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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Vault [Food Review] [non halal]

Sluurp~ attracted to the fatty duck slices above yet? Nope? Come on, it's Chinese New Year, it's the time of the year to feast! No matter which part of the world you are from, I believe you must have some Chinese living around your neighborhood. Pork, duck, chicken, fish, seafood and uncountable ways to prepare these delicacies, how not one's not attracted to it?
Ironically, Valentine's day is always accompany after Chinese New Year. Sigh.... when you have over your waist, money and cholesterol quota, how can you enjoy valentine's day candle light dinner peacefully? No matter what, the show must go on. I am here to help you a bit *cough cough* during this difficult season.
Last week, I was invited to Vault, a warm hospitality Wine Bistro. It's Spanish specialties and a wide variety of wine, ranging from Italy, Australia, France etc are really a unforgettable dining experience.

Vault:
Operation hour:
Mon - Fri: 10:30 am - 12:00 am
Sat: 5:00 pm - 12:00 am
Rest every Sunday
Style and specialties:
Breakfast, Brunch, Burgers, Spanish/Basque, Steakhouses, Tapas Bars
Services:
Takes Reservations, Walk-Ins Welcome, Good For Groups, Take Out, Outdoor Seating
Facebook:
Phone: 
03-7725 7266
Email:
reignpioneer@gmail.com
Address:
A-G-7, Block A, Glomac Damansara, No. 699, Jalan Damansara, 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


When I first step in it, I kindda like it. The slow jazz, the dim environment,

and the classic tidy table ware,

Whether you are coming for a romantic candle light dinner with your loved one.

or a reunion dinner with the family during this festive season, it's not hard to win your heart. Best of all, for those that enjoy a good meal but hate the formality of fine dinning, you can just wear casual here.

What's a wine bistro if they don't have a wide variety of wine to offer.

If you're keen to ask, they might have some collection you are looking for.

If you are so much of a wine person, they have beers and tapas for special price during the happy hour too!

As for me, a foodie, all I care is their delicacy.
Tapas                                                                                                              
Garlic Bread (4 pcs)
 RM 5 
Mashed Potato
 RM 6 
Tomato Bruschetta 
 RM 8 
Spicy Hungarian Sausage
 RM 14 
Crispy Calamari
 RM 15 
Roasted Pork Belly
 RM 16 
Fried Chicken Wing
 RM 16 
Spice Garlic Prawn
 RM 18 
Smoke Bacon Wrap Prawn
 RM 19 
Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab
 RM 19
Escargot (half dozen)
 RM 20 
Salad
Arugula Salad
 RM 16 
Red Salad
 RM 16 
Smoked Salmon Ceaser Salad
 RM 18 
Home Made Soup
Leek & Potato Soup
 RM 10 
Trio Mushroom Soup
 RM 12 
Pasta
Aglio Olio
 RM 18 
Fettuccine Alfredo
 RM 23 
Pork Bolognese
 RM 25 
Seafood Marinara
 RM 28 
Al Salmone
 RM 28 
Main Course
Chicken Carciatore
 RM 27 
Bacon Wrap Snapper
 RM 35 
Prawn & Scallop Aioli
 RM 38 
Marinated Baby Pork Rib
 RM 48 
Iberico Pork Steak
 RM 58 
Sausage
Italian Sausage
 RM 26 
Spicy Hungarian Sausage
 RM 26 
Nuerberger Sausage
 RM 28 
Chorizo Sausage
 RM 29 
German Sausage
 RM 29 
Mix Sausage Plater
 RM 38 
Vault's Ala Carte menu and price.

Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, Vault has a 6 course dinner menu from 13th February to 14th February. The  menu include Sopa De Esparragos, Caviar Scallop, Shrimp Aglio e Olio, Smoked Dusk, Spanish Iberian, and Tiramisu Hazel Crust with only RM98 per person.
On top of that, 3 wine/champagne are also selling at a promotion price,


Wine/Champagne                                               
          
Brut Francois Montand 
 RM 90  
Prosecco Solivo 
 RM 90
Demba Redwine
 RM 70

I wish I'd have a Valentine to spend a night with me savouring the Valentines Day menu, but work is work. The manager have treat us a good meal indeed and I shouldn't be complaining.

