[Hotel Happenings]

 

This March and April, DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur brings an authentic Thai dining experience to Kuala Lumpur, featuring renowned Thai chefs from sister properties Conrad Bangkok and Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok. Starting from 1 March 2017 to 30 April 2017, DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur will be offering five (5) Thai inspired promotions at their F&B outlets.

Head Thai Chef for Conrad Bangkok, Inthira “Chef Jib” Phumpaijitr, draws inspiration from a strong Thai family heritage, and has cultivated a robust hotel background in authentic Thai culinary. Combining hot cooking with a special skill in fruits and vegetable carving, her path to culinary success started from very humble beginnings as a pantry lady in a beach resort in Pattaya. Today, her culinary prowess and kitchen leadership has taken her to countries like Finland, Denmark, Egypt and Sri Lanka to share her Thai inspiration and innovative creations. Now in Malaysia, Chef Jib will be in DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur for one month in March 2017 to share her unique talents of authentic Thai cooking.

Puttipong “Chef Chu” Tinkratok is a Thai chef who comes with a passion for cooking with fresh ingredients and making each dish shine with its unique authentic flavour. In his position as Cluster Sous Chef at both Hilton and DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, Chef Chu’s role is significant in shaping the hotels’ culinary talents and passion in preserving Thai heritage cooking. With almost 20 years of experience in both Thailand and international countries like the UAE, Tunisia and Switzerland, Chef Chu is passionate about sharing his specialty Thai dishes to fellow Malaysians at DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur in the month of April 2017.

 

45 Thai-Italian Tapas & Beer at Tosca

Beatrix and I headed over to Tosca Italian Restaurant in DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur to try their special 45 Thai-Italian Tapas & Beer menu which is available every Thursday to Saturday from 2 March to 29 April 2017 from 6.00pm to 11.00pm.

The all-you-can-eat (and all the Tiger beer you can drink too!) promo is priced at RM168 nett per person, and features a selection of 45 Italian Tapas, some of which will be infused with Thai ingredients and cooking style, creating unique dishes such as Soi Cowboy Baby Shrimps, Beef Phanaeng Spaghetti, Green Chicken Curry Linguine, Gaeng Khiao Wan Pizza, Coconut Fish and Chips, Massaman Lamb Shank, Tub Tim Krob, and more.

Here’s a look at what we tried during our visit:

ANTIPASTI

Thai Fish Cakes with sweet chili dip & coriander

Went great with the beer!

Pandan Chicken with peanut & chili dip

SOUP

Tom Yam Khung with prawn, lemongrass, galangal, chili, lime juice & prawn broth

A traditional Thai soup with spicy, sour, and sweet flavours that’s loaded with seafood! The beer was needed to cool down my palate after this soup!

PASTA

Beef Phanaeng Spaghetti with beef strips, kaffir lime leaves & coconut milk

Took me a while to get used to the flavours, generally not what I prefer in a pasta dish however I must say that the beef strips were really tender and flavourful!

PIZZA

Gaeng Khiao Wan dressed with green curry, chicken, Thai basil, onions & mozzarella cheese

This was a fusion dish that worked really well! Loved the thin and crispy crust and the lovely green curry as the sauce.

MAIN

Thai Sea Bass with lemongrass, chili, kaffir lime, lemon & fish stock

Lemongrass Beef Ribs with coriander, galangal, kaffir lime, cashew nuts, chili & fish sauce

Beef ribs with fish sauce? Surprisingly it made for a very refreshing and tasty dish indeed!

Coconut Fish and Chips served with Thai tartar sauce & lemon wedge

It took us a while to realise that the coconut was actually in place of the breadcrumbs used to coat the fish! Unusual but it worked!

 

Tom Yam Chicken Involtini with turkey ham, mozzarella cheese & tom yam spice

 

Baked Scallops with garlic emulsion & coriander

Lovely baked scallops that went remarkably well with the garlic and coriander.

DESSERT

Tub Tim Krob (bottom right)

water chestnut with coconut milk & jackfruit

A lovely mix of flavours and textures. Try to get one of each ingredient in each mouthful for best effect!

Mango Sticky Rice (bottom left)

with coconut cream syrup & glutinous rice

Creamy, sweet and sour – a nice end to the meal!

Classic Tiramisu (top)

A very decadent dessert indeed!

