The silkiest smoothest rice noodles covered in thick prawn paste sauce, heady and pungent, with a hint of sweetness and drizzled in a cloud of sesame seeds. My ultimate die die must eat meal.
If only it weren’t so far away.
Cilantro opened its doors last week after being closed for over a year due to renovations at MiCasa. Naturally, I was expecting to be wowed by the “transformation”. Instead, the familiar cream coloured upholstery with circular seating greeted me. To put it succinctly, it was like visiting an old friend. Bathed in warm tones thanks to the the large barrel-like light fixtures that diffused an even but mellow glow all around the perimeter of the room, it appeared like time had stood still in this place. The room resounded with laughter. Bald Eagle’s friend at the next table apologized for the noise.
“No, don’t apologize,” I said. “It’s fine.”
I turned to Bald Eagle.
“I love the sound of laughter in a restaurant.”
“Why?” he asked me.
“It’s the sound of happiness.”
Over the years, it has become evident to me that a good meal is elevated in the fellowship of good friends, and a bad meal is mitigated by the same virtue.
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In preparation for this post, and because I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to articulate my thoughts about the all-new Cilantro, I read a couple of my old posts. One was written two years ago, when we celebrated our wedding anniversary over one of the most amazing meals I had eaten (in my lifetime, up to 2007) at Cilantro, and the other was written last year, when Cilantro’s sister-restaurant, Sage, had newly opened. Sage filled the void that Cilantro had left behind, and in the latter post, I asked the question, how is Sage different from Cilantro? Now, more than a year later and after Sage has established itself as a leading fine-dining restaurant in KL, I find myself asking the same question but in reversed fashion – how is Cilantro different from Sage? When Cilantro prices itself significantly higher than Sage, there must be enough reasons to justify it, other than the fact that Chef Takashi Kimura is helming the kitchen in Cilantro (Chef Takashi has left Sage in the able hands of Chef Daniel). His genius in cooking is, of course, a premium, but I don’t think Sage will suffer too much in his absence. Better quality ingredients at Cilantro? What does that say about Sage? Location? Perhaps. Ampang, with its loftier abodes and affluent residents, does hold an edge over a busy shopping mall.
Don’t get me wrong. I thought the food at Cilantro was good that night. We both ordered from the Degustation Menu (RM300++ per person). The ala carte menu, listing all of five appetizers (from RM58 to RM118) and six mains (from RM118 to RM268), seemed to be there merely to justify the reasonableness of the pricing of the Degustation Menu (some items on the menu are changed daily). Die-hard Cilantro fans will rejoice at the sight of the truffle butter served with freshly baked bread.
“Welcome home.”
“It’s good to be back.”
“I’ve missed you, my truffle butter.”
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The amuse bouche, hamachi served on a block of ice, is a visual marvel. The first serving of hors d’oeuvres consist of a portion of angel hair pasta with sea urchin (which is my favourite of the lot due to the masterful combination of a perfectly cooked pasta and creamy uni), cured saba with nasu and avruga, venison with cuttlefish and konbu, Japanese oyster with kyuri and ponzu, and Choya umeshu (yes, the drink). All the bite sized portions tease and tempt the palate for the next serving. Pan fried unagi with foie gras, is a classic Cilantro dish. Coated with flour and fried, it offers a crisp surface and a rich and melting centre. Absolutely perfect. A soup comes next – a seafood broth that is brought to the table in a kettle, then poured over slices of abalone and Hokkaido scallop, just barely cooking them. Whilst I am a big fan of Chef Takashi’s clear soups, always so intense in flavour thanks to a medley of ingredients that caress the palate, this is on the salty side, but it contrasts well with the sweetness of the scallop. My main course is Maine lobster with Americaine sauce, which contrary to what its name may imply, is actually a classic French recipe. Cooking it is apparently a laborious process which involves shelling the lobster and cooking it in a sauce that boasts at least ten ingredients including wine, stock and garlic. The resultant dish is extremely flavoursome. Bald Eagle’s grilled Japanese wagyu, with high level of marbling is cooked medium to enable the fat to be turned to a nice crisp, with a texture resembling grilled bits of char siew. The meat, is as expected, exquisite. And desserts – chocolate terrine with pistachio ice-cream – possibly one of the better desserts I’ve had the pleasure of sampling in either Sage or Cilantro. After all, it is hard to go wrong with a chocolate and pistachio combination.
