Poutine Cheek – the deadly 6 hour braised beef cheek , cheese and truffle oil.. eat it and weep!

If there is one great thing that anybody should trudge over the Petite Millie to eat, that would be the Poutine.

A gloppy, caloric layering of French fries, fresh cheese curds (a byproduct of cheddar making) and gravy, poutine goes deep into the Quebequois psyche. Somehow, Quebec’s rural roots, its split identity (Acadian farmers or Gallic gourmets..) and its earthy sense of humor are all embodied by its unofficial dish. Yes Chef Max Chin, the man behind Petite Millie has this French Canadian specialty, a heart-stopping, gut-busting treat that somehow manages to out-do American fast food, executed with great finesse. Greasy, rich and meaty, this is the best thing on the menu. Also, at Petite Millie, they are a bit classier and use grated cheese instead of curds.

Yeah, me and my colleagues were thrilled with this extremely stick-to-your-ribs concoction, and according to the myth, in 1957 a restaurateur named Fernand Lachance, when asked by a customer to combine fries and cheese curds, said it would make “une maudite poutine” — an unholy mess. All this was pre-gravy. Another restaurateur, Jean-Paul Roy of Le Roy Jucep, claims to have first served fries with gravy and curds in 1964.. and thus the REAL Poutine was birth.

I am paying the price now. I really feel the need to burn off all these cheesy bits asap. Poutine has left me in an unholy mess.

c’est une bonne vie! – avocado and crab tarte flambée

This hot baked tart with creme fraiche was dry, lacking in flavour and we would have liked more crab on it. The next time, I think I’m going to go for the Field Mushroom potpourri. I saw it going by and it looked divine.

the well lit and modern interior of Petite Millie

Bourguignonne style beef bavette 

The Bourguignonne style beef bavette was a huge hit at our table. The Bavette is the type cut of beef and is essentially Angus flank. The  Bourguignonne is a beef stew and if you are wondering why it sounds so familiar, you have that movie to thank. Yes that’s right, with the success of “Julie & Julia” in movie theaters, and Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” storming best-seller lists, boeuf bourguignon — the film’s slow-braised culinary centerpiece is constantly cited for its authenticity. Many of my friend were attempting to cook it after that movie I tell you. Totally nuts – I couldn’t see what that whole craze was about.

But here at Petite Millie, I am beginning to understand actually.. The Bourguignonne style beef bavette served at Petite Millie is a delicious, cartilaginous, soft and succulent cut of beef shank braised in shallots and mushrooms served on a bed of mash. You must order this!

tartine sandwich – In the Name of Chartucerie!

Another interesting item on the menu, is the tartine. Tartine is an open-face sandwich layered with cuts of chicken pastrami, beef pepperoni and pickles on a slice of buttered country bread. The meats were tasty enough but we found the bread rather dry bordering on hard. This was just an OK sandwich for me.

Since this area is so close to my office, we will definitely be back to check out the other dishes as we didn’t have much time try everything. So far so good.. great to know that Chef Max Chin is leaving his signature on things, this part of town!

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

People who are pro-organic hold firm to the believe that the way food is grown affects its nutritional quality. But advocates of local eating are now making another leap, saying what happens after harvest, how food is shipped and handled, is perhaps even more important than how it was grown. Local purists therefore assert that because locally grown produce is freshest, it is more nutritionally complete. Take for example, chefs who buy organics all the time, even if that meant flying in Californian nectarines. But if you’re using X amount of jet fuel to get it to KL, and that doesn’t make sense. So forget the nectarines. Buy something local. Get some bananas, mangos or papayas instead.

