Gourmet Garden

Shangri-La’s  Golden Sands Resort has just launched their Sigi’s Bar & Grill Beach Bar, an addition to their alfresco no-frills, real food restaurant by the beach. The have got the soft sand at their feet, whacky bean bags, relaxing reclining chairs, soothing sound of waves washing ashore sand, the cool sea breeze, the warmth of a setting sun and a variety of beers, Mojitos, wines, cocktails and soft drinks, but the picture is not perfect without you.The beach front bar that is capable to cater to 60 pax opens from 5:00pm to 12:00am daily with a mixologist a.k.a bartender mending the well equip 10 sitter bar sheltered in  a star-shaped canopy that allows you to enjoy the fresh and cooling sea breeze while taking in the magnificent sun setting at the horizon.  As the moon rises so does the “temperature” at the beach bar where a live band is ever ready to entertain you with their rendering of good old classics to the most recent chart toppers. During the launch event, attended by the likes of media journalist, food columnist, VIP guests and corporate partners, we were entertained by a bartender flipping bottles like the scene in Cocktail with Tom Cruise. Then there were the flame eaters that don’t only swallow the lit torches but also spit fire to heat up the excitement. As part of the launching program, the adventurous were given the opportunity to try their hand in mixing up their own cocktails to experience the flair of being a “bartender”.  One of their longest staying guests from Germany who have logged around 5,000 room stays was seen enjoying the action at the bar with the other invited guests. As the night got older and with all the Mojitos, beers, wines setting in, we had to bit farewell Golden Sands Resort’s and SBG’s team for the whirling good time, tasty Spanish styled Tapas and great drinks with a heavy heart.

If you are ever in Batu Feringgi in the evening, why not give them a try and see what they can serve up to you for your before dinner drinks to help you get the mood going before a proceeding to savour the tantalizing dishes churned out by their new in-house chef, Fredrick. Attending the event with us were Jazz & Trista, Jennifer and Joling. You may want to visit their blogs to see better looking photos and also read about their time there.

Sigi’s Bar and Grill On the Beach
Shangri-La’s Golden Sands Resort
Batu Feringgi Beach 11100 Penang Malaysia

Tel : 04 886 1852
Business Hours : 11am-6pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm (Beach Bar: 5pm-12midnight)

Popularity: 3% [?]

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The Hard Rock franchise being an American brand, will be introducing an American themed buffet coming April 6th, 2012. Recently, we were invited together with other journalists from mainstream print media and magazines to a simple media preview before the actual launch of the buffet. The “Great American Buffet” will run from April the 6th onwards, on Fridays and Saturdays at their in-house Starz Diner for dinner only. The buffet is priced at RM108++ for an adult and RM54++ per child of below 12 years old.Hosted by their Sales & Marketing Director, Ms. Betty Lim and their Marketing Communications Manager, Ms. Elisa Saw, the media entourage was given an introduction to the concept and items that will be featured in their themed buffet line. Each individual item that will be showcased in their Great American Buffet has been carefully picked by their Executive Sous Chef, Mr. Beh Aik Aun and prepared by their dedicated team of chefs. The items that have been selected are significant and are popular dishes widely enjoyed by the people of United States of America.The buffet spread with over 70 dishes includes appetizers, salads, hot and cold entrees, chilled seafood on ice and a line up of desserts that will tantalize every foodie’s taste buds. The appetizers rage from their signature “Prawn Salad with Tomato & Basil” to their signature “Buffalo Chicken Wing with BBQ Sauce” to the much accepted Tex-Mex style Guacamole and Nachos to soups and chowders.

Buffalo Chicken Wing with BBQ Sauce

Seafood Chowder

Main courses they will be serving in their Great American Buffet line will include their version of spicy “Grilled Cajun Prawns with Mint and Mango Salsa”, moist firm “Lamb Burger with Caramelized Onion”, beefy “Grilled Rump Steak with Onion Jus”, rich “Macaroni and Cheese”, savoury “Seafood Jambalaya”, tangy “Blackened Fish with Citrus Butter Sauce” and lots more. They will even have a carving station that will also serve the like of tender and juicy off-the-bone “Smoked Beef Ribs” and succulent “Roasted Lamb Leg” for a start.

