10 Restaurant Quality Recipes for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Have you got anything planned? If you're planning on cooking your loved one a romantic meal at home, here are 10 restaurant-quality recipes you can easily recreate at home. Guaranteed to impress ;)

Click on name of dish for the full recipe.


1. Ham and rock melon
This is popularly served as a starter in Spanish or Italian restaurants, we had this numerous times while we were holidaying in Marbella.

To make this, no cooking skills are required. All you need to do is buy a rock melon and good-quality Jamon Iberico or Jamon serrano or Prosciutto. Cut the melon into slices and drape the Prosciutto over it. You can also make them into canapes (recipe here). Lovely with a glass of champagne.

2. Pan seared scallops with cauliflower puree and bacon crumble
This is my favorite scallop recipe, which I have cooked many times in my humble kitchen for my man. Not only does it taste fantastic, it looks really great on the plate too. A sure-fire way to impress your date, yes?

3. Chunky mushroom soup with truffle oil
Who doesn't like mushroom soup, especially when it's made with several different types of mushrooms and then finished off with a drizzle of truffle oil. You can make this early in the morning and then just reheat before serving.

4. Tenderloin steak with pumpkin mash
Steaks are incredibly easy to cook at home. You can also use rib eye or sirloin (these will not require a meat thermometer) - simply cook a 1 inch steak for 2 minutes each side for medium rare doneness.

5. Spaghetti with zucchini and king prawns
If your other half is a fan of Italian cuisine, make this pasta dish and reenact that kiss scene from "Lady and the Tramp". ;)

6. Risotto with scallops, asparagus and bacon bits
Another great Italian dish to recreate at home is risotto. It does require a little more effort, but nonetheless a simple dish to make. Creamy, rich and comforting, your other half will be most impressed and give you an A+ for your effort and the love that goes into making that risotto.

7. Roast lamb loin chops with rosemary and fries
Go to the supermarket and get 4-6 lamb loin chops and a packet of frozen fries and pop them in the oven. In 20 minutes or so, dinner is ready! How is that for easy?

8. Strawberry mille-feuille
Mille-feuille is an elegant and impressive-looking dessert. But guess what, it's soooooo easy to make. Plus Korean strawberries (the best kind!) is in season right now.

9. Passion fruit meringue
Meringues can be made ahead of time (ie make them the evening before) so all you have to do on Valentine's Day is to whip some cream and scoop out the passion fruit onto the meringue. More time to spend with your love!

10. Chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream
Chocolate is considered as a powerful aphrodisiac, so you can't go wrong with chocolate brownies on Valentine's Day. Another dessert you can make the evening before, top it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a winner!

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Recipe: Pesto Pasta with Oven-Roasted Chicken

I've said it before and I'll say it again - it's amazing having a herb garden at home. Furthermore, my kids love eating herbs, be it raw (straight from the plant) or used in our cooking.

One of our favorite herbs from the garden is sweet basil, which we love making pesto with. Don't worry though if you do not own a basil plant, you can always get a pack of basil at the supermarket for under RM2 and make this.

Pesto Pasta with Oven-Roasted Chicken

Making pesto is super simple, especially if you are using a food processor. Just place everything in there and blitz until you get a paste. To make our dinner more substantial, we served our pesto pasta with oven-roasted chicken. You can also use a grill pan to cook it, though using the oven would be less messy. We use chicken breast as it's leaner and healthier, but equally delicious!

Pesto pasta is one of my kid's favorite pasta so they were delighted to see this at the dinner time. Loved the marinade for the chicken, making the chicken really tasty and tender. This recipe is a keeper, one I would be making over and over again! :)

Funny pasta-eating faces!

Pesto pasta with oven-roasted chicken
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
2 quantity homemade pesto (recipe here)
300-350g dried spaghetti
Salt and freshly ground pepper

To garnish
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
A handful walnuts
Basil leaves, roughly torn
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken
1 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tbsp cooking oil

For the marinade
1 clove garlic, crushed to a paste
1 large pinch of salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1 tsp whole cumin seeds, roughly ground
1/2 tsp smoked paprika


1. First, clean the chicken breast and then cut each piece into half lengthwise and crosswise. This will cut down cooking time. Place marinade ingredients in a bowl, and mix well, then rub all over the chicken breasts and leave to marinade for at least 2 hours in the fridge.

