Senses - The organic experience.

Choose to be healthy this September, we were told!!
( I don't look very healthy guzzling my drink right.. damn.. don't know who went and took such an ungainly photo.. :P)
Experience the merits in Organic dining offered by Senses for lunch and dinner!

After being invited by FBB and failing to make the monumental food tasting with Chef Michael Elfwing at Senses last month, who carefully selects organic certified produce to create exciting, pollutant-free organic dishes..we felt so gutted. We just HAD to return and try his unique, cooking methods with premium 'organic only' produce.

Also, after the way FBB Oo-ed and Ah-ed and gushed on his blog, and Frat fainted (photo on FBBs blog), we just had to see what the fuss was all about.

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Picking from the organics menu was a breeze. It was after all, only one tiny page long.
The menu consists of nine dishes of various organic produce, to be exact. Also, we immediately saw that most of the FANTASTIC off the chart graded Wagyu were not on the menu. Where were the Kagoshima, Wagyu, Mayura Station Platinum Wagyu, Angus cross Wagyu, with marbling scores from five to TWELVE that FBB was raving about? Hrrmph.. had they removed it from the menu? Oh... too sad.. but what to do.. too late to walk out right.

Anyway, there were plenty of other goodies to partake of, so nae bother. (actually.., I was pretty bothered.. hah! See the unhappy faces.. oh wait.. no photos, so you cannot see.. we came all the way and no organic wagyu.. upset!)

Well, FBB was spot on saying that the bread with 100% lightly salted(or unsalted, take your pick) butter was excellent. Don't go overboard or you will not have space for the organic onslaught.


My amuse bouche. How visually appealing.. small and petite. I tried to drink it just as petite-ly, ..yar, indeed.



Oh, I wanted to jump up and applaud!
The butternut pumpkin soup, served with seared scallops and slices of summer truffles was a blanket of smooth, silken cream, chased by a heady, musky truffle after-taste. Not unlike a drug, I was soon getting a rush from this soup. Maybe it was just the sugar content, but I was feeling pretty loving after that.

What can I say.. Full of depth and aroma and feeling...
(.. nothing more than feelings.. try to forget my.. etc etc.. )


The beetroot and seared Hokkaido scallop salad soon distracted me from the wonderful soup. I sunk my sparkling white teeth into the beetroot and scallop and salad... and thought..

not just a pretty dish!



It was meaty (the scallop), earthy (the beetroot) and healthy(no points for guessing) all in one.
Come on chef Elfwing.. hit me baby one more time.


The Australian, grass fed organic beef is tougher and a bit of a fight, but by no means hard. It's weird that this natural taste actually feels foreign because we've become so accustomed to beef made artificially 'soft' or 'tastier' or 'stronger tasting'. I like the unadulterated edge this organic beef has to it.

I also realized that Malaysians tend to put so much emphasis on taste, rather than preparation and quality of the starting material. Saying "if it tastes good and isn't too high in fat content, it's healthy", is just so wrong. There are other things in there that could kill you, besides fat.. for e.g. mercury.
We should be looking so much more at the 'source' of the food, if it is indeed organic and then looking for shorter, less complicated, methods of food preparation, so as not to overcook that intrinsic goodness and freshness of simple organic food.



The golden brown Queensland goldband snapper served on a bed of organic vegetables and lightly drenched in creamy tomato basil beurre blanc was just so-so for me.
Don't get me wrong. It was good. Its just that it didn't really knock my socks off.
I will just say that I was happy I was eating an organic, healthy version of the fish and vegetables;)



Dessert from the non-organic menu!
This picture is as Gorgeous in taste, as in looks.

The hot lava center of the chocolate pudding, complete with a berry sorbet and garnished with fresh berries, fruit and edible flowers was divine.



More truffles and sweets, with compliments from the Chef.


All in all an interesting dining experience and an eye opener. We learned to appreciate the subtleties of organic cuisine, in the gorgeous atmospheric surroundings of Senses KL Hilton.
We felt blessed indeed!


