Taste of Japan in Kuala Lumpur, with Master Chef Takuji Takahashi

From ramen to sushi to shabu-shabu, Malaysians are spoilt for choice when it comes to Japanese cuisine.

Aiming to raise awareness and deepen understanding of Japanese cuisine among Malaysians, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) recently held an exclusive experience session highlighting Japanese cuisine.

Held on February 5th and 6th February 2018, the event was attended by culinary arts students from YTL International College of Hotel Management, tutors as well as top chefs from hotels and restaurants in Kuala Lumpur.

This one-and-a-half-hour sharing session offered guests the chance to learn about different cooking methods and ingredients revolving around Japanese cuisine as well as witness a hands-on cooking demonstration by Mr Takuji Takahashi, master chef and owner of the renowned 1-Michelin starred Kinobu restaurant in Kyoto, Japan.

As a Washoku ambassador, Mr Takahashi first shared about the various core ingredients in Japanese cuisine such as rice, miso, sake, soy sauce, konbu, dried bonito and mirin as well as about the different teas, vegetables, seafood and Wagyu that Japan is blessed with. It was informative and light-hearted, thanks to the humor injected throughout the session by the affable Mr Takahashi.

Next, Mr. Takahashi demonstrated four different recipes, starting with Inaniwa Udon, followed by Teriyaki Yellowtail, Tokushima Beef Grilled in Yuan Style served with sea urchin and Japanese-style paella with scallops. We picked up some useful tips from him, such as the correct way to slice Japanese vegetables, how to treat them after slicing, how to make a basic dashi broth and the correct way to wash your Japanese rice (and it was interesting to learn that Japanese picked their rice by brands, just like many do with their designer handbags).

Mr Takashashi also explained that the crockery the food is served in also plays a big part in Japanese cuisine, and some of the serving dishes that he uses in his restaurant are specially sourced, to enhance guests' dining experience. For example, the dish that the beef was served in costs RM2,500!

After that, two distinguised guests chefs, Mr Hideaki Oritsuki and Mr Cheong Cherng Long from one of KL's best Japanese restaurant, Sushi Oribe joined Mr Takahashi on stage to impart wisdom and to answer any questions the audience had about Japanese cuisine.

Finally, guests were invited to a tasting session of the dishes. I thoroughly enjoyed them and would definitely be recreating them at home, as most of the Japanese ingredients used during the session are easily accessible in Japanese grocery stores in Malaysia such as Isetan KLCC, Aeon Midvalley, Suzuki Shoten (Publika), Shojikiya (Sunway Velocity), The Village Grocer and Daiso.

Thank you to MAFF for having me!



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How to Pack a Healthy Bento Box for Your Kids

It's the start of a new school year, which means exciting times ahead for both parents and children! One way to ensure your child is getting good nutritional food when they are at school is to take the time to prepare a bento box for him/her to take with them. As parents we know best what foods our children prefer and we can select the most nutritionally balanced of these foods to create a bento box which the child will look forward to eating. Even children eat with their eyes first, so time spent creating a fun bento box can help encourage them to look forward to mealtimes.

MILO® recently conducted an informative and engaging workshop for mums, whereby we were given a valuable insight on the consequence of the energy deprivation children experience at various intervals in school as well as educate us on the benefits of packing to school and how proper nutrition can affect your child's performance in school. Early education and reinforcement of healthy eating habits can help children make better consumption choices out of home, when their mothers are not by their side.

Senior Nutritionist of Nestle Malaysia Berhad, Pn. Nurul Iliani Ahmad shared facts from MyBreakfast Study, Malaysia's first comprehensive nationwide study on breakfast habits involving 8,705 school children. It was found that 1 in 3 children  have low physical activity levels and this was especially prevalent among breakfast skippers. "Consuming the right food with a balanced nutrition at regular intervals provides them with sufficient energy and nutrients to help improve their mental alertness so they can focus while in class, as well as keep them energised for extra-curricular activities". 

