Food

Nathalie Gourmet taught me how to cook pasta!

May 28, 2013 | Leave a Reply

2 months back I attended my very first cooking class at Nathalie Gourmet and the experience was wonderful and fun.
I had such a great time in the entire four hours although I have to wake up real early.

And the best part besides learning how to cook is to have Nathalie Arbefeuille to taught me how to cook!
I was extremely nervous and excited upon seeing her!

I signed up for pasta class on a Sunday morning for Rm180 and what I get to learn was ‘Roasted Vegetables and Mozzarella Raviolis Tomato and Basil Emulsion’ and ‘Tagliatelles with Wild Mushrooms Porcini Emulsion’ pastas.

#1 This is Nathalie the chef briefing us on both the dishes that we signed up for.

#2 Initially I thought I will only be taught on how to make pasta sauces but turns out I get to learn how to make a pasta from scratch. Farina ’00’ is the type of flour you need to use for your pasta.

#3 Fully equipped kitchen!

#4 Cracking eggs for pasta dough.

Ingredients for pasta dough:

350g pasta flour typo 00
3 full eggs
4 yolks
10g salt

#5 Whole peeled tomatoes.

#6 Nathalie explaining to us what a bouquet of garni consists of.

#7 Baking the eggplants for ravioli stuffing.

#8 Sauteing mushrooms for tagliatelles pasta.

#9 Sauteing onions with butter for raviolis.

#10 This is a momotaro tomato which was used in the making of ravioli and why momotaro tomato is because they taste sweeter instead of the usual sour taste.

#11 Handling 3 pots at once.

#12 A bunch of basil thrown into a pot of tomato puree.

#13 Getting a touch of the pasta dough so that we know if our pasta will be made right when we do it at home.

#14 Pasta cant be done without a pasta machine unless you’re willing to use a roller which will not give you the same consistency. I bought mine at Rm65 at Hock Choon.

#15 After the whole process, there’s a little drying to do.

#16 Dry it for 5 minutes or so. A wet pasta dough is a no no!

#17 Ravioli in the making.

#18 Tomato paste for ravioli stuffing.

#19 Nathalie explaining to us on how we should wrap our ravioli.

#20 Tomato paste, baked eggplant, mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves. Yums!

#21 Perfect! After it’s done, the raviolis have to be kept in the freezer for a while for it to dry.

I tried making the exact same dish on Fatty’s birthday and the reason why my ravioli was such a failure was because I kept the raviolis in the fridge instead of freezer!
In the end all those raviolis stuck together and were inseparable because the fillings were wet.
I learned my lesson the hard way, MUST PUT IN FREEZER!

#22 While we wait for the raviolis to freeze, we prepared the tagliatelles.

#23 Once the raviolis are dried up in the freezer, bring it to boil, seive it and coat with butter. The best butter in town now is Lescure, for only Rm10! That’s the butter Fatty raved about in Melbourne and now we have it here just starting last year. How great! :D

#24 Giving our raviolis a final touch.

#25 IT WAS SO GOOD! There isn’t any meat in this dish but still taste pleasantly well.

#26 After savouring our raviolis, we went back to the kitchen and prepared duck liver. Easy preparation, no oil is needed. Just put it on a pan and that’s about it.

#27 End product of Tagliatelles with wild mushrooms and porcini emulsion with foie gras.

There’re a few types of classes you can take at Nathalie’s Gourmet, cooking class, baking class, kids cooking class or demo class which is the cheapest because you won’t get to try.

I’d say the classes at Nathalie’s was absolutely worth it because for Rm180 I get two recipes (one which is from a three Michelin star chef!), I get to learn it from Nathalie the great chef and at the end of the day I get to eat both the dishes.
Both fine dine quality pastas! With a piece of foie gras!!
How is that not worth it!?

I’ll definitely be taking more classes in the future when I see any suitable classes and when I have the time.:)
I bet baking classes are just as nice but too bad I couldn’t go for it as I have no oven at home. Meh.

Do look into their website for a list of classes you can attend.

NATHALIE GOURMET
Block A4 – Unit A4-1-5 – Solaris Dutamas
Jalan Dutamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
T: +603 6207 9572
contact@nathaliegourmetstudio.com

Fatty’s 24th Birthday Dinner at Il Lido.

May 21, 2013 | Leave a Reply

On Fatty’s 24th birthday eve, we had his birthday dinner at Il Lido which we went on our 1st anniversary.
For his birthday instead of lunch, we went for dinner because my man is a busy man.

Who else work a full day on a Saturday? *roll eyes

#1 Sorry for being jakun but must all the gourmet bread at fine dine restaurant be that hard to chew? I ate like a cow or a horse (whichever makes you laugh)!

We ordered a degustation set menu, priced at Rm198 to share.

#2 Amuse bouche.

