Yountville – The French Laundry
As you know, God is amazing. If you want something bad enough, he will give it to you. That was how I got to have a grand meal at The French Laundry anyway. Leading up to the dinner, I was just really excited, like a teenager going on her first date.
The food was excellent. Most of them I had read so much about, seen so many pictures on other blogs and reviews, that it actually felt so surreal when I saw them presented in front of me. The service was professional yet very warm and friendly. I loved the whole experience and it was nothing short of memorable.
airy and gone in 3 seconds
salmon conets
cute mini cones crunchy and savoury. perfect complement to the smokey salmon.
oysters and caviar
If I had to choose (reluctantly), this would be my favourite dish. generous amounts of caviar only to be eaten with a mother of pearl spoon of course, paired with the freshest little oysters and a thick, rich, custard. it was orgasmic.
Somewhat like a blend between bread and brioche. nonetheless very good and very addictive. no additional butter was required but then I needed something to spread the Vermont Butter and Local Californian butter with.
sweet navel orange wedges and fresh greens that were very flavourful despite the lack of dressing or sauces.
the scallops were raw and sweet and the cream sauce went well with them. the vegetables were again, very fresh and tasty.
beautiful dish. the lobster really was fresh and not overcooked. i loved the morels.
wolfe ranch white quail
that my friends had and claimed was the most tender.
very tender and went well with the cauliflower puree, which was suprisingly the thing that binded the dish together.
the beef looked so good doesn’t it?
the pastry crust could have been ‘puffier’. compared to the beef, this was not quite visually appetising so perhaps that was why i didn’t think much of this course.
pickled red endive, medjool dates, pistachios and black truffle
the sheep’s milk cheese was not so strong in smell and had a firmness of gelatine. you experience different tastes when you pair the cheese with the different condiments. it was good but i had enough after two pieces.
oatmeal cookie, yogurt sherbet and apricot jam
this dish had the combination that reminded me of breakfast muesli. clever and tasty too.
candied buddha’s hand, lemon snow, biscotti tuile
a very refreshing and light tasting dessert. but was not overly exciting.
shortbread cookies to bring home
became supper for me.
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The Friday Wine Lunch @ Kannichikan Yakiniku with Jacob’s Creek
Once again I was invited to the delectable Friday Wine Lunch by Pernod Ricard @ Kannichikan Yakiniku with Jacob’s Creek (thanks Yik Peng!). You might remember last time it was @ Chinoz on the Park with Wyndham Estate.
An interesting concept this time, Japanese influenced Korean BBQ. Who says the…
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Yaki-Yaki Japanese Barbeque Buffet Restaurant @ Jalan Bukit Bintang
After witnessing the huge success of has managed to achieve by offering 50% discount on all dining period, many other Japanese buffet restaurants are doing the same too. Xenri, Daidomon and now the newly opened Yaki-Yaki Japanese Barbeque Buffet Restaurant too.
These promotions or competition you might say, are definitely good news for Japanese buffet lovers. Anyway, yesterday was the day Earth Hour was celebrated and we happened to be at Bukit Bintang area wondering where to have dinner. We looked at Starhill’s Jogoya and it cost RM88++ per pax, pricey.. Then we suddenly remembered Yaki-Yaki next to Low Yat Plaza.
We decided to give it a try because it was quite cheap for a buffet @ RM46.25 nett per pax (including service charge and tax) We didn’t make any reservations and dined as walk-in guests.
After we got our table and paid the full amount, we were guided to a round table just next to the beverage area. Each table has its own captain in charge, and any orders for barbecue are to be made through him. To ensure the food is maintained at its freshest, Yaki-Yaki only serves the food (for barbecue only) when an order is received.
After making an initial order for some scallops, unagi, beef and Chicken with Wine Soup. We took a quick tour around the restaurant to see the available choices. Yaki-Yaki has Japanese (sushi, sashimi, tempura), Chinese (cooked seafood), Western, seafood, skewers (mushroom, satay, sausage) and dessert sections.
The first thing I had was of course some sashimi, raw oysters and an Unagi sushi – just to test the freshness. The sashimi was definitely fresh and very enjoyable, that alone was enough to make me a happy person lol.
Mussel with mayonnaise, sushi and steamed prawns with herbs. The prawns (freshwater type) at Yaki-Yaki are very fresh, another good news for me. Among all prawns in the buffet, I found this cooking style the nicest because the herbal taste wasn’t too strong and you can still taste the prawns’ sweet flesh.
Perfect half boiled egg the Japanese style, called Spring Water Egg.
