Sage, The Gardens

1.

Every couple of years, Bald Eagle disappears on his personal search for the Holy Grail, and this year, on his birthday, he was in Austria doing the Mexican Wave while celebrating Fernando Torres’ goal for Spain against Germany in the Euro 2008.  Now, this was going on while the good wife was at home, in Malaysia, meekly counting the days before his return, thinking of nothing else but of the immense love she had for her husband.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

So naturally, there was no way of celebrating his birthday then.  And when he did come back, the good wife fretted over where to take him for his birthday.  Being the man about town, he had wined and dined at the best places, some of which the good wife was hardly able to get a whiff of.  She eventually decided (and a good decision, it was) to wait till Sage opened its doors at The Gardens.  And so, upon hearing the good news, she immediately made reservations for Friday, October 3, and announced that it was his birthday.

2.

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Freshly baked bread

“It’s good to be back.  I’ve missed Cilantro.”

“I’ve missed Cilantro too.”

And that was how the conversation started with the waiter.  After months of speculating when Sage would open its doors while quietly reading and re-reading about days gone by at its sister restaurant, Cilantro (currently under renovation), we greeted Sage’s opening with whoops of joy.  But really, did Sage measure up to our expectations?

“There’s no truffle butter.”

It was one of the things that I looked forward to, seeing that Chef Takashi Kimura from Cilantro was at the helm. But the fact is, Sage, despite resembling Cilantro in so many ways (including the furnishings, which I expect will be changed once they complete their refurbishments), was not Cilantro.  The truffle butter was a Cilantro trademark, and Sage will have to find or create its own. Instead of serving butter, a fragrant guava-scented olive oil was served as a dip for the freshly baked breads.

But if Sage wants to be distinctive from Cilantro, but yet serves French-Japanese cuisine, then it will be an uphill task as invariably, Cilantro regulars will ask the same question.  How is Sage different from Cilantro?  I do like Sage’s credo, though, something that is fast catching on overseas but has yet to be widely practised here, that is their concept of sourcing the freshest ingredients, from the farmers and suppliers to the kitchen and finally to the table.  This brings to mind an article which I read several months back on food miles.  To put it simply, to what extent have we considered the environmental impact that results from bringing our food to our plate? 

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Amuse bouche

“Compliments of the chef, ma’am.”

It is always exciting to see what the amuse bouche will be. This one was a spoonful of risotto topped with lightly seared scallop.  The risotto was creamy and the scallop fresh, enough for me to readily order the risotto dish the next time I visit Sage. (That is, if the foie gras doesn’t get to me first.)

We ordered from a menu that offered sets.  Bear in mind that these sets are far from the typical set meals that are available in other restaurants which hardly offer worthy choices.  There are two choices of dinner sets – Sage, consisting of an appetiser, main course and dessert, and Gourmet, which comprises all the earlier items and a Chef’s Special of the Day. The price difference is only RM20, with the Gourmet dinner set priced at RM140. What’s good about these sets is that one gets a choice of any of the items on the Ala Carte menu (save for the last 4 items).  I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to order from the set, seeing that the items, once added up individually, cost close to RM170 (without the Chef’s Special).

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Chef’s Special of the Day

At this point, who should walk in but a very prominent Minister (some say, the future Prime Minister of Malaysia, but dare I be so presumptuous?) and his entourage of bodyguards clad in batik. I looked at Bald Eagle. “You look tougher than them.” After all, it’s hard to take someone seriously when he’s wearing a floral shirt. Even if he’s carrying a gun.

The Brittany oysters, topped with a little fresh cream, was enough to take me to paradise and back. Even the special guests didn’t distract me.  The oysters were so amazingly good.

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Feuillete of Anago with Foie Gras and Artichoke Puree

“And what will Madam have for her starter?”

“I’ll have the…errr…feulle…err….”

“Ah, the Feuillete of Anago and Foie Gras!”

Bald Eagle rolled his eyes. “Your french is terrible!” he muttered under his breath.

I showed him my tongue.