Wow, this was a real eye-opener to me , and I am happy to say, that here at Opika, they really strive to use as much of local ingredients and work with farmers from our local backyard, as much as possible, to give you a 100% organically sumptuous meal. Eating organic and eating local is really what it’s all about. Speaking to the owners of the restaurant, we understand that during the next phase, they have plans to execute degustation menus, using local produce and artisan breads etc made by locals. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

And if making the switch to organics isn’t for all of us, but you still want a place to have a good organic meal from time to time, then Opika is the place to visit. The newest addition to 1 utama’s old-new wing, the organic dishes at Opika are tasty and hearty, and believe me, they don’t feel like one of those “green and healthy meals that taste like saw-dust” either. The food here is fab, and we would recommend it to anybody.

pumpkin soup RM15

Quinoa salad RM20

One of the best Quinoa salads I have had to date. This one is made with a Nipah dressing instead of the conventional honey. The Nipah dressing comes from a town in Kedah. The sap from the Nipah tree is made into a sauce. It has this characteristically fermented taste that confers a delicious flavour to the quinoa.  On top of the Quinoa sits some delightfully crunchy prawns, and on the side, you have some crispy tempeh and kaduk leaf tempura. Right at the heart of the quinoa dish is a layer of ulam , and a healthy mix of mango, kasturi lime and avocado adds moisture to, and completes the ensemble.

opika – open kitchen where you can watch the chefs prepare your organic meal

A little organics store within Opika

These people are shopping for local, organic produce. A terrific idea, if you ask me .. look out for the 100% organic golden palm oil. The chicken in several of the dishes at Opika is confit in this organic palm oil for 4 hours before it reaches the table. None of the meat served here is fried in an unhealthy manner in oil. Opika will also soon promote organic wines. This is great news, especially for my buddy EatDrinkKL I’m sure!

the red tint on the organic palm oil means that is has not undergone the bleaching process

Scallops in a green asian pesto sauce RM30

This sauce tasted a little like green curry. Very nice indeed!

linguine with pinenut pesto and house spiced pan seared salmon RM35

Give it a good toss!

Swedish style meatballs with mashed potatoes RM28

This is a great dish for the kids. Remember how you hated finishing your peas as a kid? Will, this dish cleverly disguises the green peas in it’s mash potatoes. Hence the green tinge in the mash! The meatballs are a heavenly concoction of lamb, chicken and beef. Chunky bits of meat means these are not the generic horribly starchy meatballs that you sometimes get in some restaurants. Brown sauce, sour cream & lingonberry jelly are the perfect finishing touches on this dish.

carbonara fettuccine with grilled fungi and grilled chicken RM30

Taste wise, this was not a memorable dish. We also found the fettuccine overcooked. Remember to tell them you want your pasta cooked al-dente if you like it chewy, like me.

Nasi Ulam with Percik Chicken RM30

We had ours de-boned for us! What a nice touch. I loved the nasi ulam here. So much ulam that it doesn’t feel like you’re eating rice;)

Chef Ryan Khang of the Cooking House.. Consultant to Opika

revised black forest cake with dark organic chocolate and brandy RM14

Apple cake with Walnut crumble RM12

 Freshly blended fruit juices are available at Opika RM17.90

My colleagues have been lamenting of late, that they cannot get into their skinny jeans and as such want to eat healthier, low fat lunches. I now have a great place to take them. I’m so glad the food here tastes good.. it’s been too long since we had great Organic cooking in Petaling Jaya!

Anyway, just in case you are interested here are some reasons why it is good to eat organic. Here are some key reasons to go organic: (for more info on eating healthy, check out my other blog, Cikipedia)

Organic Food is More Nutritious
Organic foods, especially raw or non-processed, contain higher levels of beta carotene, vitamins C, D and E, health-promoting polyphenols, cancer-fighting antioxidants, flavonoids that help ward off heart disease, essential fatty acids, and essential minerals.

Organic food contains qualitatively higher levels of essential minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium), that are severely depleted in chemical foods grown on pesticide and nitrate fertilizer-abused soil.

Organic Food is Pure Food, Free of Chemical Additives
Organic food doesn’t contain food additives, flavor enhancers (like MSG), artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and high-fructose corn syrup), contaminants (like mercury) or preservatives (like sodium nitrate), that can cause health problems.
Eating organic has the potential to lower the incidence of autism, learning disorders, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies, osteoporosis, migraines, dementia, and hyperactivity.

Organic Food Is Safer
Organic food doesn’t contain pesticides. More than 400 chemical pesticides are routinely used in conventional farming and residues remain on non-organic food even after washing. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide exposure. One class of pesticides, endocrine disruptors, may be responsible for early puberty and breast cancer. Pesticides are linked to asthma and cancer.

Organic food isn’t genetically modified. Under organic standards, genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are prohibited.