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So you see, I can’t quite fault the food at Cilantro. And yet, there was something missing. Portions were sufficient, and service was excellent thanks to an experienced crew. At first, I wondered if it was due to my changing tastebuds. Perhaps, a little. I worried about the fact that maybe I was a little jaded. Perhaps I was. The food that I ate that night was perfect in every way thanks to the use of the freshest ingredients and Chef Takashi’s expertise, but it didn’t excite me because the menu that night lacked creativity. A case of reality not meeting expectations.
Nevertheless, this restaurant is still the one to beat.
Cilantro
MiCasa All Suite Hotel
368B, Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2179 8082
Opening hours: Dinner – 6.00pm to 10.30pm, Lunch (from mid January 2010) – Fridays only – 12.00noon to 2.00pm. Closed Sundays.
(Note: Word has it that the famous Friday lunches at Cilantro will be priced at RM150nett (no alcohol) with free corkage on spirits.)
Check out Eat Drink KL for further reviews on Cilantro.
Truffle butter
Hamachi
Assorted Hors d’Oeuvres
Japanese oyster
Unagi and foie gras
Abalone and hokkaido scallop soup
Grilled Japanese beef
Chocolate terrine with pistachio ice cream
Aw Yeah, Don’t Hate Me Cuz I’m Beautiful
And Where Is The Body?
Move Over Mutha Cuz I’m Going Faster Than You Can Drive
The Body’s Beautiful, Baby
That’s Right, I Just Can’t Help It
It’s Not My Fault, I Was Born This Way
Get With The B-E-A-U-T-Y
Beauty, The Body Is Beautiful
Get With The B-E-A-U-T-Y
Beauty, The Body Is Beautiful
I’m Up And Coming, I Am A Child
I’m Legendary, Hey, I’m Free And Wild
I Am The Ocean, And I Rule The World
I’m Sensual, I Am Body Beautiful
My Cha-Cha Pumps (Hump-A-Dooty), I’ve Got Them On (In A Winnin’ Ticket)
And I Work The Runway (Left-Right-Left-Right-Left), Baby, All Night Long
I Am The One (The Only One), There Is No Other
I Am Mother, I Am Body Beautiful
Lights, Camera, Action!
Satisfaction Guaranteed, That’s What I Need
I Celebrate The Body And Enjoy Good Health
And I Gets Down With My Bad Self
It’s All Good From The Front To The Back
Two Snaps And A Clap For A Body Like That
It’s A Good Damn Thing I Don’t Care What You Say
Somebody Beautiful (I Am Body Beautiful), Hey, That’s Me
I Am Grand (Grand Diva), I Am The Queen (Queen Bee)
A Masquerade (Who Am I?), I’m Fantasy (You’re A Fantasy)
I Am The House (The Whole Mansion) Of Elegance
Featuring, I Am Body Beautiful (Body Beautiful)
Don’t Hate Me Cuz I’m Beautiful
Everybody’s Beautiful In Their Own Special Way (Yes)
Carry Yourself Like A Queen And You Will Attract A King
Beauty Comes From Within (Yes)
Whatever The Mind Can Conceive And Believe
You Will Achieve (Got To Believe)
Do You Believe (Yes) That You Are Body Beautiful?
Yes! Yes! Oooo, Yes!