Crispy Calamari, RM 15 
Our first tapas of the day. Calamari has very little flavor and tough texture when cooked. The dish's main attraction is on the batter. I'd say the herbs helped a lot.

Roasted Pork Belly, RM 16
Second tapas. I reminds me of a Chinese dish, soy sauce roast pork belly. I bet the preparation method is almost same, roasted pork chunks coated in sauce. This dish has a very distinct sweet and salty sauce. The thick and rich coating doesn't cover the crunchiness of the pork skin at all.
  
Fried Chicken Wing, RM 16
If you were like " meh..." when you see the picture, think again. Fried chicken is a very popular delicacy in many cuisine, but to master it, it's not that easy. Oil's temperature, time to fried, batter, chicken's freshness, chicken's size, sauce etc. Vault made it crispy on the outside with abundant internal fats(oil) making it exceptionally juicy. The choice of wing is also brilliant, because for me wings has the most succulent meat with enough fats coasting each strand of muscles.



Arugula Salad, RM 16
Another dish that surprises me with only simple ingredient.With only arugula, tomato, bacon bits and croutons, then maybe a splash of, I don't know garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, coarse salt and pepper and maybe a few other secret ingredient, the salad will really blow your mind. Even if you are not a very big fan of veggies and salad, you might start to fall in love with your greens again.

While we are waiting for our main course, I had one and a half glass of Col Solivo Prosecco Extra Dry champagne. Usually: RM 100, promotion price: RM 90

You see, if a guy is eyeing for a girl instead of trying to enjoying a good meal, most guy will choose to have champagne rather than red wine or white wine. Girl are usually more award of red and white wine intake due to the strong alcohol smell and the bitter after taste. However, champagne is a total different story. Champagnes are generally sweet with very little bitter after taste. Girls that are not aware, can end up drink more and got drunk. As for Col Solivo Prosecco, it is very fruity and aromatic. I almost feel like drinking cider minus the intense sourness, due to it's apple sweetness.

Seafood Marinara, RM 28
I guess this is the only disappointment of the night. In contrary to how it looks, the pasta was slightly over done. The tomato puree sauce was sour with very little taste of herb. Sorry to say that the sauce is worse than those canned pasta sauce.

Smoked Duck (Daily Special)
This is not from the Ala Carte menu. Do you see the glossy fats under the skin? No, it's not greasy at all! The duck slices was cook long enough to evaporate the fats, leaving away firm collagen. It's very different from Chinese's roast duck whether the skin are crisp and meat are moist. If I really have to critic, I would comment that the meat is too dry to my liking. It took my some effort to cut it.

Marinated Pork Rib, RM 48
Other guest on the table don't like the ribs so much. In contrary to them, I think this is how I like my ribs to be. When I pierce my knives beside the bones, oils gush out. Tendons are firm but not tough, slightly chewy but not unbreakable.

It goes great with mash potato and honey mustard sauce.

Mix Sausage platter, RM 48
Pardon me, there were 5 types of sauge on the plate and it was share across tables within 11 person. I barely  know what I ate, I don't even know how to comment on this.



Trio Mushroom soup, RM 12
I'd love to comment how it's taste like, EVEN IF I ONLY HAVE ONE SIP OF IT!


Prawn and Scallop Aioli, RM 38
Consist of 2 prawn, 4 scallop and a scope of mash potato.



Look at the succulent scallop.

And the slightly browned prawn. Again, I would like to tell you how it tatse, IF I HAD ONE!
I assume they are so good that it finishes before reaching me T_T.


