Kee Hua Chee Live!: MIGF FINE DINING AT LAI PO HEEN AND MANDARIN GRILL AT MANDARIN ORIENTAL KUALA LUMPUR

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

DATO STEVE DAY AND DATIN SU DAY, FOUNDERS OF THE MALAYSIA INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FESTIVAL, NOW INTO ITS 13TH YEAR, AND FRANK STOCEK, GENERAL MANAGER OF MANDARIN ORIENTAL KUALA LUMPUR, HOSTED A GALA DINNER IN HONOUR OF MIGF WITH A SPECIAL MENU.

DATO ANNE EU, TUNKU LAKSAMANA TUNKU NAQUIYUDDIN TUANKU JAAFAR AND DATIN SU DAY

DATIN JOYCE AND DATO C.L LIAW OF FOCUS POINT AND MINORI RESTAURANT

HUGH NOEL DUNLEAVY, DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL, MALAYSIA AIRLINES

Mandarin Oriental and Shangri-La are the top 2 hotels in Malaysia so my expectations were high and as expected, Mandarin Oriental superseded not only my expectations but also the other guests'!

The dinner was a double whammy as the first 3 courses were served in Lai Po Heen, the best Chinese restaurant in Malaysia and Mandarin Grill, renowned for its mat salleh aka western cuisine. It used to be Pacifica but is now Mandarin Grill in line with identikit flagship restaurants in all Mandarin Oriental hotels.

Guest of honour was YAM Tunku Laksamana Tunku Naquiyudidn Tuanku Jaafar of Negeri Sembilan who commended the culinary teams for creating a Best of West and East Menu.

"It is not easy to combine a Chinese meal with Western cuisine but your two teams pulled it off magnificently!" said the dashing Negeri Sembilan prince and Royal Patron of MIGF for the last 13 years.

Other luminaries included Dato C.L Liaw and Datin Joyce Liaw who owns Minori Japanese restaurant as well as Komugi and Inaho Sushi under Multiple Reward Sdn Bhd.

Most know Dato C.L Liaw as the owner of 170 Focus Point chain of spectacle shops and chances are the pair you are wearing came from a Focus Point.

Also present was Hugh Noel Dunleavy, director of commerce at Malaysia Airlines whose portfolio include almost everything that makes MAS tick and fly in the profits so his is aheavy portfolio. This airline industry veteran is English but hardly lives in UK as he has worked abroad almost all his life. Dr Dunleavy worked at Westjet and has been in the airline industry for over 25 years. He turned Westjet finances around and it was this sterling performance that caught Malaysia Airlines' attention which then poached him to our fair shores!

He initiated the 30 kg allowance for Economy and single-handedly established a new industry standard! "Emirates, ever so nimble, matched our 30 kg Economy allowance in 48 hours!"

So has Qatar Airlines and other airlines have since followed. MAS introduced the 30 kg allowance on Economy on 14 February which is the best Valentine's Day gift ever to kilo-laden passegers and excess baggage charges have also been reduced should you exceed 30 kg!

Other guests were the Norwegian ambassador HE Hans Ola Urstad, Tan Sri Stephen Voon and Puan Sri Li Ling, Puan Sri Molly Low, Dato and Datin Marco Low, Datuk Seri Azim Zabidi and Datin Seri Raihan Abdul Rahman and the indefatigable and ageless beauty Dato Anne Eu who looks this way as she is chairman of Eu Yan Sang and consumes all the Traditional Chinese Medicines.

Dato Anne Eu stood and complimented Chinese Chef Ricky Thien for his superbly prepared Mingmu Fish Essence soup with ginseng, black chicken, fish maw and baby cabbage and Deep Sea Abalone from Australia in superior oyster sauce, quail egg and cauliflower. "I know good herbal food and these two dishes were amazingly good and I know what I am talking about! The soup is good for eyesight and anti-aging while the abalone was a pleasure as it was cooked just right as under or over cooking can spoil its flavour and nutrients."

