Sunday, November 11, 2007

7 Years of Surprises...And To Many More, Darling


1.

molten chocolate cake My life has always been about 3 guesses. For 18 years of our lives (7 spent married), we'd been playing the guessing game.

"What's for dinner tonight, dear?"
"I'll give you 3 guesses."

"What movie are we watching?"
"3 guesses before the next ad comes on!"

"What car are you buying?"
"Guess lah."

Well, you get the idea. However, sometimes, the guessing game backfires.

"Where are we going tonight?"

"Guess." He keeps me in the dark.

I make my guess, and dress in a nice smart casual outfit and meet him after work. That's when I spy loads of elegant looking people dressed to the nines in Choo and Blahnik, dripping with jewels.

"Fock man. You could have told me!! The fockin' Queen is here, and I'm dressed in......focking' office clothes??!!?!"

He eased up on me for a couple of months, but resumed his impish ways soon after. A leopard never loses its spots.


2.

Bald Eagle It was our wedding anniversary and we were going out for a romantic dinner. The usual charade ensued.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. I'll give you 3 guesses."

"Give me a hint, at least."

"Fine. I'll give you 2 hints. It's connected to The Gardens (Mid Valley), and it's Japanese," he offered graciously.

That seemed simple enough. "Yuzu," I proclaimed. "We're definitely going to Yuzu."

"Wear something nice," he winked, neither affirming nor denying.


3.

Since he was buying, I offered to drive (after all, marriage is a 50-50 deal, isn't it?).

I was soon driving past Mid Valley straight on to the roads leading to the American Embassy. As we drove into the carpark at MiCasa, I still couldn't figure out his clues. (I really should have paid more attention to Fatboybakes' blog entry on Cilantro last week instead of merely gawking at the stupendous amount of foie gras he had consumed.)

"Ok. Explain yourself," I demanded. "What has Cilantro got to do with The Gardens or Japanese?"

"Cilantro will be opening a branch in The Gardens," he paused for dramatic effect, "and Cilantro is a French-Japanese fusion restaurant!" Did I imagine the "ta-da!" at the end?

Bald Eagle = 1, Lyrical Lemongrass = 0.


4.

freshly baked bread truffle butter As we sat down in the plush semi-circular seat, we were told that the bread would take another 15 minutes. "Freshly baked bread!" I exclaimed. And what a magnificent treat it was to eat the bread spread with the most delicious truffle butter! We loved it so much that we actually finished up all the bread on the table, only to be asked politely if we wanted any more. I blushed and mumbled that the truffle butter was glorious, and the kindly looking lady nodded knowingly, probably used to the same reaction from all her guests.


IMG_2067 A tiny bit of chicken sausage served with a gelatinous topping came with the chef's compliments. I never thought chicken sausage could taste so good.


unagi and foie gras My starter was a Pan-fried Unagi with Foie Gras (RM68). The grilled eel was layered with foie gras, then coated with flour and fried. Cut horizontally across the layers, pop it into your mouth and feel the sweet richness melt in your mouth. Along with cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels, this must definitely be one of my favourite things.


truffle souffle The appetisers list was extensive, and it was a tough choice. How does one choose from 6 hot and 6 cold appetisers, all carrying names with at least 5 words in each? He, being the more decisive person in our relationship, took only 2 minutes as compared to my 10 to decide on the the first dish. His Baked Truffle Souffle with Parmigiano Reggiano (RM48) came with a creamy truffle sauce that was utterly decadent. Another melt-in-your-mouth experience.

palate cleanser In between courses, we were served a white wine granita to cleanse the palate. It had a nice granular texture.

lightly smoked salmon

I've always loved fish. But this time, I made sure I spent 15 minutes scrutinising all the items on the Main Course list before I made my final decision. My Lightly Smoked Salmon with Confit of Beetroot, Truffle Soy Vinaigrette (RM68) was perfect. The outer layer of the slab of salmon was lightly cooked, and as the layers progressed to the centre, it was almost raw. The musky scent of the truffle mixed with the distinct salmon flavour together with the generous portion of salmon roe created a rather salty combination, but mix it with the sweet creamy sauce and a perfect balance of flavours is created. Every bite was ecstacy.


wagyu cheeks

He was equally enraptured with his Wasabi Crumble Crusted Wagyu Cheek with Roasted Mushrooms (RM68). The flavour of the wasabi very lightly caressed the tender slab of wagyu cheek. Another recommended dish.

green tea souffle Desserts are priced at RM32 each, but a group can opt for 4 choices (dessert platter) at RM98. Although I was initially keen on trying the dessert platter, sensibility prevailed as I accepted the reality of the situation. I was stuffed. And so, reluctantly, I chose the dessert which I felt would be the lightest - the Home-made Souffle in Green Tea with Green Tea Ice Cream. It was a great choice as the eggy smell wafted into my nostrils like a temptress after her diamonds. I loved the souffle as it wasn't too sweet thanks to the green tea which added a hint of bitterness to the overall flavour. The green tea ice cream was definitely homemade.

molten chocolate cake Bald Eagle went for the bold and brazen choice of Dark Chocolate Cup Cake with Earl Grey Ice Cream. Ah...what is there not to like about a molten chocolate cake!

