[Kuala Lumpur] Sushi Qubey @ Parkroyal Collection Kuala Lumpur

Saw that this restaurant offers omakase and I have not tried one before, so why not? Made reservation for 12pm slot for the MYR188++ lunch omakase. A deposit of MYR100 was required when confirming the reservation.

entrance

I was there like 5 mins earlier and staff informed that one needs to wait till the appointed time to be seated.

staring at sake bottles to pass time

Seemed like no one arrives on time for omakase? It was a whole 10 mins of awkwardness as the Chefs saw that I was the only attendee who had arrived for the 12pm slot and our small talk only lasted for about 2 mins before they decided to leave me alone and go about their prepping work.

first person view

gari was set ahead of lunch

sauce glaze for the sushi

various toppings for the nigiri

Was a tad surprised that no complimentary green tea was offered at the establishment. Ordered the Kojimaya Untitled #01 sake to try. The 'Untitled' is the brewery's way of expressing going beyond the concept of categories.

Kojimaya Untitled #01 (per 100ml carafe) - MYR50++

Taste profile of the sake was light and crisp with rounded sweetness.

My omakase session started at about 10 mins past 12pm. 

Asked Chef if he mind people taking photos, and he said go-ahead and that they are used to it.

Lunch Omakase

Appetiser

appetiser - fried fish with corriander sauce, crab meat with spinach and ikura

The spinach was lightly blanched and hence, the flavour was subtle for the first dish in the appetiser.

fried fish with corriander sauce

The fragrance from the fried fish was captivating and the green sauce had a mild hint of spice. 

Sashimi

kanpachi, ika and toro (added MYR30++ for a piece of toro)

Thus far, my experience with ika sashimi outside of Japan has not been great and likewise, the version here did not dispel that notion. I loved kanpachi and this met the expectation and it was a good choice to top-up for toro. Chef slightly aburi'ed the toro and hence, I could savor the lovely oily fragrance from the fish.

Chawanmushi

with truffle and cheese

Oh my, first impression of the chawanmushi was "Why is it so big?" Ok, I was amused alone as the rest of the dining companions were still at their appetiser/sashimi course.

This dish came in the biggest container that I have ever seen for a chawanmushi! Impressed and there's this naggy feeling that I'd be full by the end of course #3.

cheese pull~

Served piping hot, so it naturally one needs to slow down even for fast eaters. The truffle was not overpowering and I was surprised, that cheese works in chawanmushi too.

Nigiri

Chef Danson preparing the 1st nigiri

seabream with plum sauce

Had accidentally smeared almost half the plum sauce onto my fingers so am not sure if that was the reason why the 1st piece was just clean tasting.

Aji (spanish mackerel)

pretty looking akami with caviar

Actually, I had no idea how many pieces of nigiri would the Chef be serving. He didn't mention, and I didn't ask and menu did not state. Haha!

I was also wondering if one was supposed to take the sushi plate from the counter or just the sushi piece but seemed like the service staff would be hovering nearby and will assist to take the plate placed at the counter by the Chef and places it in-front of the diner. 

next piece, aburi in-progress

aburi saba with ginger flower

I can safely conclude, that I liked the aburi'ed version of the sushi more than non-torched version. And, I overheard the couple next to me requesting Chef to aburi all the nigiri in the set for her companion as he doesn't eat raw fish.

hotate with ikura and cream cheese

The junior Chef was helping Chef Danson to torch something else while he was prepping for the others. I was wondering whose dish was that for, and it turned out, it was for the finale handroll. 

Handroll

Engawa Handroll

Of course, the handroll was handed directly to the guest, with which I accepted with thanks.

delicious handroll

Ok, now I understand why so many raved about engawa handrolls. It was simply delicious with the oily mouthfeel and the slightly torched fragrance. And to have two pieces of engawa in the roll, was indeed luxurious.

Soup

red miso soup

The red miso soup helped to cut away any greasy feels from the previous courses. 

Dessert

goma ice-cream with blueberry

I was feeling rather full while trying to finish the miso soup. Black sesame ice-cream was just the right remedy to end of the meal.

Service was good at this establishment. Chef Danson explained all the dishes served and he was happy to respond to any queries that the guest might have. Service staff was also pro-active in clearing away empty plates.

Sushi Qubey

Address: Jln Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Website: http://sushiqubey.com/

Business Hours:

Closed on Mon.

