I know this isn’t exactly a food related post or something that is directly linked to “growing Malaysia’s food & beverage industry” but I am so proud of my boss… Fay! She and buddy Asha Gill have launched a series of books that aims to educate children about environmental awareness. So awesome right? I had to plug them!
Screenshot taken from thestar online, 5th March 2010. Read more about the launch and Eco Kids below.
Congrats again ladies! Thanks for making the world a better place!
I have been meaning to write this piece for a long time… but have procrastinated for no good reason along with not replacing the toaster (so I’m toasting my bread on a frying pan… I suck. I know). Anyway kids, today’s discussion is about the business cards bowl that you see in many restaurants. We know why it is there… it is a tool, a business tool. It is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool. As a database collection device, it is great! It is low-tech… hell it is NO-TECH… it is cheap, it is targeted, accurate and it works. Having said that, it is not as effective as it could be because some restaurateurs are unscrupulous and have become greedy.
Shall we play… spot your business card?
The bowl works because the idea behind it is fair and has a “win-win” concept as a foundation. A diner gives up a bit of information in exchange for a chance to win something for themselves. Diners are intelligent and they KNOW that they are going to receive marketing material the minute they drop their business card into the bowl… but they still do it. Whether it may be to hear news about the restaurant or for the freebie… whatever their reason… if the balance is maintained, this bowl (as a tool) works. I’m a freebie kinda person.
The sad news is this. I have actually sat down with restaurateurs who giggle and are smug about not keeping their promises. That is… they don’t give anything away! That sucks! I’ve also heard sad stories from Marketing Managers caught in between wanting to do some good for the restaurant but have to deal with a stingy boss. The “win-win” equation breaks. Diners become sceptical that giving away a bit of their privacy will yield any returns at all… and after a while, less and less people drop their business cards into the bowls.
… but… we can fix this!
The good news is some diners actually WANT to love and believe in this bowl. So there is hope. The repairs begin with upholding integrity and rebuilding trust. Firstly, restaurateurs need to start treating their customers with more respect… and ACTUALLY keep their promises. At minimal cost they get to build a targeted and accurate database of their clients. They should appreciate that and not abuse it. Secondly, to convince the sceptics that promises are being kept, restaurants could display a “previous winners” list next to the bowl. If restaurants play nice… both parties stand to gain. Otherwise in the years to come, this brilliant tool will be yet another Tragedy of The Commons.
… and now, let me return to my toaster… hmmm… maybe after I watch some Astro…
Many moons ago, I promised that I would do an exclusive interview with Chef Michael Elfwing. Many moons ago, I also promised myself that I’d go easy on the alcohol during the Chinese New Year period. Not all promises were kept and I guess we know which promise I kept and which one I didn’t. So anyway… I know it has taken an eternity to get this blog post up… hell the last time I posted anything was last year (based on lunar calendar)… but here it is… my exclusive with Chef Michael Elfwing…
“Hi Lil’ Chef.”
“Hi Lil’ Frat.”
The mood and setting: I arrived just a bit before 8PM at Lil’ Chef’s cosy and chic condominium… somewhere in KL. (Side note: If you want to stalk the handsome Chef and want his address… information is on sale. Just show me the money baybeh! Alternatively, you can try bribing @fatboybakes who also happens to know where Lil’ Chef hangs up his spatula). As Lil’ Chef opened the door to greet me… the smell of his cooking wafted… and I knew instantly that it was going to be a good night…
“Frat, seriously… get out of my kitchen! Oh! The camera!” *smiles*
Frat: Strange thing about gangsters and the mafia, their names never reflect their actual size… in fact it is the total opposite! I mean first names that come to mind are Biggie Smalls… errrm HUGE!!!… and henchmen for the mob in movies are normally called Tiny… and they are HUGE!!! Is that why you are called the Lil’ Chef?… because you are HUGE? *cough* *cough*
Lil’ Chef: Actually…I don’t know why but I reckon its probably from the movie Ratatouille.
Frat: Okay, let’s start slow… Lafite won best fine dining restaurant in Time Out KL. How did that make you feel? Wait don’t answer, I have multiple choice for you to select from. Your immediate thoughts were:
a. Pan sear Damon Campbell! GAHHHHH!!!!
b. Question the voting process/system/mechanism by Time Out KL!
c. Throw Time Out KL away and pick up another magazine
d. Wish there was a bigger budget to promote Senses
e. ALL THE ABOVE
Lil’ Chef: I’d pick up another magazine… so (c).
Dinner is served! I am such a privileged lil troll
Frat: What do you think you need to win more awards next year?
Lil’ Chef: This is where I am different. I am different… I don’t have to win more awards. I am not that hungry for the awards. My project will still be my book… but of course there is the restaurant (without the restaurant I won’t be here)… some changes would be needed for Senses… it has been there 5 years… I’ve been there 5 years! It probably needs renovation or a new marketing strategy perhaps to liven the place up again. You don’t need another award that people forget about after a month. One thing I really like is MIGF, it is the only the event where the Chef is the center of attraction. Doesn’t matter whether it is Chinese, Indian or German cuisine… it is always the Chef.
It would be nice to be recognized by some international awards outside of Malaysia. Some reputable awards have a presence in Malaysia but knowing that most of them are based in Singapore, you don’t know whether they come to see for themselves.
As for awards… we have a tonne of awards… and a lot from MIGF, but look at the success of Takeshi and Cilantro… they’ve never entered anything but they still have that impressive following and built up clientele.
I guess you just got to believe in what you do… doesn’t matter which magazine likes it… we all have different taste and preference.
Frat: Actually, which awards are worth following in Malaysia?
Lil’ Chef: A lot are advertisement based, so I don’t know. I think many people are aware of this as well.
Frat: Doctor Evil’s new plot is to take away the pleasure in eating… to stop Doctor Evil from this madness, you are called to assemble a five man team of Malaysia’s finest Chefs to form a grime fighting team… who would you pick to fight by your side and why?
Lil’ Chef: Okay… *ponders long and hard*
Chef Ken Ho (Third Floor) - Ken is very Zen, very cool and calm. He is humble, quiet and doesn’t make a fuss. He would be a good holding all together kinda guy.
Chef Takeshi (Cilantro) - There is a certain precision in his work. He is consistent and hence reliable.
Chef from Sek Yuen (number 313 Jalan Pudu) - If everything fails and there is some fire this guy can cook anything. The rest of us will be screwed but he’ll still cook up a feast.
Chef/Old man from Soo Kee (Imbi) – He is quite tall and strong. He’s got his wok and spatula so he already looks like a warrior.
Frat: Did you watch Kill Bill?
Lil’ Chef: No
Frat: Anyway, there is a part in Kill Bill which is quite profound which relates to the next question. Are you born Superman hiding behind Clark Kent or born Peter Parker but now wearing a mask as Spiderman to protect your Peter Parker identity?
Lil’ Chef: Well when I put on the apron I become Spiderman.
Frat: Hahaha… okay cool… so when do we get to see Peter Parker?
Lil’ Chef: … hmmm… at Fat Boy Bake’s for nice Saturday parties.
Another reason why you don’t want to mess with a Chef… he’s got a suitcase full of knives!
Another cool knife for sashimi… and poorly behaved guests
Frat: Woooohooo… he’s so gonna love that answer! Cool… cool! Tell me one of your superpowers.
Lil’ Chef: I don’t pee. I can easily do 24 hours without pee-ing. I can easily go 12-15 hours without even thinking.
Frat: HAHAHAHAHA! What?! That is insane bro!!
Lil’ Chef: Probably training from working many hours in the kitchen without a break.
Frat: From the times we have met… you seem very even tempered. Everyone has a tipping point… what pisses you off?
Lil’ Chef: Repetition or if the same thing gets repeated over and over and there is no change from it and we don’t learn from it… whatever it might be. It can be personal or work related… like if it is personal… if you drink and drive and you crash your car… you should learn from it… if you burn the Wagyu the last time because pan was too hot… don’t burn it again… I guess this is the only thing that pisses me off is when people don’t learn. People can say a hundred times, “Okay I’ve learnt… sorry Chef I’ve learnt” but if you don’t show it then it doesn’t matter. I don’t get affected with most things that don’t affect me. I like to read the papers and watch news but things that don’t affect me doesn’t really bother me. Shit happens.