Lamb Burger

Macaroni and Cheese

Blackened Fish with Citrus Butter Sauce

Smoked Beef Ribs

And to complete the meal, there will also be a selection of desserts to cleanse the palate with. These include creamy rich “New York Cheesecake”, sweet and textured “Pumpkin Pie”, crunchy nutty “Pecan Pie”, zesty “Lemon Meringue Tart” and more.

From left: Pecan Pie, New York Cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie then Chocolate Mouse Cake.

As Hard Rock Hotel Penang’s GM, John Primmer put it, now with the Great American Buffet one would be able to savour the popular dishes from different American states and enjoy the fun and entertainment that is synonymous with the American brands’ “trained” servers while dining. All these are possible at a reasonable price of RM108++ for an adult and RM54++ per child of below 12 years old, minus the long-haul flight ticket to USA.

For reservations please contact the follow:

Hard Rock Hotel Penang
Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia
Email: fb.penang@hardrockhotels.net
Main Line: +604 8811 711

The followings are the photos of the actual buffet line and atmosphere during the official launch of the buffet on the 6th of April 2012:

Popularity: 4% [?]

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Quoting the words from the media kit provided, “Chuck Hughes, the ever charming host of Chuck’s Day Off, is one of Canada’s hottest young Chefs”. Well, he sure was tall and charming with lots of humour in between, and passionate about food – so intensely that he has his favourites ones tattooed on his arms and body, bacon, lemon meringue pie, lobster and arugula leaves just to name a few!

It has been awhile since we last attended an Asian Food Channel (afc) event; due do to our locality and also work we had to decline many invitations from afc and other media alike.  This round we were coincidentally in Kuala Lumpur doing some research for our current project, thus we had the opportunity to attend the media preview of “A Day Off with Chuck Hughes” the third edition of their Celebrity Chef Series, the previous gala dinner were hosted by Mark McEwan and Adrian Richardson. The current edition is jointly presented by American Express, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur and afc.

At current, Chuck’s accomplishments include owning 2 restaurants in Montreal, Garde Manger (the male) and Le Bremner(the female), hosting his own reality cooking show and being the youngest Canadian chef to win the Iron Chef America. In 2006, Chuck and his two best friends, Tim Rozon and Kyle Marshall, opened Garde Manger in a 125 year-old stone house in the heart of Old Montreal, which became Chuck’s playground where he dishes out comfort food and indulge in his fantasy of creating decadent meals served up to his favourite genre of music. And in 2010, Chuck open his Garde Manger kitchen to the world through his television show, Chuck’s Day Off, which is currently being broadcast over on the AFC channel. Teaming up again with his partners, Chuck opened his second restaurant 8 months ago in Montreal, Le Bremner, a delicate restaurant that mainly serves seafood with his interpretation of raw fish. He is also currently launching his new series, Chuck’s Week Off: Mexico, where he criss-crosses Mexico searching for culinary adventures and delicious, authentic Mexican food.

The most defining moment of Chuck’s career was when he walked into the Iron Chef’s Kitchen Stadium in New York City and became the youngest Canadian chef to win the popular show, Iron Chef America. With his delicious lobster recipes, he became the only Canadian chef to beat the legendary Chef Bobby Flay who have beaten Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto,  Mario Batali and Hiroyuki Sakai.

The media preview was at The Ritz Carlton and the MC for the day was Xandria Ooi who helped to elevate some of the quite moments when Chuck was engross in preparing the 3 dishes that we all got to sample. On the menu, we had “Popcorn Rock Shrimp with Spicy Honey”, “Pan-seared Carpaccio with Potato Chips, Fried Capers and Garlic Aioli” and “Chocolate Rice Arancini”.

Popcorn Rock Shrimp with Spicy Honey, rock shrimps coated in batter and crumbs deep fried until golden in a perfect frying temperature of 275°C, which was tattooed on his fore arm, and served with a chilli, paprika and honey dressing. The shrimps were firm and crunchy with a light sweetness that suited with the spicy yet sweet dressing.

Pan-seared Carpaccio with Potato Chips, Fried Capers and Garlic Aioli, chilled succulent pan-seared beef tenderloin coated in coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, salt and black pepper thinly sliced and served with fresh local spinach, crisp homemade potato chips, fried capers and a freshly made garlic aioli sauce.  The light refreshing taste of spinach went well with the beefy yet nutty chilled tenderloin, savoury fried capers and rich parmigiano. The garlic aioli sauce banded all the flavours with its smooth rich texture in contrast with the crisp texture of the potato chips.