Add:


Senses,
Hilton KL,
3 Jalan Stesen Sentral,
KL
Tel : 603 2264 2592

PS. Cafe at Dempsey

I fell in love with Dempsey! Not Patrick Dempsey.. the place Dempsey in Singapore. Imagine large, winding driveways, massive, refurbished bungalows with loads of character... wining and dining amidst lush gardens, secluded green surroundings and amongst breezy trees..


PS Café, owned by Project Shop which is a clothing chain, is normally packed to the rafters. Word out is that this place gets so busy that they do not have the time to take your call for reservations. Well, we were lucky as my sis managed to get a reservation for three, easily enough during that weekday.

This place attracts a lot of trendy people and well-known faces in the marketing, fashion and even BLOGGING circles! You may think that there is ample space to sit in this massive bungalow with a rather high ceiling, but come 8pm, we are sitting elbow to elbow.
Hmmmm, I'm trying to see if I can spot any famous bloggers here. None at the moment.


We tried to get a place on the outdoor sitting deck as it was a cool night and my sis ensured me that its prettier outside.. but no such luck. All the seats were taken. No worries, the inside was equally pretty if you ask me.


Dempsey is such a handsome name!


The Classic Manhattan. I asked for the Perfect Manhattan but apparently they don't have it here.
This Classic Manhattan tasted a little bit like cough syrup. Must have been the Campari in it. It was pretty potent. Like I said, I like the drinks in Singapore because they make them strong.

The bottom of the Classic Manhattan. Time to order another.


Sis.

Apparently piercings are addictive. I wonder how often she sets off the scanners passing through the airports. Must be a riot;)


THE FLAMED PRAWN TORTIGLIONI.
My main dish of tiger prawns flamed with brandy, shallots, snow peas & basil in a light cream sauce served with a char-grilled baguette was fantastic! I don't know what cheddar cheese they used but it was heavy and rich and insanely good!



THE SMOKED FISH FILO BASKET.
This flaked trout & white fish fillet with fennel, onion & potato baked with creamy king island cheddar béchamel sauce in a crispy shell served with a grilled prawn & rustic salad seemed small at first but as one proceeds to eat it, one will soon notice how filling it gets. Must be the creamy sauce that makes this dish so rich. Say what you like, my cousin (who is currently in her final year in design school in Singapore) finished the entire basket without breaking a sweat. I loved the crackling texture of the crispy, flaky, phyllo basket.


SOME SORT OF VEAL.
My sis had one of the 'Specials of the Day' - veal stacked with sautéed baby spinach and field mushrooms. Done rare, this veal was tender, succulent and smothered in that gorgeous mushroom sauce.
Excellent choice sis.


THE SOUTHERN FUDGY CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE.
Pecan pie served piping hot with vanilla ice cream. It was a race to devour the cake before the entire dollop of ice-cream melted. We raced against the clock.. and won!



PS. PROFITEROLES.
A perfect end to the night with my perfect profiteroles. Choux pastry puffs filled with balls of vanilla bean ice cream & drenched in chocolate sauce.. I fear there was no more space in our stomachs for more food!

Add:
PS.CAFE at Harding,
28B Harding Road,
Dempsey,
SINGAPORE
Tel:+656479 3343
website

Meng Shiang at Taman Cheras, KL

Our first Charsiew Wantan Mee lunch for the year at Meng Shiang, Taman Cheras, had us gasping for words...

The girl who took our orders told us

"Don't worry - very fast today because less people"...

When we were served our plate of noodles in just under 15 minutes we were surprised, to say the least...

The portion looked substantial in size but once we took a bite, we were really disappointed. The Charsiew was tasteless, as was the noodles.. What happened to our one time favourite wantan mee shop?

Thinking that perhaps we were just having an unlucky spat with Chinese coffee shop food, we decided to try Western for dinner instead.

Revisiting MM Cafe at Section 17 PJ, we found that the quality in food had dipped as well.

The lamb chop you see below was burnt, small and had salt clumps on the top surface.

The Fish and Chips I had was 50% smaller than usual!

