Crave 17 May 2013 by Crave Malay Mail

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A TASTE OF KOREA DUBU DUBU SEOUL FOOD serves up delicious Korean fare

Seafood Soondubu Jigae

ADVERTORIAL

HEARTY KOREAN FARE The Honey Garlic Bulgogi is a complete meal with three banchan, rice and soup

A refreshing concoction, Citron Dubu

ONE of the most interesting aspects of the Korean cuisine is its healthy approach, with an extensive use of vegetables and tofu, all packed with great ﬂavour, texture and nutrition. DUBU DUBU SEOUL FOOD, a Korean restaurant chain practices this healthy philosophy at all its outlets. A Korean meal is not one without soup, hence the star dish here is the Soondubu Jigae or hearty stews using tofu - a perfect pair with rice. The full-of-goodness stews use fortifying beef or chicken broths, made by boiling beef or chicken bones for two days. You get choices such as beef, chicken, or seafood, together with silky smooth tofu

cubes. Light eaters can also enjoy the vegetable version made with broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and cabbage. DUBU DUBU SEOUL FOOD also serves an unusual cheese variation. The addition of the mild cheese gives a creamy texture to the broth. For those who can’t decide, you can also order combination stews like seafood with beef. Each wholesome stew is served piping hot to the table. You also receive a bowl of rice and three banchan or side dishes that makes it a complete satisfying meal. Unlike other places, DUBU DUBU SEOUL FOOD serves ﬂuffy short grain rice mixed with their in-house special ingredient to give it

The contemporary look with K-pop music videos

Dubu Dubu Bingsu, the shaved ice dessert is topped with soybean jelly and red beans

an appetising purplish colour, which is generously sprinkled with sesame seeds. No Korean meal is complete without banchan and the restaurant offers three varieties, all prepared in-house with two varieties rotated daily. The evergreen banchan served daily is kimchi, a Korean staple. It is prized for its health beneﬁts, since it balances out rich foods with lots of ﬂavour and a spicy punch. The restaurant also caters to local tastes, tweaking the stews to a less spicy variation. If you prefer a spicier stew, ask the waiters and the kitchen will cook it to your preference. The varied menu also offers Honey Garlic Bulgogi, the popular grilled beef dish in Korean restaurants. Here the Australian beef slices are cooked on a hot grill upon order in the kitchen. This prevents your clothes from absorbing the smoky aromas. It is served as a set with rice, banchan and soup. End your meal with desserts, made with the ultra smooth and good-for-you soybean jelly. The Citron Dubu is the restaurant’s own concoction, where the cool smooth jelly is served with brown sugar syrup and

topped with a dollop of tangy citron marmalade. Similarly, the refreshing shaved ice dessert Dubu Dubu Bingsu, is topped with soybean jelly, and sweetened red beans. The not-too-sweet desserts leave your palate clean and refreshed, making a meal here satisfying.

DUBU DUBU SEOUL FOOD is located at LG-048, Lower Ground Floor, Mid Valley Megamall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Kuala Lumpur, Tel:03-22878980; Lot S345, Second Floor, One Utama Shopping Centre, Lebuh Bandar Utama, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya,

BRING IN THE NEW THIS May, The Red Beanbag unveiled a new all-day menu to tantalise its customers, including an assortment of brunch items. Favourite items include the ﬂuffy classic French toast topped with almonds, and the decadent Eggs Atlantic. Minor cosmetic tweaks to the popular egg dish saw the addition of salmon roe. Eight new dishes were introduced, such as the Lamb Shakshuka, Originally from Lamb Shakshuka

North Africa, the tomato based dish has cumin, capsicums, eggs and tender lamb pieces, all topped with a sprinkle of fresh herbs. It is given a local twist, as you use roti canai to scoop up all those delicious tomatoes, mixed with the creamy eggs. The menu also has a selection of light dishes such as salads, soup, banana bread, and a decadent trufﬂe brie served with bread, trufﬂe dressed greens and pineapple chutney. Other notable dishes, include Roasted chicken chorizo with Portobello mushroom on multi-grain toast, topped with poached egg, sweet aged Balsamic vinegar and grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and Pan fried home cured salmon

Tel:-03-77336872; 04-99 & 04-99A, Fourth Floor, Berjaya Times Square, No. 1, Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur, Tel:03-21411953. Later this May, two new outlets will also be opening at Centro Mall Klang and Sunway Pyramid. The restaurant is pork-free.

