Senja Italian Restaurant, The Saujana Hotel Kuala Lumpur: Xanadu Wine Makers Dinner

I am no wine expert but I know a good wine when I taste one!

* Picture taken from Xanadu Wines

Xanadu Wines is one of the pioneering vineyards in Margaret River, Australia. The winery, located in the ‘Golden triangle’ of the Boodjidup Valley, is renowned for its Cabernet and Chardonnay. Xanadu was already winning awards in the early Eighties with a reputation as one of the finest wineries in the region, a reputation that is being consolidated since the purchased of Xanadu Wines by the Rathbone family.

We were honored to have Ms Annie Lundin, RWG and Glenn Gloodall, Xanadu winemaker to start off our lovely dinner with a speech and also a brief introductory on Xanadu Wines.

Ms Annie L. is the Asia Manager for RWG. The Rathbone Wine Group represents an extensive portfolio with four wineries in the most significant vineyard regions of Australia from Yering Station (Yarra Valley, Victoria), Mount Langi Ghiran (Grampians, Victoria), Parker Coonawarra Estate (Coonawarra, South Australia) to Xanadu Wines (Margaret River, Western Australia).

Mr Glenn G., the charming winemaker, exuded such passion for wine as he shares the effort and details about Xanadu. He believes true quality begins in the vineyard and that winemaking is all about respecting the fruit and the region. Glenn shared an amazing presentation on the Xanadu vineyard with the quality of the varieties of grapes for various wines and the process of producing quality wines.

Senja Italian Restaurant exuded a classy ambience with dim lights, pristine white table cloths, elegant table settings and discreet but attentive service.

We were served hors d’oeuvre and a very lovely Italian Canella Peach Bellini. It was so addictive that I had three glasses!

Amuse Bouche consisted of Seared Scallop with Squid Ink Pasta. Scallop was nicely sear and really sweet.

Xanadu Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2009 was served with the amuse bouche. The sweetness of the fresh scallop went well with the fruity and crisp wine. A lovely way to start off…

Salmon Carpaccio, Vinaigrette, Mixed Water Cress was a gorgeous sight to view! The myriad colors were so attractive and the taste was quite light.

Xanadu Chardonnay 2008 was very smooth and easy on the palate with a hint of fruity citrus aroma that enhanced the Salmon Carpaccio quite easily. Usually, I prefer reds but I have to say I really like this Chardonnay.

Mushroom Soup was paired with a very special Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2008. Thick and creamy, the soup was full of mushrooms flavors. Swirled with cream to finish off, the soup was a nice balance of flavors after the previous seafood dishes.

This is my favorite white wine, Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay 2008. Ultra smooth and really fruity, the bouquet of this white was stronger than the regular Chardonnay. Too bad this is not available for sale in Malaysia… I would have loved to be able to enjoy this on a regular basis.

Cod Fish, Fava Bean Puree and Tomato Livornese Sauce were a huge favorite among the diners that night. The cod was velvety and perfectly cooked while the tomato sauce really gave this fish a boost in flavors and colors. Fava bean puree added another dimension to the sauce.

Cod was paired with a surprising red wine, Xanadu Shiraz 2007. Full bodied with a great depth from berries, this red has a great structure and length. Bold move on the pairing!

Rack of Lamb, Pink Potato, and Vegetables Caponata was ingeniously harmonized with such skill! The sides compliment the pink lamb really well and I just can’t help liking the pink mashed potatoes! I would love to have this dish again but this time in a bigger portion.

Paired with Xanadu Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, the lamb obviously flattered the red wine to heighten the ripe fruits of the forest. I detected a hint of spices in the wine and thought that this was perfect with a strong meat like lamb.

Chef Giovanni’s Tiramisu ended out meal with a luscious sensation. Creamy mascarpone was silky and glide down my throat with such passion.

I always thought dessert wine was too cloyingly sweet. Xanadu Cane Cut Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2009 changed my impression on dessert wines. The wine had a lovely deep bouquet of ripe fruits and had a lovely balance of sweetness to end our dinner on a high note!

