Tanzini @ GTower

With a tagline of "From Farm to Table" and a promise of a unique dining experience "right under the stars", Tanzini believes in using the freshest ingredients for their natural flavours, cooking them with soul and passion and serving the feel-good cuisine in a modern elegant setting 28 storeys above ground.  Actually it's 29 storeys above ground if you want to experience that "right under the stars" ambience... the "starry" effects from the majestic clusters of lights as seen here...





You will certainly feel like you are almost up there with the stars if the view through your dining room is something like this...



OK, having set you in the right mood now, let's get on to the meal itself.  Shall we have some starters?


Tanzini Antipasti Tower (RM50)
A 3-tier platter featuring the day's offer of their fresh antipasti (starters, something served before a main meal) delights.  To be honest, I have no idea what those little morsels were actually (besides the obvious cherries/grapes/cheese) but suffice to say, those tasty bits teased our palates and had us wanting more!



While waiting for our main courses, we were served with baskets of these freshly baked foccacia bread, which tasted absolutely divine just on their own!  We had to forcefully stop ourselves from gorging on them.


Salad, two ways (RM18)
Blanched baby spinach with side garden salad, dressed with a dash of garlic oil, herbs & pepper - the requisite fibre composition for our meal.


Aged Venison (RM78)
Roasted Australian Venison with Fennel & Beetroot, served with a port reduction

DL's main course - the meat was a bit hard and chewy, perhaps a little longer in the roasting pan would help. 


Aged Wagyu Tenderloin (RM76 for 100g, RM98 for 160g)

I had this served Medium Rare so the meat was pretty tender and juicy (like wagyus should be!).  However, it was a bit bland - can do with a bit more flavouring here.  Sides of asparagus and mashed potatoes were OK.


Pan-roasted Barramundi (RM38)
Organic barramundi served with baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, porcini mushrooms, zucchini, cornetti beans and lightly dressed with an anchovy glace

This was probably one of the better dishes of the evening.  I had a bite and found the fish to be really fresh with a delightfully light springy texture.


Agnello Milanese (RM46)
Cutlets of Australian lamb grilled served with olives, eggplant and sun-baked tomatoes

The chef did well with these lamb cutlets.  They were nicely & crispily charred at the sides yet retaining their tender slightly chewy insides, like how perfectly-grilled lamb should be.


Tanzini Tiger Prawn Vongole (RM38)
Grilled tiger prawn & clams with "tau miu" sprouts served aglio olio

This traditional Neapolitan dish of pasta + clams (vongole) was given a couple of fresh twists - in the form of the tiger prawn and the "tau miu" which gave this pasta dish a refreshing crunchy bite.

Now, on to the Desserts...


Tiramisu a Pezzi (RM26)
Served with freshly Lavazza toasted coffee bean.  Not a tiramisu fan myself but DL seemed to like it.


Homemade Gelato (RM12/scoop)
We had the lavender and coffee.  Flavours were very subtle, I would say.  I liked the accompanying caramelised "wafer".


Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Mousse

This was actually brought over from The Bridge Bar and wasn't found in the Tanzini menu.  Our hosts insisted that this is a must-try item and they were absolutely right.  The mousse was like chocolate velvet with nutty nuances, enhanced further by the caramelised hazelnut bits - divine!


Chocolate Pot (RM20)
Indulgent chocolate pot, infused with orange zest, served with homemade almond biscotti

Chocolate lovers would love this - dipping the thin biscotti into the thick creamy chocolate - it's a perfect combination that's almost too indulgent, I would say ;-)


Chef Woraphong

The shy smiling Chef, with wide experience in the kitchens of world-renowned 5-star hotels in Thailand, believes that food should not only taste good, it must be good for you too.  Mentored by his mother, his culinary quest is to create gourmet dishes showcasing the natural freshness of every ingredient.



The view from Tanzini is truly spectacular - it's a great restaurant to impress your guests whether it's a corporate or private event.  Or even for that special romantic night out - step out onto the terrace and take in the breathtaking night view of the city, against the majestic backdrop of our Twin Towers.

My appreciation to the lovely Melissa Hon and her team - Benjamin & Gladys who were such charming hosts ... and certainly not forgetting the cool & suave Sreejit Pillai who orchestrated the invite ;-)


Tanzini
Level 28 GTower
199 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2168-1899
Open Mondays-Saturdays
Lunch: 11.30am till 2.30pm
Dinner:  6.30pm till 10.30pm
Closed on Sundays

El Cerdo - a Porky Celebration!

How do people celebrate? Go dancing? Go singing, bursting out in songs of joy? Bring out the champagne? Set off the fireworks?  Hmmm... yeah, I guess all those are ways for people to celebrate... not very common ways, unless it's a major event (referring to the last 2 methods!).

