Buka Puasa Di Latest Recipe, Hotel Le Meridien

The recurring annual festivals are a reminder of how quickly time is passing us by. It seemed like yesterday that I was enjoying the Soup Gearbox in The Melting Pot, Concorde, and before you know it, the invitations for Buka Puasa reviews start to flow in again this year. This year however, some hotels have even started previews of the Ramadan fare before the start of the fasting month, I guess perhaps to give the media a headstart as to the available options out there, and believe me, the options are many.

To be honest, I am not a buffet fan. Going to a buffet I feel is like buying a CD. There are rarely more than one or two songs that I usually like in an entire album, and likewise, in that vast cornucopia of food choice, I'll be lucky to stumble across one or two items, and eating in a buffet is like playing culinary russian roulette. So over the years, I've wisened up, and take only very miniscule portions as a reconnaisance move, and IF I like something, at least I wouldn't have been filled to the brim.

The first of such buffets this year that I went for is the one in Latest Recipe. Actually, the buffet here has always been above average, I felt, because the Indian Food section is nice, and I also like the Teppanyaki section, with its Teppanyaki beef. In the days of yore, when Latest Recipe was indeed the Latest, they even had scallops in the Teppanyaki, but I guess that is now but a distant memory.


I love zeroing in on the desserts counter. I loved the fact that this one had vast choice in fruits, and the Chief Food Editor of Malay Mail and I had a wonderful time eating a lot of those lovely lychees, ...the ones with the teeny weeny seed and lots of sweet succulent flesh. The other thing that is quite outstanding in Latest Recipe is their Belgian waffles. Lovely crispy on the outside, and moist and melt in the mouth on the inside.


There are cuisines to represent all the major components of the Barisan Nasional parties, ie, Malay, Indian and Chinese. I love the Gulai Paru, (lung), and the serunding, from the traditional Malay section. As I said earlier, the Indian section is really very very good. For those with an appetite for carbs at dinner, the briyanis and naans are superb.


A lot of vegetable choices too, from Ulams, to stir fried chinese, to make your own Caesar Salads, or any other salads.


The teppenyaki station is definitely not to be missed, and the salmon sashimi is also worth spending the stomach space on.



Chef Zubir, Celebrity Chef (one of the judges of Malaysia Master Chef) shares with the media, and this entire Ramadan spread is themed REDEFINING TRADITIONAL MALAY CUISINE. Other specialty dishes include Sup Jernih Udang Galah, Ikan Kerapu Ranggup, Rusuk Lemby Panggang A La Mongolia, Pengat Durian and much more. He explains that the difference between the roti jala eaten as a savoury, vs eaten as a dessert is the former is usually yellow, whereas the lacy pancake served with the pengat durian is white. Now, THAT was GOOD.

Throughout the fasting month, the buffet is RM128for adults, and RM64 for children, from Mondays to Friday from 6.30-10.30. BUT if you go from 9pm onwards, its only RM88(A)/RM44(K), but only for Mon- Thurs. On Saturday and Sunday, its RM118 and RM59.

Call 03-22637434 to book.

SPG- No That Kind, but the The Starwood Preferred Guest

We had to explain to a rather serious looking CHARLES ABBOTT, Regional Vice President - South East Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc, Managing Director – Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel the meaning of the acronym SPG with which we grew up. That salacious Singapore girl with long black hair, low cut dress and always draped on the arm of some Caucasian man....yeah, the Sarong Party Girl, now probably deemed highly politically incorrect, but nevertheless, a formative part of our social history.

This SPG is nothing quite so tawdry, it stands for the STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST card, its function outline in the press release provided at the end of this article. But, to launch the new concept SPG, a lovely lunch for the media, press and bloggers, because everything revolves around food in Malaysia, and how best to launch a program such as this, if not by highlighting the various cuisinal delights that the Starwood hotels in KL have to offer. We were indeed to have the highlights from Westin, Le Meridien and Sheraton Imperial, over a delightful if not over filling lunch.

Delicious hors d'ouvres and canapes from all the three hotels, with such delights as wagyu beef, foie gras dumplings, yam puffs, ...heck, we were full on just the finger food alone. I loved the presentation, in particular the shrimp in a can.

And for the main lunch, we were treated to Starters from Westin, (Chef Garth Welsh, Director of Kitchens at the Westin), an absolutely stunning Prawn, Haloumi, Watermelon & Pomegranate Salad.




