It was a week of failed food adventure.
Taste Paradise
I'd talk about Taste Paradise first. Well, it was really anything but that. I mean, I think I had better tasting dim sum at much cheaper places with less fancy decor of course. I'd give them an A-plus for e big-ass paintings of the Chinese emperors. But I was not there for history lessons if you know what I mean.
I mark all dim sum with the basic siew mai. Don't get me wrong. It was a very respectable siew mai, but, at close to $5 for four pieces, I had expected something a bit more.
A good place with fantastic dim sum is, surprise, the Ritz at Kuala Lumpur. Aside from the delightful bursts of fish roe in your mouth, the Chinese mushroom slice gives the pork base a sweeter taste in the mouth. That should be the benchmark for good siew mai.
However, if you still insist on visiting Taste, then try the chicken feet. The marinate is done quite well. It was cooked just right and the skin did not just break apart when you eat.
TWG @ION
The second place that didn't quite make the mark was TWG. You'd think that with all the hype, the afternoon tea lifestyle would have been well crafted the moment you step in. Let's talk menu.
It lists the various teas, all one thousand of them. Ok, maybe mot so many. But you get the drift. It's a list. I'm not sure how many tea masters there are in Singapore that know what they Re drinking, but some description would be welcome and helpful.
The next best bet was the service staff.
But what a mistake!
She couldn't recommend tea to save her life! When I asked for something less funky, she offered English breakfast! I don't think I'd come to TWG for English Breakfast!
The desserts were also incredibly ordinary. Didn't understand the hype around the macaroons. I'd guess it is flavours available? I'd comment about the cheese cake since I eat that more often. There was hardly the taste of the cream cheese. Think the raspberry was too strong. The cake was rather dense and I thought the layers didn't come together quite so well.
The environment was A-plus though. The waitress would do well to be better versed with their tea selection so that she can better recommend their teas.
Showing posts with label Kuala Lumpur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kuala Lumpur. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Coffee - It's not only about the name
It is interesting how using the same beans, you can get a different tasting coffee.
Recently, I was at Espressamente, a chic al fresco cafe at the Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur. Let me just say that this is one of the most well made coffee I've ever tasted.
Illy coffee is a blend of Arabica beans from nine different regions, with Brazil-grown beans forming the base of its distinct taste. This taste, Illy promises, is consistent regardless where you buy it, and when you buy it.
When you visit their website, you will find an impressive arsenal of coffee information, from nurturing the coffee plant to getting the right blend and finally the taste, it is clearly and simply explained. I was most impressed with their dedication to the science of coffee making.
When the waiter place the coffee in front of you (and mind you, I was having a latte with NO added sugar), you get a whiff of the wonderful fragrance of coffee, dairy, hint of caramel and dare I even say, cocoa. The crema was wonderfully thick, slightly brownish in colour.
As I put it to my lips, the smell simply flooded the cup and as strange as this sounds, I could FEEL the taste of it.
Suffice to say the barrister had mastered the science of creating this cuppa. It was a luxuriating taste, it was like velvet and with none of that acidic, dry, aftertaste of other poorly roasted beans.
Imagine my excitement when I saw the Illy brand at the Meritus Mandarin just two days ago? Imagine my utter, jaw-dropping disappointment when I put it in my mouth (after praising and shouting about it).
It was thin, almost bland, I couldn't smell anything beyond the coffee - there wasn't a deeper aroma and the crema looked strangely frothy. I was flabbergasted. I was sure I asked earlier if it was Illy coffee beans they used. The enthusiastic waitress gave an emphatic 'Umm!'
I wanted to spit it out and demand an explanation on the injustice they have done to the coffee. I was aghast at the quality of the coffee, and no less, from a hotel. I'm wondering what the brand would say to it if they had tasted the work of this hotel.
I guess, it is a point to note that even if you have the best product in the world, it will be a flop if you don't have the means (in this case, people) to showcase it properly.
I've also learned through this - don't assume on quality. Some companies do amazing branding jobs, creating this 'halo' effect surrounding the products. But, unless you actually try it, never assume that quality will be the same.
Recently, I was at Espressamente, a chic al fresco cafe at the Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur. Let me just say that this is one of the most well made coffee I've ever tasted.
Illy coffee is a blend of Arabica beans from nine different regions, with Brazil-grown beans forming the base of its distinct taste. This taste, Illy promises, is consistent regardless where you buy it, and when you buy it.
When you visit their website, you will find an impressive arsenal of coffee information, from nurturing the coffee plant to getting the right blend and finally the taste, it is clearly and simply explained. I was most impressed with their dedication to the science of coffee making.
When the waiter place the coffee in front of you (and mind you, I was having a latte with NO added sugar), you get a whiff of the wonderful fragrance of coffee, dairy, hint of caramel and dare I even say, cocoa. The crema was wonderfully thick, slightly brownish in colour.
As I put it to my lips, the smell simply flooded the cup and as strange as this sounds, I could FEEL the taste of it.
Suffice to say the barrister had mastered the science of creating this cuppa. It was a luxuriating taste, it was like velvet and with none of that acidic, dry, aftertaste of other poorly roasted beans.
Imagine my excitement when I saw the Illy brand at the Meritus Mandarin just two days ago? Imagine my utter, jaw-dropping disappointment when I put it in my mouth (after praising and shouting about it).
It was thin, almost bland, I couldn't smell anything beyond the coffee - there wasn't a deeper aroma and the crema looked strangely frothy. I was flabbergasted. I was sure I asked earlier if it was Illy coffee beans they used. The enthusiastic waitress gave an emphatic 'Umm!'
I wanted to spit it out and demand an explanation on the injustice they have done to the coffee. I was aghast at the quality of the coffee, and no less, from a hotel. I'm wondering what the brand would say to it if they had tasted the work of this hotel.
I guess, it is a point to note that even if you have the best product in the world, it will be a flop if you don't have the means (in this case, people) to showcase it properly.
I've also learned through this - don't assume on quality. Some companies do amazing branding jobs, creating this 'halo' effect surrounding the products. But, unless you actually try it, never assume that quality will be the same.
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