Organic animals aren’t given drugs. Organic farming standards prohibit the use of antibiotics, growth hormones and genetically modified vaccines in farm animals. Hormone-laced beef and dairy consumption is correlated with increased rates of breast, testis and prostate cancers.

Organic crops aren’t fertilized with toxic sewage sludge or coal waste, or irrigated with E. coli contaminated sewage water.

Organic food contains less illness-inducing bacteria. Organic chicken is free of salmonella and has a reduced incidence of campylobacter.

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

The Plot: According to the synopsis given, War Horse is a tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War. It is directed by Steven Spielberg. War Horse begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young Devon boy called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land. Is it a decent movie to watch?

What We Thought: This film will be nominated for 6 categories at the 84^th Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography,  and Best Original Score which prompted me to catch the preview recently and it would probably be the same reasons why you would watch it. Heck, it’s helmed by Spielberg and his regular collaborators, Janusz Kamiński, Michael Kahn, and John Williams. All of whom, with their individual talents, have achieved great fame and wowed audiences worldwide translating screenplays to moving images and captivating music. Many of us have grown up watching Spielberg movies. War Horse was adapted from a famous novel of the same name written in 1982 by Michael Morpurgo which was successfully adapted to the stage as well.  With such experienced hands behind the War Horse production, I walked out of the screening feeling rather empty and disappointed. While I’ve never read the book nor watched the stage production, I had expected an entertaining interpretation from the Spielberg team to deliver beautiful sceneries, rouse up great performances from actors, and a grandeur music score that would envelope me in its magic for 146 minutes. Instead for the first hour, I found my interest lingering away and sinking into boredom. My lapse of concentration had me twiddling my thumbs while waiting for something more intriguing to happen. The second hour, while it picked up a notch, failed to bring me to the entertainment level I would have expected from a Spielberg production.

The poor direction, I felt, left performances of an experienced cast empty of good performances and creating scenes (or missing scenes) that failed to make sufficient sense to a movie goer unless they have read the novel. The performances from the European cast all seemed so wooden that I would have preferred them to speak in their native tongue to encourage better character portrayal. Throughout the movie, I was irritated by the harsh lighting delivered by Karminski, a renowned cinematographer. Worse was the film noir sunset ending that seemed out of context of the movie. Camera work done to capture the lead character Joey the horse’s emotions did little to stir any interest in me and I noticed, nor in the audiences around me.  Production teams from Discovery or National Geographic would have done a better job capturing animal emotions. Even John William’s poor delivery in the music department failed to create any emotive appeal.

I am a little harsh in my judgment of this epic film but we should not expect anything less from the Spielberg team with their fat paychecks and royalties earned from film distribution. Many famous reviewers have also panned the film’s delivery and have expressed surprise in its nominations (and other film nominations) in the upcoming Academy Awards. I would have only agreed with the nominations in art direction as the costumes, sets and filming locations were nice.

War Horse, besides my ranting on its technical faults, is still a reasonably entertaining movie for general audiences. There are several scenes which depicted the harsh realities of war, and there were comical scenes to inject humor. All of these deliver messages of hope, friendship and loyalty as the main premise of the film. There is a comical scene between Joey the horse, a British and German soldier in the area of land between two enemy trenches, generally known as ‘No Man’s Land’ which will probably be remembered as “the famous” War Horse movie scene. Watch it to find out.

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

Yes, indeed, Garibaldi is on my list of top 5 Italian restaurants to dine at, in Kuala Lumpur. We like the mood, the food, the well informed staff and the appropriate prices, but so do legions of tuned-in KL-lites. I have never been disappointed each time I visit this establishment and so, Garibaldi has become a place I have no qualms in bringing my clients, friends or family members to.

black truffle promotion at Garibaldi

This time round, we visit Garibaldi for its Black truffle promotion. The black truffle of Périgord, the cynosure of every foodie’s dreams, is about to yield its most intimate secrets to us, and we are totally psyched!

amuse bouche

After a quick look at the menu, the waiter recommends all the “Specials” (on Specials Tuesday) which we happily agree to order, and soon, the amuse bouche of quails egg and potato salad make an appearance.

wild golden trout caviar 100gm, with chopped red onion, parsley, sieved hard-boiled egg, sour cream, truffle butter and blinis

Wildly delicious, wild golden trout caviar sat in a deceptively small glistening heap on a platter. Supremely addictive. The blini are small, yeast-leavened, buckwheat pancakes that originally come from Russia. Classically they are served with sour cream and caviar or smoked salmon, and these ones went perfectly with our plump, trout caviar. Be careful you do not fill yourself prematurely with blini and the truffle butter. I was guilty of slathering it on thick, but I had to stop myself, ah.. not too fast, I tell myself, and not before the good stuff arrives.

