Shook! KL, Starhill presents Master Chef Nicolas Le Tourmelin from St Tropez, France

Dato Michelle Yeoh and Jean Todt; George Benson and renowned French actor Oliver Martinez. Acclaimed British tenor Russell Watson and French designer Alexis Mabille, including billionaires such as Stephen Schwarzman and Leonard Blavatnik have all been spotted in Saint Tropez at the famous M restaurant in Muse Hotel, the 7-star icon of luxury in the French Riviera.

Saint Tropez is dubbed as the playgound to jetsetters, fashion models and celebrities and now for the first time in Kuala Lumpur, Saint Tropez can be experienced in all its flair, flavours and authenticity with haute cuisine, direct from France, exclusively at Feast Village in Starhill Gallery from 17 January to 17 February 2011.

A rare privilege by exclusive invitation from Muse Hotel in Saint Tropez, two French master chefs have been flown in specially to Kuala Lumpur to personally prepare the finest Provenale flavours that are appreciated to full-house reservations in France.

Executive Chef Nicolas Le Toumelin (Read his profile HERE in PDF) will be based in Shook! at Starhill Feast Village for the duration of the month.

Chef Nicolas will present special menus of Provenale cuisine distinguished by his culinary trademark of using the finest and freshest produce, often prepared in the simplest possible way to maximise the natural flavours of the ingredients.

Must-try favourites of Saint Tropez by Chef Nicolas include fresh Mediterranean seafood such as pan-roasted fillet of B! rittany Cod served with Squid Ink Risotto & White Tomatoes emulsion; saute of marinated King Prawns accentuated with Persillade & Eggplant Caviar; and grilled Sea Bass complimented with Artichokes prepared in typical Barigoule style.

Below: Chef Nicolass Pan-roasted fillet of Brittany Cod served with Squid Ink Risotto & White Tomatoes emulsion. (RM 98++ if ordered ala carte).

The cod was succulent, but funnily enough it was the risotto that shone for me. It tasted amazing, full of flavour and cooked just right.

Anothers of Chef Nicolass signatures the grilled Sea Bass complimented with Artichokes prepared in typical Barigoule style. (RM 86++ if ordered ala carte).
For the uninitiated, Barigoule is a stewed artichoke preparation, a classic Provencal sauce that matches very well with seafood.

You cant have a French chef in the house & not see foie gras appearing on the menu. Chef Nicolass simple appetiser of Crispy Foie Gras with Mango Coulis and Balsamic Reduction was ! my favou rite lunch item that day.

A small piece yes, but an absolutely beautiful piece of foie gras! It possessed that perfectly rich, livery, fatty taste that complemented perfectly with the fruity coulis & tart balsamic. Though foie gras is normally pan fried, I liked the deep fried coating as it provided a nice contrasting texture to the smooth liver.

RM58++ if ordered ala carte.

A more sizeable foie gras made its appearance in Chef Nicolass Medallion of Grain Fed Beef with Pan-fried Foie Gras, Shallot Confit and Red Wine Jus. (RM 128++ ala carte).

The foie gras was pan seared to perfection & while there was nothing wrong with the beef, I wasnt impressed as Im biased towards Kobe or wagyu for my bovine dishes now.

The traditional Ratatouille was showcased in Chef Nicolass Slow Cooked Lamb Loin served with Ratatouille and ! Herbs Ju s. (RM 118++ ala carte).

However, I had a very small portion of the lamb, and couldnt remember much of it.

The Andalousia Gazpacho with Blue Swimmer Crab Meat Mimosa was sublime. It hit all the right notes & balance in terms of creaminess, sour & sweet. Easily another favourite of mine that day.

Carpaccio of Mango and Strawberry with Champagne Sabayon and Passion Fruit Sorbet.
(RM 68++ ala carte). A very simple fruits-based dessert but the winning formula lies in the Champagne Sabayon. Lovers of alcohol-based desserts would be thrilled with this.

Click to view Chef Nicolas Le Toumelins Winter Feast from Provence Tasting Menus in PDF. Diners at Shook! has a choice of 4 or 5 courses tasti! ng menu or to order ala- carte.

Im attaching Master Chef Florent Passards Winter Feast from Provence Tasting Menus in PDF as well here. (Chef Florent Passards food review will be published next week as Im off to Kuching for the next 4 days! ) .

Til then, ciao & Happy Weekend folks!

LG1 Feast Village, Starhill Gallery
181 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
T +603 2782 3875
F +603 2782 3818
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Website: www.ytlcommunity.com/shook
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