food
Exotic, yet familiar, flavours in Ghanaian chef’s labour of love
Each dish in this 6-course tasting menu is rich in flavour and texture, with a subtle familiarity in homage to the spice-rich culinary tradition of executive chef Phoebe Donk-Hanson. Pictured here is the beef medallion. – Pic courtesy of Aloft KL, November 18, 2015.When Chef Phoebe Donko-Hanson first tasted Malaysian food, she was blown away by how strikingly similar they were to the flavours she had grown up with as a child in Ghana.
"I found it hard to believe how easily I could recognise and appreciate the different flavours of Southeast Asian cuisine. It got me excited," said Donk-Hanson, or Chef Phoebe as she is more fondly known, who was recently named executive chef at Aloft Kl Sentral.
Her passion for the food of her home country of Ghana inspired her to create a chef tasting menu named "The Ethnic Inspired Collection" which features six gastronomic courses that reflect her vast international culinary experience as well as her roots in the flavours of ethnic food.
"In Ghana, we use a lot of bird's eye chillies, garlic, ginger and cloves. I decided to create a menu that would incorporate these ethnic flavours I love so much," she said.
A light and beautifully assembled starter to our meal, the panna cotta was a bold take on a classic Italian dessert, and one which won us over. – Pic courtesy of Aloft KL, November 18, 2015.
The first dish was the beetroot panna cotta, a light and almost-whimsical looking start to our meal. Unlike the classic version of this Italian dessert, our panna cotta was not at all heavy or creamy, but came as an almost translucent jelly-like log that was tinged a beautiful bright red by beetroot. Served with caviar, crème fraiche, crab meat, and pickled carrots, cucumber and radish, the fresh and light flavours danced on our palates, preparing us for the indulgence ahead.
The Tuna Tartare that came next delivered a real punch in terms of robust flavours. Chunks of smoked grade-A tuna loin were tossed in a sweet-sourish-salty passion fruit and soy sauce mixture that had just a slight hint of citrus. The kick in the dish came courtesy of thinly-sliced bird's eye chillies, which almost took our breath away in how very spicy they were. While we absolutely loved it, we'd suggest picking the chillies out if your tolerance for spiciness is low.
Aromatic, just a touch of heat and very satisfying, the peanut soup was matched perfectly with the pan-seared seabass. – Pic courtesy of Aloft KL, November 18, 2015.One of our favourite dishes of the night was the peanut soup, which evoked comparisons with fasang wu, a creamy Chinese peanut soup which is often served as a warm dessert, and Malaysian satay sauce. Served with a pan-seared sea bass and garnished with thin slices of okra and red chillies, the soup warmed the belly and left a delicious imprint of earthy flavours in our mouths.
In homage to her roots, Chef Phoebe then attempted to bring a bit of Ghana onto our plates with the grilled eggplant, which was served with grilled sweet plantain, spiced tomato puree and three bite-sized cuts of lamb loin. Perfectly balanced in flavour, the sweetness of the plantain paired perfectly with the medium-rare lamb.
Everything on this dish worked so well together, the flavours and textures blending seamlessly together. – Pic courtesy of Aloft KL, November 18, 2015.
The star of the night for us was definitely the beef tenderloin. The meaty beef medallion, cooked medium, was thoroughly enjoyable, but it was the bed of creamed spinach with its hint of cheese that stole the show. Creamy and hearty, the spinach scored for simply being the perfect, creamy texture and for having just the right level of savoury goodness.
We thought we couldn't stomach any more food, but made an exception for the milk chocolate dessert. The creamy, bitter-sweet cube of chocolate with coffee cream and a dollop of cheese mousse was absolutely addictive, and we loved the fresh raspberry puree that provided that little bit of a tangy balance to the sweetness of the chocolate.
The meal was absolutely satisfying, and the components of each dish were so well thought-out and executed, that every dish was both refreshingly different and yet slightly familiar.
At RM168 nett per person, we'd highly recommend it for anyone looking to be wowed by honest, passionate cooking in the hands of a truly masterful chef. – November 18, 2015.
Nook | Add: Aloft KL Sentral, 5 Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur | Tel: 03-27231188 | Opening hours: Dinner 6.30pm - 10.30pm | Halal
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