Male Portraits Have Never Been This Yummy

My daily grind aka beloved office, together with Canon Malaysia organized a Male Portraits Workshop not too long ago at Concorde Hotel, KL. Was asked to emcee for the event just the day before. The horror!

Though with eyes as wide as saucer plates and mouth gaping open like a dead fish when boss told me, I guess it's a better job than being one of the 'behind-the-scenes' people carrying heavy stuff. HAHA!

Feedback from participants were more than satisfactory and the one thing everyone has to say, "It was more like a makan spree than a photography workshop!" The itinerary went like this:

8.30am - Breakfast
10.15am - Break (2nd round of breakfast)
12.30pm - Buffet Lunch
till 2.30pm
3.30pm - Tea (with chicken wings, thin-crust pizza, sausage rolls & an
assortment of Danish pastries)
5.15pm - END

Quite a mouthful that day, in between emcee-ing and chomping food down. Mmmm..LOVES!

Supposedly the 'highlight' of the day...

Cold, boiled prawns. My fav! Good thing it was fresh too!

Otak-otak stuffed in crab shells... really good!

Some duck thing which was REALLY yummy.....

Jelly fish

Didn't really love the desserts 'cept one or two. But they were all really pretty-looking......

Cherries simmered in dark red wine. Loved this.....

Couldn't believe the amount of food I gulped down that day. Could have been the jittery nerves?

Oh well... it was a good event nonetheless. Good job to all volunteers, participants, sponsors & of course, our beloved office.

CHEERS TO US!

BMW Did It The French Way

For you Beemer fanatics out there, don't jump the bandwagon just yet. BMW is still all-things Bavarian and Motor.

Was at the launch of the all-new sixth-generation 5 Series at KLCC. Working as ushers there meant that we got to see the new model first-hand! And best part is, I got to steal a peek at their gastronomical menu!

Ooohh..it's gonna be French! A 5-course meal specially concocted by chef Chris Bauer of Frangipani Restaurant & Bar. This should be very interesting.

Tables set up in amazingly long rows.....breathtaking!

With the French flair for delicate details and their secret touch of making everything look/hear/sound/taste OH-SO-ROMANTIC, I was very excited to see how sexy the dishes will look.....and of course, how tantalizing it'll be on the tongue..... Mmmm...

Freshly Chucked Oysters with Caviar, Lemon Pearls &
Pickled Japanese Cucumbers

Told ya' they're gonna be sexy. First dish and it's an aphrodisiac. Every dish is served with a different wine and for this dish, it was served with Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Semillon 2008.

Oysters were fresh but the temperature was a bit off. Would have liked it a tad bit more chilled. Liked how the Lemon Pearls would just burst in the mouth, causing a mini explosion of citrus-tangyness. Definitely lent a helping hand in neutralizing the extreme creaminess of the oyster.

Tea-smoked Salmon with Echire Creme Fraiche,
Confit Potatoes & Salmon Roe

Salmon's texture was slightly chewy on the top half and the bottom half which was slightly more cooked, falls off nicely. Potatoes were really tasty and though its shape still remained, it was soft enough to just melt-in-the-mouth. This dish was served with Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2007.

Black Rice Risotto with Grilled Prawns,
Baby Squid & Black Mussel

I liked the sound of Baby Squid (try spotting the teeny weeny baby squid in the pic). All food with the word 'baby' in it or has association with babies (means they're young) sounds extra delicious, extra tender and extra juicy, no?

You're just in self-denial if you said 'No'.

This dish was my favorite for the night (not just because there's BABY squids in them ok!). It was really, really tasty. The risotto was a greedy monster and absorbed all the flavor from the broth it was cooked in and still, managed to take in the sweetness and saltiness from its seafood friends. However, I must say that the prawn was slightly over-grilled and was a bit tough. This dish was served with Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2007.

Grilled Betel Leaf Wrapped Tenderloin with
Savoy Cabbage & Indonesian Black Nut Sauce

Didn't enjoy this AT ALL. I think if I had to eat something from this plate, I would have eaten the cabbage. Tenderloin was much too tough and the betel leaf gave a distinct, unpleasant taste to the meat. Not sure if it was the cooking method that made the betel leaf infused that kinda odor or it was the betel leaf itself, but it just didn't go. Heard quite a number of guests complaining about this dish on their way out as well.

That black thing which looks like a Shitake mushroom is actually the shell of the Indonesian Black Nut. Nothing much to comment on the sauce as there was nothing fancy about the taste. Just slightly salty and an earthy aroma to it. This dish was served with Cape Mentelle Zinfandel 2006.

Chocolate Terrine with Pistachio Mousse;
White Chocolate Cheesecake with Dark Chocolate Sauce;
French Toast with Roast Apple & Dulce de Leche Sauce

Mmmm...dessert was relatively good. The cheesecake was not too sweet and the dark chocolate overcoat helped take the intense richness away cos' of its slight bitterness. Loved the tangy raspberry puree! The pistachio mousse was creamy and a bit too sweet for my liking.



