2nd stop on the 2008 MIGF train

When my datemates went to Ipoh this week, we had to postponed the Chynna tasting session until 2 weeks later, leaving me free to check out Senses (for the 1st time) and to dig into their MIGF menu. Being the earliest customer there, I probably jumpstarted the kitchen ahead of schedule. Service was impeccable compared to Iketeru sereneness. And I also got a view of the Parliament house with the Bukit Gasing reserve in between.

Bread (and butter) for starters, rye, soft roll, poppyseed/pumpkinseed/mixed signals and baguette. Good fillers, I think I ate more of them than the dishes. :P








Table smoked Tasmanian ocean trout, Nordic deep sea shrimp with sour cream & chives
Okay, so the trout came in freshly smoked with a wine glass covering it in smoke which they will remove at you table. If you think it is showy, wait until you taste the trout, the smoke is clinging to the surface while the (semi)raw inside taste fresh as a fish out of the water. Resting on some sweet pickled strips of vegetables that complement it, It seems like a big scarlet A.

Being a hamchoy, I was a teeny weeny bit disappointed to see such small shrimps (can't even call them prawns), but they were springy and sweet. No objection, your culinariness.














Mains: Heirloom tomato on organic durum toast, marinated mackerel, smoked olive onion
What an ensemble cast.
The mackerel was singing, the tomatos were in chorus. The two together on your tongue just alternate in cresendo, neither fading or giving way to the other, not even til the very end. The durum toast was dry but sponges up the gravy. Even the olive onions and caramelized onion threads were sweet to the point of balance, not over, not under.



















Soup: Game consommé with truffle noodle
Another entertaining dish: bring a bowl of soup to your table, squeeze some truffle sauce into the soup. Voila, instant truffle noodles, which tends to stick together making a truffle net instead.

The soup was hearty and thick, while it took a while to cut the noodles into spoonsize threads. Chef Michael mentioned afterwards that he wanted the diners to play around with our food. I find it quite the hassle and wanted to spank him on the spot (Which probably made me forget to ask him about the bed of salt underneath the bowl of soup).

















Mains: Organic Bintje potato with truffle centre
A potato bowl with truffles and potato puree on the side. Break the bowl and watch truffles saucy soup spill out. It's Potatomania and Trufflelicious.

Either my olfactory was not functioning properly or the truffles have been baked until their fragrance has been totally toasted. I could not smell them. At least I could taste them like a chinese ink painting in 3D.

The blackness of the truffle ink drawing lines in the smooth canvas of potato puree with chunks of the potato bowl providing the rough edges for contrast. My favourite dish of the night. Simple yet effective.
















Mains: Gently cooked Japanese Hirame with
sous vide giant octopus, spiced pimento gel
Hirame is flatfish, or so I am told (probably by wikipedia).

Looks pretty gory, the filet of Hirame and chunks of octopus arriving on a sea of bloody tomato sauce with the plate still hot to the touch as if to indicate that the vile murder only took place moments ago.

Fear not, dear Hirame. Your corpse will not be in vain, it was springy and the tomato sauce brought out your mellowness. Any hint of who oiled the octopus was gone under the wash of the tomato sauce. Indeed, a thrilling crime that Hercules Peirot will not solve.















Interlude: Tea “Chaud Froid”
Tea, sweet and fruity, not much of a palate cleanser if you ask me. Give me sorbert anytime.












Dessert: 5 puttonyos Tokaji with its ice cream
Tokaji, Tokaji,
once you eat, make you sing.
hic hic hic, HIC HIC hic!
it is nice, it is bling,
you ask me, I already ding (dong).

Yes, blame the hungarian alcohol in the souffle which did not evaporate completely. Hence I got hit, and had to interrogate chef Michael in my addlebrain state. Love the raspberries with the (melty) ice cream and the biscuits, which counteract some of the bitter alcohol aftertaste.



















Chef Michael is pretty enlightening, a pity I could not get him to talk more about the food. Perhaps, it should be FBB or WMW turn to interrogate this award winnng chef (He won last year).

I ended up somewhere on the premises of the KL Hilton 2 hours later and will stay mum about the antics.

Awaiting more feedback on my food reviews, Say it so in the comment section.