What is becoming of the quality of food in KL/PJ? I read an article somewhere that eating good food (i.e. food that is prepared well and tastes great) triggers a chemical response in our bodies that sets off endorphins into our bloodstream. This gives a pleasurable response.

Eating a large meal, to the point of satiety, can also set off endorphins.

Both are different - and both can make us feel good.

So it goes , some restaurants give you a HUGE meal, and compromise on quality, so you may still get that pleasurable response... not from the taste, but rather the size of the meal. (one good example is comparing a BIGMAC meal, to a small but fresh plate of sushi).


My question is this... what happens when restaurants cut back on BOTH portion size as well as quality? Is there a negative response in the body? what is the reverse of endorphin release?
I don't know the technical term/answer to that one but I will say this... it should be the opposite of pleasurable. It should be the opposite of a feeling of well-being and a feeling of satisfaction...

Granted it is pure speculation on my part, and I am no rocket scientist, but if we lack endorphins we will soon become very unhappy, sick puppies... ! What do you think? What are the long term effects of eating lousy/sub-standard food?

Feel free to post a comment. Cheers!


Restoran Meng Shiang
1 & 3, Jalan Kas Kas 2
Taman Cheras (Taman Yulek)
Kuala Lumpur

MM Cafe,
Happy Mansion,
Section 17, PJ

Mastermind cafe

If you happen to drive by Happy Mansion in section 17, you will notice a 'Cafe Phenomenon'...

Cafe's are mushrooming here, left right and centre... the latest addition being, MM Cafe (Mastermind Cafe).

Although it doesn't look like much from the outside, the interior of MM cafe is comfortably air-conditioned and furnished Starbucks style with tables and chairs as well as comfy sofas.

The staff are young, friendly and helpful. Actually amazingly attentive compared to some other places where the part-time staff don't bother to look up or give you a friendly smile.

As we have had so many bad experiences with Cafe food, we didn't expect much, especially at a crazy SET MENU price of only RM13.90. We thought, another place that goes for the price advantage vs. quality.

Anyway, since our friend Lisa was with us, and she is like the Caesar salad guru, we had to try the Caesar.

At RM8.90 it was good. Not fantastic but actually pretty decent. The amount of stuff they put in the salad was amazing.



This is the Fish and Chips. Fantastically crispy, breadcrumbed batter with soft, flaky, sweet dory fish on the inside. Gorgeous. At 13.90 for the set (including ice lemon tea), we were really impressed with this dish. How many times have we had horrible, stale fish and chips at below par cafes... too many! This was a refreshing surprise. The serving of chips on the side was huge. Fat, plump chips (UK style) as opposed to McDonald styled thin ones. Crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. Not bad at all.

The Spaghetti Arabiata was part of the set as well. The sauce was faultless. The chicken breast chunks were huge and tasted like fresh chicken (no supermarket taste/smell).

The sauce had been simmered long enough to have all that gorgeous meaty taste fused into a tomato base - unlike that straight from the can sauce with that sour, metallic taste.

The pasta resisted the tooth... (but not the stomach! haha)

Impressive.

Lisa's Chicken Pie. Lisa was the only one who ordered from the menu (not the set). The pie at RM9.90 was really value for money.

Cutting the pie open, one could see loads of chicken, potato, carrots and other stuffings, which made this an above average pie (for the price).


Check out that chicken chunk! Well... Lisa liked the pie, but for me, the best sort of pie is still the steak and kidney pie. Too bad they didn't have it that day.

Here is the Suji Almond cake. At RM2.90, nothing to shout about. Not rich enough for those who like their Suji glistening and heavy with fat... ;P

The tiramisu. Very so-so... not enough alcohol .. but at RM8.90, it was passable.

Verdict:
Stop by at MM Cafe for a quick and easy lunch. The parking is free and there is no shortage of space. We hope that MM Cafe will not be just a flash in the pan , the place being new and all, but we hope that the quality of the food stays this good.

Ideal place for Sunday brunch especially with kids.