The mains, (we were already stuffed with the appetizers and prawn starter), Roasted Beef Tenderloin by my favourite jolly chef, Chef Antoine Rodriguez, Chief Executive Chef of Le Meridien. Read about the awards recently achieved by Antoine at Pure Glutton's Post HERE. The tenderloin was perfect, succulent and moist, and the accompaniments were equally as satisfying.


Poached oyster blade in clear consomme, fresh goats cheese in a beetroot jelly tube, (my favourite), braised beef cheeks in a hollowed carrot trunk. This dish doesn't only look beautiful, but tastes likewise too. It makes the phrase, "how now brown cow" rather redundant. Lots of beefy goodness served in various creative ways.





That's the goatcheese in beetroot jelly roll that is absolutely amazing.

Desserts were a quartet of delicacies from Chef Rajesh Kanna of Sheraton Imperial. The signature tiramisu from Villa Danielli, Chocolate Cake from Essence, Chilled Mango Cream with Pearl Sago from Celestial Court and Black Sesame Macarons from Toastina. I liked the Chilled mango cream the best, as the slight tang was refreshing after such a gloriously heavy meal.






The Chefs equivalent of the three heavenly kings....
Kudos for a fabulous food coma inducing meal.

For more information on the SPG privileges and benefits, Check out their website HERE.




PRESS RELEASE
STARWOOD REINVENTS HOTEL LOYALTY LANDSCAPE
WITH FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND BENEFITS
FOR GLOBAL MEGA TRAVELERS

Starwood Preferred Guest Launches Richest Elite Traveler Benefits in History Including 24-Hour Check-in, One-to-One Starwood Ambassador and Lifetime Status

Services Aimed at Small but Powerful Group Who Drive 30% of the Company’s Profit

Stamford, Conn. – February 1, 2012 – Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) is raising the stakes in the hotel loyalty landscape to win greater share from the world’s most prolific travelers, a powerful and growing group of global mega travelers. The company announced today new benefits that make its award winning loyalty program Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) the richest elite program in the industry. The more SPG Members stay, the more choices are available and the more personalized the benefits become with standouts like lifetime status, first-of-its-kind 24-hour check-in and a dedicated Starwood ambassador who provides one-on-one service to uniquely tailor the guest experience.

“With globalization trends, there are more mega travelers than ever before going to more places around the world,” said Frits van Paasschen, President and CEO of Starwood. “The opportunity to cultivate what we call ‘loyalty beyond reason’ with the world’s most frequent travelers has never been greater. These are sophisticated consumers who have become jaded by generic points and perks. This is why we’ve invested in distinct new and personal benefits to truly reward those who reward us with a disproportionate amount of their business.”

Three Year Pilot Aimed at Most Profitable Travelers Inspires New Changes
According to van Paasschen, just two percent of travelers drive 30 percent of Starwood’s profits. With that in mind, the company spent the last three years quietly piloting a highly personal one-on-one ambassador service to better understand the needs and desires of these very powerful guests. Across the small, select sample of travelers, Starwood saw a double-digit share shift compared to a control group. Starwood took insights from this pilot to develop new benefits aimed at its elite Members.

“What we heard loud and clear from travelers was that they wanted more choice, more control and more personal service,” said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Loyalty & Partnership Marketing. “Today, through high touch and high tech, we have a newfound ability to better understand our guests, their preferences and even the nature of each unique trip. By delivering a whole new definition of choice and personal services, we’re moving beyond a purely points arms race to instead build loyalty for life.”

Good-Bye 3 p.m. Check-in – Hello Your24TM
Turning an ancient hotel convention on its head, Starwood is for the first time ever abolishing the industry’s long-standing 3:00 p.m. check-in time and giving its most frequent travelers control of their own arrival and departure time. Your24 lets Members choose their own 24 hour check-in and checkout time. For example, a guest who checks in at 10 p.m. won’t have to check-out until 10 p.m. on their day of departure. The Your24 program is offered to SPG Members who spend 75+ nights at Starwood hotels annually.

Ultimate in Personal Service for Most Prolific Travelers
Building upon its successful pilot program, Starwood is expanding its innovative one-to-one service which matches its best travelers with personal ambassadors. Now, all Members who stay 100 nights annually are invited to participate in this unique service designed to provide the ultimate in tailored experiences across all 1100+ Starwood hotels. What separates this from a traditional travel concierge program is the unique personal relationship between Member and ambassador. Starwood’s ambassadors work one-on-one with guests to understand their preferences and what matters to them on each trip to deliver a customized experience on property. Ambassadors also provide services beyond the hotel and are even empowered to assist guests when they’re not traveling.

