It’s just lingo lah

June 21st, 2009

With me back in Singapore, blogposts from Benjamin will be even less frequent as he has to send new photos to me for retouching, resizing and uploading before he writes a post.  It doesn’t help that he’s sans-camera too as he felt it made more sense for me to hold on to the camera here since I use it more often.  And with me working full-time now, I don’t even have time to sit down to a leisurely meal.  In fact, even spending 15 minutes to cook instant mee (noodles) seems a luxury!  So I actually have a huge archive of images of Ben’s creations, plus some of our dining experiences in Dubai and Singapore, that are waiting for me to go through.

And I still hope to blog a bit too!  I’m no expert when it comes to tastes, cooking styles and other culinary stuff.  But I do enjoy eating!  So if I do post anything about places I’ve dined or particular foods I’ve tried, don’t take it as a professional review, but just my two-cents’ worth.  I’m actually more particular about service than food.  Flash a smile and suddenly a simple cheeseburger looks like a tower of trans-fatty goodness!  Of course, I don’t go to a restaurant expecting to be treated like a princess lah, but I do appreciate friendliness, competency, and at least some humility if one is less than competent.

So anyway, here’s a glossary of terms that I may use quite often to describe food or my dining adventures.  A glossary is required as I often use Malay, Hokkien (a Chinese dialect) or Singlish/Manglish (Singaporean/Malaysian English slang) terms to express myself.  You’ll also notice that the word ‘damn’ is used very often as an ‘amplifier’.

makan – 1. eat [Malay verb] Example: What d’you wanna makan later? 2. food [noun, slang; proper noun for 'food' in Malay is makanan] Example: Got good makan there or not?

shiok – probably the best way and most commonly used Singlish/Manglish term to describe good food. Example: Wah, this burger is damn shiok!

jiak – eat [Hokkien verb]  In Chinese culture, we usually invite our elders to jiak (or the Mandarin or other dialect’s equivalent).  Example: Ah Ma jiak (Grandma, eat).

whack – eat with gusto. Although a proper English word meaning beat or hit, we regularly use this word when describing how one eats. Example: Wah, he whacked the burger damn fast man!

teruk – bad/terrible [Malay adjective] Example: The service is damn teruk.

tak jadi – not up to par, or unacceptable, or can’t make it [Malay term] Example: The service tak jadi lah.

cannot make it – [commonly used phrase in Singapore/Malaysia] same meaning as tak jadi.  Example: The service really cannot make it lah.

sedap – delicious or yummy [Malay adjective] Example: This burger is damn sedap!

kopi – coffee [Malay & Hokkien noun]

lah – lah is used to end most (but not all) sentences when speaking in Malaysia or Singapore.  Just a slang – sometimes it’s used to add stress to a point, and sometimes just to make a statement come across as casual or friendly.  It’s just something that’s uniquely Singaporean/Malaysian, so I find it hard to blog without sounding like myself, thus lah is a necessity!  Examples: No lah. Of course lah. Eat the burger lah!

when deciding…

June 9th, 2009

Our lives, according to me, are made up of decisions that we make every minute of every day in our lives. This is usually determined by our emotions, which isn’t really a good thing all the time. Take eating for instance (since this a site about food…obviously). Can you imagine yourself having a romantic dinner with nothing but warm water and salted crackers? Or attending a funeral where champagne, cocktails, and canapé with a tower of brightly frosted of cupcakes is served? Somehow everything has to “fit in”. Sadly this isn’t the case all the time.

During my recent trip back home, I managed to get tickets to the opening reception of the annual World Gourmet Summit, compliments of my pal A, who was in town from Spain. He was involved in a Spanish Chefs dinner for the summit. Many establishments were there contributing to the splendour of the night, where they were supposed to display some of their work for guests to sample. So it was a good thing? Or was it not?  I try as much as possible not to promote negativity on the site… however, I really think this particular point needs to be addressed.

Food was being manipulated for the sake of doing so, which did not give justice to the ingredients used or bring out its qualities. The worst part were the gimmicks. Immersion cookers in fish tanks for display purposes?!! They might as well have used stove tops from their kitchens as tables. And then we have the usual snobby crowd who were easily convinced that this was the current trend. My question is, what part does the fish tank play?

