Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur: Grand Lion Dance to Usher 2016 Chinese New Year - Year of Fire Monkey

This year the Chinese New Year falls in the month of February. Being one of the traditional festivals that are celebrated in Malaysia, Chinese New Year is the grandest and the most important annual event for Chinese people. It marks the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar.

It is also known as the Lunar New Year and every year is represented by a zodiac animal sign. This year marks the Year of the Monkey. As part of the tradition in Malaysia; the Chinese New Year is never complete without the sounds of gong, drums and cymbals accompanied with the acrobatic lion dancing which ends with a loud and elaborate line of firecrackers going off.

The lion dance has been a traditional part of the Chinese culture for many centuries, and is still  practice till this day. The intensity of the sounds of the gong, drum and the cymbals add to the excitement of the lion dance performance which is believed to bring good fortune, luck, and prosperity. It is known that the loud sounds of the gong, drums, cymbals and the firecrackers are to scare away and ward off evil spirits in addition to bring good fortunes.

Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur had a grand Lion Dance performance at the hotel lobby to usher in the Year of the Monkey with full of prosperity, happiness and good fortune. The performance by Lion Dance troupe on the 18th February 2016 at 11am was well greeted by hotel guests and the hotel team.

 The hotel’s atmosphere was hyped up and many were cheering and enthusiastically as they watch the lion dance performing some of its outstanding acrobat stunts; agilely and gracefully as the “lion” jumped from one pole to another, with multiple amounts of difficult stunts. The performances of the lion dance troupe and the drummers bestow wishes of good fortune and prosperity on the hotel in the Year of the Monkey.

General Manager of Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Ms. Jane Suppiah together with the Executive Chairman, Dato’Tan Chew Piau & Directors also joined to celebrate the performance.

“The “Dance of the Lions” symbolically ushers in good luck and good fortune and we hope the performance is enjoyed by our foreign as well as local guests. It is an opportune for tourists and visitors to Malaysia to experience the many facets of our multi-national culture,” Ms Suppiah said.

May all our readers have a prosperous and Happy Chinese New Year.

"Gong Xi Fa Cai"

Mutiara Damansara Food: Minori Japanese Restaurant Royal Chulan Damansara Hotel - Specialty Japanese Food.

Japanese is fond of eating exotic and prized seafood as it is. Little wonder when +BestRestaurant ToEat was invited to taste some of the special menu offering of MINORI Japanese Restaurant located The Royal Chulan Damansara Hotel 1st Floor No.2 Jalan PJU 7/3 Mutiara Damansara 47810 Petaling Jaya.

Minori Japanese Restaurant is a multiple MIGF award winner restaurant that has showcase some of the authentic and traditional Japanese dishes that captivate its' customer to continue to patronize the restaurant for some seasonal fare from time to time.

Set in a modern Zen style Japanese decorations, the restaurant has an elegant dining ambiance that are suitable for business and family dining. 

For this review; Chef Takahiro will be showcasing four of the dishes under his Omakase set. The first dish on the table was the Cod Fish Sperm Sashimi style which is the best way to eat it as you can taste its natural taste. This is the first time, we are tasting the Cod Fish Sperm. 

This Fish Sperm has a slippery soft white texture which is a popular delicacy during the winter season in Japan. When bitten it; together with a dip of the sauce, you can feel the bursting feel followed by a soft texture tau foo like musky taste of the cod fish. This Sashimi is complemented with chilled shredded radish, seaweed and scallion. 

The second dish is the Foie Gras Chawanmushi. Chawan mushi is one of yours truly favorite dish. The eggs texture are silky soft and was perfectly enhanced with the flavour and taste of the Foie Gras. Topped with a special sauce it was indeed a delight to slurp this velvety savoury egg dish. 

Next comes the in-house signature Minori Rolls. Using fresh ingredients such as soft shell crab and grilled eel was an interesting combination for this maki. Rolled it in with the natural sweetness of the avocados and dressed with a mayo based dressing, it was a delight to be eaten.

For dessert, we had the Fish Collagen Mochi Japanese Rice-Cake Dessert a.k.a Water Mochi. Water Mochi which has a soft and bouncy gelatin like texture; are made from fish bone and fish scales. You can then add in the Japanese Gula Melaka syrup; followed by the Finely Roasted Soya Bean powder and you have a dessert that is simple and delicious.

Make a date with Minori Japanese Restaurant to try out their Omakase style set and be prepared to be surprised with the offering of the chef.

