Editor’s Note – April 2019


[Editor’s Note]
Gout de France Dinner at 2OX Kuala Lumpur

 
Gout de France or Good France returned on 21 March 2019 where the world’s biggest event celebrating French gastronomy took place in over 150 countries. Organised on the initiative of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Alain Ducasse, Good France was first held in 2015, following UNESCO’s decision to put “gastronomic meal of France” on the intangible cultural heritage list.
This year, Good France entered the 5th year of the event which saw over 5,000 chefs participate across 5 continents over 4 days of events celebrating responsible cooking.
Following on from COP21 and the French National Food Conference, France is at the forefront of global environmental action. The Good France key event showcasing France’s gastronomy will be taking a greener approach in 2019 aimed at better respecting the planet’s resources.
On 21 March, chefs from around the world cooked up a French-style dinner, with a focus on more responsible cuisine. In Malaysia, one of the restaurants participating in Gout de France this year was 2OX Kuala Lumpur, and we were blessed to be able to experience this special menu which was priced at RM150++ per person.
 
2OX is a cosy French bistro located along Jalan Doraisamy in Kuala Lumpur
  
APPETIZER
 

Torched Scottish Salmon Trout – Citrus Salt – Fennel & Apple – Brokaw Avocado – Spiced Tomato Jam
Truite saumonée écossaise au chalumeau – Sel d’agrumes – Fenouil et pomme – Avocat Brokaw- Confiture de tomates épicées

 
 
MAINS (Choice of)

 
Roasted Wild Red Snapper – Petit Pois Veloutė – Butter Poached Cauliflower Florets – Charred Leek & Pine Nut Vinaigrette
Vivaneau rouge sauvage rôti – Petit pois velouté – Fleurons de chou-fleur poché au beurre – Vinaigrette poireaux et pignons de pin
 
 
or
 

 
Sous Vide Lamb Saddle – Grilled Broccoli Rabe – Truffle Confit Yucon Potatoes – Sauce Bordelaise
Selle d’agneau sous vide – Brocoli grillé – Pommes de terre au Yucon Confites – Sauce Bordelaise
 
 
CHEESE COURSE
 

Grilled Brie – Poached Beets – Fresh Yoghurt – Organic Honey – Smoked Sea Salt
Brie grillé – Betteraves pochées – Yaourt frais – Miel biologique – Sel de mer fumé

 
 
DESSERT
 

Pear Brulee – Passion Fruit Crémeux –  Earl Grey Gelée – Mascarpone Ice Cream
Poire Brûlée – Crémeux au fruit de la passion – Earl Grey Gelée – Crème glacée au mascarpone
 
As we were also celebrating her birthday, the chef modified her dessert with macaron, Happy Birthday in chocolate, and a candle! Very impressed that they were so accommodating!
  
2OX is located at:
54, Jalan Doraisamy,
50300 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
 
Telephone: 03 2692 2233
Website: http://www.two-ox.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2OXKL/
 

 

 
Finca Decero Wine Tasting at Wine Kaki TTDI

 
Kathy and I recently attended the Finca Decero wine tasting at Wine Kaki in TTDI. Decero, meaning “from scratch”, was born of a bare patch of land and a family´s love affair with wine. Winemaking in Thomas Schmidheiny´s family went back to his grandparents in Switzerland and, just as Napa had inspired his mother, Adda, in the 1970s, so too did Agrelo capture the heart and mind of Thomas, when travelling over the Andes into Argentina, 20 years later.
Starting “decero” was exactly how Thomas Schmidheiny dreamt of beginning a world-class vineyard, free from constraint of tradition and full of passion. In Agrelo, which is the home of some of Argentina’s finest red wines, Thomas instinctively knew that he had found the place to continue the family legacy and to handcraft wines whose allure would lie in being true to their origin.
The beautiful yet desolate spot Thomas had found was cradled in the heart of Agrelo, in the foothills of the Andes. This land, bare apart from wild shrubs, was to become the Remolinos Vineyard – which was named after its strangest and most special natural attribute, the remolinos, or tiny whirlwinds. These gusts of wind stir up the bare soil into dancing spiral forms which thread their way through the vines, keeping the grapes in perfect condition during the growing season. Situated 3,500 feet (1,050 meters) above sea level, the vineyard is the highest in Agrelo: where the cool night westerly air from the Andes passes over a land that is warm by day.
Finca Decero only plants the red varieties perfectly suited to Agrelo, with a winemaking philosophy that required both local knowledge and international expertise, hands-on from start to finish: which the winery calls the “amano” approach.

Finca Decero wines are distributed in Malaysia by Fortier Wines & Spirits. For more info, head over to http://fws.com.my/