I hear that the restaurant will be undergoing renovations come March 2008, so if you're keen to visit this place, do so before then. Also, rumour has it that the new outlet at The Gardens will be serving predominantly Mediterranean cuisine, so expect a different menu.

Cilantro
Restaurant and Wine Bar
368B, Jalan 1/68F, Off Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-21798000 or 03-21798048 (DL)

Operating hours: 6.00pm to 1.00am Mon to Sat; 12.00 noon to 2.00pm every Friday. Closed on Sunday.




The good people of Abu Dhabi who are unable to view my flickr pics may view pics here.

28 comments:

Argus Lou said...

Congratulations to the two of you! May you both enjoy many, many more years of love, devotion and lovely meals together.

(Oh, the dishes you described really made my tummy growl like a tiger cub batting a flirty butterfly.)

Precious Pea said...

Happy Anniversary to you and Tim. I tot I could wish you both during the dinner when I tot you too were going to Yuzu. Anyway..the food looks so lovely..hmm..birthday coming soon...must hint hint to hubby.

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

wahlau eh..now fbb now u seem to have got converted to a micasa fan..argh!!!... yes i am back..n now i want to eat foie gras..

ling239 said...

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary ~ ^_^
wat a wonderful meal u have...
i want the salmon !! :p

bee said...

lovely post. and fabulous pics.

KellytheCulinarian said...

Happy anniversary! Sounds like a tasty place.

LianneK said...

Happy Anniversary to you both, Yuzu or no Yuzu, ahhh your hub so sweet to remember anniversary. You know how difficult is it to remember that? Hehehe

ps : Cilantro is so spot on, for such special occassion. If I'm you, I will stuff the dessert platter in, somehow!

Cynthia said...

Happy Anniversary! And thanks for taking the time between gazing lovingly into each other's eyes, to take pics to share with us :)

UnkaLeong said...

*hugs* May there be many more to come ;)

backStreetGluttons said...

well done ! da pixs have a certain gloss quite like some home ( or is it culinary ) mags over at MPH( or Brothers ) so somethings must be right !...but do beware the itch begins around this time ( thats right my dear , seven years )
...though we are sure too its gonna be heartwrenchingly Xciting nonederless

HairyBerry said...

Happy Anniversary! A great meal with the loved one, priceless...Foie gras & unagi? That's really interesting...am in love with foie gras these days since having a sinful piece with granny smith puree last week....(salivating)

Anonymous said...

happy happy anniversary. May you have a very blessed next 7 years.

fatboybakes said...

hhmphhh, see, never pay attention leh...

Babe_KL said...

happy belated anniversary!!!

Anonymous said...

Great shirt.. funky 'carpet' too... ;)

Happy 7th, gurl! May fun and games never go out of your marriage! :)

Oh, tell BEagle I have yet to come up with a story that tops his skid-mark one in E.Palace. (for some reason, I always think he is Naked Eagle, rather than Bald.. Eagle brings to mind 'spread-eagle' and when one is spread-eagled, one is always naked...)

Rarebeet said...

happy anniversary!! Food looks fantastic as usual. I spot some new things on the menu! Wah, must go again....

~Christine~Leng said...

Happy Anniversary to u and bald eagle :) Many more to come! Wishing u both eternal happiness!
What a celebration! Nice food , great companion and terrific pictures :)
aw...so sweet!

Henry Yeo said...

Happy anniversary.
We are booked, now to get 3 more people to enjoy a 10% discount.

Sze said...

happy anniversary! and i'm beginning to think people in KL are single-handedly wollaping all the foie gras in the world. those poor stuffed geese.

Anonymous said...

Happy Belated Anniversary, wah so nice to see that the element of surprise still there after all these years.
May you have many many more happy years to come.

jasmine said...

Happy Anniversary. And i think the guessing game is just lovely. ;)

The dinner sounds so scrumptious. Doesn't help it's almost lunch and I'm getting quite hungry...

MeiyeN said...

happy belated anniversary to you and your hubby, many many happy returns to both of you!!! omg.. your post really making me hungry.. wanna butt off to cilantro soon!

Kenny Mah said...

I can't imagine a better way to celebrate one's wedding anniversary than to be surrounded by guesses... the mystery that keeps the marriage flames burning bright! :D

Congratulations, my dear. May you and Tim have plenty more to come. *hugs*

k.t.x said...

hey hey hey, happy aniversary 2 u and tim!!!!!!!

ermmm, nice food. yummy. all soft, brown and moist looking huh? must be really "easy" to eat...kakaka.

Xiu Long Bao said...

LoL at bald eagle! Nxt time ur turn to make him guess :p
Happy anniversary president!

msiagirl said...

Happy Belated Anniversary! It's good to keep each other guessing :) Big hugs to you both. I was laughing at the "stupendous amount of foie gras" comment you made about FBB going to Cilantro (yes I did pay attention but that was the main distracting bit!). It is so PC here no one will admit to scoffing the stuff. :)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations and best wishes for what sounds like a very special anniversary!

My honey and I have been married 7 years too and he still plays those sorts of tricks on me, I love it really but could've killed him the year he made me think I was getting a foot spa for my b'day and I ended up with a very flashy diamond ring ... Ya gotta love those boys, and yours sounds a winner.

[and how long you been going out? since you were 5 or what? :D]

daphne said...

What a lovely romantic dinner! Congratulations!!