Bangsar Food: Rendez-Vous French Restaurant - A Traditional French Food Love Affair

French people are very particular with the quality of ingredients used but also the way the food are prepared and served. A serving dish usually consist of different taste, aroma and texture specifically to tantalize your taste-bud. With that +BestRestaurant ToEat was invited to review this traditional French cuisine at Rendez-Vous French Restaurant located at 100 Lorong Maarof, 59000, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

The concept of the restaurant is to make authentic French cuisine affordable and also to offer a laid-back ambience in a truly relax environment where patrons can enjoy great French food and drinks with family and friends.

To appreciate a full course French meal you first start with a cocktail and the one that we had is the Le Kir Classique (RM26.00). It is a cocktail of white wine & choice of Creme de Cassis, Raspberry and others.

Next we had the Amused Bouche - a single bit size pre-meal appetizer. It is a dish not found from the menu and are served gratis and according to the chef's selection for the day to all present at the table. Our Amused Bouche was the sauteed onion with mushroom.

For starters, the chef recommendation was the Escargot Snails With Parsley and Garlic Butter Sauce in Vol Au Ven (RM34.00). At most restaurant Escargot are commonly served as Baked Cheese Escargot but here we get to taste out this traditional style of cooking with a light crust pastry (Vol Au Ven) which absorb the garlic butter sauce to give a nice texture and taste to the Escargot.



For the Soup, we had the "Soupe De Poissons Facon Laurent" which is Fish Soup Served With Rouille Sauce from Sete (RM26.00). The Rouille is a sauce that consists of olive oil with breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron and chili peppers. It has that special strong taste and when mix with the rich fish soup was excellent that it tasted more like lobster bisque. Served with crouton and extra cheese on the side for those that loves their soup to be extra cheesy with the Rouille Sauce as an add on.

French people have a craving for Pate and the next chef recommendation is non other than the signature Pâté de Chevreuil" Deer Pâté With Hazelnut (RM30.00) - Pâté (French forcemeat) is a mixture of cooked ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste and bake in a terrine. The Deer Pate has a firm texture; had a nice flavour and taste which goes well with the gherkin, caramelized onion and fresh cherry tomatoes with lettuce that makes a good companion to the Pâté.

After the Pâté, next comes the special salad, French people has an acquired taste quite similar to the Chinese as they are fond of cooking and appreciating innards dishes. For this salad, we had the "Salade Perigourdine" a.k.a Breast Smoked Duck (in-house made) with artichoke, gizzards, bacon, sundried tomatoes and topped with a thin slice of Foie Gras. The dressing is a mustard with red wine reduction.

For the main course, the chef recommendation is the Mussel in White Wine. There are 3 type of cooking style that you can choose from. This White Wine style comes with a pot enclosure and when it is opened, the aroma of the white wine and steam from the broth exudes out.



We like this style of cooking with garlic, onion and white wine as it brings out the natural flavours of the mussels.

The next dish is the "Filet Mignon De Porc" which is Pork Tenderloin With French Cepes Mushroom Sauce (RM46.00). The Pork Tenderloin is slow cooked in a vacuum pack and then lightly pan fried and topped with the Cepes Mushroom sauce. This way of cooking ensures that the pork tenderloin has a soft texture while it engulf the pork taste into the meat. The Cepes Mushroom sauce which is made in-house using porcini mushroom leaves a taste so wonderful you are still fantasising about it hours afterwards.

To truly enjoy this particular dish, it would be great to chew the pork tenderloin a little longer, so that it gets contact with more of your taste buds.

The next dish according to Chef Flo is a very authentic traditional French delicacy which is the "Boudin noir aux pommes" i.e. Soft Pork Blood Sausage served with apples and French Style mashed potatoes (RM44.00). The pork blood which are specially source are cooked with herbs and spices and stuffed into the sausage. It is then boiled, fried and ready to be eaten. This dish is a real challenge for many Malaysian; I would say it will be an acquired taste to many which will leave you either a love it or hate it after the meal.

For dessert the Chef recommended that we try out the popular "Crepe Suzzette" aka French Crepe flamed with Grand Mariner (RM26.00). When the dessert arrived at our table; the waiter will first flame the Grand Mariner before pouring it into the Crepe.



After the flame is doused off, upon the first bite of the crepe, we can taste the strong Grand Mariner that is embedded into the crepe which is mix with the orange sauce and vanilla ice-cream.

The last dessert that we had is the Marquise au chocolat which is Densed Mousse served with mint ice cream (RM20.00). We love the Chocolate Mousse as the densed version which is firm have a stronger chocolate taste and blended well with the ice-cream.

