Cungdinh Vietnamese Restaurant, One Bangsar

Cungdinh Vietnamese Restaurant at One Bangsar - we love this place since it moved to the upstairs of the same building, along the One Bangsar row of bungalow restaurants. Downstairs is now Saigon, the club. Thank goodness the noise of the bar does not filter upstairs and you can hardly hear the ruckus going on below,as you eat. Anyway, the convenience of balcony dining is also an option now, since the place has relocated, and this is a real big plus. The manager is so nice that he does not mind if you dine inside, then outside, then inside... extremely charming service! One word of caution, if you fear mosquitoes, like moi, kindly dine inside.. that way you won't be a meal for those little bloodsuckers!

I love the Banh Beo as it is beautifully served on a tray, as individual dishes of steamed rice flour dough with tiny dried shrimp, spices and pork crackling (but in our case, fried breadcrumbs as this place is halal), served with a sweetened nuoc mam sauce. The fish sauce with the searing, hot chili is what gives it that tongue-numbing kick. Fantastic!

I told you it looked pretty!

Here we are on the balcony! My dining companions are great fun.. we can talk all night and still not run out of things to talk about. It's a real gift this talking non-stop business. It truly is:P

Tongue numbing BURN! You see the harmless looking skewers of prawn? At first we thought they were a push-over to eat. "Vietnamese food where got hot one.. ?" Exclaimed M at the start of the night. Boy was she wrong. The prawn is coated in this super-duper, rocket hot chili spices that will have your lips looking like Sophie Monk's trout pout in no time;) See how pouty we look?! Excellent food I must say. It felt light especially because of the greens they use in Vietnamese, and spicy enough to 'cut the grease' so.. yea, you end up not feeling much of your dinner at all.

The iced dessert to take the pain away - the Banh Flan.

The Banh flan(caramel flan) is a french dessert that made its way into vietnamese cuizine, via the french colonization of Vietnam. Just the thing to bring down the temperature in our mouths and help us recover from the killer spicy meal. This was on the house, so 'Thank you Mr. Manager'. We found this caramel flan flavoured with something that tasted like coffee and a little too egg-y. It was just so-so for us.

We also had the homemade vietnamese yogurt. This is my favourite dessert here.. much better than banh flan. It was more tart and had a thinner texture than your normal yogurt. Superbly smooth and creamy.

Finally, something to munch on whilst you chat and drink your vietnamese tea/coffee. Our friend M, was eating this like it was a main course. Says M... , "It's so nice hor... you can just eat it all in one go and not feel it!" Lucky thing it's ginger, and it's good for you! I am not so sure about the sugar coating though... can't be all that healthy consuming that much sugar huh?

Anyway, a great night out with my girl friends.. thank you for making it such a fun night out.. and thank you for the Vietnamese treat - great choice!

Add:
Cungdinh Vietnamese Restaurant (1st Floor)
One Bangsar,
Bangsar
(Non-pork)

E. Guigal Chateau d Ampuis - An exclusive wine dinner at Opus

The Guigal domain was founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the ancient village of Ampuis, home of the wines of the Côte-Rôtie. In these vineyards of over 2400 years old you can still see the small terraced walls characteristic of the Roman period. Etienne Guigal arrived in this region in 1923 at the age of 14. He made wine over 67 vintages and, at the beginning of his career, participated in the development of the Vidal-Fleury establishment.


Info and collage photos courtesy of the Guigal official website here and FBB.

Despite his young age, Marcel Guigal took over from his father in 1961 and his hard work and perseverance enabled the Guigals to buy out Vidal-Fleury in 1984, although the establishment retains its own identity and commercial autonomy. In 2000, the Guigals purchased the Jean-Louis GRIPPAT estate in Saint-Joseph and Hermitage as well as the Domaine de VALLOUIT in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Crozes-Hermitage.



Anyway, on the 3rd of September, I got a call from FBB, who got a call from one Mr. Peter Yew, manager of the Opus, Cava, Moxie & Leonardo chain, inviting us to partake in an exclusive wine dinner by E Guigal Chateau d Ampuis, at Opus. FBB, Craving Joe, Superwilson and moi made up a table of four.



