SAMPLINGS ON THE FOURTEENTH RESTAURANT,
Berjaya Times Square Hotel,
1 Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2117 8000 ext 8131
Business hours: 6.30am to 10.30pm, daily.
Seven-course menu for Malaysian International Gourmet Festival takes gourmet dining to a whole new level.
A stunning menu awaits diners at the Samplings On the Fourteenth Restaurant throughout October in conjunction with the Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) 2014.
This is the fourth time the fine dining restaurant at Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur is participating in the event with chef de cuisine Valmurugan Subramanian leading the crew.
Chef Valmurugan with a plate of Steamed Salmon Napoleon.
“My passion for cooking lies in making people happy. This inspired me to continuously learn new methods of delivering the best.
“I find inspiration from everything around me and love experimenting with different ideas and techniques to put on the plate,” said Valmurugan, who has 25 years of experience in the culinary industry.
Popularly known as chef Val, the festival menu’s Amuse Bouche showed off his culinary creation in a simple and delightful bite.
For this, he used fresh scallops and prepared the sauce using tomatoes and topped the dish with caviar. This enticing mouth amuser left diners anticipating the next offering.
For starters, the Rock Lobster Salad with fennel and basil puree, lobster gazpacho, lobster terrine, asparagus and Asian pear was paired with Sixty Drops Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.
Diners are recommended to begin with lobster gazpacho, a specially prepared soup using fresh vegetables and flavoured with lobster broth, followed by the asparagus and Asian pear, and lastly the lobster terrine.
The Sauvignon Blanc’s light flavour and its fruity notes was a perfect pairing for the seafood platter, displaying clear pitches and cleaner finish.
Rock Lobster Salad is a dish comprising of fennel and basil puree, lobster gazpacho, lobster terrine, asparagus and Asian pear.
The Chick Pea Soup made of poached quail eggs, broad beans and saffron oil is definitely a must-try in the seven-course menu.
For the hot appetiser, chef Val served us Smoked Duck Breast served with a fricassee of mushrooms with vanilla emulsion.
Fricassee is a method of cooking where the ingredient is finely cut, sauteed and braised, and in this case mushrooms are used.
As the Smoked Duck Breast was chewy because of the layer of fat in the meat, the dish was paired with Barone Ricasoli Chianti DOCG, an aromatic red from Italy. This combination was perfect, as the wine was well balanced and very pleasant, displaying hints of ripe red fruit with spicy tones in the end.
Just before the main course, chef Val showcased his expertise with an ice crafted chef’s hat, placing a Riesling Soursop Sorbet on it. This tasty mouthwash prepared the palate for the mains.
The satiating journey reached a pinnacle with chef Val’s superb delivery of Chargrilled Wagyu Steak comprising braised wagyu beef cheek, bone marrow, celeriac puree, pickled apples and grapes, mache leaves and coffee sauce. This platter was paired with Richard Hamilton McLaren Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia.
The Steamed Salmon Napoleon is a sumptuous dish not to be missed.
The Steamed Salmon Napoleon is a sumptuous option not to be missed for those who do not take beef. It is served with grapefruit, saffron, squid ink pasta and salsa verde, and paired with Ruffino Lumina Delle Venezie IGT Pinot Grigio from Italy.
A medium-bodied, fragrant white wine, which owns refined notes of sage and mint, I found it to be a tantalising pairing.
Known to be adventurous, chef Val made a closing impact with a sinful Varlhona Chocolate dessert of chocolate brownies, hazelnut mousse and passion fruit ice-cream with a serving of heavenly Amarula. Mignardises in the form of chocolates and free-flowing coffee marked the end of our dinner experience.
The epicurean adventure with wine pairing is available at RM398++ per person, while the same seven-course meal is offered at RM198++ per person without wines. Diners will be given a complimentary glass of red or white wine, if they opt for the latter.
A lighter five-course festival menu is also available with Barramundi Cod or Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb main at just RM158++ per person.
Throughout October, the Samplings festival menus are available for dinner from Monday to Saturday. The promotion continues in November and will be available only on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
