aly's wonderland

Rewind: Christmas Brunch at Senses, Hilton KL

25th December 2009

Ahh…

Christmas day normally involves sleeping till noon and pigging out on leftover turkey from the night before.

This year, we tried something different. We forced ourselves out of bed EARLY, got the kids ready, and kept our tummies empty. Why? Because the life of a chef does not allow for Christmas. It doesn’t allow for New Year’s, or Valentine’s Day, or public holidays. So what do you do when the Chef can’t come to you? Well, you go to the Chef, of course!

Walking through the lobby, we were greeted by a very chirpy Gerard, Head of F&B.

“Merry Christmas!” he bellowed. “Are you headed to Senses?”

“Of course!” I replied smiling, introducing him to the whole jing-bang. He leaned closer towards my little nephew Chuckie (that’s his nickname), and whispered, “You know, I think Santa may pay you a visit very soon…”

Excited and a little apprehensive about our first family Christmas lunch out, we made our way up the escalators to the Mezzanine floor and promptly sat at our table by the window. I looked at the menu and the sheer amount of food on it. It left me speechless.

21 courses served to your table, with free flow of Gosset Champagne. I regretted my choice of outfit by course number 6, and that was still a starter…

Chef Michael Elfwing (aka Lil Chef) had been up bright and early that morning, sweating it out in the kitchen with his team of dedicated staff. When I walked past the open kitchen on the way to our table, I spied Audrey and Lam, and the rest of the gang. But no Lil’ Chef.  I sent him a text as soon as we were seated, as the little blinking envelope on my screen was, well, missing since 8 am. I waited.

“How many of you will be having Champagne?” asked Nina, the Manager of Senses. We counted.

I looked at my phone again. Still no little envelope.

Champagne was skillfully poured, a tray of freshly baked bread paraded around the table. I sneaked a peak at my phone again. Nothing.

Finally, in between bread and my first glass of champagne, I felt a vibration from my handbag. I checked, and there it was, in plain English, what I had feared. One word.

“Nervous.”

Well, bl**dy hell! I was nervous for him, so I couldn’t even imagine how it must have felt, to have over a full house, with 51 people, on Christmas Day, with children, and, with that many dishes to serve!

Along came Santa to distract me (and Chuckie) who was fascinated by the passing cars on Jln Bangsar below.

Santa and his helper handed out gift bags of Lego (very smart, keeps the kids occupied for awhile) and soon after our first dish arrived. A glorious chorus of voices filled the room as carol singers were harmonizing beautifully in the lobby. What a wonderful, festive atmosphere it created.

Now, the scene has been set. Let’s get down to the food.

Appetisers

Senses home made gravlax with traditional garnishes

Coffin Bay oysters served natural

The oysters from this region are not very big, but extra tasty with a saltier flavour. Delicious.

Truffle & chicken liver pâté, organic pear chutney

Duck & foie gras terrine, late harvest wine jelly

Roasted organic beetroot & fried feta cheese salad, pine nuts & basil essence

Prawn & pink peppercorn lollipop, smoked cod dipping sauce

And that’s when it hit us…

And then there were two more…

Turkey croquettes scented with truffle & green peppercorns, fresh cranberry compote

We decided to skip this dish for fear we would look like gluttons and explode before the mains arrived…

Chestnut soup with celery & maple

Sweet and savoury, thick and creamy. Blended smooth, very nutty in flavour, and a great way to warm up for the hot main courses.

Carving served by the Chef

Oh, thank god! He is alive!

Wagyu ham with confit La Ratte potato & winter vegetables

Nina and Chef Michael have time for a laugh…

Hot delicacies

Smoking allowed

The infamous (and elusive!) Smoking Allowed. I finally get to try it. Presentation: A +! Jaw Dropping Effect: A++ Taste on tongue: Off the charts!

Baked Norwegian scallop with seaweed butter

This was the point when the crazy scallop lady made an appearance…

Mort: “Oooh… scallop… give me all your scallops!”

Me: “”Okay, crazy Scallop lady, here you go! Smile and wave, smile and wave…”

Salt baked Australian Barramundi, fragrant herbs & spices

As with all mains, served to you by the Chef himself…

Doused in a light spicy sauce, made from the same ingredients as the stuffing, with the addition of chicken stock and fish head.

Next up…

Venison meatballs, creamed gravy, spiced red cabbage

Honey glazed turkey breast, Brussels sprouts & duck bacon

Fettuccine with mushrooms & truffle

What the rest said:

Kukkie: “I should have worn something that would expand…

Brandon: “Dammit, I’m almost finished! Is there more?”

Chef’s Special

SURPRISE! Lobster! Marinated in Bourbon and Lime, grilled to a succulent  perfection!

Dessert

We got Brandon to whittle it down for us, but still ended up with 5 out of 7…

Christmas pudding with warm brandy sauce

Stone fruit custard trifle, nectarine, peach & apricot

Cherry strudel, frangipane crème & coconut sorbet

Bread & butter pudding, apricot sorbet

Rice pudding with cinnamon ice cream

Sticky date pudding, caramel Cognac sauce

Panettone French toast

Selection of homemade ice-cream and sorbet

The eggnog flavour was a huge hit at the table.

Senses’ fine selection of coffee or Ronnefeldt tea

TOTAL: 23 courses

THE DAMAGE:

RM288++ per person with free flow of champagne

Price is in Ringgit Malaysia and subject to 10% service charge and prevailing tax

Was it worth it?

Hell yea! Look at those beaming faces… Beats leftover turkey anyday!

Senses

Hilton Kuala Lumpur
3 Jalan Stesen Sentral
Kuala Lumpur Sentral
50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: +60 3 2264 2264
Fax: +60 3 2264 2266
E-mail: kuala-lumpur@hilton.com
Web site: http://www.kl-studio.com