The wines that we had the pleasure of getting acquainted with, that fine evening, were as follows:
1. Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2007
2. Condrieu 2007
3. Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2006
4. Crozes Hermitage Rouge 2005

This wonderful wine pairing dinner experience priced at RM188nett per person was elegant and full of finesse, from the way the restaurant was decorated, to the way the menu was meticulously constructed around each wine.




I think what I love best about these wonderful dinners is the fact that there are wines before (pre), during as well as after the dinner. That is what I call 'living the life'.

During the Pre-dinner we had the first sip, of wine number one, the E Guigal Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2007. This wine was light-hearted and crisp. If I could describe it as one of the four seasons, it would represent Spring. Flowery, fruity and with a promise of blossom. Some may have found this wine a tad too subtle and lacking in body, but I liked it.

After a quick introduction on the wines by the enigmatic Rod Hull, Asia Pacific representative of E Guigal, we pretty much got down to dinner.

First up was the Salad - Wild mushroom forest with black truffle oil. This run-of-the-mill salad which would otherwise have been slightly boring, actually took on a whole new dimension, as the musky smell of the truffle oil permeated its ferns and gave it a life of its own. Superb. This salad found its pair in a smooth white wine, with a fleshy richness and this was none other than the E Guigal Condrieu 2007.

The lobster cappuccino was served in a cappuccino cup, not unlike, a cup of cappuccino... so much so that superwilson was having trouble accepting the fact that he had to drink it with a tea-spoon.

"It looks like coffee, for crying out loud.. just drink it like coffee, man.. "

Sure wilson.. whatever you say. Anyway, this worked well for most of us, and once again the lobster soup was paired with the E Guigal Condrieu 2007.

Enter the Primi. I Wiki-ed this term and found out that Primi means the first course. So here is the first course, before the main course. And if this is the first course before the main course, then what were the courses before that? the pre, pre courses? I really could get the hang of this .. pre, post .. whatever, it's all good. Just make sure you pair it with the right wine. (Yes, as you can tell, I'm a fast learner.)

So, here is my Primi of Spaghetti with King Prawn & Anchovies. I breathed a sigh of relief that I could not actually taste the anchovies per se, because that would have totally destroyed, what would otherwise have been a perfectly fine dish, for me.

So, good! No anchovy aftertaste.
Both the pasta and the king prawn resisted the tooth and were well seasoned, and when paired with a full-bodied, slightly tannic yet balanced red, the effect was mellow and did not leave you felling too full after that somewhat heavier pasta course.
This balanced red was none other than the E Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2006.

For the main course, we had a choice of either the Rosemary Lamb Cutlet with port wine reduction lamb jus or the Tarragon Fillet Mignon with cabernet jus and both would be paired with the E Guigal Crozes Hermitage Rouge 2005.

I went with the Rosemary Lamb Cutlet and was not disappointed. My lamb when cut, had a rosy pink center which bled juices infused with the aroma of rosemary.. a sure sign that the Chef knows what Medium-rare means. Exquisite.

The wine chosen for this course was the E Guigal Crozes Hermitage Rouge 2005. I immediately took to the smokiness of this red. I was told that the best way to describe this wine is that it possesses aromas of grilled meats, smoked herbs, red as well as black fruits, and a soft, open-knit, smoky character. Well, no wonder it went so well with my red meat.



We had Tiramisu for dessert and from the smiling faces, you can probably guess for yourselves, that the wine pairing dinner went on without a glitch and that the night ended on a high note. Thanks once again to FBB and Peter of Opus for the invite!



Add:
Opus Bistro,
67, Jalan Bangkung,
Bukit Bandaraya,
59100 KL.
Tel: 603 2092 4288
Opus website here

Footnote:
*Pricelist of wines mentioned above:
1. Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2007 (RM82)
2. Condrieu 2007 (RM216)
3. Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2006 (RM82)
4. Crozes Hermitage Rouge 2005 (RM120)

Rice Cafe

Rice Cafe..

we go here to eat rice!