Frat: What’s the worst disciplinary action you have had to take on one of your staff?
Lil’ Chef: I took his apron off… and told him he can go home now, if you continue to be like this… there is no need for you to come back. You can change, come back and learn… then you can come back tomorrow. I took off his apron very nicely, and told him to leave.
He didn’t come back. Probably too embarrassed in front of everyone as well.
Frat: I hear you don’t drink much… okay errrm that’s relative… damn… anyway… what vice do you indulge in?
Lil’ Chef: It is not that I don’t drink… I think I don’t drink often… it is partially to do with the job that I have.
I can’t cook with a bad hangover. So I just decided to ease up on the drinking.
Frat: Okay… that’s a fair and valid answer. Next… if budget and resources were not an issue, what would you do to improve Malaysia’s culinary scene?
Lil’ Chef: Probably something with education. I would say culinary school but you can’t teach attitude… so that’s a problem.
… but I think in a good culinary school, you can probably change your attitude and build a love for your job. If you have a good foundation, then it doesn’t matter if your first boss (a chef)… is bad… you don’t give up cooking just because of that chef… you move on… because you have built the foundation for love of the job at the cooking school.
If you have good teachers that can teach you good positive attitude about cooking… you’ll find good recipes are everywhere… but you must have the right attitude… because with the right attitude you are able to build that passion.
Frat: What is your end game?
Lil’ Chef: I have a chance to build something now for the future where I don’t have to be like this… I don’t chase to be Executive Chef in a hotel… I have seen good living in Australia… if I want to live well, then it would probably migrate to Australia. My own restaurant perhaps… in a winery or at the country side… not really at the city….
Frat: Okay thanks for that… and now the questions from the public! Lyrical Lemongrass asks: Does the handsome Chef have any stalkers, and how does he hide from them? Is the pet snake to eat them up?
*blushes from the handsome comment*
Lil’ Chef: Yes. Hotel stalker… they stalk me outside. Perhaps also online and magazine stalking. They offer to take me places but I politely decline. It is quite hard to hide from them in an open kitchen. Sometimes my staff help me.
Michael’s Snakey! Notice the bulge towards the right… Snakey just ate! Hehehe… notice Snakey’s bulge… hahaha.. get it… get it? Hmm… nevermind.
Michael keeping his Snakey wet
Frat: Hahaha lucky you have a supportive team. Next, gfad asks: …What I really want to know is who his fantasy dinner guests are and what his last meal would be.
Lil’ Chef: Hmmm fantasy guest would be the Swedish King. He is very knowledgeable about food. Yes… the Swedish King. He is passionate about food. My last meal would be a ball of ice-cream.
Frat: acho asks: Can you do private catering or is that against your contractual terms? If “yes” how much do you charge?
Lil’ Chef: I can do it through the hotel… but at a personal capacity it is against contractual terms. So there’s an outside catering fee… then there’s a Chef Michael Elfwing fee then there’s the menu…
Frat: ouioui asks: If you were a type of food… what would you be and why?
Lil’ Chef: Pasta… because it is comforting, it is something you always have around… you want to have around… it never outshines anything… but it compliments everything… and it is all so yummy… and it goes so well in so many different styles.
Frat: That’s a damn good answer! Okay, this last person requested to remain anonymous. Anonymous asks: Chefs work crazy hours, especially in a place like Senses. So where does all the money you earn go?
Lil’ Chef: Eating probably… and living well. I like to have a home, I can rent a space but when I come home… it has got to be good furniture… MY furniture so that I can call it home. It has got to be comfortable. So if it is a nice toy like an iMAC, TV, a book collection…
Lil’ Chef and what he watched recently. Sharkwater, Jackass, Keeping Mum and Inglourious Basterds among the many movies
I can also spend months of my salary on a holiday and won’t feel bad about it. That means if I want to have 2 star Michelin for lunch and 2 star Michelin for dinner… just do it and don’t feel bad about it.
… but priority changes on and off from month to month… but it is important to know what is important for
that moment. So if I’ve been working hard that month… then I might indulge a little. I think I am quite sensible… I don’t overdo things.