Chocolate Rice Arancini, a chocolate ganache encased with a arborio rice ball and deep fried until crisp and brown. The chocolate filling was sweet and rich with a very light bitter taste, and the arborio rice balls were crisp and firm.  According to the programme it was supposed to be a tapioca arancini, but was substituted due to reason only known to the organiser.The media preview ended with a cheerful note, and Chuck with the media entourage had some time to mingle and a short and precious photo session. After Malaysia’s dinner gala on the 22nd and the 23rd of February in The Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur, Chuck will be heading to the Philippines, then Singapore and rounding up his Asian Tour in Hong Kong. For further information please go to the official website of Asian Food Channel.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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Again we were invited by Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa to attend one of the launching events at their premises last Friday (16th Dec 2011) evening. In conjunction with the visit of the 56 finalist Miss Tourism International World Final 2011, Rasa Sayang’s marketing team took the opportunity to introduce the Malaysian ‘Joget’ dance to the ladies, and at the same time announce their Lobby Lounge’s “Joget High Tea Buffet” that will begin this coming Christmas afternoon.

The Joget is a traditional Malay dance that originated in Malacca with influence from the Portuguese dance, Branyo that was spread to Malacca during the Sultanate era where spice was traded extensively. The joget is a great example how elements from various cultures can merge together into one single form in Malaysia. The dance is of Portuguese roots, the accompanying music is played by an ensemble consisting of; a violin (from Western culture), a knobbed gong of Asia, a flute and at least two rebana or gendang of Malay Archipelago.

The Joget is one of the most popular folk dances in Malaysia and normally performed by couples in cultural festivals, weddings and other social functions. There used to be a Joget house or dance studio in Chowrasta Market many years back, even before discos exists.

As part of the resort’s CSR initiative to support local culture, heritage and traditions, Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa will be introducing the Joget dance to their foreign and local guests through their “Joget High Tea” that will be available every fortnight starting from from this coming 25th December 2011 onward at the resort’s Lobby Lounge from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. The Joget High Tea is priced at MYR45++ per person, and guests can choose between the usual English tea set or the traditional Malaysian high tea set. For inquiries and reservations and bookings, please call 04-888 8888 for the F&B service Centre.

OPTION ONE: English Tea Set

Hazelnut scone

Vanilla scone

Whipped cream & strawberries

Linzer tart

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosty

Espresso mousse

Sandwiches:

