Hanare Weekend Buffet + Plan B Roasters, Intermark KL

The Unc was back for a short break, and as always, one of the things he was craving for was Japanese food. And where better to satisfy our craving than at the best Japanese buffet in town (in my books) - at Hanare Japanese Restaurant at Intermark Mall, KL.

The buffet is available every weekend from 12 noon to 2.30pm and is priced at RM148++ per person.

Chef Akira-san at the sushi counter

Here's a short summary of what's different / same compared to our last visits. You can read these posts here, here and here which documents our previous visits.

What's different: 
1. In the past, the buffet was available only on Sundays, but now it is available on both Saturday and Sundays. Reservations are recommended since it can get pretty busy.
2. More variety - lots more sushi, appetizers, dessert options.
3. Sashimi is not sliced to order, except for chutoro. In the past, you will need to place your order and wait for the chef to slice and plate it up. No more long waiting time - they are laid out nicely and you can help yourself to as much as you like! The sashimi at the counter is constantly replenished by the sushi chef.
4. Speaking of chutoro (tuna belly), it is no longer free flow and each person is limited to 3 pieces only. You will be given a token to redeem your chutoro at the sushi counter. I admit, I was a little upset at first but the really fresh (unlimited) salmon and hamachi sashimi made up for it.:)


What's the same:
1. The price - still RM148++ with free flow green tea.
2. The same great quality of food. The sashimi are super fresh and thickly cut and we love the Wagyu beef, king prawn and scallop from the teppanyaki counter too.
3. Good service - green tea refilled and plates cleared efficiently.

Chutoro.... sadly, it's limited to 3 pieces per person now

Oysters

Lots of sushi, makis 

Unagi

Shishamo

 Had lots and lots of sashimi... :)

Teppanyaki... Wagyu, scallops and prawns are our favorites!

They replenish this pretty often... and everytime they do, it disappears in 2 mins! :D I "may" have been responsible for some of the disappearing acts. Excellent marbling.

Wagyu teppanyaki..... so so good! Buttery-goodness!

A few desserts on offer too, my fav being the green tea ice cream.

After lunch, we stopped by at Plan B Roasters by BIG for some coffee. Affogato and double espresso.

Verdict: Totally enjoyed the buffet at Hanare. Great quality and good service.


The Hanare Japanese buffet is available every weekend from 12pm to 2.30pm. Priced at RM148++ for adults.

Price: Total bill RM515.05 for 3 pax.

Location: Hanare Authentic Japanese Cuisine, Lot G06, Ground Floor, The Intermark, 182 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2164 2133 / 03-2164 2633

 *******************

Opening times: Mon - Sat 8am - 8pm. Closed on Sundays.

Location: Plan B Roasters by BIG, Lot G-03 Ground Floor, The Intermark, 348 Jalan Tun Razak, KL

Tel: 03 2161 2368

GPS Coordinates: 3.161620, 101.719670

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Recipe: Strawberry Mille-Feuille Dessert

The first time I had mille-feuille was at Sage Restaurant in KL in 2009 and to date, it is still one of the best, most memorable desserts I've eaten there. Mille-feuille (sometimes called the Napolean) is a flaky, rectangular French pastry with a sweet filling, traditionally comprising of 3 layers of puff pastry, with 2 layers of pastry cream.

One of my favorite versions is the strawberry mille-feuille, which is the one Hubby recreated at home for us. For his strawberry mille-feuille, he used 1 sheet of Pampas puff pastry (a 1-kg pack comes in 6 sheets) which he cut into 1.5"x 4" rectangles and then baked in the oven for about 12-15 minutes until crispy and golden. Because they puff up quite a lot, he sliced them into half each for a nicer presentation. In between the puff pastry, we layered it with Crème Chantilly (vanilla-flavored whipped cream) and fresh Korean strawberries (in season now!).  Dust with icing sugar or snow powder to finish.

Simple to make, but absolutely delicous and elegant looking. Love the light, crisp pastry against the soft, pillowy cream and fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Mille-Feuille
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 13-15 minutes
Makes 6

Ingredients
1 sheet ready-made frozen Pampas puff pastry, cut into 1.5" x 4" (approx.)
250g fresh strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced
Icing sugar or snow powder, for dusting

For the Creme Chantilly
150g whipping cream
1/2 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (fan-assisted).