LAI PO HEEN FULL FESTIVAL MENU; RM 298++ FOR DINNER AND RM 198++ FOR LUNCH

MANDARIN GRILL FULL FESTIVAL MENU; RM 385++ FOR DINNER AND RM 198 ++ FOR LUNCH WITHOUT WINE

CALL NOW; 03 2380 8888

FRANK STOCEK, GENERAL MANAGER OF MANDARIN ORIENTAL KUALA LUMPUR, DATIN JOYCE AND DATO C.L LIAW

KEE HUA CHEE JOINS IN

YAM TUNKU SHAHABUDDIN JOINS IN THE EVER EXPANDING PARTY

DATIN SU DAY ARRIVES AND POSES FOR THE EVER EXPANDING PHOTO

THERE ARE 6 NOW

TONE URSTAD AND HIS EXCELLENCY HANS OLA URSTAD THE NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR

THE NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR AND WIFE

DATUK SERI AZIM ZABIDI, DATIN SU DAY AND DATIN SERI RAIHAN ABDUL RAHMAN

DATIN SU DAY AND DATO ANN EU

KEE HUA CHEE, DAVID TEH THE TOP ARCHITECT AND PITT LEE HIS WIFE

DATO ANNE EU GREETS YAM TUNKU LAKSAMANA TUNKU NAQUIYUDDIN TUANKU JAAFAR OF NEGERI SEMBILAN

DATO ANNE EU, TUNKU LAKSAMANA NEGERI SEMBILAN AND DATIN SU DAY

DATIN SU DAY AND THE YOUNGEST AND LOVELIEST PUAN SRI IN MALAYSIA PUAN SRI ONG LILING

TAN SRI STEPHEN VOON, DAVID TEH AND FRANK STOCEK

PUAN SRI LILING AND TAN SRI STEPHEN VOON

SEXY COUPLE

ONE OF 2 TABLES AT LAI PO HEEN

CORNUCOPIA OF FRUITS AND FLOWERS! I LOVE THIS TABLE DECOR

DATO STEVE DAY WELCOMING GUESTS

BIG BALL!

MANDARIN ORIENTAL GENERAL MANAGER FRANK STOCEK WELCOMES GUESTS

DATO MARCO LOW AT RIGHT

OUR FIRST COURSE OF CHILLED HONEY HOKKAIDO SCALLOPS

DRAMATIC PRESENTATION

LOOK MA, NO HANDS

DOUBLE BOILED MINGMU FISH ESSENCE OF GINSENG, BLACK CHICKEN, FISH MAW AND BABY CABBAGE WAS A MAJOR SUCCESS

AUSTRALIAN DEEP SEA ABALONE BRAISED FOR 12 HOURS IN SUPERIOR OYSTER SAUCE, QUAIL EGG AND CAULIFLOWER

DATO ANNE EU PRAISING THE DISHES AND SHE KNOWS GOOD HERBAL DISHES AS SHE IS CHAIRMAN OF EU YAN SANG MALAYSIA!

FLORAL CENTREPIECE AT MANDARIN GRILL

DATIN SU AND NORWEGIAN AMBASSADOR H.E HANS OLA URSTAD

MANDARIN GRILL'S CHEF DE CUISINE RETO WEBER IS INTRODUCED TO GUESTS BY DATO STEVE DAY

EXTRAVAGANT TOUCH---EACH GUEST GETS TO SELECT A KNIFE FROM LA GUIOLE THAT COSTS RM 500 EACH! WEIGHS LIKE A VERTU PHONE!

NO WONDER MY BEEF TASTES SO GOOD WITH A DESIGNER KNIFE!

DATIN SERI RAIHAN AZIM SELECTS HER KNIFE

SNEAK PEEK INSIDE THE MANDARIN GRILL KITCHEN AS OUR CHAR GRILLED AUSTRALIAN WAGYU SIRLOIN BEEF IS COOKED

CHAR GRILLED AUSTRALIAN WAGYU SIRLOIN IN CELERY PUREE, ROASTED RED CHICORY AND BLACK TRUFFLE---ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS AND WORTH EVERY PENNY OF THE RM 385++