To add insult to injury, there were even chefs serving food directly on ice blocks! Does the “chef” not know that the direct temp of the ice will actually degenerate the quality? Or does he not know that if the ice was meant for display purposes, it, or food served from it is not edible?!! I was so turned off and couldn’t hide the look of utter disgust on my face that A kept asking what was troubling me. Apart from these few gastronomic “geniuses”, they were a few who did know what they were doing. That is, serving food.

The best part of the night might as well have been the free alcohol. I then had a huge craving for some good old-fashioned local dishes, the REAL stuff. And at that moment, the only thing I wanted was some wicked Peranakan food!

So we left and made our way down to Katong, arriving at the doorstep of Kim Choo, the only Peranakan restaurant in Katong still open at 9.30pm. We were greeted by very polite & friendly staff…. One of the highlights whenever I am back home is being spoilt for choice when it comes to having a meal. I always make it a point to have a traditional Peranakan dinner, mostly when we are up in Malacca – that’s where the true essence of fusing food and culture come together. Well before we continue we first need to know who the Peranakans are. In short, they are descendants of the early Chinese who settled in the Malay Archipelago as early as the 17^th century.

http://peranakan.org.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=57

It really is interesting, as it’s really a rich mix of Chinese and Malay culture, like the typical chinaware imprinted with a phoenix which is very Malayan…..lost? Ok… imagine a Chinese tea cup that has teh tarik in it…  The food isn’t always but can be quite spicy… really encapsulated with flavours just waiting to explode into a frenzy! The menu comprises stewed meats which is in a way very Malay/Indonesian, of simple vegetable stir fry which is Chinese… ingredients and cooking styles used have both Malay and Chinese influences fused together – from the sticky dessert cakes (nyonya kuih) to evenly-baked golden brown cookies and biscuits. The best thing about eating here was the atmosphere. So here at KIM CHOO’S you get it all – delicious food, great decor with no fuss, a place where great food is served without displaying cooking appliances!

Bakwan Hupiao Soup (meatball and fish maw broth)

Sambal Petai

Petai is what they call stink bean. Bitter in taste and yet there is richness to it. Goes well with spicy sauces. It grows in long pods on a large tree of the Legume family, Parkia speciosa. It is semi-wild.

Ayam Buah Keluak (Chicken with Black nut)

Buah keluak (Pangium edule seed) is a hard shelled, black coloured nut from a tree native to Brazil. Found abundantly in the swamps of Indonesia. The black oily kernel is considered a delicacy. When choosing buah keluak at the market, note that the good ones are heavier. They need to hydrate for a minimum of 12 hours, then crack at the scar and cook to savour the rich, velvety flesh.

Beef Rendang (Spicy Coconut Stewed Beef)

Decor, souvenir shop upstairs; Nyonya goodies shop next door…

So the point is, every chef needs to know how to pair food, RIGHT.  It’s common sense. All experimental things should be left in the kitchen until it really is time for them to shine for the diners. I am all for new things, but only if it makes real sense to do so. A common mistake chefs (even I) are guilty of is not realising that what makes perfect sense to do might not always be right. So when we decide to do something, take a minute to stop and think, will this actually make sense?

¿Somthing?Nothing¿

May 18th, 2009

Whenever I want to write a draft for the site I go blank. Whenever I know it’s time for a new blog I go blank. But when I am busy and an idea hits me I can’t do anything about it, and decide to re–cap later but by then I would have forgotten it. It is a lot like when you think of a new dish, it just does not come to you. But when you least expect it, in a weird way it hits you…smack!!

So how do I solve this problem…? Walk around like Point Dexter with my platoon of writing pens and note books? Funny how the Human Brain works… I guess it’s just the pressure we put on ourselves to consciously come up with something, that in the end hinders creativity.  Perhaps the best thoughts come when we’re relaxed and not actually thinking about “thinking”… So the next time we need a fresh idea, how ’bout chilling out in the evening with a few cold beers, just sitting and doing nothing…

Bibendum’s Guide

February 14th, 2009

What a better way to start this year’s blog with not only a facelift but also the newest addition to the restaurant recognition scene. The first Hong Kong/Macau Michelin Guide, given to me by my friend, Nicholas. [Thanks!]