Dessert was served with Hennessy XO.

The launch of the new BMW F10 was rather spectacular. There were revolving thingymajiggies on stage, waiters at hand, excellent service and hospitality and of course, beautiful cars. Well, expectations are high. It's BMW after all.

Maybe it was because of the whole setup and ambiance that got my expectations really high for the food. I wouldn't say it was bad, but it was nothing to shout about as well.

Can't comment much on the selection of wines as me is no wine expert. Will need to brush up in that area. My excuse to drink more! HAH!

Food on the Boat

So, I had to do this restaurant review assignment for work the other day and I was thinking, 'Heck! I might as well kill two birds with one stone!" Since all the food were being displayed so nicely (extra nicely-cos it'll come in print right) and we get to try the food after that, PERFECT timing.



Walking in to Boathouse Restaurant really gives one an aura of under-the-sea cozy comfort. A big bar with an aquarium counter-top to boast right at the front of the entrance and red-and-white checked table cloths sprawled across wooden tables, Boathouse is definitely sticking closely to its name.

Lovin' the aquarium counter-top. Check it out!

With FISHES swimming inside...How cool is that!

When I was there 'working' (won't actually call that working cos I really enjoyed myself?), chef & co-owner, Law Yen-Ni and Adelyn Lim brought me on a very enjoyable journey through their menu. Going through it, I realized that Boathouse is not just your average everyday neighborhood bar which serves the standard popcorn chicken, BLT's and fries. I was surprised that their menu actually features some really exquisite ingredients in very interesting-sounding dishes.

Maybe it was their casual ambiance that fooled me but this place really knows how to whip up a good-looking menu! So, while my fellow photographer colleague was busy taking pictures for work, I too work my way snip-snip-snapping!

First up,

1/2 dozen Oysters served with Lumpfish Caviar
Fresh oysters with a luscious amount of lumpfish caviar
incorporated with scallion & caperbud served with lemon wedge on the rocks

Mmm....great starter to have. You know how sometimes fresh oysters give you this metallic tang taste in your mouth? I must say, pairing the oysters with lumpfish caviar (salty), capers (sour & slightly sweet) and a few drops of lemon juice (sour with a tinge of citrus) is a truly wonderful combination. You have all the elements of taste in that gulp of oyster.

Better still, it'll get you eating more. Just cos it's an Aphrodisiac...

So damn sexy.....

Next up, a dish which made quite a dramatic entrance. What with the BIG flames and all.


BIG BIG FIRE!

The meat is lightly grilled with some good ol' butter. Then, a dash of brandy is poured and WHOOOOSHHH the big flames magically appear, engulfing the meat in even more flammable goodness.

The result...


Steak Au Poivre a la Gueridon
300gm prime fillet steak with blackpepper grilled to doneness,
flamed with brandy at your table & served with a wicked Hennessy
sauce up close & flammable

Love the color. A subtle graduation from dark brown to pink and then red. Expect a very slight crisp at the seared outer layer and a juicy texture in the middle. The meat is so flavorful just by itself...but of course, I wouldn't complain 'bout the Hennessy sauce that came with it. That was really good too.

The last recommended dish was a dessert. When it was slowly making its way to the table and I could only see glimpses of it, I already knew it was gonna be a sight to behold. True enough, it was.


Black Forest Single Malt Chocolate Mousse
A fiesta of dark cherries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries,
banana & pear poached in red wine in a 1707 cup of single
malt chocolate mousse topped with vanilla cream

A good play of texture here. The various berries, fruits, bits of chocolate cake, ice-cream and berry jam all lend a helping hand in giving its own distinctive taste to what makes this dessert so good.



Sourness from the berries, sweetness from the bananas, chocolate-y taste by the cake bits, a lil' crunch by tiny cubes of granny smiths, vanilla ice-cream for that touch of 'cold' effect, a tinge of malt whiskey for that caramel taste and lastly, berry jam to stick it all together for the sweetest closing-your-eyes-while-savoring moment. Mm Mmmm!!

Boathouse really took me by surprise. A good surprise nonetheless. Didn't expect it to serve such fine food cos' all this while most people thought it was just another drinking pub along that row of shophouses (sid's pub and deutches gasthaus is just a few doors away).

I thought their food was totally well fitted-in with their motto: Serving simple, honest, unpretentious food. Fine food without all that fuss of eating fine food (different cutlery, wine bla bla bla).

OOoohhh! Some exciting news! Boathouse is gonna launch their new upstairs lounge on Dec 11, 2009. Called Upperdeck, the new area is gonna be a chill-out lounge where people can just mingle around, sit in nice big comfy sofas and sip their dainty martinis. There will also be a different menu for Upperdeck, serving mostly snacks and finger-food. So do check it out once it's launched!



Boathouse Restaurant

16, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur.

03-77274426

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am-3pm, 5pm - 2am (Closed on Sundays).