Starwood to Reward Loyalty with Lifetime Status
To show its appreciation for its most loyal and enduring travelers, Starwood Preferred Guest is introducing SPG LifetimeTM status. Now Members who have stayed 250 nights total and maintained elite status for at least five years (consecutive or not) are awarded SPG Lifetime Gold status. Members with 500 total nights and 10 years of Platinum SPG status (consecutive or not) will enjoy their top tier status for life.

The Lowdown on Loyalty: Starwood Enhances Benefits for all Elite Members and the More You Stay, the Richer and More Personal it Gets
“Our goal is to make SPG so rich that it’s impossible for mega travelers not to choose Starwood,” said Vondrasek. “We also want to make the program wildly aspirational for all frequent travelers. And because we know that many of our Members are also Members of other hotel loyalty programs, we believe these upgrades give travelers a compelling reason to consolidate their travel with us. With this in mind, we have enriched all of our elite offerings, ratcheting up the proposition as Members stay more.”

o SPG 100 Nights Benefit: After crossing the 100-night threshold, SPG Members are paired with their personal ambassador.

o SPG 75 Nights Benefit: After spending 75 nights with Starwood, Members earn four Starpoints for every eligible U.S. dollar spent. Members also get access to Your24 to control their check-in and checkout time.

o SPG 50 Nights Benefit: At 50 nights, Members will receive 10 Suite Night Awards ™ to use for room upgrades. Suite Night Awards are confirmable five days prior to arrival.

o Platinum Members (25 Stays or 50 Nights Annually): now have the option of complimentary breakfast as part of their welcome gift at check-in. Platinum Members can also choose from bonus Starpoints or a local gift.

o Gold Members (10 Stays or 25 Nights Annually): now receive a welcome gift at check-in and can choose from bonus Starpoints, complimentary in-room Internet access or a complimentary beverage.

To learn more about these exciting SPG changes that give Members more control over their hotel experience visit spg.com/morepower. All benefits begin March 1, 2012.

SPG Gets a New Look Inspired By Actual Members
To celebrate its new benefits, SPG is updating its brand identity with a new look inspired by the rich personalities of its Members. SPG conducted a casting call for Members to participate in photo shoots with famed portrait photographer Alessandra Petlin. The inspiring photos will be prominently featured in all SPG communications and collateral including more than 90 million member communications a year. The first photo shoot took place in New York and features the Chatwal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, W New York - Times Square, W New York – Downtown, Aloft Harlem, The St. Regis New York and Sheraton Tribeca.

Visit spg.com/members to hear personal stories from these Members about their relationship with SPG. Additional casting calls are taking place around the world in 2012. Follow SPG on Facebook.com/spg to learn about the latest locations.

About Starwood Preferred Guest
The SPG program’s breakthrough policy of No Blackout Dates at the world’s most sought after collection of hotels, reinvented the hospitality loyalty program when it launched in 1999. By creating a program centered on its Members, SPG has developed the most passionate and knowledgeable membership base in the hotel loyalty space. Through its use of new technologies and innovative channels such as SPG.com, SPG.com/stayconnected, SPG.com/flights and others, SPG continues to innovate and lead the industry. By offering No Blackouts on standard rooms at over 1,000 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries, No Blackouts on hundreds of airlines, and once in a lifetime experiences available through SPG Moments at spg.com/moments, the program has proven to be a big draw for the world’s most frequent travelers, and a significant competitive advantage for Starwood. For more information about Starwood Preferred Guest please visit SPG.com.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1071 properties in 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched Aloft®, and Element SM. The company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com

Le Meridien Dine

De Meridian (Meridien in French) Line is an imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole...ooops, hangon, we aren't talking about that....Sorry, the Le Meridien DINE is not an imaginary dine, though it would be to some people, some less fortunate people who have not had the opportunity, as we did. You see, what we had was really quite an astounding spread, a real treat to the palate, and I feel blessed to have been part of this unique experience.

We were invited by a mysterious chap, Damian, to attend mysterious "A Night Of Discovery", at Le Meridien. No details given. Rather exciting, like a groom on his wedding night. A night of discovery. The very name already sends shivers down my spine. The rendezvous begins at the Conservatory Bar. All the guest, in eager anticipation, fight the traffic by taking alternative means of transport, air, rail and sea, to get there on time. Except KY Speaks and Haze who were late... heh heh.

