This week features an exciting mix of events, from a live music performance by students of the International College of Music to a delicious Ramdhan meal, just like how grandma prepares!
Click to view our full Checklist this week- Hishamuddin: Special task force to monitor Internet; Genting bus crash leaves 18 injured; Fat keeps McDonald's food immortal
- Get a move on! The PlayStation Move is here!
- Malay Mail editor charged for satirical blog post; Ferrari recalls cars after fires; Airline to host first mile-high gay wedding
- Win an all-expense paid trip to see Justin Bieber live in Tokyo, courtesy of Celcom XPax!
- Interview: Nadiah Hamzah needs help to make a film about M'sians in NY!
- Namewee: I'm 1Malaysia; Chelsea to train in Malaysia; Gmail unveils Priority Inbox
- 13 patriotic videos to celebrate Merdeka
- Merdeka mad: 5 national day parades from around the world!
- The Body Shop's new Rainforest Hair Care range cares for Mother Earth and you!
- Bomb explodes in Cheras!; BBC axes RPK from programme to please Putrajaya; Hipster dinosaurs!
ISSUE #142
Tolled highways, Nik Aziz T-shirts, storm drains, and more: for Merdeka month, KLue presents 53 objects that define our Klang Valley experience in these last 53 years of independence!
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Zouk Cafe Bar, previewed!
Zouk KL is a fixture in Klang Valley nightlife -- it brings in big-name DJs, hosts indie beloveds Twilight Action Girl, and consistently gets voted as Best Party Venue in KLue's annual readers' survey.
Now, having staked out the 10pm - 3am market, the Singapore-mari club is branching out. Zouk Café Bar arrives at the The Gardens @ MidValley, come early 2010. Marketing head Adam Mathews describes this new venture of theirs as a marriage between dining and drinking cultures -- an amalgam of a nice sit-down dinner with a booze-up at the bar.
In anticipation of the restaurant's opening, we got invited for a taste of Zouk Café Bar's 60-item menu-in-progress last week. Here's a sneak preview of some highlights:
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Lamb Kalbi
The kalbi we are typically familiar with are either beef or pork. Zouk's take on this Korean fixture is lamb: succulent meat, served on skewers with a sesame-and-honey dip.
What with the focus on minum, a large part of the planned menu consists of skewers and tapas. We found the Dungeness Crab Cakes (a pineapple chutney dip offers a nice contrast) and Wild Calamari (squid rings fried to perfection) particularly salivating.
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Asian Paella
Zouk's seafood Asian Paella is served in a clay pot (instead of in the traditional Catalan pan) with basmati rice and liberal amounts of turmeric. It's fascinating -- because of the uneasy fusion, though, the dish is tad bit dry and lacking in overall "bite".
Still, it's nice to see people experiment. Adam reminded us that they are tweaking the recipe. We'll be watching how this one turns out with great interest!
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Fettucine Carbonara
And, of course, there are the Italian mainstays. Zouk's Fettucine Carbonara is just right, with (surprisingly) adequate beef bacon. All in all, a solid entry.
(That's the crab cakes in the background, if you're wondering.)
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Once again, Zouk is still tweaking their menu -- as such, there isn't much use in publishing a full list as yet. Expect prices from the low to mid-RM10s (for the tapas and skewers), and entrées to hover around the RM20 to RM30 range.
Zouk Café Bar is slated for a February 2010 opening date. Watch out!
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6 COMMENTS
No seriously. BEEF bacon does not carbonara make. In fact, beef does not bacon make.
If you can't make a proper carbonara, don't serve it. Or at least have the dignity to not call it carbonara. Besides there are so many interesting ways to make pasta (Pasta Pesto anyone?)
I'm sorry to rant, but the bastardization of food in this country rubs me the same way as censorship of films.
When is it going to be opened ? I went there 2 weeks ago , but it's still under renovation :(
Hmmm, I beg to differ with this one. Its a variation, not really bastardization. Rendang for example, can be made with beef, chicken or in some cases even duck. But at the end of the day its still Rendang. This is happening all over the world, not just in Malaysia. There's a place in my hometown that makes "foie gras" satays. But they don't call it by any other name.
You need to keep an open mind Nicholas. Food is about exploring different tastes and textures. Some you will like, some you won't. Its name has absolutely no significance...
Hi Joanne:
Yeah, there've been some delays; but Zouk's aiming for a February opening, as the post states!
Been to Zouk Cafe several times, good food, relaxing ambience & superb location. BUT the quality & standard of service is horrendous. The service at mamak shops are much better. The staff are very slow and incompetent in handling customers and apologizing when necessary. They seem to favour those customers sitting outside compared to those inside the cafe. Funny, considering that all customers pay the same price regardless where they're sitting.
Evidently,the staff's behaviour & efficiency reflects the training that they've received. Needs to be futher improved if Zouk wants to retain loyal customers.
Considering the fact that the Cafe is placed in a very posh mall comparable to that of Pavilion, the standards of service should be at par with the 5-Star Gardens Hotel's staff. If not, they should just consider relocating to Midvalley.
2 Stars only for Zouk Cafe & Bar.
The food is really below average :( need improvement.
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