Crave 14 june 2013

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Friday JUNE 14, 2013 S AT I S F Y I N G

YO U R

W E E K LY

F O O D

&

D R I N K

C R AVI N G S

STEAK OUT Treat Dad to a meaty affair this Father’s Day

W I T H

Y O U R

C O P Y

O F

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MEATY MEALS

PRIME TREATS Perfect for date night, PRIME offers all kinds of beef cuts from Australia with various marbling rates in lush comfortable surroundings. It’s

much more than just steaks here, since the freshly baked breads, side dishes and even desserts are equally stellar.

The star of the show is the

tender Blackmore Wagyu, a steak that cuts like butter and is full on flavour. Non carnivores can also enjoy seafood items such as lobster.

Le Meridien Kuala Lumpu 2, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel:03-22637888.

Find top choices of beef in a steakhouse, meat shop, an Italian trattoria or the least unlikely Chinese restaurant

PRIME ITALIAN The main attraction for OSTERIA REALBLUE is their hefty Steak Florentine, or Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The Italian bistro prepares their T-bone the traditional way — doused with olive oil, lemon pepper and cooked on a hot grill. Expect rare chunks of red meat infused with distinct charcoal aromas.

Premium Chianina is also available with a 1-week advance order for RM680 per 1 kilogram.

The Italian breed is prized for its lean and flavourful meat.

Blackmore Wagyu Prime Rib

Private Dining Room

Melt in the mouth texture

A3-UG1-06, Solaris Dutamas, Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel:03-62079799.

MAKE MINE A MATSUZAKA

Steak Florentine

MARVELLOUS MARBLING MARIA’S RESTAURANT & CAFÉ is one of those under-the-radar places for excellent steaks. It’s non descript dark wood interiors give no clue to its meaty splendors.

You know they mean serious meat business, as the menu boasts their steaks are only served with sauce upon request. Go for the Japanese Kobe steaks, a blackboard special for RM195 per 100 gram. The marbled beef

Japan’s crème de la crème Matsuzaka beef can be found in RESTAURANT CHEF CHOI. The Chinese restaurant serves this Japanese premium beef side by side with traditional Chinese fare. It is prized simply for its high fat to meat ratio, which gives you a melt-in-the-mouth texture. Here it is simply grilled like a steak for you to enjoy its

luscious mouthfeel. Once you taste a Matsuzaka, we reckon you will be hooked for life. The beef is sold for RM230 per 100 grams.

159, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel:03-21635866.

(Picture courtesy from www. pureglutton.com)

RAISING THE STEAKS For a casual vibe and all kinds of butchered meat cuts, LAS VACAS MEAT SHOP fits the bill perfectly.

The menu features a selection of Australian Wagyu beef with marbling rates 7 and 10. You can also get Angus T-Bone steaks. Big appetites can relish their whopping Wagyu Tomahawk or bonein prime rib that weights in at a minimum of 1 kilogram. The hefty steak to be shared with 6 persons is RM35 per 100 grams. For those who prefer a less fatty cut, they also serve a grain fed version for RM21 for 100 grams. Other good choices include a fork tender lamb ribs and huge Wagyu beef burgers. Look also for the spinach and ricotta as a side dish. You can also purchase the butchered cuts for your Wagyu own home BBQ. Marble 10

Wise words to follow

No. 33, Lot 5, Ground Floor, Wisma Winbond, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur.

Tel:03-21815586

graded A4 is executed beautifully with a thin crust that seals in those meaty juices, making it so good that no sauce is necessary. For a less hefty price, go for the Black Angus or Australian Wagyu cuts.

C313A, Level 3, Center Wing, Metropolitan Square, No.2, Jalan PJU 8/1, Bandar Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya.

Tel:03-77252313

Japanese Kobe Steak

Juic Lamb Rib

ur,

icy bs

FRIDAY 14 JUNE 2013

COOKING UNDER PRESSURE REALITY television especially in a heated environment like the kitchen is hot material for the small screens. With this in mind, the Asian Food Channel (AFC) is premiering their original production, One Night in Langkawi: Sho Naganuma on June 17. The One Night series revolves around dinner challenges by culinary luminaries such as Daniel Boulud, Robert Rainford and Chef Wan. In this particular 1-hour episode, a collaboration with BMW Malaysia, the Japanese chef Sho Naganuma takes on the challenge to cook seven dinners back-to-back, on unfamiliar territory namely the beautiful Four Seasons Resort Alaskan crab tartare with uni

Langkawi. His judges are the Malaysian elite attending an exclusive invitation-only launch of BMW’s latest 7 series car. This marked a milestone for Naganuma, who catered to more than 300 people for his first time. The 31-year old chef is a protégé of Hide Yamamoto, who has the distinction of cooking for 3 American presidents: Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George Bush. Naganuma who used to work for Yamamoto in Los Angeles, now runs the Japanese chef’s first overseas outpost in Singapore.

The finest and freshest ingredients underpin Naganuma’s cuisine. For the dinners, he sourced tuna from Japan’s Tsukiji market,

Japanese wagyu beef and even local vegetables from Langkawi.

Despite each problem Naganuma faced, this was all taken in his stride with a calm approach.

When AFC approached the chef from AFC’s Great Dinners of the World for the show, the adventurous Naganuma jumped to the opportunity. “I decided to take up the challenge as it was a unique storyline, “ he says. The once rebellious teenager who found his call for cooking in America admitted that he put himself up for the test.

“I wanted to prove that I can make my dishes anywhere in the world,” he says. On hindsight, Naganuma reflects back that the seven nights was an uphill challenge with all the problems. “I like drama in my life but not my kitchen,” says Naganuma. Despite all those problems he faced in Langkawi, the young Japanese chef will not hesitate to take up another challenge to cook away from his kitchen again.