Tue - Sun: 12–3 pm, 6–10 pm

[Tasting] Brand New Dining Experience @ Grissini Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel

Grissini by night, transforms into a cosy, romantic place. Lovely flower decor on the table too. Was invited to try the Grissini Menu Degustazione , curated by new Head Chef Kenny Huang.

The menu is available at $128++ per pax, and likely to be refreshed on a quarterly basis.

cosy ambiance

you know it's fine dining by the number of cutleries laid out

While waiting for the meal to start proper, we could munch on the super crunchy Grissini breadsticks, or enjoy the soft sundried tomato bun or focaccia. I liked the soft bun with the tasty olive oil.

bread, baked inhouse

AMUSE BOUCHE

amuse bouche of prosciutto con tartufo e mascarpone and roselle pomodorino

Hmm, must have been too engrossed and must had misheard the sequence of which to eat first. Hence, I tried the prosciutto con tartufo first. Strong truffle savoury taste. Chased that with a pop of roselle pomodorino. Oooh, tasted sweet with hint of sour plum.

Appetite opened, and ready for more!

GAMBERO DI MAZARA

Paired with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Reims Champagne France NV.

cheers to friendship with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc

Gambero Di Mazara

The Italian Mazara red prawn, comes from the waters around Mazara del Vallo, a small town on the south-western coast of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea.

For the Gambero Di Mazara dish, one could devour the head as Chef had cleaned it, coated it with semolina flour and deep fried till crunchy. Love the bright colour of the green pea puree. That squid ink cracker was so good. Umami with a crunch. The prawn itself was very tasty with savoury sweet briny taste.

Having this with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc, was a luxury I didn't know I needed. The wine was smooth, creamy with a touch of honey.

RISOTTO CON FEGATO GRASSO

Risotto Con Fegato Grasso

Oh my! Risotto with foie gras. If that doesn't scream rich, how about adding a 24K gold leaf onto the foie gras? Well, this dish has it all!

I thought I had tasted enough risotto but this one, was an eye-opener, or rather, tastebud opener! That first spoonful without the foie gras was already so, so good. 

golden

With the foie gras, it was pure decadence.

Capon consomme, white truffle oil, sweet onion confit melded so well together. Kudos to Chef Kenny and team. This is now my current favourite risotto.

TORTELLI DI ZUCCA

Paired with Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva DOC Rioja Spain RV

Tortelli Di Zucca

Truth be told, I was starting to feel full midway through the risotto. But finished all, because it was just too good. Next, was this tiny parcels of bright yellow tortelli. This dish is only available via the Degustation Menu.

Marques de Caceres Gran Reserva DOC Rioja Spain RV

handmade tortelli, butternut squash, parmesan fondue

So easy to pop these into the mouth. Loved the burst of gentle sweetness from the butternut squash, and countered by that salty-crunchy cheese. Then, complement it with the deliciously red Marques de Caceres Grand Reserva.

YUZU SORBETTO

yuzu sorbet with champagne konnyaku, lemon confit

Palate cleanser of refreshingly sweet yuzu sorbet.

For the main course, one could choose either the fish or the beef. I went for the A4 Wagyu but that bite of Branzino, almost had me converted. Almost.

Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

BRANZINO

Paired with Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

Branzino - European seabass, wild mushrooms, spinach and thyme jus

A4 WAGYU

Paired with Farina Amarone Classico della Valpolicella DOCG Veneto Italy RV

A4 Wagyu, purple artichoke, celeriac puree, veal bone marrow jus

The seabass has a crispy skin that tasted of fish oil, which I liked. Lovely. A4 Wagyu was good as expected. Amarone wine was full bodied, juicy and tasted of cherries and spicy hints.

FRAGOLE ALL'ACETO BALSAMICO

Paired with Huber Riesling Eiswein Traisental Austria 2018

dessert - lavender gelato, strawberries, aged balsamic, rumble

Huber Riesling Eiswein Traisental Austria 2018

It was a lovely dinner. I had enjoyed all dishes and all glasses of wine that night. Food portion was good and the wines complemented the dishes. Kudos to Chef Kenny, Sommelier Uzair Yaacob, and team. 

Petit Four, cr to handmodel

mini treats

Degustation Menu at $128++ per pax, and top up $70++ for wine pairing.

Thank you Ziqing for the invite, special thanks to Chef Kenny and Uzair for sharing so much with us and Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Grissini for hosting the dinner.

Grissini

Address: G/F Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, 392 Havelock Rd, 169663

Website: http://celebrateatgcw.com/grissini

Contact: 8168 1539 or email: dining.gcw@millenniumhotels.com

Business Hours:

Lunch: 12pm to 2.30pm (last order at 2pm)

Dinner: 6pm to 10pm (last order at 9.30pm)

[Media Invite] Exquisite Japanese-Italian Omakase Dinner at Monte Risaia @ 59 Duxton Road

Monte Risaia is located at 59 Duxton Road and specializes in Japanese-Italian omakase dinner, meticulously crafted by Chef Taizo and team using premium ingredients and seasonal ingredients.

The counter seats could accommodate about 12 pax and it is where one could watch all the action that goes into each of the dishes served. There are two private rooms as well if you prefer so.

Chef Taizo Yamada in action

edible flowers

are we going to get those juicy tomatoes on vine?

first course and it involved torching~

finishing touches

 Mozzarella Al Forno

For the first course, one could choose between Signature Uni Pudding or the  Mozzarella Al Forno. I had the pudding but that wagyu looked so good! Didn't get a taste but it had aged Akagi wagyu, eggplant and avruga caviar ontop of the cheese. It already sounded delicious!

Was comforted by the solid whole pieces of sea urchin beckoning for a taste. So curious about the pudding. Was informed that the ingredients for the pudding were yellow eggs, cream and milk. Texture that was like tofu, creamy and non-funky. Lovey savoury flavours. 

Signature Uni Pudding

Then, the kitchen got really busy and there were larger plates laid out for our next dish.

assembling in progress

finishing touches on the Antipasto Misto

Antipasto Misto

The Antipasto Misto looked gorgeous. Like a picture! There were 5 components on the plate and Chef Roy would explain each components. "Have the cold seafood first, then followed by the seabream, the prawn arrabiata, the San Danielle ham with strawberry and finally, the fried gnocchi."

Sakoshi Bay oyster, yay! I lurrrve this oyster because it's so plump and fresh! Want to have this again.

Antipasto Misto - Sakoshi Bay oyster with ikura

Was pleasantly surprised by the seabream in shallot sauce. On first bite, one would have noticed the crunchy texture, which we later learnt is the shark cartilage. I think it was brilliant to use this. The sauce itself was mildly sweet, and tangy. The fish was firm and sweet. So good. This became my favourite piece.

Seabream with Shallot Sauce

The Prawn Arrabiata was also smile inducing. It was decorated with chrysanthemum petals, and what a lovely sauce it had. A tiny bit spicy and a whole lot tomato-ey. I liked this.

Prawn Arrabiata

Ice plant is an interesting plant, with stems that are dotted with tiny crystal lookalike, making it look as if it had been surviving in the Arctic for some time. It is edible and tasted crunchy, with a bit of water and tiny bit salty/acidic. The fried gnocchi was soft and nicely golden. Loved the cheese sauce underneath.

Fried Gnocchi with Ice Plant

After all eating all the gorgeousness, it was time for something more substantial. Chef would be cooking us pasta after the appetisers.

plating in progress

stirring the sauce

everything together now

 Signature “Shiso and Omaru Dashi” Pasta

The very first noticeable thing about the pasta was of its lingering fragrance. Loved the taste of shiso that's refreshing in a pasta dish.

lovely fragrance

guess what these are

The final course, was a meat item. Not just one meat but two! Grilled Iberico pork and sirloin beef duo. My goodness. The pork was awesome! This was the first time that I had preferred pork over beef. Such tender texture that was so gentle to chew on, and on-point flavours.

Grilled Iberico Pork and Sirloin Beef

The above 4-course omakase dinner set is priced at $98++ while a 3-course set is priced at $68++. Top-up $12++ to end the meal with a dolce.

Thank you Jennifer from JY Consulting for the invite and Monte Risaia for hosting the dinner. Special thanks to Chef Taizo Yamada, Chef Roy for the delicious food and Patrick for taking care of us.

Monte Risaia

Address: 59 Duxton Rd, Singapore 089523

Contact: 6970 0067

Reservation: https://www.chope.co/singapore-restaurants/restaurant/monte-risaia

Business Hours:

Mon to Sat : 6pm to 12am

Closed on Sundays.