Poached prawn & avocado

Grilled beef with peppers and onion

Cheddar cheese & peach mango chutney

Coffee or Tea

~~~~~~~~~

OPTION TWO: Malaysian Tea Set

Chicken lorbak & cucumber

Chili dip

Curry puff

Nyonya Kuih:

Cucur badak*

Angkoo*

Kuih lapis*

Coffee or Tea

In attendance at the event other than the finalist from the Miss Tourism International 2011, the “Teruna and Dara” band and the “Red Kebaya Joget Girls” we also present to give the girls the experience of sight and sound of how the Malaysian Joget feels like.

I also got some opportunities to be photographed with some of the pretty lasses.

Popularity: 4% [?]

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On 5th December 2011, we were invited by Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa to witness the launching of their “Charity Gift of Life Christmas Tower” at their Garden Wing lobby. With a height of 2.8 meters and made up of  68 golden Christmas boxes, the resort hopes to ‘fill’ it with donation (charity) tags that comes in denominations of MYR100, MYR200, MYR300 and MYR500. The resort hopes to at least collect MYR14,000 for their Gift of Life Charity Fund that will be channelled  t0 benefit underprivileged children who have congenital heart defects. The funds are meant to subsidize the cost of surgical operations and post operation treatments. Members of the public are welcome to purchase the charity tags at the resort’s reception counter and make their pledge to help those in need until 5th of January 2012.

This Charity Christmas Tower is part of Shangri-la’s social responsibility “Embrace” programme that focuses on their Caring People Project, which aims to promote the highest level of education and health support to the underprivileged communities. They even have a “Sanctuary” programme which concentrates on Shangri-La’s Care for Nature Project that promotes the wildlife conservation and biodiversity restoration.

To get the ball rolling for a good cause, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang’s freshly appointed General Manager, Ms. Elaine Yue, who pinned the first donation tag on behalf of the resort. This was then followed by the pledge made by two of their lovely guests.

Apart from the launching of the Charity Gift of Life Christmas Tower and the lighting of the resorts Christmas tree to mark the beginning of the Christmas season, a time associated with giving, they also took this occasion to handover a RM2,000 cheques each to Crystal Family Home and Penang Shan Children’s Home Association in simple but meaningful ceremony. The money is to be used in the acquisition of school uniforms for children in the Crystal Family Home, and to fund the medical treatment for children being cared by Penang Shan’s Children Home Association.    

At the event the guests were kept entertained by a 25 member choir that goes by the name of “The Messengers”, who performed Christmas carols from around the world through the leadership of their choir director, Ms. Khoo Hooi Lay.

What is Christmas without Santa Clause? There was also a special appearance by the  resort’s own Santa Clause and Santa Rina, who went around sweetening the occasion with their bag full of assortments of sweets.

For more information and support of the underprivileged children, please contact Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, Penang at +60 (4) 888 8888 and ask for Ms. Amelia Lim, their Corporate Social Responsibility executive.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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It was an invitation that was not to be missed although it meant traveling down to Kuala Lumpur on our own expense, an opportunity to meet an Iron Chef and sample something different from the usual Japanese cuisine was encouragement enough.We were invited to attend a media event hosted by Ten Japanese Fine Dining for their official launch. First launched on the Gold Coast in Australia, then six months later won two Gold Coast Restaurant Awards for Best Fine Dining and Supreme Award. And now, they are officially opened in Solaris Dutamas Kuala Lumpur with a grand event on the 13th of Oct 2011 that saw YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife YABhg Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali being the guests of honour.

Ten means “Heaven” in Japanese, and true to its name the food that we sampled were heavenly, delectable fusion of Japanese and French cuisine. To complement its heavenly delights, Ten has also employed an experience professional waiting crew that is ever ready to satisfy the needs and expectations of its discerning customers.

The secret to Ten’s exceptional-tasting food lies in the meticulous and masterful preparation of every dish by the restaurant’s experienced and highly-acclaimed chefs Mr. Hiroshi Miura, Executive Chef and Mr. Atsushi Nishibuchi, Executive Sushi Chef. Miura-san has had classical Cha-Kaiseki and Ryotei training, and Nishibuchi-san is trained in the unique modern sushi technique known as “Edomae Sushi”.
One aspect of Ten’s menu is that it offers authentic Japanese cuisine according to the seasons of change (spring, summer, autumn and winter) and availability of ingredients. Seasonal cuisines allow individuals to experience the difference of flavours that complements the characteristic of each season.

