Crave 5 April 2013 by Crave Malay Mail

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NOSTALGIC Relive the past with these old fashioned teatime bites

CHINESE ALM COOKIES

(MAKES 20 PIECES

In Chinese, these cookies are known as hup tou sou. Traditionally, ﬂaky texture while walnuts give it fragrance. Nowadays, the cookie Pair a cookie with a cup of hot local coffee for a great afternoon sn

170g lard ½ teaspoon salt 85g icing sugar 85g caster sugar 115g roasted walnuts, cut into rough chunks ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted 312–320g plain ﬂour, sifted 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease two baking trays. In a bowl, combine lard, salt, icing sugar and caster sugar until the sugars dissolve. Add in the walnuts to combine. Mix in sifted ingredients, until the dough combine to form a ball. You may use all of the ﬂour or even more. Scale 40g dough and shape into a ball. Place on the greased tray and ﬂatten with the palm of your hand. Lightly brush with egg yolk. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for 30-35

Taster Comments: This was so tasty and ﬂaky with the toasted walnuts. Perfe RACHEL MAH Student

ICED GEM

BISCUITS

Remember these small biscuits topped with icing from your childhood? Our version takes a more natural approach to the icing colour, but you can still eat the icing ﬁrst, then the biscuit just like the good old days. 145g butter, softened ¼ teaspoon salt 40g caster sugar 50g brown sugar 1 grade A egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 360 g plain ﬂour, sifted 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, sifted ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted icing 33g egg whites 280-300g icing sugar, sifted 50g extra icing sugar, sifted 40g beetroot, peeled, blended and sieved 3 pandan leaves, blended with a little water to form juice and sieved

Preheat oven to 170C. Grease baking trays with butter and set aside. To prepare cookies: In an electric beater fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, salt and sugars together in a bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract; mix until well combined. Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda; mix until a soft dough forms. Remove the dough and place on a flat surface between two sheets of cling film. Use a rolling pin to

flatten the dough to 5mm thickness. Use a small round biscuit cutter with a diameter of 1.5cm and cut out the biscuits. Place on greased trays. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and leave to cool. To prepare icing: Blanch the mixer bowl with boiling water to remove any traces of oil and wipe dry. In an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whisk, beat the egg whites in the mixer bowl until fluffy. Beat in the sifted icing sugar until it becomes stiff peaks. Scrape and

divide into 3 bowls. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons beetroot and pandan juice for the pink and green icing. Leave one bowl plain. If the icing becomes watery after mixing in the juice, add a little icing sugar until the icing holds its shape. Place the icing into a piping bag ﬁtted with a star-shaped nozzle #18. Pipe each biscuit base with the icing. Leave to dry for 30 minutes to an hour. Store in airtight containers and serve when needed. – Recipe by Debbie Teoh. Photography by Kenneth Lim, Gray Studio.

Taster Comments: These were a little ﬁddly to make but it brought back many childhood memories” RACHEL MAH Student

FRIDAY 5 APRIL 2013

THE MALAY MAIL

ALL SPICED UP

MOND S

, it is made with lard that gives it a e is usually made without any nuts. nack. minutes or until cookies turn light brown. Remove from the oven. Place on a wire rack to cool, before storing in airtight containers. If you prefer smaller cookies, scale the dough to 20g and bake for 25 minutes. — Recipe by Debbie Teoh. Photography by Kenneth Lim, Gray Studio. Note: Prepare the lard by heating up 230g pork fat cubes over low heat until the oil is fragrant. Leave to cool before using.