I’m glad that I am able to achieve multiple orgasms. This dish was like making love for the first time, providing pleasure with every bite. Anago, a saltwater eel, was cooked together with the most deliciously fatty foie gras (this word can be so politically incorrect these days, but that’s how temptation is, isn’t it? When the desires of the flesh far exceed all human rationality). I let out a shudder as I tasted it, bit by bit. It was perfection on a plate.

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Konbujime of Wagyu Beef with Karashi Mustard and Recola

“That’s a pretty fancy name for carpaccio with rocket, isn’t it?”

The maid carrying the grandson of the prominent Minister walked by. She smiled and tried to get the grandson, clad in a Shanghai Tang t-shirt to look out way. I glanced at Bald Eagle. “If the minister knew that the maid was trying to get the kid to mingle with us, the rakyat, he wouldn’t be very pleased, would he?”

He took a bite of his wagyu carpaccio, choosing to ignore my idle chatter and preferring to concentrate on his starter instead. By the way, I shall have to refrain from describing his food, no matter how delectable it looks, because it is hard to give an opinion on something that one has only taken a tiny bite of. Anyhow, he decided that he was able to make a better judgement, pronouncing my starter the better of the two. Not that the wagyu was bad. Far from it. The beautifully marbled slice (albeit a tiny one in my mouth) was delicious.

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Two way preparation of Guinea Fowl and Sauteed Scallion

Fully clothed….

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Two way preparation of Guinea Fowl and Sauteed Scallion

…and undressed.

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Lightly salted Cod with Foie Gras, Roasted in Wood Paper

Fully clothed….

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Lightly salted Cod with Foie Gras, Roasted in Wood Paper

…and undressed.

“Do you think they’ll ask me to stop taking photographs? After all, he is a VVIP, you know…”

I was shooting with a bulky Canon EOS 1D, looking quite like the paparazzi. The last thing I needed was a man in a flowery shirt toting a gun asking me to give up my memory card.

“And what will Madam have for her main course?” the affable waiter had asked me earlier.

“I’ll have the cod with foie gras, please,” I replied, feeling a little relieved that I was able to pronounce all the words.

“Foie gras again, madam?” he sounded amused.

I looked slightly guilty.  Just slightly.

The slice of cod was cooked to perfection.  Each segment of the fatty fish fell off easily; and the foie gras, this time, was a little firmer to the touch compared to my starter.  The roasting of the fish and liver in wood paper created a very slight smoky flavour to the dish, but it certainly didn’t distract from the star of the plate – the cod. 

Bald Eagle’s guinea fowl was prepared in 2 styles.  One baked in a pastry casing, and the other, grilled.

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Calvados Flambe of Apple with Almond Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream

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Ricotta Souffle served with Espresso Sorbet

“Are you ready to order desserts, madam?”

“I can’t decide,” I said ruefully. “Can you suggest something?”

“The almond blanc manger is delightful.”

“Isn’t that a jelly?” I made a face.  “I’ll go with the ricotta souffle, please.”

Under his breath, Bald Eagle muttered “women”.

Of course, the last laugh was on him.  He was expecting his dessert flambéed, and it obviously was – in the kitchen, not in front of him. So what turned up was an apple and ice cream. The accompanying syrup was some kind of treacle, sweet and slightly bitter, a very good foil for the sweetness of the fruit.

Oh and my ricotta souffle? The espresso sorbet was strong and very good, and the souffle, very light and puffy.  It was like eating a piece of ricotta cloud.  I loved it.

Coffee/tea at the end of the meal is part of the set.

The prominent minister was easily forgotten as I had probably one of my best meals in a very long time. This is one of those rare moments when everything falls together. Attentive and personalised service, knowledgeable staff, pleasant atmosphere, smiling chef, and best of all, the most wonderful date in the world. It was an evening where nothing could go wrong. We spent the evening chatting and laughing, the chemistry in our relationship quite evident as we shared nuggets of our lives with each other.

And I think at that moment, he forgave me for forgetting his birthday.

Sage
The Gardens Residences (same side as Isetan)
6th Floor, The Gardens
Mid Valley City
Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur.

