La Bodega, Bangsar

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I’ve always believed that my work life should be kept separate from my personal life, and because of that I’ve rarely spoken about my work on the blog.  My friends lead glamorous lives, but mine is office-bound, approximately 12 to 14 hours a day, including some weekends.  As a result of more stringent enforcements from authorities and regulatory bodies, my work has become twice as taxing this year. But deep down, in some perverse way, I do like what I do.  What it means, however, is that when I sit down to blog, I get distracted by spreadsheets and work emails, and I get so frustrated by the intrusion that I push everything aside.

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Life goes on, though, and it’s heartening to see so many food bloggers out there who are enthusiastically reviewing all the new restaurants in town, and I read the blogs, salivating and checking my schedule for my next available time slot to visit.  While local food still whets my appetite, and there’s nothing like a plate of Penang chee cheong fun to lift the spirits, I’ve also been eating quite a bit in Singapore and have had the pleasure of dining at db Bistro Moderne (a contemporary French-American restaurant by Daniel Boulud) and Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza.   The memory of the smell of freshly baked madeleines at db Bistro Moderne, golden brown, eggy, fluffy and warm, is like a happy drug that inundates the senses.  But as far as euphoria goes, I think I may have found the ultimate macaron down south in a tiny shop called Jewel at Orchard Central.  The salted egg yolk macaron with black palm salt is heaven.

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I still love KL, though. If I want banana leaf rice with crab rasam, I know exactly where to find it.  Every other week or so, my friends and I hit La Bodega Lounge at Telawi 2 for food and drinks after work.  I like the place because it feels like home.  I like the comfortable armchairs and I like the fact that it’s dim enough indoors to hide the fact that my clothes haven’t been ironed.  Board games and books are available, and once, I observed a couple of really cute guys playing chess.  Be still my beating heart.  I have a weakness for men playing chess.  I also like the fact that my friend, Bari, manages the place and he always gives me my favourite sofa.

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I’ve been eating at La Bodega for several years now, sporadically, and no, I have not always been enthusiastic about it.  I used to find the food generic, but I’d eat there anyway because all my friends ate there.  And then one day, Bari said, “Hey LL, I’ve got some new items on the menu and I’d like you to try them.”  And he fed me and my friends till we could eat no more, then he fed us some more.  Understandably, he fed us quite a bit of the good stuff, like the award winning signature cheese burger made with homemade beef patties and melted cheddar cheese.  The Pollo Picante (diced chicken and dried chillies in olive oil) is a regular order for me.  Once all the meat is eaten, I love to dip bread in the spicy, flavourful oil and slurp it all up, fat be damned.  There were several other tapas items, perfect to be shared with friends over sangria or wine, and frankly, despite being still generic, I couldn’t quite fault any of them.  A couple of dishes from the regular menu which I thought was quite good – the seafood soup, a tomato based broth chock-a-block full with shellfish and prawns, a hearty dish that absolutely should not be shared, and Pizza Quattro Stagioni, four quarters of different pizza toppings; chicken pepperoni, beef pepperoni, mushrooms and olives.  I also enjoyed the Spaghetti Fruti De Mare (alio oglio style seafood pasta) which was cooked to perfection, the thin strands of pasta cooked al dente and the dish bold with the flavours from the seafood.

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I was more interested in the new dishes presented that night from the Lounge Fusion Kitchen.  These were experimental at the time of trying, and I presume they are now on the regular menu.  All the dishes were a departure from the usual La Bodega (Spanish) signature style, and to be honest, a little confusing.  Imagine tiger prawns served in a ponzu sauce and topped with enoki mushrooms.  Or duck rolls with caramelised onions in a crisp wrap, Chinese style.  Tempura fish fingers.  Sesame soft shell crabs.  All absolutely delicious and faultless.  But I can’t quite decide if it fits in with the overall appearance, ambience and theme that La Bodega stands for.

Anyhow, time will tell.  To me, La Bodega Lounge will always be that warm inviting place with good drinks, music, food and company.  A great formula, for sure.

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La Bodega Lounge
Jalan Telawi 2
Bangsar

Tel: 03-2287 3808

 

 

 

 

Life.hiltonkl.com, Macarons and La Senza, and Hennessy X.O Appreciation Grows Gastronomy 2011 with Chef Cheong Liew

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

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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

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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

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.

 

Durians at Teluk Bahang, Penang

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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.

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