FINE FRENCH YOGHURT The Cafe Interior

steak, on a bed of potato rosti with wilted spinach, poached egg and seaweed hollandaise sauce. Pets are also welcomed in the restaurant. The café’s barista Jason Loo was recently crowned 2013 Malaysian Barista Champion. The Red Beanbag, A4-01-8, Publika Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:0362115116. Open: 10am to 10pm (Tuesday to Friday), 9.30 am to 10pm (Saturday and Sunday). Closed on Mondays. – Photos by CK Lim.

Ferme des Peupliers yoghurt

Softer raspberry yoghurt

BRIGHTEN up your morning with the smooth taste of Ferme des Peupliers yoghurt. The French brand is highly sought after for its artisan roots. For more than 50 years, the family owned company in Normandy makes milk from their own cattle. Everything is produced from scratch including the cattle’s feed. The milk is only pasteurised once, rather than three times like normal. Once it is milked from the cow, it is set in glass jars to culture directly. This results in creamy delicious full fat plain yoghurt with a set texture. The fruit based yoghurt has a softer texture and comes naturally sweetened by fruits such as raspberries and cherries. Since 2005, the yoghurts have also picked up prestigious French Concours General Agricole awards yearly for its exceptional quality. There is a vast selection of ﬂavours ranging from cherry, raspberries, vanilla, lemon, chocolate, apricot and blueberries, as well as the full fat version. You can also recycle the small glass jars. The yoghurts are retailed at Ben’s Independent Grocer in Publika Solaris Dutamas. It is retailed as a two-jar pack for RM16.90.

FRIDAY 17 MAY 2013

THE MALAY MAIL

Poached snapper with scallop mousse

Kirsch cream with chocolate shavings

Lobster, morels and asparagus

Rendang beef carpaccio

HITTING A NEW HIGH CULINARY stars took centrestage at the Hats Off culinary event at Westin Kuala Lumpur between May 8 to 12. The event, the first of its kind in the hotel, gathered chefs from Hong Kong and Australia, such as Alvin Leung, Jeremy Biasiol and Serge Dansereau, who boast Michelin stars to their respective restaurants. The gastronomic event Hats Off was first introduced in The Westin Beijing Financial Street in 2008. The yearly event was seen as a chance to introduce diners to delicious gourmet experiences. The collaborative affair is also a way for the world-class chefs to share their expertise with the hotel chefs to push the quality of the hotel’s restaurants upwards. The highlight of the event was the Gala Dinner, where Starwood Kuala Lumpur’s chefs collaborated with the overseas chefs. These chefs include Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Chef Antoine Rodriguez, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Chef Rajesh Kana, and The Westin Kuala Lumpur’s Executive Sous Chef Fahdrul Abd. Malek. The spectacular dinner was one to remember by KL-lites and complemented with exquisite wines from wineries like M. Chapoutier, Paul Bouchard, Banfi, Torres, De Bortoli and Pascal Jolibvet. In the first dish, Chef Fahdrul presented the Rendang Beef Carpaccio with baby vegetables, cardamom salt and a pungent

Jeremy Biasiol

mustard ice cream. Balsamic vinegar was drizzled over the salad. The East meets West dish showcased elements of the iconic Malay rendang with its flavours in the thinly sliced meat, which paired well with the cold but pungent mustard ice cream. Next Chef Jeremy presented the Small Lobster with Morels and Asparagus, edible flowers and a deep lobster sauce. The crustacean is slightly undercooked to give you a silky texture, which pairs well with the earthy flavours of the morels and the sweet tasting asparagus sauce. Chef Jeremy is a former Alain Ducasse protege. Le Meridien’s Chef Antoine’s White Bean Soup had a playful twist. The delicate soup is paired with a Truffle Duck Confit Croque Monsieur, and a decadent Foie Gras Lollipop you dip in the soup. Chef Serge’s dish was a light interlude of Poached Snapper

Serge Dansereau

with Scallop Mousse Fennel and Saffron Broth with mussels and wilted cos lettuce. The native-born Quebecois is famed for his passion for us-

White bean soup with foie gras lollipop

ing local seasonal produce in his Bathers’ Pavilion Café, in Sydney. Bo Innovation’s Chef Alvin presented his version of “chicken rice” in the form of an organic chicken, with a risotto using 7 years aged Acquerello rice, yellow chicken stock, wooden fungus and sand ginger chicken jus. His version of this familiar dish drew praises from many for its innovativeness. Last but not least, each guest was presented with a special chef’s toque, crafted from edible white chocolate by Chef Rajesh. This hid a Kirsch Cream with Chocolate shavings, marinated cherries and crunchy hazelnut feulletine, a decadent dessert worthy to end a truly fantastic culinary fete.

