DATO STEVE DAY, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF MIGF MALAYSIAN INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL, GENERAL MANAGER OF BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE HOTEL MONDI MECJA AND NOEL VENDERWALL VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS FOR BERJAYA HOTELS & RESORTS HOSTED A DELIGHTFUL DINNER AT SAMPLINGS ON 14.
Few have heard of Samplings on 14 which Dato Steve Day describes as 'KL's best kept secret'!
And from the 14th floor, the view is stupendous and you will feel like a king of the hill.
Samplings on 14 is of course on the 14th floor of Berjaya Times Square Hotel but it is located in the opposite tower since the complex has twin towers. You need to walk past Manhattan Ballroom and when I asked for directions at the reception, a nice lady promptly escorted me to Samplings on 14. I asked if it was easier to use the other tower's lift but was advised it was better to enter through Berjaya hotel lobby on the 14th floor.
Samplings on 14 is part of Berjaya University College of Hospitality under Berjaya Higher Education and there is a full fledged cooking school attached to Samplings on 14.
At first I thought students would be cooking for us at RM 388++ per head which is a bit steep even by my reckless and feckless standards.
But no, our sumptuous dinner would be cooked by Chef de Cuisine Valmurugan Subramaniam, a charming and rather talkative fella who was always beaming with enthusiasm.
Speaking of which, Tan Sri V.C George, one of Malaysia's top lawyers, recounted a story during his year long stay at Hyatt Kuantan when the GM was Ivor Nekvapil, Malaysia's top hotelier who is now sadly ailing in Australia.
Said Tan Sri V.V George, "Hyatt Kuantan was still new and Kuantan 30 years ago was different from Kuantan today. To liven things up, Ivor Nekvapil and I formed a gourmet club which included some 25 top ranking Malay generals and military personnel.
"There was a full turnout on our first gathering. The resident chef started talking about truffles and how pigs were used to dig out these underground mushrooms as their snouts are sensitive. Ivor went pale as the Malays begun to look uncomfortable and horrified. Ivor kicked the chef under the table and then pulled him to one side to explain Muslim sensitivity.
"The chef then beamed to his audience and said "Pigs were used in the old days only! Today we use dogs"! At our gathering there were no more Malays!"
Samplings on 14 is open for dinners and lunch by special request.
The MIGF Special Menu for Malaysian International Gourmet Festival consists of poached oyster and trout caviar, seared foie gras, cappuccino of crayfish in pumpkin, sorbet, fillet mignon or roasted codfish, earl grey brulee, chocolates and tea/coffee.
The dishes are accompanied by 4 wine pairings specially selected by Ronald Binati president of Sommelier Association of Malaysia so you know you are in for a vinous treat! The 4 wines were superbly paired and complemented each dish to perfection as it is not often a restaurant can summon the president of Sommelier Association of Malaysia to choose the wines!
Of course with a name like Ronald Binati, he must be Italian but he is Sabahan and was dubbed 'the Italian sommelier from Sabah' by the irrepressible Dato Steve Day who almost gave Syed Khalil Syed Ibrahim (MD of Jaguar Malaysia) a heart attack when he jokingly announced anyone who purchased a Jaguar that night would enjoy a 45% discount. Dato Steve Day even asked wife Datin Su Day who was sitting next to Syed Khalil if she had already booked since it was 45% off!
The 9-course MIGF Festival Menu costs RM 388++ with wine, RM 188++ without and RM 138++ for Set Dinner with 6 courses.
Contact; 03 2117 8000
ROYAL VIPS AND GUESTS OF HONOUR FOR THE EVENING; YAM TUNKU DARA TUNKU TAN SRI NAQUIAH TUANKU JAAFAR, YM TUNKU KECIL BESAR TUNKU MUDZAFFAR, THEIR YOUNGEST SON TUNKU NASRUAN ADIL AND ONG SUE LYNN
HER EXCELLENCY MARIA ISABEL RENDON AMBASSADOR OF ARGENTINA AND HUBBY PIO TRIPPA
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