Food Review – Christmas Menu at Samplings on the Fourteen


[Christmas Special]
Christmas is my favourite time of the year and while food plays an important part it’s not the main reason of the season of course. I cannot however resist a review of Christmas menus at restaurants therefore thanks to TableApp – http://www.tableapp.com/ which is a nifty little mobile app and website that help assists you to make instant reservations at some of Klang Valley best restaurants: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No more waiting for the restaurant to open before calling and calling and not getting an answer (which I find most frustrating).
I have been to Samplings on the Fourteen back in 2011 – https://timchew.net/2011/10/20/fine-dine-beer-with-chef-kern-by-kronenbourg-1664/ – for the Kronenbourg 1664 Beer Pairing dinner which was most memorable as it was hosted by the former MD of Carlsberg Malaysia Soren Ravn (who’s now moved up and on to become CEO of Greater China) and it was my first time having a beer pairing dinner.
This time we were to try the special Christmas Eve four-course meal specially designed for the occasion by the restaurant’s Chef de Cuisine, Chef Val.

Samplings on the Fourteen is located on the fourteenth floor of Berjaya Times Square Hotel
The foyer/ bar area leading in to the main dining area
The main dining area which offers a view of the chefs preparing you meal in the open kitchen.
A beautiful Christmas tree right beside out table
The view of Bukit Bintang and surrounding areas
Rudolf Goes Green mocktail (R) priced at RM15++ and The Grinch cocktail (L) priced at RM21++ is available at three (3) of Berjaya Times Square Hotel’s F&B outlets – Samplings on the Fourteen, Big Apple Restaurant, and Broadway Lounge.
I opted for some red wine to go along with my dinner. Do note that the Christmas Eve Menu is not a wine pairing dinner (ie. not inclusive of wine) however there are wine options for you to add on should you be interested,
The pretty table setting.
Smoked Salmon and Prawn Salad – the slices of delicious smoked salmon were delicious while the caviar and fish roe added some indulgence to the dish. Most interesting was the prawn salad which was served atop some puff pastry which added a different (but pleasant) texture to the dish. Loved the presentation too and this was my favourite presentation of the night.
Cream of Pumpkin Soup – a really creamy and delectably flavoured pumpkin soup which I liked because I can handle creamy soups. The dollop of sour cream helped to add a little sourness to cut through the richness and balance it out. A heart-warming addition to the meal and the portion is not too big that you can’t eat your mains after that.
Minted Wintermelon Sorbet – a palate cleanser after the rich pumpkin soup. This one was nice and refreshing! Liked the little touch of mint and wouldn’t have minded an even stronger minty flavour.
Chef Val giving total attention to preparing the mains
Roast Christmas Turkey – this was my choice of main for the night and my first turkey for the year! The turkey breast and leg were prepared roulade style to seal in the juices and flavour (I really really hate slices of plain and dry turkey breast and luckily this was far from that). The beef bacon wrapped sage was an interesting addition to the dish apart from the turkey stuffing. As turkey is not the most flavourful of meats you might want to ask for extra brown sauce to go with it and the tasty stuffing which will soak up most of it anyway.
Slow Roasted Lamb Shank. We all only got to try our chosen main but there were good comments from those at the table who chose this dish and Spicy Sharon of http://spicysharon.blogspot.com commented “the lamb was marvellous – juicy and tender”. I personally think that it looks pretty good though but I would have preferred a bigger portion.
Pan Seared Cod – this was the choice of main of most of the girls at the table and they all had good comments about this dish. The cod was served with potato and leek mash, wild mushrooms, cured cherry tomato and olive tart with saffron sage.
Chestnut Mille Feuille – served with orange-flavoured Christmas pudding and cinnamon ice cream. A nice sweet end to the meal and this went very well with the freshly brewed coffee (you can opt for tea too).
Petit fours with coffee/ tea to end the meal

The four-course Christmas eve fine dining meal is priced at RM158.00++ per adult and I fully recommend prior booking to avoid disappointment.
If you’re looking to get a roast turkey for Christmas, Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur offers a traditional Christmas recipe with a chestnut stuffing, cranberry sauce and choice of black pepper or giblet sauce for takeaway. Do note that an advance order of two (2) days is required for the turkey which is priced at RM298.00++ per turkey of 3-4 kilograms.
Also available on Christmas Eve at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel is the buffet dinner at the all-day dining Big Apple Restaurant offering up a host of salads, appetizers, soups and main courses, coupled with various specialty food stalls serving traditional fare including roasted turkey, homemade ravioli, grilled chicken, beef and lamb satay, and sautéed seafood fricassee. For you sweet tooths there are sweet treats like Christmas Yule log, Ginger Bread, Ginger Bread Trees, Christmas Stolen, Swiss Leckerli and the traditional rich mixed-fruit cake. The buffet is priced at RM108.00++ per adult and RM58.00++ per child.
After dinner, the party begins at Broadway Lounge to ring in Christmas Day at the hotel with the Broadway Lounge Christmas Eve Party. Featuring a seasoned live band to provide the evening’s entertainment, guests will also be provided with fun party packs and have the opportunity to win prizes including cash vouchers from the lucky draw.
On Christmas day, look out for the Christmas brunch which will be specially prepared by some of the finest chefs of the hotel, and is priced at RM75.00++ per adult and RM38.00++ per child.
Do remember that you can save yourself the trouble of calling the restaurant by simply booking a table using TABLEAPP http://www.tableapp.com/restaurant/samplings-berjayatimessquarehotel
Samplings on the Fourteen is located at:
Berjaya Times Square
1, Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Telephone: +60 (3) 2117 8000 ext. 8131
More info at http://www.berjayahotel.com/kualalumpur

Photos shot using the Sony NEX-5T. More info at https://timchew.net/2013/10/01/sony-new-camera-2013-launch/ or http://www.sony.com.my