I think Jogoya started it, and thanks to them the newer Japanese buffets serve these mini fresh coconuts. Very sweet and refreshing! Oh you don’t have to worry that they will run out, Yaki-Yaki replenished them very quickly and generously. No need to compete with the other diners for it lol (you know what I mean hehe)
The first food to arrive from our barbecue order – Scallop with Butter Cream sauce. It was nice to see the butter melt and cooking the scallops when they are placed on the barbecue. But too bad the same couldn’t be said for the taste. By the way, the time needed to cook the food is written in the menu itself. For example the scallops need to be barbecued for 3.5 minutes, while fish typically needs 4 minutes. Better bring a long a friend who can read Chinese because the timings are all written in Chinese.
Miso Beef, lots of fat in this one.
Because they are sliced to thinly, they cook pretty fast in 1-2 minutes. And they tend to stick to the grill too.
The melting of the fat will make the fire burn even stronger. I managed to remain calm and took some photos while my gang was freaked out trying to put off the fire, lol.
Left to right: Beef, Lamb and Chicken Satay, they were very spicy! Funny that only Chicken Satay was not in skewered form.
The list of food can be ordered for barbecue includes: Chicken Slice with Honey sauce, Miso Chicken, Lamb Belly Tender, Beef Striploin, Hokkaido Sanma Fish, Shishamo, Argentina Squid, Crab with Butter Cream Sauce, Japanese Rich Ball and Mochi and etc.
A plate of delicately prepared Japanese tofu, some more mussels and cooked scallops.
Tempura Soft Shell Crabs, no doubt one of the most popular items in the buffet. But luckily Yaki-Yaki replenished them very frequently too. I didn’t have to wait long for it.
Tempura Prawns,very crunchy since I got them just after they were deep fried.
More sashimi, all were nice and fresh. Special mention to the sliced abalone with spicy chili sauce, which was great as well.
The Ebi (prawn) is a must try, very flavorful.
The Unagi with Japanese Tofu (upper left) was another yummy dish.
The cooked scallops at the sashimi section tasted much better than those for barbecue.
We didn’t enjoy the Cod Fish because it got hard, dry and salty after being barbecued.
Luckily the Unagi was very nice. But you gotta pay extra attention when cooking them because they get burnt very easily. Shown here is a portion for three.
Whole pomfret, Garoupa (head and tail only), huge clams and tiger prawns were available at seafood section. They were very fresh as well but weren’t really suitable to go on the grill except the clams. Reason being they tend to get really dry and tasteless after being barbecued.
Some food tasted much better if Yaki-Yaki’s recommended cooking method was followed. Firstly, place the clams in the small aluminum foil plates. Then, fill up the plate with some Chinese wine before placing them on the barbecue grill. Although this will make them take longer to cook, you will be rewarded with tasty clams infused with the fragrance of Chinese wine. You really gotta try it.
OK, enough of what I had and lets take a tour of the restaurant. First stop, Chinese food section.
Butter prawns
Cooked crabs
Snails
Cawanmushi and different types of soup
Chicken Herbal Soup
Fresh coconuts that come in large containers in front of the kitchen counter. I have to admit they weren’t displayed as fancy as those in Tenji or Jogoya but who cares as long as they are replenished fast, that’s what I think really matters. Other fruits like orange, apple, dragon fruit and kiwi can be found here too.
Raw Satays
Skewered sausages, which I didn’t try any. There’s skewered mushroom, sweet potato and corns nearby too.
The soft shell crabs prepared at the tempura station were not only for the diners but also for the sushi section. Half of the soft shell crabs being fried here would be sent to the sushi section used to prepare California Rolls. So, no pre-fried soft shell crabs were used at all.
Sashimi and oyster section. This section is the best for me because most of the food tasted great.
Salmon Sashimi, orangery goodness!
The chef is very friendly and likes to talk to the customers. He will also give recommendations if you are unsure of what to eat. Cool guy.
He’s so friendly that he even volunteered to pose for me while holding a huge slice of salmon.
Mussels
Scallops
A huge selection of drinks were available, from soft drinks to coffee, tea and fruit juice.
The iced Nescafe was pretty good!
Brew your very own coffee here.
A fridge containing Fruit Jellies is located next to the drink vending machines.
And lastly, the Sauce Station with some unique looking containers. OK, I didn’t write a lot because I feel the 50+ photos are pretty much self-explanatory of what is served in Yaki-Yaki. Overall, very good Japanese buffet and I actually enjoyed the warm, cooked food more than the barbecue.