There Ain’t Enough Words To Express How I Feel
I’m Body Beautiful, True, That’s For Real
Am Who I Am And That’s All I Can Be
Open Up Your Mind So Your Eyes Can See
Body Beautiful, Baby (Work That Body)
Body Beautiful, Baby (Work It, Work It)
Body Beautiful, Baby (Work That Body)
Body Beautiful That’s Me (Word)
Then I’m-A Tell Ya Like This, And I’m-A Tell Ya This Way
My Body’s Beautiful, That’s All I’m Sayin’
Bodies Come In All Different Shapes And Sizes
You’re Beautiful, Too, Just Realize This
Can’t You See The Beauty In Me?
Open Up Your Heart And Set Your Mind Free
Everybody’s Beautiful In Their Own Way
Express Yourself Every Day
And When You Got Joy On The Inside It Shows On The Out
Be Confident And You’re Beautiful Without A Doubt
You’re Absolutely Gorgeous, Don’t Ya Know?
So You Got The Body Beautiful Glow
Body Beautiful, Baby (Work That Body)
Body Beautiful, Baby (Work It, Work It)
Body Beautiful, Baby (Work That Body)
Body Beautiful (I Am Body Beautiful) That’s Me
Lyrics taken from Salt N Pepa “I am the Body Beautiful”
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This Christmas, forget about serving turkey. Be different. Serve capon. Capon? Castrated chicken. Why? Coz it’s big enough to serve the football team that is your family (including your mother-in-law, grandparents and Aunt Agnes whom you haven’t seen in 15 years), and the flesh is firm, tasty and juicy with the right amount of fat. Capons are at least 4 kg in weight, which make them ideal as a turkey substitute. The fat content is a result of removing the testes from the cockerel which hinders the production of male hormones, which I suppose, indirectly means that the cockerels adopt female errrrr tendencies. No breasts, though. Which incidentally reminds me of this email that’s been circulating (article written by a Jonathan Hayter):
Staring at women’s breast is good for men’s health and makes them live longer, a survey reveals.
Researchers have discovered that a 10-minute ogle at women’s breast is as healthy as half-an-hour in the gym. A five year study of 200 men found that those who enjoyed a longing look at busty beauties had lower blood pressure and less heart disease and slower pulse rates compared to those who did not get their daily eyeful.
Dr. Karen Weatherby, who carried out the German study, wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine:”Just 10-minutes of staring at the charms of a well endowed female is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics workout. Sexual excitement gets the heart pumping and improves circulation. There is no question that gazing at breast makes men healthier.”
“Our study indicates that engaging in this activity a few minutes daily cuts the risk of a stroke and a heart attack in half. We believe that by doing so consistently, the average man can extend his life four to five years.”
The catch: The oglee had to be well-endowed. What the article didn’t say was if the breasts had to be bared, or how many men got a good face-slapping.
Thanks to Cumi and Babe_KL who collaborated with Gerald from Sunshine Chicken, a few of us drove up to Kuala Lipis in the rain to visit a chicken farm and witnessed the castration of the former Mr Cock. The procedure seemed painless; I suppose the chickens didn’t know what hit them when the metal thingy was inserted into the flesh. Perhaps they felt a tickle when their testes were pulled out. Don’t try this at home.
The birds are usually 2 months old at the point of castration, and they are bred for a further 4 months, at which point, several changes would have taken place. Their fat content would have increased and their combs and wattle would have stopped growing.
The chickens at Sunshine chicken farm are happy chickens (no pun intended). Unlike certain chicken farms where the chickens are cramped into tiny little hostels, these buggers roam free and are fed a premium diet which includes “Ma Cho”, a type of Napier grass that looks like pandan. Also, no antibiotics or growth hormones are used. This probably explains the higher price tag, but what price health, eh?
Both capons and free-range (kampung) chickens are available, and if you’re looking for a change this Christmas, they are currently being sold at O Gourmet in Bangsar Shopping Centre. For more information on where the chickens are available, check out the website. You can also call Sunshine Chicken at 03-9102 3950 for more information. I’ve already placed an order for 2 capons and 3 free-range chickens. My mother-in-law is apparently going to cheer up the entire Liverpool Fan Club in Malaysia this Christmas. Don’t call me for your free invitation.