At the workshop, Yan Diana from the Kelab Bekal / Bento Malaysia showed us three creative bento box creations, which can be prepared in 10-15 minutes. Yan Diana also provided tips on how to decorate the bento box in an attractive manner - she tells us that two of the most useful ingredients to decorate a bento box are cheese slice and Japanese seaweed. 

Giraffe Tuna Sandwich - ingredients used are baguette, tuna, cheese, seaweed, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Japanese Scrambled Eggs Bento Box - ingredients include bread, eggs, baked beans, cheese, seaweed, cherry tomato, carrots, broccoli and poached chicken slices.

Rapunzel Noodle Box - ingredients used are fried meehoon, scrambled egg, cheese, seaweed, salad,  grapes, nuts. 

Bento Box recipes taught by Yan Diana from Kelab Bekal / Bento Malaysia

After that, it was Bento Box Challenge time, our turn to pack and decorate a bento box for our child. An ideal healthy bento box should contain 25% carbohydrate, 25% protein and 50% fruit and vegetables. Chloe and I teamed up to create a bento box which she would like to bring to school. Together, we made a tuna sandwich using wholemeal bread, Chloe wanted to decorate the sandwich with a teddy bear out of the cheese slice, seaweed and tomatoes, and funnily it ended up looking like Pikachu! Turned out to be a blessing in disguise afterall, as Daniel immediately wanted to eat the food in the bento box as he loves Pokemon ;) Making bento boxes for my children is definitely one New Year Resolution I would want to adhere to in 2017!

We filled up the rest of the bento box with salad leaves, steamed broccoli and carrot sticks, grapes, cherry tomatoes, nuts and a convenient pack of MILO® UHT. Children can benefit greatly from the Activ-Go™ in MILO®, a unique combination of PROTOMALT®, minerals and vitamins such as Vitamin B, specially blended to provide efficient release of energy from food to help them take on a full day's challenges. MILO® also contains calcium to maintain stronger bones and teeth and Vitamin C for increased absorption of iron from food. 

Chloe had a lot of fun making her own bento box :)

The bento boxes made by the mummies and daddies at the workshop

According to MyBreakfast Study, children who consume malted drinks (such as MILO®) reflect greater micronutrient intakes and are more likely to meet the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for total energy intake, protein and other vitamin which suggests that malted drink consumption can be an effective and simple dietary strategy to improve overall diet quality. MILO® UHT comes in convenient single serve packs of 125ml and 200ml and is available in all convenient stores, mini markets, supermarkets and hypermarkets. For more upcoming initiatives of the MILO® UHT Pack in the Energy for Champions campaign, visit www.milo.com.my .

Parents can easily create bento boxes at home for their children to bring to school. The common misconception is that bento boxes are time consuming to make, however with some advanced planning and preparation (the night before), it can be a fun and fulfilling experience. Tools such as cookie cutters and cute food picks can assist you in decorating and making the bento boxes more attractive, thus making your child look forward to meal times.  

Here's a simple recipe for egg mayonnaise sandwich for you to try:

Egg mayonnaise sandwiches
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 12 - 15 minutes
Makes 4


Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 slices of bread (white or wholemeal)


1. Place the eggs in a large saucepan with cold water and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Drain eggs and place under cold running water until the eggs are cool, this will avoid the black ring from forming around the egg yolk.

2. Peel the eggs and chop into small pieces. Place into a bowl with the mayonnaise; start with 1 1/2 tbsp first and put more if you prefer it to be more moist. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Cut off the crusts from the bread slices and cut into half each. Spread on one side of the bread and sandwich with another piece. Place in bento box. Fill the bento box with fruits and vegetables (such as sliced apples, grapes, nuts, salad leaves, cherry tomatoes).

And don't forget to pack a MILO® UHT in your child's bag pack for the energy they need to take on the day.

*This is a sponsored post.

