food magazine . issue 07 dec 2011

Issue 07 . December 2011

FOOD online magazine is published monthly. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part prohibited without permission. While the publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, we will not be held responsible for any errors therein. The opinions and experiences articulated on this magazine are entirely based on blogger's personal tastebuds and may be at odds for other foodies.

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072333

SIMPLY MEL’SThe Sphere, Bangsar Southby www.foodnframe.com

SANOOKPlaza Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jayaby www.iamthewitch.com

FRONTERAJaya One, Petaling Jayaby www.clevermunkey.blogspot.com

Simply Mel’s I 07

SIMPLY MEL’SThe Sphere, Bangsar South

BONG NATAL! That means Merry Christmas in Cristang, a Portuguese-based Creole language spoken in Malacca. Yours truly was invited to try out Simply Mel’s Festive Food Menu at Bangsar South which was launched in conjunction with the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebration.

Melba Nunis Victor (or Mel for short) takes after her mother Mama Mercy, and her grandmother Mama Rosa, who both had a passion for food. Mel has been cooking and baking not just for her family but for friends and charities as well.

As a young girl growing up in Malacca, she would spend her days helping her mother cook, bake and serve food at their humble home. Her passion for cooking was what led her to open up a family theme restaurant at Bangsar South.

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by www.foodnframe.com

Simply Mel’s I 09

Chicken Seybah ‘Devil’ Curry

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Chicken Seybah

Among the Eurasian community, this dish is cooked with pig ears and belly. However, it tastes just as good with chicken!

Traditionally, Seybah is served during parties and special occasions like Christmas, birthdays and home parties because it goes well with beer and alcohol.

Mel makes her Chicken Seybah by braising the chicken with onions, garlic and two types of soy sauce. The chicken is cooked until the sauce caramelizes and forms a thick layer on the skin.

It is then cut into thin slices and served on a bed of lettuce, “tau pok” and cucumber and topped with a smothering of Mel’s homemade chilli sauce.

‘Devil’ Curry

A staple item on the menu, this dry chilli, lemongrass, galangal and mustard seed curry really shines when combined with the rest of Mel’s Christmas dishes, especially complementing her ‘Galinhia Pai’.

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Every Eurasian family has its own version of Feng, and Mel’s mother Mercy taught her to make this yellowish spiced dish with pig belly, intestines and chopped liver.

At Simply Mel’s, this dry mixed meat curry is cooked with ox tongue, liver and belly. It’s simply delicious and a must have at Christmas!

Feng

A whole lot of love goes into making this pie, as everything is made from scratch! It is filled to the brim with chicken, meatballs, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, green peas, macaroni and egg, and baked with a homemade short crust pastry.

Nothing says Christmas quite like the warm feeling you will get after eating this!

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Galinhia Pie

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Roast lamb with rosemary,honey-mustard andgula melaka

Roast lamb with rosemary, honey-mustard and gula melaka, a caramelized family favourite!

Whole leg of lamb roasted to perfection, served homemade gravy from roasting juices, mint sauce, and potato onion gratin.

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Roast lamb with rosemary, honey-mustard and gula melaka

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Mel’s Festive Sambal Prawns

Fresh Prawns

sautéed in a

dry chilli paste.

Roast chicken with sage onion stuffing, wrapped in beef bacon, a juicy bird rubbed in butter and stuffed with garlic, minced chicken, sage and onion.

Stuffing balls on the side, sausages in blanket and gravy made from roasting juices and cranberry sauce complete the Christmas experience.

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Roast chicken with sage onion stuffing, wrapped in beef bacon

A family recipe passed down for generations, this moist, rich fruitcake will fill you with the Christmas spirit!

Mel’s tarts use only the freshest of pineapples, grated and cooked down to a sweet, sticky paste. Filled into a homemade pastry that’s hand pinched then baked, one bite of her tarts will have you wanting more.

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Mel’s Rich Fruitcake Mel’s Pineapple Tarts

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RestaurantSimply Mel’sAddressUnit 1-1A, Ist Floor, The SphereNo. 1, Avenue 1, Bangsar SouthNo. 8, Jalan Kerinchi, 59200 Kuala LumpurTelephone+603 2241 4525Business Hours10 am – 10 pm dailyWebsitewww.simplymels.comEmailinquiries@simplymels.comReservationAble to make reservation through TableFourUs mobile app

* Simply Mel’s will be closed on Christmas Eve 24th & Christmas Day 25th December. Open for business as usual from 6pm on the 26th December.

