Food: Fortuna Palace Seafood Restaurant @ Taman Kajang Prima, Kajang

It's been sometime since I last feasted on a good, hearty seafood meal. When I heard of Fortuna Palace Seafood Restaurant in Taman Kajang Prima, Kajang, I knew I had to try it out for myself. The restaurant has three floors and you can hold private events or even a wedding at the banquet here.

The banquet has a seating capacity of 40 tables on the ground floor and a total of 55 tables at the newly renovated banquet hall on the second floor. On the third floor, there are up to 10 private rooms for those who would love a little privacy while entertaining guests and clients. 

We were served a 9 course dinner from their brand new menu which boasts on different types of seafood. It was a meal fit for a King!

Two Varieties Sea Garoupa (RM 120) - pre order

This dish was the main star of the night! Such an artistic presentation for a dish!

This dish comes with garoupa fish fillet which is marinated before deep frying it and serving it with some potato shreds and  salad sauce.

The other style of cooking is deep frying the thick and  jelly like skin of the fish which is then served with some wasabi and mayo for that burst of flavours! Each fish weighs approximately 1.5 kg and above, so you don't have to worry about the serving size at all.

Fried Prawns with Potato Shred & Salad Sauce (RM 80)

 Succulent freshwater prawns, marinated only with salt and pepper is served with some fried potato shreds and salad sauce. I find this dish extremely interesting as you can consume everything served on the plate. 

Even the yellow layer underneath the prawns is edible. Actually, it is the mango infused jelly which really goes well with the prawns. Try it out!

Drunken Prawns in Claypot (Seasonal price)

 This was my favourite dish of the night. Looking at the humongous amount of prawn roe, is enough to make me salivate even as I capture the pictures of the dish. This juicy gigantic freshwater prawns are cooked using three types of wine; yellow wine, Shao Hsing wine and rice wine. 

The flesh was tender and sweet, the perfect texture of what a freshwater prawn should taste like!

Padi Field Crab Rice (RM 48-S, RM 68-B)

This rice dish was a good accompaniment to the endless amount of seafood we had before. The concept of this dish is similar to the Hainan chicken rice. Freshwater padi field crab meat were cooked together with the rice which is wrapped with the lotus leaf. 

Some of the ingredients which were used to cook the rice are butter, garlic, shallots and lemongrass for that added fragrance. However, I find that it isn't oily and definitely not sinful for those who are worried about having rice.

Fried Pork Ribs with Black Pepper Sauce

RM 5 for each rib and additional RM 4 for each extra piece

Braised Kampung Chicken with Pig Tendon (RM 45-S, RM 70-B)

Four Varieties Vegetable with Salt and Pepper (RM 18-S, RM 25-M, RM 35-L)

This dish is perfect for vegetarians. With four different types of vegetables; punpkin, bitter gourd, lotus root and brinjal in this, its all in one wholesome vegetable dish. I enjoyed the difference in texture of the vegetables whereby it is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. 

Rather addictive and tasty, this one is good with beer!

Lemongrass Jelly (RM 3.90)

A dessert perfect to wash down the heavy meal! I love this refreshing dessert whereby lemongrass is boiled for about 2 hours and infused into the jelly.

The large collection of wines in their own private cellar upstairs. Perhaps you can have some wine pairing with your meal. The wine steward will be ready to assist you in choosing the right wine to go with your meal. 

Fortuna Palace Seafood Restaurant

No. 17-20, Jalan KP 1/2

Taman Kajang Prima

Jalan Kajang-Semenyih

43000 Kajang

Selangor

Tel: 03 - 8739 3388

Opening Hours: Mon To Sun

11am to 2:30pm

6pm to 11pm 

Last Order 10:30pm

Website: www.fortunapalace.com.my

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/fortunapalacerestaurant

Daily: Signature Placenta Facial @ Toscana Medi Clinic, Publika

I've always been wanting to improve my skin tone and complexion for some time now. I must have been really stressed out lately and it is definitely taking a toll on my skin. The last time I had any aesthetic procedures done on my face was almost a year ago when I did the fractional CO2 laser which tremendously helped to even out my skin tone. It was high time I went for a check up of my skin condition and I heard that Toscana Medi Clinic would be a great place to do just that.

The clinic is located at Publika, one of the prime areas around Kuala Lumpur and it was just a half an hour drive away from my place.

