Kale Market Salad

There's a small restaurant in our neighborhood known for great pizza. And yes, the pizza is on point. But, really, it's their salads I crave - substantial, always changing, made from whatever looks great at the market. I'd tell you the name of the place, but scoring a table is already enough of a wait. I ordered a ringer of a salad the other night, and have been making a version at home in the days since - kale, farro, lots of avocado, carrots and fennel tossed with a creamy green garlic dressing. It's as good as it sounds.

To prep the fennel and carrots, it's worth using a mandolin if you have one. If not, no problem, just use a knife an slice very thinly. If you do too crude a cut the salad loses a bit of its finesse. I like it made with semi-pearled farro, but when I ran out of that reached for wheatberries too. Either way is good.

It has been a bit wild around here and this sort of thing is nice to be able to throw together on somewhat of a whim. To keep most of the ingredients prepped isn't a big deal (grains/dressing/carrots/ nuts)...then, it's not much of a leap to a full meal by adding a poached egg.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by QUITOKEETO yesterday. Also(!) apologies to those of you who got there after all the items sold through. I imagined that we'd stocked plenty to carry us through a two week run, and let's just say I misjudged that. By a mile. There were a few factors going into it - some of the items are so limited (or vintage) that there was no way to stock more, we have some physical space limitations, that sort of thing. Anyway, thanks for your p! atience (and enthusiasm!) - the learning curve on this one is steep! xo -h

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Early Father's Day Lunch / Celebration @ DISH KL

I can't get enough of DISH...

Chargrilled striploin

You know this statement is true by the frequency of my visits to DISH. Chef Steve Allen yet again amazes us with his lunch creations.

His menu changes regularly every 2 weeks. We love going there on a Friday when the lunch menu is brand spanking new. When we arrived last Friday, Chef Steve offered to do small tasting portions of his set lunch menu for us to try. That means we got to try 8 different dishes in one sitting :)

Instead of the usual eggplant fritters, we were served these fluffy yet crisp potato croquettes with turkey ham and cheese and a tomato salsa dip. Very nice.

We moved on to our soup course - a creamy and light celery, clam and cider soup with strips of Granny Smith apples and garlic foccacia. I was happy to see many clams in each bowl of soup. I like the 3D presentation of this dish too, very pretty!

The roasted quail was finger licking good. We got a breast and wing each, but the normal portion will be much bigger. It is served with a potato salad and mustard mayonnaise, which tasted really good.

What a happy colorful dish! The citrus cured salmon served with a strip of cucumber and marinated beetroot reminded me of a traffic light. Agree? ;) On top of the salmon is horseradish ice cream, something which is new to me but went extremely well with the rest of the dish. The key is to get a bit of everything and pop it into your mouth. This starter really grew on us, by the time we finished we were hankering for more.

Citrus cured salmon, horseradish ice cream, marinated beetroot

Fresh and light

After our meal, we joked with Chef Steve that he must have come across many traffic lights the past week as his mains of steamed fillet of sea bass also had the colours of a traffic light! Joking aside, we actually thought it looked very attractive. The moist sea bass was steamed with cili padi and lime, so there is a hint of spiciness (not too much, just a hint) and topped with fried onions. I like the tanginess of the lime in the sauce. The linguine gets it colour from coriander. All in all, a very tasty mains.

Steamed fillet of sea bass with cili padi and lime, coriander linguine

I did not have the steak during my last visit, however as soon as I read the menu this week, I knew I had to try it! Steak, mushroom and mash sounds like a sure winner. When the dish arrived, the first thing I noticed was the scent of truffles. Turns out there is black truffle oil in the sauce. The steak was very good, a much thicker cut and it has the charred exterior / flavour that we like. We found out later that they had indeed gotten a brand new chargrill in the kitchen.

Chargrilled grass fed striploin, mushroom duxelle, spring onion and potato puree

Hubby loved the baked lamb loin and shoulder in puff pastry, served with Parmesan crusted pumpkin and pepper sauce. The lamb in puff pastry reminded us of beef Wellington. The combination of slightly peppery sauce, sweet pumpkin and tender lamb was excellent. They really did a great job in keeping the lamb moist and pink.

Hubby couldn't stop singing praises for this

Both desserts were very good. I asked Hubby on the way home which one he preferred, and he said "I can't really say as you finished almost all of the hazelnut parfait!". Oops, I must admit I got a little carried away when eating the hazelnut parfait, I loved the smooth texture and keeping spooning mouthfuls of this delightful dessert. The parfait was served with a hot chocolate sauce, but I felt it was already nice on its own.

Hazelnut parfait, caramelised banana, hot chocolate sauce

Nuts about you

The green guava crumble was served in a cute little frying pan. It has to be the best crumble I've eaten in KL, having eaten quite many not-so-nice ones in (fine dining) restaurants in KL. And the caramel ice cream is lovely... I wouldn't mind another scoop :)

Green guava crumble, car! amel ice cream

And after all that food from the set lunch, we managed to find another extra compartment in our tummy for the Caramel Chocolate Delice with lime ice cream and raspberries (RM21). Heavenly.