The set is extremely affordable. Set Nasi Lemak is just under RM10 but the best thing about this is the accompanying crispy, sizzling, freshly fried, FRIED chicken!

For variety, try the lemongrass fried chicken - the herbs are superb.. so good you end up eating the skin first (as in the picture above).


This place is also famous for their assam laksa. I am not normally a fan of the assam laksa because I find most assam soups in KL thin, lacking in fish and taste.
The Assam Laksa soup at Rice Cafe is so thick you can do a head-stand on it:P

Add the 'har-ko'(black prawn paste) and take the flavour up a notch.

Most excellent.


Finally, wash whatever remnants of grease away with the sour-sweet calamansi...,



..because you will need it once you have finished guzzling your assam laksa sauce!


Add:
Rice Cafe,
Lorong Maarof,
Bangsar.

Food Humor

Some Food Humor for you this fine Wednesday..

1. If you eat something and no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.

2. If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, the calories in the candy bar are cancelled out by the diet soda.

3. When you eat with someone else, calories don't count if you don't eat more than they do.

4. Food/drinks used for medicinal purposes NEVER count, such as "chee keok chou" (ginger pork trotters), ginseng chicken, dark chocolate, brandy, whisky.

5. Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories. Examples are: spinach and pistachio ice cream; mushrooms and white chocolate.

NOTE: Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for any other food color.

6. Foods that are frozen have no calories because calories are units of heat. Examples are frozen pies, popsicles and.. ICE-CREAM!



Happy Wednesday:)

Footnote:

*Specially dedicated to my friends whom, upon returning from a certain Northern Exposure makan trip, are currently undergoing and intensive detox programme. It sucks, it's boring and tasteless but it'll be worth it soon.. Not all faces are featured in the photos above, but you know who you are:) The usual suspects.

House & Co.

House & Co. Great place for Friends & Co. to meet and hangout over lunch.

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Eat your Top-Hat.. 'Pai Ti' .. it's good for you!

Top Hats at house & co. - RM9.00


Kedondong Juice - RM7.00

Taste like leaves, grass and all things chlorophyll in nature..


Herbed Chicken Salad - RM25.00

More grass... geeze, I feel like a cow..

Actually, I thoroughly enjoyed the salad especially the herbed chicken because my portion was breast meat and tasted distinctly fresh and sweet .. no 'Tesco' deep-freeze smell what so ever. The Mango and cashew nuts fitted into the ensemble like 'lock and key'.

Pumpkin soup - RM15.00

Pumpkin soup - gourdy, squashy and thickened with cream, this carbohydrate packed soup will give you the sugars you need pre-workout.

Chicken Rice - RM21.00

What..? What you say? RM21 for chicken rice ar.. I can get for RM5.00 in Cheras/Kepong , or less!
But this chicken rice uses Basmati steamed rice and is really low in sodium and oil. I swear it's the healthier alternative (albeit rich man's alternative) to greasy, fatty chicken rice. Pros and Cons of course. Less animal grease, less tasty .. but way more healthy. You choose!

Brandy Truffle Cake - Compact, Dense, Truffly and laced with Brandy. Gorgeous. If I didn't know better, I'd say I was eating one of FBB's cakes:P

"I like my cappuccino with peanuts... "

I do? Hmmm.. well, there's always a first time for everything!

Add:
House & Co,
Lot T101, 3rd Floor,
The Bangsar Shopping Centre,
KL
Tel: 603 2091 4393

Kuriya

Kuriya Japanese Restaurant - fairly new and already packed, at Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Sashimi Mori Hana - RM60.00

Fresh, sweet, Taut..
Delectable, no doubt about that.

Ozeki Osakaya Chobei 300ml - RM80.00
Fresh, sweet, Tangy - also highly delectable.. ahem!

Karatsuki Nama Hotate Butter Yaki -RM80
This was a stir-fried fresh scallop dish with loads of assorted mushrooms in butter sauce. For the minute quantity served, this dish was rather pricey.