Frat: Awesome… awesome! Well… thanks for the time Chef! I had a fantastic dinner and had a really great time this evening. Don’t mind if I wander around now and take some photos of your place…
What an impressive DVD collection…
… only to be topped by his book collection
Impressive AV setup. Of course… I waited until Mariah was on TV
Lil’ Chef: My pleasure. Perhaps I see you at Sek Yuen next month?
Frat: Sounds good!
That concludes my interview with Lil’ Chef. Sek Yuen did happen by the way… but I wasn’t around to dine with Lil’ Chef. I am sure the other bloggers will write about it soon. Fat Boy Bakes is hell-bent on reminding me what great company, food and alcohol I missed out on… damnnn… ohhh well…
I hope you enjoyed the interview. I’ll scout around for another accomplished Chef to interview. Hmmm… or maybe you guys have suggestions?
I must admit, I rarely read press releases because I am normally on the ground asking questions, taking notes, snapping photos and forming my own opinions about a product, service or event (summary: my boss loves to torture me!). I only refer to the press releases for random facts, statistics and numbers which my brain is unable to contain after a few drinks. Having said that, yesterday I spent some time reading the releases that were provided to invited guests during the eatdrinkandmore.com launch at The Westin earlier this month… and I must say, everything was informative, well structured and artfully presented.
I love corporate premiums and this bag was loaded with them… bottle openers, fridge magnets… THE WORKS!
Eatdrinkandmore.com is as the name suggests and is pretty much self explanatory. It is Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ one-stop online portal that offers unique and refreshing food and beverage concepts… and more!
Anyway… as I read the releases, one part resonated with me, and I’d like to share it with restaurateurs… I hope you guys are paying attention! This is by Miguel Ko, Chairman and President of Starwood Asia Pacific. He says…
“Our mission has always been to listen to our customers and to stay ahead of the changing tastes, trends and needs of our customers. Working with various experts in the food and beverage industry including designers, chefs, food journalists and consultants has provided us with great insights into the creation of an outstanding food and beverage experience.”
Tastes, trends and needs are ever changing. We are now at a point whereby there is huge demand for accessibility on the Internet… whether it is to find your business address, look at some photos or just to book a table… people want to do it online! So the question is… are you content meeting your revenue targets or do you want to stay ahead of the curve? If it is the latter… great! theQguides.com wants to help!
Back to the launch…
Favola - the hottest, newest, most talked about Italian restaurant in town
The concept for the evening was great. We literally ate at five different *“branded outlets”. Le Méridien moved two of their restaurants (including Chefs) and put together makeshift-compact versions of Favola and Latest Recipe at The Westin. I was very impressed at how they managed to maintain the quality of food in such transitory conditions at The Westin. So anyway, we started off our nomadic food trail at Favola, worked our way up to Latest Recipe (which constructed in The Living Room) and continued to move on up to EEST. This was where Cheryl Lum, Director of Communications at Le Méridien and Martin B. Jones, VP, Food & Beverage (Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts) introduced and launched the eatdrinkandmore.com portal. My oooh my… I was blown away… eatdrinkandmore.com is a content behemoth! I am sure many humans were sacrificed on altars and office tables working late hours to build this feature rich portal. Kudos goes to Starwood for taking a bold step in this direction.
Latest Recipe features familiar and easy to eat contemporary food
The launch of the portal at EEST
After eatdrinkandmore.com was launched, we snacked a little more at EEST and then we were ushered to Prego for some authentic Italian fare… and soon after made our way to Qba where we I had countless gin and mojito popsicles… oooh oooh and pina colada paletas. Having these popsicles made it feel like I was in school again… but this time instead of being giddy over chicks, I was giddy from all the booze. *burp*
Getting tipsy at Prego… the quality of photos is proof of consumption
Final stop… in typical Frat Mustard style… I made it a point to get sloshed at Qba
All in all, it was a fantastic night. Great company, great food, fantastic drinks and fantastic hosts from both The Westin and Le Méridien. Special thanks goes out to Cheryl Lum who invited me… I am so honoured. Hahahaha. *errrhemmm* *clears throat* Sorry, private joke people. Anyway… Starwood has made the first move… I wonder how the other giant chains like Hilton and Marriott are going to react. Ball is in your court…
Note: *“Branded outlets” or branded lifestyle concepts are basically F&B outlets which can be found in other Starwood properties. E.g. Favola is also available in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Shanghai.