Check out the comfortable and spacious waiting area to enjoy yourselves while waiting for consultation. You can even make your own drinks before your treatment session.

I've gotta say that I really love the bright and modern setup of the clinic.

Here we are in the consultation room with Dr Lashela who provided me with some feedback about my skin condition. She mentioned that my skin was slightly sensitive and I had some uneven skin tone here and there. 

I knew I didn't want another laser treatment which I've underwent a few times last year. I wanted something a little less than that and she gladly recommended the signature treatment at Toscana Medi Clinic, known as the Signature Placenta Facial.

I was then brought into the spacious treatment room to relax and apply some numbing cream before the treatment.

I have quite high pain tolerance in general, but still I wanted more and more layers of numbing cream, so that I would not feel much sensation during the treatment.

Here I am, waiting patiently for 30 minutes for the numbing cream to take its effect.

 MICRODERMABRASION

I really liked this microdermabrasion which literally sucks out all the impurities you have deep in your skin. All the dead skin cells and dirt within pores are being removed via suction. 

After this step, your skin will immediately be very smooth to touch. This step is important as the idea is your face should be clean deep inside before injecting the placenta in it.

SIGNATURE PLACENTA FACIAL

A small syringe is then used to inject the placenta deep into the skin, all over the face. This method is more effective than just applying it over the skin. 

For those who have heard of platelet rich plasma (PRP) facial, this technique is more or less similar to that but this utilises placenta instead of the person's own blood.

A cooling mask is placed over the face after the treatment is done to soothe the skin 

Thanks Dr Kanwal Gill for the amazing signature Placenta Facial treatment. I noticed the significant improvement in my complexion right after the treatment was done.

There is no downtime for this facial, except you may have some needle pricks all over your face for a day or two. Just give it time to heal and your skin should be smooth from then onwards. For this treatment, it is recommended to do it monthly or a few months once for the best results. 

Check them out here!

Toscana Medi Clinic

No 1 & 2 Block D5 Level G4 Solaris Dutamas, 

No 1 Jalan Dutamas 1,

50400, Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-6143 8866

Website: http://www.toscanamed.com/

Daily: Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival (MIGF) 2016 Awards

The Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival recently culminated in a colourful carnival as the Awards & Celebration Party took over the Berjaya Times Square Theme Park for a finale unlike the Festival had ever seen. The final course in the gustatory month-long event offered a pleasing platter of leather clad biker dancers, Harley Davidsons, roller coasters, bumper cars, fair games and the undisputed Oscars of Malaysia’s food scene – the MIGF awards.

A 1,000 strong guest list that included royalty, ambassadors, celebrities and captains of industry thronged the multi-levelled theme park which was filled to the brim with rides of all shapes and sizes. Gracing the event and to help bestow this year’s high octane Chefs their prizes was the Most Honoured Guest, Tourism Malaysia Director Mr Saidi Bundan, and Festival Royal Patron Tunku Naquiyuddin ibni Tuanku Ja’afar, who together with MIGF Organising Chairman Dato’ Steve Day dished out some 165 awards over the course of the evening.

“Bon vivants and bon viveurs, epicureans and connoisseurs, culinary cavaliers and gustatory gladiators, tonight we celebrate what has been an absolutely spectacular month of dining,” said Dato’ Steve as he welcomed the crowd.

“Those who have dined out over the last month will have seen the diversity this year. We’ve now gone from Gourmet to Gastronomy, a move which reflects the incredible rich array of restaurants in the scene today and this year we’ve had a fantastic line up of restaurants both new and returning,” he went on, explaining why the ‘G’ in MIGF had changed.

This year’s roster of participating restaurants has been among the most diverse in the Festival’s 15-year history and indicative of Malaysia’s flourishing scene. Whereas premium dining was once the domain of five-star hotels, restaurants of all types have mushroomed over the years offering a wide selection of dining experiences. Festival goers this year had the opportunity to taste everything from authentic home cooked Penang Nyonya at Little Heritage House and traditional English pub grub at The Sticky Wicket to innovative Modern Chinese at Ruyi & Lyn and rustic French fare at 2OX.

The bulk of the action on the evening took place on the Level 5 Galaxy Station which contained a slew of high octane rides such as the Spinning Orbit, the DNA Mixer and the Supersonic Odyssey Roller Coaster which criss-crossed and looped its way around the amusement park. Ground based but just as action-packed were attractions like the Futurift VR Oculus Rift, the 5D Simulator, the Laser Hunter and the Haunted Journey offering festival goers virtual trips into computer constructed worlds.

Meanwhile, the Fantasy Garden on Level 7 was a kaleidoscopic playground of merry-go-rounds, flying rides and imaginative trails warmly lit under the glow of multi-hued lamps. Located in a corner was the auditorium where the bulk of the awards encompassing 29 categories were given out earlier in the day before guests arrived. These included everything from restaurant ambience and festival menus to marketing initiatives and success at the Festival’s magnificent preview event TasteMIGF. There to bestow the awards was Mr Bundan, and as he did so, restaurant teams cheered on their respective chefs.

With the first part of the awards ceremony over, it was time to feast on some Malaysian favourites before part two of the evening which would see the main Festival awards given out, including the coveted Golden Cauldron. A lip smacking buffet which included nasi lemak, roti boom, asam laksa and mee curry kept the crowds satiated on Level 7, while the Galaxy Station on Level 5 featured stands by food truck Balls of Fire, premium ice cream Gelatomio and King of Fruits specialists Duricious.

Suddenly the thunderous sound of Harley Davidson bikes revving up a storm shook the venue, while leather clad dancers took to the stage. In true high octane fashion, Dato’ Steve and Tunku Naquiyuddin emerged from the crowd stood atop a pair of monster sized bikes and were driven to the front of the Galaxy Stage where the Festival chefs greeted them. The culinary masters were then presented one by one in sequence, taking their bows and striking poses in front of the gathered crowd.

“It’s time to party,” declared Dato’ Steve following the chef’s presentation, with which he invited guests to hit the rides, enjoy the food and most of all have fun! As high octane dancers threw down moves on the stage once again, the night kicked up a notch.

Not an hour passed until guests were beckoned back to the stage for the highlight of the evening – the presentation of the Special Festival Awards. Alongside Tunku Naquiyuddin and Dato’ Steve the chefs gathered on stage once more, buzzing with anticipation at who take home the top awards.

LTITUDE Restaurant, Bar & Lounge and DC Restaurant swept up the first four awards, with the former winning Most Outstanding Marketing of the Festival and Most Outstanding Overall Festival Experience, and the latter the Most Popular Overall Restaurant at Taste MIGF and Most Popular Overall Restaurant at the VIP Gala Launch. These awards, as it turned out, were far from the last that these renowned restaurants were to be honoured with on the evening.

Shifting the focus from restaurant to individual, the Chef Congeniality award was up next, presented to the most amiable and admired chef of the Festival as voted by his or her fellow chefs. This went to Chef Azizan Shukri of Savini who beamed with pride as he held the trophy high. Ranked in the top 500 chefs in the world, Chef Azizan’s flair for cooking is rivalled only by his good natured demeanour as evidenced by his win.

Then came the inaugural Golden Chef awards recognising the five most outstanding chefs of the Festival, and these went to Chef Marco Violano of Senja, Chefs Federico Michieletto and Simone Musu of Marini’s on 57, Chef James Ho Soon Boon of Ruyi & Lyn, Chef Darren Chin of DC Restaurant and Chef Many Goh of LTITUDE.

The evening had now reached its zenith as the final and most prestigious award of the Festival was moments away from being announced – the Golden Cauldron for Best All Around Restaurant, based on standard of cuisine, creativity of chef, kitchen, service, entire restaurant team and overall experience. And in an unprecedented move, for the first time in the Festivals’ storied history, the award went to joint winners – none other than LTITUDE and DC Restaurant.

Under a sea of confetti, the two chefs stepped up on the podium and hoisted their trophies in the air while Harley’s sounded off and the crowd broke out in deafening applause. True to this year’s theme, the dramatic dual win seemed to be the perfect way to cap off the year’s festival in high octane style.

That brought to a close the 16th edition of the Malaysia International Gastronomy Festival, and while the awards portion of the evening was over, the celebration lasted long into the night amid much jubilation. Chefs, restaurant teams and guests alike could be seen exploring the vast theme park and trying out its many rides, soaring, spinning and twirling the night away.

For the full list of winners, refer to this link!