Overall, the food was really tasty. True to Mel’s motto in serving up good, hearty food everyday, the dinner was truly a night to remember. I would recommend anyone that is looking for a place to celebrate their Christmas or New Year to drop by Simply Mel’s for some Kristang Christmas dishes and traditional roasts. It’s all about family, and it’s all about good food. Bong Natal!

SANOOKPlaza Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya

I have been to Sanook several times now and I have always admired the calm and peaceful surrounding of the restaurant that faces a lake. It definitely gives me a break from the hustle and bustle of the chaotic city traffic – almost like a place out of town, when in fact, it is located in the heart of Petaling Jaya.

Thankfully, on that night, it had just stopped raining, so the air was still cool and crisp with a light breeze. Just perfect.

The Christmas Eve Dinner consists of 5 courses – Appetizer, Soup, Mains, Dessert and an unlimited serving of Turkey carving on the side.

Sanook Bistro and Sports Bar I 23

by www.iamthewitch.com


The sizable scallop was seared lightly resulting in slightly brown edges while still maintaining the juices within. Topped with alfalfa, I thought the combination was quite unique – the mixture of sweet and plump seafood with crunchy greens. You either love it or hate it. Fret not, if you don’t enjoy the greens, gently push them aside and savour the juicy scallop on its own.

For me, I much preferred the breaded honey tiger prawn. It was deep fried to a crispy finish with succulent flesh and a very tasty sauce. A combination of honey and tomato, the sauce was simply to-die-for.

Appetizer - Italiano pan-fried scallop with breaded honey tiger prawn

When the second course of soup arrived, it certainly raised a few eyebrows, for the sight of soup was almost non-existent. But after the first sip, I understood why.

The soup was rather rich and thick. Each spoonful was bursting with a plethora of flavours from the generous amount of seafood used – shrimps, mussels, squids, fish and more.

It was naturally sweet and savoury with a tangy hint from the tomatoes. Even though the portion was small, it was satisfying.

Soup - Fresh black mussel soup Mediterranean style


For the main course, we had the choice of either salmon or steak.

My first impression? The salmon fillet was huge! It may not seem much from the photo, but I actually had trouble finishing it towards the end because the flesh was thick, dense and compact. Taste wise, I would have preferred the salmon to be pan-fried just a tad longer to get the crispy skin and more of the golden-brown layer on the surface. On the other hand, I enjoyed the tempura baby soft-shelled crab that was served on the side. It was deep-fried with a light and savoury batter that was not cloying. The addition of greens on top also helped to balance out the flavour. Best of all, it was still crunchy even after 15 minutes being served. Well done!

Main course (option 1) - Pan-fried salmon with tempura baby crab


Another choice for the main course was the grilled rib-steak, which I had the chance to sample thanks to Caroline.

The portion of the steak was sizable and had a nice charred surface on top. I was close to regretting my choice of salmon when I had a bite of her steak. She asked for medium and it was executed just right – pink and juicy insides without the sight of blood. Couple that with the mushroom sauce, it was pure steak joy.

If you love steak, I’d suggest you to choose this for your main course.

Main course (option 2) – Grilled rib-steak ala Americano



For dessert, we had something quite unconventional – pineapple strudel in wanton skin.

It was different from the normal strudel such that instead of pastry layers, crispy wanton skin was used. And to top it off was ice-cream that covered the pineapple fillings within.

Served with some blueberries and kiwi, I thought the addition of sweet ice-cream was good to balance the tartly flavours from the fruits and the pineapple.

Dessert – Sweet creamy honey pineapple studel in wanton skin

Last but not least, unlimited turkey carvings on the side for patrons to enjoy. The roast turkey was stuffed with polenta, fresh pineapple and dates, served with mixed Italian herbs sauce. On the sides were the colourful combination of baby carrots, beetroot, grapes, brussel sprouts, roast potatoes, goose berries, snow peas and pineapple chutney. My, even this side dish could be a complete meal on its own!

