It has been over a year since Covid-19 has impacted our lives and businesses. As many bars remain closed and bartenders struggle to secure their jobs, Hennessy once again launch this challenge to financially support the industry whilst getting us bartenders to get creative and motivated again.
I thought it was pretty cool when I got into the Top 10 Malaysian Winners along with Josh from Hyde@53M as we were rooting for each other and a couple of other fellow bartenders I’ve known.
But when I found out there were over 500 bartenders who globally took part in this year’s challenge, its still so surreal to me that I’ve made into the Global Top 25! Plus being the only Malaysian who made it.🙀
Not going to lie, I’m still chuckling over the name of my drink.😹
Thyme Waits For No Pear
40ml Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège
30ml Freshly Squeezed Florence Pear Juice
10ml Yuzushu
Splash of Soda
Spritz of Thyme Liqueur Mist
Subtle Smoke of Cherry Wood
What’s the inspiration behind my drink?
I strongly believe the inspiration behind my drink came from my bartending journey. Growing up, I’ve spent most of my time with my grandparents and has always been surrounded and fascinated by my late grandfather’s massive collection of cognac and brandy.
As Hennessy V.S.O.P Privilège is made from a selection of eaux-de-vie aged mainly in old oak barrels, you could pick up aromas of vanilla, cinnamon and toasted notes which fruits like apples, apricots and pears can go pretty well therefore the ingredients I’ve used was inspired by my current workplace; a slight Japanese influenced and techniques of preparing the drink.
As for the name? When I started getting a little more serious into my career, I was mentored by Arsenio Mariano Jr or also best known as Ash. He loves his puns and we’d often brainstorm for punny cocktail names for his guest shifts and gigs.
To be able to collaborate with Sunquick for such event was rather fruitful. Who would’ve pictured pairing mocktails with a full on 4-Course menu at such an exquisite venue?
I’d also like to use this post to thank some kind souls who pulled together to make this happen.
First of all, Patricia and Sidney for the opportunity. Ash, Josh, Jimmy, Shin and the amazeballs Victor for the ideas, sleepless nights of mise en place and being my barbacks throughout the event. And of course, the production team for the photos and videos.
To anyone who wants to impress your loved ones or try making them at home, here are my mocktail recipes:
Started off with something refreshing to pair with the first course to open one’s appetite. The mint leaves and ginger puree yields plenty of flavor giving this drink an extra kick.
Berries First Crush
🔹10ml Sunquick Select’s Mixed Berries
🔹20ml Cranberry Juice
🔹15ml Lemon Juice
🔹1tps Ginger Puree
🔹1 Mint Sprig
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Pour into glass over crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig and dehydrated orange slice.
Tweaked the recipe a little for that night by cooking and infusing Szechuan Peppers into the syrup to give that tingly numbness and unique flavors into the drink.
Pink Rush
🔹15ml Sunquick Select’s Pink Guava & Strawberry
🔹60ml Orange Juice
🔹10ml Lemon Juice
🔹30ml Aquafaba
🔹1 Basil Sprig
Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake vigorously until cold. Strain out ice and dry shake until no ice remnants can be heard. Double strain into a glass.
Decided to go a little extra on the garnish for this drink because Chinese New Year was just around the corner so I decided to put a rat origami on my drink.🐀
The last drink had the guests bamboozled for its tannins and astringency as they weren’t sure if there’s alcohol in it. Heard it was majority’s favourite too.
XoX
🔹120ml Sunquick Select’s Blackcurrant 🔹473ml Grape Juice
🔹1 Cinnamon Stick
🔹1 Star Anise
🔹6 Cloves
🔹6 Slice of Oranges
Combine all ingredients into a saucepan and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let it rest in saucepan to infuse for 30 minutes.
Expressing lemon peelsinto your drink lets fragrant oil loose giving this drink a whole different flavour. Try it!
Ended our night with a selfie looking like exhausted pigeons but it was totally worth the experience. We hope everyone who attended the event enjoyed both of our food and drinks Chef Tyson and I worked on.
The Christmas spirit is back in town and what makes it better to celebrate this festive season with the ever popular year-end festival gatherings at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. They will be offering Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner on 24th December 2018, Christmas Hi-Tea Brunch on 25th December 2018 & New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner on 31st December 2018 at Big Apple Restaurant.