Baby Spinach with Orange Segments, Cheese, Cherry Tomato and Walnut Salad

Green Asparagus Cream with Poached Quail Egg

Sous Chef Andrea Genio weights out the black truffles to precision, before shaving it on to the dish before him

I always wonder how such an ugly thing, can have so much sexuality attached to it. You see, truffles are the fruit of fungi that infect the roots of certain trees, but they are of keen interest to pigs, particularly sows, because some secrete androstenol, a hormone produced by boars before mating. People who use sows to hunt for truffles often find it hard to prevent a sex-crazed animal from eating the truffle it has found and may lose fingers in the attempt to stop it.

Ugly yet sexy. If only life were that easy.

Warm Ox Tongue on Chickpeas Mousse, White Asparagus and Black Truffle Pregiato

I’ve never fancied myself an expert, just by eating truffles, but here’s what else I learnt.. (from a rather smart and sexy Italian lady).

Nestled underground in the roots of its oak tree host, the truffle fungus has a set of genes for detecting light. These are either to help it avoid sunlight and stay safely beneath the earth, or to help it sense the passage of the seasons. It has another set of genes for exchanging nutrients with its host. The fungus earns its keep, providing more food for the oak than the tree’s roots can obtain alone. Truffle-infected trees can often be recognized because a patch of bare earth develops around the trunk. Anyway, the “black truffle” or “black Périgord truffle” (Tuber melanosporum) is named after the Périgord region in France and the white truffle (even more sought after than the black) or “Alba madonna” (Tuber magnatum) comes from the Piedmont region in northern Italy and, most famously, in the countryside around the city of Alba.

Wow, I might not have known these cool facts before, about that black fungus, but I sure know how to appreciate its taste.

Ox Tongue and Black truffles.. AND white asparagus.. does it get any better than this?

The ones served at Garibaldi are lush, with an earthy, pungent perfume, that is hard to describe.

White Asparagus with Poached Egg and Black Truffle Pregiato

We try different ways of consuming these lovely black shavings of truffles, and I must say, I like them all!

Scaloppine – Veal Scaloppini with Porcini Mushrooms Truffle Sauce   

Even a soft, and succulent veal could not detract from the beauty of the black truffle. It was a great journey that ended all too quickly. I was sorry to reach my journey’s end.

Special baked Cod Fish, in Mediterranean style.. 

Fish is another big deal with me. I love it. More than chicken or beef actually. Here at Garibaldi, the fish surpasses my expectations. This one is a must order for all you fish lovers out there. Baked Cod which is ever so lightly flavoured by the ingredients it’s baked with. The essence and flavour of Cod really shines through. I love this dish.

A special transparent foil that is heat resistant and fire resistant is employed to keep the flavours in, whilst cooking the cod fish. The resulting broth is brilliant! Never had a better fish than this.

Pan fried Sea Bream .. another great fish. Garibaldi is truly the place to go for great pasta, and fish dishes

chestnut gnocchi with hazelnut butter & liquor-cooked grapes

This was another big highlight at our table. All my colleagues were oo-ing and ah-ing at the addictive texture of the gnocchi and the creamy buttery hazelnut sauce it came in. Wow… I fear my heart cannot take the richness of this dish. If you guessed that I might have run it off that evening, you guessed right.

The one of the coolest Chefs I know.. Executive Chef Giuliano Berta is always free for a chat! I love this guy’s smile:)

Here is Chef Giuliano Berta explaining why we should order the Chinese New Year special dessert. He describes it so well, we decide to order it.

