I was in school camp when Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles.  The year was 1981, and I was burning porridge in a tin pot when Prince Charles fumbled through his vows.  It was far from a glamorous affair…camping, I mean, not the wedding…as we took several hours to pitch our tents in the school grounds of a boys’ school in Pandamaran, pretending that we were in the wild outdoors watching out for bears and snakes.  The scariest things I came across were an earthworm and a boy with a bad case of acne.  Unfortunately for me, it was the boy with the acne who decided he would have a crush on me, and I spent most of my time in hiding or in the makeshift kitchen cooking burnt porridge for the masses.

In August of 1997, I was having lunch with my best friend, Yvonne, in TGI Friday’s at Subang Parade when we learnt of Princess Diana’s death.  She was 36.  When I touched that age years after that, I remember musing, ‘So this is it.’  It ended at this point.  I wept.

And last week, we witnessed yet another historic moment when Prince William married Kate Middleton.     I’m not sure if I can associate any significant moment with this memory.  It will be quite different for my friend, Janice, who is married to a Middleton (perhaps a distant relative, dahlink?) and who celebrated her birthday on April 29.  Yup yup yup…I suppose I’ll revel in her memories this time until something surfaces.

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On to some public service announcements.

1.  life.hiltonkl.com

If you’re like me, and you’re constantly on the web looking for information on hotels and their offerings, you will know how tedious it can be to obtain localized information on big chain hotels.  Hilton Kuala Lumpur recently launched its dynamic new website to deliver the latest news on the hotel’s food and beverage promotions, culinary activities, exclusive hotel functions, behind-the-scenes scoop on special events, celebrity sightings, interviews with guest chefs and much more.  While I was quite pleased with their earlier site (kl-studio, I think), this brand new site offers more interactive benefits, allowing users to make restaurant bookings online and providing more dynamic updates on the website, much like a blog.

For foodies, you will be pleased to know that full menus (with prices) for all the restaurants are available on the website.  This essentially means that if you’re planning a date and you have a specific amount of funds in your pocket, this will help you manage the date a little better.  Oh darling, I’m sure you’ll luuurve the free range quail stuffed with quail & truffle farce, and caramelized balsamic shallots (shhhh…RM98 only at Senses) as compared to the…*cough*…“Côte de Veau” veal rack (RM328).  You know what veal does to your pores…..

Anyway.

Go check it out — life.hiltonkl.com.  Here’s some motivation for you.  To celebrate the launch if this site, Hilton Kuala Lumpur is giving away over RM5,000 worth of fabulous prizes that include complimentary stay in the hotel’s Grand Executive Suite and Deluxe Rooms, exclusive treatments at its high end spa, and dining vouchers at some of its signature restaurants.  All you have to do is log on to life.hiltonkl.com, answer eight simple questions and complete a slogan.  Contest ends 31 May 2011.

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2.  For The Love of Macarons

La Senza is lacing on the teal ribbon in support of the awareness and prevention of cancer amongst Malaysian women by raising funds through the sale of macarons by Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio (part of the proceeds go to National Cancer Society Malaysia).   Nathalie’s macarons are probably the best in town, so if you’re keen on supporting the cause and your stomach, order the macarons at teamlasenza.my at RM35 for a box of 6 (and no, you won’t be able to choose your flavours).  Available till 30 May 2011.

Every year over 750 out of 1,500 Malaysian women who are diagnosed with cervical cancer die because of late diagnosis.  The website has useful information on cervical cancer, HPV, etc., so do yourself a favour and read it now.

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3. Hennessy X.O Appreciation Grows Gastronomy 2011 presents Chef Cheong Liew

Next week, the Hennessy X.O’s Appreciation Grows Gastronomy 2011 series is set to bring gastronomic pleasures in the tranquil grounds of the sole surviving major Anglo-Indian mansion outside India, the Suffolk House in Penang.  My home town!  Taking place over three nights from 11 – 13 May 2011, guests will experience the culinary masterworks created by Australian based multi-award winning and also known by many as the inventor of Australasian Cuisine, Chef Cheong Liew.

Chef Liew comes from Malaysia, and has been labelled one of the 10 “hottest chefs alive” by the American Food & Wine magazine.   I’ve never met him in real life and am looking forward to swooning in his presence.  He was bestowed the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 1999 Queen’s Birthday Honours for service to the food and restaurant industry through involvement in developing and influencing the style of contemporary Australian cuisine.

The food will be paired with Hennessy cognac.  If next week’s dinner is anything like the previous one I had the privilege of attending, then I shall stand by what I said before, that cognac could very easily be my tipple of choice in the future.  If you’re curious and would like to know how Chef Liew has paired his foods with cognac, you can take a look at the menu on the website at Hennessy X.O Appreciation Grows.

Unfortunately for most, the event is strictly by invitation only.

 

Dear Brendan*,

Thank you for visiting Casbah based on my blog review.   I hope you enjoyed your meal.  Did S mention to you that I was in Penang with him a couple of weeks ago?  We had the loveliest durians while squatting by the side of the road in Teluk Bahang.  Picture a strong breeze filling your lungs with the freshest air imaginable, the dark green leaves of the shady coastal trees dancing in the wind as you inhale not only the salty scent of the sea but the enticing, alluring perfume that can only come from the king of fruits.