For RM46.25 (promotion period only, and 5% government tax and 10% service charge on NORMAL PRICE) this buffet is very worth visiting and I highly recommend it if they can maintain the quality and freshness of the food. And I think many of you want a comparison of Yaki-Yaki and Tenji, so here goes:
- i. Better, fresher food overall.
- ii. Premium food like tempura, coconuts, sashimi, oyster and scallops are replenished very fast.
- iii. More attentive and efficient LOCAL staff (waiters, cook)
- iv. Tatami rooms for private gathering
- v. Longer dining period (3 to 4 hours)
- vi. Made me feel like returning!
- i. Almost non-existent dessert section, only jellies and some normal ice cream served (No Haagen-Dazs here).
- ii. Very dark environment.
- iii. Hot environment because of the barbecue, will sweat.
- iv. Less photography freedom (not allowed to take photos of the restaurant)
50% discount only from 16/03/2009 to 30/04/2009
Buffet Lunch NP RM65++ 11:00am to 2:30pm (3.5 hours)
Buffet Hi-tea NP RM55++ 2:30pm to 5:30pm (3 hours)
Buffet Dinner NP RM75++ 6:00pm to 10:00pm (4 hours)
Buffet Supper NP RM65++ 10:00pm to 2:00am (4 hours)
Yaki-Yaki Japanese Barbeque Buffet Restaurant,
Ground Floor, Federal Bowl,
Jalan Bukit Bintang,
Off Jalan Bukit Bintang,
Bukit Bintang Central,
55100 Kuala Lumpur (next to Plaza Low Yat)
Reservation: +603-2142 8111
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Counting Blessings
, originally uploaded by .
When life lets me down, I never fail to lift myself back up by going back to basics, such as taking the time to appreciate things that people do for me. A good case in point: being invited to a private dinner and especially for me at that.
That meal was prepared by my friend KC and he had to work around my pescetarian diet. But he did a great job managing that, and in addition to the challenges of having to use someone else’s kitchen.
The yummies in the tummies were:
Fresh langoustine sashimi ‘yu sheng’ – loved this!
Fresh raw oyster
Prawn coated with salted egg yolk – my next favourite if not for the shrimp being slightly overly cooked.
Prawn with a bread crumb coating
Crispy noodles with red garoupa – an unique interpretation of the usual ’sang meen’
Char Kway Teow with seared scallops – very spicy
Lime sherbet with fresh berries
Food was only part of the great evening but I had really good company as well. So thank you all for making me feel really lucky and loved tonight.
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By Invitation: Karaikudi Restaurant at Market Street, Little India
My family and I eat regularly at , but we’ve never gone to the original outlet at Market Street. I’ve always enjoyed the food there which serves Chettinad cuisine and immediately said yes when the invitation came in from PenangTuaPui. I was excited to see what the original outlet had to offer! The menu for the night mainly focused on South Indian cuisine and we were told that the food is cooked fresh everyday!
First up to whet our appetite was a Chettinad style Vegetable Soup (RM3). It was a light clear soup with cauliflower, carrots and french bean. The soup was a great start to the meal! We were told that the soup had a yellow tinge due to the use of dhall.
Next up was Bitter Gourd Chips (RM6). This was a surprise as it was sliced really thin and crispy to the taste! I’m not a big fan of bitter gourd though cos I don’t like the bitterness and this was plenty bitter!
The Squid Fry (RM8) was dish I really enjoyed. Squids are very easy to overcook. But there was no sign of hard rubbery squids here. Even after it cooled down substantially from all the photography, the squids were still nice and tender.
Meanwhile, the chicken cutlet (RM6 for 2 pieces larger than the photo above) is easily my favourite appetizer of the lot. The cutlets were very flavorful thanks to the generous use of spices with a slight tinge of heat to it. And there were also very soft with a slight crisp edge. I would definitely order this again!
The luciously thick Mango Lassi (RM4 – comes in a bigger glass than the photo)
The Ladies Finger Pepper Fry (RM7) was an instant hit! The ladies fingers were finely chopped and had a surprising chewy texture. The generous but not overboard use of black pepper gives the dish its zing. I’ve never had ladies fingers cooked in such a delicious manner!
The Kadai Vegetable (RM9) was an assorted vegetable dish cooked in a rich slightly spicy gravy. I tasted beancurds, tomatoes and lots of button mushrooms in the dish. We were told that Kadai is the big vessel that is being used to cook the dish, hence the name.