#3 Hokkaido scallops with celeriac & truffle cream. The scallop was fresh and juicy, and when combined with truffle cream it can’t go wrong.

#4 Roasted goose liver with duck bacon and lentils. Foie gras will always be our favorite dish wherever we go and indeed it was divine. The foie gras was cooked to perfection, crisp on the outside and silky smooth on the inside.

#5 Chitaruggi with lobster and smoke paprika which the birthday boy really liked which I couldn’t agree on.

#6 Wagyu beef cheek with caramelized root vegetables. Beef cheek was extremely tender and the sweetness from the root vegetables that balances out the dish was a good touch.

A set of degustation for the both of us is definitely and obviously not enough, so we ordered more.

#7 Beef Carpaccio with rucola and â€˜Vacche Rosseâ€™ parmigiano cheese, RM36. Beef carpaccio came at the start of our dinner and it really did opened up my appetite. We ordered the same dish the first time too, just too good to resist.

I’ve made a conclusion that we both couldn’t stay away from scallop, foie gras, and carpaccio when it comes to fine dine.
JUST TOO GOOD!

#8 King Prawns with Spicy Cannellini Emulsion, RM48. When it comes to fine dine I rarely go for anything spicy but I did that night. Extremely flavorful without being too spicy, just nice to make you want to eat more.

#9 Crab Ravioli with Fava and Cured Roe, RM48. This is another very flavorful dish and the ravioli comes in olive green which is made to perfection.

#10 We were already quite full the meal but because we both are greedy people, we ordered Spider Crab Soup with Sambuca (Rm38) before we proceed for dessert. When the soup arrived, it arrived in a bowl with only crab meat and the silly me was wondering ‘didn’t I ordered a soup?’ but before I have the chance to question the waiter pour a pot of soup into the bowl.

We both gave the same expression, ‘Ohhhhhhh…’.

#11 Molten Lava Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream was included in our degustation menu and while Fatty was away from his seat, I secretly requested a candle to comes along with the dessert.

#12 Just to surprise him when he came out of the washroom and look how happy he was, haha.

#13 I hope he enjoyed the dinner and enjoyed me being his date.

#14 The-ever-so-annoying-and-naggy-girlfriend.

After our dinner, we went up to their rooftop lounge bar to have a look and we pretty much enjoyed our quick and short moment at the top as there were no one else. :)

#15 Whenever I dress up a little nowadays, Fatty will asks me ‘ootd?’. LOL!

#16 â™¥

Bill came up to Rm450+ including the glass of red wine Fatty ordered.

ilLido Italian Dining + Lounge Bar
183 Jalan Mayang (off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng)
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Phone: +603 2161 2291

A trip to Bali with family â€“ Day 5 / Dinner at Bebek Bengil

April 15, 2013 | Leave a Reply

The night before Silence Day I had one of the best meals at Bebek Bengil, also happens to be one of the most expensive meals.
Bebek stands for duck in Indonesia and as for their English name ‘Dirty Duck Diner’, it was inspired by a flock of dirty ducks that flew into the restaurant from the paddy fields across the street.
Dirty duck is not dirty at all.

#1 Bebek Bengil is just 5 minutes walk from where we stayed, Jati 3 Bungalow.

#2 Bebek Bengil is a VERY SPACIOUS restaurant, so you might not need to worry about making a booking but if you’re prone to being a paranoid you may do so too.

#4 Huts for guests to enjoy their dirty duck.

#5 This is the view right in front of me, a paddy field! It was beautiful but the sky turned dark very quickly and soon enough I was attacked by mosquitoes. :(

TIPS: MUST BRING MOSQUITO REPELLENT TO BALI OR YOU’LL DIE OF ITCHINESS OR DIE OF ANGER.

#6 Haha, my brother suggested that my mom take a picture with ze duck.

#7 Bebek Bengil, half a duck steamed in Indonesian spices then deep fried for a crispy finish for IDR87,000.

The duck’s skin was very crispy without doubt and before I took a bite I was worried that it might be lack of taste but it was the complete opposite.
The duck was very flavorful with spices and the meat was tender.
To compare it with our Chinese Peking Duck, I actually fancy Crispy Duck a little bit more for the flavor and crispiness from the skin.
It was so good that I wanted my mom to give it a try. Not trying to eat, but trying to cook it for us.

#8 Crispy chicken, IDR67,000 tasted far from Crispy duck and I recommend that you do not try it not for the reason that it tasted bad but for the reason that ducks just taste much better.

#9 Bebek Bakar Sambal, IDR89,000 is grilled duck in green chilli served with sweet potato rice. Although the duck’s skin isn’t crispy but the duck was moist, tender, and very flavorful too. The spices used tasted different from the crispy duck but both was equally good.

#10 I AM SO HUNGRY RIGHT NOW!