Very glitterati. Free flow Mumm champagne and canapes, so very dainty. It is of course impolite to ask if the canapes were the main form of nourishment for the night, but we are put out of our misery by Damian and Andrew Fairbairn, (the Starwood rep) who reminded us more than once, to PACE ourselves, as there was a LOT of food to come. Good, at least I didn't have to down 20 test tubes full of lovely gazpacho to get full.





KY and Andrew Fairbairn....KY puts on his best sultry sexy look....


If there was ever a jolly Chef title, then it without a doubt goes to Chef Antoine Rodriguez, the affable funny Executive Chef of Le Meridien. And we were fortunate enough to have Antoine personally oversee our entire meal from start to end.


Favola was the next stop. Ah, we've had many a lovely memory here at Favola. A dizzying array of tapas at the Crudo Bar, from tomatoes in all shapes and sizes, to mozarellas from Italy to Langkawi. Yup, some illustrious gwai loh is now producing local dairy products from the grassy plains of Langkawi. And it passes the test and discerning palate of Antoine.







Favola still has amazing breads, and delicious dips as accompaniment. Really, one could get full on bread alone. But man does NOT live on bread alone, as we found out.


A starter of a duet of antipasti, Smoked salmon with cold cucumber and macadamia puree, grilled peaches, buffalo mozzarella, Pecorino rocket and Radicchio salad. Thoroughly refreshing.


Pan seared foie gras on wild mushroom risotto in clear beef broth. To DIE FOR!!!! So so good. The risotto was so utterly flavourful, I think my tongue ran out of adjectives. And the foie gras, ...if this had been the end of the dinner, I would have been quite contented. Blissful. Melt in the mouth goodness.


But as luck would have it, this was NOT our last stop, in fact, we were only midway.

Next stop....PRIME....one of the best steak places in town


What a gorgeous sight to behold. A Wagyu Marble Score 12. In the old days, it was Bo Derek score 10, and that was the max. Just looking at the meat made me ....happy.


Look at that marbling. One has to stop and pause and think of the kind of life the cow in question must have had. Probably ate the finest grass, and grain, fed beer and massaged daily. What a life.


Other varieties of meat, from Marble Score 6 Wagyu to Australian Angus Beef were also laid out for us to see. ..and subsequently eat. At this point, I should've just made a bulk order of Lipitor.




I am sure not many dead cows get this kind of paparazzi like publicity and attention. But ours did.


See, I told you he is a jolly chef.


You just gotta love this guy!


I love the ambience at Prime. It is posh without being pretentious. And it was pretty crowded! That is always a good sign. We were ushered into a private corner.



Three happy campers. Can you figure out who they are?


You know, it pains me to have to recollect this....seriously, the beef was SOOO good, I feel like Pavlov's dog salivating everytime I look at this pic. Melt in the mouth, alas, my limited vocabulary cannot do justice to a marble score 12 wagyu. Sublime, divine, ....and seared to utter perfection.

Charcoal Grilled Blackmore Wagyu Chuck Flap Tail Marble 12, served with Roma Tomato Confit, Brocolini and Braised Intercoastal on Mascarpone Polenta.



To finish the job, and kill us off, completely, dessert at Latest Recipe. I always enjoy their teppenyaki ice cream, but the pastry chef there had prepared a special platter of dessert for us, and I so could not stuff anymore ice cream into myself.

The platter had Honeydew Sago Shot, Carrot Cake, Lychee Tart, Chocolate Mousse with Citrus Jelly, Vanilla Crème Brule and Agar Agar









And this waffle may look a bit out of place, but it was prepared personally by Chef Antoine, from the buffet table, AND is the BEST waffle I've ever had. Crispy on the outside, moist and soft on the inside, tall and airy....seriously. The BEST.

It has been a joy and a pain recollecting such a fabulous night. Pain because I am now left yearning, and yearning.... ooh, that reminds me, I do have the Starwood card.

Thanks so much to Chef Antoine, and the rest of the Le Meridien Staff for having us, and for Damian for putting together this unforgettable NIGHT OF DISCOVERY. Indeed, it HAS been.... and every bit as good as they said it would be....Ahhhh....dreamy sound....

Sweet Secrets With Anna Olson

Years ago, I posted about MY FIRST DATE.... who was square... inspired by the series SUGAR, hosted by the inimitable Anna Olson. Little did I dream that some day, I'd get to MEET the Queen of Sugar herself in person...with front row seats too. Sigh...[faraway glazed look].