Oooooh goodyyyy! *rubs palms together* Do I have a treat for you fellaz. Have you ever wondered what goes on in a Chef’s head, what their homes look like, what they have in the fridge, what DVDs they watch… that sorta thing? Do I hear a yes? Do I hear a HELL YES!?!!!??? Well good because before the month is up, I’ll be interviewing Chef Michael Elfwing… oooh yeah!! w000tz! You read and heard right… Michael Elfwing!!! Chef de Cuisine of Senses, Hilton KL… at his home territory (literally speaking).
Clearly, I need some assistance with my creatives. I don’t have the mad skills and talent like Qwazymonkey
So! Here’s what’s gonna happen. This is gonna be one of those interviews where I hope to ask some realllly interesting questions. Stuff that doesn’t get published in magazines and newspapers because the editors don’t let it through. I’m going for blood! If you’ve got a question for Chef Michael Elfwing or Lil Chef (as he is affectionately known as), submit it in the comments section or send me an email. In addition to all the questions I’ll be asking, I’ll ask the top 5 most interesting questions from the public. Hmmm, tell you what… let’s make this even more interesting… tell me what you want to see and I’ll take photos of it! Yes… photos! Ladies, ze Chef has an 8 ft. snake… for real. Ahhh!! Got your attention! Good…
So seriously folks, let me ask the questions you’ve always wanted to know… let me be your eyes and take the photos you wanna see. Send me your questions and requests and I’ll do my best to see it through.
PEACE OUT!
1. “In the English language, tip may refer to a gratuity (a voluntary additional payment made for services rendered)”… found on Wikipedia.org
2. “A small present of money given directly to someone for performing a service or menial task; gratuity”… found on Dictionary.com
Not too long ago, I tipped a valet in Ipoh… the jockey tapped me on the shoulder and told me I overpaid. I explained to the hotel employee that the tip was for him. He had a wry smile on his face and looked around so as to check whether his colleagues were watching him. He kept the tip in a hurry and thanked me thrice. The amazing thing was that it wasn’t even a large sum… in America I probably would have been beaten up for being a miser or charged under The Ebenezer Scrooge Act 1843.
We don’t tip very much in Malaysia do we? I rarely tip because the service from waiting staff is often not praiseworthy and undeserving of the tip. I do tip when the service from waiting staff exceeds expectations (which honestly is not difficult to exceed in Malaysia as the service standards are really low). Restaurateurs, I mean no disrespect… but you do know it is true. The Malaysian level of service is not comparable to our neighbours like Thailand and Indonesia.
One day when I master the camera, I’ll stop stealing photos from Lyrical Lemongrass
… but back to the point… why don’t we tip? Why don’t YOU tip? Is it because there is already a 10% service fee included in our restaurant bills and we consider THAT a tip? Do share your thoughts.
For the sake of this discussion, I’m going to assume that most of you DO consider the 10% service fee as a tip simply because that is what most people I asked answered. Isn’t it then possible that the 10% service fee be contributing to the lacklustre quality of service in Malaysia? I mean think about it… the point of tipping is to reward for a job well done (well… that’s how I see it). If the majority of us consider the service fee a tip, pay it unquestioningly and do NOT tip beyond that… then there isn’t any real incentive for the waiting staff to go out of their way to do an outstanding job. Even if they did a mediocre job, they know they’ll get a slice of that service fee.
Can we fix this? Yes, I believe we can. Restaurateurs need to continue doing what they are doing… selective hiring, continuous training, corrective action, employee of the month awards… etc… and we as consumers can reinforce all that by tipping (beyond the 10% service fee). We need to show the waiting staff that if they put a good show, they will get an encore.