The dinner was so good and we went back to our hotel with a satisfied tummies and empty wallets.
The bill came up to IDR300,300 (RM90++) including a pot of tea (only one time refill) and taxes.

As we walked back to our hotel, everywhere was pitch black and we had to use lights from our phones to guide our way back because Balinese were already prepared for Silence Day.
At some point it was quite scary to me, fearing apocalypse might happen. Too much Walking Dead.

As for the next day, we were all quarantined in the hotel and all I did was nothing.

#11 So I chill like a boss.

BEBEK BENGIL
Jalan Hanoman, Padang Tegal,
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Tel: (62-361) 975-489

A trip to Bali with family – Day 2 / Pura Luhur Uluwatu

March 19, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Looking at the amount of pictures from Bali that I have to sort out and upload makes me want to cry.
Realising that my brain most of the time functions a lot slower when I try to cramp out a blog post makes me want to cry even more. Hur hur.
So please appreciate all my blog posts. Lol.

So after leaving Suluban Beach which I’ve blogged here, we went to Pura Luhur Uluwatu.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is about one hour plus drive from Kuta and it is a Balinese sea temple that is meant to protect Balinese from evil spirits.
We went there for the sunset and to take a good look at the Balinese temple.
Watching sunset at Uluwatu is one of the must do when you visit Bali.

#1 Just some trees’ shadows and mine.

Take note : There’ll be a lot of monkeys around where drivers park their car and you have to be extra careful of your belongings especially your glasses, sunglasses, cameras or phones.

From what I heard, these monkeys will snatch your belongings and trade it for food. So unless you bribe these monkeys with some fruit, you’re unlikely to get your belongings back. Damn these little cunning furry fellas.

#2 Entrance to Pura Luhur Uluwatu is IDR20,000 (RM6).

#3 There are two different vantage point for you to enjoy the great view and this is the right portion where the temple stands.

#4 While this is on the left where the Kecak dance performance takes place everyday. To watch the dance, you’ll have to pay IDR70,000 (RM21).

We didn’t go for the Kecak dance performance as we weren’t really interested and the price was somewhat pricey.

#5 Me Vinci lego man says hi to Uluwatu.

#6 He’s a lucky lego man, he flew all the way to Bali. Haha.

Proper attire is needed to visit Pura Luhur Uluwatu, you either wear long pants, bring your own sarong, or rent a sarong for free.

#8 I of course brought my own sarong that I bought from Bangkok three years ago. It was my first time wearing my sarong after it sits in my wardrobe for so long. Couldn’t find an occasion that suits.

#9 My sarong’s colour somehow matches the sarong that is available for rent.

#10 Love the view behind.

#11 Me brother.

#12 Me mom.

#13 And wont you look at that beautiful sunset.

#14 It was pretty amazing seeing the sky changed it’s colour.

After the sunset we went for dinner at Jimbaran Beach before calling it a day.
There’s a whole stretch of seafood restaurant along Jimbaran Beach and the one we went to is Lia Cafe Jimbaran Seafood which is suppose to be cheaper according to my brother.

#15 It was dinner by the beach.

#16 So near to the beach that when there were waves, the table in front of us could actually feel the sea water under their feet.

#17 We ordered Paket A which includes 8 pieces of prawns, 0.5kg of fish, 8 pieces of clams, and 0.5kg of squids for IDR230,000 (RM69). There’re also 2 coconuts, soups, salads, and rice that goes with the set.

#18 This is my mom trying to look like a ghost.

Dinner was pretty worth it, squid was grilled to perfection although the fish was a little too hard.
It was quite a good meal that we had to go back for lunch on the last day. :)

PURA LUHUR ULUWATU
Badung Regency – 80364
Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia

LIA CAFE JIMBARAN SEAFOOD
Jl Pemalisan Agung,
Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia

Melbourne Peking Duck. Melbourne or Peking? Or Bangsar?

February 10, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Before I start rambling on my blog post that is only half related to the festive we’re celebrating right now, I’d like to wish all my readers and all the Chinese in the world a very Happy Chinese New Year!

Gong Heii Fatt Choi!!
Wishing everyone a very prosperous year, a very healthy year, and a year safe from all the dangers in the world.
_

I love taking trams to places outside the CBD in Melbourne and that evening was one of the evening I get to go to a place a little further away.
Fatty brought me to try a Chinese dish that I’ve not tried before, to a restaurant he was raving about.
Peking duck from Old Kingdom in Melbourne.

The restaurant was crowded, there were little walk space.
Guests were chattery and there were lots of smiles on their faces.
There were Australians with their red wine and there were Chinese with their Chinese tea.
Waiters were busy dashing right and left, in and out from the kitchen.
And not to forget, the meal was delicious.

