A Czech Culinary Experience with Guest Chef Pavel Sapik at The Library, The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur

In collaboration with The Embassy of the Czech Republic, award-winning Guest Chef Pavel Sapik will be presenting an exclusive menu of classic Czech specialties for three days at The Library at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur. 

Based in the Czech Republic, Chef Pavel is currently the Executive Chef of The Terrace at The Golden Well Hotel, the most prestigious restaurant in Prague. He comes from a family of culinary experts who have been in the food industry since the 17th century. With an illustrious career spanning 29 years, his culinary expertise has taken him around the world to countries such as Austria, France, Italy, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Germany. He has received many accolades that include Cook of the Year in the Czech Republic and was a gold award recipient at the Singapore Culinary Olympics.

Dining here at The Library this afternoon brought back many fond memories of our trip to Prague many years ago. It was a truly amazing lunch, as we were taken on a 5-course gastronomic journey of the finest Czech cuisine. 

The Smoked Trout Mousse did a fantastic job of teasing our palates, with its smooth, rich texture and sweet-savoury flavours. Made from smoked trout and eel and topped with a citrus jelly, the mousse was served with (more) smoked trout, beetroot slices and beetroot mousse. This was paired with the Cecchi La Mora Vermentino from Italy, the perfect accompaniment to seafood. A delicious start to our meal :)

One of my favorite dishes of the afternoon, the Veal Tartare was mixed with sun dried tomatoes, goat's cheese, parsley and dill and it was sublime. A beautiful mix of salty and sour flavours, this was served with a glassy egg yolk. Intrigued, I asked Chef Pavel about the egg, and was told that it was confit for 2-3 hours at 75°C, chilled and finished with olive oil. This was paired with the Bonpas Luberon, a light white from France.

Next to arrive was the Bohemian Kulajda, a classic thick Czech soup made with mushrooms, potatoes and dill. Topped with a beautifully runny poached egg, we were told to mix the egg into the soup before savouring.  Thick, creamy and tangy, the soup also featured chunks of cubed potatoes and fresh forest mushrooms. Getting its zing from the vinegar added to it, I found the flavours to be totally unique, and enjoyed it tremendously.

The highlight of our meal was the Duck, which Chef Pavel showcases in two ways - duck leg confit and also sliced duck breast, cooked sous vide. The delicious duck was paired with traditional Czech Carlsbad dumplings, made using toast, parsley and egg white. Bringing the whole dish together was the red cabbage, which helps cut through the richness of the duck. This was paired with the elegant Zisola Nero D'Avola DOC from Italy.

For the finale, Chef Pavel served up some Old Prague's Pear Dumplings for dessert. The dumplings are filled with pear confit and marzipan, and served with crispy breadcrumbs (which taste like crumble by the way) and a nutty butter (which contains no nuts, instead it's brown butter). Paired with a sweet, floral KWV Classic Collection Moscato from South Africa.

For those interested to sample some of Chef Pavel's culinary wizardry, you may do so on 10th or 11th April 2018 at The Library from 7pm to 11pm for dinner.  A rare chance to experience delicious Czech cuisine in Kuala Lumpur... don't miss it!

Menu by Chef Pavel Sapik

Thank you to The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur for the wonderful lunch!

The five-course dinner is priced at MYR350 nett per person with an option of wine pairing at MYR500 nett per person. For reservations and enquiries, please call +60 3 2142 8000 or email dining@ritzcarlton.com.my.



Location: The Library, Level 1, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, 168 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Tel: 03-2142 8000

GPS Coordinates: 3.146901, 101.715438

Website: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/malaysia/kuala-lumpur


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COMING SOON: Czech Guest Chef Pavel Sapik at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur (9 - 11 April 2018)

The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur starts off the month of April with its second Guest Chef Dinner Series at The Library for 2018. This exceptional culinary experience, in partnership with the Embassy of the Czech Republic will showcase award-winning Guest Chef Pavel Sapik’s take on fine Czech cuisine.

Based in the Czech Republic, Chef Pavel comes from a family of culinary experts who have been in the food industry since the 17th century. With an illustrious career spanning 29 years, his culinary expertise has taken him around the world to countries such as Austria, France, Italy, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Germany. He has received many accolades that include Cook of the Year in the Czech Republic and was a gold award recipient at the Singapore Culinary Olympics. Chef Pavel has been a creative force in the kitchen at the most prestigious restaurants in the Czech Republic such as Flambée Restaurant, The Circle Line, and presently The Terrace at the Golden Well where he is Executive Chef.

The three-day promotion will see Chef Pavel unveil the flavours of Czech cuisine through a degustation menu featuring an amuse-bouche of smoked trout mousse with beetroot slices, traditional homemade bread and salted butter; followed by veal tartare served with goat cheese, dried tomatoes, glassy egg yolk; Bohemian soup kulajda with creamy potatoes, fresh forest mushrooms, poached egg; duck confit consisting of Carlsbad dumpling, sliced duck breast cooked sous-vide, red cabbage and a decadent dessert of Old Prague’s pear dumpling with marzipan, breadcrumbs and nutty butter.

Menu

Available from 9 to 11 April from 7pm until 11pm, the five-course dinner is priced at MYR350 nett per person with an option of wine pairing at MYR500 nett per person. For reservations and enquiries, please call +60 3 2142 8000 or email dining@ritzcarlton.com.my.



Location: The Library, Level 1, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, 168 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.