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Getting ready for service

Catch One Night in Langkawi: Sho Naganuma on June 17, 10pm, Asian Food Channel (Astro Channel 703).

Sho Naganuma

EDITORIAL NOTE

by Lee Khang Yi

THE MALAY MAIL

ADVERTISING SALES

Crave Editor

The best way to celebrate with Dad for Father’s Day is to take him out for a steak treat. Red meat is definitely the best way to a man’s heart. Or if you prefer something less hefty, opt for The Grind Burger Bar. The casual comfortable spot in Petaling Jaya serves one of the best onion rings in town. Couple this with a juicy pork burger and you’ll have a winning meal.

I’m always partial to char kway teow. It somewhat hits the spot whenever I feel down, and this Lorong Selamat stall in USJ Subang always cheers me up with its well fried rice noodle strands that don’t give me a greasy aftertaste. Last but not least, catch the dashing Sho Naganuma on screen, as he tackles 7 dinners in Langkawi next Monday. Happy Father’s Day! If you have any queries, email me at khangyi@mmail.com.my

Rajan Gopal Senior Manager, Direct & Classifieds Direct line: 03 74951282 rajan@mmail.com.my

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FRIDAY 14 JUNE 2013

THE MALAY MAIL

Comfortable surroundings

Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti with bacon bits, mushrooms and truffle crumbs

Kinoko Gohanburger

BURGER BONANZA

By Eu Hooi Khaw

I HAVE been to The Grind Burger Bar twice in a week, since I first discovered it. The comfy red brick-walled restaurant is decked out with vintage poster girls with burgers. It serves burgers with a choice of pork or beef patties, fluffy brioche buns, crispy French fries and greens, all on a wooden board.

The draw for me was their newly launched Kinoko Gohanburger (RM17). The Japanesestyle burger ditches the buns for grilled rice cakes sprinkled with furikake, a mix of toasted

Savour a plate of char kway teow

sesame seeds, bonito flakes, chopped seaweed and sea salt. It was almost impossible to hold it but I managed. As I bit into the rice, I got a taste of the nori followed by juicy pork patty slathered with the miso sauce, tomato, onion and the lightly sweet flavourful teriyaki mushrooms. The rice cakes were in some parts chewy and crispy, but still breaking up in my hand as I ate it. It was totally scrumptious. The fries served on the side were enjoyed with wasabi mayonnaise.

We also ordered the Wild Shroom Burger (RM17) - moist pork patty topped with sautéed shiitake and abalone mushrooms, black fungus, melted

Swiss cheese and mayonnaise.

It ticked all the right boxes for a good burger with a tender well-seasoned patty with the perfect combination of sauce and toppings. Lastly, it was the JD Burger (RM20), a beef patty smothered with a “secret” Jack Daniels sauce, crispy bacon and Cheddar cheese.

The sauce kept dripping as I ate the burger making a mess.

Its sweet, smoky, slightly spicy and mildly sourish sauce would have tasted better paired with a pork patty. To end our decadent burger meal, we ordered a wicked Artisan Chocolate Brownie (RM12.50).

The moist intensely chocolate brownie was served with

vanilla ice cream drizzled with Hershey’s chocolate sauce and roasted almond flakes. For a truly decadent alcoholic kick, you can replace the chocolate sauce with a shot of Baileys Irish Cream.

For my revisit, I could not resist the Kinoko Gohanburger that still tasted good. This time, we ordered The Fiery Peppercorn Burger (RM18) with a coating of crusted

peppercorns. It fell short of its hot promise while its beef patty was bland and under seasoned. The place also offers pastas, soups, salads, hot dog made with pork bratwurst, and the must-eat crispy homemade onion rings. We decided to go for the Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti (RM20). It is a vegetarian dish, but we asked for bacon bits. The pasta was cooked al dente, and it had a

nice creamy taste without overdoing it. The bacon bits gave that comforting dish, a touch of smoky and salty. There was a very light truffle aroma from its topping of crispy truffle crumbs.

The Grind Burger Bar, No 7 Jalan 17/45, Section 17, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 03-79323882. Open: 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm.

Closed on Mondays.

Wild Shroom Burger

The Fiery Peppercorn Beef Burger

CHAR KWAY TEOW,

PENANG STYLE DON”T do a double take when you spot this stall’s name that bears the same moniker as a certain famous Penang stall. Owner Jimmy Lee decided to honour the street he used to live on with his 17-year plus stall. Previously in Klang, the couple relocated to this spot in Subang Jaya about six years ago.

Each beautifully fried plate of char kway teow is lovingly topped with thin slices of fried lap cheong or waxed sausages and a spoonful of crispy lard. There is a lot Crave pays for all its meals and all its reviews are conducted anonymously.

of pride in their product, as the crunchy bits are cut into a precise dice that will make any French master chef proud. Unlike other places, the rice noodle strands have a slight bite to them. Their secret is air-drying the noodles before cooking them. The smooth strands are also separated on a basket before it is fried.

Jimmy’s wife who fries up each plate of noodles, withstands the fumes from the wok with a teddy bear adorned face mask. Full of wok hei, it is a satisfying plate

with cockles, large prawns, chives and crunchy bean sprouts. Portions tend to be small here, just like the island’s version. Expect to fork out RM4.50 for a small one or RM6.80 for a large one.

Extra toppings of cockles and a large portion can set you back by RM8.50.

Lorong Selamat Char Kuey Teow, Restoran Lam Hing Leong, 18, Jalan USJ14/1L, Subang Jaya. Open:7.30am to 2pm.

Days off not fixed.