Faces that night!

The wine pairing was indeed a very successful and delightful affair. Everything was carried out smoothly and I had such a lovely time with the other guests that night. Choice of food was precise, elegant, quality and paid tribute to Xanadu wines with great effort.

It has been a while since I was spoilt but I did that night! J

Do check out more information about Xanadu Wines at their website: www.xanaduwines.com for more varieties of their gorgeous wines.

Xanadu Wines are available by Luen Heng F&B Sdn Bhd. Check out their website: http://www.luenheng.com/ for more information.

For more information about the prestigious Saujana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, check out their website: http://www.thesaujanahotel.com/ or email: info@thesaujana.com

** Thanks to Saujana Hotel, Rathbone Wine Group, Xanadu Wines, and Luen Heng for the wine pairing affair!

Songket Restaurant: Hook On Traditional Malay Cuisine

Songket represents a luxurious hand woven silk or cotton textiles, intricately designed in traditional patterns with gold or silver threads to create a shimmering effect. It belongs to the heritage of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei and the term songket is derived from the word ‘sungkit’, which means ‘to hook’! The opulent textile is usually worn during special occasions and is made into traditional national costumes to represent its heritage.

When I was invited to Songket, located deep downtown in Kuala Lumpur, I know to expect nothing but luxury and authentic Malay cuisine at its best! Barely few months old, the restaurant already is well known for its cuisine and traditional Malay cultural performances.

True to its name, Songket Restaurant serves authentic high quality Malay cuisine inspired by traditional Malay recipes made only with the freshest ingredients like the pieces of Songket textiles that decorates the place. While Malay restaurants aren’t new in the city, Songket Restaurant is a refreshing one – that blends traditional styles of cooking and entertainment with modern creativity in a relaxed, upscale environment. Songket’s unique décor includes beautiful and colorful Songket pieces, softly illuminated granite water feature and decorative hanging laterns.

Tucked in a quiet cosy corner of Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, the bungalow has been converted to resemble a “kampung” (village) house. It has maximum seating capacity of 300 and is ideal for events and parties given its spacious environment and ample free parking.

The restaurant has one gorgeous private dining room to accommodate up to 12 persons comfortably.

This lovely purple Teddy Bear is made from songket. A brilliant idea to showcase our local songket designs!

Songket has a sumptuous drink menu filled with lovely mocktails. I had a Virgin Mojito which was thirst quenching and addictive as it was filled with lots of mint and lime! Very refreshing…

We were lucky to have Mr. Tony Wong, General Manager, who personally dine and explain its concept and dishes to us. We started off with Songket’s signature appetizers…

Chicken and Beef Satay (RM18) had eight skewers of lean chunks of meat well marinated in spices and honey. These were grilled flawlessly and served with ketupat and peanut sauce. I love the beef satay as it was tender and juicy with a nice balance of spices.

Next up was Cucur Udang (RM10). Lovely morsels of fried prawn fritter had a soft texture inside and filled with vegetables and prawn. Since I am a sucker for any fritters, needless to say I like this appetizer a lot.

Pegedil (RM10) is fried patties of mashed potato with minced chicken. This is my favorite appetizer as the potatoes are creamy and beautifully spiced!

We also enjoyed Otak Otak (RM12), a seafood mousse with kaduk leaf baked in a mug. At first look, it looks dry but when I tasted it, it was the complete opposite. Very moist, creamy and luscious, the otak otak is fantastic with its bold spicy flavors.

No sooner as we finished our appetizers, a lovely Kerabu Mangga (RM12) arrived. Young green mango was shredded and mixed with a spicy dressing. Intricate flavors and texture, the salad is so appetizing with rice.

Ayam Sambal Petai (RM28) was fiery looking with its red hues or gravy dotted by green stinking beans. The dish had fried pieces of chicken simmering in a tomato chili sauce with petai. Flavors were gentle but tasty and it had just a nice hint of heat to it.