The most sought after recognition for chefs. This little book may have ‘made’ many chefs, but broken a few as well. Apart from recognizing the efforts and consistency of the chefs, it increases the business level for them too, so I am told.

There is no denying this – for a chef to be awarded that elusive star would be just like winning the presidential election. There is no feeling like that in the world because you have been striving for what you believe in from the beginning of your career path, but it all comes with strings attached and it is in maintaining one’s ‘star’ when the actual stress and real hard work comes in.  To quote Gordon Ramsay, “People say three-star cooking is safe, but it isn’t. It’s the most dangerous thing I know.”

Taking a brief look, this world-famous Red Guide first came about in 1900 in France, when it was published for the sole purpose of offering a free guide to motorists for sights to see, lodging and restaurants during their cross-country motoring trips.

However in 1920, the guide was no longer given free, it was marketed and published a wide selection of hotels and restaurants. The selection was decided by a group of touring clubs and readers. 1926, the first Michelin Star was awarded to places where “one dines well”. This was promptly followed by the awarding of 2 and 3 stars.

It has come along long way since then after taking a break during the world war in 1939 and being revived in 1945. In the 1950s, the guide was expanded to countries out of France, such as Spain and Switzerland. To date, the Red Book with the famous Bibendum has made its way throughout major cities and countries in the world – Paris, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain & Portugal, Great Britain & Ireland, Italy, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco, London, Switzerland and now, Tokyo, Hong Kong & Macau.

The Michelin Guide rates the starred restaurants by the number of stars obviously, from 1 star (a very good restaurant in its own category), 2 stars (excellent cuisine, worth a detour) & 3 stars (exceptional cuisine worth a special journey). The Red Guide also recognizes restaurants that serve good quality food at good prices (not higher than $300), known as Bib Gourmand. It is all about the food, if stars are awarded or not.

As they say, “Cuisines in any style of restaurant and of any nationality are eligible for a star. The decoration, service and comfort levels have no bearing on the award.” There are ratings for the comfort of the restaurants as well.

As the Red Guide has docked in Asia, we wonder the next destination it will be heading. To be honest, if it is going to be making its way back home (Singapore), then the self-proclaimed ‘celebrity chefs’ there should have a game plan of concentrating on the food and service rather than the strings attached to their egos.

Cooking Chart

February 13th, 2009

This chart that I have come up with has actually been playing in my head for a couple of years now. It really was inspired a few years back when I was reading through an INICON PDF document, “An introduction to technological applications of Molecular Gastronomy” which was posted online. A very important read that really curved my culinary thinking and sight along with 3 other books from 2 different authors.

Taking the basic natural elements of Gas, Liquid and Solid, a table could be formed in which one could study the simple process of dispersion, applied correctly in food preparation.

Eg. Liquid + Gas = (gas dispersed into a liquid) / a thickened solution + nitrous oxide = a foam discharged from a cream siphon.

The possibilities are wide and only limited to tests and the imagination.

I am taking this applied concept and idea with the following table. This comprises multiple cooking processes. When we cook a veal cheek for example, we colour it, then submerge it into a flavoured solution and cooked till it is soft and tender (solid dispersed into a liquid).

Traditionally they say,
1.    Colour the meat so it does not give a pale finish. Caramelization.
2.    Cook in a stock so it gets a nice flavour.
3.    Cook till it gets really soft like butter.