2. To make the pesto: please refer to recipe here. You can place all ingredients in a food processor to save time. Once the pesto is ready, set aside in the fridge with a covering of olive oil.

My kids always have fun making pesto at home!

3. For the chicken:
To cook in oven: Preheat oven to 200°C (roast mode). Line the baking tray with foil, and brush lightly with oil. Then place marinated chicken on the tray in a single layer. Roast in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, until cooked through. Season chicken with more salt, if necessary.

To cook on hob: Alternatively, heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a large grill pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, place chicken down, and turn heat down to medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts just until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes each side. Season chicken with more salt, if necessary.

4. To prepare the pasta: Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water over medium high heat until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the spaghetti and place in a large bowl. Then add the pesto and toss to coat. Add some olive oil (about 1 tbsp) if it seems a little dry.

5. To serve: Using a two-pronged carving fork, swirl some of the pasta around the fork. Slide the pasta off the fork and mound it in the center of a plate. Repeat for each serving.  Cut each chicken breast on a slight diagonal into 6-8 thin slices. Arrange the chicken slices alongside the spaghetti.

6. Garnish with the cherry tomatoes, shaved Parmesan cheese,  walnuts and torn basil leaves.


(Note: We do like our pasta with lots of pesto, however if you're having this for the first time, try with 1 quantity pesto and gradually add more to your liking).

*I am submitting this to LTU: Noodles/Pasta hosted by Anne of My Bare Cupboard.


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Recipe: Risotto with porcini mushrooms, seared scallops and foie gras

I promised that I would share the recipe for this risotto with porcini mushrooms, seared scallops and foie gras, so here it is!

Christmas last year was a great success. Thanks to my team of sous chefs, I had no problems in the kitchen at all although we were serving 10 guests. For lunch, we decided to do a risotto - in hindsight, a damn good dish to make if you're serving a large group of people.

I made a simple chicken stock using chicken carcass, onions and carrots earlier that morning. Then, it was all a matter of stirring the risotto until it was cooked to al dente, creamy consistency. The frozen Rougie foie gras was a pleasant discovery at our usual "meat shop", which we thought would be really nice topped on the risotto. Cooking foie gras is surprisingly very easy (expertly done by Hubby)- just sear in a hot pan from frozen, then finish it off in the oven for 6-8 minutes. The Unc did a great job cooking the Hokkaido scallops - he got such a beautiful sear on them!

Super pleased with the risotto we made - it was creamy, rich and luscious. Not to mention super luxurious as well! Everyone was singing praises for it, so that made me one very happy chef :)

Risotto with porcini mushrooms, seared scallops and foie gras
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes (+ 1 1/2 hours for stock)
Serves 8-10

Ingredients
400g arborio rice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tbsp butter
2l chicken stock
20g dried porcini
50g Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper


4 x 50g frozen foie gras
30 scallops

To garnish
Lemon cress
Parmesan / Parmigiano Reggiano

For the chicken stock
2l water
2 chicken carcasses
2 large onions, quartered
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp salt



1. In a large pot, place water, chicken carcasses, onions and carrots and bring to the boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, lower to low heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Skim off any oil and scum. Season with salt. Simmer on very low heat while you cook your risotto.

2. Rinse the dried porcini mushrooms in lukewarm water, then place in a small bowl and fill with hot water. Allow to soak for about 15 minutes, then drain. Roughly chop and set aside.

3. In a large non-stick pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Increase heat to high, then add the rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir the rice with the onion, making sure that the grains are coated with the olive oil/butter until slightly translucent and the rice starts to crackle, for about 2 minutes. This process is called tostatura. It helps the rice absorb the stock later.

