Pink Martini and The Pink Sage

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Lyrical Lemongrass

No Pink Martinis at The Pink Sage – Chai latte and peach, avocado and vanilla yoghurt smoothie

My orientation with Pink Martini came several years late. While Bald Eagle loved their Sympathique album, released in 1997, I was still grappling with the idea of who Pink Martini was. Wanting to appear totally informed on the day of the concert last week, I googled Pink Martini and was led to the Wiki page. Now, I always take Wiki pages with a pinch of salt, but this time, it was sprinkled with a quirky sense of humour as well. In describing the music of Pink Martini, this is what Wiki had on them: The goal was to create the kind of records with which one would hopefully never grow tired of. Records that could be played whether you were sad or gleeful. Cleaning, vacuuming around the house or seducing somebody’s grandmother.

Groan.

After that description, I went to the concert with somewhat diminished expectations, but instead, spent two hours being mesmerized by the music. When China Forbes sang Over The Valley from the album Splendor in the Grass, her voice soared with a clarity that could cut through the stillness in the Dewan.

When my husband seduces me with Pink Martini when I am old and grey, I shall think of Pink Martini and the Wiki page, and I shall nod and smile appreciatively sans teeth.

Pink Martini at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, Kuala Lumpur

Pancakes

Pink is my favourite colour when it isn’t turquoise. Or green. Or blue. All things in moderation, I believe, and I own a pink handbag from Che Che New York to prove my earnestness towards that girly preference. Okay, you can stop pointing that gun at me, Toygirl.

The Pink Sage was Sean’s idea of curing me during my recent bout of illness. Understandably, the place had all the elements that would cheer me up. Loads of sunshine. Simple food. Pancakes. Aah, Buttermilk Pancakes. The past flashed before my eyes as I recalled an earlier visit to the outlet at Wisma RA (now closed), and how I was hooked on the buttermilk pancakes, ecstasy in three layers. This time, the pancakes were like Sean’s incessant singing to me, promising at the beginning, but flat in the end. It wasn’t as fluffy as how it used to be, but the corn syrup and warm boysenberry syrup provided good flavour and prevented it from being eliminated from Round One of the competition.

The Eggs Benedict served with smoked salmon on rye bread (instead of a muffin) was average. The poached eggs were okay, but the hollandaise sauce didn’t quite hit the mark. The Black Angus Cheeseburger fared better with its thick and moist patty, although the flavour of the reputedly superior meat was lacking. What I was totally disappointed with was Duck Pasta, which was swimming in a sea of oil and served with tough slices of meat. The texture of the pasta was also a little too al-dente for my liking. Thankfully, the Huevos Rancheros, an afterthought as we were winding down our meal, saved the day. The tortillas with sour cream, fried egg, tomatoes, beans, cheese and generous slices of creamy avocado were hearty and delicious.

The Pink Sage is now at its new address at Solaris Dutamas above PappaRich, and it is a lot more spacious compared to its previous location. Wine is BYO. Service is friendly and attentive, and it’s a great place to hang out with friends. There are various types of seating available, from booths to bar chairs.

The Pink Sage
A4-UG1-1 Solaris Dutamas
No. 1, Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 016-2052023

(Operational hours run from 8.00am – 11.00pm)

Also check out Sean’s blog here. The sweetie, despite being very likely to fail Simon Cowell’s stringent standards for singing, has a heart of gold. (Thanks a bunch for lunch!)

Other reviews:
Augustdiners
One2Two
Josh.my
Milo Ais, Satu!

Duck Mushroom Cipolla Olio Angel Hair Pasta

Huevos Rancheros

Black Angus Cheeseburger

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon

Root Beer Float and Haagen Dazs shake

Sangria and Mojito Flavoured Iced Teas

Free water

Aliyaa, Damansara Heights

Posted on March 16, 2010 by Lyrical Lemongrass

Aliyaa holds many memories for me – memories of sharing a birthday celebration a couple of years ago with two special people in my life (with an FBB-created pavlova, no less), memories of being surprised with a gorgeous set of sushi cakes, and memories of meeting certain people for the first time there and enjoying friendships that have lasted thus far. There are other memories, but some are best kept within the confines of the four walls and staircase. Ah, it is a hard task to be secret-keeper and friend, especially when the white page of my blog beckons. My loyalty, however, is as steadfast as the cakes that FBB bakes for me, and for as long as he continues to feed me, I will not speak. Nay, my lips are sealed with chocolate and cream.

My first encounter with Sri Lankan food was, surprisingly enough, in a wintry kitchen in London. Bald Eagle’s uncle’s wife, a Sri Lankan lady whose training as a lawyer did not go amiss as she entertained us with witty and hilarious anecdotes of family life in perfectly punctuated English, cooked the most marvelous Sri Lankan dishes. Coming home after a long day of shopping and sightseeing to a plate of steaming rice and hot curry was the perfect antidote to combat the cold. It was in that very kitchen that I learnt how to make coconut sambol (masi) made with Maldive fish, grated coconut and lime juice, and subsequently smuggled some Maldive fish back to KL because at that young(er) age, I had no idea where to find such a versatile ingredient.