Now to evaluate,

1.    This is obviously wrong; as we know that (in this case) to colour a piece of meat is for its flavour as it is released into the solution during the final cooking. The colouring is a result of the Maillard process. Browning has nothing to do with Caramelization. The Maillard process is the chemical reaction of meat turning brown, this occurs at any temperature. (Any increase of 10 degrees doubles the speed of the reaction). If glycine and glucose are dissolved in boiling water it stays clear, then turns a slight yellow and eventually turns brown. And in this conversion the result of colouring meat releases the utmost important odorant, in which we all relate to – “charred flavour” either from a piece of meat or fish etc (compare a white chicken stock to a browned chicken stock). Caramelization has nothing to do with browning. When sucrose is heated it dissociates into simple sugars  (fructose residue and glucose residue). The activated fructose reacts with other simple sugars to form long chains known as FRUCTOSE DIANHYDRIDES. Odorant molecules are formed, brown molecules are formed and the common caramel is obtained. (Caramels are not limited to just sucrose; glucose caramels, fructose caramels could also give us a wide range of possibilities as they all have different odours and flavours.

2.    Yes and no. Now we all know that if a piece of meat is cooked in water for a long period of time the water gets flavoured, leaving a less then flavourful piece of meat. Now to consider this first, the important factor to braising will be temperature. This must be kept below boiling point to prevent the outer portions of the meat from being badly overcooked. Often, braises are cooked in a low oven with the usual specified temperature range from 165 – 175 degrees (F) in a cover. However this will raise it to a boil unless it is uncovered. The chamber should be kept below 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Leaving the braise uncovered will allow cooling evaporation. The braising liquid concentrates creating flavour (therefore using an already flavoured solution is important). At the same time, the meat cooking releases flavour (in the form of liquid from the meat) into the solution in which it is cooked. As the proteins coagulate due to heat, fibrils squeeze out some of the water they had contained and shrink, a thin elastic sheet of connective tissue around each muscle cell then squeezes the unbound water out of the end of the cells (this can be easily tested for observation: vacuum pack a piece of meat, cook en sous vide and you can see the end result of the amount of liquid released – coagulation resulting from heat). Now the important point of braising is cooling down the cooked meats in the solution. As it cools, the meat will absorb a certain amount of the solution which will intensify the flavour of the meat itself.

3.    Absolutely. A piece of meat is made up of many individual muscle cells or fibres. These fibres are filled with many fibrils, which are made up of actin and myosin. When a muscle contracts, the filaments of actin and myosin slide past each other. Selecting the cut of meat for braising is as important as it is to know how to cook it.  Lean meat is made up of about 75% water, 20% protein and 3% fat. As explained, cooking will squeeze out the liquid from a piece of meat. So in choosing a piece of meat which is not as lean and contains more proteins and fat ratio to water would be much more ideal for braising, say comparing a piece of cheek to a cut of tenderloin. A piece of cheek definitely will match up to contain a bigger ratio of collagen, which will transform into gelatin as a result of heat. If cooked well, the result will produce a soft texture, yet slight bounce from the gelatin and overall satisfyingly moist mouth feel.

References:
1. On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee.
2. An Introduction to Technological Applications of Molecular Gastronomy, INICON, online PDF article. http://www.inicon.net/

This is just an example where taking this basic principal and applying it to the table will aid the chef for multiple cooking possibilities.

Click to view the full chart.

( K-15) Based on the chart, oven roasting is followed by scalding where in this case is scalding of hot oil. This is a process that is used for Chinese Roast Duck. And so on, a mix of multiple cooking processes would benefit the chef for an ideal end result. Tender interior with a crisp surface, etc.

Tangyuan

February 12th, 2009

Tangyuan (also known as Kuih Ee) is a Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour. It is traditionally eaten on Dong Zhi, the Winter Solstice Festival.  Dong Zhi signals the start of winter and was celebrated as the start of the Chinese New Year, a long, long time ago.  That is why some Chinese still eat tangyuan on Dong Zhi, whereas others eat it during Chinese New Year (either on the first day, or on Chap Goh Mei, the 15th and last day of the first lunar month).

Tangyuan symbolizes ’sweet reunion’ – its round shape a symbol of completeness, harmony and unity within the family, so it is sometimes also eaten during other special occasions when family members come together, such as during the Lantern Festival, or birthdays.

Some of our elders also believe that the eating of tangyuan is to remind us that we’re a year older, and to look forward to the coming year, perhaps with a resolution to do better, or just a wish for a fulfilling year ahead.

