I ATTENDED THE FINAL GATHERING IN THE DINING MERRY-GO-ROUND OF MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL LAST NIGHT AT NATHALIE'S CUISINE GOURMET RESTAURANT. NATURALLY THE RESTAURANT NATHALIE IS NAMED AFTER ITS RESIDENT CHEF MS NATHALIE ARBEFEUILLE FROM LA BELLE FRANCE.
Dato Steve Day, founder of Malaysia International Gourmet Festival, HE Martine Dorance, ambassador of France, Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille after which the restaurant is named and Datin Su Day
The Peruvian ambassador HE Marco Balarezo, Raven Sockanathan and Martin Barrow, advisor to CEO of Malaysia Airlines
Sofia Rahman of Harrods and French ambassador HE Martine Dorance. Her husband is ambassador to Angola which explains why I never see him!
Madame Silvia Indacochea de Balarezo and Vida Sockanathan
Nathalie Arbefeuille and Philippe Gadon
Kee Hua Chee, Elizabeth Lim, Datin Su W ai Fun and Cheah Ming Chiew
Enzia Schnyder, 15 and Datin Chai Schnyder of Ulysse Nardin the best complicated watch brand in the universe
Enzia Schnyder and mum Datin Chai Schnyder who just returned from China and Mount Kinabalu!
Dato Steve Day, HE Madame Martine Dorance, Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille, Datin Su Day and Kee Hua Chee
Datin Su Day, QX Lee, Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille, Kee Hua Chee and Dato Steve Day
QX Lee, Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille, Kee Hua Chee and Dato Steve Day
The fortunate diners!
Touted as the best French restaurant in Malaysia, I was intrigued and starved half to death all day so I could gorge till the Plimsoll line. And I did and ate the divine food till I could barely move and now I am still awake at 4.44 am.
The horrendous rain almost washed away my dining sojourn but KL is not New York and I was not going to let the weather make me wonder whether I should go or not. Not when Nathalie's Cuisine Gourmet was waiting.
For over 1 hour I phoned and waited for a taxi as my friend QX Lee was coming from Petaling Jaya so no point waiting for him. The heavens opened at 4pm and it was pouring Persian pussies and purrfect poodles (sounds so much better than raining cats and dogs!) almost nonstop.
Even Datin Su Day, wife of Dato Steve Day and co-founder of Malaysia International Gourmet Festival, felt compelled to sms and ask if I was on the way as I was usually the first to arrive, being the kiasu type.
This was my first (and certainly not last!) time at Nathalie's and I was rather surprised at the simple decor. My condo looks like Versailles in comparison. Anyway the proof the pudding is in the eating and the setting was pleasant enough but nothing spectacular.
However I was enthralled by the kitchen set-up which was behind a glass wall which I mistook for a mirror! So I thought I was going out of my cotton pickin' mind when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw 2 guys at the bar and 5 behind the 'mirror'!
Nathalie Arbefeuille's career started in Bangcock, I mean Bangkok, where she was much sought after by the elite and diplomatic corps. Her cocktail menu and scrumptious food were sensational by all accounts and it is our good fortune she decided to decamp to Kuala Lumpur.
Incredibly, Nathalie Arbefeuille is self-taught! She never trained at Cordon Bleu like Datin Su Wai Fun who is has finished 6 months at Sunway at RM 58,000. Nathalie also had the good fortune to train under Michelin starred chefs like Anne-Sophie Pic so it is not as if she practised cooking maggi mee till she got it right.
We enjoyed her Festival Menu with starter consisting of Scallop Tartar with Caviar from Aquitaine and Seashell Jelly in Blue Lobster Broth. QX Lee said it was excellent. I did not try as I hate lobster, scallop and prawn though I am not allergic.
The Pan Fried Duck Liver, Roasted Apples in Buttered Brioche Mille-Feuille and Apple Emulsion was fabulous and one of the best I ever had and I have had plenty as I am very fond of foie gras. The presentation was marvellous and eye-pleasing as it resembled a large pear and mounted like a club sandwich. Of course I had to dismantle Nathalie's construction as my mouth is not big enough to swallow the ensemble enmasse. I know I have a big mouth (everyone says so) but even so it could not accommodate the big fat starter.
For mains, I chose Wagyu beef cheek, slow cooked in Provencal olives, tomatoes, eggplant and basil. It was superb as the braised beef melted perfectly inside my mouth. Not melting as in powdery, overcooked beef but perfectly timed so the beef was soft and comes of easily but still meaty and textury. I would not want to drink my Wagyu beed cheek!
I could smell the dessert before it was placed before me. That was due to the delightful, citrony fragrance of yuzu the Japanese tangerine/orange fused into the macaroon. Served as a Big Mac format similar to the appetiser which resembled a mini club sandwich, this delicious macaroon came with crispy nuts, chocolate and praline sauce. Nathalie's macaroon reminds me of Laduree's in Paris! Totally diet-busting!
As expected, such a feast did not come cheap. Together with 3 wine pairings, the full menu cost RM 335 ++ though it is RM 225++ without wine. You can enjoy a delightful meal at Nathalie Cuisine Gourmet from RM 185++ without wine. Also try Nathalie's Gourmet Studio.
Nathalie Cuisine Gourmet, ground floor, Menara Taipan, Jalan Punchak, KL. Behind Shangri-la. 03-2072 4452. Pork-free. 55 pax max.
Dato Steve Day introducing his guests
My favourite guest of all! Datin Chai Schnyder, ever classy, ever elegant and always kind
Datin Chai Schnyder always listens when a speech is given, unlike most who continue to yak
Datin Chai Schnyder listening to Dato Steve Day
These 2 guys worked but don't get to eat with us as they are from Vision Four and AsiaReach Events; Robert William Holst and Kevin Pedley
Dato Steve Day, HE Martine Dorance, Chef Nathalie and Datin Su Day
Dato Steve Day, French ambassador, Chef Nathalie and Datin Su Day
Dato Steve Day, Chef Nathalie who looks like Natalie Portman and Chef Philippe Gadon
I wonder if Chef Nathalie is a ballet dancer as in Black Swan starring Natalie Portman
Quite dishy, Benoit Sommerlad the sales and marketing manager of Nathalie's Cuisine Gourmet
Close up of this dish not available on menu, Benoit Sommerlad
Elizabeth Lim, Datin Su Day and Cheah Ming Chiew
Kee Hua Chee, Elizabeth Lim, Datin Su Wai Fun and Cheah Ming Chiew
Still the same!
I thought this was a mirror on the wall at the back of the bar but it was just a transparent glass!
Natalie Portman and George Clooney
Dato Steve Day, HE Madame Martine Dorance, Chef Nathalie, Datin Su Day and Kee Hua Chee
Madame Silvia wife of Peruvian ambassador and QX Lee tucking in
QX Lee toasting Malaysian International Gourmet Festival
I wonder if Datuk Dr Sean Paul, my orthodontist from LivingWell, also did QX Lee's teeth
Madame Silvia de Balarezo and QX
Tete-a-tete
Datin Su Day and Cheah Ming Chiew
Enjoying themselves
The French ambassador HE Martine Dorance spoke on behalf of the guests
"Thank you, Nathalie for an exceptional dinner"
"Thank you, Dato Steve Day for organising MIDF"
QX at head of our table as he was big boss of the night
Madame Silvia from Peru and QX
Well done!
Ambassador of Peru HE Marco Balarezo also thanked Chef Nathalie and team
Wonderful evening!
The Peruvian and French ambassadors saluted the team
Big round of applause all round
Suhendran Sockanathan and Datin Su Day
Suhendran Sockanathan and Datin Su Day
Zalman Aefendy Zainal Abidin (right) from Celcom the best phone provider on this planet with wife and inlaws
Kee Hua Chee and Nathalie
QX from OEKO Furniture, Chef Nathalie, Kee Hua Chee and Dato Steve Day
Looking at another camera!
QX and KHC
QX and Kee Hua Chee
QX Lee from OEKO Furniture and Kee Hua Chee from Paradise
THE END
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