Oh the smell of satay is divine...

Food is Malaysia comes in many forms – an exhausting amount of forms in fact – but it also comes in many price brackets.

I am staggered as to how a little pack of nasi lemak can cost a few ringgitt on the street, while cost RM10 (ish) in a cafe and up to RM30 in a high end restaurant. Surely its the same thing? Why pay 30 times as much for the same thing?

This is a dilemma that leads me from admiring the menus at high-end Malay restaurants and wincing at the price tag, to them admiring the price at the market and wincing at the flies that are getting their feet sticky in the rendang. Usually, the toss up ends with embracing the market food, chucking at the cheapness and devouring the spicy dishes in all their gooey deliciousness without worrying too much about hygiene, and I do tend to turn my nose up at serious, high-end Malay restaurants were the prices make my eyes water; ‘it’s not worth it’ I mutter with a head shake.

But…but…then I went to Songket last week and it got me thinking. A plate of nasi lemak was RM15.90++ (with a drink and dessert), but my goodness was it worth the money. The ingredients were fresh, everything was made from scratch, and the food just seemed to have more taste somehow. And it wasn’t swimming in oil and ghee, and there were no chewy, skinny bits of fat. It was nasi lemak how it

Pay more and get more with nasi lemak

should be.

And then I started thinking about other Malay food experiences – what about good old Madame Kwan? The food there is good, and yes you are paying to some extent for the aircon and the table, but when its pouring with rain outside, that doesn’t seem such a bad option.

But then I stroll down to the market on a sunny evening and the food there makes me salivate…and I am back to square one.

To market or not to market? Restaurants or stalls?

I just don’t know.

Don't feel the love? Blame Saint Valentine...

It is February, and while some people may still be tossing yee sang and embracing the ongoing festivities of Chinese New Year, some will already be looking forward at the next foodie outing on the calender. Valentine’s day.

Now this is a day that causes a whole myriad of opinions. Single people dislike it (for obvious reasons) but even happily-coupled people are divided; some write it off as commercial nonsense, some enjoy it but refuse to pay the ‘Valentine’s Day’ prices, while others anticipate it, plan it and then look forward to being spoilt/spoiling for one lovely day a year.

Those in the latter category may enjoy the day itself, but the decisions on where to eat are dilemmas that can plague the mind for months. Where to go? What can I afford? Where will be romantic? Which place is a rip-off?? So many difficulties!

I have been scouring the internet (purely for work purposes) to locate the best deals on meals and the most romantic places to go, and valentines-day-despairers, rest assured, there are some gems out there!

For a classic, charming evening (with a hefty price tag), and place called Cafe Cafe in KL is just divine, while I hear Tamarind Springs in Ampang is something pretty special, with a lush jungle setting to charm you date. But for those you don’t like all the fuss, why not spend the night listening to a comedian? Sampling’s on the Fourteen have teamed up

Even if you are single...eat cake!

with The Comedy Club KL to offer a super evening of laughs and food, while at The Academy of Pastry Arts couples can do a cupcake workshop together instead! All these fun options, you’ll wish it came around more often!

But for those you don’t buy into the valentine’s day thing, I vote you get a take-out pizza and a good movie and stay in. Or go out on the town for a boogie! Lots of places are offering parties and deals, and you never know…you may even find yourself someone special…

And singletons? My advise is, send yourself some flowers and chocolates to the office and get the place talking!

For suggestions on what to do this February, visit our events and offers page on www.dinemalaysia.com

Time for a treat...

Researching for a feature on ‘Fine Dining in KL’ has opened my eyes to so many wonderful, chic restaurants in the capital that may be pricey, but my goodness does the food look good!

I, like so many others, fall into the category of people who tend to go for cheap and easy – chicken rice, biryani, banana leaf, may be the odd sushi lunch – and tend to always aim for the same price bracket. Why drive all the way to town and pay loads of money for a meal when you can stroll across the street and eat noodles?

But sometimes, it is important to have a treat. And most of the time we forget to. It takes someone else to suggest a fancy meal at a posh place – perhaps it is your husband/wife/partner who decides to spoil you or who demands to be spoilt, or your Mum and Dad that drop by and insist on treating you to something special. So rarely do we think, ‘hey, you know what, I’ve worked hard this week, my bank balance looks ok, I’m going to have a treat’.