For reservations, call: 03-2268 1188

Note: Please make reservations in advance.  (I know people who have called the day before and have been turned down.)  Sage is currently serving dinner only, 6.00pm to 10.30pm.

Ochacha @ The Gardens

brownie
Topsy Curvy Brownie

In my household, Bald Eagle will attest to the fact that desserts aren’t really my thing. Given a choice, I’d always pick savoury over sweet. On the other hand, Bald Eagle is Kelantanese and everyone knows how much the Kelantanese like their sugar. (Opposites attract?) But the interesting thing is, when two people have been together for so long, their traits start rubbing off on each other, especially their mannerisms and their tastes. Sometimes they even start looking like each other. Which would be tragic in my case. It does take a certain head shape to be able to carry off the bald look and hey, we all know I’m not it.

Nowadays, I hardly say no to a good dessert (especially pavlovas). But Ochacha doesn’t carry pavlovas. Not many places carry good pavlovas. Sometimes, one has to beg good baker friends to make pavlovas for them.  Sometimes, one resorts to dropping broad hints.

U Call This Tiramisu
U Call This Tiramisu (no seriously, that’s what it’s called)

Ochacha does carry a wide range of green tea desserts and beverages, though. The Ochacha Latte is a nice way to kick things off.  The brownie, I felt, despite having a strong chocolatey presence, had absolutely no matcha flavour despite the thick green cream. I had a lower expectation of the tiramisu as I was warned by a more seasoned patron of Ochacha that the green tea flavour was mild, but even he agreed that the tiramisu was good that day, with a good matcha flavour and a lovely creamy texture (despite the lack of alcohol). The moral of the story is that it is always good to approach a subject with an open mind instead of having preconceived expectations.

And sometimes, even chefs have bad hair days.

Ochacha Latte
Ochacha Latte

Din Tai Fung Restaurant, The Gardens

1.

DTF baskets

The thing about creating expectations is that the possibility of falling is greater. Before Din Tai Fung (DTF) came to our shores (Singapore always gets to taste everything first), everytime we ate xiao long bao (XLB), someone would comment that the XLB at DTF was better.  Then the girls would throw themselves to the ground, ranting like wretched women, bawling their eyes out and screaming for DTF.  Being the lesser travelled of the lot, I’d nod my head sagely even though I didn’t know WTF they were talking about.

Like any good student, I made the journey to Singapore last year to acquaint myself with the cause of their hysteria. As I sat alone at DTF in Paragon, pretending like I understood Mandarin, I calmed my mind and allowed my body to be a vessel onto which the knowledge would be bestowed upon me. I bit into the XLB, closed my eyes for a moment to enable the other senses to take over, and waited. But like a Tom and Jerry cartoon where Jerry once again succeeds in getting away with a prank and the sound of a deflated balloon plays, similarly, my expectations were shattered. But believing that they deserved a second chance, I went there the next day with Bossman in tow, and again, it was a similar experience. None of the mind-blowing orgasm which I was expecting. I made a mental note to get new friends when I went back to KL.

So understandably, when DTF opened its first outlet in The Gardens, I wasn’t ecstatic.

2.

The opposite happens when you don’t create expectations.  When I first visited DTF at The Gardens (DTFTG), I was there merely to fill my stomach and get it over and done with.  No closing of eyes, no allowing of the twelve senses to take control of my quivering body, no witch’s rant.

Funnily enough, no obscenities spewed forth from my mouth.  I attributed it to beginner’s luck.  After my 15th visit to DTFTG,  I had no choice but to acknowledge that *horrors!* I liked the food at DTFTG. 

3.