Add:

AG-1, Ground Floor Block A,

Happy Mansion,

Jalan 17/13 PJ,

Tel/Fax: 03-7958 8728

Food:7/10

Service:8/10

MSG levels: nil

Salt levels: moderate

Coliseum KL

My Grandfather ate here, my father, and now me....

Established in 1921 Coliseum Cafe and Hotel stands proud and majestic. You can just feel that in its heyday, this was the place where people would get dressed up, to go out to, for a nice evening meal (back in a time where people actually made and effort to get dressed up for dinner). Think starched shirt colonial types and you wouldn't be far off the mark.

Shrouded in the musty smell of old furniture, and staffed unusually by grizzly old pros in white jackets, this famed establishment is the last bastion of our City's Golden age. Unpretentious and old fashioned, the sharp-tongued waiters know when to take an order and when to disappear.

Coliseum's cocktails are in a class of their own. No frills and extremely cheap, they still pack a potent punch. A bartender cascades an arch of liquid gold into my glass. It's a gunner, he says. It suits me just fine.

The menu promises steaks, chops and old school sandwiches. The menu is ala-carte, so do not forget the side dishes such as cauliflower and mash or chips.

Any lackluster item on the menu is guaranteed to improve substantially by introducing one or two more cocktails ..:P

Bread & Butter - RM2.20

Sizzling Fillet Steak - RM37.90

Chicken Maryland - RM17.90

Gunner - RM6.90

The meal for two - RM79.80

The experience - priceless

Add:

Coliseum Cafe & Hotel,

98-100 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman,

50100 Kuala Lumpur,

Tel:03-26926270

Food:7/10

Drinks:6/10

Service:6/10

Ambiance:8/10

Simon & Max

Simon & Max Food station.. NEW! Approximately 4 months old in Sea Park.

Those of you who recognize MAX (the tall guy in the photo), will recognize him as the 'tong-sui' man, from the Sea-Park coffee shop on the corner just next to Simon & Max Food station. Max and his partner decided to set up shop next to his old tong-sui place. This proved to be a good move because, 4 months into the opening, and already this Western food joint is pulling a substantial crowd.

Simon is the Western food chef and Max is the tong-sui expert.

"I can't cook, but I can eat!", says the humble Max, when asked about his cooking skills:D

We decide to put their food/tong-sui to the test.

Excellent tong-sui at really affordable prices. We had the pumpkin sago, the sea coconut as well as the fu-chok barley. All were good but my favourite of the lot was the pumpkin sago. Smooth, creamy and thick but not too sweet. Perfect!

Not your run of the mill western, this place also serves some unusual dishes such as vegetable pancake - good for those who want a healthier alternative to meat. (aiiya, but if you come to a western steak place, you should eat meat right? tsk...)

When I saw, the Wasabi Mushroom Chicken Chop (RM10.00 only) on the menu, I just had to have the Wasabi Mushroom STEAK! (I only eat steak or lamb at western outlets.. I never trust the chicken they serve - it comes from too many bad experiences where outlets have served "supermarket freezer tasting chicken"). Uh-uh.. its steak all the way for me man..

Wasabi Mushroom steak RM15.00
The steak was a little on the hard side but the taste was good! The great thing is that when Max asked me how the steak was, and I told him, "a little hard", he immediately went and told his partner that they had to look into different sources for beef. This place is still experimenting with the suppliers of beef to ensure that whilst the prices are affordable, they don't compromise on quality.

Cheesy herb crust Chicken chop RM11.00

Finally the Chop with cheesy herb crust (husband doesn't mind eating chicken unlike moi) was cheesy and crispy. Apparently instead of deep-frying their chops like many places, Simon& Max Foodstation grills theirs. This makes it a little less oily, a little healthier... :D

For those who like pasta, this place does that too. Vongole Cream Spaghetti for just RM10.00.. where to get..?

Add:
Simon & Max "Tong Shui & Western"

Behind restaurant New Seaview,

65 & 67 Jalan 20/7,

Paramount Garden,

46300 PJ, Selangor.

Food:6.5/10

Tong-Sui:7/10

Service:8/10

Price:8/10