“Dense, full-bodied and voluptuous with a fabulous precision, good acidity, magniﬁcent concentration and fabulous ﬁnish,” says the American renowned wine critic Robert Parker of the wines from Rusden in Barossa Valley, Australia. It was a boost to this small vineyard, to be picked by the acclaimed wine guru, who ranked their wines since 2000, above 90+. Rusden’s beginning was a humble one, originally starting out as a hobby farm in 1979 by Dennis Canute, a schoolteacher and his wife Christine. “I wasn’t too happy with teaching, hence I started this farm to grow grapes,” says Dennis. The affable Dennis also made wine on the side, as a hobby with his friend Russell, hence the label’s name, Rusden. Their dream to make single vineyard wines took off when Dennis’ son Christian became Rusden’s winemaker in 1997, after learning the ropes

Dennis Canute

at Rockford and Torbreck in the Barossa Valley. “We gave him the grapes to make wine instead of selling it to other wineries, and Rusden became a reality,” he says. The vineyard strongly believes in tradition. Christian’s winemaking approach includes hand picking the grapes, gentle de-stemming, open air fermentation, basket pressing and aging the grapes in a barrels made from new and old French and American oak. A distinct character of their wine is the spicy note. According to

Dennis, this is attributed from their sandy soil as the vineyard is just below the hill from Eden Valley, another wine region. “We think the sand from above was washed down many years ago, hence there’s a similar characteristics from the wines from Eden Valley. But in Barossa, there’s no other wine with the same spiciness,” he adds. The sand also attributes to Rusden’s wines slightly higher alcohol content compared to other wineries in the Barossa Valley. “In the sand to get our fruit ripe, the sugar levels are quite high, hence our wines are about 0.5% and 1.5% above everybody else,” he says. One of their famous wines is the Black Guts Shiraz. The name bears a certain resemblance of what your stomach would look it. ”If you drink too much of it, it explains itself, “ says Dennis. Christian also started the Sandscrub wines in 2001, which was voted 98 The sandy terrain

ect with a hot cup of coffee.”

TASTING NOTES Rusden Boundaries Cabernet 2008 • Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon • This vintage was given 90 points by Robert Parker. The deep red wine has smooth tannins, with blackberry and cassis ﬂavours. It is aged in 5% new American oak barrels. • RM220 for 750ml bottle Rusden Black Guts Shiraz 2010 • Grape: Shiraz • The 2009 vintage was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker. The deep garnet wine has a velvet points by Parker. The wine is only produced in small cuvees, about 500 bottles. Rusden is particular about selecting only the best grapes for this special label. According to Dennis, in 2008 and 2011, there was no Sandscrub produced by Rusden, as the grapes were not good enough. “If it doesn’t come up to standard, it doesn’t go in”, he says. Rusden Wine is available in Malaysia through Vineyards Direct, Block J-03-11, No.2, Jalan Solaris, Solaris Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:0362011699. It is sold as an

like texture with layered black fruit and black pepper, tar, salami. • RM780 for a 1.5ml bottle (magnum) Rusden Sandscrub 2004 • Grape: Shiraz • Voted 97 points by Robert Parker, the wine is aged for four years in 100% French oak barrels and aged for another four years in the bottle. The full-bodied wine is a deep garnet colour with black currant scent, with intense chocolate, tobacco, cloves, cumin and liquorice. • RM1,420 for 750ml bottle investment wine, which includes refrigerated shipping and ﬁve years of storage and insurance.

Rusden Sandscrub Wines

A GO-GO TO ALOFT THE debut of the modern Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral offers a refreshing change for travellers bored with non-descript hotels. The 482-room hotel owned by Bold bright Nook

Aseana Properties Limited is also the largest Aloft hotel in the world. The brand Aloft is the baby sister of The Starwood Group’s famous W Hotels, with Mingle at w xyz bar

Comfy loft rooms

similar trendsetting elements. The trendy hotel uses a funky mix of industrial elements. Tired travellers can enjoy guestrooms with spacious 11-foothigh ceilings, and the comfortable Aloft signature bed. Giving a local touch to the rooms are quirky cartoons drawn by local artist Antares, while colourful elephant paintings by Yusuf Gajah line the hotel corridors. The vibe here is casual, as you relax at the re:mix lounge with a game of pool, or grab a cocktail at w xyz bar at the lobby level. Travelers-on-the-go can pick up a snack at the 24-hour re:fuel that stocks sandwiches, salads, and local items. For more substantial meals, head towards Nook, that serves Malaysian food such as Sarawak laksa and nasi lemak, amid Western items. For a bird-eye view of Kuala Lumpur, chill out at rooftop Mai bar or dive into the pool, the highest at 30 ﬂoors, among the Aloft hotels.

Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral

The hotel also offers around 17,233 square feet of meeting space that includes a state-inthe art ballroom, which recently hosted the Mercedes-Benz

EDITORIAL NOTE by Lee Khang Yi

Stylo Fashion Grand Prix 2013. Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 5, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:03-27231188 ADVERTISING SALES

Crave Editor

It’s a mixed bag this Friday, as we have old fashioned teatime treats, fine Australian wine, and the debut of the trendy Aloft hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I’m not sure if you remember those iced gem biscuits with its pretty pastel colours from the canteen? I used to love eating them, so I decided to revive them. I’m also a big fan of the flaky hup tou sou, the walnut biscuits from the Chinese coffeeshops. For eating out, we have two places I love. First, it is Surisit Thai Kopitiam, where you can always rely on for a satisfying Thai spread of curries, spice tingling tom yam and the finger licking fried pork with shrimp paste and kaffir lime leaves. Next it is a place I visited in Singapore, which made me ponder why can’t we do the same in Kuala Lumpur, especially the divine Sambal buah keluak fried rice. Hopefully someone reads this and start serving that fried rice here. If you wish to contact me, email me at khangyi@mmail.com.my

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

FRIDAY 5 APRIL 2013

FAMILIAR THAI FLAVOURS By EU HOOI KHAW

IT HAS BEEN a while since I visited Surisit Thai Kopitiam. I checked and found that the same cook is still there, so it should be all right for another visit. We went on a Sunday night, and found the restaurant packed to the rafters. The waiters had hardly any time to clear the dishes on the table before another batch of customers took their places at it. I guess it is best not to go there at the weekend. They even ran out of clean Banana Flower Salad

bowls for our tomyam! Opened since June 2011, the restaurant features a menu with Thai favourites such as tomyam, green curry, pandan chicken and various salads. The draw here is its well-cooked Thai dishes at reasonable prices, all served in a casual coffee shop or kopitiam style. A favourite dish from numerous past visits have been the Crispy fried pork with shrimp paste and kafﬁr lime leaves or Moo thod kapi (RM16.90). Nothing had changed — the pork strips seasoned with shrimp paste was crispy on the outside, with just Mango Pulut

A kopitiam decor for Surisit

Sambal belimbing

Kuih bingka ubi

the right balance of fats with the lean meat. The crispy fried kaffir lime leaves imparted a wonderful fragrance, and a touch of the hot, sour and sweet chilli dip lifted the flavour of the meat. The Pandan chicken or Kai hor bai toey (6 pieces for RM15.90) was a pleasant surprise. The tender meat unfurled from the fragrant leaves was well infused with its marinade, and produced flavourful bursts at the bite. You can’t go wrong with Thai curry prawns with pineapple or Kaeng khua sapparot kung (RM19.90). It was a mild, aromatic yellow curry with the pineapple slices and the prawns lacing it with their natural sweetness. We doused our steamed Thai fragrant rice with copious spoons of the curry. We also had the clear Tom yam with prawns (RM29.90), which was all right in its balance of sour and hot. However, we found grief with the Thai beef curry or Panaeng neua (RM19.90). It was a little flat and bland, despite its generous portion of tender beef slices, and long beans. They seemed to have left out the chilli in the Banana flower salad or Yam hua plee (RM15.90), or was it because it