Alas, I fear my ideas and thoughts on this topic could be flawed. As it is, many restaurateurs and their waiting staff take it as a given that they are deserving of the service fee (whether or not they did a good job). This is partially because Malaysians normally pay the service fee without question. I guess you could liken this to how everyone expects to be tipped in America. Walk away without tipping and you’ll most likely be stopped and reminded to leave a little something behind. It is this which I am afraid of… the tipping point! If we begin to tip generously and over time build a culture of tipping in Malaysia, I am concerned that one day we will reach the tipping point when tips are expected and demanded. Do you think it’ll happen?
Tip like this at your local “mamak” and you’ll most likely get beaten up for “spoiling the market”
Perhaps one way to prevent this is to use both stick and carrot to help promote quality of service in Malaysian restaurants. Send them a message. Do a good job… and we’ll tip beyond the service fee… but do a bad job… and we’ll reconsider even paying the service fee. This way the point of tipping will never be forgotten and we can avoid reaching the tipping point.
Lisa just rolled her eyes… I know that means my post is too long. I best end here for now.
QUICK RESTAURANT UPDATE!!! Cava at Jalan Bangkung and Moxie at Bukit Damansara are now bookable on theQguides.com ! w00tz!
So…
No, I haven’t been on hiatus… I have just been lazy. I haven’t blogged for so long I almost forgot how to login and even worse… had difficulty remembering my password! Damaged brain cells. Shall I blame it on all the drinking this festive season… you damn right I will. There’s just been waaaaayyyy to many awesome parties and I’ve had difficulty saying “no” to the invites because I have a soft spot… a soft spot for booze. *burp*
Anyway, I guess this brief blog post will be my last for 2009… from today until the 2nd of January there are so many functions back to back… even if I wanted to, there just won’t be time to blog.
Collage by Lyrical Lemongrass . Thanks FWIC
I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all the foodies, drunks, chowtutties, restaurateurs and trade partners that has made 2009 such an awesome year for me. Thanks for the support, thanks for visiting this blog, thanks for blogrolling, thanks for supporting theQguides.com and thanks for all the laughs. 2010 looks like a challenging year for us as we continue to push for growth at theQguides.com. Having said that, I am confident that we will have yet another great year because we have ALL OF YOU on our side.
Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you all real soon! Merry Xmas, Sayonara 2009 and Hello 2010. Remember not to drink and drive! Drink and drink some more!
I recall a side-splitting moment while dining at a beachside restaurant in Singapore… errrmmm… not too long ago. A few friends had got together for dinner to catch up with Diego (an Ecuadorian friend). Like a typical Chinese restaurant, the waiting staff stood by our table and rattled the seafood, meats and vegetables available for the evening. In one breath she must have covered at least 25 items… and in her next breath she explained how “the house” recommends each should be prepared (e.g. crabs with salted egg, vegetables with garlic… etc…). A creature of efficiency, the square jawed lady paused briefly for us to discuss before interrupting us 2.1 seconds later to force orders out of us. Diego frowned. Here’s where it got funny…
Waitstaff: What wege you like? Got the choi sum ah, kai lan ah, spanish ah…
Diego: Wait… wait… spanish?
Waitstaff: Yah spanish.
Diego: You like spanish?
Waitstaff: Yes, spanish very nice what…
Diego: Oh good, you like spanish next time I bring Ramón.
Waitstaff: Sow you wan the spanish?
Note: If you don’t get the joke yet, you are probably not Malaysian or Singaporean. Think spinach.
Of course this ridiculous dialogue between Diego and the waitstaff went on for a while and by then, we were all in tears… and Ye Ole Square Jaw had figured out the joke. Got to hand it to Diego, he really broke the ice with that lady. He turned her frown upside down and she kept coming back to check on us. As we left… she waived her index finger at us and yelled… “Oooi… next time you bring spanish ah!” Well… we never got round to doing that BUT I did have some Spanish recently… Spanish food that is.
I don’t know a tremendous amount about Spanish cuisine but I do know some random trivia that you might find interesting. Spain is home to El Bulli… also known as The World’s Best Restaurant by many food publications, awards and foodies. HAHHHH! Betcha didn’t know that! What? You did… okay try this on for size… Spanish (the language… erase the spinach story from your head) is spoken widely in more than 20 countries! For real!