Not to be left out, Rendez-Vous French Restaurant is celebrating the Year of Fire Monkey with a few specially created dishes with a French flavour to welcome the prosperity.

For this year Rendez-Vous is also having a special Valentine dinner for you to romance with your loved one the French style. Book early for this Valentine Special today.



For me, at Rendez-Vous French Restaurant Bangsar; one can really enjoy the experience of the flavours of the dishes which are prepared using traditional methods and natural ingredients to retain its authenticity of its taste. 

TAMARIND Restaurants Festive Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day 2016

Welcome to the year of the Fire Monkey with the special CNY Festive Menus from now until 22 February 2016 at all Tamarind restaurants. Featuring dishes inspired by the season, each restaurant’s CNY Festive Menu highlights seasonal ingredients and specialties without departing from their unique palettes and cuisine, resulting in a mouth-watering adventure! 

The highlights of Tamarind Hill, Tamarind Spring Restaurant menu; is the in-house made Yee Sang With Fresh Salmon priced at RM68+ (small) or RM88+ (large). Feast in a pack, with every group of 10, and get a complimentary large serving of Yee Sang With Fresh Salmon worth RM88+. 

Also on the menu are favourites such as Sang Choi Pao - Lettuce Cups filled with a Thai twist of Spicy Chicken

Or try out the Crispy Sea Bass With Tom Yum Paste, Himeji Mushrooms And Cherry Tomatoes

Or the succulent and firm texture Tigers Prawns in Orange Sauce with Eryngii Mushrooms

In addition to the homemade Yee Sang With Fresh Salmon found in Tamarind Hill, Tamarind Springs’ delicious festive dishes also include the Fish Maw And Crab Meat Soup, Stir-Fried Sea Cucumber With Mixed Mushrooms, Smoked Duck With Fresh Yoghurt Sauce as well as Assorted Tong Shui (Red Dates), among several other lip-smacking options.

Expect elegant dining in the heart of the city this Chinese New Year at Neo Tamarind, Kuala Lumpur with unexpected combinations specialty dishes, such as the Cold Soft Tofu Served With Shaved Boito, Spring Onion and Soy Jus, Deep-Fried Oyster Mushrooms With Salted Egg Sauce and Bird’s Nest Panna Cotta.

While in Penang, dine like a Chinese tycoon at the turn of the century nowhere else but at Cheong Fatt Tze’s Restaurant, George Town, Penang.  Special dishes specially crafted by the chef are the Winter Melon And Seafood Soup; or try out the Braised Neptune’s Treasure Served In A Golden Pumpkin, where you can feast grandly with the restaurant’s take on exquisite modern Cantonese cuisine.

For Valentine 2016 which happen to fall on the seventh day of Chinese New Year, Tamarind restaurants will feature it's special Valentine’s Day Set Menus. Enjoy an evening filled with romance, ambience and of course, good food.

According to Tiffany Teoh, Sales Manager of TAMARIND Restaurants, “We are excited to share our unique flavour combinations this Chinese New Year. This time of the year gives us the opportunity to use seasonal produce that we have been looking forward to savouring and combine them with our authentic IndoChinese flavours, textures and preparations.

The results are a delicious celebration of what people continue to love about TAMARIND restaurants– a beautiful blend of cultures, coupled with authenticity and innovation, that go on create unexpected and immeasurably delightful experiences.”

*** Book Your Table Today ***

TAMARIND HILL Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 - 2148 3200

TAMARIND SPRINGS

Tel: 03 - 42569300

NEO TAMARIND

Tel: 03 - 2148 3700

CHEONG FATT TZE Restaurant

Tel: 04 - 2620 006

On behalf of +BestRestaurant ToEat , we would like to wish our readers "Gong Xi Fa Cai" and Happy Valentine Day.

Damansara Perdana Food: Fork D World Bistro Cafe Restaurant - Porkilicious Meal To Die For

We have tasted many restaurant that specializes in Pork dishes, but at Fork D World located at 

D2-G-3A, Ritze Perdana 1 Commercial Lot, Jalan PJU 8/2, Damansara Perdana Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, pork meat dishes takes a new twist and dimension to will tantalize your taste-buds.

The decor of the cafe restaurant is one of a simple and straight forward; no frills setup but what excites us is the way the dishes are cooked using the pork meat especially the Chinese style roast pork and pork bacon as you read this blog posts.