Generally, when we Malaysians have something to celebrate, we usually do something simpler, more satisfying, more binding, more enjoyable... we eat.  Yeah, we love our food.  We find all sorts of reasons to go out and eat with our friends and families, more so when there's something to celebrate.

Recently, there was cause for celebration at work and a group of us, led by my boss, no less, headed out to Changkat Bukit Bintang for some "Nose to Tail Eating".  Now when you can eat something from nose to tail, you can be sure it's serious.


*Warning:  Super Tak Halal photos coming up*


Look, we just don't argue about that "Nose to Tail Eating" promise - not when you are greeted by this at the doorway... of El Cerdo ...



I was told a crane was needed to lift & place this monster at that very strategic spot right in front of the restaurant.

"El Cerdo" in Spanish is "The Pig" and pigs we certainly got!  They are everywhere!



My boss was the first to arrive and he was famished.  Fortunately, service was fast and within minutes we had all these on our table...  The fresh bread was so good that someone at our table (to be politically correct, I cannot name this person) couldn't stop eating it until Mr Werner himself had to come over and cautioned him to keep some tummy space for more El Cerdo to come!



I simply adore Serrano Ham... more so when they're served with cold sweet rock melon slices! Somehow smoked saltish ham and sweet juicy melons make a perfect marriage; yin-yang at its best!



El Cerdo often serves special items which are not on their regular menu.  Their service crew will recommend these and explain what they actually are.  I honestly can't remember the name of this next dish - suffice to say it comprised some bacon rolls encased in batter & fried, served with onion rings... very addictive!



The next porcine plate was also not from their regular menu.  According to the charming service attendant, this was their special that day - pork belly that had been slow-roasted for "a very long time" and the skin grilled to a crackling...



The only complaint we had with this dish was that it was too small a serving!  Especially when we only had a small piece of the crackling skin to savour!



Ahh well, fret not - we were told.  We were waiting eagerly for the next dish and the minutes seemed to tick by so slowly... the restaurant had, by this time, filled up and there was hardly an empty table left! 

Note: Please make reservations before coming, lest you be turned away.

And then... the man himself - Mr Werner served us with this...



... and showed us precisely how to carve a German Pork Knuckle.  See how every piece was cut with surgical-like precision and so neatly served...



Sides of potato dumplings, sauerkraut, mustard & beer sauce and apple mousse... we were in pig heaven!



That monstrous German Pork Knuckle really knocked our socks off.  It was enough to satiate our impatient porcine cravings, which minutes ago, had us almost salivating in anticipation.  After chewing on & enjoying every bit of the succulent tendons, meat and skin, we were ready for our desserts.

I don't know about you but I haven't come across anything as decadent as this (not lately, anyway)...



... Melted Centre Chocolate Cake (need I elaborate??) served with Pistachio Icecream...



We're truly a greedy bunch - one dessert is never enough. 



Errhmmm... what was that?! 



Gosh, I think that was Andreas Special: "A dream in chocolate"?  Yes, that must be it.  You see, I'm having a slight challenge here because I didn't order that and I also didn't pay for the meal, so errhmm... I don't have the bill either, for reference ;-)

But... I can definitely remember this next dessert, because it was my favourite!



Rum & Raisin Pancake. 

OK, I know the photo doesn't do it justice - it's a darn difficult piece to shoot.  And I'm not usually a pancake person.... but this version here was, well.... tongue-blowing!  Literally.  The rum in the raisins in the icecream was so "pure & pungent", it practically shook my boss up who's a total teetotaller! Well, according to Mr Werner, they make their own icecream inhouse... so no wonder lah!  You definitely won't get that kinda truly-rummed raisins in store-bought icecream, trust me.

I definitely would go back - and the Pancake that I'm going to order is ONLY for myself - no sharing please!  And I also will go back for the suckling pig, which we didn't order this time... it's so fun smashing the plate that cuts the pig, haha!



It was a wonderful and satisfying meal, shared among great colleagues and the promise went round that night that we'll definitely go back to El Cerdo for the next celebration, regardless.



El Cerdo
43 & 45 Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2145 0511 (in case you can't see the piggy bag above, hehe!)
Fax: 03-2145 1375

Champagne Brunch at Prego, Westin KL

Prego, housed in The Westin Kuala Lumpur is a multi-level Ristorante Italiano with a stone terrazza overlooking the vibrant Bintang Walk. Dining in Prego promises to be an "Italian culture of laughter" with its rustic Italian cuisine.



Come Sunday and you will have an opportunity to experience Prego's famed and indulgent "Sunday Bubbly Brunch". Recently Prego welcomed the celebrated House of G.H. Mumm to its Sunday Bubbly Brunch as its star bubbly - to add more zest and lustre to its culinary offerings.