5. Turn the heat down to medium low, and add enough stock to cover the risotto, about 1 cup. Keep stirring the risotto constantly as stirring massages the starch molecules out of the rice, hence creating a rich, creamy texture.

6. Allow the stock to be absorbed before adding more stock to the rice. Keep adding small amounts of stock (1/2 cup at a time) to the rice until the rice is soft but still has a bite to it (al dente). This will take about 20-30 minutes. Taste the risotto rice occasionally to check if it's ready. If you run out of stock before your rice is ready, you can add boiling water as a substitute for the stock.

7. When the rice is almost ready (95%), lower the heat, then add the porcini mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Take the pan off the heat and add the Parmesan into the rice (the mantecatura process) as well as 2 tablespoons of butter. Taste and adjust seasoning.

8. In the meantime, heat a frying pan until very hot over high heat. Once the pan is very hot, turn down to medium heat then add the frozen foie gras to the pan and cook without fat for 30 seconds - 1 minute each side, until golden brown. Place in a 180C (no fan) oven for 6-8 minutes. Season with salt. Cut each foie gras into half.

9. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp oil over high heat until very hot. Pat the scallops dry with kitchen towel and season with salt. Once pan is very hot, add the scallops and quickly sear, depending on the size of your scallops (about 1-2 minutes). Remove once cooked, and repeat until all scallops are cooked.

10. To serve, place risotto onto a plate, then top with scallops and half a piece of foie gras. Garnish with lemon cress and more shaved Parmesan. Serve immediately.


Note: You can start cooking the foie gras 8 minutes and the scallops 5 minutes before the risotto is ready.

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ROOST, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar, KL

We stumbled upon this restaurant when we were in Bangsar last week. ROOST is located on Jalan Telawi 3, taking over the spot previously home to F by Buffalo Kitchens. Apparently, it's the same owners but just a change of restaurant name. 

Stairway to ROOST

With the tagline "From Farm to Fork", ROOST aims to showcase minimalist, rustic, Nordic and sustainable food. Whenever possible, they want to utilise local sustainable ingredients and translate them into modern European cuisine.

The 2-page menu comprises of snacks, appetizers, pasta, mains, burger and dessert. Some interesting dishes on the menu include deep fried frog legs with tamarind jam, crispy cuttlefish with ink aioli and lavender smoked king prawn. They also do a set-lunch for under RM20 (salad + sandwich).

To start, Hubby ordered the apple wood smoked duck breast (RM18), served with browned butter onion puree and pomegranates. Presentation is nice, and flavours are well-thought out. Clean and nice dish.

I am so glad that I ordered the Duck Liver Pate (RM16) - the pate is so smooth and rich and tastes absolutely amazing! Been a while since I had such a good one. Very surprised that it came in such a generous portion too, and really delicious eaten with the tomato jam and toasted bread. Highly recommended.

Sadly, the other dish that I ordered was pretty disappointing. I was attracted to the mangrove crab meat and scallop salad as it sounded promising on paper. For RM25, I was definitely expecting more than limp watercress, some cherry tomatoes, 1 scallop (cut into half) and a few slivers of crab meat. Pretty uninspiring.

We did however enjoy Hubby's mains - pan seared seabass atop a creamy pumpkin butter risotto (RM35). Nicely done.

Oh and look - I spotted my photo in December's issue of Time Out KL. 

Hubby had an affogato (RM12) here too. Good coffee, he says.

Verdict: Overall, we had a good meal here - I enjoyed the duck liver pate in particular and would certainly return for this.


Opening times: 11:30 am - 11.30pm. Closed on Mondays.

Price: Total bill RM115.40

Location: ROOST, 69-1, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (previously F by Buffalo Kitchens, above Chawan)

Tel: 03-2201 1710

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Roostkl

GPS Coordinates: 3.130232, 101.67101

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Michelin-Star Chef Mario Gamba of Acquarello Munich @ Mandarin Oriental KL

I was excited to hear that Chef Mario Gamba of Michelin-starred Acquarello in Munich was coming to KL and was even more excited when I received an invitation from the Mandarin Oriental KL hotel to attend a cooking demo and 7-course dinner at Mandarin Grill.