The durians were from Balik Pulau, famous for its durian plantations, and we were able to sample quite a number of varieties.   We agreed, Brendan, that the hor lor and kuning halia durians were our favourite based on their bitter sweet taste and firm, creamy texture, while the red-fleshed ang bak, despite being the most expensive at RM30 per kilogram, fell short of expectations, its soft flesh and one dimensional taste doing little to excite us.

Despite that, there is something orgasmic about eating durians…an uplifting of spirits, if you will, Brendan, from the moment the whiff of durian assaults your senses and fills you with stupendous joy.

Understandably, not everyone’s a fan, Brendan, and so we had to stop eating at some point, pile into the cars and burp our way down to the city. What a fabulous adventure!

Best wishes,

L. Lemongrass

*This letter is written, tongue-in-cheek, to Brendan, a blog reader whom I would love to meet one day.

Yoghurt sorbet and stewed apricots

I love storytelling.  I remember being 7 years old, standing up in front of a fidgety audience of 7 to 9 year olds in school and giving them my best reading of Red Riding Hood.  I was clueless as to why I was doing it; all that mattered was that I enjoyed being caught up in this world of make-believe.  I’d write stories in brand new exercise books, fill them with my own illustrations, and hide them in my drawer far away from my parents’ prying eyes.

Samboussek – Shanklish cheese filled pastries

Spanakopita – layered phyllo pastry and spinach with feta cheese

I love storytelling.  I get my best ideas for my blog when I’m doing my daily commute from home to office, soothed into a reverie by inspiring music stored in my iPhone.  I discovered recently, among Bald Eagle’s stash, the soundtrack for Avenue Q, and I have been playing it twice daily, 7 days a week for several weeks now.  The music’s uplifting, but unfortunately provides very little inspiration for my blog.  With songs like I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today, Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist and The Internet Is For Porn, it’s hard to translate that to child-friendly posts on this child-friendly blog.  And so I am hopelessly useless today, short of telling everyone that the internet is for porn…the internet is for porn…grab your dick and double click for porn, porn, porn…

On the other hand, there’s this thing called food porn….

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Queso – Manchego, idiazabal and valdeon cheese with quince jelly

Gazpacho – white with almonds, red with tomatoes and yellow with bell peppers

Casbah.  To be honest, I loathed the idea of MO’s replacement of Pacifica with a restaurant that served mezze and tapas from the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and Spain.  Pacifica was in a league of its own with its fresh seafood, luxuriant decor and sheer curtains offering privacy for the romantic and delectable seafood to the ravenous.  It wasn’t so much my dislike for any particular cuisine, but more a case of my affinity to Pacifica for sentimental reasons.

Dukkah Spiced Baramundi – White beans, artichokes and clams

But I visited Casbah anyway upon the persuasion of a foodie friend and mostly because I had the MO Elite Club card with its 50% discount trappings.  (However, as fate would have it, our friend, Cheryl, Director of Communications at MO, happened to be there and footed the entire bill.  Thanks, Cheryl!)

I was told that the cocktails at Casbah were to die for, and ordered one called Magic Mo Kool Berry Bliss.  Kool?  Really?  As it turned out, it was a theatrical masterpiece, a cocktail made of childhood memories and adult realities.  The irony is strong here as the fluffy cotton candy floss dissolved right before my eyes in a harsh pool of vodka, cranberry and lemon.  It was a good cocktail.

Tagine with Lamb Merges – Cous cous, almonds and dried apricot

The food is segregated into five broad categories: small plates (vegetarian) with prices ranging from RM12 to RM25, small plates (meat) – RM15 to RM39, small plates (fish and seafood) – RM25 to RM35, large plates – RM45 to RM248, and sweet treats – RM12 to RM18.  Dining is meant to be communal and tables are small enough to offer intimacy.

Stirato Bread and Tomato – Grilled rosemary bread rubbed with fresh tomato, garlic and olive oil

Chicken Mougrabia – Stewed wtih Lebanese couscous

My moderate expectations of Casbah were quashed from the beginning when I tried the grilled stirato (literally meaning “to stretch”) bread, flavoured with rosemary and topped with tomato, garlic and olive oil.  Somewhat like a pizza after being stretched, it was crisp and tasty, its flavour enhanced by nothing more than the simplest of ingredients.

Queso Fonduta – Melted manchego cheese fondue with home made chorizo

The Queso Fonduta (Cheese Fondue), at RM25, and an outright favourite with me, is worth ordering.  The fondue is made with melted Manchego cheese.  Pieces of bread and homemade chorizo are provided for dipping into the melted cheese.  The chorizo is unfortunately not pork, but its absence will only be mildly felt.

Patata Harra

Chef Mustapha Benhadou

The freshly made baklava also stands out here.  In fact, I could hardly fault any of the dishes that I tried that night.  Even the most ordinary of the dishes, patata harra (fried potatoes with garlic, summac and labneh) was finger lickin’ good.  Perhaps MO has found its groove after all.

Turrons – Spanish nougat

Yiaourtopita – Lemon pound cake with Greek yoghurt

Baklava

Churros Con Chocolate – Traditional fried dough stick with hot spiced chocolate

Casbah at Mandarin Oriental
Kuala Lumpur City Centre, KL

Tel: 03-2380 8888