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Cooking Class with Chef Ann @ Tanjong Jara Resort + Recipe (Beef Rendang Terengganu)

For cooking enthusiasts, you can enrol yourself in a cooking class with Chef Ann, the resident chef at Tanjong Jara Resort and gain insight into the wonders of traditional Malay home-style cuisine. Chef Ann is well-versed with the cuisine and her jovial personality makes the cooking class a very enjoyable one.

The cooking class takes place at Di Atas Sungei restaurant daily (except Friday) at 1.30pm. During the cooking class, you will usually be taught 2 recipes, featuring authentic Malay cuisine. We learnt how to make a beef rendang (Terengganu style) as well as a spicy prawn dish with coconut milk and lemon grass.

Baby Sumo Family with Chef Ann

Beef Rendang
Recipe courtesy of Chef Ann of Tanjong Jara Resort

Ingredients
250ml coconut milk
1 turmeric leaf, torn and knotted
5 kaffir lime leaves
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
1-2 pieces asam gelugur
10 red chillies. finely sliced
1kg beef, fat and sinew removed, cut into 3cm cubes

Spices (ground)
3 tbsp chopped galangal
1/2 tbsp chopped turmeric
1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
200g red chillies
4 shallots
Salt

1. Simmer coconut milk with turmeric leaf, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, asam gelugur, sliced chillies, and ground spices until the milk thickens and becomes oily. Reduce heat.

2. Add beef and cook until tender. (during our cooking class, we used high-quality tenderloin, so cooking time was approximately 10 minutes.)

3.  Stir ocassionally until the spices dry and turn brown.



Cost: RM215 per adult.

Location: Tanjong Jara Resort,Batu 8, off Jalan Dungun, 23000 Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia.

Tel: 09-845 1100

Website: http://www.tanjongjararesort.com

GPS Coordinates: 4.811139, 103.423422




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Chef Wan @ Mandarin Oriental KL

Just yesterday, we had the pleasure of meeting Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, better known as Chef Wan and sitting through an entertaining cooking demonstration with the man himself at Aqua Restaurant in Mandarin Oriental KL. With over 27 years of culinary experience, Chef Wan is recognised as Tourism Malaysia's culinary ambassador and is Malaysia's most iconic celebrity chef.

From 3 to 9 April 2016, Chef Wan will be showcasing classic and Royal Malaysian cuisine at Mosaic for both lunch and dinner, where diners will get to sample his delicious cuisine as well as meeting him in person.

We were one of the lucky few to learn and taste some of his recipes that he will be presenting during the promotion at Mosaic. During the cooking demo, Chef Wan, with the help of the wonderful team at MO showed us how to make 3 classic Malaysian dishes, namely ayam percik, his grandmother's nyonya laksa, and kerabu nangka and tempeh. It was a hot afternoon, yet the gregarious Chef Wan cooked effortlessly and even entertained us with many amusing and delightful stories about his life as well as food culture in Malaysia. As he spoke, the space we were in was filled with lovely aromas of the many spices he uses in his dishes. According to Chef Wan, what makes Malaysian cuisine unique is the freshness as well as the wonderful spices used in the preparation of the dishes.

The ayam percik is a Kelantan specialty dish, whereby spices are simmered until fragrant and then the chicken is cooked in the gravy, before being finished on the grill for a smoky flavour. Chef Wan's recipe uses pineapple which gives the gravy a beautiful sweet taste.

We love Nyonya Laksa, and this was absolutely delicious. Egg noodles is topped with a spicy, rich and creamy gravy, and then topped with various ingredients such as fish ball, chopped prawns, tofu puff, cockles, fish cakes, bean sprout and shredded cucumber.

The kerabu nangka and tempe, also known as urap nangka is a salad made from young jackfruit and tempeh, along with fresh pineapple. This is a popular dish from Johor. The use of lime, palm sugar and chilli gives this salad a combination of sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavours, all in one mouthful.

Don't miss the chance to try the above dishes and many more (he will be showcasing about 25 dishes in total for this promotion) such as nasi ulam di raja, gulai daging kawah, nasi telur and rendang ayam Minangkabau. Lunch is priced at RM128 nett per person while dinner is priced at RM158 nett per person. For more information and dining reservations, please call 03-2179 8881 or email mokul-fb@mohg.com

Location: Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.