Basic tangyuan are plain (no filling) and very simple to make (glutinous rice flour + water + optional food colouring = dough –> formed into small balls, cooked in boiling water, and served in a syrup or sweet dessert soup).  Some prefer tangyuan with filling, such as red bean or black sesame paste.

Niangao

February 11th, 2009

There are many variations of niangao (usually based on region – Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc), so I’ll just blog about the one I’m most familiar with – niangao from Singapore (also known as Tee Kueh or Kuih Bakul in Malaysia). Niangao is a sort of sweet ‘cake’ or ‘pudding’, made from glutinous rice flour.

Although commercially available all year round, it is especially eaten during Chinese New Year for its auspicious meaning.  The words nian gao literally mean “year cake”, but gao also means “high”, so symbolically, it means something like “higher each year”.  Thus, it is eaten or given to others during Chinese New Year – that time of year when auspicious greetings and wishes for happiness, prosperity, good health, good fortune, and ANYTHING else GOOD, are… well… good.

Some Chinese display niangao in their kitchens a week before the Chinese New Year.  This is because there’s a belief that the Kitchen God returns to heaven before the new year with a ‘household report’, kind of like ‘em HACCP guys. And like Santa, he knows if you’ve been good or bad.  So some folk offer this super sticky and sweet rice cake to the Kitchen God so that it glues his mouth shut and he has nothing to report to ‘headquarters’, or perhaps so that only sweet words will come out of his mouth!

We weren’t able to make our annual trip back to Singapore and Malaysia this year and Dubai isn’t exactly a place you’d easily find goodies from home to usher in the Lunar New Year.  Apart from mandarins, pineapples and a very hard pomelo, almost everything else symbolic of Chinese New Year had to be handmade.  From decorations to CNY snacks and goodies.

I finally found CM Supermarket (a small minimart in Karama that sells Thai food products), and paid an arm and a leg for some banana leaves.  I found out the next day that it’s also sold at the huge Lulu Hypermarket in Al Barsha for much cheaper.  Anyway, inspired with these leaves, I decided to try my hand at making niangao.  I wasted my first batch by following an absolutely bogus recipe from a magazine, which was actually a carbon copy of a recipe from another “recipe” book that we actually paid good money for.  Don’t you just hate these fake recipes?!!

Anyway, I finally combined a few niangao recipes sourced from the Internet and surprisingly managed to get it (quite) right.  You definitey need a lot of arm strength to stir the super thick mixture of flour, water, sugar and gula melaka (palm sugar).  The mixture was very lumpy so I had to manually ‘de-lump’ it till I got a smooth, silky texture.  And I just wasn’t able to keep the surface of the ‘cake’ dry while it was steaming in the pot, even after covering it with muslin and parchment.  So it looked quite gross after it was done.  However, the ugly duckling actually turned out nice after it was left to cool and set in the fridge for a day.

We only used it for display throughout the new year for its symbolism.  But of course, it can be eaten.  Even if its got a bit of mould on the surface, you can slice off the nasty bits.  And if it has become too hard, it can be re-steamed.  One way my Mom prepares tee kueh as a snack back home is to cut it into small pieces, steam it till softened, then roll in grated coconut (with a bit of salt).  A bit like Kuih Kosui.  Another popular way of eating niangao is when it’s cut into thick slices, sandwiched between a slice of sweet potato and yam, dipped in batter and deep-fried.  Delish!  Nothing the Kitchen God can complain about for sure.

Ingredients & Method

Banana leaves – boiled to soften and to remove waxy residue, then cut into strips to line ramekin or cake tin.  Best if it’s long enough so that the strips can be folded over the edge of the tin on the outside. Tie a string around the edge to keep the leaves in place. Brush the leaves with a bit of vegetable oil.

330g castor sugar + 170g gula melaka (can be substituted with brown sugar, or simply use 500g castor, brown or palm sugar).  Personally, I like the flavour from the palm sugar, and it gives the niangao a richer and deeper colour too.

Melt the sugar with 1 + 1/3 cups of water + 2-3 pandan (pandanus) leaves. Leave syrup to cool.

500g glutinous rice flour – sift into a large mixing bowl. Mix in 1-2 tbs vegetable/corn oil.  Make a well in the center and add in the cooled syrup, then stir/mix well till a smooth and creamy texture is achieved.