The “Media Personalities Lunch Menu” consists of entrée, main course, sushi and dessert. A simple meal but yet filled with surprises. We had a glimpse of the care and passion put into every dish that was being prepared in their clean and neat kitchen through the live-casting on the TV screen within the restaurant outlet.Entrée consist of deep fried prawn dumpling encased in burdock sheets, Japanese cherry tomato and egg yolk balsamico, and a shiitake mushroom stuffed with prawn and sprinkled with truffle salt.  There is no specified rule here! The deep fried dumplings were tender in side with a sweet taste and the crisp burdock that had layers of flavours from savoury to slightly bitter.The shiitake mushroom stuffed with prawn and sprinkled with truffle salt. Light, juicy and tender batter coated mushroom and prawns with its flavours enhanced with sprinkles of truffle salt to add a touch of earthy and savoury taste. Truffle salt is salt that has been laced with fragrant pieces of black or white truffle.

The Japanese cherry tomato, egg yolk and balsamico combination lighten the taste buds with its sweet creamy but refreshing profiles.Main course was “Chicken Three Ways”. It sound simple enough, but the flavours and texture were complicated and layered. On the plate was grilled chicken thigh marinated in miso, served wrapped in iceberg lettuce and seaweed.The grilled chicken was firm with a fermented nutty and earthy taste that was mellowed down with the layer of sweetness from the crisp iceberg lettuce and seasoned with the fragrant seaweed.
The foie gras, chicken terrine with Japanese leek and teryaki sauce, had distinctive flavours that were gamey, savoury, rich and creamy but were well harmonised with a balance of each. The slightly torched mango added a touch of sweetness and tangy fragrance that cut through the rich creamy taste. Texture wise, it was smooth and velvety.
The dark miso chicken gratin with button mushroom, tomato and parmigiano cheese sprinkled on top was a very creamy piece and cheesy. The slight torching of the top surface contributed to slightly smoky flavour that reduced the over rich taste sensation. Then there came the fillers, an assortment of freshly hand-made sushi and maki. On the plate were ocean trout, local grouper, tuna and prawn sushi with 3 maki selections that consist of ebi, salmon & avocado and a spicy maki which were quite satisfying. What we noticed and admire about the sushi is not just the fresh seafood and ingredients that were flavourful in their own distinctive ways, but also the al-dente fluffy sushi rice that were finely hand-pressed to produced a solid base that would not fall apart.  Accompanying one of the fine sushis that we have ever had, were the freshly grind wasabi that is not only spicy but also sweet and refreshing.Lastly was their green tea cake for dessert. It was smooth to touch and pleasant to the palate of someone whom doesn’t like over sweet things. The strawberries were firm and with a slight twang that rationalised the flavours.After having a glimpse of their menu, I guess if we are ever in KL again we would definitely give this newly opened restaurant a try to see what else can they dish out to tantalise our taste buds and senses.

Ten Japanese Fine Dining
D5-G3-05, Solaris Dutamas
No. 1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 KL.

Business Hours:

• Tuesday to Friday: lunch is served from 11.30am – 2.30pm and dinner starts from 6.30pm till midnight (10.00pm being the last order).
• Saturday & Sunday: dinner is served from 6.30pm till midnight (10.00pm being the last order).

For reservations, kindly contact us at info@tenrestaurant.com.my or +603-6211 9910.

Popularity: 4% [?]

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Since it (That Little Wine Bar) opened its doors back in December 2009, this little but fine establishment has already caught our attention. We were fascinated with their concept and passion behind the cooking. Sometime in late June an invitation was extended to us to sample their skills and style. Would we return as a paid customer? Definitely yes if time does not forbid. Housed in a refurbish old government servant quarters, That Little Wine Bar provides a cosy sanctuary for people who wish to enjoy the days’ end with a bottle of their preferred wine paired with food that compliments the palates, and may be with the company of a few good friends. This little cosy hideaway is owned and designed personally by its German-born owner cum chef, Tommes and his lovely side-kick (wife), Louise.

The invitation was sent through their PR company to attend one of their monthly organised ‘Gourmet Nights’. The event focuses on opening ones senses to the many possibility of taste and textures that can be achieved by employing French cooking techniques on any cultures’ cuisine to create culinary delights that are paired with individually selected wine(s) that matches and compliments with the dishes taste profile.

The night’s menu include an entre of egg with vodka crème and Caviar styled by Michellin star Chef Jean-Georges, followed up with Oysters with Aspic Vinaigrette and then Braised Quail with Baby Tenderloin. Then finished off with a special dessert cheekily named Assiette de ‘fruits’- chef’s special interpretation on tropical fruit.

Oeuf au style Jean-Georges, textured scramble egg served with a dollop of fluffy vodka cream topped with caviar and paired with Castellblanch Gold Cava Brut. Cava is a citrusy Spanish champagne with a hint of sweetness that is fresh and balanced on the nose and palate. The acidity neutralises out the saltiness of the caviar and its un-overwhelming taste compliments creamy taste of the egg and the hint of spice from the vodka cream.