GPS Coordinates: 3.155514, 101.711555



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Cooking Class with Celebrity Chef Edward Kwon @ InterContinental Kuala Lumpur

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a Master Cooking Class with celebrity chef Edward Kwon at InterContinental Hotel Kuala Lumpur.  Chef Edward Kwon, one of South Korean's top celebrity chefs, is in KL as part of the luxury hotel's World Celebrity Chef Series in 2015.  

Chef Edward has held numerous senior culinary positions in South Korea, United States, China and United Arab Emirates, as the Head Chef at Dubai's iconic Burj Al-Arab. He currently owns two restaurants in Seoul, Lab XXIV in Cheongdam-dong and The Mixed One, a buffet dining outlet in Hannam-dong. 

Chef Edward is renowned for accentuating traditional Korean dishes with a variety of Western and European techniques and ingredients. On a mission to globalise Korean cuisine, he will thrill gourmet lovers with his country’s fare over a four-day promotion at InterContinental KL from 21 to 24 April 2015. 

There will be nightly dinners (tonight 23rd will be the last one,priced at RM298 nett) as well as a Celebrity Gala Dinner tomorrow evening (24th, priced at RM490 nett including a selection of Penfold wines). Was super fortunate to be able to attend his cooking class yesterday, as I picked up some tips on Korean cooking and also meet the charismatic chef. 

So, during the cooking class, we learnt how to make 3 dishes - the first one being the soft bean curd with soy and black sesame dressing. This is a simple cold dish, which did not involve any cooking - a black sesame dressing was made by blitzing some smooth tofu with black sesame, sesame oil, soy milk, white vinegar. The soy dressing is even easier - just mix grapeseed oil, soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, salt, sesame oil and several pinches of gochugaru, then top on a cube of tofu. Garnish with some seaweed and greens and it's ready. Light and refreshing!

The one that we made

After the demonstration of each dish, we were served the same dish from the kitchen. A better looking version, garnished with a lotus root chip. 

There was never a dull moment in the class, as Chef Edward was entertaining, for example regaling us with tales of barley and its effects.  The next dish we made was rice veloute, better known as tarakjuk, considered as royal cuisine. Apparently, one of the kings from the Joseon dynasty had poor digestion, hence this was created for him. And that particular king had a long(est), healthy life amongst all the rulers then. 

This Korean porridge is slightly sweet, a bit like rice pudding with a fine and smooth texture. It is made using sticky rice, water, milk, sugar and salt, cooked about 15 minutes, then blended until smooth and served warm. 

The last dish that we learnt was how to make bulgogi beef. Look at the marbling on our piece of Wagyu steak.  To make the marinade, for every 1 piece of 150g steak,  finely chop 1 clove of garlic, 1 slice of onion and 1 spring onion. Add 1 tablespoon of grated pear or apple, approximately 1/4 cup of light soy sauce and 1/4 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of sesame seed. Mix well and marinate the beef for up to 6 hours.  Heat the pan on high heat, then cook the beef for about 15-20 seconds.

The marinade for our beef bulgogi

Chef Edward helping us slice our beef... cos we were too slow haha!

The bulgogi steak served to us, a much refined version.Very delicious!

And of course, must not miss the chance to snap a photo with the chef :)

This tasted superb, loved how tender and flavorful the beef was.

Group photo with chef Edward Kwon ;)

At the end of the cooking class, we were each presented with a certificate as well as a photo with the chef as memento ;)

As mentioned earlier, you can still catch chef Edward Kwon in action today and tomorrow at the Gala Dinner. For more information and reservations, please call +603-2782 6000 or email foodandbeverage@intercontinental-kl.com.my. 

Pork-free.

Price: RM220 nett per person, inclusive of lunch.

Location: InterContinental Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 165 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2782 6000

Website: http://www.intercontinental-kl.com.my/


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