Q A

ALVIN LEUNG

NICKNAMED “The Demon Chef”, Alvin Leung has made a name for himself serving his X-treme Chinese Cuisine in Hong Kong’s Bo Innovation and Bo London in Mayfair. The self taught chef serves up creations that often raise eyebrows using Chinese ingredients that challenges comfort levels, all reinvented with his own twist with progressive cooking techniques. Tell us about the “chicken rice” dish. The chicken rice is a popular dish with many. I cook the chicken at a low temperature, about 62C for 45 minutes to keep it the moist and tender. Another trick with cooking chicken

EDITORIAL NOTE by Lee Khang Yi

is you must separate the red and white meat. I use the aromatic sand ginger to marinate the chicken to give it ﬂavour. The risotto is cooked with a rich chicken broth, to give it a form of umami and richness. The light cream is laced with sand ginger and chicken jus. I soak the wood fungus in porcini broth to absorb the ﬂavours. It’s an under rated item, like a Chinese morel mushroom, which gives the dish texture. What is next? I will be introducing a new dish for charity, called “Bullshit” in a couple of months. It’s my way to give back to society. Plans are also underway for another restaurant in Taiwan. ADVERTISING SALES

Crave Editor Rajan Gopal

Last week, KL-lites were treated to meals to remember at The Westin Kuala Lumpur’s Hats Off event. The gastronomic mini festival showcased talents like Alvin Leung, Jeremy Biasiol and Serge Densereau. Diners around Kuala Lumpur are a lucky lot, as there’s an abundant of choices from Korean food in DUBU DUBU SEOUL FOOD, to traditional Nonya fare in Little Heritage House located in Petaling Jaya. For those who prefer Indian cuisine, dine at the Maharaj like our columnist, Eu Hooi Khaw. In addition, The Red Beanbag introduces a new menu, a mix of old favourites and new items like the delicious Lamb Shakshuka. If you wish to contact me, email me at khangyi@mmail.com.my

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

FRIDAY 17 MAY 2013

THE MALAY MAIL

NONYA NUANCES

Jiew hu char

Nasi ulam

Nonya grilled brinjals

DINING choices around the quiet Section 17 in Petaling Jaya used to be limited to simple hawker or tai-chow fare. Nowadays, it’s perking up with new places opening such as hipster cafes and restaurants including its own Nonya joint, Little Heritage House. The highlight of this place is its ornate antique furnishings, a tribute to the rich heritage of the Peranakan. Push through the beautiful carved doors at the entrance to discover a comfortable dining area with an old world charm. The place is fashioned like a Peranakan home peppered with antiques and retro items. Upstairs, the place is ideal for parties or corporate events, with its ornate long tables. The menu features classic Nonya fare. Spice and heat levels are taken a notch down making it ideal for those who fear chillies. However, this may not sit well with those who prefer the old fashioned Nonya cooking styles with its rich hearty flavours and spices. The Nasi Ulam or herbed rice (RM22 for medium, RM38 for large) is a must-eat for me whenever I visit a Nonya restaurant. This version is a tasty one with fluffy rice grains tossed with the fragrant herbs and deep fried salted fish. The true test would be the Jiew Hu Char (RM25 for medium, RM45 for large), and I was amazed to find this version completely hand cut. That herculean effort made a world of difference to the dish rewarding us with various textures. It comes sprinkled

MARVELLOUS MAHARAJ By Eu Hooi Khaw

A BUNGALOW along Jalan Gasing houses the Maharaj, a restaurant familiar to many Petaling Jaya residents for its Indian fare. Walk inside to discover, various rooms decorated with scenes of India — courtyard dancers, royal processions, young princes from the Old Raj, or even a mural of Taj Mahal. The restaurant serves an extensive menu filled with food from all over India. Its sheer variety means you can keep returning here to try new things mixed with old favourites. The dishes are said to be from “accomplished chefs”, or Maharaj as they were once named by their old masters in India.

