Degustation @ Bistro a Table

The title of Bistro a Table's degustation menu for September: 'Oldie But Goody,' celebrating the beauty of aging with culinary components that have stood the test of time.

A taste of brandy that's double my age: the playfully presented foie gras "liverpop," steeped in 1945 Armagnac. This brandy's intoxicating perfume thoroughly permeated the ultra-luscious chunk of goose liver terrine, held aloft like a lollipop & blanketed with petal-thin apple slices & a brittle swirl of caramel threads.

Moving further back in time, with tomato strains from a pre-World War II origin: a zingy heirloom tomato tart, tinged with white balsamic vinegar. The mascarpone ice cream topping was made using Chef Isadora's new toy, an RM18,000 Swiss PacoJet machine that can whip up a liter of ice cream in 15 minutes. We'll hear more about it soon (lobster roe ice cream, anyone?).

No ordinary mushroom risotto, this one was flooded with fragrant wild chanterelles, morels & "trompette de la mort," translated as "trumpets of death." Irreproachably al dente & topped with 30-month aged Parmagiano-Regiano cheese for a gritty texture & nutty taste. This recipe made us wish that Chef Isadora would start a full-fledged Italian restaurant.

"Chianina" is a word we rarely hear; it refers to an Italian cattle breed that is one of the world's oldest, cultivated for more than 2,200 years. This pink-fleshed sirloin was lean but featured sufficient flavor to hold its own against other beef. Served with duck fat-roasted chats, charred baby savoy & an emulsion of foie gras & marrow.

A century in the making: guava tart tartin with vanilla bean ice cream & 100-year-old balsamic vinegar, to finish with a flamboyantly syrupy flourish.

Besides all that, here are some highlights from Bistro a Table's current a la carte menu. Check out the charcuterie board: horse salami (yucky? neigggh! this pleasurably chewy, intensely savory sausage is a triumph), house-cured duck prosciutto (fabulously fatty, reminiscent of siew yuk) & 30-month Asiago & Robiola (delicately nuanced Italian cheeses).

Sea robin, also known as gurnard, a fish known for its majestic pectoral fin, which flaps like a bird in flight when it swims close to the ocean floor.

This sashimi-grade gurnard is cooked en papillote (in a parchment) to seal its moisture & flavor. Topped with a salty puree of anchovies, garlic & parsley.

Burratina Pugliese, a southern Italian cheese comprising a creamy center of shredded mozzarella & fresh cream, bound together in a pouch with an outer layer of stretched mozzarella. Partnered here with Roma tomatoes & charred capsicum puree.

Bistro a Table,

Jalan 17/54, Petaling Jaya.

Saint's

Saint's has come marching in, bringing haggis at last to the Klang Valley.

It's an acquired taste, this Scottish minced blend of sheep's heart, liver & lungs with onion, oatmeal, suet, salt & spices. Gamy and savory, with a texture that's both mushy and nutty. Served with traditional "neep & tatties" _ turnips & potatoes.

The rest of the menu comprises pub grub that should fit in at many U.K. establishments. The Ploughman's sandwich would be a hearty meal on its own, packed with plenty of cheese, caramelized onions & tomatoes. Simple but satisfying.

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. The strips of Angus beef were less tender than expected, though everything else was fine. Note: all this food might make it look like we were having a respectable brunch here, but it was actually a boozy supper.

Saint's Fizz (prosecco, martini rosso, cointreau, white sugar cube) & Sinner's Rum Punch (havana especial rum, creme de cassis, pineapple, orange juice, lime juice).

A Taste of Speyside (Macallan 10yr old, whiskey honey, apple juice, dot angostura bitters) & Victorian Mojito (hendricks gin, lime juice, elderflower nettle cordial, syrup de gomme, apple juice, mint leaves).

Saint's Bar & Kitchen,

Red Carpet Avenue, Encorp Strand,

Jalan PJU5/22, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

Midori

Ahh, buffets. The economical route to satisfy those all-too-familiar sashimi cravings.