Pork is one of yours truly favourite as this last minute invitation was accepted purely to taste one of the very unique and special dish which is the Awesome Bacon Lou Sang (RM55.00+). We have done  numerous number of Lou Sang review this time around and the thought of having a pork inspired Lou Sang got us to accept this very last minute invitation with no regrets.

Not content to use the normal ingredient in setting up this Lou Sang dish; the core ingredients are Streaky Bacon, Crispy Fried Pig Skin, Strips of Back Bacon, with Guava, Fried Yam, peeled Mandarin oranges and Pomelo. The in-house blended plum sauce has been specially fine tuned with Fried Bacon Bits to add an extraordinary porky flavour to this Lou Sang. The end result is that we had finished the entire Lou Sang to the last bit; a testament of how delicious this was. This is the first time we had the opportunity to taste a Bacon Lou Sang.

After the explosive Lou Sang, we had an appetizers, which is aptly named as Bacon Bombs (8 pieces) (RM18.00). technically when you bite into this Bomb; the enclosed cheese will explode in your mouth. For fans of cheese and pork; this appetizers really is a must not miss dish for you. The Mozarella cheese is wrapped around the crusty pastry within the bacon which is then deep fried to a crisp and topped with sprinkles of brown sugar.

After that, we had the Carbonara (RM22.00). This is a classic farmhouse carbonara sauce with Bacon and topped with a raw egg yolk. Stirred up the egg yolk and it will gel to form a rich creamy texture and aroma to the pasta of your choice.

The next pasta dish is a very addictive and a very sinful dish for those cholesterol watcher. This is the Siew Yoke / Roast Pork Fried Pasta (RM22.00). Using Olive oil and a mixture with the pork fats from the frying of the Roast Pork which is then sauteed with garlic and chili padi, it infuses a very aromatic tinge of spicy porky flavours to this simple looking but mouth watering pasta dish.

For the mains; we had the Grilled Australian Lamb Loin (RM35.00). The Aussie Loin meat which is marinated with a secret recipe of more than 20 years are grilled to a nice juicy charred and a taste which reminiscent the sugary Char Siew flavour. Served with a side of roasted vegetable, mini potatoes  and topped with a piece of fried bacon.

At Fork D World; there also serves a number of in-house made 9 inch pizza. We had the opportunity to taste 2 of it; which the first one is the Sambal Shrimp Pizza (RM22.00). The dough are in-house made and have a fine texture which is not too thick and still retains a nice doughy crunch. This pizza is then topped with shrimp, bacon chips, cheese and a special sambal which is not overly spicy tomato based sauce.

The second pizza which we had; is the savoury Roast Pork Pizza (RM22.00); this is another first, never before had we tasted a Roast Pork Pizza; but the verdict is you really have to go for a second piece and if possible a third piece or better still just order one whole pizza just for yourself.

The last dish before dessert is a new kid on the block daily specials (not on menu) which is the Porky Bacon Lasagna. If Garfield has tasted this lasagna, I bet he will jump to the roof; as the lasagna was made with bacon chips in a special in-house made bolognese sauce and topped with a sinfully rich layer of cheese.

Desserts from Fork D World Cafe are all in-house made; Here the desserts are not too sweet and just nice for our taste. The first dessert is the Durian Egg Pudding (RM8.00+); the pudding has a fine soft texture and a strong aroma of the durian. Too bad, I can't get another helping as we have eaten all there is.

Next we had the Chocolate Brownie (RM12+) - 2 portion in picture. The chocolate brownie are usually on a non permanent basis. For today it was made with cream cheese and are alternate with chocolate mint, peanuts with M&M and chocolate orange to gives the customers a varied choice of the day.

After that is the Dessert Waffle (RM10.00+) - 2 portion in picture. The waffles are American style which has a crisp texture as compared to the Belgian type which normally has a firmer texture. This waffles is served with a scoop of ice-cream and drizzle with salted caramel.

The last dessert that we had is the Apple Crumble (RM10+) - 2 portion in picture. Served with a scoop of ice-cream.

As the saying goes what is nice is not healthy but what is healthy is not nice. You have to make that decision. For pork meat lovers, you can really feast here on those cheat day to enjoy this sinful but scrumptious dishes that are served here.

And for those that really like to taste the Awesome Bacon Lou Sang, you better hurry up as it is served from now till the 15th day of Chinese New Year. Please take note that the restaurant is closed from 7th Feb 2016 to 14th Feb 2016. So you better hurry up if you really want to taste this special Lou Sang.