And there is so much good quality food out there! It’s not just about the prestige of a place or the indulgent price tag: the food is exceptional. I have had the good fortune to eat in some seriously nice places (ah the perks of being a blogger) and the food is seriously expensive but also, more often than not, seriously good. Compared to prices and quality of ‘fine dining’ in the rest of the world, Malaysia is a bargain and with so many international chefs working here in KL, you would be foolish not to take the chance to try some of their extraordinary creations.

Our top five fine dining feature listed a few real gems: quirky Frangipani, the classic, cosy Chalet and stylish Sage, but there are loads of places that don’t quite earn the name ‘fine dining’ but are still very classy and, while over the average budget, are worth a visit once in a

Have a change from the cheap stuff!

while.

So make sure you do go and spoil yourself from time to time. Give you tummy a hug and treat it to something a little more fancy this weekend – you know you deserve it!

Living Food was a delight!

Another week, another fascinating find – this country really does have an endless supply of culinary gems just waiting to be discovered!

An invite to lunch at ‘Living Food’ (www.livingfoodmy.com) prompted my curiosity, but I was thrilled to discover a new little bistro and cafe staffed by hugely-passionate and enthusiastic people who were serving up plates loaded up with the healthiest, tastiest food I have had this year!

It is – according to Emily, Ali and Erin, the three smiling girls behind the counter – all about ‘raw food’, or unprocessed foods, that cut out preservatives, additives or any other nasties that make food unhealthy.

Many products throw around this phrase ‘preservative free’ and so we begin to underestimate the sheer amount of effort that goes into running a cafe that serves up 100% unprocessed food made with nothing nasty. They make everything themselves, from the sauces and dips to the unbelievable banana pancakes made with mashed up bananas and almond flour, while the almond milk, cashew nut cheese and mushroom patties are all further, ingenious things that come out of their kitchen.

To start with, as I listened to Ali explain about the convoluted method for making their granola (it takes a week!), I wondered if it was

really all worth it, as healthy food rarely tastes as good as the oil-laden, fried stuff. Within a few hours and after I had eaten my way through most of the menu, my mind was changed. The food was creative, attractive, fresh and, most importantly, delicious.

Good for the eyes, tum and health

So this got me thinking that food – any food – can be really good if it is made with a lot of passion and commitment to the taste, the quality and the finished product. Too much food these days is made in factories by machines, or tossed up in a kitchen by a kitchen hand who couldn’t care less what he was throwing in the pan. But whenever you get passionate people behind the stove, with a genuine interest and love for what they do, amazing things happen, whether it be Italian pastas, Chinese banquet dinners or raw food.

Thank goodness for people like Emily, Ali and Erin; people who are committed to maintaining the high standards of food in a world where everyone wants to throw open a restaurant and every supermarket is packed-to-bursting with pre-packed, processed tosh that tastes of bland indifference. And I think that as long as people love to eat, they will also love to create good food and share the best of things with the people around them.

My first yee sang of the season

No sooner had Santa returned up the chimney and headed the reindeers back to the North Pole than Malaysia yanks down the tinsel and throws up the lanterns to begin the frenzy of festivities leading up to Chinese New Year. It is quite remarkable the speed at which the city changes from Winter Wonderland to an ocean of Oriental Red, but for me the transition only took place last night when I found myself tossing the very first yee sang of the season!

I am a little behind it seems. Whilst we shared a fantastic CNY 8-course meal at Tai Zi Heen in Prince Hotel KL, my fellow bloggers pointed out that they had already tasted 8 yee sangs and were now just going through the motions, and we are still 2 weeks from the big celebration! But still, all that whisking up of shredded veg and raw fish is going to bring them an awful lot of money in the new year!

I always find CNY a very interesting time for eating, as so many of the dishes serve have some special meaning and significance and my curiosity sends me into question overload. Thankfully, I spent my evening at Tai Zi Heen with a table of chatty, knowledgeable people who were able to answer my continuous questions about the food we ate, and I found it curious that much of it is served because the name of dish sounds like a word that means something lucky. I suppose we should just be thankful that these things are edible – what is the word for money sounded like tree bark or mud or something? It would make for a somewhat less enjoyable meal…

Shark's fin is also an expensive delicacy

And money is a huge factor in the CNY celebrations, and a lot of the ‘must-order’ dishes are highly prized or the fact that they serve up expensive delicacies that may not even be particularly tasty. We slurped on a soup that contained one spongy piece of fish maw which would have been entirely tasteless if it wasn’t for the rich broth it sat in, but this particular fish maw cost RM2000 per kg so you gotta have it!

