PCL

Julian, I dined at Sage a few weeks ago too, shortly after it had opened. I was underwhelmed. I found the food smacking of overdone cliches such as the slabs of foie liberally strewn across the place, and to my palate, it wasn't very good foie either. Limpid and damp, not firm yet yielding. The service had the undignified air of upmarket flatulence, with the senior staff behaving as if to dine there is an unqualified privilege. The only upside was that they had made a serious error in the wine list, and we scoffed two bottles of premier cru burgundy at bargain basement prices. I won't even go into the song and dance and accompanied the wine service. Completely overblown and camp to beyond belief. Lafite, at the Shangri-la, on the other hand... quite sublime, with enough Ferran Aida references to make one wish one could afford a trip to Europe right now. Cilantro, was better.

But dining in Singapore is largely over-rated and overpriced, with more of a focus on people watching than what is actually being fed into one's gob. This is my opinion of course, and I also think that Michelin for Singapore might just drive the industry to new heights of egoism and materialism.

Mornington Estate in Red Hill has my vote. Best Pinot Noir maker in the land, and great food too. Nat White is a great host.

Palate cleanser definitely not a course. I'd complain Dan.

News to my ears Dan... do elaborate!!

Never had an issue with France Soir myself. Solid and dependable as far as food is concerned.

Uh, i think my thread's been hijacked by someone who's hell bent that I'm one white hostile mofo, and a discussion on the finer esoteric divisions between subjective 'taste' and 'refinement'. Or whatever. And in response to Jkim's final volley, I won't respond because I don't think it deserves one. Later gators. Good to see this place flourishing.

Kanga, the same happens with Cafe di Stasio in my experience in the past.

Nice one Dan!! It is quite ron-rey here. Racial = racial comment, not necessarily racist, and last I checked, Australia is an equal opportunity country where we try to look beyond race. For that reason, I'm not going to talk about race, unless strictly related to food. finally Jkim, I don't know what you think I mean, nor do I really care given that I made it clear in my opinion, but do please continue to humor me. I find you amusing.

No need to get racial. This is getting quite funny actually. Go on.

I like the place a lot, so I'm protective of it. what, you think i'm a shareholder? go ahead, ask them next time you're there, but i doubt it. please stop making baseless comments about me. i'm getting pretty sick of this whole conversation which is kind of pointless.

Actually, I don't think they have 'westernised' the dish, but have probably refined it in the Cantonese manner.

yup okay whatever. to each their own. beef in sichuan sauce at tea house... never had it, but then again i've never seen a menu there. happy eating friend.

Yunner, it's all hype. Pricing for 'high-end' food in KL and Singapore are plainly ridiculous. Edit to add: But we pay, because we're gluttons and suckers for punishment! Third Floor looks interesting.

Good to see this thread resurrected. The All People's Restaurant in Burwood, opposite the RSPCA is pretty good too.

This is strange indeed. I'll be passing on your comments to the owners of Tea House. I was there twice in March and we were not disappointed, but then again, I've never seen a menu there, nor have I had sweet and sour pork there. We typically have great big whopping Chinese family meals there and never have we been let down. But jkim, you seem someone accustomed to strong flavours, and one should bear in mind that Tea House is a Cantonese restaurant, and flavouring for dishes such as the snow pea sprouts (which happens to be a favourite) is quite subtle. As for the beef, I don't touch the sauce, I just ask for some mustard. Should have tried the roasted quails. They are the best in the business, but may be a bit bland for some

Hajime, which is on Jalan Damai, parallel to Jalan Ampang in KL, is very very good. Try to aim for a Friday night when they get deliveries of fresh fish. Sit at the sushi bar, ask for omakase sashimi, then let them take care of the menu. Good sake too, and very refined Japanese food, but sometimes a bit heavy on the mayo, which you can tell them to hold off. Best hand rolls I've ever had. They have a website somewhere, www.hajime.com.my or without the .my

Had dinner there about a year ago. Pricey, nothing to write home about. We could do better at home. Lethlean be damned.

a loooooooong lunch... sushi, sashimi and lots of sake... i'll try to get a cabcharge too!!

Cool, I was going to search it... next trip i'm in town, in about 4 weeks, i'll be sure to drop in for a meal... JUST TO SEE

Dan the Man... practical as usual!

Substantiation in any form is always welcome. If you'd posted with more detail, then it might have gone over a little more smoothly. If they are indeed using Korean seasonings, then paaahhh. Boo. Hiss. Off to Coventry for them lot.... Outrageous! Send in the Clowns!

First of all, it was really good to catch up with you Dan, and about food reports from Melbourne, I'm very proud to say I only dined out twice while in Melbourne!! Once at Gill's Diner in the City, which is a bit of a St John's/Fergus rip-off, oops, sorry, homage is the PC term, and the ever reliable Tea House on Burke, Camberwell. I'll post about those shortly. And kim, I think you really should form your own opinions rather than blatantly slandering a place based on 3rd hand information. Plus, there are some sushi variations that use seasoning, especially on oily fish such as mackerel, and on occasion tuna and swordfish. Although I haven't been in a while, Shiranui has always been held in high regard in my books.

The Changkat Bukit Bintang area is quite good for cool bars and a couple of good restaurants in the zone: El Cerdu - serving up pork pork pork... they say they're nose to tail eating, but it's a blatant 'homage' to Fergus Henderson's tag line, but the food has a mediterranean/german bent to it. Owned by Germans. Vinoteca - also serves pork, like salami, prosciutti etc and good pasta and their home made cotechino is pretty good considering it's Malaysia (a Muslim country) that we're talking about In terms of hawker food, and local specialities, you really need a guide. In town, the Imbi market is great as there's lots of hawkers there. Notable things to eat street food wise in that area: - pork jerky (Wing Heong is the name of the shop) - Har Mee (prawn broth noodles, slightly spicy) - Hainanese Chicken Rice - Char Kuey Teow (various spellings, but it's basically fried chinese rice based 'fettucine' with cockles, prawns, chili paste, bean sprouts and chives... it's a Malaysian original and a bit of a cult dish) If you're eating street food in a 'coffe shop' where hawkers have their stalls, you must try the local 'kopi' or coffee... for a change the 'chum ping' (iced coffee and tea with milk) is a novelty and very refreshing.

Hi there. Cilantro is closed for renovations. The Putrajaya area is sometimes described as a shit-hole. Not much of interest there except for bureaucratic monuments of dubious architectural merit and convention centres, although the one you're going to is the best of the lot. I travel in and out of KL quite often and have been frequenting a small Japanese restaurant called Hajime in Jalan Damai, Ampang. Good omakase sushi, and delicate dishes that can be served kaiseki style. Worth a try if you're visiting the Twin Towers area. The Japanese restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental is also good, next door to the Twin Towers. Sorry about the jap overload, but that's all I've been eating lately. The new mega shopping Mall known as Mid-Valley Gardens has a good hawker center approximation called Gurney Drive, after the famous food strip in Penang Island. A bit touristy, but I've been known to indulge there. Pricey, but at least you've got air-con and a good selection of hawker type dishes under one roof. I'm scratching my head now, but what about Italian?