Our friend, Logan, loves spicy food, and since it was his birthday last week, Toygirl organised a surprise party at Aliyaa. Sri Lankan cuisine is known for being spicy, and in fact, it is even spicier than the South Indian food which is more commonly available in KL. Despite that knowledge, nothing prepared us for the onslaught of spice and heat as we drank copious amounts of water to sooth our burning tongues. It was a welcome problem, though, as the food was delicious, and so we carried on our masochistic behaviour of assaulting and battering our sensitive stomachs all in the name of pleasure. We were lazy to use our fingers, and skipped the house recommendation, the Sri Lankan crab curry. However, the Mutton Paal Poriyal was a worthy substitute, tender and tasty, cooked in a dry gravy with lots of cumin, chilli and curry leaves. The String Hoppers (made with rice flour) went wonderfully with the Mixed Vegetable Sothi, a fragrant coconut milk curry coloured yellow with turmeric. The Fish Curry was especially spicy, but I kept pouring it on my rice, virtually drinking it up and giving Logan a run for his money.

Aliyaa is located in a two-storey bungalow with a more formal setting downstairs, and a bar with an outdoor area upstairs. The furniture is heavy and sturdy, much like what Aliyaa means – “elephant” in Singhalese. The place seems to have survived the test of time (in restaurant years), so here’s hoping that my memories in this place will continue to live.

Aliyaa
8 Lorong Dungun
Bukit Damansara
50490 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2092 5378

Operating Hours: 12pm to 1am (Mon to Thurs), 12pm to 3am (Fri), 6pm till late (Sat), Sun closed.

Lamb cutlets

Mutton Paal Poriyal

Prawn Masala

Doosara Roti

Mixed Vegetable Sothi

String Hoppers

Brinjal Moju

Fish Curry

Friends

Regal House, One Bangsar

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Lyrical Lemongrass

Herb Crusted Sliced Smoked Duck with Fruit Salad

I may as well make hay while the sun shines by putting up another blog post before I accidentally slip into hibernation mode again. I have thousands of photographs in my archive, all waiting for their stories to be told, but this blog post must be written because it marks the reunion of a sisterhood that was formed several years back. Precious Pea, who had just come back from Melbourne, gave me, Boo and Paps a reason to get together again for one of our lengthy meals lit up not only by camera flashes but also by smiles and laughter all around. The stage was set at Regal House.

To match the fire within us, we started our meal with a cold appetiser – Marinated Black Wood Fungus. The szechuan peppercorn which it was marinated in, barely hot and pungent, succeeded in numbing our tongues and our lips momentarily, and it was only when we consumed our second appetiser, the Deep Fried Lion Fish, that the sensation disappeared. The fish, flavoured merely with salt and pepper, was soft and sweet, had lots of bones, and possessed a very delicate texture.

If I had to pick just one thing to eat at Regal House, it would definitely be the Herb Crusted Smoked Duck. The skin was crisp while the exterior was slightly charred like char siu. The meat was tender and moist, and the flavour was lightly caressed with a hint of wasabi. It was just wonderful. The fruit salad on the side seemed to be an afterthought and didn’t add any aesthetic value to the dish. It almost felt like a pity to wash everything down with the next dish, a Pig’s Stomach Soup, but upon drinking it, my body was immediately warmed by the peppery soup. The flavour wasn’t overly robust, though.

The Deep Fried Spare Ribs came coated with a rather sweet and salty black pepper sauce and fried garlic slices. I was surprised at how tender the ribs were. I don’t care much for leafy greens, but I enjoyed the Claypot Kailan which was sizzling hot and intensely flavoured with a salty prawn paste sauce. Our final dish was the Sang Har Meen, or rather, Regal House’s version of the Sang Har Meen. Don’t expect any egg gravy with this dish. Instead, what we got was a pan fried yee mee, served dry, with fat and juicy freshwater prawns.

Desserts consisted of an Avocado Cream that was not on the menu, and Chilled Minty Lemongrass Flavoured Fruit Jelly served in an elegant stemmed glass and designed to be drunk rather than eaten with a spoon. We didn’t care much for the Avocado Cream which seemed to have a disproportionate amount of coconut milk to avocado, but loved the lemongrass jelly which contained bits of water chestnut, barley and mint.

Regal House now occupies what used to be Hatyai Street, and the chef, who hails from Hong Kong, prepares a good selection of Cantonese cuisine. I like One Bangsar for the availability of parking spaces and its central location (halfway between my office and home!) so if anyone would like to dine with me, pick Bangsar. Prices are reasonable. The appetisers which we had were priced at RM13 each, while my favourite herb crusted smoked duck was RM16 (or 18?) for a single portion. The double boiled soup which served 5 of us easily was RM88. The spare ribs and claypot kailan were in the region of RM20-something each.

Thanks, husband of Precious Pea, for kindly footing the bill and for enduring our animated chatter throughout the meal! I suppose it’s one of the hazards of being married to such a popular girl.

Regal House
One Bangsar
63E Jalan Ara
Bangsar Baru 59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2283 3116

Marinated Black Wood Fungus in Spicy Szechuan Spices