Torta di Mele – Garibaldi`s Apple Pie with Vanilla Gelato  

 Tiramisu’ – Garibaldi `s Signature Tiramisu   

Pannacotta – Bourbon Vanilla Pannacotta with Marinated Strawberries in Aged Balsamic Vinegar   

Chinese New Year, special dessert employing chocolate, dragon fruit, mandarin orange segments and cream

Alcoholic Zabaglione with berries

The food at Garibaldi is great. This new month sees a new menu, and I’m definitely heading there for my Italian fix again soon. Garibaldi is best experienced at lunch, or just before the dinnertime hordes elbow in. Sitting here and chatting with my colleagues, I must admit that life does not get much better than this.

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

Penang‘s Famous Sweet Dessert, known as the ‘Apom Manis’ is one of the best I have ever eaten. Located on Kuching Street, Pulau Tikus, just outside the New Cathay coffeeshop, this Indian man has been selling his sweet Apom since 1974. His father’s secret recipe is what keeps patrons coming back for more, and I totally agree. For RM3 you can get 6 pieces of Apom Manis. This is one of the best Apom I have eaten to date. Never had a softer, fluffier, more eggy apom in my life! Some types of apom have a harder crumbly texture, but this one when served piping hot and fresh was literally flaking and tearing off at the seams.. it was that billowy soft. Fly-away-apom I like to call it. And the characteristic puffed up center is sweet, eggy and soft. If clouds in the sky had a texture, it would be like this apom here.

Apom Manis itself is a common snack in Penang, that resembles crepes, popular for breakfast or just as a light dessert. Apom or Apam is originally an Indian food from Tamil Nadu; in the old days only the Indian Tamil would sell Apom in Penang. The locals called it Apom Manis. This fluffy dessert is made of the simplest of ingredients – sugar, egg, coconut milk and flour. The mixed flour batter is pour into small clay pots(but now some use mini woks) to form thin and crispy sides encircling a thick and puffy center. Me and my colleagues like to have it after breakfast.. imagine how stuffed we can get, just by mid morning! Besides the apom manis’ tastiness, one of the reasons to visit this stall is to witness the preparation process. The apom manis here are still made according to a century old tradition, using charcoal stove instead of gas heated steel pots.

I know that there are many famous Apom stalls in Penang, but this one remains my favourite. It’s all just a matter of taste after all, isn’t it? Highly recommended!

Charcoal stoves for the best tasting, traditionally made apom

stack them mini-woks high

coal embers

this guy has fast hands.. he moves quickly flipping and turning his apom till they are the perfect golden brown

billowy pillows of soft, delicious apom

 the famous stall parked at the side of New Cathay Coffeeshop, on Pulau Tikus, Penang

This place is packed for breakfast

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

Valentine’s Contest to Win Dinner for TWO at Samplings on the Fourteenth is..

Siti Shahanim Hashim  

2. WINNER FOR ..

Win a Weekend Stay at Le Meridien KL – Valentine’s Day Special is..

Liew Gin Lim 

CONGRATS! Please check your emails for the terms and conditions, and how to go about booking your date!

For the rest, stay tuned. The winners for the Ritz Carlton Weekend stay, will be announced on the 14th of February. Good Luck!!

if you have not tried your hand at this contest, there is still time! Go HERE to immediately participate!

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

1.What were your favorite foods growing up?

Stodgy British comfort food – Beef Wellington, Lobster Thermidor and smoked oysters!

2.When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?

When I was on holiday in Italy and assimilated with the locals, I was influenced by their joie de vivre when it came to working for what they were passionate about. I realized that when things weren’t meant to be, you really feel like you are fighting an uphill battle when it came to work. So I promptly gave up my business suits and walked straight into the commercial kitchen when I returned to Sydney.

3.Where and when did your career in food begin?

I have always been catering for more than 10 years in the private kitchens of some very well-heeled clients in Sydney.

4.If you didn’t become a chef, what would you be?
I would be a litigator sending out legal love letters to EVERYONE.

5.Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?

I don’t know… most of my food now is self-taught or self-discovered. I came from a scientific background so I am constantly experimenting in the kitchen to come up with the wackiest creations.

6.Please tell us a little bit more, about this scientific background you just mentioned..