What makes it a little more special to celebrate in Berjaya Times Square Hotel? The hotel’s Michelin Star Executive Chef Abri stepped up the game with a full spread of traditional Christmas delicacies which showcases the true Christmas spirits.
Here are some of the recommended dishes by Chef Abri:
And for those who would like to satisfy their sweet tooth… there will be plenty of sweet delights from Christmas Spiced Cake, Panettone, Christmas Pudding with Cream Anglaise, assorted macaroons and many more!
Words can’t describe how hype I was when I was told Genki Sushi is back in Malaysia! Welcome back and I’ve missed you, Genki Sushi!😚
In celebration of its first outlet opening in Malaysia, Genki Sushi will be launching its menu consisting of 122 core food items that will definitely satiate your appetite along with the selections on the Dai Man Zoku and Genki Premium Selection menu.
Fun Fact: Did you know Genki Sushi’s ‘angry face’ logo is to visualize a serious, professional and confident face of a Japanese sushi expertchef?😡
This time they’ve stepped up their A-game and will definitely make their diners thrilled with the debut of its ‘Kousoku Express’ sushi delivery system and signature Dai Man Zoku selections here at Sunway Pyramid.
What’s Kousoku Express if you’re wondering? Instead of using the regular conveyor belt with plates of sushi making rounds after rounds, it delivers food items directly from the kitchen to the table as they want to ensure what they serve has to be fresh which also provide diners a different level of dining experience.
True to its innovation legacy since historic times in Japan, Genki Sushi continously incorporates technology into their preparation processes, capturing Japanese efficiency and speed at its best all whilst preserving quality simultaneously.
After the opening ceremony and sake breaking, we had an opportunity to make our very own Temaki. Not going to lie but it was pretty fun getting to test our skills. Guess who won 2nd prize and won RM30 dining vouchers?😂
Here’s how we’ll be ordering our food! A QR code will be provided upon seated and you may start ordering straight off from your phone. There’s no need to fuss on waiting for your turn to use the tab to order what you want.😬
I love how they provide Green Tea Powder instead of sachets. It has this really nice hints of vegetal and oceanic flavors to it.
Here’s a peek on what we had for those who crave nostalgia or ones who are curious what makes Genki Sushi different:
Scallop (RM 6.80)
We ordered some sushi from their ‘Premium Collection’. It was simply tender, sweet carefully butterfly-cut scallop. Simple yet pleasantly delicious.
Salmon & Flying Fish Roe (RM 9.80)
There’s this mouth-filling sensation having this. The salmon was so fresh.😍
Salmon Sashimi (RM13.80)
Look at the marbling on the salmon!😍
Fried Egg (RM 3.80)
Can’t go wrong with tamagoyaki! Slightly sweet, delicate and comforting.
Seared Salmon with Cheese (RM 6.80)
This was so addictive!
Seared Crab Stick with Cheese (RM 4.80)
Good choice for those who’d prefer a lighter option.
Corn Mayo Inari (RM 4.80)
Y’all know I have mad love for inari.❤ The Corn Mayo was so sweet and crunchy, Flying Fish Roe were generously stuffed into the bean curd skin and Tuna Mayo has actual tuna flakes in it and not mushy.
Udon with Smoked Duck (RM 8.80)
Highly recommended! Smoked Duck was ridiculously flavorful and not too chewy. The udon was springy and slurpi-licious paired perfectly with the broth which was so comforting and satisfying.
Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab (RM 16.80)
Exceptional texture and surprisingly juicy inside. Definitely a recommended dish.
Deep-fried Oyster (RM 13.80)
Crunchy deep-fried to perfection evenly coated with batter.
Deep-fried Rice Cake with Cheese (RM 7.80)
This has to be one of my personal favorite here. You got to have it while it’s piping hot and stretch those cheesy goodness.😛
Deep-fried Salmon Skin (RM 8.80)
For those who’d prefer something a little more healthier, you should definitely order this. It may not be as crispy and a little chewy as you’d get a wee bit of salmon flesh on it.
Takoyaki (RM 7.80)
It’s pretty yum, just the right springy texture from the octopus.
Grilled Scallop with Cheese (RM 8.90)
Love the creamy texture from the cheese and mayo topped on the scallop.
Grilled Eel [half] (RM 28.80)
Soft, firm and barely has fishy aftertaste. Highly recommended to unagi lovers!