Hutres en marbre, whole Atlantic oysters ‘marbled’ in aspic vinaigrette. Aspic is a savoury gelatine made from consommé or clarified stock that is often used to preserve meat items. At TLWB, it was used to prepare a unique dish that solely consist of whole Atlantic oysters that is compressed and marbled, which is then served with a light olive oil and champagne vinegar sauce. The lightly seasoned tangy Hutres en marbre was paired with a full-bodied flowery citrusy Pacherence du Vic Bilh Folie de Roi white wine. It was tangy affair for the both.

Caille et Veau, is a meat platter of sorts with one part braised quail served with long beans wrapped in serrano ham on a bed of green pea puree and the other part  a beefy baby tenderloin served with bread dumpling and Bearnaise sauce. This gamey and meaty platter was paired with an aged Austrian premium full-bodied wine, GOLS Rotweincuvee 2007. The GOLS’s fresh and fruity structure and well integrated tannins with an underpinning hint of dark chocolate compliments well with red meats that have a gamey taste.

The braised quail was had medium fine texture with gamey taste that was mellowed downed with the long beans and flavour enhanced with the salty serrano ham and green pea puree. As for the baby tenderloin, it was lightly seasoned and cooked until medium with a tender texture.

The night of gourmet enjoyment ended with the chefs’ Assiette de “fruits”,  it was a three interpretations of tropical fruits that can be found in Malaysia. The dessert consist of a palate cleansing Longan sorbet, a textured mix fruit gelatine in an Isomalt cup and a rich mango with egg white mousse served together with a glass of chilled Floc de Gascogne Blanc fortified sweet wine. Its sweet almond-y, flowery and fruity flavour with hints of honey compliments as dessert wine or an aperitif.

Louise talking to us about the concept.

Chef Tommes explaining his dishes of choice for the night.

James introducing the wines that we had.

"West" function room.

"East" function room.

It was like a refresher course, appreciating fine wines for their flavours and tannins (mouth feels) and pairing them with dishes prepared with French cooking techniques that compliment each other with their unique contrast in taste and texture. Would we return for more? Definitely, if time permits we would be glad to try their famous ‘Mushroom Quiches’, black cod and beef tenderloin.

That Little Wine Bar

54 Chow Thye Road
Penang

Tel : 04 2268182

Business Hour : Mon – Thurs: 5pm till 12am

Fri – Sat: 5pm till 1am

Closed on Sunday

Popularity: 4% [?]

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Popularity: 3% [?]

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On the 18th of December 2010, we were invited to the soft launching of Shanghai Splendour which is located in the recently restored Logan Building situated in the heart of Penang’s banking district. Shanghai Splendour is a drinking pub that was built around the “old” Shanghai era theme, and mainly sells beer with some other types of “manly” drinks. It also provides the song birds a place to croon their favourites  from the 80′s, 90′s to the current chart toppers with their in-house karaoke system.

The pub has a ambiance that shouts a warm feeling with reddish wall colours and warm lights. It is a far cry from the bright sunny lights of the outdoors.

Some of the tables are made from parts of the ‘old’ sewing machines that our parents or grandparent have before to mend or sew clothes for us at one time. A good way to correlate to the history rich Logan Heritage building that it is housed in.

The opening of Shanghai Splendour was “coincidentally” timed with the soft launch of ‘Logan Heritage Building’, where the Penang Chief Minister was the guess of honour. The photo below shows the owner of the pub introducing the concept to the Penang CM and sharing a light moment with his entourage.

Logan Heritage is actually the 140-YEAR-OLD  ’Logan Building’ on Beach Street, Penang, that was restored at a cost of RM6.8mil. It is a two-storey building owned by the OCBC Bank that sits majestically at the junction of Beach Street, Union Street and Bishop Street. It has has 23 office units with a built-up area of 3,994.8sq metres.  The building originally had three-stories with cast iron balconies, but was later reduced to two storeys. It also has an inner courtyard within the premises. The last occupant on the ground floor was Barkath Store before the building was closed for restoration early this year. The building is to be occupied by a variety of food and beverages outlets, a foreign currency exchange facility, a gadgets’ shop, a convenience store besides smaller commercial interests.

History has it that the building used to be the workplace of a prominent lawyer James Richardson Logan in the 1860s. He and his elder brother, Abraham came from Edinburgh, Scotland, to the Straits Settlement of Penang in the 1840′s to practiced law in Singapore before migrating to Penang in the 1860′s. It is said that Logan was loved by the local residents then as he was devoted to justice and knowledge. It was said that he had on some occasions defended the needy on a pro bono basis at no cost to them.

Popularity: 8% [?]

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A day after we came back from our Hong Kong trip, we were invited to attend a new cafe launching somewhere in Subang Jaya. We didn’t know what the event all about is until we arrive, thus I was ill equip to get good photos of the event.