The Mutton Chukka Varuval (RM18) is another one of Karaikudi’s specialities. This turned out to be the spiciest dish of the night. But I loved it! The mutton pieces were scrumptiously tender and very well marinated with spices. I wouldn’t hesitate to order this again as I found it paired very well with naan bread.
Next was the Chettinad Potato Masala (RM6) which was a mild dish. It would go well with the spicy mutton dish too! I liked the fact that the potatoes here were not too mushy so there was still a bite to it.
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Cake Decorating & Tiramisu Baking Class in Penang!
As a baking enthusiast, it thrills me to bring you this piece of news that Big Boys Oven will be back in Penang for another round of classes!!
This time, there will be an exciting full day cake decorating class (using fondant) and also a tiramisu class!! ~swoon~
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–> Cake Decorating Class (Hands On Class)
Pastry Chef Sunny Yaw will share with you:
- How to make your own fondant (sugar paste) and gum paste
- How to cover a 2 tier cake with fondant
- How to decorate the 2 tier cake with flower theme (similar to photo above)
Time : 9.30am – 5.00pm
Date : 18th April 2009 (Saturday)
Fee : RM550 per student (All materials included, plus tea break)
(Limited to only 6 students)
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–> Glorious Tiramisu (Hands on class)
Tiramisu, a rich decadent and desired dessert! Come learn the art of making this glorious dessert with Sunny Yaw!
Time : 9.30am – 12.30pm
Date : 19th April 2009 (Sunday)
Fee : RM150
(Limited to only 6 students)
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Limited seats available! To register for the class please email bbonorth@gmail.com or sms/call 012-4209433
I can hardly wait!! 
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MAS Inflight Kitchen Tour & Food Tasting Session @ LSG Sky Chefs, KLIA
Have you ever wondered how in-flight meals are actually prepared? I do. Last weekend, I had an one in a lifetime chance of joining an exclusive tour of MAS’ in-flight kitchen somewhere around KLIA along with several other bloggers courtesy of Fleishman PR Agency.
LSG Sky Chefs Brahim Sdn Bhd, an international provider of airline catering services is responsible for preparing the meals.
I mentioned it was one in a lifetime thing because you have to be either an employee or an invited guest to be allowed in the kitchen area. Security is very tight and controlled so photography was not allowed, this is to prevent competitors from spying their operations.
After touring the kitchen, we were also treated to a feast of MAS’ in-flight cuisines from the top chefs so there are plenty of food photos!
After having some light refreshments LSG presented a presentation to the attendees a brief introduction of their company, a flow chart of their meal preparation and some facts and figures. I was amazed by the number of meals they prepared in a day, 30,000! Then the kitchen tour ensued and we were brought to the bakery section where large machineries are used to mass produce buns.
We also visited the chiller section where dairy products and prepared foods are stored before being loaded into flights. The freezer section was the nicest one. It was really freezing inside and there were hundreds of packets of frozen salmon, pomfret and even lobster!
The kitchen tour lasted about an hour so it was time to sample the food from MAS’ kitchen. Lamb shank, beef ribs, salmon, nasi lemak and MAS’ famous traditional Malaysian satay were only some of the items lined up for our food tasting session.
The food was displayed at a designated area for introductory and photography purpose, while the really edible ones were served in buffet style. When asked about the best food in MAS‘ menu, the chef immediately replied “Lamb Shank” without thinking twice.
He was right, it was one of the nicest dish we had that day with tender, juicy meat. By the way, this Lamb Shank was the displayed one. It could stand so nicely because mashed potato was used as the supporting base.
Country Style Beef Ribs, a pity we didn’t try this. But I heard it was quite good from the other bloggers.
Ahh.. MAS’ satays, the signature dish that have won the many hearts of MAS passengers around the world. Here, they were shown to be served along with Nasi Goreng Kampung – box meal style.
At the buffet area chicken, beef and lamb satay were served. That’s a huge tray of beef satay!
I really didn’t expect this but they tasted really great especially the lamb satay, very tender meat! If you didn’t know, this month (March) is a Satay Month in which satay will be on the menu for MAS passengers travelling on Economy Class to domestic and selected Asean countries.
This is actually a good news for Economy Class travellers because satay is usually served only in Business and First Class cabins.
I can’t imagine eating Lobster in the air.. that’s pure enjoyment if you ask me.
Grilled Salmon is usually served on Japan flights along with imported rice from Japan to make the guests feel like home while they eat.
Nasi Lemak with sambal prawns and chicken rendang. This is the display unit only.. but I have tasted the real thing which was quite nice. Although the prawns had a weird rubbery texture, the sambal was tasty and had the right level of spiciness.