Grilled Mackerel (RM 12.80)
If you’re not too fond with eels, mackerel could be the other alternative to go for. Lightly salted but still super flavorful.
Steamed Egg Custard (RM 3.80)
And of course we can’t forget helping ourselves with a piping hot chawanmushi.
Check out their Facebook page for their latest updates or have a look on their menu by clicking here!
Khunthai was founded in 1999 by a local family from Butterworth, Penang who simply loves Thai cuisine. To enhance the dining experience, they’ve been keeping it real by creating a cozy Thai village ambiance while playing popular Thai music at the background. The dishes on their menu were mainly simple and comforting authentic Thai cuisine selling at a reasonable price.
Note: To keep their concept as authentic as possible, even their staffs are 100% Thai!
As there’s no way I could drive all the way up to Penang to dine at their first restaurant, I decided to try the nearest outlet which is at Petaling Jaya.
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Fish Cake (RM15 / 5 pieces, RM 28 / 10 pieces) – Very aromatic; I enjoyed the lemongrass and lime leaves in it which simply takes it to a delicious level.
Prawn Cake (RM15 / 5 pieces, RM 28 / 10 pieces) – Its pretty similar to crab cakes except there a little more crunch in it from the diced prawns. Really crispy on the outside and juicy inside!
Prawn Cake with Salted Egg Yolk (RM 14 / 2 nos) – Its the same as the regular Prawn Cake except this one was stuffed with salted egg yolk.
Pandan Chicken (RM15 / 5 pieces, RM 28 / 10 pieces) – The chicken was moist, tender, packed with refreshing pandan aroma encased in the leaf.
This otak – otak was really one of a kind although traditionally, it should be wrapped with banana leaf instead of aluminium foil. It was a lot more rich and creamier in flavors than our local otak – otak. I’d recommend this if you’re in a group of 2 to 3 person.
Simple yet delicious. Thai-styled fried eggs are always fluffy and crispy. We ordered this to pair with the otak-otak.
Pretty generous with the mixed vegetables, the tofu was fried then braised to perfection. You definitely got to get a few spoonful of the sauce for your rice as it was very flavorful with wonderful flavors of the holy basil leaves. Yes, its called Holy Basil Leaves.
For anyone who’s looking for a healthier dish, this is to go for. Its pretty light and refreshing with just the right amount of heat and raw onions to give good crunch to it. Probably one of the healthiest warm chicken salad you’ll ever have.
We ordered small and was surprised how ‘small’ their portion was! I’d say its a portion for 2. I’ve also got to admit that these noodles were pretty addictive and beautifully braised. Look at the size of the prawns! There were more prawns beneath the noodles.
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We ended our meal with BIG bowl of Tab Tim Grop or also known as Red Rubies loaded with sliced jackfruits, jellies and the crunchy diced chestnuts. It was sweet, refreshing and delicious. Perfect to have on a sunny day or after a spicy meal!
Overall it was a remarkable lunch, if you’d like to check out there menu click here!
Khunthai Authentic Thai Restaurant Address: No.6, Jalan 5/44 & Off Jalan Gasing, Petaling Garden, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Opening Hours: 10AM – 12AM daily Contact Number: +60 3-7781 7523
The cravings for pizza and pasta one fine weekend hit me hard when I happened to stumble across Pizza Plus in this neighborhood. Can’t say no to pizzas and pastas!
Located in Bandar Sri Permaisuri, this little Italian pizza & pasta restaurant dedicated to serving good food at a reasonable price where they also strongly take pride in their handmade pastas and pizzas by using fresh ingredients and to ensure its always full of flavours. It sounds rather promising which leaves no room for doubts so I decided to give it a try!
Loving the open kitchen; being able to see the chef making the pizza dough from scratch was simply fascinating.
It was blended finely till grainy and slightly too watery with barely chunks of mushrooms in it. As for flavors wise, it was up to scratch. Personally I’d prefer the soup to be thicker and have some chunks in it to make it a lot more palatable which also gives texture to it.
Tomato based with decent amount of turkey ham & pineapples. The down side were the toppings as the quality was honestly a little disappointing but for its reasonable price, it is what it is. I’ve got to admit their pizza dough was really good though; crispy and thin.
Pesto based generously topped with mushrooms & feta cheese. I do wish they put a little more onions on it to give some nice crunch to it. I’d strongly recommend this over the Aloha Pizza, its worth the value and quite delightful. Vegetarians would love this!