Another chicken dish of Ayam Lemak Asam Gelugur (RM23) had pieces of chook in lovely gravy of yellow tumeric, coconut milk, kaffir leaves and other spices. Echoing a thinner version of rendang, the curry was mild and creamy with the wonderful aroma of the kaffir leaves.

I personally felt the star of that night’s meal was their signature Rusuk Panggang (RM60). Beef short ribs were marinated and chargrilled to perfection. The dark appearance of the ribs is from the dark soy sauce to give it a deep savory and sweet taste. The meat is excruciatingly tender and so appetizing. The meat was even more sinful with their spicy soy sauce and sambal belachan. I would go back to Songket just for this dish alone! Such a masterpiece… J

Kari Udang Raja (RM75) had a few people ogling at the luscious king prawns with delight. The prawns were cooked in a rich curry of spices and had a creamy based due to the coconut milk.

We also enjoyed Masak Lemak Udang Nanas (RM45). Succulent prawns and pineapple chunks are cooked in a light coconut milk spiced with tumeric and scented with kaffir leaves. The gravy was velvety, sweet and light and goes really well with the pineapple chunks.

I sampled the Ikan Siakap Masam Manis (RM60) and decided that this shared a similarity with the Chinese sweet and sour sauce. There was a stronger hint of chili in the sauce and filled with lots of onions, tomatoes, curry leaves and chilies.

Pucuk Paku Goreng (RM15) was wild fern shoots stir fried with a blend of chili, shallots and garlic with prawns.

We were served three types of rice that night.

Pandan Nasi Lemak (RM6) had a light pale green tinge and was flavored with coconut and aromatic pandan leaves. Sambal with a mixed of peanuts and anchovies was served with this rice.

Nasi Minyak (RM6) was fluffy spiced up rice served with a side of fruit acar.

Nasi Kerabu (RM8) was rice tossed with mixed herbs and served with crispy crackers and a curry sauce.

This was my nice platter with a bit of everything!

Desserts were the black sheep in this whole affair. Thinking along the lines of simple and normal desserts, I was in awed when I tasted them!

Pandan Pudding (RM10) was so luscious, I had to order one just for myself! One bite and you will be hooked like me. So luscious, creamy and fragrant, one bite of this magnificent pudding will make you want more! Trust me, one is Not enough!!

Sago Gula Melaka (RM10) had a lovely wobbly texture and when doused with rich gula Melaka and coconut milk, this was delicious. I recommend dousing it with lots of gula Melaka for the heavenly taste.

Durian Tiramisu (RM15) had another guest that night swooning with joy! She kept raving how sinful this dessert was. I’ll take her word for it as I am super allergic to durians…hehehe.

Coconut Cream Caramel (RM10) was another lovely dessert but I prefer the Pandan Pudding. Take my word, order the Pandan Pudding!

The management believes in providing a truly Malaysian experience, therefore, nightly performance of traditional cultural entertainment is showcase every week day from 9pm onwards.

Songket certainly lives up to its name! The restaurant is a class of its own league. Chef Mohd Zamri Bin Jemintan has managed to execute a very refined dining experience for Malay cuisine. Food price is above the norm but if you take into account the effort preparation of authenticity, quality and its classy ambience, Songket is set out to define an exceptional dining experience for everyone. 

With a gorgeous view of our nation’s pride and joy, Twin Towers as a backdrop, who could resist dining here?

 

'Songket Restaurant is one of the few Malay restaurants in the city that is endorsed by Tourism Malaysia as a recommended place to bring foreign guest.'

Songket Restaurant

29, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng,

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Contact No: 03-2161 3331

Email: info@songketrestaurant.com

Website: http://www.songketrestaurant.com/

Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 12pm - 3pm, 6pm - 11pm
Sat, Sun and public holiday: 5pm - 11pm

* Thanks to Songket and BBO for the experience! Some pictures are provided by Songket and BBO