2. Cut the puff pastry to size (you will get 9 rectangles), then place onto a baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Place in preheated oven and cook for 13-15 mins or until the pastry is puffed and golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.Once cooled, carefully slice each puff pastry into half with a sharp knife to make 2 thin pieces (now you have 18 rectangles).

3. Place the whipping cream with icing sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk until stiff peaks. Put in fridge if not required immediately.

4. To assemble, place one piece of pastry in the centre of the plate, then top with some of the cream mixture. Lay some sliced strawberries on top of the cream, then top with another piece of pastry. Repeat with more cream and strawberries, then top with final piece of puff pastry. Dust with icing sugar or snow powder and serve.

Dust with icing sugar or snow powder to finish

Note: Leave the puff pastry to thaw for 5mins, then cut to size. It is quite difficult to work with once it has completely thawed.

* I am linking this to Bake-Along #73 (Theme: Mille Feuille) hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids.



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Recipe: Spaghetti pasta with garlic butter prawns, crispy bacon and chilli flakes

Last year, my kids were totally crazy about pasta (having pasta every weekend and weekdays too if they can get away with it)... and it looks like this craze will continue in 2015. Other than crispy bacon, my kids also love prawns hence this pasta dish was born.

It is a combination of the Asian-style "garlic butter prawns" as well as Italian aglio olio pasta - a really fantastic fusion pasta dish, I have to say. For the adults, I also added in some dried chilli flakes for the spicy kick. Absolutely delicious!

The kids love this :)

Spaghetti pasta with garlic butter prawns, crispy bacon and chilli flakes
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
300-350g spaghetti
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 rashers streaky bacon, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
20 king prawns, peeled and deveined, with tails intact
1-2 tbsp salted butter
1-2 tsp chilli flakes
2-3 stalks parsley, roughly chopped
8-10 sweet basil leaves, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese, to garnish



1. In a pot of salted water, cook the spaghetti pasta according to pack instructions, about 8-10 minutes until al dente. Remove from heat and drain, run under cold water to stop from cooking further.

2. Heat the olive oil in frying pan on medium high heat. Add bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same pan, melt the butter and then add the garlic and cook for another minute until golden brown. Then, add the king prawns and chilli flakes (start with 1 tsp and more if you prefer it spicier), and cook for 1- 1 1/2 minute until the prawns are cooked through. Add the drained pasta, season with salt and pepper as necessary and toss well.

4. 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. Top with crispy bacon, prawns as well as parsley and basil. Grate Parmesan cheese all over.

Note: You can omit the chilli flakes in Step 3 if serving to kids, then sprinkle in at the end with cheese for those who want it.

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


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Jualan Terhebat DiGi!

Can you believe it's 2015 already - Happy New Year and I hope that you all had a wonderful festive season and Santa delivered the smartphone of your dreams. Fear not, if your wishes were not fulfilled by the big man in the red and white suit as there is a big yellow man out there ready and very willing to make your telecommunication dreams come true.

DiGi is currently having their "Jualan Terhebat DiGi", offering the widest range of FREE smartphones, ranging from the latest Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G to Samsung GALAXY Grand Prime and also the best deals on high performance phones such as Honor 6.

Customers can choose from a selection of plans to suit their requirements, starting with DG SmartPlan 78 with a monthly commitment of RM78/month which comes with 3GB Internet quota, 100 mins and 100 SMS. Other plans include DG SmartPlan 108 (RM108/month, 5GB, 300 mins & 300 SMS) and DG SmartPlan 148 (RM148/month, 6GB, 600 mins & 600 SMS).

All DG SmartPlan also comes with added value of Unlimited WhatsApp, Free Norton Security, Free Deezer (music streaming app) and Unlimited Weekend Calls (between DiGi to DiGi lines).



Customers who sign up for DG SmartPlan during the Jualan Terhebat DiGi period will be rewarded with an extra 2,400 minutes and 2,400 SMS. Customers who switch to DiGi will also enjoy extra rebates up to RM200.