Some other in-flight food on display like scallops, steamed pomfret, abalone, salad and other meals.
A bowl of mixed salad with cheese cubes.
This gotta be a favorite of many, scallops and salmon served with some greens. We didn’t get to try this though lol.
MAS serves abalone too, look at the thickness! In First Class cabins lah. Like the scallops and lobsters, we didn’t try this too. Expensive stuffs were solely for presentation and photography purposes only lol.
I have no idea what is this, but I am guessing it was some sort of lunch meal consisting of stir fried chicken and rice.
The displayed pomfret had some chili sauce on it but the one we had was Steamed Pomfret with XO sauce. It was very fresh and sweet tasting but I felt it was slightly overcooked due to the rubbery flesh. I didn’t take any photo because it looked very messy on my plate lol. Same goes for the nasi lemak and lamb shank.
This is a typical lunch meal enjoyed by MAS passengers flying from KL to London, the way water is served is very interesting don’t you think? I have never seen anything like this before haha, I always travel economy class only. By the way LHR is the airport code for London, I see these codes every single day since I start working in Subang Airport lol.
A light meal consisting of salad, fresh fruits, bun and butter. The butter you may look normal but in fact it was a PREMIUM butter called Isigny Ste Mere Beurre D’isigny – a cow’s milk unsalted natural butter. I have to emphasize the word premium because it is actually voted one of the best butters in the world!
A platter of fresh local fruits – dragon fruit, honeydew, papaya, pineapple and watermelon. The arrangement was very well done, so vibrant what a wonderful contrast of colors.
Besides fruits, two types of desserts were available too. Creme Brulee is a dessert of custard base with a layer of hard caramel created by caramelizing sugar with a blowtorch. It had a jelly like texture and tasted sweet (no surprise here), very nice.
Panna Cotta (an Italian dessert made with cream, milk, sugar then mixed with gelatin) was the other dessert. And just when we thought we were done with the wonderful treat by MAS, we were given a food souvenir – a box containing some Ferrero Rocher, Beryl’s Bitter Sweet Chocolate and a freshly baked Apple Crumble Cake.
Man, the Apple Crumble Cake was DELICIOUS! Even though I had it for dinner which was hours after the tour, the cake’s outer layer was still nice and crispy. I think I have found a new favorite cake after this lol.
Being able to take part in MAS’ Inflight Kitchen Tour is probably one of the best experience for me as far as being a food blogger is concerned. I am really thankful for Fleishman and Malaysia Airlines for extending the invitation to me.
Truthfully I don’t think I would be flying First Class anytime unless I become freaking rich one day. So, being able to sample some of the food being offered in a First Class Cabin without having to pay for the ticket, lol I think you know what a great feeling that must be right?
But one day if I have the ability to fly First Class with MAS (fingers crossed) then Lamb Shank, the delicious Satay and Creme Brulee would definitely be my choices!
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OXO Cafelab @ Queensbay, Penang
is one of the latest additions to the eating scene in Bayan Lepas area. I found out about it when a friend had sent me their Opening Promotion Brochure. RM9.90 for set lunch! RM13.90 for set dinner! the brochure had said. I liked the Red, Black and White color scheme. I liked their quirky cute logo. And the brochure certainly looked interesting! So kudos to their advertising agency!
Incidentally, as I planned to visit the place for dinner, I had read of it. I was impressed that they offered a Healthy Steam Cusinese Set complete with herbal soup! So off we went!
I had high hopes for the place as we entered the venue. It was very well decorated. Very chic! And complete with pool table too!
Glancing through the menu, OXO Cafelab serves a variety of cuisines – Asian, Western, Local. And they serve breakfast too from 8am-11am.
For their opening promotion, OXO Cafelab is offering 15% discount for their set meals. A set meal comes with a drink (cordial), soup OR salad, main dish and dessert. No discount for ala carte orders. I opted for the set meal and chose the Soup. Soup of the day was Mushroom Soup. I didn’t really care for the soup as I found it too starchy and bland.
We had another set meal and opted for the salad, which thankfully fared better than the dismal soup.
My main meal choice was the Juicy with Boxthorne Fruit and Plum Sauce. (This set is normally RM18.70, after discount – RM15.90) The chicken piccata here was basically chicken chop coated with egg and then pan fried. I found the boxthorne fruit and plum sauce interesting as it gave the dish an Asian twist to it. Overall, a very normal dish save for the interesting sauce.
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