Chef Michael Wong came out to chat to us as we entered the latter stages of our banquet, and after we gushed about how exquisite his Special Garlic-Glazed Codfish was (I have never tasted anything like it!) he explained how challenging it can be for a chef to come up with

Chef Michael Wong at Tai Zi Heen

something different each year, while still retaining the traditional dishes that people like to see and consume during CNY.

“It is a trend in KL,” he explained, “a competition to see who can be different from the others.”

Chef Wong certainly rose to the challenge, mixing the classic dishes (Shark’s Fin Soup) with more innovative ones (a Chilled Avocado Cream for dessert) to offer the right balance of old and new. He kick-started by transition from Christmas to CNY  and I am already looking forward to the next chance I get to brandish my chopsticks and get tossing!

I didn't have to wait long...

Now what have I been gorging myself on this week?

See if you can guess.

You have spare ones and button ones, and about 53% of Norwegians eat them at Christmas Eve. Any idea?

I will have been rather impressed if you just shouted “RIBS!” at your screen as yes, the folk in Norway nibble them at festive times and yes my little tum is fill to bursting with these porky pleasures that send many Malaysians wild.

I wasn’t entirely into the rib thing. I couldn’t always see the excitement or enjoyment to be found in chewing overly-sweet and sticky meat off a bone, but it seems that was because I had not yet had a decent, lip-smacking rib experience. And now I have.

The venue? Morganfield’s in Pavilion. This self-proclaimed ‘home of the sticky ribs’ is a chilled and funky American joint serving up huge plates of American food,  and the rack of ribs that came out to my table was simply enormous. I should have expected something major when a waiter came to tie a bib around my waist…

And there weren’t just big, they were beautiful tasting too. Smoked, slow-cooked then tender, the outside was crispy, the inside was soft, and the slathering of black peppercorn sauce was peppery and perfect. The true joy of ribs was finally revealed to me! I have seen the light!

That is what you call a mean rack of ribs!

Now I need your recommendations please. Where else can I go to eat ribs like that?

I shall also summon up the courage to cook up my own delicious specimens by using this super little recipe from Baby Sumo http://www.dinemalaysia.com/foods_detail/98.

Hurrah for ribs! Although not hurrah for my waistline…

I have been fortunate enough to rub shoulders with two very different Malaysian chefs in the past month; two champions of the traditional Malay food and two passionate people determined to educate the nation and the world on the wonder that is Malaysian cuisine!

Chef Wan with his new book launched in Dec 2011

My first encounter was with a man that needs no introduction, a man so ubiquitous with Malaysian food that he has become a Food Ambassador for the country: the one and only Chef Wan. I had heard of Wan by reputation only, and was braced for some celebrity arrogance, but when I managed to grab a chat with him at the launch of his book I was utterly charmed and impressed. His mind and mouth work non-stop, and he is so driven in his quest to spread the word about Malaysian cooking that it is quite tiring – but inspiring -  to speak to him.

“I feel the need to educate the public on food,” he explained, “as we can use it to connect with each other. We fight about everything these days, but food can bring people together.” What a wonderful philosophy to have. I left the launch feeling that, underneath the cheeky chappie smile and stream of jokes, here is a man with such passion and commitment that his was surely always destined for greatness. Malaysian food has found its hero.

My next encounter was entirely different. Over a cup of coffee, I got the chance to chat with Anis Nabilah, a young chef who has already made her mark on the nation with a whole ream of TV shows, despite having only been out of cooking school 4 years. Once again, looks can be misleading. It is easy to see why she was plucked for TV – Anis is rather stunning – but she is also a live-wire, a girl bubbling with enthusiasm for local food and determined to help celebrate it. “I want to put the traditional food of Malaysia to the world,” she told me, “it’s our culture. And its important for me to highlight the actual food and not the commercialized stuff.”

Anis spends a lot of time travelling the country and visiting kampungs in far-flung corners of the far-flung states to taste the best of the

Not just a pretty face - Anis has a real passion

traditional food. “I interview all the Aunties, and its amazing. I learn so many things I never knew about herbs and cooking.”

“I want everyone to cook,” she declares, “it’s a lot of effort but the product is amazing!”

Her enthusiasm is infectious and it is easy to see why so many people tune into her show and become inspired to get their pans out and learn to cook traditional food the traditional way.

