The Malaysian Insider

By Eu Hooi Khaw

Roasted Bone Marrow... this is heaven for fans of marrow

NOV 1 — The first time we were at Dish in Dua Annexe, Kuala Lumpur, we were stuffed after sharing a Lobster Omelette with a Cognac-infused lobster bisque sauce, and the Roasted Juicy Bone Marrow with capers parsley salsa and toasted baguette.

The Lobster Omelette is like a full main course, but surprisingly it’s on the starter menu. It’s a soft, fluffy omelette with chopped lobster inside, and drenched with a lobster bisque. I would have enjoyed this more separately. Give me the omelette or the bisque (I loved the heady complexity of this). The two together were impossibly rich.

There were three chunks of Roasted Bone Marrow on the plate, accompanied by a salad. Dig into the marrow with the fat, creamy gelatinous bits and the tangy capers salsa, and you’re in heaven. Thank goodness the three of us had one marrow each, with the bean salad and slices of baguette. (more…)

The delectable plate of hokkien mee

By Alexandra Wong

OCT 31 — I haven’t eaten a whole lot of Hokkien mee. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago that I realised Hokkien mee in KL and Hokkien mee in Penang are two very different animals.

Up north, you get a bowl of egg and rice noodles steeped in a fragrant briny stock made from both fresh shrimp and dried prawns. Wikipedia goes on to add, “it is garnished with prawns, fish cake, leafy greens, pork ribs, squid, crisp deep-fried shallots, spring onions and fresh lime served with sliced red chilli, light soy sauce and sambal.”

Order the same thing in Kuala Lumpur and you get “a dish of thick yellow noodles braised in thick dark soy sauce with pork, squid, fish cake and cabbage as the main ingredients and cubes of pork fat fried until crispy.”

Then the other day, while driving to my aunt’s place, I saw this sign out of the corner of my eye. Charcoal stove hokkien mee.

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The roast pork belly has an absolutely crispy skin.

By Eu Hooi Khaw

OCT 24 — Each time my sister comes to KL from Perth, we would eat at least twice at Canton-i before she heads home. We love the Hong Kong wantan noodles there, which are fine and a little crunchy (not too much, else you will have wires in your mouth!). We would have these “kon-loh” or with soup, and we would definitely have the prawn wantan, some roast pork and “char siu”, and egg tarts.

We like it that the egg tarts always come first, the light pastry flaking off as we take bites of the smooth custard filling. What’s wrong with having dessert first when it sweetens your experience of what’s to follow?

The prawn wantan offers fresh, sweet and springy bites, while the roast pork belly (medium fat) has an absolutely crispy skin. The “char siu” or barbecued pork is consistently sticky sweet with a honey glaze, and has just enough fat for an almost creamy mouthfeel. (more…)

Wagyu beef and foie gras with a sesame peanut butter sauce.

By Eu Hooi Khaw

OCT 17 — When I was told Japanese chef Tetsuya Yanagida was now at the Benkay Japanese Restaurant at the Nikko Kuala Lumpur, I was eager to go there. I’ve always had a good meal when Tetsuya is at the helm, and that goes for the places where he has worked in.

These include Zipangu at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, which he turned into an award-winning Japanese fine-dining restaurant, and Mizu (in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur) where I had some great meals. His food is always about something new and I like that a lot. I still remember his braised wagyu cheek at Zipangu.

Chef Tetsuya was beaming at me like an old friend when we took our seats at the sushi counter. I have had some super experiences sitting at this counter, and I felt at home there. In a jiffy, the chef placed before us a salad of scallop with plum dressing. The scallops were fat, half-raw and sweet, and the mildly tart dressing was fragrant with shredded shiso leaves. There was a slice of octopus and crabmeat on top as well. (more…)

OCT 10 — “So what’s good there, Nga Choy Kai?”

I hear this cliche so often that it makes me want to tear my hair out in frustration. Yes, people I meet for the first time say this out of a genuine desire to establish a common ground — I am not blaming them — but heck, there’s so much more to Ipoh than just bean sprouts chicken!

At the risk of inundating the stunned listener with TMI (Too Much Information, not The Malaysian Insider), I always ensue with a random list of my favourite foods in my hometown (and you’ll notice Nga Choy Kai conspicuously missing): (more…)

Breads, scones and hot cross buns, all so good.

OCT 10 — Bread always makes me happy; whether I’m eating it, or breathing in its aroma as it’s baking. But when was the last time you sank your teeth into some really good bread? Something always falls short: it’s too soft and cottony, too sweet or too greasy.

Since The Bread Shop opened in Damansara Heights, it’s been creating a buzz, mainly because the owners are dedicated to bread, the wonderful ones that they remember from childhood, or from studying and travelling abroad. (more…)