I was so thrilled when I saw there’s ravioli on their menu instead of having the usual spaghetti but I was disappointed again. Ravioli dough was a little too thick causing it to turn out a little dry and there was only half teaspoon of chicken fillings in it while the sauce didn’t seems like … it was homemade. Canned tomato paste has this really distinctive flavors where you can instantly tell it isn’t homemade.
Overall experience was alright, might come back again for the Pesto Pizza but not anytime soon. Service was okay and food didn’t take too long to arrive. Then again you get what you pay for.
Not to mention they do delivery as well but within the radius of 1km only from the restaurant. Minimum order will have to be RM 30 above with a small delivery fee of RM 3. Check out their menu by clicking here!
Pizza Plus Address: 46, Jalan Dwitasik, Dataran Dwitasik, 56000 Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur Opening Hours: 11AM – 10PM daily Contact: 1-300-80-2222 Facebook:Pizza Plus Malaysia
Feel nostalgic this festive season with your loved ones! Enjoy the traditional Christmas decorations, carefully curated by The Westin Kuala Lumpur. The team will take on the Classical Christmas tones featuring a range of traditional reds and greens, reindeers, snowflakes with hints of mulberry and pine cones.
Savour in an extensive buffet at The Living Room showcasing a classic menu while the kids get excited with sweet delights. Here’s some of the dishes they’ll be serving this festive season as highlighted by Chef Rudy!
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Don’t jump straight for the turkey! Add some greens before you start your Christmas feast with some of these healthy & delicious traditional salads. My personal favorite was the ham cobb salad.
If you’re looking for something lighter, the salmon was absolutely delicious and paired perfectly with the salads. It was simply inviting just looking at it, you’d catch yourself going for two or three rounds.
Another classic holiday dish! The stuffing was quite tasteful and plated invitingly. Its a definite must have on your Christmas feast.
Turkey was beautifully brine to assures the moisture was there and pretty flavorful with a dash of turkey gravy. I’ve got the admit stuffing was quite moist it almost feels like it came from inside of the turkey.
It was spectacular! I was actually surprised how unbelievably juicy, tender and full of flavors with a kick of garlic and herbs to it with some Brussels sprouts and roasted tomatoes to complement the dish. I’d highly recommend this!
Pleasingly baked, with a hint of zesty flavors from the lemon. I love how the fish was lightly salted which you can get a better taste of the bold fresh flavors in the sea bass. Another dish I’d recommend!
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Save room for desserts because there will be a long spread of festive sweet treats on the buffet counter! The photos above were my personal favorites and a must try. Just so you know, local delights and other international cuisines will still be served if you’ve got fellow diners who aren’t feeling Christmassy yet.😜
Here are the buffet rates for The Living Room:
Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet | 6.00pm to 10.00pm RM170nett per person
Christmas Day Hi-Tea Buffet | 12.30pm to 3.00pm RM140nett per person
New Year Eve Dinner Buffet | 6.00pm to 10.00pm RM170nett per person
New Year Day Hi-Tea Buffet | 12.30pm to 3.00pm RM140nett per person
The countdown to the year-end festive season is near and there’s no better place than The Westin Kuala Lumpur to get you into the festive spirit. The hotel is ready to tempt you with its exquisite menus and lively entertainment.
For reservations, contact +60 3-2773 8338 or check out other restaurants by clicking here!
This festival of lights, Nook will be presenting ‘An Indian Spice Trail’ featuring an enhanced spread of Indian delicacies on the buffet line for dinner headlined by Nook’s new Indian Chef, Kumaresan Chandra Sagaran as he will be spicing up the buffet line during dinner.
This promotion will feature authentic Indian dishes on the buffet with Chef Kumar, as he is fondly called serving up a variety of his specialty dishes on a rotational basis on the buffet line daily.
Chef Kumar’s appetizers will be offering diners Potato Masala Salad, Vadai in Yogurt, Chana Chat Salad, Tandoori Aloo Chat, Potato Bhaji, Coconut Fritters as well as Pakoras Salad.
They will also be serving Rassam, a spiced soup dish, with a rotation of either Crab Rassam and Tomato Rassam. Isn’t it appetizing just looking at these starters?
