A Whiff of Lemongrass

“What’s your favourite restaurant?”

I get asked this question a lot, only because I blog about food and people assume that I am an authority in this area.  Taste is subjective.  There are so many external influences that differ from person to person that it is impossible to say that one restaurant deserves to be applauded as the best restaurant in the country.  Ask me to name ten favourites, and I’d still struggle.  It could be a hokkien mee stall today and a burger joint tomorrow; next week, it could be banana leaf rice, and next month, who knows what might tickle my fancy?  I don’t apologize for this fickle-mindedness; in fact, it is a compliment to the fantastic array of choices that are laid before us.  Having travelled quite extensively and tried some of the best foods in the world, I will unequivocally state that Malaysia ought to rank up there with the best because we have some of the tastiest offerings.  My constant lament is that roti canai isn’t sufficiently marketed abroad (along with the roti canai man).  Roti canai stalls should sprout in every country on as many road shoulders as possible because this delicious flatbread can be easily received and adapted by anyone.  In our country, roti canai has evolved with an unbelievable number of fillings and sauces.  “You want it, we got it!” is probably their silent motto, and honestly, I see no issue in serving it with haggis or smoked salmon or blue cheese.  Probably even hákarl, which Anthony Bourdain has described as “”the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing” he has ever eaten.  The world’s our oyster!

Time Out KL asked me to nominate my favourite restaurant for the Bloggers Choice category in the Time Out KL Food Awards 2011.  I put on my thinking cap.  Which restaurant had I visited more than 5 times where the food had been consistently prepared and executed?  Would I stake my reputation on it?  Has service been up to par?  What about parking facilities?  Cleanliness?  Aesthetic appeal?  Choices of wine/alcoholic beverages?  Have my reservations been handled properly?

After much pondering and subsequent elimination of some of my most frequently visited restaurants based on the points above, I arrived at one.  Prime.

I have blogged about Prime a couple of times before HERE and HERE, and I feel that these blog posts are comprehensive enough to support my choice for the Time Out KL Food Awards 2011.  Some excerpts from my posts are as follows:-

“My favourite order of all time (when there is company and a hearty appetite) is the Wagyu Prime Rib, a robust 1 kilogram slab of meat with an unhealthy (but extremely satisfying) portion of intra-muscular fat cells that literally allow the meat to melt in the mouth with every bite.   The meat is succulent and sweet, but I’m still fighting a losing battle when it comes to finishing a 500-gram portion.”

“The master kobe chuck flap tail tataki with cannellini beans stewed with smoked beef bacon, rocket leaves and a winter truffle sauce was lightly seared on the outside, thus retaining the juiciness inside. And the flesh? It was pink and tender and yielded easily as I sliced it with my knife.”

“If there is an equivalent of shouting on the internet, let me do it now by proclaiming that Prime is my favourite restaurant for good steak.  I go there once in a couple of months when I’m feeling indulgent because I’ve come to realise that there is a linear relationship between good steak and its price, and the enhancement in value is more than just marginal.”

The prime rib still makes me go weak in the knees!  If you agree with me, do vote for Prime on Blogger’s Choice on the Time Out KL website.  You can also check out what other bloggers are recommending, and I must say, they are all mouthwatering choices.  While you’re at it, do check out the other categories and vote for your favourite makan places!

Prime
Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
2 Jalan Stesen Sentral, KL.

Tel: 03-2263 7434

Operation hours:
Monday to Friday – 12.00 pm to 2.30 pm (lunch)
Monday to Sunday – 6.30 pm to 11.00 pm (dinner)

Click on the button below to vote for me!

.THANK YOU!

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There was a time when I was excited about boarding a plane on a long haul journey.  I’d pack all my creams and toiletries neatly in my hand carry (pre 9/11) and a good paperback to read if the company wasn’t interesting.  But invariably, I’d spend all my time watching movies and playing interactive games only to break for yet another delicious in-flight meal or a snack of sandwiches or comforting instant noodles.  Friendships were easy.  On one flight, I played interactive trivial pursuit in a rather lively session with fellow passengers.  I won, and one of the participants walked up to my seat and congratulated me, sparking off a new discussion on how knowledgeable I was about American sports.  (I had to eventually confess that I got a bit of help from Bald Eagle who is a treasure trove of useless facts.)