Towards the end of the dinner, I was already too full to sample much of the turkey. To be honest, I am not much of a turkey person, since I found the meat to be usually quite dry and bland, just like chicken breast. So I usually eat it with lots of cranberry sauce or in this case, pineapple chutney.

Carving the turkey



RestaurantSanook Bistro and Sports BarAddressC-06, Plaza Kelana JayaSS7/13A, 47301 Petaling Jaya, SelangorTelephone+603 7877 3636Business HoursMon – Sat (Sat dinner and drinks only)Happy hours starts at 5 pmLunch 11:30 am – 2:30 pmDinner 6 pm – 11 pmParty 'til 1 amClosed on SundaysWebsitewww.sanooking.com

Christmas Eve Dinner at SanookRM133+ per pax with a complimentary bottle of Bolzano Tempranillo red wine to be shared by 2 persons. Only available on 24th December 2011 (Saturday evening).

So if you would like to spend your Christmas Eve away from the busy city and the horrendous traffic, why not give Sanook a try?

Did I mention that it is located just next to a calm lake, giving it the extra edge of being more romantic?

Frontera Sol of Mexico I 33

FRONTERAJaya One, Petaling Jaya

In this blog entry, I will be introducing this very special Christmas Eve and Day Set Dinner Menu by Frontera Sol of Mexico.

I know most of you are searching around for a good place to plan for a Christmas dinner with family or close friends and so you might want to consider this place. So let's see what Frontera Sol of Mexico has to offer.


by www.clevermunkey.blogspot.com


As for starter, customers are given two choices. The first one is the Traditional Tamales.

It is steamed cooked in banana leaf wrapping with the choice of chicken or beef. This is like the traditional Chinese glutinous rice that we had during the Winter Solstice Festival.

Traditional Tamales


The next starter is the Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage Pesto. This soup was sweet but full of the butternut taste but somehow it tasted similar like pumpkin soup.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage Pesto


As for the main course, we get to choose one out of 4 options but I will only be showing the 2 options in this blog entry.

This is the awesome Mesquite Smoked Turkey with Cranberry Chipotle Relish, Jalapeno Corn Bread Dressing, Candied Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli Florets Topped with Chili Con Queso. I really enjoyed eating the turkey and the relish were really appetizing as well as the other side dishes.

Mesquite Smoked Turkey


Next main course is the Veracruz-style Baked Fish with Mexican Rice, Sonora Vegetables with Epazote. The fish was very fresh and well cooked with the sauce and the veggie with Mexican rice was great combination in this course.

The other 2 options are the Home-made Puebla-style Turkey Mole with Herb Roasted Potatoes and Grilled Vegetables and BBQ Beef Ribs (additional RM 15++) with Mashed Potatoes and Sonora Vegetable. Do try them as well and let me know how the taste goes! :D

Veracruz-style Baked Fish with Mexican Rice


Peach Tres Leches Cake

It is time for part where many ladies out there are waiting for... the desserts!

It comes with 2 options, you get to choose this Peach Tres Leches Cake or...

the Keylime Pie. This particular dessert filled with sweet and grainy graham cracker crust, a creamy and tangy lime flavored filling, and is topped with a soft and fluffy whipped cream makes me crave for more until this very day!

Keylime Pie


Watermelon Agua Fresca

As for drinks, we can have either the Sangria (alcoholic) or the Watermelon Agua Fresca (non alcoholic).

Watermelon Agua Fresca is pretty refreshing and surely will quench your thirst away especially after a hard working day.

Sangria, this alcoholic punch consists of a wine, chopped fruit, a sweetener, and a small amount of added brandy.

Sangria


For 3 course meal with Watermelon Agua Fresca: RM55++with Sangria: RM65++An additional of RM15++ for beef ribs

Christmas set menu will be available for Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day lunch and dinner.

The ala carte items, e.g. Tamales, Soup, Turkey etc will be available Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve.

RestaurantFrontera Sol of MexicoAddress18-G-2, Jaya One72A, Jalan Universiti46200 Petaling Jaya, MalaysiaTelephone+603 7958 8515Business HoursMon – Thu 11 am – 1 amFri – Sat 11 am – 2 amSun 11 am – 1 amWebsitewww.fronterabar.comReservationAble to make reservation through TableFourUs mobile app

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food magazine . issue 07 dec 2011

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