Overall: 8/10 [It's hard to find a proper European bistro in Malaysia. They are not like the most awesome one around but sure is doing pretty well.]
Taste bud indulgence: 8.5/10 [Very standard Europen style cuisine. Don't get me wrong, although I praise it a lot, but that doesn't mean they are superduper awesome. I praise them because not much bistro/cafe in Malaysia can prepare a standard European dish w/o infusion with Malaysian flavour]
Purse Saver: 6.5/10 [RM98 for valentine's dinner is way over my budget. Morever, it's RM 98 per person, not a table for two. I might be wrong because this session is not a food tasting session for valentine. Only a few dishes were review.]
Location: 9.5/10 [I like the decorations and ambient a lot. -0.5 for the hard to find new building and slightly warm environment.]
Service: 8/10 [Our PR and the manager admit that they are slow in serving. They claim that they are still new and findgin heir ways to adapt to a large a mount of customers on that night. I am slightly dismay when they told us they couldn't server us the dishes they promised due to transportation, logistic and custom constrain.]



Thursday, February 7, 2013

Coldest place in Malaysia, SnowWorld Resort World Genting


Have you ever wonder how does it feel to be in a place colder than your freezer, sipping some fruit cocktail like a sir,


standing on top of a pile of wet, slippy snow

under a controlled weather of 5 degree Celsius under freezing point?

If you have not been through all these and feel like you want to experience how the hero and heroine in Winter Sonata feels, this might the place your dream comes true, without even leaving Malaysia or South East Asia!

Yes, it's the SnowWorld in Resort World Genting.
(and yes, it's yours truely *blush*)

If you are a lil bit older, you might have your set of photo like this in your album. The typical Genting mascot with you in a thick coat. Years before, there was an in-door place up in the hill called Genting where you can feel snow like you can never feel in your own neighborhood. But out of no reason (reason that we were too young to understand), the whimsical places disappeared.

Now, years have passed, either you were old enough to visit Snow World years before, or you were too young before it close, fear not! Since the reopen of SnowWorld on 31 August 2012,  more than 192 thousand visitor has visited Snow World. 
And it was just last week, Snow World was launch by Dato' Kevin Sim, Executive Vice President of Genting Malaysia Berhad.

Kudos to the Resort World's team for introduce us with the never-before-seen attraction in this 22.8 kilo square feet area.

Not to forget the great hospitality during the launching where we were serve with delicious snacks alongside with our companies.

Though the weather was like 5 degree Celsius under freezing point, the entertainers are so professional.

Some even lay on the floor 0.o?

What I like most is still Anastasia's expression during her magic performance XD

However, those are not the main attraction.  
The facade along the sideway imitate winter at a European down town (Down town and World Heritage Concept).

Combination of English Tea Shop, French Bakery, and Italian Pizzeria- all give an experience of many cultures in one location.
   
From dawn to dusk, the LED animation lets you experience the different time in winter season with just a period of few minutes.


The lookout point is the best spot to observe all these miracles.

If you are afraid of cold, you can also nest yourself in the Warm House, which is basically an igloo (ice sculpture). Well, not exactly warm, but it's definitely better than the freezing air outside >~<

As for the adventurous me, I wouldn't missed the Cresta Run slide.
Weeeeee~
No worry, it's super safe under supervision of the crew.


What a wonderful memory with these beautiful decorations and spectacular ice sculptures.

No matter you are looking for a place for 
special functions such as parties and private event,

or take an adventurous journey like me,

or spending some special time with loved one (Valentine is coming *wink wink*)

or even your family. Since Chinise New Year is coming and it's a long weekend ahead,


why not spend some time in Resort World Genting's Snow World?
I guarantee you it's 10 times more fun than playing your stupid mediocre Facebook game...


But be aware of the rules and regulation in Snow World.
By right you shouldn't bring your camera into it. Due to the launch, media and bloggers were allow to bring in camera. As a result:

My camera turn foggy and I have to de-fog it. If you don't know the proper way to remove the fog on time, it might cause fungi.

Last but not least, take care and enjoy your holiday!
Wishing you guys a Prosperous Chinese New Year and Happy Holiday!

Address: Level T2A, First World Plazza
Ticket price: (adult) RM 30, (children & Senior Citizen) RM 25,
Note: WorldCard and Reward Card members will enjoy additional RM3 discount. Tikets include snow gears such as jackets, gloves and boots.