet at Menara Taipan leans towards fine dining and has overtook previous seafood fine dine outlet, High Tide. Because Nathalie takes her food VERY seriously (according to crazieapple, she has to be the one doing all the plating), you can find her at Solaris during daytime, and Menara Taipan during the evening.

The setting of the restaurant is simple yet elegant. Atmosphere is not at all uptight; you can enjoy your meal and talk beyond whisper here.

The menu itself is worth celebration. Again, true to Nathalies style, youll be spoilt with choices as their menu changes every month, no reason not to come back again, and again right? There is the usual ala carte menu with starters that r! anges fr om RM30-RM50, main course RM40- RM80, and Desserts around RM20s.

Otherwise, you may also opt for her Set Menu, which brilliantly has 2 choices, one for seafood lovers and another for the carnivores (thats me by the way).

Their seafood menu (RM130) and Nathalies Selection (RM145) comes with 5 courses, and by calculations it does seem to be more value-for-money, and the best thing is you can sample everything at a comfortable portion.

Nathalie also came out with a degustation menu (RM200) which comprises of 7 courses of tinier but equally filling portions.

Some of the items which I manage to capture off my friends ala carte,degustation. or seafood menufor your viewing pleasure.

French rock fish soup in Ala Carte menu (RM35)

Open Ravioli with Blue Lobster, Vanilla Sauce

O! xtail be ef squid, Jerusalem artichoke puree and mesclun, short juice sauce in degustation menu

Salmon confit in duck fat, asian mushrooms in sweet and sour broth, buttered savoy cabbage

in Seafood Menu

Duck a l'Orange in degustation menu. Had a bite of this, it was yummy!

Most of us opt for the Nathalies selection. (RM145++ for 5 courses)

Started off with Nathalies selection of three finger food, we have a chilled cucumber soup with prawn, salmon blini, and mushroom ragout (correct me if Im wrong, I tried so hard to recall what the servers had told me), all delightfully light as we wait in anticipation for our starters.

Pan Fried Duck Liver in a Brioche, roasted apple, and apple juice sauce. I love the 2 pieces of petite yet plump duck liver sandwich between a delightful light brioche, combine with the apple which eludes some sweet tan! gy flavo rs, it was a classic combination yet something that a lot of restaurant get it wrong. Nathalies would prove to be some strong comparison. The presentation has also added extra cookie point to this dish. If theres anything I like about Nathalies, it is that their presentation was always done so beautifully.

Beef tenderloin, Porcini Sauce, Potato and Porchinis Mille Feuille with duck liver jelly is hitting all the right notes. We loved the tenderness of the beef, perfect doneness according to our preference, and the flavor of the combination of sauces and complements were just explosive. Theres really just all praises for this dish. We swiped up every single bit on the plate.

I love Red Meat! *Rawr*

Vanilla Mille Feuille, Vanilla Caramel Sauce, and Vanilla Ice Cream. I have mix feeling about this. While the flavours were there albeit slightly sweet for me, the Mille Feuille kind of left us stranded, we werent too impress with the hard dense pastry (but not doubting it could be its original intention) however, since I prefer my mille feuille slightly airy and light, this dessert was not too memorable for me

There's no such thing as Macaron overdose in Augustdiners context.

We were delighted with the selection of macarons. As with all macarons, there was hit and misses in their flavours,yetit is still one of the best in town! Do try their salted caramel, i can go crazy over'em!

Poppy and Strawberry Big Mac, Strawberry Mousse and Basil Sorbet

My dear friends

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Nathalie has definitely impressed us with this new outlet here and has taken her culinary skills to a new height. I know by fact that if i'm ever craving for french food, Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie would definitely comes to mind. Let's just hope that the Septembermenuwould be good! Time for revisit?

P/S As this was away overdue post, please be noted that the items above is from the August Menu, you can check their monthly menu here.

Ratings:

Food: 7.5/10

(Most flavours hit the right notes with more hits than misses, yay!)

Ambience: 7/10

(suitable for work dinners, and celebrations with friends and family)

Service: 6/10

(decent, could be more attentive)

Presentation of food: 8/10

(never failed to please with those wonderful emulsions and good portioning)

Overall: 7.5/10

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie

Menara Taipan,

Jalan Punchak

Off Jalan P.Ramlee, KL

Tel: 03-2024452

Lardy Hokkien Mee @ AhWa - Off Jalan 222

A favourite among the old faithfuls, the Hokkien Mee has a few distinctiveness that separates it from the other noodles.One, it is fried till almost dry, allowing the sauces to be concentrated and then cling on to their dear lives on the long and sticky surfaces of the 'fat noodles'. Secondly, the absorption of the "wok hei" is lifted to a new high without the presence of too much gravy. Thirdly, the thick sweet black sauces can be addictive though it is slightly bitter. Like molasses added to selective pastry or bread the synergy produced is better than the taste that come from the sum of the parts. Fourthly, the robust body of the fat round noodles can satisfy any growling stomach. Last but not least, the explosive combination from the lard oil and its deep-fried pieces makes eating Hokkien Mee a culinary experience. I wonder why it didn't make it into the CNN top 50 Asian eats.

This what we came for and got. Great lardy stuff and it couldn't have gone better than these. Admittedly, they have competition from the other end of the block in the form of the formidable looking Mei Keng that has an extra lot. An old friend and a resident nearby brought me there for dinner years ago and it is known for their 'tai chow'.

Another of their best-seller. Stir-fried Lala. Great sauce and fresh morsels.

Wat Tan Hor - I am still very much for the Ipoh variety where the egg mixture comes in with the right consistency/amount and right timing.

The Lo Meen looks the same as the Wat Tan Hor. The only difference was the noodles and the addition of Black Vinegar.

Verdict: Go for their Hokkien Mee and Lala!.

Address: Off Jalan 222, Jalan 14/48 (Next to Shell Station)

Dim Sum @ Kedai Kopi Mee Bon, Ipoh Road

Sunday lunch at Jalan Ipoh and at a KL Dim Sum shop nothing fanciful like a Hong Kong style restaurant.Yes, local Dim Sum at this coffee shop Kedai Kopi Mee Bon and a popular place where the locals come for "tau pau" take away food.The variety of Dim Sum for you to choose, prices are very reasonable and generally it's a good dim sum food @ Ipoh Road.

The fried fish balls were bouncy with fried texture skin and a half eaten Fu Chok with fish paste. Both are as good. Big Pau (dumpling) aka "Tai Pau". During my younger years my "tai pau" was really "tai" or big. Now it has shrunk a bit.

As usual it should a variety of meaty ingredients in it and this "tai pau" isn't too bad. I like it.

Paper wrapped chicken in the bamboo steamer container.The wrapped chicken is well marinated, delicious with lovely smell and it's fresh from the kitchen.The take away corner just right in front of the coffee shop, fast & efficient service.Your chili and sweet sauce are ever ready for you and your "tai pau".

Kedai Kopi Mee Bon,
491 Jalan Ipoh,
51200 Kuala Lumpur.

GPS: 3.181331,101.682436

Taste Gallery @ Sunnybank, Brisbane

Having not been to Market Square for a while, it almost seemed like Taste Gallery had magically opened up over night in a spot that I have no memory of what it was before. With the newer restaurants in Sunnybank, this was done up nicely with the open display similar to Ding Tai Fung. Specialising in all things dumpling, the menu surprised me with a glaring omission of noodles. After all, when I think of dumplings like xiao long bao, I think of my handmade noodles too. Instead, Taste Gallery does a myriad of dishes that are meant to be shared and to be accompanied with rice.


With a small appetite and two other mouths to feed, we opt for a couple of dumplings and some side dishes instead of going all out like a banquet.

San Cheen Bao is like a steam bun with a meat filling that has been cooked similarly to a wor tip ("dumpling"). So what you get is a crispy bottom and a soft top and when you bite into it, hopefully some of the juices from the filling will spill out. What we got was exactly just that, the way I like it to be.

Unfortunately, the wor tip or the dumplings was a disaster. You are meant to get a crisp bottom and soft top but the whole dumpling was just hard. The dough texture didn't seem right at all.

The xiao long bao was pretty good except for two facts: 1. They expect you to pay extra for ginger slices, a prerequisite for eating xiao long bao and 2. It was not hot enough, almost as if it has been sitting out of the steamer too long.

The stir fry rice cake was good but it was this dish that suddenly got me flashing back to the first time we had Shanghainese food in Brisbane, pretty close isn't? Slightly sweet and savoury, it is definitely a better alternative to eating fried rice, an item that I usually avoid at all cost outside.

With so many side dishes, I finally settled on a stir fry beef with a copious amount of mayonnaise that was unnecessary. With beef slices in a Chinese restaurant, you can half expect them to tenderise it with baking soda or with something else to that effect. The plus point is that the beef almost requires no chewing.

Another staple dish that I associate with Shanghainese cuisine is the drunken chicken. Awhile back I attempted to make the same dish and lets just say it will be a while before you see that recipe in this blog as it failed quite miserably. This on the other hand was cooked to perfection but lacking a sauce and more chinese wine would be appreciated.

The food that night didn't exactly impress although I have heard more positive reviews if you go in the day (a suspicion that the dumplings are made fresh during the day) vs. eating at night. With a clean decor and slightly above average prices, it is still a good option for those who frequent Market Square.