It came to us as a surprise that the chef from Old Kingdom was actually a Malaysian and after years working in Melbourne, he decided to open up a Peking Duck Restaurant here in Bangsar.
It was a good news to us and we wanted to try it out on our 25th months but ended up postponing it to few days ago.

20130210-135414
#1 It was a date. :)

#2 It must have sounded really weird for some people, Melbourne Peking Duck. It’s like Sichuan Nasi Lemak or New York Roti Canai.

#3 Duck’s way of saying welcome, quack.

#4 Restaurant’s interior was simple, or a little too simple in my opinion. I still love the ambiance from Old Kingdom a little bit more.

#5 There are two Peking Duck sets from you to choose from.

Set 1 is price at RM78+.
-One duck slice in 16 pieces served with pancake, scallion, and cucumber.
-Stir fried bean sprouts with shredded duck meat.
-Duck soup with salted vegetable and tofu.

Set 2 is price at Rm88+.
-One duck slice in 16 pieces served with pancake, scallion, and cucumber.
-Fried meehoon, hor fun, or rice with shredded duck meat.
-Duck soup with salted vegetable and tofu.

We picked set 1 as were still very much full from what we had for lunch. So no rice or noodles.

#6 Cutting through the duck’s skin.

#7 And the lady showing us how to wrap it. You can always skip this part if this is not your first time savoring Peking Duck.

#8 The duck skin was extremely crispy with fats underneath!

#9 I’m hungry already.

#10 Stir fried bean sprouts with shredded duck meat. It tasted exactly like what we had in Melbourne, it was really good. I’m not a fan of bean sprout at all but I sapu-ed everything.

#11 Duck soup with salted vegetable and tofu which Fatty really loves.

Fatty was really happy that his favourite Peking Duck is in town and even happier when they tasted exactly the same.
I enjoyed my meal very much too! :)
If you convert, it is much more cheaper to have the Peking Duck in Bangsar than in Melbourne. /steal

If Peking Duck isn’t enough for you, there are other individual dishes which you can order, so worry not.

Melbourne Peking Duck
24-1, Jalan Telawi 3,
Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603-22021588

Old Kingdom
197 Smith St
Fitzroy 3065 VIC

Okay, back to Chinese New Year.

Every year I wanted to get myself a cheongsam for Chinese New Year but every year I give up knowing that it is so hard for me to find the right cheongsam.
Cheongsam is like a Tuxedo, it needs to fit well and I’ve got no idea where to get one that fits me well and doesn’t cost a fortune.
Maybe I can start looking at children’s cheongsam. :(
Or if anybody knows where I can get a a cheongsam with the size UK4, care to enlighten me?

Sometimes, it’s nice to be skinny and all but some other times it just sucks because everything is always too big for me!
You don’t know the number of clothing I have to give up on when I shop, just because of the sizes. :(

I love wearing red during Chinese New Year and I’ve been doing it for years but not this year. Which is a little sad for me.
But I still have my red nails, better than not having anything red at all.

#12 Instead of doing a very red and Chinese New Year nails, I tame it with pink gradient because Valentine’s Day is coming up too. :)

#13 And red toe nails.

Now I cant wait for gamble session too start. Heh.

Singapore : Em By The River

December 24, 2012 | 1 Comentary

Hairy crab might have just kidnapped my blogging mojo.
Should have known better to not blog about something else before I finish on my singapore trip, now I almost couldn’t remember a single thing.

I better act quick before amnesia hits me.

#1 We had Em By The River for breakfast on our last day at Singapore and it is only 3 minutes walk from Studio M.

Em By The River is an alfresco cafe located almost at the end of Robertson Quay and is one of Gallery Hotel’s restaurant. It was great having breakfast by the river with tress around shading us from the sun except that the river was kind of yellowish.

#2 As you can tell from the picture.

#3 Other than the yellowish river that didn’t bother me much, the entire atmosphere was quite relaxing.

#4 A place you’d like to go on a Sunday for some Eggs Benedict, or so I thought.

#6 My fat boy and Dennis the little brother.

#7 No better way to start my day. :)

#8 Fatty’s latte and another fail coffee art that he created.

#9 Dennis ordered American Breakfast that comes with coffee/tea and a juice.

#10 American breakfast that you could have eaten anywhere and yet taste about the same. This is a no brainer breakfast.

#11 I ordered Roast Beef Sandwich, $13 which was decent.

#12 Fatty’s Eggs Benedict, $13 is quite the disappointment. Poached eggs were quite badly done, it was too cooked we no longer had runny yolks. Meh.

I wasn’t exactly impressed by the food served but the ambiance gave it a little more credit.
You’ve been warned, Em By The River do not exactly serve the best breakfast but with such relaxing atmosphere you may give it a go once in awhile.
If only they’ll serve better breakfast, it will be perfect.

eM by the River
1 Nanson Road #01-05
The Gallery Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6836 9691

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