I feel Malaysian cuisine is in safe hands. With Anis and Wan – and so many others – working furiously to preserve and celebrate the best of local food, the beauty of our nation’s dishes are destined for the greatness they deserve!

Christmas is a time for treats!

I have been researching an article about the traditions surrounding Christmas food and have discovered a few amusing trivial facts about the food that always gets trotted out during the festive season, like turkey and mince pies and all that palava.

Here are a few fun facts to surprise you as you prepare to tuck into the festive edibles.

• Turkey is the current bird of choice in most parts of the world, except Japan, where they go wild for Kentucky Fried Chicken! Apparently people in Japan place their orders months in advance to get their bucket of fried goodness in time for Christmas!

• Gingerbread – that curious spicy biscuit – was eaten at Christmas because, way back in the 17th Century in Europe gingerbread making was seen as a professional business, only to be conducted by licensed bakers.  This elitist ruling was only relaxed twice a year, during Christmas and Easter, so people would bake it at Christmas just because they could!

• Mince pies used to be known as Christmas Pies and they were actually banned in the UK for a while as it was associated with religious idolatry.
  

  Turkey is not always the bird of choice

• Candy canes were first made because sugar was thought to be good for people suffering from sniffles during the cold season in the West, and they could easily suck these solid sugar treats.

• Fruit cakes – commonly eaten at Christmas – as one of the longest-lasting cakes, and a man named Russel Baker claimed in 1983 that he had inherited a fruitcake that had been made in 1794!

• Christmas was banned completely  in the UK from 1647-1660 because Oliver Cromwell thought feasting and celebrating was immoral. No fun!

• More than 1.75 million candy canes are made each year during the festive time.

• In a place in Mexico, Christmas eve is also the Night of the Radishes, and large radishes are cut into animal shapes to celebrate.

• In Jamaica they eat curried goat for Christmas, while in Armenia they at fried fish with lettuce and spinach.

• Real Christmas trees are edible! Many parts of the trees can be eaten and the needles apparently contain a lot of vitamin c.

Tis the season to be jolly

The festive season officially started for me as I stepped out of the drizzle and into the chic and cosy interior of Nerovivo, where a smiling member of staff replaced my sodden umbrella with a glass of Raspberry Bellini. Bliss.

What followed was an evening of serious eating. I was there to taste the Christmas Eve menu, which is 5 courses of the best creations from the restaurant’s new Italian Chef Paolo Petris. The evening started with a quick demonstration by the chef himself, where he made the whole fiddly process of tortellini making look like a doddle. This, I thought to myself, is a man who can cook.

And he did. The food was indefatigable and moved through melt-in-the-mouth pasta, soup, a sublime lasagnetta to a tea-smoked duck breast, via various ingredients that seemed to be re-imagined under the skilled hands of the chef. Who knew that red cabbage could taste so delicious? Or that fennel puree was creamy and sweet, and just the best thing to eat with softly-seared sea bass?

The kitchen team worked like a well-oiled machine

One of the biggest things that struck me though, as I worked my way through the feast, was that the staff at Nerovivo seemed to be more of a family than colleagues. During the service, I spent some time tucked out of the way by the kitchen and was thus privy to the incredible way in which so many people worked together seamlessly to create picture perfect plates that went rushing out into the packed restaurant. The waiting staff then took ove

r, working together with supportive smiles to each other, while the restaurant manager Alessandro was there every step of the way, helping his staff, making sure the plates were perfect while still having the time to circulate the restaurant, chatting to guests and making recommendations.

While my stomach was delighted by the food, my brain was fascinated with this well-oiled machine that seemed to work so easily and smoothly, and I am sure that this superb team work was what accounted for the bustling yet cosy atmosphere at Nerovivo.

Plus the food was delicious!

Food is a big part of any meal (of course), but the ambiance of a place also makes a massive difference to your decision to return, and the atmosphere is directly affected by whether or not a restaurant is run smoothly and with a smile.

My time by the kitchen also brought panic-inducing flashbacks to my student days spent serving in various restaurants, but the less said about that the better!

Full marks to the team at Nerovivo for their teamwork as well as their food, and thank you for a wonderful evening, even if I struggled to do up my trousers the next day!

If you are looking for some info on where to go for your Christmas meal, check out our top picks at http://www.dinemalaysia.com/foods_detail/128