From nearly 200 years ago, G.H. Mumm champagne was the preferred drink of French kings and the royal families of Europe. It is still the leading brand in France and Italy and is definitely growing in popularity in Asia and more than 100 countries worldwide, with nearly 8 million bottles sold each year.

As the 3rd largest champagne producer in the world, G.H. Mumm offers champagnes with a sense of tradition and for all occasions, to be enjoyed on their own or with food, whether savoury or sweet with a rare balance between freshness and intensity. In this range, you will find the G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge, G.H. Mumm Demi-Sec, G.H. Mumm Rose, G.H. Mumm Grand Cru, G.H. Mumm Millesime, Mumm de Cramant and Cuvee R. Lalou.



You will be totally spoilt for choice with the vast selection of alcoholic beverages offered at Prego's Sunday Bubbly Brunch. Besides champagne, indulge free-flow of vodka such as Smirnoff, SKYY Vodka and Grey Goose, Italian prosecco - Prosecco Batasiolo Cascine 7, amongst other exclusive beverages.





With an open kitchen that houses a wood-fired pizza oven, pasta counter and rotisserie, you will be able to see the chefs at work and their theatrics, led by Chef David King - Westin Kuala Lumpur's Director of Kitchens.





You will be greeted by the formaggi arrangement at the entrance - a bounty of beautiful imported Italian cheese (tallegio, gorgonzola, asiago, pecorino, fontina, aged parmesan wheels among others), homemade breads and condiments...



The array of "casalinga" home-cooked items on display was mind-boggling, to say the least! Choose between potato salads, pasta salads with tuna confit, pumpkin/asparagus/radicchio/
octopus salads, scallop carpaccio, fritatta (italian omelette), caprese, tourte milanese, insalata ai quattro funghi (all kinds of mushroom salads) ... the list was endless ...









Oyster lovers will be mighty pleased with the selection of freshly-shucked oysters flown in from Donegal, Ireland - creamy, smooth-textured slippery oysters - perfect with the G.H. Mumm bubbly!



Besides oysters, other seafood on ice are Spring Bay black mussels and tiger prawns and various types of salmon... smoked, bake breaded, steam pickled and even honey-cured...





The chefs and service attendants come round to your table with trays of freshly-baked pizzas - I lost count of the variety they served that day! Sottobosco, quattro formaggi, margherita, pizzicosa, romazzino - honestly, I can't remember the rest!



I actually overheard one of the service crew speaking urgently into his walkie-talkie "there is no chef out here in the terrace - get a chef out here NOW!" That summed up their concept of "heightening the sense of interaction and generous hospitality" practised by Prego - a casual interplay between house and diner.

More pasta, ma'am?

Endless rounds of Prego's famed pasta - penne, fusili, farfalle, orecchiette, capellini served in different sauces (alfredo, arrabiatta, bolognese, napoletana, aglio olio, boscaiola etc!) came to the table, offered by the smiling crew...



Oh, did I mention that the champagne re-filling was endless too?



Main course selections were also served at our table... the menu varies from week to week. Special mention had to go to their Lamb Shank with rissotto, Short Ribs alla genovese and Red Wine braised Wagyu Beef Cheek with parmesan polenta - absolutely superb!





Ohh... don't ever pass over their famed Figs baked in gorgonzola cheese - it's something you can actually go gaga over!



Truth be told, I was truly too stuffed to have anything from their BBQ Grill... but if you love BBQ, go for it! Savour grilled yummies like whole lamb on the spit, lemon & rosemary chicken, roasted striploin, seafood like octopus, tiger prawns, squids and vegetables...





Desserts... on display: pastries, tarts, cheesecakes, sweet dumplings, mud pies, pralines, homemade icecream - these pictures merely showed a fraction of those!





Even if you are by now stuffed to the neck, you have to make room for the Soffiata di Cicoccolato... their famed Chocolate Souffle, which is made to order... served with a scoop of malt icecream, drowned in espresso coffee...



Do you know that bubblies can certainly make you all sweet and rosy and happy...:-))





The Sunday Bubbly Brunch is priced at RM268++ per person every Sunday from 11.30am to 2.30pm serving food and free-flow of G.H. Mumm champagne, Italianesque cocktails, selected wines, house pouring spirits and beer. For a non-alcoholic brunch, the price is RM168++ per person and RM84++ for children aged 4-12 years.

For reservations, please contact:
Westin Dining @ 03-2773-8338
or log onto westindining.com.my

Prego is located in:
The Westin Kuala Lumpur
199 Jalan Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2773-8013

*Many thanks to Marian Eu for the invitation & Westin KL for hosting this review!