The current set lunch menu is available until 21st June 2012.

If you're still scratching your head as to where to bring your dad for Father's Day, this would be a good place! Portions are big and most importantly food is delicious.


To read my previous review on DISH, please click here, here,hereand here.

Pork-free.

Opening times: Lunch 12.00 - 2.30pm, Dinner 6.00 - 11.00pm.

Service: Good.

Parking: RM5 flat rate.

Price: RM65++ for 2-courses, RM75++ for 3-courses. Set lunch changes every 2 weeks.

Location: Dish, Dua Residency, Lot 1.1, Ground Floor, Dua Annexe, No. 211 Jalan Tun Razak, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2164 1286

GPS Coordinates: 3.156971, 101.720803

Website: http://dishfinedining.com/

*Please note that portions depicted in photos above are smaller as we opted for a tasting lunch. This meal is paid for by the reviewer.

Coffee Stain By Joseph

Spilling some beans at Solaris Dutamas, Coffee Stain By Joseph is the revamped, refurbished Joseph @ Kitchen, refocusing its attention on caffeine and such.

Western favorites from pasta to burgers fill the menu; it's worth noting that the all-day breakfast platters here live up their name, so customers can still order eggs with scones and turkey ham as late as 9:30pm.

Omelet cooked with three cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan), with a bread bun, salad and baked beans. All the essential elements are present; something sufficiently simple for most folks to make at home.

Roasted pumpkin soup. Not extraordinary, but creamy and flavorsome enough to satisfy.

Yam, mint and orange-flavored macarons, pleasantly tasty. Sure, the texture isn't perfect, but people demanding perfection will drive themselves to disappointment.

Siphon coffee is available, though single-origin beans will only be offered starting next week.

Coffee Stain's baristas are experienced and eager to share their knowledge. Thumbs up to that.

Also worth trying: Dilmah Ceylon single-origin premium tea.

Or if you're shunning both coffee and tea, then a thick avocado milkshake might hit the spot.

Coffee Stain by Joseph,

D4-G3-01, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur.

Somewhere in between Espressolab and Ten Japanese Restaurant.

Tel: 03-6211-2022

Open 10am-10pm daily.

Yay!!!!!!!!!

Today is a happy day. Its my third birthday. Or at least thats what I am calling it because it marks the third time Ive been given the gift of life. Let me explain a little.

I was born in the month of April.

My second birthday on July 31st is the date of my first kidney transplant. I happily and humbly celebrated this day for almost twenty years. Nearly two decades that I was given because someone else someone that I never met made the choice to become an organ donor. Its a day that I will continue to honor in their memory.

And Im grateful to celebrate my third birthday for the first time today June 14th and it could not be any more special to me. Last year I needed to have another transplant and this time my mom gave me the gift of life again. A year ago today we were both in surgery. One of my moms kidneys was removed and transplanted in me. Her love and complete unselfishness has given me another chance.My mom is amazing and Im so thankful for her. I hope we celebrate this date for many years to come.

With that, I just want to say or shout Yay and Happy 3rd Birthdayto me. My mom and I will be celebrating and of course well be eating a big slice of this cake today. Thats what birthdays are for, right.

I love you mom!

And thank you guys too for being here. You and this blog are responsible for some of the best years of my life. I hope this little spot on the internet brings you happiness from time to time. As much happiness as you all have brought me with your kind words and support through it all.

Love,
Me and my moms kidney

Burger King launches bacon sundae after successful test run for summer menu

NEW YORK, June 14 In a bid to maintain its fledgling hold as the second biggest burger chain in the world, Burger King has launched a seasonal summer menu that includes barbeque-inspired sandwiches and a novelty ice cream flavour and crowd favourite, the bacon sundae.

After testing out the product in Nashville earlier this year, the fast food chain announced a nationwide roll-out in the US of the sweet and savoury sundae made with vanilla soft serve, topped with chocolate fudge, caramel, bacon crumbles and garnished with a thick-cut bacon slice garnish.

It's a play taken straight out of family-style restaurant chain Denny's, which enjoyed wild success last year with its Maple Bacon Sundae, a product that became a viral hit and conversation starter around the world.

Meanwhile, as predicted by trendspotters and food consultants last year, Burger King is tapping into the growing appetite for Southern fare and regional flavours by launching a summer menu of Texas or Carolina barbeque and Memphis-pulled pork sandwiches.

Similarly, sides are going upscale down home as well, with the launch of sweet potato fries.

Last fall, market research group Packaged Facts forecast that the strong, robust, punchy flavours of Southern-style cooking would be popular this year, while San Francisco-based trendspotter Andrew Freeman & Co. declared 2012 the year of the potato with more restaurants gussying up the humble side.

The new menu revamp comes as rival Wendy's embarked on a complete overhaul last year, reformulating its original 42-year-old burger recipe and redesigning its restaurants. The strategy proved successful as the Ohio-based chain dethroned Burger King in sales volume for the first time last year since it was founded in 1969. AFP-Relaxnews

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