Tel: 03-2142 8000

GPS Coordinates: 3.146901, 101.715438

Website: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/malaysia/kuala-lumpur


If you enjoyed reading my posts, LIKE me on Facebook! You can also follow me on Instagram (@babysumo) for more photo updates or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thanks :)

Fantastic Mexican Food @ Cantina, Prague, Czech Republic

We searched on the internet for the best places to eat in Prague and were astounded to find that a Mexican joint was at the top of the lot. Obviously, you don't have to only eat the local cuisine to enjoy a certain country as our previous visit to Lokal indicated. So we were all game for something new and had some pretty high expectations for this visit. Turns out it has some serious substance to back up its good reputation!

Great Mexican food at affordable prices

The obligatory Pilsner Urquell (48 Kč for 0.4l) when you are in Prague. You can also choose from a extensive list of tequilas, cocktails, wines, and non-alcoholic drinks. 

The exterior

The funky Mexican themed bar

Notice the gurney sacks on the ceiling. Nice touch!

A must have for a Mexican joint, the sombrero!

Food was excellent here and we were surprised by the portions especially the fresh prawns and the huge burrito which could have fed two. We loved the tangy flavours from the prawn dish and were mighty impressed with the meaty burrito. Even the small details such as the cheese quesadilla and the salsa that went with the burrito was good. There were many other things we wanted to try from the menu but our waistlines definitely wouldn't have agreed with it!

Burrito cantina (299 Kč) - big flour tortilla stuffed with beef steak, shrimps, rice, cheese, served with homemade salsa pico de gallo and sour cream

Plump, juicy shrimp and meaty, flavoursome beef in the burrito

Camarones con tomatillos (155 Kč) - grilled shrimps with sauce made from green tomatoes, onion and cilantro, served with cheese quesadilla 

This was on the special offers menu, and we have to say the prawns are really something special!

Cactus to feed your Mexican stereotypes ;)

The restaurant is located within walking distance of the St. Nicholas Cathedral or Charles Bridge

Verdict: We loved the experience here and were vowed by the authentic and delicious Mexican food. If you are looking for a break from Czech cuisine this place ticks all the right boxes.

Opening hours: 11.30 to 24.00 daily.

Location: Újezd 38, 118 00 Praha - Malá Strana

Phone: +420 257 317 173

Czech Food @ Lokal, Prague, Czech Republic

We were in Prague for a short break, so first thing we had to sample was some authentic Czech cuisine. We didn't have much prior knowledge of Czech cuisine so a quick search led us to Lokal, a restaurant in Prague serving traditional home-styled dishes. It was a relief that they do have English menus and a helpful serving staff who will provide you with answers to any questions you might have.

Traditionally Czech cuisine has been influenced by its surrounding countries therefore it is no surprise that you might get a few dishes whose origins may be from another country such as Schnitzel (Austria) or Goulash (Hungary). Side dishes such as bread/potato dumplings are familiar sounding and they do have quite a lot of meaty mains. And not to mention Czech beer is pretty reknowned around the world with Pilsner Urquell taking center stage. It is no wonder when you take into account that Czech Republic has the highest beer consumption per capita in the world!

Exterior of Lokal

Lengthwise this has to be one of the longest restaurants in the area. Interior is casual and there are some funky decorations on the walls, making it a bit more contemporary.

One of the funky wall motifs

No idea what PRIM means but apparently 11.10 is the time for it...

Stal Inn... Get it?

Drink too much and all you see is beer

Huge beer tank which looks like a pig from the front

Food was not the most impressive and frankly it is a bit off-putting from the get go. It is apparent from the pictures below that they do not have too much regard for food presentation! Flavourwise the food is good but not outstanding. But the beer is very good and *extremely* cheap so do try it out when you are in the area.

The world reknowned Pilsner Urquell (42Kč for 0.5l ). A must try in the Czech Republic!

Roast beef (115Kč) with bread dumplings (35Kč). Side dishes are charged separately.

Fried cheese with homemade tartar sauce (159Kč)

Gooey, sticky, cheese deep fried. Very sinful indeed

Spinach side dish (39Kč)

Oink oink!

Verdict: We left the place slightly disappointed with the food but we were impressed by the (cheap) local beer.

Location: Lokal, Dlouhá 33, Staré Mesto, Prague, Czech Republic

Opening times:- Mon -Fri (11.00 to 01.00); Sat (12.00 to 01.00); Sun (12.00 to 22.00)

Tel: 222-316-265

Website: http://lokal-dlouha.ambi.cz/en/

*This is a guest post by The Unc.

Old Prague Sausage @ Wenceslas Square, Prague, Czech Republic

It's always great to explore a city and visit one of their street side stalls to try one of the local specialties. While we were in Prague and walking through the Wenceslas Square from the Old Town Square we discovered a street side stall selling various sausages (local and German) and fast foods such as hamburgers and fried cheese. Some research has led me to news articles that tells us that these sausage stands may well be a dying institution in this part of Prague. The city hall of Prague is looking to remove these sausage stands from Wenceslas Square by the end of the year and replace them with more "tourist and pedestrian friendly stalls" selling goods such as flowers, newspapers and magazines and baked goods.

Old Prague sausage (60Kč)

The grand National Museum at the other end of the Wenceslas Square

The stall is situated in front of Koruna at the edge of Wenceslas Square

All sorts of sausages to curb your appetites and clog your arteries. There are even Bavarian and Nuremberger sausages in addition to local sausages such as the Wenceslas, Prague and Old Prague variants.

Make your order...

Spread on the mustard/ketchup of your choice...

Dig in! The sausages have a great bite to it and has a slightly spicy kick as well. These were as good as the ones we get from Germany ;)

There were various other street foods which we saw on our way there, such as:

Old Prague Ham

Trdelnik

And more sausages!

Location: Wenceslas Square, Prague, Czech Republic.

*This is a guest post by The Unc.