Last month, Fat Boy Bakes extended an invitation from his old buddy Peter Yew, GM of the Cava-Moxie-Opus and Leonardo’s group of restaurants to attend an exclusive Spanish wine pairing dinner with guest Chef Fernando Martinez Tabernero at Cava, Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar. I must digress and admit that the first time I heard of Cava (which was many drunken lifetimes ago), I thought it was actually a French restaurant because I mistook it for sa va which is also spelt ca va… an informal greeting in French. Well anyway, back to Cava!
Warm setting at Cava… so welcoming
Spanish Tapas Platter (on the left) - Octopus Carpaccio w/potato confit and Pimenton oil. This was paired with Castellblanch Cristal Brut Cava
Prawn salad w/tomato marmalade and cauliflower sauce (top) paired with Pago del Vicario Talva 2005, Chardonnay-Sauvignon Blanc
The mains - Lamb Chops w/Membrillo Aioli, Red Pepper confit and gratinated potatoes (middle bottom), Tenderloin of Beef en croute w/poultry musseline (top right) and Lubina stuffed with seafood and vegetable confit and Calamari Crisp (bottom right) paired with Pago del Vicario Rosado 2007, Petit Verdot
Spanish cheese platter paired with Pago del Vicario Penta 2005, Tempranillo-Merlot-Cabernet-Syrah-Petit Verdot
My favourite for the evening… absolutely delicious - Caramelized “Torrijas” with Nougat Soup paired with Pago del Vicario 50-50 2005, Tempranillo-Cabernet
Ooohhh… it was a wonderful evening of food and wine… and it all wouldn’t have been possible without Victor E. Dejesus, GM of Spanish Passion… importers of all things Spanish!
By the end of the evening, we were so high on Spanish wine… it would seem that Spanish was spoken in Malaysia too, well at least to a few of us who remained to drink long after dinner was over. Fortunately, I was among friends and didn’t have to worry too much about embarrassing myself. Fat Boy Bakes and Lots of Cravings sat opposite me (well… they weren’t really sitting anymore by the end of the evening… slouching)… and Aly was kind enough to sit next to me and make sure I didn’t do anything I would regret.
oooooooooohhhh… I like…
Fat Boy Bakes and Chef Fernando
Oh well, interestingly enough… in my drunken stupor I must have said or done something right because from what I understand from Lisa, Cava and Moxie are interested on jumping onto theQguides! Wheeeee!!! *burp* More dining opportunities for everyone! I will update you guys when they are officially bookable.
What? Time to go? Who took my glass? *hic*
Thanks again to Peter for the invitation. The ambience and setting at Cava was perfect, the service was excellent and you were a fantastic host. I look forward to recommending Cava to all my buddies.
It is that time of the year again… when we all gorge ourselves silly with food. Christmas parties, New Year parties, Valentine’s Day… and before you know it… it will be Chinese New Year. I will be amazed if any of my colleagues weighs less after Chinese New Year.
I reckon gaining weight during this season is inevitable. If you feel guilty, just tell yourself:
a. This merry season only comes once a year
b. It is impolite NOT to eat when offered food… so stuffing your face isn’t your fault!
c. The Ralph Kramden is in
Anyhoooo to kick off the eating festivities, Dubrovnik @ Solaris, Mont Kiara is running a contest where you and another can enjoy a specially prepared dinner. All you need to do is to participate on their Facebook competition by clicking here.
Eat lots, drink lots… and live each day with a full stomach!
Chowtutties, foodies, gluttons and drunks… lend me your ears. I’ll keep this post to the point. There have been many requests for Chowtut and pub crawl. Truth be told… it really is about time! The last time we ran those two functions, it was last quarter. Time does fly when you are having fun.
I’m proposing the following date for Chowtut Quarter 4 (CQ4) - 4th of December, Noon at Integricity HQ. The average bill per person will work out to be around RM25 to RM30.
… and for Pub Crawl - 10th of December at Changkat Bukit Bintang. Fact: 11th is a public holiday for those working in Selangor. That means you can booze up a little more than the Wilayah fellaz. Pub crawl is totally Pay Your Own (P.Y.O.) style.
What say you guys?