THE MALAY MAIL

Tomyam Kung Cheh with Prawns

Crispy Pork with Shrimp Paste Pandan Chicken

was a busy night? The shredded blossom sat on a large dark red petal of the flower, combined with prawns and the usual Thai dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and coconut milk. This was topped with crispy shallots and crispy coconut flakes or kerisik. It lacked oomph, which was a pity as it is a salad I used to like here. For desserts, it was a trinity of Thai desserts to be shared — Mango pulut, Tap tim krob or the red rubies, and Man chiam or tapioca in a coconut sauce. The Mango pulut (RM9.90) was lovely, with the ripe fruit doused in thick

coconut milk and paired with the sticky rice. The Tap tim krob or red rubies, which is actually water chestnuts was refreshing. I also liked the Man chiam (RM6.90), for its caramelised sweet creamy tapioca. On previous visits, I rather enjoyed the Son-in-law eggs, which has deepfried hard-boiled eggs ﬁnished with a tamarind sauce cooked with palm sugar and garnished with fried shallots and

chillies. I would come back for the Cha om omelette, fried with the feathery cha om vegetable, that has hints of petai and served with a Thai sambal. The Belacan fried rice is also worth coming back for too, and the Deep fried salted beef. Surisit Thai Kopitiam, 17, Lorong Rahim Kajai 13, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-77100173. Open daily: 11am to 10.30pm.

HIT ME WITH NOSTALGIA

Chilled tofu and century egg relish

IN SINGAPORE, there seems to be a staunch appreciation for forgotten dishes from grandma’s repertoire. Take for instance, Immigrants, a gastro bar that opened in the Joo Chiat area late last year. Headed by Chef Damien D’Silva, famed for championing Singapore fare, his menu features a mélange of Eurasian, Nonya and local ethnic dishes, mostly based on D’Silva’s hand me down recipes from his grandparents. Keeping things fun and casual, the food comes in tapas-like portions, all served in enamel bowls, or what my friend wickedly nicknames “dog bowls”. It is a good thing, the spicy eats is served in a drinking hole, as the tongue can cool off with a bottle of craft beer, single malt whiskey or even choice French wines. The place has a raw or half-unfinished look with exposed bare cement walls brightened up by coloured tiles and spoof paintings of D’Silva and his restaurant partners, all dressed in traditional Nonya outfits. For a quieter meal, you can opt for the back area decked out like a coffee shop complete with mosaic tiled flooring and old school wooden chairs. Despite its humble set-up, the place has the distinction to be featured in publications such as the New York

Times and Hufﬁngton Post. It is hard to not over order, as everything sounds good, so be prepared for a table blanketed with enamel bowls. Relive old times by ordering Fresh cockles (SGD8), a common food court item from yesteryears. The molluscs are blanched to perfection and so delicious with the spicy homemade chilli sauce. Standout items include Singgang (SGD14), a Eurasian dish made with deboned sai toh or wolf herring ﬁsh cooked with seven different spices, and anointed with creamy coconut milk. Think comfort creamy mash you swipe down with chilled cucumber sticks. Equally on the same plateau was the simple Chilled tofu with century egg relish (SGD9) with hidden bits of homemade pickles and garnished with chopped spring onions. Word has it that D’Silva created this dish from refrigerator leftovers. Brilliant! It’s strange how Singaporeans are literally nuts about buah keluak or the mangrove nut. Even when the nut appears in dishes in the Klang Valley, it is usually an insipid version. Restaurateurs can take a page from the superb Sambal buah keluak fried rice (SGD20) served here. D’Silva uses an abundant amount of

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The bar area

Ayam Sioh

the black buah keluak paste to infuse the grains with the addictive earthy and chocolate-like ﬂavours, you can’t stop eating it. Pair this with an offal-ly good dish of Seh bak (SGD19). Strictly not for the fainthearted, it’s a dish almost extinct with Eurasians, a mix of all sorts of internal organs from the pig including its ears, slow braised for four hours with spices and dark soy sauce. Other decent eats we also sam-

Sambal buah keluak fried rice

pled, was the tamarind based Ayam sioh, fragrant Grilled Seafood otak, a comforting curry version of Satay ayam, and Sambal belimbing, with prawns. Desserts tend to be limited, but we did manage to score a pretty good Kuih bingka one night, served warm that hit the sweet spot. Immigrants, 467, Joo Chiat Road, Singapore. Tel:02-85117322. Open daily: 5pm to 12am.