On with the food…

steamed chicken soup
Steamed chicken soup

So what do I really like in Din Tai Fung (DTF)?  The steamed chicken soup is good to warm the body up and to just about fill the stomach when I know I’m having a heavy meal later in the day.  It is a clear soup, and derives its nutrition from the chicken meat which is steamed for two hours together with ginger and shallots.

xiao long bao
Xiao long bao

One of the best sellers in DTF is the xiao long bao.  The meat is deliciously savoury and the soup encased within the 18 folds (approximately that – yes, we counted!) is not salty and blends in wonderfully with the rest of the ingredients.  I figure preparing XLB is a science.  After all, the skin has to be of the perfect thickness to hold all the ingredients within, yet not too thick that it feels like you’re eating flour.  Each XLB is weighed, more or less 21 grams, to ensure that the steaming is perfect and consistent all around.  The XLB is best eaten with vinegared julienned ginger.  Incidentally, the Taiwanese do not drown the entire saucer of ginger in pure vinegar.  The ratio they employ is one part soy sauce to two parts of vinegar.

vegetable and pork dumpling
Vegetable and pork dumpling

The vegetable and pork dumpling, shaped like a crescent, is also filled with mushroom, tofu and vermicelli.  But it’s a green type of dumpling, and if you don’t like your vegetables, don’t try this.  Let’s just say that I prefer my XLB to this.

braised beef la mian
Braised beef la mian

I have no complaints about the la mian at DTF, but I have to say that it is merely a foil for the braised beef soup which is outstanding. The soup is boiled for 8 hours, thus ensuring that the soup is flavourful and the meat (australian beef) is tender. Unlike their competitors, this bowl of noodles is brimming with beef and brisket pieces.

shanghainese smoked fish
Shanghainese smoked fish

The shanghainese smoked fish (dory) tastes just like satay fish.  It has a dry surface and is a bit chewy with sweet sauce and sesame poured over it.  I love it, but at RM18.80 for this dish, I think I shall stick to my satay fish and indulge only when my pocket is heavier.

prawns with salted egg yolk
Prawns with salted egg yolk

When I first tasted this dish, I was hooked. (Now I know why my cholestrol level keeps going up.) The prawns are extremely crunchy and paired with the eggy sauce with crispy bits, it is a match made in heaven. It is probably one of the most expensive dishes on the menu, priced at RM24.80. Nevertheless, it is still worth the money spent.

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Clockwise from top left: Sesame dumplings in red bean soup, Fragrant basil chicken, Golden Yam paste roll, Green beans with minced pork

Green beans with minced pork comes in a generous portion. The ratio between the two is almost 1:1!  The Fragrant Basil Chicken (top right) is exquisite – tender pieces of chicken in a sweet sauce with top notes of cinnamon and basil.   For dessert, the yam paste roll (bottom right) is crispy and coasted with sesame at the ends and filled with a sweet paste, but I find that the filling is scant and there are hollow bits – not my favourite.  I prefer the sesame dumplings in red bean soup.  The glutinous dumplings are filled with creamy sesame paste.

red bean dumpling
Red bean dumpling

Red bean has never been my ingredient of choice, but I have to say that this is such an amazing dessert, simply because the red bean paste is so creamy and fragrant. Upon inquiring, I was told that the red bean paste comes from Hong Kong. Interesting that you can’t find the same quality paste in Malaysia.  If you’re a food blogger, don’t spend so much time photographing the dumplings.  The skin hardens up pretty fast, so it is advisable to eat it the moment it is put on your table. (The sacrifices I make for the sake of research.)

4.

In conclusion…..

I keep returning to DTFTG for lunch.  Over and over again.  Not for a lack of choices, but because service is quick and efficient and the food’s good.  Of course one can’t expect to enjoy all the dishes there.  There are some which I may not want to try again (like the vegetable and pork dumpling, for instance), but there are still my usual favourites.  I don’t have all the pictures, though, but if you like spicy soup, you have to try the hot and sour soup (a small bowl is enough for one).  Another favourite is the Shanghainese Drunken Chicken (which is, surprisingly, classified as an appetiser), a cold chicken dish in a wine sauce – very mild, but allows the flavour of the chicken to dominate.  The Pork Chop Fried Rice is also good, and definitely better than the Egg Fried Rice which I find too plain and lacking in flavour.

Dumplings are priced from RM9.80 for 6 pieces, noodles from RM8 for a plain la mian, fried rice from RM9, and desserts from RM6.  Be prepared to pay about RM50 for two.

DTF has a policy of reviewing and revising its menu every 6 months.

Din Tai Fung Restaurant
Lot LG-207, Lower Ground Floor
The Gardens, Mid Valley City
Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-22832292