Pour into ramekin/cake tins.  Cover with muslin or parchment and steam for 5 – 8 hours.  Let cool, then keep in refridgerator to set. Makes 1 medium-sized (15cm diameter cake tin) and 2 small (ramekin-sized) cakes.

Ben improved on my recipe at work the next day and produced much better results.  And armed with the right kitchen tools, he didn’t have to worry about lumps and such.  Here’s his recipe (enough to feed a few kitchen gods and their many minstrels).

• 3000g glutinous rice flour
• 600g corn oil
• 3000g castor sugar
• 3000g water
• 5 pandan leaves

1. 1. Make syrup with sugar, water and leaves.  Leave to cool till at least below 6 degrees Celcius.
2. 2. Remove pandan leaves and add oil to syrup.
3. 3. Add flour and mix well.
4. 4. Strain the mixture and let it sit for 3 hours.
5. 5. Steam for 9 hours.

A new leaf

December 18th, 2008

Our website and blog have been inactive for quite a while, partly due to work commitments on Ben’s part, and mainly due to preparations for Christmas and Chinese New Year… plus laziness, on my part.  Just a quick note here to let you know that we’re in the midst of re-designing the Whitejacket site.  So we’ll have a spanking new look, hopefully by Jan/Feb.

And on a different note… We acquired our El Bulli reservations for 2009!  TWO actually.  Guessing it was more of a luck-of-the-draw kind of thing, we, with the help of family members and friends, sent in about 20 emails in mid-Oct, from 20 different email accounts (each with a different IP Address too).

All the “rejection” emails started pouring in by the 3rd week of November, but for two.  And the glorious moment came last week, when one of our friends received a “Yes” from El Bulli, followed by a few days later when I received another positive email in one of my many accounts set up specially for this task.  So now we have 2 confirmed dinner reservations at El Bulli next year! (We’ll just take one of course).

And thanks again, Leong!

Centre Stage

October 24th, 2008

In a young city that has so many up and coming hotels and restaurants which need to come up or get out, there is a common misconception that EATING out is the same as DINING out. Leaving out those who simply feed, eat and NOT dine, let me share a recent dining experience with the rest of you.

A restaurant that is honest in its service and food. A restaurant that doesn’t need a highly overrated local magazine to tell them if they are doing well or not. I guess it also takes a high level of diners for restaurants to improve. A restaurant that can simply rely on the best way of advertising – by word of mouth. Why? Just because they are that good. Period.

This is REFLETS, another overseas venture from Michelin-starred chef, Pierre Gagnaire. To be honest, we didn’t keep our hopes up too high as there have been more misses than hits with the restaurants here. Tucked away in the new Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City, Reflets is one of those few establishments which manage to set itself higher than the rest, or by Dubai standards, way up there. And they’re only just 5 months old.

After a drink at the lobby bar, we made our way to the restaurant via its private elevator. We were amazed by the beautiful décor that greeted us as the elevator doors opened. The 1st ‘Theatre of Dining’ in this culinary sad city.

A small corridor leads you past the hostess’ counter and a window that allows guests full view of the kitchen. The moment we stepped into the dining room, we knew it was going to be an evening of theatrical splendour.

The deep-mauve carpet, velvet-embellished leather chairs, textured and mirrored walls; the towering glass wine showcase overlooking the room and the sommeliers’ tasting and decanting table at the heart of the room, for all to view in awe; the cool, pink glass chandeliers and…… the mother-of-pearl-covered walls. One can’t help but imagine it as a set out of the Moulin Rouge or maybe even a modernised version of the opera in the Palace of Versailles. The staff were just as amazing as the décor, plus friendly and professional. In the safe hands of Head Sommelier, Julien Coron, I did not need to stress over wine choice.

Introduction to the play started with a small platter of teasers.