The meal started with the red tinged Gobi 65 (RM14), chunky cauliflower florets battered and deepfried with the aromas of fragrant spices, chillies and a slight touch of sourness. Next it was the Marina Meen (RM17) or Madras fried fish tempered with spices. The juicy ikan tenggiri fillets were especially good eaten with the raw sweet onion rings. We also enjoyed the Bendi Masala (RM14) — lady fingers cooked in a sauce thick with sweet onions and tomatoes. The curry also had dried fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi sprinkled in it that made it so fragrant and appetising. I love eating the vegetables with the Romali Roti (RM7), the lightest, thinnest Indian bread that can be folded like a handkerchief. It also pairs well with the Kadai Mixed Vegetables (RM14), a dish

Romali roti and naan

filled with French beans, green capsicum, carrots, tomatoes and potatoes, all cooked in a thick, spiced up gravy with onions, and a mix of dried and fresh chillies. The mutton dishes have always been consistently good and we weren’t disappointed with the Mutton Kerala (RM19). It turned out to be chunks of tender meat fragrant with spices. Black cardamoms lent their intense, complex fragrance to the rich curry. It also had welcoming sour tones cutting through the richness of the curry. I ate this with the lovely steamed Garlic rice (RM7) that was redolent with garlic, and topped with fresh coriander. It was flavourful enough to be enjoyed on its own. We rather liked the Dum Mutton Briyani (RM18) or basmati rice slow cooked with meat and spices in a pot tightly sealed with a piece of dough. In this way, the rice is well infused with the spices and the flavour of the meat. As I ate the rice, I could get a hint of the cloves, cardamoms, fennel, cinnamon, ginger and garlic in it, as well as chopped fresh mint. The Komudi Kholapur or Maharashtra Bombay Chicken (RM19) failed to impress with its one-dimensional spicy flavour. We ended lunch with an almond kulfi, complimentary from the restaurant. It was not too sweet

generously with ultra thin crispy cuttlefish strips, which pushes this dish up a few notches. The Curry Tumis was an appetising dish, with its thick tangy curry sprinkled with fresh mint leaves and bunga kantan or torch ginger flower. You get a choice of fishes such as red snapper, siakap and bawal hitam or black pomfret. Prices start from RM42 for a medium portion. The Sambal Petai Prawns (RM35 for medium, RM55 for large) was a tad too mild, despite a generous portion of dried prawns and fresh stink beans. The crispy Inchi Kabin (RM25 for medium, RM42 for large) also lacked the punchy taste of spices. Unlike the other mild tasting dishes, the Nonya Grilled Brinjals

(RM18 for medium, RM25 for large) scored top marks for its strong sweet flavours, which complemented the tender vegetable well. Desserts hit the right notes here especially the excellent Pulut Hitam (RM5). The thick black broth is laced with fresh coconut milk, to Front uplift it to a entrance creamy decadence. You also find mata kuching, in the dessert that gives it a natural sweetness. Unlike the slightly starchy versions, the Sago Gula

Melaka (RM5) comes in an easyto-scoop version – sago pearls just floating in a delicious gula Melaka syrup and fresh coconut milk broth. One could not fault the taste of the Cendol with red beans (RM5) but our gripe was struggling with the ice cubes in the dessert. Perhaps shaved ice would be a better choice. The Special Penang Rojak (RM13), a complimentary item offered by the restaurant is also good with an assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables such as cucumber, mango, pineapple and starfruit. Service is also friendly and pleasant making you feel at home at this pork-free restaurant. Little Heritage House Straits Chinese Kitchen, No. 23, Ground and First floor, Jalan 17/56, Section 17, Petaling Jaya, Tel: 03-79321810. Open daily: 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm.

Clara Special Penang rojak

Trio of desserts

The Taj Mahal in a view from a palace window

Bendi Masala and Garlic Rice

and yummy with ground almonds and pistachios in it, tinged yellow with saffron and scented with rose water. From my previous visits here, I liked their Fish and Veg-

Crave pays for all its meals and all its reviews are conducted anonymously.

Gobi 65

etable Kebabs and Tawa Prawns. Dining here is also not expensive, with an average of RM25 to RM30 per person. Corkage charges are also waived here.

Dum Briyani with Mutton

Maharaj, 59 Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 03-79685515. Open daily: 11.30am to 3pm, 6.30pm to 11pm.