I guess if were to say that I used to watch ”Good Ol’ Happy Days’; many would think that I am an middle age person. Well, not quite yet, but am getting there very soon. ‘Happy Days’  was an American television sitcom that was originally aired from 1974 to 1984 on ABC network which tries to present an ideal American life of the Cunningham family, their friends, and the most recognisable character in the sitcom, Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli, in the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s. Other than the Cunningham house, a drive-in diner call Arnold’s was also one of the back drop for many important conversations and happenings.

In Arnold’s, which got it’s look from a fact of life diner, one would find typical American food, diner style sittings with diners bar top dining, cubicles booths, a Seeburgjukebox and a pinball machine. That is what ‘Good Ol’ Happy Days’ are trying to bring back to the current time. The founder of this newly launch cafe, Fariz Abdullah, came up with this cafe base on ‘Happy Days’ because he felt it would be god sense to share the experience of people from his generation with their children. To share the gyrating music of the Elvis era, to live the Beatles trilogy again, and to show their offspring they were once young and knew how to have fun.

The food offering is of American bistro dining style which shares some similarity with TGIF and Chili’s Tax-Max cuisines.  The food or dish names are name after once famous gigs that entertained America, thus it also teaches the younger generation the who’s who of the entertaiment scene in the 60′s & 70′s.

Apart from being the first few to taste their available bistro food, we were also entertained with some dance performance, live band show and eating contest.

In all it was memorable launch event that show case what it had to offer as a eatery outlet and entertainment outlet. As for the food quality, it would only be fair to go back for seconds before we are allowed comment on them.

Address: 55-A Ground Floor, Jalan USJ 10/1F, Subang Jaya(Taipan).

Tel: 03 8023 7229.

Opening Hours: Weekdays 11am-1am & Weekends 11am-2am.

Popularity: 15% [?]

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Weeks ago we received one of the mass invitations from AFC’s PR Company in Malaysia, we were lucky to be able to attend as we were heading down south for work and personal matters. If not, we might have to forgo the preview party for the AFC’s second self produced programme, ‘Daniel Boulud: One Night in Singapore’. The one hour programme or show will be premiering on Astro channel 703 on the 29th of September 2009 at 9:00pm.

The preview party was held at NEO in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. It is just beside the KFC building/HQ. NEO is a new setup and may need some time to get their things right.

Before the preview screening began, we were served with some refreshments, and then it was show time. We were given a briefing by the AFC’s co-founder and MD, Hian Goh, just before the screening began.

We were told that Daniel was a very nice, gracious, incredibly passionate and meticulous person. To me personally, it is these trades that differentiate chef from a cook. From the screening you could see how Daniel chooses the ingredients, experiment and creates dishes with them. From the one hour programme, you could also see how he manages the chefs he brought with him and directs the kitchen and service crew from Singapore’s famous The Fullerton boutique hotel to provide well choreographed experience for the senses.

If you are a avid follower of programmes broadcast by Asian Food Channel, Daniel Boulud would not be foreign to you. He has a TV series, ‘After Hours with Daniel’, which shows him visiting different restaurants and enjoying a meal with some friends and fellow chefs after service hours. Daniel Boulud is Chef-Owner of ten award-winning restaurants and the Feast & Fetes catering company. Originally from Lyon, France, he has made it big in New York, so much so that he is today considered of Americas leading culinary authorities. Other than United States, his brand name has also reached the shores of Canada and China.

After the screening which lasted for about 60 minutes, we had the opportunity to sample some of the ‘tapas’ that NEO has to offer. First out from their kitchen was a combination of ‘otoro’ and grilled Baby Romaine.

Then there was the dish with either steam or poach scallop with leak cream sauce and Grade 7 Wagyu Beef cheek with some sort of mushroom sauce.

Then for sweets, we were served with strawberries and (I guess) chocolate brownies.

Basically, much still could be done for the taste and flavour of what we had for that eventful evening. As for the ambiance, NEO was seen playing with the aqua theme.  From the main entrance to their dining area to their bar it was waterfalls and flowing pools. It would be a nice place to relax if you like the sound of cascading water.

We greatly appreciate AFC and Alice George Communication for bringing such events to Malaysia, and exploring the word of mouth effect that blogs have in this current technological age. I do hope that may be next time they would consider Penang for their next event.

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These photos were taken at Gurney Plaza during the launching of the Koren Beauty Square (KBS) retail outlet there. Just being at the right place at the right time with the right equipment.

Famous Local TV Host (NTV7) Jeffery Cheng, spokes person of Koren Beauty Square

Group photo: Magazine’s Editor, KBS Spoke person, KBS Person in-charge, invited Models, Artist and Singer.

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