Squid ink potato croquette – smooth and crisp, easy on the palate.
Gingerbread biscuit – full-flavoured with good texture.
Onion “marmalade” with white wine and anchovy – salty and tannic, good after the biscuit.
Arugula wafer with raspberry jam – interesting, but worked.
Cornet of hummus with green peppers – the smoothness and flavour of the hummus worked well with the sweetness of the peppers.
Gingerbread butter
Dark beer jelly – bitter and spiced.

Act 1: Cream of cauliflower flavoured with dried bonito; bouillabaisse jelly. Red mullet biscuit. Purple cauliflower.
A gel and the biscuit was a symphony of tenderness, broken only by the pickled cauliflower. Well-balanced and light. Each mouthful sends a flash of aroma through the olfactory stimuli.
Pairing- 2007 Terra di Vulcano, Falanghina, Mario Bisceglia

Act 2: Ravioli of foie gras and bisque of blue velvet crab. Spring onions and cepes. Puree of chervil roots.
The marriage of flavours between the foie gras and crab was further enhanced by the complexity of the cep. The parsnip puree and onion was the icing on the cake – not clogging up your taste buds (receptors), but complementing it dearly. A dish to die for!
Pairing – 2007 St Peray, Les Caves de Tain

Act 3: Wild seabass, poached. Thin layers of aubergines marinated “Stiletto”; Tarbais beans.
The butter poached fillet had a great texture, not soft and flaky. Obtainable when the fish is cooked to perfection. The acidity of the braised aubergine broke the meaty fish. Another winner.
Pairing- 2005 Rully, Vieilles Vignes, Girardin

Act 4: Pink Velouté: a cocktail of tomato and acidic fruits; shellfish and crab bavaroise. Polenta flavoured with Colombo spices.
The spoon of crab cream with the texture of the seafood, not sure what it was it reminded me of Ark shell. It was soft on the palate which was then brought up with the intensity of the velouté. The sharp and smooth velouté, with a mosaic of chopped seafood was there to make its statement. Tangy seafood went perfectly with the Riesling, cleverly recommended by Julien.
Pairing- 2005 Riesling Kabinett, Weingut Schloss Vollrads

Intermediate: Atlantic blue lobster seared with ginger; red pepper, mango and green apple with coriander. Tomate “Otti” and tandoori marshmallow.
Now again, anyone close, knows I DO NOT LIKE mango and everything about it. I do not use it in my cooking, period. But the mango does not come through too strongly in this one. Tender and delicate lobster accompanied with a tandoori-flavoured sweet-spicy marshmallow. The velvety bisque was intense with South East Asian flavours, reminded me of Nonya (Straits-Chinese) flavours from home. Sweet, sharp and savoury with a light spicy note. Yet another winner.
Pairing- 2005 Montlouis, Clos du Breuil, Francois Chidaine

The main act: Beef cheeks, lacquered. Roasted scallops and braised turnip. Cabbage leaf and sweet potato cream. Frothy pop corn and corn ice-cream.

I started this course by first scooping into the corn ice cream and the pop corn froth which, I think was charged in a siphon. It really was very light. As explained, the beef cheeks here are marinated in wine for 2 weeks and slow cooked for about 2 days. All in all here, lying before me is a 16-day work of genius. The wine pairing, just like the cheeks and its braising liquid lashes out its odorant molecules in the mouth, kind of like a midday rush in a bustling business district. It hits you fast and but not too much, and the pop corn with the jus was absolutely fantastic.

Although the dish was already a champion on its own, the scallops did pop it up a notch or two. It was kind of like a VIP ONLY party. Tender cheek and scallops, again broken by the texture of the braised but crunchy turnip and the unique texture of the pop corn in jus. The kind of dish that I could eat every night.
Pairing – 2004 Cahors, Cuvée Particulière, Château Lamartine

Act 6: Cheese Course
Cheese was not included in the Le Grand Menu d’Automme but being a fan of French cheeses, we decided to have it as an addition. There is a choice of 3 regions of cheese offered and we opted for the Auvergne selection.

Cantal – Was paired with white chocolate pearls and a gelée of ginseng. The earthy note from the cheese cleverly balanced with the sweetness of the chocolate and the bitter from the gelée.

Saint-Nectaire – Was paired with apple compote and a tarragon ice cream. The sharpness from the compote and sweetness of the ice cream broke down this nutty and creamy cheese.

Fourme d’Ambert – Simply paired with a toasted brioche. Nothing much was needed for this powerful yet supple cheese, just a buttery brioche which brought out the flavour of this already flavourful cheese.
Pairing – 2004 Rhona Muscadelle, Graham Beck

Act 7: Pre-Desserts
Not the regular dessert one would have, it was the grand dessert. The sweets were started with a selection of small pre-desserts.

Tomato compote with orange cooked with vanilla, topped with almond meringue.

Bonbon of prune, Orange with meringue and orange powder, Dacquoise of white chocolate, olive and olive oil.

After what we thought was a grand pre-dessert, we were “stormed” yet again with The Grand Dessert, the grand finale to a theatrical night of fine food and wine.

The Grand Finale

Small Tea Passion fruit – light passion fruit and mascarpone, not too sweet and delicate overall.

Happy Birthday Bowl – Jelly of grapefruit and confit, sorbet of grapefruit and pear, with cooked pear. Bitter-sweet, with variations of soft textures.

Orange Rectangle – Burnt bread parfait, with fresh and confit of orange. Classical marriage that is always welcomed by the senses.

Espelette Chilli – a chilli which is from Basque, with an AOC. Here flavours a ganache with pana cotta and MANGO. (Due to obvious reasons I just had a small taste, though the chilli comes through strongly).

Chocolate Hiver 2008 – Guanaja ganache and leaf, with a soft biscuit, praline and red pepper. Bitter-sweet goodness all round. Something I hope to have again, upon my return here.

Post-Theater

Thereafter, we enjoyed and soaked our near 5 hour theatre attendance at REFLETS, with a glass of French Coffee (coffee and cognac) and petit four. And a final palate cleanser at the bar of a chilled tea infusion with margarita salt.

After this experience, I truly know what it means when dining is the equivalent to a play in a theatre. Not one where only the food takes centre stage, or the décor is over-the-top and outshines the dishes and the service. Or one where the service lets down the whole experience. This one was balanced, where everything was in harmony, kind of like the intro to a good Metallica or GnR song. Every guest received equal “love” and honesty from all the staff. Etienne Haro, Restaurant Director explains why they close on Sundays. That every guest pays the same amount, so it’s only fair that every night when they are open all the key people are present. No element should be missing.

Not just another money pump, Reflets truly is a “restaurant with soul”, concentrating on what most places have forgotten – offering an extraordinary dining experience through their dishes and impeccable service. The basic factor for any restaurant. Special thanks to the team, the chef, Etienne and Julien, that indeed was a great birthday dinner made extra special by their vision which, truly deserves an encore attendance.

Just as we were warmly welcomed, we parted with equally warm goodbyes and just an overall sense of “peace” and balance.

[More photos here]

Whine and dine

September 25th, 2008

The art of cooking is no doubt interesting. The science of it is equally intriguing. Chefs cook, chefs taste, chefs plan their day, but how often do chefs actually dine? The most important thing that all chefs work towards seems to be the least practised.

As chefs, it really is our personal responsibility to dine out. Not just to hide in the kitchens. In the past, everyone said that chefs needed to be out of the kitchen and into the restaurant to mingle with the guests. Some have evolved and some still stay hairy and hunched-backed in the room of stainless steel. Now that the first step has been taken, we need to take that next step out the door and into another restaurant! Dining out, as I have found over the years, is a great way to unwind and to learn.

I once knew a chef who told me, “Dining out assures me that I can cook better than the chefs at restaurants I go to…”, and if not, then that would be a wake-up call to improve, wouldn’t it?

We learn and grow when we dine out. From the mistakes made by others and to be astonished by the trend setters. Not all have to be great experiences; I have been here for 2 and half years and dined around a lot in Dubai. But sadly only two of the many places I visited were good. Bad dining experiences aren’t just the result of the meal itself, but, good grief! the sloppy ‘big-arse’ service too. The point is, if a chef does not dine out to appreciate a meal from a guest’s perspective, how can he assure his guests a great dining experience? I wonder how long it will take for some chefs to take note of this.