Double degree triple majors in Biotechnology, biochemistry and marketing. I have an honors thesis in stem cell research and was a three time college/ university scholar if you need proof that i have a semblance of grey matter. :p

7.What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
My Swiss Pacojet – which churns ice cream in 10 minutes and my Japanese knives.

8.What influences your cooking style and particularly your menu?

My style is highly experimental and best described as polarizing – you either love it or hate it. I get terribly bored of my own menu, which is why I tend to change it gradually every day. It is a reflection of what I prefer to eat. I aim to be daring which is probably not very business-oriented. For example, I hardly every serve chicken unless I am in the mood of eating chicken.

However, I am most influenced by what I can get my hands on in the market which dictates what is served on that day. I tend to start getting excited about a particular ingredient and build the dish from there. Sometimes, it happens during the dinner service itself – imagine a mini Iron Chef episode at Bistro à Table which pretty much happens on a daily basis.

9.What is your favorite secret ingredient and why?

There are three elements commonly found in the BAT kitchen – butter, cream and ego. Ask any French chef and they too will agree.

10.What is the one rule or value you try to instil in all of your staff?
Discipline. I was trained the old fashioned way in small restaurants where you pretty much make everything on the plate – from the stocks, cakes and even the little silly garnishes. So even on a quiet night, there is always something to do in the restaurant. And in this line of work, if you party hard, you bloody well have to still function the next day for work, there are no excuses.

11.If I’m trying to watch my weight and I’m eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?

Either go for the Fassone sirloin from Piedmont, which is virtually fat-free but oh so tender and flavorful or the fish – we only serve limited amounts of fresh fish. Nothing comes into the kitchen frozen.

12.If its my birthday and i am being super-indulgent and the sky’s the limit, what am I ordering to eat from your restaurant?

You should attend one of BAT’s infamous themed degustation dinners. In March, we are doing Alice in Wonderland where elements of Lewis Carroll’s novel will be served on that night. Every month has a different theme, so call in to check.

13.What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
I once had to cook a 5 course meal from an office kitchenette. It went well but never again.

14.What was your worst restaurant disaster?
When the oven did not work and I had to superheat a covered wok to use it as a makeshift oven.

15.What is your least favorite food?
Chicken – to me, the most boring meat in the world.

16.Tell us something funny about yourself.
I really don’t give a rat’s arse about the way I conduct myself in my own restaurant, to the extent where sometimes I scare customers (but I think my staff forewarn them anyway).

17.What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
International restaurants are scaling back the tinsel and are getting more casual, serving old school comfort food.

18.When you are not eating at your own restaurant…you are eating at?
You can probably see me along with the rest of the other head chefs stuffing our faces at Jalan Alor, which is the only decent place serving cooked food at two in the morning.

19.Tell us something about yourself or a skill you possess that nobody knows;)
I can sleep on any surface, anywhere and anytime on call. This superhuman power is very useful on long-haul flights.

20.What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
Simple white bean stew and seared buffalo kidneys in Piedmont. It was simple, fresh and so flavourful. It must be the water in that region.

21.What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
You do not need to follow recipes to a T. Improvising is fun.

22.What do you eat when you are home?
Fromage!

23.What’s a basic cooking technique that you couldn’t possibly live without?
Steaming -the simplest and most efficient way of cooking something flavourful.

24.You obviously rely a lot on your sense of smell. Why do you think that an educated sense of smell is important to developing a good dish?
Actually, I rely on my sense on taste and feel. You must really understand individual ingredients when you are combining them and how they react with one another. Then the second factor is texture and the way it plays in your mouth. When you satisfy both factors, you achieve a wonderful gastronomic experience within yourself.

25.Finally, what is your advice for all those new, up and coming Chefs out there?

Just because you came from cooking school, does not make you a qualified chef. Experience counts for 98% of your worth. Start humble and work your way to the top, the old fashioned way!

*All photos courtesy of Bistro à Table 

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

Don’t stop spoiling your loved one once Valentine’s ends, treat him or her to a weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur and be waited upon hand and foot by your personal 24-hour butler.

