Food: Taste the Finest Delights @ Champignons, Oasis Square Ara Damansara

I have a new place I recently discovered, which serves up really yummy dishes. Good food are meant to be shared and I believe that Champignons @ Oasis Square, Ara Damansara is one that everyone should know of.

The concept is more of a modern, chic restaurant, just the right place to chill and hang out with friends over this festive Chinese New Year season. The name Champignons means mushrooms and I find that it's such a cute way to name a restaurant.

We were served the Amuse Bouche, which is equivalent to a Chef's special. The Croque Monsieur is made up of ham slices and melted cheese, sandwiched in between crispy toast.

Absolutely appetizing!

Homemade Smoked Salmon with Citrus Salad

The in house cured smoked salmon slices, topped the citrus salad to form a beautiful presentation of an appetizer. 

Almost too good to be eaten, the salmon slices are thick and has a delicate texture to it. Absolutely savoury and flavourful! The salad was also refreshing with some julienned apples and beetroot sauce in it.

Wild Mushroom Soup

There were two types of mushrooms used for this soup; button and oyster mushrooms. The Chef decided to use yoghurt, instead of cream to thicken the soup and thus, it is definitely a healthier option. 

The soup is served with a piece of bruschetta, topped with mushrooms and cheese.

Grilled US Pork Ribs with Plum Sake Glaze

The US Pork Ribs has a smoother texture with less fat, probably a healthier option for us as well.

The pork was marinated with plum sauce which have a slight citrus flavour to it, and the meat was perfectly tender.

Black Truffle Chicken Breast

The chicken breast was marinated with white truffle oil, which has a stronger flavour compared to the usual black truffle oil. Even with chicken breast which tends to have a tough texture, the Chef decided to sous-vide the meat to maintain the juiciness of the chicken breast.

It was lightly pan fried to crisp the skin a little before serving.

Australian Lamb Short Loin with Homemade Lamb Sausages

The sausages were made in house and it was very juicy and flavorful. The lamb cutlets was not gamy, it did not have an excessive strong odor. In fact, it was only marinated with salt and pepper only.

Sprinkled with some caramelised onions to enhance the flavour of this dish, I highly recommend this for those who love to have some Australian lamb.

Mario Mushroom

This dessert is similar to the famous chocolate dome dessert, which is the trend these days. 
With a white chocolate dome on top, the insides are made up of chocolate sponge and raspberries.

There were some popping sparkly candies which was sprinkled around, so if you're lucky, you're in for a treat!


CHECK THEM OUT HERE!

Champignons @ Oasis Square, Ara Damansara

Address: Jln PJU 1A/7A, Taipan 2 Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Food: The Journey of Flavours @ Marco Creative Cuisine, 1 Utama

I enjoy fine dining meals but they have always been so expensive and it was always a form of luxury to me. Now, Marco Creative Cuisine @ I Utama offers this experience, only at RM 78. All the items on the menu are carefully planned and crafted specifically for an unforgettable dining experience.

The menu itself is rather extensive and there are many choices available for each of the categories such as entree, soup, mains and so forth. I will be showcasing some of the items I've chosen from the menu.

PALATE CLEANSER

Velvety Matcha-Lime Shooter

This was something unique which I've never tried before, it consists of a layer of matcha-lime foam at the top with chilled Lime snow inside. 

It was a very refreshing start to the dining experience.

APPETISER

Savoury Eclair

Gruyere Flavoured Pate a Choux decorated with Aubergine Caviar, Green Chile Pesto and Tomato Confit

A very unique appetiser with a soft texture on the top and a crunchy bite at the bottom. 

SOUP

Strawberry Gazpacho

Something sourish and sweet! This was  chilled cold soup of strawberries, garnished with dehydrated strawberries and microgreens. 

Being a huge fan of strawberries, I decided to order this as I have never tried cold soup before. It was definitely an acquired taste and I think I still prefer my hot soup. Fret not, there are other choices of soups on the menu if you are not a fan of cold soup.

ENTREE

Savoury Ice Cream Salad

Assorted Baby leaves, heirloom tomato, seasonal microgreens and violet flowers served with savoury ice cream

Very interesting flavours for this ice cream salad I had. In fact, the real truth is that, it isn't vanilla ice cream but rather just milk and salt!

I never could have imagined salad to be served this way, this one was something really out of the ordinary worth trying.

MAIN

Duck Breast with Orange Puree and Roasted Beetroot

Sous vide pan seared Peking duck breast served with Orange Puree, roasted beetroot and Varlhona Dark Chocolate. 

This was absolutely heavenly, it was juicy and had just the right texture, not too chewy and not too soft either. The serving was a generous portion as well.

DESSERTS

Creme Brulee with White Chocolate Sherbet

Lush egg custard accompanied by White Chocolate Sherbet and Meringue Kisses. 

I think honestly, this is one of the best creme brulee I've ever had, soft and eggy plus the caramel on the top isn't too sweet either.

DRINKS

Sparkling Iced Berry

MARCO Creative Cuisine

LotG146, Ground Floor (Old Wing)

1Utama Shopping Centre, 

1, Lebuh Bandar Utama, 

Petaling Jaya, 47800 Selangor. 

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday (12pm-10pm)

Food: Valentine's Day Menu @ Tanzini, G Tower

So, what does it feels like to fine dine on one of the most important celebrations for couples? I've finally had my first hand at dining like a princess for the Valentine's menu review at Tanzini, G Tower Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. 

This year, the Valentine's dinner menu, the brainchild of Senior Sous Chef Eugene Lee will be served at the pretty Upper Deck of Tanzini where couples can enjoy a romantic dinner over the city skyline.

This is definitely a spot I would love to enjoy my Valentine's Day with that special one. 

Some of the pictures taken at night, to give you guys an idea what it will feel like to dine at this exquisite place. 

The uniqueness behind the Valentine's menu, priced at RM 400++ per person is that Chef Eugene had actually came up with something different from the usual menu and now, couples have a choice between the bolder Gentleman menu and the classier Ladies menu. There are a lot of experiments and science behind the menu he created, to make worth every single penny you will be spending on this dinner.

Chef Eugene decided to do a separate menu list for because he can then be creative with the flavours and texture of every dish to give patrons a delectable dining experience. Although it took him some time and tonnes of inspiration, he was proud to serve us and this was the first time I'm tasting real science in food.

In conjunction with Valentine's Day, a welcome drink will be served to couples and here's what I have tried:

Her Magical Valentine

As the name suggests, the colorful cotton candy floss you see here will magically transformed into a concoction once Absolut Mandarin Vodka plus cranberry juice is poured over it. The sweetness from this drink comes fully from the cotton candy because no sugar or artificial flavourings were added to this. The final product shall remain as a surprise, so go try it out yourself if you want to see what it looks like!

Baker's Feature (Caramel Cinnamon Peanut Roll)

This is a sweet start to a dinner and best part is it's healthy, so don't worry about calories while enjoying this. Here, they use sugar cane and peanuts to achieve the sweetness instead of simply adding sugar.

Baker's Feature (Homemade Ciabatta Bread)

This in-house baked ciabatta bread is so soft and fluffy & is a creation of the bakery at Tanzini.

Amuse Bouche (Tsarskaya)

This French term translates directly to 'mouth amuser' and is often accompanied by a glass of wine, served in fine dining to offer a glimpse into the chef's approach to the art of cuisine. Here, Tsarskaya oysters were used so that guests can have a taste of the seawater and minerals of France. This is served with strawberry, mango and passion fruit pearls which were prepared through cold gel extrusion method (adding jelly into a syringe and dropping the round shaped pearls into cold olive oil) and some 'konbu shoyu' (seaweed soysauce). The true freshness of the oysters can be enjoyed best this way!

APPETIZERS

For Him (Brittany Blue)

A combination of lobster and crab which will surely tantalize your tastebuds. The chewiness of the meat is complimented by the crunchy woodear which is of a different texture. There is a slight hint of the Malaysian 'Kerabu' style in this dish which I thought was a genius way to suit back the Malaysian palate. Oh, some Asian slaw (coleslaw) & Yolk Carpaccio (egg yolk slice) were also added and I liked their food presentation for this appetizer.

For Her (Stone Crab)

A dish infused with Malaysian flavours, the 'Kerabu' style is the inspiration behind this crab dish. Stone crab ceviche, stone crab floss and pickled cucumber were combined together and to achieve the 'Kerabu' flavour, some ginger flower and bird's eye chillies were put to good use. What a creative way to serve appetizers!

SOUP

For Him (Cauliflower & Atari Miso)

Just imagine the wonders cauliflower can do! This veloute (white sauce made of chicken, veal, or fish stock thickened with a roux of flour and butter) of cauliflower and atari miso is a spicier & bolder take on soups. The atari miso is made from local soybeans and a different yeast is used for this. The roasted cauliflower with sriracha (Thailand chilli paste) offers a different taste to the creamy miso and cauliflower based soup. 

For Her (Roasted Butternut Squash)

Roasted butternut squash soup served with butternut brulee is a more subtle choice of soup for the elegant lady. How can you not love these pictures above? They looked so pretty, almost inedible to me :) So much precision to achieve this perfection. This soup is a tad bit on the sweet side and reminds me of pumpkin honestly.

STARTER

For Him (Muscovy Duck Spring Roll)

This Muscovy Duck confit is wrapped in Vietnamese rice paper roll and deep fried for that crispiness on the outside and juiciness on the inside. Shimeji mushrooms and  shishito peppers were sauteed with garlic and served together with some butternut squash puree as well. This combination, according to Chef Eugene will bring out the sweetness of the duck which is sourced from Ipoh, Perak. Oh, the reason for that is the ducks from there are larger in size and less fatty with a good moist texture to them.

For Her (Free Range Chicken Pie)

A unique twist to the usual chicken pie, this is a roulade of chicken and chestnut wrapped in 'kataifi' (pastry skin). The yellow strips are cured egg yolks which are cooked at precisely 64°C, froze and sliced to the wanted shape. It is 100% pure egg yolk for egg lovers! The chicken roulade was very flavourful and savoury, definitely something I would love.

INTERMEZZO

Sorbet Of The Day

A green apple and soybean sorbet served with a sliced strawberry to cleanse your palate before the main course! Very fruity and smooth, this sorbet is heavenly!

MAINS SEDUCTION
There are two options for this and you can choose one, personally I prefer the beef :)

Wagyu Beef Ribs
Slow braised Wagyu beef ribs is a healthier choice for those who needs to watch their weight. This cooking style requires the beef to be braised under low heat for a total of 72 hours. The sauce which was prepared Goulash style using cumin, tomato paste and a little paprika for that hint of spiciness. But, the chef was careful not to add too much paprika as it may overpower the red wine. The layer of mash potatoes with spring onions served along was the perfect accompaniment to the juicy, flavorful beef ribs.

Barramundi
An alternative for those who can't take beef, this seared barramundi fresh from G-Farm is stuffed with otak-otak out of inspiration from Nyonya cooking. The otak-otak can truly bring out the freshness and sweetness of the fish meat, especially when served with some San Marzano Coulis, a type of Italian tomatoes. An eye popping colourful dish which is light and healthy at the same time.

SWEET ENDING

Chocolate & Butter

This chocolate mousse has no added sugar in it, so the sweetness of it all comes from the dark chocolate itself. Served with brown milk solids made up of toasted milk powder and white chocolate, brown butter powder which ironically appears white in colour due to the maltodextrin added and finally the smooth brown butter ice cream which is to my liking since it has the rich buttery essence in it :) 

Here's the man behind the one of its kind menu, Senior Sous Chef Eugene Lee who believe that diners should be provided with only high quality food for the handsome price they are paying to fine dine at Tanzini.

And for those who are slightly tighter on budget, you can still dine in style at Tanzini at the Lower Deck and here's the menu for those who are curious. It's a total of RM 600++ per couple and I'm sure the food tastes as good too!

Valentine Baker’s Artisanal Feature

Mini Assorted Breadstick

Entrée (to share)

Crudités

Assorted Vegetables Crudités chargrilled with House Made Tanzini Romesco

Appetizer (to share)

Chickpea Maguro Salad

Garbanzo Beans, Olives, Red Tuna, garlic Aioli & Fine Mix Greens with Passion Fruits

Zuppa

Oodles of Noodles Broth

Pressured Cooked Chicken Broth, 100% Chicken of Chicken Noodles

Squids Ink Pasta & Carrots

Intermezzo

Homemade Sorbeto

Chef’s Platter (to share)

Crispy Pressed Duck Moscovy & Brine Chicken

Brine Chicken Breast with Duck Muscovy Roulade in Crispy Rice Paper Roll & Natural Jus

OR

Alantic Black Cod in Kombu Poach & Wild Seaweed

Black Cod Poach in Kombu Shoyu & Marinated Wild Seaweed with Bonito Glaze

WITH

Chives Potato Puree, Roasted Potato Ball, Sweet Potato Chips & Potato Cakes

Dessert (to share)

Blinis & Hazelnut

House Made Vanilla & Our Very Own Made Candy Cotton 

You have come to the end of my fine dining experience at Tanzini, G Tower and for you guys who are drooling already, hurry and call 03-2168 1899 to pre-book your spot on the Upper Deck for Valentine's Day! 

Tanzini Restaurant

GTower, 199 Jalan Tun Razak, 

50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia