Had dinner at Villa Danielli, Imperial Hotel (formerly the Sheraton Imperial).
We had a pizza that was described as Pancetta e Funghi. Which my rudimentary italian identifies as bacon and mushroom. Now, the description below informs the customer that it is beef bacon they are getting, not pork bacon.
My question - can it be called pancetta, if it is not made from pork, specifically pork belly?
Wikipedia does not seem to think so. And I don't think so either.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Why my blog does not have pictures of the food I eat
Somone asked me why my blog, which is about food most of the time, was so scant when it came to food pictures.
Because there are already enough food blogs out there with endless pictures of food, and not enough food blogs out there with WORDS in 'em. That's why. Especially Malaysian food blogs.
It makes you wonder why they are even called blogs if they are just full of pictures. A blog, lest we forget, was supposed to have originated as an online diary/journal which whilst it is appropriate that it includes photographs, should be more about WORDS.
From wikipedia
Another reason: I'm not a professional photographer and my food pictures would just look like amateur food pictures anyway. Why would I want to insult the chef or restaurant owner by publishing amateur photographs of their food?
A professional photographer, assisted by a food stylist and further assisted by an army of assistants is how pictures in food magazines look so good. Since I am neither professional, not assisted nor willing to invest in the equipment or time to learn how to do it well, I refuse to accordingly do injustice to the food and to the Chef by photographing his or her food in bad light (or just lousy light), using a snappy camera and failing to complement what's on the plate with an appropriate styling.
Admittedly, most Malaysian food blogs are not pro-blogs wherein the bloggers are full-time pros who earn their living from their blog or who use their blog for purposes of showcasing their work as writers/photographers/food writers. So really, they can write whatever they want, and use as many pictures as they want. But I maintain that the biggest problem we have towards educating people on gastronomy and culinary arts and sciences in Malaysia is simply that there is insufficient exposure to quality writing about the subject of food. And a slew of food blogs that are picture driven don't help.
Which brings me to the conclusion: Malaysians are lazy readers and lazy reviewers.
Why bother to work at describing what you ate when you could just show a picture right? Save time writing mah. And no need to describe so much. After all, why crack one's brain trying to figure out a comparative descriptive of what you are eating when you can just slap a picture there and tell people - nah, so obvious right what it is no? And why bother to arrive at your own conclusion about whether what you ate was of a high standard compare against an objective standard, or revolutionary, or exciting, or unique - slap a picture there and let people see for themselves lah!
And heaven forbid if Malaysians are actually asked to IMAGINE what something tastes like using their brains, and taste memory, or composite two flavours through their imagination (think Ratatouille) and based on a description written in text form. Yes, photographs cut across the language barrier, but they also function as an intellectual barrier. They ultimately reflect the absence of a need for critical thought when it comes to how we approach the subject of food.
Which naturally results in Malaysians becoming IMHO faux gourmands and lazy foodies.
Admittedly, food should not be a complex exercise. It is after all about enjoyment. But it is another thing to entirely remove any measure of intellectualising from food - that is to simply downgrade all food into two categories: YUK or YUM. No, I do not ponder and contemplate every mouthful of food that I consume, but I am particular about what I will eat and will not eat, am very clear about when I am eating nonsense food and when I'm having a serious gastronomic experience (and also all those experiences in between).
Does anyone bother to wonder why it is that top notch restaurants do not provide you with PHOTOGRAPHIC menus? You can't be a serious foodie/gourmand if you're too lazy to read the menu or the description of the food. Photographs are only fit for fast service restaurants or in places where the menu is in a foreign language or the food is extremely foreign and you need a photograph to know that 'pesce' is 'fish'.
Check out a food review in The Times or the Guardian - guess what? There are NO food photographs. The focus is on the food, but you don't get pictures of the food. You might get a photograph of the restaurant's exterior to help you identify it's location if you happen to go looking for it, or to give you an idea of the ambiance. But NO FOOD PICTURES.
Look at the Dining and Wining section of the New York Times. Mark Bittman's 'The Minimalist' column this week on Blueberry Cheesecakes (blueberries are in glut, hence their sudden availability for RM10.99 at BSV) features ONE PHOTO. The rest are words. Descriptives. Explanations. Science. Commentary. Insight. Knowledge.
The restaurant review section of the New York Times restaurant review archive has a similar pattern of wordiness. Each review contains a singular photograph taken of the interior of the restaurant and guess what? More words.
Gastroporn can be about pictures and words, but one without the other or one without being respectfully and sufficiently complimented by another?
Words are what provide us with a more complex vicarious food experience and most importantly, and indication of TASTE. A photograph capture a limited number of textures (wet, dry, textured, smooth) but it cannot communicate sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, hot, cold, warm, comforting. Photographs show you what something looks like and a multiplicity of colours (which can also help influence your viewpoint of the taste of something) but it is wordscapture complexity in flavour, the combination of tastes, the different textures, and most importantly, the sensation of the food.
So no, I do not put pictures unless I have a very good reason to do so, or I am just feeling frivolous. And I personally find it annoying to sit in a restaurant and see people photographing their food. I can understand if say, you were on a quest to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant for 365 days of the year, and your blog contained an image of every Michelin-starred meal. Or if you were documenting a special meal (for example, a blow out on a really expensive degustation menu at a top tier restaurant) and just wanted to have a memory of the blow-out moment.
Photographing your afternoon snacks, and lunchtime meals and late night cakescapades? I'd be insulted as the baker/chef at a restaurant if someone took amateur snappy camera photographs of my food and slapped it up on the Internet. What if the pictures don't do justice to my food? What if it makes people just say - oh that looks yummy but in fact, my food is BEYOND MERE YUMMY?
Learn to read. You'll be a better gourmand for it.
Because there are already enough food blogs out there with endless pictures of food, and not enough food blogs out there with WORDS in 'em. That's why. Especially Malaysian food blogs.
It makes you wonder why they are even called blogs if they are just full of pictures. A blog, lest we forget, was supposed to have originated as an online diary/journal which whilst it is appropriate that it includes photographs, should be more about WORDS.
From wikipedia
So that is one of the reasons why I do not have an endless pile of food pictures on my blog. This is a blog where I talk about food - it is not a catalogue of every meal I have eaten, or for that matter, only about what food I have eaten.A blog (an abridgment of the term web log) is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketches (sketchblog), videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting) are part of a wider network of social media.
Another reason: I'm not a professional photographer and my food pictures would just look like amateur food pictures anyway. Why would I want to insult the chef or restaurant owner by publishing amateur photographs of their food?
A professional photographer, assisted by a food stylist and further assisted by an army of assistants is how pictures in food magazines look so good. Since I am neither professional, not assisted nor willing to invest in the equipment or time to learn how to do it well, I refuse to accordingly do injustice to the food and to the Chef by photographing his or her food in bad light (or just lousy light), using a snappy camera and failing to complement what's on the plate with an appropriate styling.
Admittedly, most Malaysian food blogs are not pro-blogs wherein the bloggers are full-time pros who earn their living from their blog or who use their blog for purposes of showcasing their work as writers/photographers/food writers. So really, they can write whatever they want, and use as many pictures as they want. But I maintain that the biggest problem we have towards educating people on gastronomy and culinary arts and sciences in Malaysia is simply that there is insufficient exposure to quality writing about the subject of food. And a slew of food blogs that are picture driven don't help.
Which brings me to the conclusion: Malaysians are lazy readers and lazy reviewers.
Why bother to work at describing what you ate when you could just show a picture right? Save time writing mah. And no need to describe so much. After all, why crack one's brain trying to figure out a comparative descriptive of what you are eating when you can just slap a picture there and tell people - nah, so obvious right what it is no? And why bother to arrive at your own conclusion about whether what you ate was of a high standard compare against an objective standard, or revolutionary, or exciting, or unique - slap a picture there and let people see for themselves lah!
And heaven forbid if Malaysians are actually asked to IMAGINE what something tastes like using their brains, and taste memory, or composite two flavours through their imagination (think Ratatouille) and based on a description written in text form. Yes, photographs cut across the language barrier, but they also function as an intellectual barrier. They ultimately reflect the absence of a need for critical thought when it comes to how we approach the subject of food.
Which naturally results in Malaysians becoming IMHO faux gourmands and lazy foodies.
Admittedly, food should not be a complex exercise. It is after all about enjoyment. But it is another thing to entirely remove any measure of intellectualising from food - that is to simply downgrade all food into two categories: YUK or YUM. No, I do not ponder and contemplate every mouthful of food that I consume, but I am particular about what I will eat and will not eat, am very clear about when I am eating nonsense food and when I'm having a serious gastronomic experience (and also all those experiences in between).
Does anyone bother to wonder why it is that top notch restaurants do not provide you with PHOTOGRAPHIC menus? You can't be a serious foodie/gourmand if you're too lazy to read the menu or the description of the food. Photographs are only fit for fast service restaurants or in places where the menu is in a foreign language or the food is extremely foreign and you need a photograph to know that 'pesce' is 'fish'.
Check out a food review in The Times or the Guardian - guess what? There are NO food photographs. The focus is on the food, but you don't get pictures of the food. You might get a photograph of the restaurant's exterior to help you identify it's location if you happen to go looking for it, or to give you an idea of the ambiance. But NO FOOD PICTURES.
Look at the Dining and Wining section of the New York Times. Mark Bittman's 'The Minimalist' column this week on Blueberry Cheesecakes (blueberries are in glut, hence their sudden availability for RM10.99 at BSV) features ONE PHOTO. The rest are words. Descriptives. Explanations. Science. Commentary. Insight. Knowledge.
The restaurant review section of the New York Times restaurant review archive has a similar pattern of wordiness. Each review contains a singular photograph taken of the interior of the restaurant and guess what? More words.
Gastroporn can be about pictures and words, but one without the other or one without being respectfully and sufficiently complimented by another?
Words are what provide us with a more complex vicarious food experience and most importantly, and indication of TASTE. A photograph capture a limited number of textures (wet, dry, textured, smooth) but it cannot communicate sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, hot, cold, warm, comforting. Photographs show you what something looks like and a multiplicity of colours (which can also help influence your viewpoint of the taste of something) but it is wordscapture complexity in flavour, the combination of tastes, the different textures, and most importantly, the sensation of the food.
So no, I do not put pictures unless I have a very good reason to do so, or I am just feeling frivolous. And I personally find it annoying to sit in a restaurant and see people photographing their food. I can understand if say, you were on a quest to eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant for 365 days of the year, and your blog contained an image of every Michelin-starred meal. Or if you were documenting a special meal (for example, a blow out on a really expensive degustation menu at a top tier restaurant) and just wanted to have a memory of the blow-out moment.
Photographing your afternoon snacks, and lunchtime meals and late night cakescapades? I'd be insulted as the baker/chef at a restaurant if someone took amateur snappy camera photographs of my food and slapped it up on the Internet. What if the pictures don't do justice to my food? What if it makes people just say - oh that looks yummy but in fact, my food is BEYOND MERE YUMMY?
Learn to read. You'll be a better gourmand for it.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake @ Alexis - Jury Still Out
Had it for lunch today. (no pictures people, learn to use your imagination)
Biscuit base, and then a light fluffy chocolate 'cake' on top. Biscuit base tasted like digestive biscuits but wasn't crunchy or hard, but quite soft.
Ricotta always produces a 'lighter' cheesecake compared to cream cheese, which can be claggy and dense, especially if used in the wrong proportion, used in too much quantity, cheap cream-cheese is used, or you just have a refrigerator that is too cold. All these basically create a cheese but claggy cheesecake which leaves you feeling like you still have cheese stuck to your teeth despite the coffee you glugged down.
It does taste like a compromise choice - neither sinful enough to satisfy a desert craving (for that, please refer to the gorgeous Bittersweet Chocolate at Alexis) nor low in calories to make the dieting feel guiltless.
Jury is still out although for a change, it provides a different texture and a certain fluffyiness.
Biscuit base, and then a light fluffy chocolate 'cake' on top. Biscuit base tasted like digestive biscuits but wasn't crunchy or hard, but quite soft.
Ricotta always produces a 'lighter' cheesecake compared to cream cheese, which can be claggy and dense, especially if used in the wrong proportion, used in too much quantity, cheap cream-cheese is used, or you just have a refrigerator that is too cold. All these basically create a cheese but claggy cheesecake which leaves you feeling like you still have cheese stuck to your teeth despite the coffee you glugged down.
It does taste like a compromise choice - neither sinful enough to satisfy a desert craving (for that, please refer to the gorgeous Bittersweet Chocolate at Alexis) nor low in calories to make the dieting feel guiltless.
Jury is still out although for a change, it provides a different texture and a certain fluffyiness.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Bye Bye Bakerzin, Hello Oriel?
So, it has finally happened. The Titanic has hit the Iceberg.
Yesterday, whilst lurking at Starbucks, I noticed that my once-favourite cafe, Bakerzin, (to find out why it has fallen from favour, see 'Thoughts on Kuchen') has changed names. It is now known as Oriels.
Now, I am inclined to think that it possibly has the same owners or at least, it is not a total change of hands as the staff are the same, furniture is the same, and everything is more or less the same. Even if you sell a business to someone, they're going to surely make some changes? But perhaps the name change is the 'big change' then.
I am not surprised that this has happened, although I can only speculate why. The easy possiblity is that the franchise owner of Bakerzin here in Malaysia (Billion Berg) and Bakerzin (which is a Singaporean company) fell out - most franchises go pear shaped over one thing usually and that's $. Maybe Bakerzin Singapore was taking too much of the profit from Bakerzin Malaysia, making it hard for Bakerzin Malaysia to put enough money back into ops and expansion, which may also have been part of the franchise agreement.
The requirement of expansion of a certain number of stores is not uncommon in the franchising world. The doughnut-mad amongst us who are wondering why it is that Krispy Kreme has not set foot in this part of the world or who are considering if a KK Asean franchise might be the key to world domination might want to consider the following criteria (as published on the the Krispy Kreme website):
Perhaps Bakerzin Singapore was being very demanding and requiring Bakerzin Malaysia to open up lots of outlets quickly and this put a strain on Bakerzin Malaysia's resources, which in turn created a cash crunch problem.
Or perhaps, Bakerzin Malaysia was insisting on making the cakes here, rather than getting the primary cake ingredients from Bakerzin's central facility in Singapore, and this was a deal-breaker. I know that for some time, Bakerzin Malaysia was working on making the cakes locally rather than getting their primary cake ingredients (sponges, mousses and the like) from the Singapore central facility. (this is the reason for their meagre collection of cakes, which has been the state of things for a good six months).
Now, the obvious reason for this would be cost control - delicate items like sponges, mousses and ganaches need to be stored in a refrigerated storage facility, and also need to be transported in refrigerated trucks. All this adds significantly to cost especially in light of the price of petrol going up (transport costs 30% more now) and electricity bills going up for commercial premises (imagine having to keep a refrigerated facility going). Compare that to having to just store the basic ingredients to make these items (which you wouldn't need to store up in advance since the supplier is local and can just deliver on demand) and not having to pay the considerable freight/transport change of transporting the delicate cake ingredients from Singapore to KL.
But on Bakerzin Singapore's side, the central facility is the key to two goals: firstly, maintaining quality. By centralising the production of the key components of their cakes, they can ensure that the end product will always be consistent since the franchisor is only effectively doing 'assembly' of the cake or just doing modest finishing touches onto the cakes. Secondly, this ensures they are able to protect their culinary IP - meaning, to minimise the risk of anyone copying their cakes or passing off their cakes as their own. It also is a sort of leash that they use to control the franchisor. This is quite common in ALL franchise concepts - the master franchisor always controls the ingredients going out. For example, all cakes at Secret Recipe outlets come from a singular factory source and franchisors have to buy the cakes from the factory. This is a requirement of the franchise agreement.
The plus for the Franchisee (ie: Billion Berg) is that they can concentrate on just operations, knowing that the food is already a winning formula and the brand is already a known brand.
A sign of the impending demise of Bakerzin could be seen when they switched out of Illy coffee to Lavazza (a sign the operator is trying to cut costs to make more profit) and I think when they started wanting to make their own cakes, Bakerzin Singapore either balked or saw it as an attempt to muck around with the quality. Conversely, it is also possible that Bakerzin Singapore just started becoming very unreasonable. Who knows. Whatever happened, it is an unfortunate fact that those of us who are fans of the sublime Lemon Tart, and the divine Jivara cake, that light Japanese-inspired Strawberry Shortcake, and the amazing molten chocolate cake....and the Oreo Cheesecake...and - well, one could go on. I mourn the loss of Bakerzin Malaysia, for it now means I can only get an alternative cake fix in Kiasuland rather than BSV, and there is one less option for cake on the 'must-have-cake' days.
Once again, Alexis (I'm really starting to wonder if the name was an inspired choice now sic Dynasty) rules the cake roost.
Yesterday, whilst lurking at Starbucks, I noticed that my once-favourite cafe, Bakerzin, (to find out why it has fallen from favour, see 'Thoughts on Kuchen') has changed names. It is now known as Oriels.
Now, I am inclined to think that it possibly has the same owners or at least, it is not a total change of hands as the staff are the same, furniture is the same, and everything is more or less the same. Even if you sell a business to someone, they're going to surely make some changes? But perhaps the name change is the 'big change' then.
I am not surprised that this has happened, although I can only speculate why. The easy possiblity is that the franchise owner of Bakerzin here in Malaysia (Billion Berg) and Bakerzin (which is a Singaporean company) fell out - most franchises go pear shaped over one thing usually and that's $. Maybe Bakerzin Singapore was taking too much of the profit from Bakerzin Malaysia, making it hard for Bakerzin Malaysia to put enough money back into ops and expansion, which may also have been part of the franchise agreement.
The requirement of expansion of a certain number of stores is not uncommon in the franchising world. The doughnut-mad amongst us who are wondering why it is that Krispy Kreme has not set foot in this part of the world or who are considering if a KK Asean franchise might be the key to world domination might want to consider the following criteria (as published on the the Krispy Kreme website):
- Applicants must have current ownership and operating experience or previous ownership and operating experience of multi-unit food service operations in the market that you desire to develop.
- Our franchisees must possess the capital sufficient to fund the development of the market. We currently grant franchises on an area development basis. Specifically, our area developers are required to build multiple stores (10 or more) in a market. The minimum net worth requirement is $30 million or $1,000,000 per store to be developed, whichever is greater. For instance, a 15-store market requires a minimum net worth of $30,000,000. (emphasis is mine)
Perhaps Bakerzin Singapore was being very demanding and requiring Bakerzin Malaysia to open up lots of outlets quickly and this put a strain on Bakerzin Malaysia's resources, which in turn created a cash crunch problem.
Or perhaps, Bakerzin Malaysia was insisting on making the cakes here, rather than getting the primary cake ingredients from Bakerzin's central facility in Singapore, and this was a deal-breaker. I know that for some time, Bakerzin Malaysia was working on making the cakes locally rather than getting their primary cake ingredients (sponges, mousses and the like) from the Singapore central facility. (this is the reason for their meagre collection of cakes, which has been the state of things for a good six months).
Now, the obvious reason for this would be cost control - delicate items like sponges, mousses and ganaches need to be stored in a refrigerated storage facility, and also need to be transported in refrigerated trucks. All this adds significantly to cost especially in light of the price of petrol going up (transport costs 30% more now) and electricity bills going up for commercial premises (imagine having to keep a refrigerated facility going). Compare that to having to just store the basic ingredients to make these items (which you wouldn't need to store up in advance since the supplier is local and can just deliver on demand) and not having to pay the considerable freight/transport change of transporting the delicate cake ingredients from Singapore to KL.
But on Bakerzin Singapore's side, the central facility is the key to two goals: firstly, maintaining quality. By centralising the production of the key components of their cakes, they can ensure that the end product will always be consistent since the franchisor is only effectively doing 'assembly' of the cake or just doing modest finishing touches onto the cakes. Secondly, this ensures they are able to protect their culinary IP - meaning, to minimise the risk of anyone copying their cakes or passing off their cakes as their own. It also is a sort of leash that they use to control the franchisor. This is quite common in ALL franchise concepts - the master franchisor always controls the ingredients going out. For example, all cakes at Secret Recipe outlets come from a singular factory source and franchisors have to buy the cakes from the factory. This is a requirement of the franchise agreement.
The plus for the Franchisee (ie: Billion Berg) is that they can concentrate on just operations, knowing that the food is already a winning formula and the brand is already a known brand.
A sign of the impending demise of Bakerzin could be seen when they switched out of Illy coffee to Lavazza (a sign the operator is trying to cut costs to make more profit) and I think when they started wanting to make their own cakes, Bakerzin Singapore either balked or saw it as an attempt to muck around with the quality. Conversely, it is also possible that Bakerzin Singapore just started becoming very unreasonable. Who knows. Whatever happened, it is an unfortunate fact that those of us who are fans of the sublime Lemon Tart, and the divine Jivara cake, that light Japanese-inspired Strawberry Shortcake, and the amazing molten chocolate cake....and the Oreo Cheesecake...and - well, one could go on. I mourn the loss of Bakerzin Malaysia, for it now means I can only get an alternative cake fix in Kiasuland rather than BSV, and there is one less option for cake on the 'must-have-cake' days.
Once again, Alexis (I'm really starting to wonder if the name was an inspired choice now sic Dynasty) rules the cake roost.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Life's a Grind...
I was quite excited when the Daily Grind opened up in Bangsar Village in December 2007. After all, the local restaurants should always be kept on their toes with a good bit of competition and really, I was getting kind of tired of the La Bodega burger (getting tired of La Bodega also).
I was also a bit curious to see how well this establishment would do, since they touted themselves as a 'Gourmet Burger Diner'. My previous experience with the 'other' gourmet burger place, Relish (located ironically round the corner at the car showroom opposite Bangsar Village) was decidedly poor. At Relish, we waited 45 minutes for our burgers - it was almost like they were looking for the cow, then slaughtering the cow, then grinding up the meat and the service was nothing short of appalling. Then came the crinkle cut chips! I expect a place with the word 'gourmet' in its name to make their own chips for heavens sakes. Hand-cut MINIMUM. If I want crinkle cut chips, I'll buy a bag of McCains and make them in my own oven!
So Relish is definitely on my Condemn List.
In any case, all seemed interesting when the day before they opened, I walked past and was told that the Daily Grind made it's burgers from Wagyu beef. Ah, this might explain the rather high price. However, this turned out to be misinformation (or an error perhaps) on the part of the staff. The Daily Grind makes its burgers from Australian-grain fed beef, not Wagyu.
So ahem, not quite the same moo.
I have been in twice, and by my reckoning and in gossip sessions with some other food aficionados, the Daily Grind's future does not look so bright. Admittedly in the first lunch I had there, there were some teething problems. Notably at the start they were having trouble getting the orders out quickly and in a timely fashion. This is common problem most restaurants have - opening week yips and teething problems from getting the staff to work with the kitchen folk. My burger arrived on time but I suspect it was also because two diners (who I knew) before me cancelled their orders out of annoyance.
All in all, the Cheeseburger I had was quite good. The hand-cut fries were also nicely made - crisp, and thick cut. But does it justify the term 'gourmet' and my RM42.55 cents bill? (respectively RM27 for the cheeseburger, RM10 for my cranberry juice, RM3.70 service charge and RM1.85 GST)
Me thinks not.
The obvious problem I had was with the perfectly formed burger patty. A gourmet burger should be hand-made and hand-shaped. It certainly should not be perfectly formed like it came out from a mold. And at RM27 it was about average-sized as far as burger's go. I've seen bigger.The burger bun was admittedly tasty, slightly sweet, but crisply toasted and buttery. Very more-ish. But again, RM27? I have a definite beef with that price.
Still, condemnation should not come after one try. So I went back again with some friends, and this time I had the chicken burger (waistline was dictating my choice). Impressions did not improve given that the first time around, my chicken burger was still flapping when it arrived (read:not cooked).
Now, if a beef burger is perhaps a little underdone or a bit pink in the center, this is quite understandable because beef does taste better under-done and burgers generally do not benefit from the charcoal treatment. But for a cook to get a chicken burger under-cooked (and it was cooked outside) is suggestive of firstly, a lack of attention being paid to the cooking process but also, indicates the burgers are most likely pre-made (my chicken burger was also perfectly 'molded') and more importantly, are possibly frozen when they arrive at the store. Thus, when it hits the very hot grill, the outside cooks quickly but the inside remains under-cooked.
Of course, they sent for another and this time it came properly done and cooked inside. And the policy of bottomless fries refills apparently had been instituted between my 1st visit and 2nd visit. The fries were still good of course, but my impression was certainly affected and since then, I haven't contemplated a return visit.
And it's not because I have an issue with the price per se. My view is, if the product justifies the price, then pay premium. But premium had better be premium. For RM27, I don't expect a machine molded burger, or just a nice bun. I expect maybe a burger that's big enough to be shared OR posh bread and maybe some sophisticated proprietary sauce that goes with it.
Speaking of sauce, the owners are proud of their home-made ketchup. I am not impressed again. It tastes more like tomato puree than ketchup (which SHOULD be sweet, not just spiced and tomato-ey), and it has a distinctly unpalatable texture and appearance. For the amount they have bottled on the walls, either there's going to be a lot of tomato puree (oops, ketchup) being thrown away, or the recipe isn't changing for a while. So if you plan to check it out, I suggest you bring your own ketchup or chilli sauce.
I'm told that the Daily Grind is modelled on a burger diner that the owners liked to patronise during their time in Australia (Aussies AGAIN!). From my two visits, I think a lot of work needs to go into the product to really give it a touch that justifies the description 'Gourmet'(which incidentally, Wikipedia defines as "meals of especially high quality, whose makers or preparers have used special effort or art in presentation or cooking the meal"). In short, that personal touch is essential to justify the use of the term 'gourmet'. Machine molding your burgers already violates this concept in spirit and in principle.
Of course, this is not just a problem we have here in Malaysia. Serious Eats has a lamenting post on the subject matters of 'The Sad State of American Burgers' - what I like about this post is that it delves into the question of 'What is a Gourmet Burger' and what qualifies as a gourmet burger.
The Daily Grind sure doesn't.
Postscript: I wrote this review around six months ago. Since then, I've observed that the traffic at the Daily Grind has been...well, hardly daily, and grinding to a halt quite possibly. This is despite their very attractive and well-done poster ads all around BSV. And I have not stepped foot into the Daily Grind since, preferring to eat my expensive burgers at Carl's Jnr - the subject another post, another day. At this point, it would seem that both the establishments that attempt to tout themselves as the place for a gourmet burger, namely Relish and The Daily Grind, are over-rated attempts at getting people to buy an expensive mediocre burger.
Perhaps we need a law against the random use of the word 'gourmet'.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
The Doyen Returns
Alexis @ Telawi has re-opened and gosh, is the place gorgeous. A certain blogger was spotted there the night I was there. And shamefully I must confess I couldn't help myself and snapped some photos with the BB, which is proving to be a damn good de-facto camera.
Some visitors to my blog have noted that there is a distinct lack of photographs. This subject to be discussed, tackled and dissected forthwith. In the meantime, Alexis @ Telawi is my new favourite of all the Alexis outlets in Bangsar (and the Maitre'D there is just a real dear).
A new cake has appeared in their delightful front door facing freezer: Chocolate Ricotta. *interesting*. Cake-free for another 4 more days so it may just end up on my review list soon.
Some visitors to my blog have noted that there is a distinct lack of photographs. This subject to be discussed, tackled and dissected forthwith. In the meantime, Alexis @ Telawi is my new favourite of all the Alexis outlets in Bangsar (and the Maitre'D there is just a real dear).
A new cake has appeared in their delightful front door facing freezer: Chocolate Ricotta. *interesting*. Cake-free for another 4 more days so it may just end up on my review list soon.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Thoughts of Kuchen...
Have declared the next two weeks to be cake-free weeks - not because I am off cake...I am NEVER off-cake. The waistline demands I be off-cake although honestly, it has simply driven me potentially into the arms of Goreng Pisang.
Anyway, as a result I have been thinking a lot about cake. And how hard it is to get good cake. When I used to make an annual pilgrimage to H.K to visit sibling and friends, finding good cake was also a bit of a challenge. I found myself ending up in the Peak Cafe, MidLevels on a regular basis because as much as I got through their cake menu in a week of being in H.K, it was good cake. I never made it to this shop called Antique, highly recommended by a friend (next time maybe). The problem of finding good cake isn't just a uniquely Malaysian challenge it would seem.
Here in good old Kay-El, I have abandoned my old favourite, Bakerzin (more on this in a bit) And it seems as though the old faithful, the ever-reliable when it comes to cake, is that doyen coffee-house, Alexis. Thankfully, they have expanded the number of outlets, thus enabling me to obtain my cake-fix without too much difficulty (all the worst for your waistline, grandma, whines my diet conscience). The Bangsar Telawi outlet is finally getting a long-overdue facelift, and it seems frantic renovation is going forth to ensure that the Telawi outlet opens in time for the Bangsar Shopping Center outlet to shut pending BSC's massive renovation of the East Wing of BSC.
My favs at Alexis remains the staples: Tiramisu Cake (emphasis on the CAKE), Bittersweet Chocolate (fabulous on a very, very good day when they get the sticky, gooey chocolate top perfect, excellent even on an off-day) and the Black and White, which tends to only make sporadic appearances and even then, has to be eaten only if absolutely fresh (read, don't eat the last two slices). I do also like the Strawberry Mascapone Cheesecake and the Chocolate Mousse, and if the baker is having a good day, the Chocolate Moist is also a good bet. They do have cakes I won't eat. The cheesecake is claggy, and way too dense, and frankly, it the kind of thing which anyone on a diet who only is allowed to eat cake once a week will order and immediately regret the calorie wastage. This is one cake they haven't got right. I tried the White Forest Cake a week ago and it excites me not. I have an occasional weakness for the Pear and Ginger Upside Down Pudding, but most of the time, I just go between the Tiramisu and Bittersweet Chocolate because they just are so good and so satisfying.
As a second string option during the day if there is a cake emergency would be the YogiTree at the Gardens, MidValley. Personal favs there include the flourless chocolate cake (you wouldn't KNOW it has no flour), the Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake and the Cheesecake with Berry Compote. Consistency-wise, the flourless chocolate cake is usually a very very safe bet. The cheesecakes can fluctuate if the temperature of the refrigerator is too low and the cheesecakes get a bit dense. A new feature on the menu is a Pineapple Upside Down Cake - a nice choice if you're looking for something sweet but not too calorific.
But strictly speaking, it is only if the day is going very badly that one can justify breaking the cake emergency alarm and having cake after lunch. There is no real reason to eat cake at lunch if one actually wishes to remain un-fat. (that's diet conscience talking again....shoo!)
Now, admittedly it sounds like no where else does decent cake. I suppose my standards are high, on the theory that if I am going to expend calories eating something sinful and bad for my waistline, I want nothing less than an excellent top-notch cake-dessert. Which is why for the longest time, I practically had a seat with my name on it at Bakerzin. And which is also why contrary to popular viewpoint, I do not think that highly of the cakes at Delicious. And it is also why I will not just eat cake anywhere either unless it is vouched for. Those extra calories are too precious (and the amount of time spent sweating it off far too torturous) to justify 'average' cake.
For those who are wondering, Bakerzin has been put on on my Titanic Watch - meaning, it's headed for the iceberg of the Condemn List. Reasons being that the management has recently decided that they want to start making the cakes in-house rather than bringing in some of the ready-made sponges and ingredients from Singapore, where the Bakerzin franchise originates. As a result, you basically go to Bakerzin nowadays and your choices are all of about six cakes. From a selection of over 20 cakes, it's now down to about 6. Not only does that suck, but it also means that the cakes get sold out quickly. So late night coffee and kuchen raids are out as far as Bakerzin goes.
And of course, my major motivation previously for eating cake at Bakerzin was the coffee. Perfect cake, with perfect coffee? A reason to be fat really. Although both Alexis and Bakerzin (and Delicious) use Illy coffee, Bakerzin made a mean latte and great Americano and for reasons I still haven't figured out, Alexis still can't get their coffee to taste better than a few notches beyond air longkang (it has improved of late but still not doing justice to Illy). Delicious does a decent job though but because I don't like their cakes, I won't go there just for the coffee. Now, Bakerzin has switched to Lavazza coffee, which during my brief visit to Italy, I seem to recall as coming in 3rd after Segefreddo and Illy coffee. So I don't drink Lavazza and I certainly won't pay top dollar for a cup of Lavazza coffee. Nor do I want to ruin my cake with a yuk coffee.
But anyway, that's why Bakerzin is no longer on my great cake list, which now seems to just consist of one place, and that's Alexis.
So why do Malaysians rave about cakes that are generally just average? Cost probably plays a part. Two cakes and two coffees at Alexis can set you back about RM40 - expensive in a time of inflation, and especially the case now that the prices of key baking ingredients like flour, butter, dairy products and especially cream cheese are going up through the roof. Ditto cake at Bakerzin averages about RM7 a slice. And because at Bakerzin, they're dainty portions, the Malaysian ringgit psyche deems it to be not 'value for money'.
Secondly, I am going to go out on a limb and say most Malaysians don't know what good cake should taste like (and hell, good food) because most of them don't actually cook or bake and thus don't actually KNOW what is good or what is bad. They simply know what they like and thus equate that with what is good. What you LIKE, will taste good to you.But it may not be good on an objective assessment level. Being able to evaluate food on an objective level means to be able to determine if it is good or not, based on the benchmark of the product FIRST, and then by your personal preferences second. Most of the time, when Malaysians say something is good, they mean, by their tastebuds, it tastes good. (Ratatouille rat mode off).
For example, the lemon tart is a rarity in cake shops because not only is it hard to get right, but it's not the sort of dessert that most Malaysian taste buds are attuned towards eating. Yet, a good lemon tart is an absolutely sublime experience and is something I'd consider ordering if I was sure I'd get a good lemon tart (so far, I'm still looking and no one has topped the one at Bakerzin).
Similarly, the perception of the dainty portions of cake like Amer and Jivara at Bakerzin being not value for money reflects ignorance rather than intelligent wallet management. To the average Malaysian, RM7 on a small piece of cake that they could probably scarf all by themselves, and RM7 on a gigantic slice they can share - duh, obvious choice right? But hang on - if I'm getting Valrhona chocolate in one, and Van Housten or worse, Cap X cooking chocolate in the other, I'm paying my RM7 to the Valrhona thank you. But really, if you didn't know your Valrhona from your Michel Cuizel, and your Hersheys from your Van Houston, you'd think RM7 for a dainty slice of cake is a total rip-off.
And at the absolute bottom of the triangle are those who eat cake just to have some sugar or something sweet to go with their coffee. There is no eating in the pleasure, just a sort of sugar or cheese craving that is being satisfied.
Beyond a cake being dry (which most people would instinctively AND correctly associate with bad cake), you don't get a lot of discrimination in what Malaysians are willing to give the thumbs-up to as good cake for the above reasons. And so, we will continue to have establishments that make just average cake (because hey, no one can tell the difference right?)
and get away with it, and I will just have to keep going to Alexis.
Anyway, as a result I have been thinking a lot about cake. And how hard it is to get good cake. When I used to make an annual pilgrimage to H.K to visit sibling and friends, finding good cake was also a bit of a challenge. I found myself ending up in the Peak Cafe, MidLevels on a regular basis because as much as I got through their cake menu in a week of being in H.K, it was good cake. I never made it to this shop called Antique, highly recommended by a friend (next time maybe). The problem of finding good cake isn't just a uniquely Malaysian challenge it would seem.
Here in good old Kay-El, I have abandoned my old favourite, Bakerzin (more on this in a bit) And it seems as though the old faithful, the ever-reliable when it comes to cake, is that doyen coffee-house, Alexis. Thankfully, they have expanded the number of outlets, thus enabling me to obtain my cake-fix without too much difficulty (all the worst for your waistline, grandma, whines my diet conscience). The Bangsar Telawi outlet is finally getting a long-overdue facelift, and it seems frantic renovation is going forth to ensure that the Telawi outlet opens in time for the Bangsar Shopping Center outlet to shut pending BSC's massive renovation of the East Wing of BSC.
My favs at Alexis remains the staples: Tiramisu Cake (emphasis on the CAKE), Bittersweet Chocolate (fabulous on a very, very good day when they get the sticky, gooey chocolate top perfect, excellent even on an off-day) and the Black and White, which tends to only make sporadic appearances and even then, has to be eaten only if absolutely fresh (read, don't eat the last two slices). I do also like the Strawberry Mascapone Cheesecake and the Chocolate Mousse, and if the baker is having a good day, the Chocolate Moist is also a good bet. They do have cakes I won't eat. The cheesecake is claggy, and way too dense, and frankly, it the kind of thing which anyone on a diet who only is allowed to eat cake once a week will order and immediately regret the calorie wastage. This is one cake they haven't got right. I tried the White Forest Cake a week ago and it excites me not. I have an occasional weakness for the Pear and Ginger Upside Down Pudding, but most of the time, I just go between the Tiramisu and Bittersweet Chocolate because they just are so good and so satisfying.
As a second string option during the day if there is a cake emergency would be the YogiTree at the Gardens, MidValley. Personal favs there include the flourless chocolate cake (you wouldn't KNOW it has no flour), the Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake and the Cheesecake with Berry Compote. Consistency-wise, the flourless chocolate cake is usually a very very safe bet. The cheesecakes can fluctuate if the temperature of the refrigerator is too low and the cheesecakes get a bit dense. A new feature on the menu is a Pineapple Upside Down Cake - a nice choice if you're looking for something sweet but not too calorific.
But strictly speaking, it is only if the day is going very badly that one can justify breaking the cake emergency alarm and having cake after lunch. There is no real reason to eat cake at lunch if one actually wishes to remain un-fat. (that's diet conscience talking again....shoo!)
Now, admittedly it sounds like no where else does decent cake. I suppose my standards are high, on the theory that if I am going to expend calories eating something sinful and bad for my waistline, I want nothing less than an excellent top-notch cake-dessert. Which is why for the longest time, I practically had a seat with my name on it at Bakerzin. And which is also why contrary to popular viewpoint, I do not think that highly of the cakes at Delicious. And it is also why I will not just eat cake anywhere either unless it is vouched for. Those extra calories are too precious (and the amount of time spent sweating it off far too torturous) to justify 'average' cake.
For those who are wondering, Bakerzin has been put on on my Titanic Watch - meaning, it's headed for the iceberg of the Condemn List. Reasons being that the management has recently decided that they want to start making the cakes in-house rather than bringing in some of the ready-made sponges and ingredients from Singapore, where the Bakerzin franchise originates. As a result, you basically go to Bakerzin nowadays and your choices are all of about six cakes. From a selection of over 20 cakes, it's now down to about 6. Not only does that suck, but it also means that the cakes get sold out quickly. So late night coffee and kuchen raids are out as far as Bakerzin goes.
And of course, my major motivation previously for eating cake at Bakerzin was the coffee. Perfect cake, with perfect coffee? A reason to be fat really. Although both Alexis and Bakerzin (and Delicious) use Illy coffee, Bakerzin made a mean latte and great Americano and for reasons I still haven't figured out, Alexis still can't get their coffee to taste better than a few notches beyond air longkang (it has improved of late but still not doing justice to Illy). Delicious does a decent job though but because I don't like their cakes, I won't go there just for the coffee. Now, Bakerzin has switched to Lavazza coffee, which during my brief visit to Italy, I seem to recall as coming in 3rd after Segefreddo and Illy coffee. So I don't drink Lavazza and I certainly won't pay top dollar for a cup of Lavazza coffee. Nor do I want to ruin my cake with a yuk coffee.
But anyway, that's why Bakerzin is no longer on my great cake list, which now seems to just consist of one place, and that's Alexis.
So why do Malaysians rave about cakes that are generally just average? Cost probably plays a part. Two cakes and two coffees at Alexis can set you back about RM40 - expensive in a time of inflation, and especially the case now that the prices of key baking ingredients like flour, butter, dairy products and especially cream cheese are going up through the roof. Ditto cake at Bakerzin averages about RM7 a slice. And because at Bakerzin, they're dainty portions, the Malaysian ringgit psyche deems it to be not 'value for money'.
Secondly, I am going to go out on a limb and say most Malaysians don't know what good cake should taste like (and hell, good food) because most of them don't actually cook or bake and thus don't actually KNOW what is good or what is bad. They simply know what they like and thus equate that with what is good. What you LIKE, will taste good to you.But it may not be good on an objective assessment level. Being able to evaluate food on an objective level means to be able to determine if it is good or not, based on the benchmark of the product FIRST, and then by your personal preferences second. Most of the time, when Malaysians say something is good, they mean, by their tastebuds, it tastes good. (Ratatouille rat mode off).
For example, the lemon tart is a rarity in cake shops because not only is it hard to get right, but it's not the sort of dessert that most Malaysian taste buds are attuned towards eating. Yet, a good lemon tart is an absolutely sublime experience and is something I'd consider ordering if I was sure I'd get a good lemon tart (so far, I'm still looking and no one has topped the one at Bakerzin).
Similarly, the perception of the dainty portions of cake like Amer and Jivara at Bakerzin being not value for money reflects ignorance rather than intelligent wallet management. To the average Malaysian, RM7 on a small piece of cake that they could probably scarf all by themselves, and RM7 on a gigantic slice they can share - duh, obvious choice right? But hang on - if I'm getting Valrhona chocolate in one, and Van Housten or worse, Cap X cooking chocolate in the other, I'm paying my RM7 to the Valrhona thank you. But really, if you didn't know your Valrhona from your Michel Cuizel, and your Hersheys from your Van Houston, you'd think RM7 for a dainty slice of cake is a total rip-off.
And at the absolute bottom of the triangle are those who eat cake just to have some sugar or something sweet to go with their coffee. There is no eating in the pleasure, just a sort of sugar or cheese craving that is being satisfied.
Beyond a cake being dry (which most people would instinctively AND correctly associate with bad cake), you don't get a lot of discrimination in what Malaysians are willing to give the thumbs-up to as good cake for the above reasons. And so, we will continue to have establishments that make just average cake (because hey, no one can tell the difference right?)
and get away with it, and I will just have to keep going to Alexis.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Temporary Irreverance II - KeAdilan Rally in Bangsar
On the final lap, after deciding not to go for the DAP rally in SS2 (which apparently caused a major traffic jam), I rushed to Bangsar to catch Nurul Izzah Anwar speaking in Bangsar, in front of CIMB Bank near TMC.
Pictures uploaded first. Account to follow tomorrow AM soonest, after voting.
Highlight of the evening: met Raja Petra Kamaruddin! Unfortunately, felt too shy to ask to have my picture taken with him despite the formidable photography power of my new Blackberry 8300, which was on hand to take these pictures.
Interestingly, parking to Bangsar Village I was sealed off, forcing us to go to Jolly Green to park. Is the Ng family subtly showing an allegiance one way?
Pictures uploaded first. Account to follow tomorrow AM soonest, after voting.
Highlight of the evening: met Raja Petra Kamaruddin! Unfortunately, felt too shy to ask to have my picture taken with him despite the formidable photography power of my new Blackberry 8300, which was on hand to take these pictures.
Interestingly, parking to Bangsar Village I was sealed off, forcing us to go to Jolly Green to park. Is the Ng family subtly showing an allegiance one way?
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