Truffles Delight at Coast from 5-12 Aug 2013 only!

For one-week only from 5-12 August 2013, the Coast Restaurant and Bar at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort is introducing summer truffles at RM30++ per shaving of five grams to complement the restaurant’s special truffle menu selections of four starters, four main courses and two desserts with prices starting from RM25.

Once dubbed the ‘diamond in the kitchen’ by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, a renowned French gourmand during his time, truffles have had a long history of being the food for the privileged spanning thousands of years. With over 70 edible truffles available, the most flavorsome is the French perigord truffle.

Now, I have to be honest with this. This is the first time that we have been hosted in such a beautiful private room. Well, can’t blame the others though since this time we are reviewing a restaurant in a well known international resort, Shangri-La. Coast, a beachside restaurant where innovative design, stunning views and superb contemporary Western cuisine are its hallmarks.

Everyone knows Rasa Ria; A glorious long white sandy beach fringing the South China Sea and cradled by a jungle headland with a backdrop of Sabah’s icon, Mount Kinabalu. The peace and beauty of Rasa Ria, where the chorus of birds mingles with the soothing sounds of the sea, exert their magic on visitors.

The starters are comprised of the Endives Salad, Green Pea Soup, Lasagne of Rock Lobster and, Country Style Chicken Liver Pâté while the mains are Wild Mushrooms Risotto, Grilled Black Angus Oyster Blade, Roasted Halibut fillet and Seared Sea Bass fillet.Making up the dessert selections are the Chilled Mango and Passion Fruit Soup and; Chocolate and Yoghurt.

Let’s see what we had.

All sorts of breads
I like the tiny round one. It’s just delicious and oh I need to tell you guys this. The butter that they serve is not just the normal Anchor but its French butter, President. I love that! We had it at home, well once in a blue moon when we wanted to pamper ourselves. 

Here comes the Risotto.

Wild Mushroom Risotto (Rating: 5/5)

ragout of cepes, champignon and oyster mushrooms, and aged Parmesan shavings.

I didn’t expect we will have Risotto in this review. The last time I had Risotto was when I’m in the UK dining with my family. The highlight is that it’s with Truffles as well! So when I first taste the Wild Mushroom Risotto that prepared by Chef Alvrie Manangka, OMG it taste so well. What a combination.

There are five key steps to a perfect risotto, we hear, as the chopped onions are softening. Firstly the right rice: carnaroli, or a variety called vialone nano for more robust flavours. Then the tostatura: the toasting of the onions and rice. Neither should be allowed to brown – the onions because this would ruin the flavour of the risotto, and the rice because this would lock in the starch, which is essential for the texture of the finished dish. The grains must be heated through before you add the wine – "it should sizzle as it hits the pan"…. Wait a minute. I’m not going cook just head to Rasa Ria and everything will be good!

Green Pea Soup (Rating 4.5/5)

poached egg, semi dried cherry tomato, mint and green peas. 

Now this is what I call something different. I have tried Green Pea Soup (the Chinese style of making it) but I have not tried Green Pea Soup which is thick and smooth with poached egg. When I taste their tomato, I can tell that it’s fresh ingredients that they used. Love the taste of the mint even it doesn’t really tell. But overall I love it. It’s healthy!

Lasagna of Poached Rock Lobster (Rating: 5/5)

open lasagne, edamame – long bean ragout, lobster bisque

Can I say this is something different as well or it just me for not having this in normal days? The Lasagna of poached rock lobster is super delish. I couldn’t talk when I first, of course tried the sauce. This is a MUST try. No joke, seriously. This is a starter and trusts me; it certainly brings your appetite.

Meet the Chef: Alvrie Manangka

A passionate visionary of culinary delights, Chef de Cuisine Alvrie joined Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort in April 2012. He started his culinary journey in 1997 and has worked in restaurants across Australia, Dubai and the Maldives. His experiences working with notable chefs throughout the years instilled in him a ‘passion for pure love of cooking’, which has greatly influences his much-loved menu creations at Coast restaurant.

We had white wine to go with the food we were having. Recommended by them, we had Chardonnay, White Label Wolf Blass - South Eastern Australia (Year: 2012). It is RM30++ per glass and RM125++ per bottle (prices are subject to 6% government tax and 10% service charge). 

Roasted Halibut Fillet (Rating: 5/5)

Sweet corn, beef bacon, radish, garden basil, beurre blanc

The firm white meat and delicately sweet flavor of halibut, combined with its high nutritional value, make it a favorite among fish lovers. Halibut is the largest of the flatfish and one of the largest of the saltwater fish with catches that weight in at up to 660 pounds. It is a lean fish that features finely textured, snow white flesh as you can see from the picture. I have to admit that we did talk among ourselves and wish to have the chef as our personal chef! 

Chilled Mango & Passion Fruit Soup (Rating: 4/5)

white chocolate mousse, mango, coconut flesh, garden basil

I’m a dessert person and this is fabulous. The texture of the mousse is smooth and it melts in your mouth. Incredibly the Truffles went well even with the desserts! This is the first time I tried Truffles on desserts. It’s amazing. The soup, well, the sauce is sweet and sour.

PRESS CONTACT: Jeremy Kabinchong
Communications Manager
Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort, Kota Kinabalu
Tel. (Direct): (60 88) 797 909
Fax: (60 88) 791 777
E-mail: jeremy.kabinchong@shangri-la.com
Web: www.shangri-la.com