Events

The Frangipani restaurant has been around since Christmas Eve 2001. It is the creation of Chris Bauer and his friend and investor Shun.  Located in the famous Changkat Bukit Bintang, the restaurant is of modern design that provides a sophisticated yet intimate and warm ambiance. Chef Chris Bauer says that his food is French, yet modern and unfussy. The Malaysian Tatler’s Best Restaurant guide first listed Frangipani in 2002 with a score of 8/10. This rating subsequently rose to a remarkable 9/10.

Aperitif: Duval Leroy Rose de Saignee, Champagne NV. A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, this is harmony and seduction in the pink. Its salmon colour holds one’s eye and brings hints of amber to the fore. Delicate bubbles, like a string of fine pearls, escapes from the glass releasing a wealth of aromas: wild cherries, figs and even a hint of ginger and geranium.

1^st Course: Fresh tiger prawn ceviche with avocado cream, dried tomato reduction and chillies. The wine choice, Chateau Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2008 is one of the top white from the appellation. A blend of 40% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc, 15% Roussanne and 15% Bourboulenc, it reveals lots of minerality as well as notes of lemon custard, honeyed nectarines, quince and white currants. Ripe, full bodied, heady, super fresh, layered and long. WA, 91 points

2^nd Course: Warm tea smoked salmon with confit potatoes crème fraiche and salmon roe accompanied by a Bouchard & Fils Savigny-les-Beaune 2005. Certainly the best vintage since 1999. It is slightly wooded without being intrusive, just noticeable. It has a rich and impressively long finish that is both suave and minerally. Burghound, 89 points

3^rd Course: Roast pigeon breast with its ravioli of confit quail leg in sage beuree noisette and a trail of Maraschino cherry sauce

Sorbet of the Day

Main course: Pan roasted duck confit with mustard cream and mashed potato on a crisp potato couronne OR grilled tenderloin with pan seared foie gras, liver and onion sauce and truffle. ‘Bubble and Squeak’ on the side. The matching wine was the well known Chateau Pavie Macquin 1997. It is exhibiting a saturated black/purple colour. The 1997, produced from old vines with low yields, needs 4-5 years of cellaring. It boasts superb flavours of cassis, blackberries, minerals, licorice and new oak. Intense, powerful and backward, this is a classic, long lived Bordeaux made in an uncompromising fashion. Robert Parker – 90 points

Dessert: Dark Valrhona chocolate granache with creme Chantilly, candied hazelnuts, toasted almonds and French meringue. The accompanying Domaine Zind Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Clos Windsbuhl 2006 comes from a respected vineyard site in the heart of Alsace’s prime wine-growing district. It shows yellow plum, celery seed and caramelised parsnip and celery root scent, and comes on the palate opulently rich and silken; with considerable sweetness reinforcing the caramelised side of its flavours and a suggestion of marzipan; but with a marine, saline mineral streak that adds interest and invigoration. Hints of coffee and cocoa powder also creep into the finish. Robert Parker – 90 points

The August dinner was designated as a “friendship” dinner, as some members of the Singapore, Tanglin Branch, travelled to Malaysia to establish closer rapport with both the Ipoh & KL Branches. Following a joint lunch in Ipoh, the Singaporean and Ipoh members joined the Kuala Lumpur Branch at a dinner held at the Sage restaurant where Chef K.K. Cheong’s special cuisine of a mixed Western & Japanese style delighted the members of the three branches. The participants were treated to a selection of excellent food and wines from a number of countries, selected to pair well with the food.

The evening got off to a good start with rekindling of old friendships during the Aperitif:  Nino Franco, SP Prosecco Di Valdobbiadene Doc PF , made from 100% Prosecco di Valdobbiandene grapes. It has a straw colour and small bubbles. With a touch of pear and melon in the aroma, this is crisp and clean with nice acidity and has refreshing dry finish.

New friendships were established during the dinner:

1^st course: Cream of Cepe Mushroom Soup Scented with White Truffle Oil

2^nd course: Carpaccio of Hiramasa with Avruga Caviar and Baby cress well supported by a Joseph Faiveley Pouilly Fuisse, 2009, a fine chardonnay from Pouilly Fuisse in Macon, Burgundy.

3^rd course: Aiguillette of Duck with Red wine Sauce paired with a Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Pinot Noir, 2009 from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. This wine displays a bright ruby robe, and expresses ripe cherry, boysenberry and plums with lifted violet aromas. The palate presents a lush, full bodied wine with well integrated tannins and firm acidity. Ripe cherry and plum dominate. The savoury notes from the French oak treatment and the secondary aromas of rich coffee and smoke add to the enjoyment of this pleasant, rounded wine.

Granny Smith Apple Granite with Martell Cognac Jelly

Main course:  Wagyu Beef Striploin with Sauteed Spinach and Meaux Mustard Sauce OR Pan Roasted Pink Snapper with Ohba Beurre Blanc Sauce. The Sadie Family Columella, 2006 is a blend of Syrah and Mourvedre and is widely regarded as one of the best South African reds. It was dark and alluring, with currant paste, fig sauce and dark plum notes that glide over rich but fine grained tannins. Hints of melted licorice and bittersweet ganache fill out the finish. It had plenty of length and concentration. Wine Spectator, 94 points

Dessert: Mille Feuille of Strawberry with Cointreau Ice cream accompanied by a Real Companhia Velha Royal Oporto, Vintage, 2000.

Tea or Coffee