The Malaysian Insider :: Food |
Posted: 14 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST Prawn Bisque with Crouton, Rouille and Emmenthal cheese... I loved it. — Pictures by Eu Hooi Khaw So there we were in a party mood and Pierre's food did not disappoint. He had assembled a five-course Christmas menu, which will be available from Tuesday onwards. Pierre Chaillou... the chef and father-to-be! We got crisp, tart cucumber slices at the base, embraced with lemon cream and topped with chopped fresh tuna, smoked salmon and salmon roe and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. It was a mouthful of textures – from crunchy to soft and smooth, with salty bursts from salmon roe. Pierre has a fondness for chilli, after having been here 21 years. He can make a good har meen or prawn noodles, according to Michelle who is Hakka, as well as Pan Mee and Salted Fried Rice. His Prawn Bisque with Crouton, Rouille and Emmenthal Cheese was super delicious. The bisque was intense with prawn flavour, and hot with chilli! A light, crumbly crouton heaped with mayonnaise with garlic, chilli and saffron, tasted amazing. The hotness of this topping matched the hotness of the soup. I loved it. Fresh Barramundi Fillet with lightly curry flavoured sauce... delightful. In the Christmas menu you can expect Lamb Fillet with Mild Garlic Puree, Parsley Flan and Baked Potato Truffle Oil Scented, or Pan Seared Duck Breast with Raspberry Sauce and Potato Gratin. For our tasting, Pierre had reversed the styles of cooking for the two meats, and presented us with the two courses on a plate. So we had the duck breast with the garlic puree, which I have always liked. It's on Croisette's a la carte menu and is one of Pierre's specialities. The roast duck has to be pinkish for that tender, delicate and succulent bite. A smooth, eggy parsley flan studded with carrot and cucumber separated the duck from the small rounds of lamb fillet on the plate. They were surprisingly good with the raspberry sauce. The fabulous Smoked Salmon on Cucumber Tagliatelle, Cream Lemon and Chives. For all the five courses, it's just RM88 nett. It would be wise to pre-order to ensure availability. During the week, except Monday when it's closed, you can sample Pierre's other outstanding dishes including the Caesar Salad, Duck Confit with Potato Salardaise, Lamb Tajine Almonds and Prunes, Smoked Salmon Pasta and Pasta Clams Mariniere and irresistible desserts like Crème Brulee Croisette, Parfait Chocolate Orange and Bavarois Raspberry. There are always dishes of the day written on the board. The food, which is pork-free, is reasonably priced in this French restaurant. Main courses are RM22 for the Lamb Tajine, RM30.80 f or Duck Confit, and RM32 for the Duck Breast with Garlic Sauce. It is located at Level 3 at the Cascadium Condominium, Jalan Penaga, Bukit Bandaraya in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 014-665 7944, 016-330 4477. It's open from 11.45am for lunch, and dinner from 6.45pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Pierre's take on the traditional Yule log is a beautiful light dessert. |
Fast-food culture is killing Japanese cuisine, says chef Yoshihiro Murata Posted: 14 Dec 2012 07:35 AM PST Yoshihiro Murata at the Plaza Athénée. — AFP-Relaxnews pic It's been "polluted," he says, by the invasion of fast food restaurant chains from the US and abroad, feeding young people foods like "hamburgers, curry, and spaghetti," he says through his translator with a look of disdain. Murata, a triple Michelin-starred chef at Kikunoi in Kyoto, is speaking to Relaxnews in an interview before cooking a special luncheon in December at the Plaza Athénée in Paris at the invitation of one of France's chef titans, Alain Ducasse. He was one of four international chefs cherry-picked by the French chef for being a disciple of Ducasse's own culinary philosophy, one that calls for simple, honest cookery that puts the spotlight back on the ingredients - and away from the chef. Murata is also widely described as a champion of traditional Japanese cuisine for the outside world, a chef Ducasse praises for having succeeded in striking a balance between creating contemporary cuisine and maintaining a deferential respect for his Japanese culinary heritage. Japan's loss of culinary identity But the culinary landscape in Japan has changed dramatically over the years, Murata tells Relaxnews, with US fast food chains exerting an unhealthy influence over young people in his country and eroding Japan's rich culinary traditions, he said. "There's been a real loss in the Japanese culinary identity," Murata said through his translator. "We have a lot of work to do in re-educating Japanese people on the culinary traditions. We have to return to our roots and origins." But it's not a phenomenon exclusive to Japan, he adds. Other countries face the same culinary crisis, where multi-national fast food chains have made a negative impact on a nation's gastronomic identity. With, perhaps, the notable exception of one country, he says: France. "I have great respect for the French because they value their culinary traditions and gastronomic heritage." But even in France, the proliferation and increasing popularity of fast food brands like McDonald's and Belgian burger brand Quick have become a growing concern, particularly in regard to the impact on the health and food culture of younger generations. Japanese phenomenon Meanwhile, though Japan may be facing an onslaught of Westernised and foreign influences to what Murata says is the detriment of the country's culinary traditions, the outside world has experienced an epicurean awakening of Japanese cuisine for the past few decades, with sushi eateries popping up in all corners of the developed world. And while some lament what's been described as the cheapening of sushi with fast food joints and the factory production of Japan's signature food, Murata remained positive about its popularity, happy to see his country's cuisine proliferate around the world. "We need to let the movement roll out and continue. It may not be good sushi, but then good chefs will fan out into the world and educate consumers on what real, authentic Japanese food tastes like." — AFP-Relaxnews |
You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Food To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan