Friday, November 28, 2014

Christmas delectables at Mandarin Grill

KUALA LUMPUR: TUCK into a five-course dinner on Christmas eve and Christmas day at the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur’s Mandarin Grill.
The restaurant’s chef de cuisine Benjamin Halat is preparing is an extra special set meal for guests.
The Streets team tried out the meal, starting with amuse bouche of poached lobster meat in sour cream with brandy jelly. The lobster meat tasted fresh. The brandy jelly and sour cream gave it a creamy yet robust taste.
Next was the appetiser foie gras parfait. The goose liver-based dish was marinated with five-spice powder and cognac before it was placed into a mould and poached. It was placed on a layer cake with Szechuan pepper and star anise before gluen wine jelly was poured over it.
Warm red wine, orange juice, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and other spices were used to make the gluen wine jelly.
Caramel sauce with salted cinnamon and a poached apple in gluen wine was also placed around the foie gras.
The Chestnut-Belgian Endives cream soup served next was good to the last drop. It was a joy to soak the bread rolls into the soup before eating it.
“The sweetness of the soup comes from caramelised chestnuts,” Halat said.
The soup was followed by poached salmon. Halat said: “The fish is poached before fennel brandade is used as a topping.Fennel brandade is a mix of mashed potatoes, fennel, cream and codfish — boiled and chopped finely.
“The flaky fish rests in a pond of sweet corn sauce.”
The fish tasted scrumptious with the sweet corn sauce and creamy potatoes, with the other ingredients adding flavour to it.
We were treated to a sorbet made of apple cider mixed with cranberry juice and sliced pomelo. The refreshing sorbet was just the thing needed before the main course.
For the main course, you have the option of grilled duck breast with glazed duck galantine or Josper grilled Australian sirloin.
The steak was tender and yummy. It was served with mashed potatoes, honey glazed carrots and truffle jus.
“The leg of a duck is used for the glazed duck galantine, which comes with the grilled duck breast. A yummy semolina strudel pastry and brussel sprouts complete the meal,” Halat said.
Pastry chef Kenneth Ho’s desserts were another treat. A traditional English Christmas pudding boasting raisins, red and green cherries, lemon peel, beef fat, whiskey and Guinness Stout was topped with caramel sauce and served with hazelnut brittle ice-cream. Some grand cru pralines, Christmas cookies and macaroons added delight to the treat.
The five-course dinner is priced at RM398++ per person.
Guests have the option to order wine which will cost an additional RM160++.
The set dinner is available from 7pm to 10.30pm.
For details, visit www.mandarinoriental.com.

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