Theatre of gastronomy
> Samplings on the Fourteenth offers two menus for the Malaysian International Gastronomy Festival
IN CONJUNCTION with the Malaysian International Gastronomy Festival (a monthlong event that kicks off with a Gala dinner tomorrow night), Chef Valmurugan Subramaniam and his team at Samplings on the Fourteenth have come up with two special menus that not not showcase their skills in the kitchen but also the theme – Muhibbah Chefs! Val ( left) said that it took him four days to come up with the menus – a Full Festival Menu, as well as a Light Menu. Samplings, a fine-dining restaurant located on the 14th floor of Berjaya Times Square Hotel’s East Tower, also has a fine selection of wines which you can enjoy with the dishes. We tried out the Full Festival Menu, starting with the amusebouche Trio Muhibbah Starter.
The trio is lamb satay (with a cucumber cup filled with peanut sauce), chicken dumpling (chicken filling wrapped in wanton skin and deep-fried), and fish tikka (a spicy baked fish.
Val said the amuse-bouche was in line with the festival’s theme celebrating the cuisine from three main races in the country – Malay, Chinese and Indian. Each one-bite morsel is a celebration of the flavours we know and love.
Then came the appetiser – salmon croquette with truffle cauliflower mousse, tian of avocado, and prosciutto with citrus dressing, followed by the consommé of morel mushroom, foie gras jelly, and dry sherry.
The salmon croquette was surprisingly light due to the avacado and citrus dressing offsetting the richness of the fish. The clear consumme, on the other hand, was very rich in earthy flavours.
The entreé of smoked duck, rainbow lotus root, tomato jam and peas froth was a winner in terms of taste and textures.
Val explained that he marinated sliced lotus root in beetroot juice, spinach and parsley juice, and saffron.
The multi-coloured, multi-flavoured, crispy lotus roots added a little zing to the richness of the duck, while the pea puree base and froth gave it some sweetness.
After that rich dish, we welcomed the red dragon (dragonfruit) sorbet, topped with a slice of balsamic strawberry crust on top. The presentation was eye-catching, as each scoop was served on a ball of ice.
For the main course, you can opt between the confit of red mullet (with eggplant rouile with bouillabaisse essence, parsnip puree), or broiled M7 ribeye Provencal (gratinated raclette asparagus risotto, legumes and madeira jus).
The red mullet has a lovely crispy skin and perfectly-cooked flesh, with accompaniments that don’t overwhelm its delicate flavour. The beef was tender and the risotto was perfect.
Dessert was a very photogenic pistachio incubus (a pistachio and chocolate cake encased in a white chocolate square) with fresh berries and tahina ice cream on the side. The cake itself was not too sweet, and went well with the salty creamy ice cream.
The meal finished with a choice of coffee or tea, and some chocolate pralines. This menu is priced at RM268 nett (without wine).
The Light Festival menu comes with an appetiser of salmon and tuna carpaccio (with pickle and avocado dressing); chickpea puree soup with ricotta cheese with chicken dumplings; red dragon and balsamic strawberry crusted palate cleanser; a choice between medallion of cod or roasted lamb rack as a main course; spiced mango parfait with coconut sago as dessert; coffee or tea, and chocolate pralines. It is priced at RM168 nett (without wine).
Guests can also opt for an extra special menu called Chef Val’s Weekly Indulgence (RM93 nett per person) where you can enjoy a meal of specially-sourced ingredients cooked to perfection.