Fahrenheit 88's Midori features a fair selection of freshly sliced raw fish & oysters. Not top-notch, but decent enough to warrant multiple helpings.

Plenty of sushi too to stuff the stomach ...

... plus tempura & takoyaki (though these tend to get cold on the counter).

Shabu-shabu _ cooked at the table _ is worthwhile, though the dashi broth is a bit bland. Ingredients for the soup include prawns, bamboo clams & fish.

Butter crabs and other dishes prepared to order are also available, similar to other buffet outlets like Tenji and Jogoya.

Overwhelming quantity over quality, but at least nobody will leave this place hungry.

Service is efficient, but the restaurant imposes two different sessions for dinner: 5.30-8pm and 8pm-10.30pm. No overlapping allowed.

Booze is not a problem, with this small carafe of sake costing a reasonable 12 ringgit.

Midori,

Fahrenheit 88, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

Huck's Cafe @ Bangsar

Back to Huck's for mainly Mediterranean meals.

Earlier entries on Huck's @ Bangsar: July 5 & July 19. Huck's @ PJ: Nov. 24, 2010.

Perfectly prepared appetizers: luscious portobello mushrooms, topped with spinach, cheese & a creamy, sweetly tangy pomodoro sauce made with tomatoes, carrots & basil leaves. Excellent enough to totally fit in at any of KL's best Italian restaurants.

Basil pesto salad. A hearty, healthy concoction, creatively topped with mango strips, oranges & pomegranates for a zesty zing.

Huck's take on seafood paella is a pleasure, brimming in a black pan with flavorsome rice and fresh prawns, mussels & squid. We believe he uses turmeric instead of saffron for the rice, so this isn't the purist's Spanish paella, but it's still sumptuous.

A mouthwatering masterwork: Moroccan whole roast chicken, marinated with cumin, coriander, fennel & various spices, stuffed with couscous & surrounded by shredded sweet potatoes, almonds, cashews & cranberries.

Beautifully juicy meat (even the breast section), blanketed in amazing aromas, thanks to a wealth of ingredients poured into this single recipe. Beware: the portion is humongous, so make sure there are at least four people at the table to finish this.

OK, this one isn't strictly Mediterranean, but it's a remarkable representation of Huck's penchant for kitchen experimentation. Dubbed "Ocean Deep," it's seafood spaghetti like no other, with a rich, intensely scented topping of dried shrimp sambal, belacan, bunga kantan (torch ginger buds), santan & kaffir lime leaves.

Heading north of the Mediterranean to the U.K.: Guinness steak pie, done just right, from the golden, buttery pastry to the thick stew of tender beef. Ideal for rainy nights.

Moist, crumbly ginger-&-apple pie, fresh from the oven, accompanied by vanilla ice cream for a lovely blend of hot & cold sensations.

Melt4U: dark chocolate lava cake, with a bittersweet edge.

Henry Martin Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot.

U.S. Wild Vines blackberry-flavored Merlot.

Huck's Cafe,

22, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Kofuku

A sprawling venue with serenity assured, thanks to a severe lack of customers.

Kofuku's menu leans toward the conservative; we wondered how often (or rarely) the menu is revamped. Nevertheless, the tuna belly & hokkigai sushi tasted respectably fresh and juicy on this not-too-recent weeknight.

Kofuku Maki, featuring soft-shell crab, avocado, cucumber, fish roe & mayo. Competently executed, but too similar to what scores of other Japanese outlets serve. We expected something more, since this signature roll bears the restaurant's name.

Zosui porridge with chicken & egg in an earthen pot, served with pickles. Hot and hearty, but a bit too bland to really recommend. An extra ingredient _ pork perhaps, except that Kofuku cannot serve it _ might have instilled the essential oomph.

Our familiar refrain when the food is merely so-so: booze makes everything better.

Kofuku,

Seri Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.