For the chance to win a complimentary weekend stay (2days, 1 night), in an Executive Deluxe room at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, inclusive of breakfast for two in César’s all you have to do is the following TWO things.. but be sure you do BOTH:

To Win a Weekend Stay At the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, please complete STEPS 1 and 2:

1. ‘Like’ The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur’s Facebook Page, and on the Ritz Carlton Fanpage Wall, tag yourself and the person whom you would most like to bring with you, on any of the images already on that Facebook page.

2. ‘Like’ CC Food Travel‘s Facebook page, and on the CC Food Travel Fanpage Wall, Write and complete this slogan “I like dining at the Ritz Carlton KL because……. ”

NOTE: We will pick the winner only if you have completed both Steps1 and 2. GOOD LUCK!

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

Don’t stop spoiling your loved one once Valentine’s ends, treat him or her to a weekend at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur and be waited upon hand and foot by your personal 24-hour butler.

For the chance to win a complimentary weekend stay (2days, 1 night), in an Executive Deluxe room at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, inclusive of breakfast for two in César’s all you have to do is the following TWO things.. but be sure you do BOTH:

To Win a Weekend Stay At the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, please complete STEPS 1 and 2:

1. ‘Like’ The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur’s Facebook Page, and on the Ritz Carlton Fanpage Wall, tag yourself and the person whom you would most like to bring with you, on any of the images already on that Facebook page.

2. ‘Like’ CC Food Travel‘s Facebook page, and on the CC Food Travel Fanpage Wall, Write and complete this slogan “I like dining at the Ritz Carlton KL because……. ”

NOTE: We will pick the winner only if you have completed both Steps1 and 2. GOOD LUCK!

CC Food Travel: A Food, Travel and Adventure Blog

James Cendol on Old Klang Road does some great Cendol indeed!

This spanking new cendol joint (only 6 months old) is situated next to Lee Chong Wei Sri Sentosa Sports Complex (map attached at the end of post), on Old Klang Road. Cumi stumbled upon it, as usual, on one of his drives around town. The good thing about the location of James Cendol, is that there is ample free carpark and you can sit for as long as you like, in comfortable, breezy surroundings, unlike some cendol stalls where you have to squeeze into parking and stand around in the heat, eating and sweating into your cendol.

Lee Chong Wei Sri Sentosa Sports Complex

striking venue.. you can’t miss it

This cendol originates in Sitiawan, and if you ask the Sitiawan folk they will probably tell you that Sitiawan cendol is the best.. ever. And if you keep prodding, they will tell you that James Cendol is the best in Sitiawan;) The original James Cendol stall from Sitiawan is situated right at the entrance to a Hindu temple on Jalan Lumut – within a walking distance from The Store supermarket or Uncle John Cafe in Sitiawan, if you ever go there and want to visit the original shop.

soft, fluffy green stands of cendol

James himself is an amicable fellow. He was patient and all smiles as I asked him to pause this way, and that way, and ‘show me all his apparatus’ so I could take a good photo. A very cool guy, all decked out for the part too, I must say. I’ve never seen a more smartly dressed cendol man. Ever.

James, the man!

Green, fluffy and soft strands of pandan infused cendol that is served up nice and icy cold in fresh coconut santan(milk). The coconut is so fresh, you can see them grating it, old school style, at James Cendol.

the grater

the coconut

the coconut gets the grater

The cendol strands themselves are made fresh everyday and do not contain any preservatives, and that’s why the texture is so great. I love my cendol with pulut and red bean.. tastes heavenly! At RM3.00 per bowl, it’s obviously not the cheapest of Cendol in the Klang Valley, but the quality and flavour is totally worth the money. They add just enough salt to their cendol which really enhances the flavour of the coconut milk. They also do goreng pisang and rojak here. And oh, some rather tasty ice cream potong too. Perfect in this sweltering heat!

my favourite way of eating cendol – cendol, pulut and red bean

goreng pisang (banana fritters)

ice-cream potong .. cendol flavour

Verdict? A terrific place for Cendol. We will be back with friends and family in tow, the next time. For the lucky folk of Bangsar, James Cendol will be opening a new branch soon in that area.  The owners will be starting up a restaurant called SIMPLY SPICE opposite the new UOA building at Dataran Maybank in Bangsar starting on the 16th of February. James Cendol will be served here.

 MAP TO JAMES CENDOL, OLD KLANG ROAD:

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