Taste wise, exquisite.


Boiled Ebi and Hotate - RM16.80
Gorgeous presentation - more scallop & succulent prawn. The prawn as a little overcooked.


Tempura Mori -RM28.00 and Soba.
The Soba was overcooked. Rather disappointing if you ask me.


The Isaki Shioyaki (3 Line Grunt) -RM90.00

For a tiny fish, this little fellow sure can fetch a high price. For this size just slightly larger than my palm, a resounding RM90.00 ! What sorta fish is this? Flesh taste just like any other fried up fish. Delicious and fresh, but still crazy I tell ya.


Australian Wagyu Houba Yaki - RM130

This was the australian wagyu beef, cooked in miso sauce, on this really cool looking piece of Houba leaf. This dish is prepared by grilling miso and other ingredients on a leaf of the Japanese Magnolia ("hou" in Japanese), which grows in the alpine forests of the Hida Region (in the northern part of Gifu Prefecture). It represents the local cuisine of the Hida Region. The rich taste of beef goes perfectly with the flavor of miso and the aroma of roasted mongolian leaf.

The portion was small (as with most Wagyu protions unless you are loaded or something) and I don't think it was prime cut wagyu as the meat lacked the intense marbling-melt-in-your-mouth texture that higher grades of Wagyu have. Eventhough we had ours medium rare, it was still far from marbly soft. Luckily I did not order it Blue! LOL.





Add:
Kuriya,
Lot T2 Bangsar Shopping Centre,
Tel: 603 20939246

Teuscher

Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland has its origins in a small town in the Swiss Alps. This chocolate is approximately 70 years old.

Rumor has it that one fine day, on an impulse, one single, solitary, chocolate-maker decided to embark on a path that would make him one of the world's greatest chocolatiers...

Dolf Teuscher was his name, and he toiled and slaved over his stove, blending the world's finest most natural ingredients to produce his now famous chocolate recipes.

If you guessed Teuscher ranks No.1 on Top 10 chocolates in the world (An Ultimate Guide for Travellers published by National Geographic), you would have guessed right. What's even more interesting is that Valrhona ranks 4th and Godiva ranks 6th or 7th on that list. In light of this, saying that the chocolate here is exquisite in taste and texture, might be an understatement.

Apparently, these chocolates are prepared fresh in the kitchens of Zurich and flown directly to all stores in Europe, Canada, America and Asia.



The house specialty (and my favourite) is the Champagne Truffles. These Champagne Truffles have a Dom Perignon champagne cream center, surrounded by dark chocolate ganache, covered with milk chocolate and dusted with confectioner's sugar. Why I feel the truffles here are superior, is because of the quality and the increased amount of cocoa butter used, giving them a richness not found in other chocolates. I was told that these truffle centers are 'conched' longer, creating an incomparable smoothness.

Nothing satisfies the cravings of a "mum to be" as the hot chocolate from Teuscher. It reminds me of the silky smooth taste of European full cream milk, blended straight into thick cocoa powder, with no extra water added. Liquid, molten, pleasure-in-a-cup to soothe the anxious mind and calm the soul.. what more can one ask for.

Hi. My name is Ciki, and I am a teuscher-holic...

1. THE 12-STEP CHOCOHOLICS PROGRAM: NEVER BE MORE THAN 12 STEPS AWAY FROM CHOCOLATE.


2. I WANT IT ALL, AND I WANT IT SMOTHERED IN CHOCOLATE.


3. CHOCOLATE IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY, AND YOU DON'T NEED AN APPOINTMENT.


4. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN A GOOD FRIEND, EXCEPT A GOOD FRIEND WITH CHOCOLATE.


5. IN HEAVEN, CHOCOLATE HAS NO CALORIES AND IS SERVED AS THE MAIN COURSE.

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6. DO NOT DISTURB: CHOCOLATE FANTASY IN PROGRESS.


Add:
Teuscher,
FK1, 1st Floor,
East Wing,
Bangsar Shopping Centre,
Bangsar.
Tel: 03-2093 7633