For example, with the DG SmartPlan 78, you can get these phones for FREE - Asus Fonepad 7 (RRP RM599), Samsung GALAXY Grand Quattro (RRP RM599), Xiaomi Redmi 1S (RRP RM419), ASUS Zenfone 5 (RRP RM599) and Lenovo A536 (RRP RM469).

Additionally, you can also get the Redmi Note 4G (RRP 589) for FREE with the DG SmartPlan 108 (or at RM209 with the DG SmartPlan 78) or the Honor 6 for FREE (RRP RM999) with DG SmartPlan 148 (or RM599 with the DG SmartPlan 78).

So what are you waiting for? Head over to DiGi and take advantage of Jualan Terhebat DiGi!



*This is a sponsored post.


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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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Nutmeg, Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur

I was meeting up with a friend in Bangsar and she suggested Nutmeg in Bangsar Village II as our lunch venue. Nutmeg is a casual dining restaurant/cafe serving all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner and some of their specialties here include salt beef and house-cured salmon gravlax. They also do a Executive Set Lunch Menu (3-course for RM28+) from Mondays to Fridays. 

On their menu, they have breakfast items such as brioche French toast, big breakfast, salt beef hash, Spanish frittata, or sandwiches such as Classic Reuben, and bagels. I decided to try their Southern Fried Breakfast (RM26), which comes with two eggs any style, a piece of Southern fried chicken, biscuit, gravy, hashed potatoes and a side salad. I went for two poached eggs, and they were cooked beautifully. The chicken was tender and moist, and I liked the biscuit and hashed potatoes too which were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. A hearty, satisfying breakfast!

Poached eggs, beautifully done  :)

My drink - orange elderflower

My friend had the Fish and Chips off the specials board and the portion was really huge, so she shared some with me too. The "fish" was a large tilapia fillet, battered and deep fried. It was fresh and moist. Served with peas, fries and tartar sauce.

For dessert, we ordered one of their bestsellers, the OMG! chocolate fudge cake. When it arrived, I literally went OMG due to the sheer size of it. Served with vanilla ice cream, the cake was pretty good - moist and not too sweet. Definitely one for sharing though.

Opening times: 9.30am to 10.00pm daily.

Location:Nutmeg, UGF-28A Bangsar Village II, 2 Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03 2201 3663

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

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Top 8 Recipes for a Brilliant Sunday Roast

It's the first Sunday of 2015 and there's no better way to spend it than with my favorite Sunday tradition - Sunday Roast. A typical Sunday roast consists of roasted meat, roast potato, vegetables, gravy and Yorkshire pudding.

Here are 8 of my favorite recipes for a brilliant Sunday Roast.

1. Roast Beef

My favorite cut to use when making roast beef is rib eye. Tender and succulent, the whole family loves it.

I usually cook my roast beef to medium rare - the cooking time is 5 mins per 100g at 180°C. Allow to rest for at least 15-20 minutes before carving.

For roast beef recipe, see here.

2. Roast lamb

Roast leg of lamb is great if you're feeding a large family. This Heston Blumenthal-inspired recipe is my favorite - simply slow roasted at 90°C for about 2 hours. 

See recipe here.

3. Roast lamb loin chops

Baby C's favorite lamb cut is the lamb loin chops. This is much more quicker to cook compared to the whole leg of lamb (20 mins vs 2 hours). 

See recipe here.

4. Roast chicken

This is a simple roast chicken recipe from Michelin-star chef Thomas Keller. You only need 4 basic ingredients for this recipe - unsalted butter, salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Moist chicken with incredibly crispy skin.

See recipe here.

5. Roast potatoes

A must-have with every Sunday Roast is roast potatoes. Crisp on the outisde, fluffy on the inside - delicious!

See recipe here.

6. Yorkshire puddings

We like having Yorkshire puddings with roast beef. They're really easy to make (less than 20 mins for prep and cooking). I love them crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and with lots of gravy poured over.

See the recipe here. 

7. Homemade mint sauce

A good mint sauce is essential when serving roast lamb. I prefer making my own using fresh mint from the garden - so very easy to do. 

See recipe here.

8. Vegetables

We like to keep it simple and have our Sunday roast with steamed or boiled vegetables. Two of my favorites are Brussel sprouts and carrots.

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