The main spread of casserole dishes will allow diners to indulge in the various Indian curries and Masalas. Amongst the dishes that will be available during this festive promotion, start your meal with a hearty plate of Jeera Pulao Rice and Matar Pulao Rice then paired with scrumptious dishes such as Dhal Terka, Vegetable Sambar, Madras Fish Head Curry, Sri Lankan Fish Curry, Lamb Veruval, Lamb Keema, Chicken Perattal, Chicken Curry Leaf, Bhindi Baigan Masala, Aloo Gobi, Palak Masala, Vegetable Jalfrezi, Cabbage Thoran and Chick Pea Veruval.
Nook’s carving station will also be featuring Chef Kumar’s specials with the Roasted Lamb Tandoori with Mint Chutney and Baked Fish with Toum Sauce. For a twist of fusion, The Pizza station will be offering Chicken Masala Pizza and a Tandoori Chicken Pizza flavor made using Chef Kumar’s recipes.
To end the meal, some popular Indian sweets will also be featured on the buffet with the specials like Rasgula, Rasmalai, Coconut Candy, Palgova, Mysore Pak, Laddu, Gulab Jamun and Payasam.
Nook’s ‘An Indian Spice Trail‘ buffet is priced at RM 118 nett per adult and RM 59 nett per child aged 6 to 12 years old. It will only be available from 1st to 30th November 2018 daily for dinner from 6:30PM to 10:30PM.
Are you still deciding a venue to have your family dinner? For reservations and more information please call +60 3-2723 1188 or click here!
Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral Address: No. 5 Jalan Stesen Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Contact: 03-2723 1188
The Berry Tale just had their Grand Opening a couple of days ago as another community cafe that offers variety of nourishing options perfect for anyone who’s into healthy lifestyle.
Here are some of the dishes we’ve tried:
The chicken was really juicy and packed with flavors, I’d say its paired pretty well with the mango chutney. Fries could be a little more crispier and deep fried till golden perfection.
Note: This is only available from 12 noon onwards!
I was in joy the moment I saw there’s cauliflower rice! Bare in mind that it isn’t bland nor under-seasoned, but also don’t be shy to request for salt and pepper if you’d like it more palatable. Hey, it’s a tastier way to stuff yourself with some veges! The grilled salmon chunks were delicious and went really well with the rice however it was a missed that the edamame, almond slices and walnut toppings were missing on the plate.
Overall if you’re looking for a light meal, I’d still highly recommend this though!
Once again I’m so happy they’ve got this on the menu as well! Its almost like having a Thai salad because of the peanut sauce and also has a nice heat to it. Definitely makes a perfect light and tasty meal for anyone who’s trying to cut carbs.
I love that they’ve replace coconut milk or ‘santan’ with coconut oil and ‘ikan bilis’ with silver fish instead as you barely feel the guilt of eating our local comfort food. Everything about this dish was so good! Chicken was fried to perfection, sambal was brilliant and ‘acar’ was simply refreshing and the silver fish were so crispy. Would definitely recommend this dish as well!
There is no diet that will do what eating healthy does. Skip the diet and just eat healthy! I’d definitely be back for more.
The Berry Tale
Address: C-13A-1 Jalil Link 2, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 1, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur.
Opening Hours: 8:00AM – 10PM daily (Closed on Mondays)
Contact: +60 16-217 8875 Instagram: theberrytale
The guys who set about making their dream a reality in London is now available in Malaysia! I haven’t been to Genting Highlands for a pretty long time and I was pretty excited on trying what’s good in this restaurant after all the hype.
They’re serving fresh Canadian lobster steamed or grilled to our preference with a choice of clarified butter or B&L’s famous lemon & garlic butter.
The sauce was delicious with just the right amount of heat but it was a missed that the lobster was slightly overcooked. We had to order another round of those fluffy buttery brioche to absorb every last drip of the sauce.
The B&L Burger, a combination of beef and lobster meat, topped with lettuce and Terragon & Truffle sauce.
Almost everything about this was good! Buns were fluffy and beautifully toasted, lobster was nice and firm however the patty was a little dry but well seasoned. One thing about this burger was the truffle sauce as it gave an extra oomph.
Alongside we ordered some cocktails as well. Both were pretty refreshing, but I personally preferred the South Carolina Tea because it wasn’t gassy.
The kitchen is constantly flying out with orders, I hope they’re able to maintain a consistency to it. Overall it was a great dining experience, the service crew was quite attentive and friendly as well.