On another flight, I was travelling alone to the UK to surprise my parents who were holidaying there at my brother’s place, when I met a kindly gentleman who not only provided conversation and companionship but also helped me carry my bag to the train station after seeing me struggle with my load.

But hey, the times they are a changin’.  On my recent flight on our national carrier, I was dumbfounded upon being served a bread roll, for breakfast, which tasted like cardboard.  When I asked for snacks, I got peanuts instead of something more substantial.  I said I was hungry, so they gave me more peanuts.  A few seats away, I saw an adult passenger shove a kid rudely and the kid stumbled forward.  For an entire sector, a passenger across the aisle thought it fit to talk loudly to his wife who was sitting several seats away.  They are the new rich.  Even the flight attendants seemed to have given up on the chaos.

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For the past twenty years or so of knowing each other, we have made it a point to make at least one annual trip abroad together.  In the early years, I used to cry after returning from a trip.  My first night home was always the most difficult.  I’d wake up in the middle of the night, think about my holiday, and then sob uncontrollably.  There were times when even Bald Eagle felt helpless, and he’d hold me tight until I fell asleep.  I think, in those days, I lived more in those moments abroad on holiday than I did in the remaining 300-odd days which were filled with work and little else.  The yearning to travel became an addiction for us, and soon it became more than annual holidays.  I made scrapbooks of our travels, wrote stories on bits of paper and made friends online with like-minded people.

The essential experience is not of seeing monuments and landmarks.  It is about meeting people and learning that the world does not revolve around me alone.   There are spiritual moments, and there are moments when I ask myself why the hell I’m standing stranded in the depths of a glacier with no one in sight for miles when I could be curled up in front of a fireplace drinking hot chocolate instead.  When difficult situations, like the glacier incident, occur, I tell myself that one day…one day, I’ll look back and laugh.

If I could go back in time, I’d probably not do it again (the glacier bit), but that’s the beauty about the lack of foresight and the inability to time-travel – you live with the decisions you make and you crack stupid jokes about it later on your blog.

*****

This year’s travel plans were a little different.  Bald Eagle secretly planned the trip in February but didn’t tell me anything until June when I, in a control-freak moment, made him tell me something about our plans.  “We’re going away in August, for your birthday,” he said. “It’s my birthday present to you.”

“Where to?” I asked.

“It’s a secret.  Just take two weeks off from work,” he replied.  “I’ll let you know in due course.”

And so I lived in delirious happiness for the next two months without the knowledge of the destination, but knowing that I was going somewhere with him.  Friends started placing bets.  But never in my wildest dreams did I guess that he was taking me to Argentina.  ARGENTINA!  We had travelled the world over, but Argentina (and greater South America) always seemed too far away, too expensive, too unattainable.  It had always been on our agenda, but I had little faith of it ever materializing.

We are back from our holiday now.

I owe that sweet, sweet man a lifetime of gratitude.

The Fabulous Bakers have done it again. Time to sample their wonderful and gorgeous creations this Raya. Who can say no to cakes by JUST HEAVENLY!  Angels in heaven shiver in delight at the very thought of that divine cake sliding through the palate as they play their harps.

Malaysians are a giving community but with the festive season comes the usual anxiety over what to give.

To create a new niche in the market, and to expand the choices of our customers, A Slice of Heaven and it’s parent, Just Heavenly, would like to introduce CENTREPIECES to everyone.

When you go to a home celebrating Ramadhan you will invariably find a table laden with festive goodies from savouries to sweets and a decorative centerpiece.

In this instance, sticking to their core specialty, they are offering uniquely beautiful, decorative & delicious centerpieces that you can serve on the day along with your other festive foods.

For those who would like to visit friends and family and not go empty-handed, they have also desirable range of gift boxes.

For corporate orders please call 0322879866. You may also enquire at all their retail outlets and for the brochures, go to A Slice of Heaven’s website.  Price list here.

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And if you’re like me and you love playing Angry Birds, you will love the gorgeous cupcakes made by Just Heavenly.  Their workmanship is immaculate and impressive.  It’s a pity one can’t keep them on display forever!

Angry Birds – RM120 for all of them inclusive of the slingshot and the presentation tray

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To all Muslim readers, Selamat Berpuasa for the next few days, and Selamat Hari Raya!