Beatrix with Junior Sous Chef Halim who heads the culinary team at Tosca

Tosca has a semi open air dining concept

Used the “Star Filter” in the Panasonic Lumix LX10 which transforms pin-points of light into a star effect. Great for adding a little sparkle to the scene and one of my favourite filters in the camera!

It’s quite a nice venue for a romantic date if you don’t mind dining in open air. Fortunately it was raining the night we visited so it was pretty cool.

The area outside the restaurant (next to the pool) is quite good for photos

Us with Chef Halim

 

Here’s a look at all the 45 offerings in the Thai-Italian Tapas Menu.

 

ANTIPASTI

1. Thai Mango Salad with pomelo

2. Thai Fish Cakes with sweet chili dip & coriander

3. Soi Cowboy Baby Shrimps with chili, lemongrass & lime

4. Pandan Chicken with peanut & chili dip

5. Crispy Bean Curd with sweet chili, crushed peanut, red onions & coriander

6. Roasted Duck Spring Roll with rice vermicelli, black mushrooms & spring greens

7. Spicy Beef Salami Bruschetta with rucola & Parmigiano Reggiano

8. Bresaola with melon & mint

9. Grilled Oyster Mushrooms with tomato chutney & Italian parsley

10. Deep Fried Whitebait with chipotle mayo & lemon wedge

11. Beetroot Salad dressed with feta cheese & sherry dressing

 

SOUP

12. Wild Mushroom Soup dressed with truffle oil infusion

13. Tom Yam Khung with prawn, lemongrass, galangal, chili, lime juice & prawn broth

 

PASTA

14. Beef Phanaeng Spaghetti with beef strips, kaffir lime leaves & coconut milk

15. Green Curry Chicken Linguine with Thai Basil, chili, beans & spring onions

16. Potato Gnocchi with duck bacon, sage & pecorino cheese

17. Prawn Risotto served with tiger prawns, saffron & lemon

18. Salmon Penne in pistachio & dill cream

 

PIZZA

19. Gaeng Khiao Wan Pizza dressed with green curry, chicken, Thai basil, onions & mozzarella cheese

20. Roasted Duck Pizza dressed with Hoi Sin sauce, Thai basil pesto, mozzarella cheese, onions, spring onions & shitake mushroom

21. Margherita Pizza dressed with tomato, mozzarella cheese & fresh basil

22. Arrabbiata Pizza dressed with tomato, mozzarella cheese, spicy beef salami, black olives & dry chili

23. Tosca Pizza dressed with tomato, buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomato, bresaola beef, rocket & parmesan cheese

 

MAIN

24. Coconut Fish and Chips served with Thai tartar sauce & lemon wedge

25. Massaman Lamb Shank with potatoes, cinnamon, star anise, coconut milk & chili

26. Thai Sea Bass with lemongrass, chili, kaffir lime, lemon & fish stock

27. Lemongrass Beef Ribs with coriander, galangal, kaffir lime, cashew nuts, chili & fish sauce

28. Tom Yam Chicken Involtini with turkey ham, mozzarella cheese & tom yam spice

29. Baked Scallops with garlic emulsion & coriander

30. Grilled Octopus Confit with potato salad, rosemary & lemon oil

31. Steamed New Zealand Mussels with white wine, garlic, cherry tomatoes & parsley

32. Chicken Piccata seasoned in egg & parmesan batter with mushroom ragout & parsley

33. Florentine Beef Steak with sea salt, black pepper & rocket

 

VEGETABLES & SALAD

34. Stir-fried Water Convolvulus with chili, shrimp paste, onion & fish sauce

35. Spicy Green Beans with dried shrimp, chili & garlic

36. Mashed Potatoes with chives, parmesan cheese & cream

37. Buttered Broccoli with toasted almonds & garlic

38. Grilled Asparagus with sea salt, balsamic reduction & parmesan shave

 

DESSERT

39. Tub Tim Krob water chestnut with coconut milk & jackfruit

40. Mango Sticky Rice with coconut cream syrup & glutinous rice

41. Classic Tiramisu

Italian Style Gelato in 4 classic flavours:

42. Madagascar Vanilla

43. Velvety Chocolate

44. Raspberry Sorbet

45. Espresso

 

5-Course Thai Fusion Wine Dinner at Tosca

24 March 2017, Friday

7.00pm to 11.00pm

RM168 nett per person

For one night only, experience Thai food at its finest as Chef Jib prepares a sophisticated yet delightful five-course Thai menu, where each dish is brilliantly paired with exquisite wines to bring out the best of flavours. Diners can expect the following menu:

 

Appetizer

Bangkok Seafood Samplers

A platter consisting of Alaskan crab – fish cake, raw prawn timbale and stuffed squid salad – paired with Corte Giara Pinot Grigio

Soup

Crayfish Tom Yam

A sour and spicy broth infused with crayfish and fresh aromatic herbs – paired with Poggio al Tesoro Solosole Vermentino

Entrée

Baked Snapper with Citrus “Cartoccio”

Fresh snapper fillet baked in paper with citrus broth, chili and herbs – paired with Allegrini Valpolicella Superior DOC

Main

Lemongrass Beef Steak with “Som Tam”

Grilled marinated beef steak served with Thai papaya salad and crushed peanuts – paired with Allegrini La Poja 2008

Dessert

Deconstructed Mango Sticky Rice

An infusion of coconut panna cotta, Thai sticky rice, mango ice cream, salted coconut foam and coconut crumble – paired with Allegrini Giovanni Recioto Classico 2009

 

Amazing Thai Buffet Hi-Tea at Makan Kitchen

4 March – 30 April, 2017

Saturday and Sunday

12:30pm to 4:00pm

RM91 nett per person (Kids eat free per paying adult)

In addition to a hi-tea spread of over 60 dishes, diners can expect signature Thai dishes such as Pad Thai, Thai Fish Cake, Pandan Chicken, Clear Tom Yam, Beef Massaman, and many more.

Makan Kitchen will also be serving Thai inspired drinks such as Iced Red Tea, Lemongrass Tea and Iced Green Tea, which will be served on rotation basis throughout the promotion.

For parents with kids, a kid’s corner will be set up with Wii games and movie screening to keep them entertained, and the chef will also be concocting some delectable Thai snacks and desserts for the children to enjoy.

 

Absolute Thai Buffet Dinner at Makan Kitchen

3 March – 30 April, 2017

Monday till Sunday

6:30pm to 10:30pm

RM135 nett per person

Serving over 80 Thai specialty dishes in an all you can eat buffet spread featuring the Grilled Black Angus Thai Beef Salad, River Prawn Tom Yam Kung, Raw Tiger Prawn with Premium Thai Dip, Steamed Fish with Fragrant Lime Broth, Chokanan Mango Sticky Rice and many more.

Makan Kitchen will also be serving Thai inspired drinks such as Iced Red Tea, Lemongrass Tea and Iced Green Tea, which will be served on rotation basis throughout the promotion.

 

“Sun Down, Get Thai” Cocktails at Cellar Door

11 March to 30 April

If you like cocktails then head over to Cellar Door where there are five (5) Thai inspired cocktails namely Thailander, Thai Pearl, Thai Chili Mojito, Thai Margarita and Tamarind Whiskey Sour, all of which will include Thai spices. The a la carte menu is available from 11 March to 30 April for the five (5) aforementioned cocktails and dishes such as Thai Spring Roll, Thai Fish Cake, Tom Yam Prawn Fritter, Pandan Chicken and Lemongrass Grilled Beef.

Cocktails are priced at RM28 nett per glass while the food starts from RM15 nett to RM45 nett.

 

Thailander

Tamarind Whiskey Sour

We both liked this one as we are both whisky drinkers.

 

If you’re an aspiring chef or home cook who would like to get up-close and personal with the guest chefs to learn some signature Thai dishes then look out for two inspiring cooking classes where you can learn 3 signature Thai dishes:

• Som Tam – Thai papaya salad with dried shrimps, roasted peanuts and chili-lime dressing

• River Prawn Tom Yam Gung – Prawn soup infused with lemongrass, kaffir lime and galangal

• Gang Kiew Wan Gai – Thai green curry chicken

Choose either a session with Chef Jib on 18 March 2017 (Saturday), or with Chef Chu on 15 April 2017 (Saturday) for a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from the best. Each session is priced at RM188 nett per person and includes the Absolute Thai Buffet Dinner at Makan Kitchen with the renowned guest chefs.

All prices are inclusive of 10% Service Charge and 6% GST.

 

Tosca is located at:

10th Floor, DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur,

The Intermark,

348 Jalan Tun Razak,

50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 2172 7272

Website: http://flavoursbydoubletreekl.com/