Chef Mario Gamba will be at the award-winning Mandarin Grill from 19 to 22 November 2014 and diners can choose from a 5-course dinner for RM498++ per person or 7-course dinner for RM698++ per person. There will also be a 6-course wine dinner featuring Chateau Cantemerle on 22nd November for RM598++ per person.

Chef Mario Gamba's restaurant in Munich, Acquarello was awarded one Michelin-star in 2000 and has been listed among the world's 100 best restaurants by Forbes. He has trained under Michelin-starred Chef Alain Chapel in France, Chef Heinz Winkler of Tantris and Chef Gualitero Marchesi. He is specially flown in by Qatar Airways with his assistant Chef Bastian Gebhardt to give diners an exclusive Italian dining experience.

Earlier at the cooking demo, Chef Mario Gamba shows us how to make a pea risotto topped with scallop saltimbocca and Amalfi lemon foam. He tells us that to make a good risotto, it is important to buy good risotto rice (either Carnaroli or Vialone Nano). During his cooking demo, he uses the 9-years aged Acquerello rice, which is often hailed as the "Roll-Royce of rice" due to its superior quality. The aging process guarantees a perfect stability of the starch within the grains, that is indispensable to exalt their qualitative and nutritional values.

Saltimbocca is given a twist by Chef Mario Gamba, as he tops the lightly seared scallops with raw tuna drizzled with sesame oil. Another tip that he shares is to add some acidity to the risotto, either by adding a splash of wine or white balsamic vinegar and butter to finish off the dish. The risotto was perfectly executed and by the time I finished eating it, I was certainly looking forward to the 7-course dinner that was to come.

For dinner, we were ushered into the private dining room in Mandarin Grill restaurant. To start, we were served a selection of bread with salted and smoked butter, followed by an amuse bouche of veal with tuna foam, his take on the Vitello Tonnato.

Our dinner venue, the elegant Mandarin Grill

During the cooking demo, Chef Mario Gamba revealed that in his Acquarello kitchen in Munich, he prefers to serve a light menu to his diners by using less butter and sugar. He also tells us that his favorite method of cooking is sous vide, as it is healthier and the flavours of food are sealed in. The veal in the warm veal filet salad was prepared with the sous vide method, and then served with artichoke, basil oil and truffle shavings. Yup, be prepared for a truffle extravaganza ;)

"You must try the gold egg later" Chef Mario Gamba enthusiastically tells us. And I can see why - the truffled egg is topped with edible gold leaf, celery mousseline, and Madeira foam. This was definitely my favorite dish of the evening - absolutely exquisite and bursting with flavour.

Chef Mario Gamba grew up in Northern Italy, and his grandmother used to make ravioli for the family on weekends. For the next course, we were served with a potato ravioli with sherry foam and white truffle shavings. I liked the texture that potato filling gives these delicate parcels and the sherry foam packs quite a punch flavour wise.

The filet of cod was served with a sauce made from duet of bell pepper coulis, topped with scallop cream, black truffle shavings and cannellini beans foam.  Super love the sauce, paired with flaky fish.

Cappuccino of Potato with Parmesan Foam and Truffle

The main course is a lamb loin in a crisp bread crust. Beautifully pink in the centre, this was served with a rosemary jus with ratatouille and baked eggplant praline on the side.

By the way, Mandarin Grill is also having a truffles promotion- RM180/g for white truffle, and RM90/g for black truffle.

And to end our wonderful meal, a gorgeous ricotta souffle served with Alba white truffle ice cream, pear coulis and Tahitian vanilla. The truffle ice cream was amazing, wish I could have more of that!

Thank you to Mandarin Oriental KL for extending the invitation to this exquisite dinner.


Opening times: 12pm to 2.30pm; 7pm to 10.30pm.

Pork-free.

Price: RM698++ per person

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

Tel: 03-2380 8888

GPS Coordinates: 3.155514, 101.711555




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