Point to note, this place is opened by the same people as Shangpaign Kitchen so if you find yourself wanting to eat some dumplings without wanting to wait for a table, you can always get very similar food, a 5 minute drive away.

Address and contact details:

Verdict: 3 stars out of 5 stars. I am not convinced just yet with the quality of dumplings that night but from the crowd day in and out, I am pretty sure there's a couple of gems in the menu, waiting for me to unearth.

Li Yen, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur: Mooning over Mid-Autumn Festival

Today is the 15th day of the eight month in the Chinese lunar calendar,which makes today - officially - the Mid-Autumn Festival (). I know it is hard to keep track when the day is actually celebrated, given how early mooncakes of many different varieties are sold as early as July each year.Ironically, this festival is one of the few most important holidays in the Chinese calendar, other than Chinese New Year and the Winter Solstice Festival.

Traditionally on this day, Chinese families will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn moon and indulge in a giant feast as they mark the end of the fall harvesting season. The moon on this night, which parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, is said to be the most exquisite as the moon is at its roundest and fullest.

Food writer S.C. Moey wrote in her book, Chinese Feasts & Festivals (Periplus),"Before scientific exploration scaled the heavens and disappointed romantics with some of its discoveries, the moon enjoyed more esoteric connotation - it was the domain of a goddess, a playground for fairies, and the embodiment of all that was feminine. For a greater part of the last millennia, it was inconceivable that the moon was just a space rock."



In the last 4 years of this blog's existence, I've never failed to let a year go by without writing a post featuring mini snow skin mooncakes from The Ritz-Car! lton KL& #39;sLi Yen's. This goes to show how big of a fan I've been of the delightful Mot & Chandon Champagne Mini Ping Pei- a signature creation by the hotel, which is sold exclusively during this time of year. Over the years, they have also introduced new flavours but this still remains as my ultimate variety when it comes to moon cake. I just cannot sing enough of its praises.

This year, the hotel's Dim Sum Chef Tan Tiong Guan and his culinary team have once again challenged themselves and introduced two more new flavours along with last year's favourite, the Mot et Chandon Ros Imperial Mini Ping Pei. The 2011's collection sees the introduction of bolder ingredients and flavours. The combination of Wasabi and White Lotus may sound scary and raise an eyebrow or two, but I am pleasantly surprise to find it subtle and dare I say lovely(?).

On the opposite end of the scale is the Green Tea Ping Pei with Custard and Salted Egg filling. This odd pairing sent me searching for greener pastures as the soft and pillowy snow skin resembles one that is made of black sesame. I was quickly corrected by our host that roasted green tea leaves are hardly green to the eye. The filling was very interesting and funky at the same time. But nevertheless, I enjoyed it more after the first few bites. I supposed you can't really go wrong with anything that has salted egg yolk in them, right?



Li Yen, is Ritz-Carlton KL's award-winning Cantonese restaurant is also one of my favourite spots for dim sum in the city. A few baskets of steamed dumplings and buns here would easily make my day, especially after a morning screaming at misbehaving contractors. Nothing like the pleasures and comfort of dim sum to! calm a monkey down.

Special thanks to the handsome Englishman, Ollie, for inviting me over for lunch, which was also a great chance to catch up with celebrity bloggers like KY Speaks, Fatboybakes and The NomadGourmand. I hope you get hold of the Angry Bird lantern you wanted *chuckles*

And, happy moon cake festival to all of you!

***

Li Yen
The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur
168, Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-2142 8000

Mukha

Right from the start, this winsome cafe has nailed the formula for keeping customers content, with a thoughtfully crafted menu of well-executed fare, warm service and a spiffy setting.

The highlight is Middle Eastern-influenced food & beverages. Try the fava bean stew, addictively creamy & aromatically steeped in gentle spices. This might pair perfectly with some liver & a nice Chianti, but booze is verboten at Mukha.

Baked eggs with toast. Seems deceptively like a simple recipe, but takes 15 minutes to make. Scrape below the three yolks _ not runny but not too hard _ for hot, mushy layers of roasted tomatoes & shredded cheese that rescue the egg white from blandness.

Beef bamia with okra _ a thick, tangy Egyptian casserole. Everything feels freshly prepared, with surprisingly rich, multidimensional flavors.

Shahi Arab tea, infused with mint leaves.

Gahwa, Mukha's house-blend coffee, laced with cardamom & ginger.

A mocktail in lieu of something stronger: Virgin Mango Mojito.

Shisha is available as well for visitors who prefer to puff the night away.

Things appeared relatively quiet on this recent Friday evening; but we left early, before 7:30 p.m., so it's likely that everyone else only came in after that.

Mukha Cafe @ TTDI,

15, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13, Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

Tel: 03-7732-2248