Since Sugar, Ms Olson has moved on to the new series, Fresh With Anna Olson, but I have to admit I haven't really had to chance to watch many of the episodes. I blame those DVD boxsets that have kept me glued to frivolous tv serials and the like, and keeping me away from one of my culinary idols. When opportunity knocks, as it sometimes does, and presents you with an invitation to attend a demonstration by the lady herself, one can only let go a resounding YES, and lift hands into the air in thanks to Providence...and Alice George PR company.

I distinctly remember the invite said 2-5pm, but when I appeared at 2 sharp, I saw the poster saying that it began at 2.30pm. Must be the PR agency's way of ensuring tardy Malaysians show up on time, but even that failed, because at 2.30pm, people were still trickling in. We didn't have to wait long though, before she was introduced.

She actually looks a lot slimmer than her Sugar days, and has absolutely gorgeous eyes, and such a likeable disposition. Not diva-ish at all, as one might expect of a celebrity chef.


What WOULD we do without AFC? I have to say, they have been very good in bringing in celebrity chefs, Laura Calder, Bob Blumer, Bobby Chinn, etc.


The venue for the event, Le Meridien, in a function room next to Favola.


All laid out for the lady to perform, the ingredients for all the 3 items shown. If only our kitchens were so organised and everything laid out so nicely for us. I reckon I can do 8 cakes in an hour.


The AFC compere. I think he's Malaysian. I've seen him before. But he didn't introduce himself.


The many faces of Anna, demonstrating how to make the tart pastry. She really makes it look so simple. Now, she did share with us that of course, on TV, it looks even simpler, because of all the editing, ...it takes 10 hours to produce a 6 minute clip kinda thing. (I don't think I have the patience to be a celebrity chef, amongst the whole list other things that I lack to become one). But even in real life, she manages to simplify it, while multitasking, and giving a running commentary all at the same time.


She is also not one to hog the limelight, and allows the Le Meridien pastry chef, MiFong to assist.


Of course, when you're a celebrity, any little mundane task even, is lapped up by the Paparazzi, even a simple task of breaking an egg. Cameras and flashes in a cacophony of sound and light, capturing that precious moment when the egg tumbles out of its cosy shell. She also pointed out why its better to crack the egg on the table, and not on the side of the bowl. Why? To avoid splinters of egg shell in your bowl, that's why. But of course, I knew that ages ago.


We get to sample, after each demo, the particular item, in this case, the Butter Raisin Tart. Apparently it is a Canadian favourite. The pastry is delicious and buttery, while the filling is on the sweet side. For those with a sweet tooth (or is it "For those with sweet teeth"?), this dessert would be a boon. Most importantly, they're really easy to make, and I reckon you can cut down the sugar content. It does remind me somewhat of our egg tarts, but a denser version.


The second item, Maple Walnut Icecream, took her all of 10 minutes to whip up, but as Murphy's Law would dictate, the ice cream maker decided it was going on a sabbatical that afternoon, and decided it was just not going to work putting the poor Le meridien pastry chef under a lot of stress no doubt. Fortunately for US, these things are all premade for tasting, so we still did get to sample a finished product. Which was yummy. The crunch of the walnut with that glorious maple syrup taste, that isnt sickeningly sweet.









The last item which she jokes is ZERO calorie, because of its healthy ingredients, like wholemeal flour, bran, etc, and ONLY 60ml of oil, which divided by 12 muffins, is only 5ml of oil per muffin....the apple cheddar date muffins. The savouriness of the cheddar complement the wholesomeness of the muffin, and the sweetness of the fruit.


Another recipe that took less than 10 minutes to whip up. (okay, everything WAS premeasured and cut up so yeah, add another 10 minutes to 30 minutes depending on how fast or slow you are in preparing those things).



The demo was extremely educational. She regaled us with bloopers, tales of glutes and gluten, answered questions from the floor, revealed to us her favourite comfort foods are ROAST CHICKEN in winter, and a nice steak, seared on a special cast iron pan, with a side helping of fresh summer tomatoes, explained to me when you need to prebake a pastry crust and when you don't. Some lucky peeps won the lucky draw which included her new book, Fresh With Anna.

The good news is, her demos ARE open to the public, at LeMeridien, on 27 & 28th of November, 11-3pm, with lunch and FREE FLOW MUMM CHAMPAGNE, at RM330++ per head. Check it out HERE. Definitely worth it, if you ask me.

Anyway, thanks to Alice George PR for the invite.