Wednesday, October 23, 2013

MIGF FINE DINING AT LAI PO HEEN AND MANDARIN GRILL AT MANDARIN ORIENTAL KUALA LUMPUR

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

DATO STEVE DAY AND DATIN SU DAY, FOUNDERS OF THE MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL, NOW INTO ITS 13TH YEAR, AND FRANK STOCEK, GENERAL MANAGER OF MANDARIN ORIENTAL KUALA LUMPUR, HOSTED A GALA DINNER IN HONOUR OF MIGF WITH A SPECIAL MENU.
 DATO ANNE EU, TUNKU LAKSAMANA TUNKU NAQUIYUDDIN TUANKU JAAFAR AND DATIN SU DAY
 DATIN JOYCE AND DATO C.L LIAW OF FOCUS POINT AND MINORI RESTAURANT
HUGH NOEL DUNLEAVY, DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL, MALAYSIA AIRLINES


Mandarin Oriental and Shangri-La are the top 2 hotels in Malaysia so my expectations were high and as expected, Mandarin Oriental superseded not only my expectations but also the other guests'!

The dinner was a double whammy as the first 3 courses were served in Lai Po Heen, the best Chinese restaurant in Malaysia and Mandarin Grill, renowned for its mat salleh aka western cuisine. It used to be Pacifica but is now Mandarin Grill in line with identikit flagship restaurants in all Mandarin Oriental hotels.

Guest of honour was YAM Tunku Laksamana Tunku Naquiyudidn Tuanku Jaafar of Negeri Sembilan who commended the culinary teams for creating a Best of West and East Menu. 

"It is not easy to combine a Chinese meal with Western cuisine but your two teams pulled it off magnificently!" said the dashing Negeri Sembilan prince and Royal Patron of MIGF for the last 13 years.

Other luminaries included Dato C.L Liaw and Datin Joyce Liaw who owns Minori Japanese restaurant as well as Komugi and Inaho Sushi under Multiple Reward Sdn Bhd.

Most know Dato C.L Liaw as the owner of 170 Focus Point chain of spectacle shops and chances are the pair you are wearing came from a Focus Point.

Also present was Hugh Noel Dunleavy, director of commerce at Malaysia Airlines whose portfolio include almost everything that makes MAS tick and fly in the profits so his is  aheavy portfolio. This airline industry veteran is English but hardly lives in UK as he has worked abroad almost all his life. Dr Dunleavy worked at Westjet and has been in the airline industry for over 25 years. He turned Westjet finances around and it was this sterling performance that caught Malaysia Airlines' attention which then poached him to our fair shores!

He initiated the 30 kg allowance for Economy and single-handedly established a new industry standard! "Emirates, ever so nimble, matched our 30 kg Economy allowance in 48 hours!"

So has Qatar Airlines and other airlines have since followed. MAS introduced the 30 kg allowance on Economy on 14 February which is the best Valentine's Day gift ever to kilo-laden passegers and excess baggage charges have also been reduced should you exceed 30 kg!

Other guests were the Norwegian ambassador HE Hans Ola Urstad, Tan Sri Stephen Voon and Puan Sri Li Ling, Puan Sri Molly Low, Dato and Datin Marco Low, Datuk Seri Azim Zabidi and Datin Seri Raihan Abdul Rahman and the indefatigable and ageless beauty Dato Anne Eu who looks this way as she is chairman of Eu Yan Sang and consumes all the Traditional Chinese Medicines.

Dato Anne Eu stood and complimented Chinese Chef Ricky Thien for his superbly prepared Mingmu Fish Essence soup with ginseng, black chicken, fish maw and baby cabbage and Deep Sea Abalone from Australia in superior oyster sauce, quail egg and cauliflower. "I know good herbal food and these two dishes were amazingly good and I know what I am talking about! The soup is good for eyesight and anti-aging while the abalone was a pleasure as it was cooked just right as under or over cooking can spoil its flavour and nutrients."

LAI PO HEEN FULL FESTIVAL MENU; RM 298++ FOR DINNER AND RM 198++ FOR LUNCH

MANDARIN GRILL FULL FESTIVAL MENU; RM 385++ FOR DINNER AND RM 198 ++ FOR LUNCH WITHOUT WINE

CALL NOW; 03 2380 8888


 FRANK STOCEK, GENERAL MANAGER OF MANDARIN ORIENTAL KUALA LUMPUR, DATIN JOYCE AND DATO C.L LIAW
 KEE HUA CHEE JOINS IN
 YAM TUNKU SHAHABUDDIN JOINS IN THE EVER EXPANDING PARTY

 DATIN SU DAY ARRIVES AND POSES FOR THE EVER EXPANDING PHOTO

 THERE ARE 6 NOW

 TONE URSTAD AND HIS EXCELLENCY HANS OLA URSTAD THE NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR
 THE NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR AND WIFE
 DATUK SERI AZIM ZABIDI, DATIN SU DAY  AND DATIN SERI RAIHAN ABDUL RAHMAN

 DATIN SU DAY AND DATO ANN EU

 KEE HUA CHEE, DAVID TEH THE TOP ARCHITECT AND PITT LEE HIS WIFE
 DATO ANNE EU GREETS YAM TUNKU LAKSAMANA TUNKU NAQUIYUDDIN TUANKU JAAFAR OF NEGERI SEMBILAN
 DATO ANNE EU, TUNKU LAKSAMANA NEGERI SEMBILAN AND DATIN SU DAY

 DATIN SU DAY AND THE YOUNGEST AND LOVELIEST PUAN SRI IN MALAYSIA PUAN SRI ONG LILING

 TAN SRI STEPHEN VOON, DAVID TEH AND FRANK STOCEK

 PUAN SRI LILING AND TAN SRI STEPHEN VOON
 SEXY COUPLE


 ONE OF 2 TABLES AT LAI PO HEEN
 CORNUCOPIA OF FRUITS AND FLOWERS! I LOVE THIS TABLE DECOR


 DATO STEVE DAY WELCOMING GUESTS
 BIG BALL!

 MANDARIN ORIENTAL GENERAL MANAGER FRANK STOCEK WELCOMES GUESTS
 DATO MARCO LOW AT RIGHT



 OUR FIRST COURSE OF CHILLED HONEY HOKKAIDO SCALLOPS
 DRAMATIC PRESENTATION
 LOOK MA, NO HANDS


 DOUBLE BOILED MINGMU FISH ESSENCE OF GINSENG, BLACK CHICKEN, FISH MAW AND BABY CABBAGE WAS A MAJOR SUCCESS

 AUSTRALIAN DEEP SEA ABALONE BRAISED FOR 12 HOURS IN SUPERIOR OYSTER SAUCE, QUAIL EGG AND CAULIFLOWER

 DATO ANNE EU PRAISING THE DISHES AND SHE KNOWS GOOD HERBAL DISHES AS SHE IS CHAIRMAN OF EU YAN SANG MALAYSIA!




FLORAL CENTREPIECE AT MANDARIN GRILL
 DATIN SU AND NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR H.E HANS OLA URSTAD
 MANDARIN GRILL'S CHEF DE CUISINE RETO WEBER IS INTRODUCED TO GUESTS BY DATO STEVE DAY


 EXTRAVAGANT TOUCH---EACH GUEST GETS TO SELECT A KNIFE FROM LA GUIOLE THAT COSTS RM 500 EACH! WEIGHS LIKE A VERTU PHONE!
 NO WONDER MY BEEF TASTES SO GOOD WITH A DESIGNER KNIFE!
 DATIN SERI RAIHAN AZIM SELECTS HER KNIFE 

 SNEAK PEEK INSIDE THE MANDARIN GRILL KITCHEN AS OUR CHAR GRILLED AUSTRALIAN WAGYU SIRLOIN BEEF IS COOKED




 CHAR GRILLED AUSTRALIAN WAGYU SIRLOIN IN CELERY PUREE, ROASTED RED CHICORY AND BLACK TRUFFLE---ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS AND WORTH EVERY PENNY OF THE RM 385++
 SCRUMPTIOUS!
 HUGH NOEL DUNLEAVY CHATTING WITH PITT LEE AND DATUK SERI AZIM ZABIDI FORMER UMNO TREASURER


 MY JUST DESSERT!  GRAND CRU VALRHONA CHOCOLATE COMBO

 DATO STEVE DAY THANKING THE CULINARY TEAM
 YAM TUNKU NAQUIYUDDIN TUANKU JAAFAR THANKING THE TEAM ON BEHALF OF GUESTS
 WELL DONE!
 SUPERB DINNER!

 BEST OF WEST AND EAST!
 THE TEAM AT MANDARIN GRILL AND LAI PO HEEN





 COOL SHOT!
 ARUL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF F&B AND CHEF DE CUISINE RETO WEBER

 DATUK SERI AZIM ZABIDI, DAVID TEH, PITT LEE AND DATIN SU DAY. 





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