Orchid Room New Menu

An ambience of serenity …… an old school charm of elegance and grace. Courtly yet chic.

No incoming handphone ring tones. An atmosphere of quietness when one feels at ease with oneself. Nostalgia silently creeps in.

It has been quite a while since I visited the Orchid Room. No particular reason for the absence except that dining in the Orchid Room never flashes into mind.

I was told that the Room has been refurbished and there is a change with different approaches to ingredients and food. So here I was checking it out.

The change is subtle. No structural variations. All the fixtures which were previously there are still there. A closer observation reveals an alteration of fabric and hues in the sofa and the chairs. New carpets and fresh coat of paint on the ceiling. A quiet piece and refreshing work of art. The refurbishment is apt and timely.

It may be of interest to members that the concept of the Orchid Room for Western dining was first started in 1958. Although the old Orchid Room which was situated in the old building, and which had since been demolished, its ambience and the nostalgia remains. This ambience is a rarity and unmatched by not many other similar upmarket venues or restaurants.

I then sat down to dine. With me that evening was my beloved wife and two food critics. The menu instantly caught my eyes. Gone were the pages and pages of food to crack our heads over. Now, just a page for starters and another for the main courses presented in an attractive yet neat smart folder. Full marks for the presentation of the menu.

What is on the menu ? Another refreshing change. There was a time when you could not decide what to have from the lengthy staid menus. Now, the lists have been abridged, yet offer an array of good selection of tempting dishes to choose from. Or was it the style of describing the cuisine that makes it so attractive ?

There are 10 starter dishes and a similar number of main dishes, with a light list of desserts to choose from. Visualizing the description of the food sure builds up my appetite and titillates the food glands into working overtime.

Between the four of us we had nine different dishes to test our taste buds.

The food was certainly good. It is a vast transformation from the food we used to have. Although we did not have the opportunity, or big enough stomach to try all the dishes, the following starters are highly recommended

(i) The Nicoise Style Warm Tuna Loin Salad With French Beans, Mixed Olives And Anchovy Remoulade

(ii) The Butter Poached King Prawn With Shaved Fennel And Vegetable Minestrone And Prawn Oil And

(iii) The Grilled Portabello Mushroom With Capsicum And French Vinaigrette Laced With Cherry Tomatoes.

Quite unique in taste and presentation, and certainly a delight on the tongue. I will give it a notch above good.

For the mains, the Roasted Garoupa Fillet with Oxtail Ragout is mouth watering and a “must try”. The excellent dish that we really like most was the Black Pepper Crusted Rib Eye of Beef with Grain Mustard Sauce and Mushroom Ragout. It was so good that the plate, with a little innovation and finesse, was “licked” clean.

Amongst the four of us the opinion was overwhelming. The transformation has indeed created an excitement to the palate.

How did this dramatic change came about ?

Apparently a menu makeover consultant in the person of Mark Chin was engaged to help re-dedicate and enhance the menu and the style of cooking. Mark has been working in five different countries before deciding to return home. Mark certainly did a great job. By the way, Mark is also of the opinion that the ambience of the Orchid Room is very cosy, exuding warmth and permeates an atmosphere of excellence in fine dining.

Perhaps I should also introduce the Chef, Edward Chee. He has been in the food industry for more than 35 years and comes from a family of chefs. His father and brother are also in the same industry. His experiences include being a personal chef to managing directors, working in hotels and trying out on his own with his pastries. Edward’s specialty is in western cuisine.

The new menu dishes of the Orchid Room introduced by Mark and ably backup by Edward have distinct hints of piquant Mediterranean in its entrees and accompaniments. The taste is truly refreshing and appetizing with generous dashes of aromatic herbs and spices.

I do like the new wine list too. Just two pages presented in a folder. The refreshed method of listing is very user-friendly. It facilitates and eases diners’ choice of wine selection. To give a hand to the diners, the wine list has useful headings followed by a list of wines to choose from. For example for white wines they are categorized into the like of – Fresh & Zingy, Fruity & Soft and Rich & Creamy. For red wines, they are grouped into Fresh & Fruity, Soft & Silky and Big & Bold. Is that not user-friendly wine profiling ?

A comment on the new dress code. Perhaps the dressing could be subtly less stiff-upper lips …. more relax …. yet holding its class, style and individual couture, “Gaya Mutu Keunggulan”.

Yes, I will dare say that the Orchid Room is now a restaurant for purveyors of fine food, a distinctive gourmet rendezvous and a place members can enjoy as well as be proud of and a show case to family, guests and business acquaintances.

And before I say, bye, let me share this quips with you.

Firstly

I am full of gratitude for taste

and smell …

and touch …

for thought …

and memory …

and fantasy …

and feeling …

I look at the blessings it has brought …

I can see it as a gift …

And finally

“Only look … and someday … you will see”.

Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday, as it is known in the U.K., is the day we express our love and gratitude to all mothers. It may be with breakfast in bed, cards, gifts and flowers or with a family meal in a good restaurant. It is celebrated in over 46 countries worldwide.

The Romans celebrated Mother’s Day in the ancient annual Spring Festival to Cybele the mother of many Roman deities.

Traditionally in the U.K. it is held on the 4th Sunday in Lent. In the 1600s people visited Mother church, the main church in the area on this day and honoured the Mother of Christ and from there it spread as a tradition to honour all mothers on this day.

In the USA it is a recent development and it was due to the hard work of Ms Julia Ward Howe and Ms Anne Jarvis that Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution for a dedicated Mother’s Day.

In Australia it is the tradition that carnations are worn on Mother’s Day. If your mother is alive it is a coloured carnation. If she is dead you should wear a white one.

Every country celebrates Mother’s Day at different times.. In Spain it is held on December 8th, in France on the last Sunday in May, in Luxembourg on the 2nd Sunday in June and in the USA, Canada and many other countries on the 2nd Sunday in May.

I love this poem by Howard Johnsun (Circa 1915) 

M for the Million things she gives me