Sunday March 22, 2009
Eat and save the earth
By ALICE CHING
To support Earth Hour on March 28, a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur has come up with a special energy-saving menu.
FANCY fine dining in the dark?
Well, you can do just that come March 28 at one of Kuala Lumpur’s finest restaurants – Shook! at Feast Village in the Starhill Gallery – thanks to chef Kevin Cape who has come up with a special menu to support Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is an annual international event created by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) where millions of people across the globe switch off their lights on the last Saturday of March to take action against climate change. On March 28, millions of people in more than 1,700 cities in 80 countries around the world will turn off their lights at precisely 8.30pm (local time) to support the cause.
Corporate executive chef Kevin Cape’s menu will feature fresh ingredients and simple recipes. In Malaysia, more than 20 of YTL’s establishments will be joining in this call-to-action global movement by switching off their lights for the hour.
Inspired by Ruth Yeoh, YTL’s director of investments who is spearheading the group’s Earth Hour initiatives, corporate executive chef Cape has decided to create a special menu that will embody Earth Hour at Shook!.
Cape, who was Britain’s “Best Newcomer Chef of the Year’’ in 1992, says: “What we’re trying to do is reduce the amount of power that’s needed to prepare this menu. We intend to use about 20 kilowatts of power only on that night. That’s equivalent to the amount of power needed to light up 200 bulbs but it’s 74% less compared to the total amount of gas and electricity we’d be using on a regular evening!”
Traditionally trained but not constrained by tradition, Cape has always been committed to the freshness, quality and simplicity of food. Having worked across Asia, Britain and America for many fine hotels and on board the Eastern & Oriental Express – one of the world’s great trains – he is the consummate expert when it comes to combining different cultural influences into his culinary preparations.
The duet of organic salmon and free-range duck confit with morel mushroom, asparagus, herb and truffle velouté. Hence it is unsurprising that his Earth Hour menu will boast a multi-cultural and cross-border line-up of delectable food.
Cape explains, “The appetiser of mixed seafood ceviche is my interpretation of the popular Peruvian-style raw fish salad. Cooking is kept to a bare minimum for this dish; we simply rely on the natural heat from fruit acids to ‘cook’ the seafood.
“You can easily make this at home but the fish must be ultra-fresh or of sashimi-grade quality. Just marinate the fish slices with some sea salt and lime juice. I’ve given mine a localized touch by adding ginger and light soya sauce to it,” he says.
To complement the tuna and scallop ceviche, a crisp white wine made from organically grown grapes – Bonterra Chardonnay Mendocino County California 2005 – will be served.
The minimal cooking approach emerges again in his delicate creation of sea bass tataki and wasabi flakes in miso and vegetable broth.
“Very little heat is used,” he says. “The quick searing of the sea bass not only helps to bring out the fish’s natural flavour but also preserves its nutritional values. To minimise energy usage, we’ll keep the soup in thermos flasks. Then it will be served warm in waxed paper pots on candle-lit stoves. Guests will also be encouraged to serve one another; our idea is to have diners reconnect with their loved ones and make new friends over dinner.”
Whether friends or strangers, it is conceivable that all of them will unanimously give the thumbs up to Chef Cape’s refreshing crab and avocado salad with flower petals and red pimento aioli. A dish that requires no cooking, it comprises shelled, flossy crab meat tossed in a creamy dressing and garnished with edible flower petals. The red pimento aioli – a sweet Spanish red pepper, garlic and olive oil emulsion – perks up the whole ensemble with its delicate piquancy and vibrant vermillion hue.
For dessert is a delectable mascarpone and organic tofu cheesecake. Cape also says he has attempted to incorporate organic ingredients into the menu where permissible. “It’s not easy but we’re striving to enlarge our usage of organically grown food at all our restaurants. Right now, I’m working with like-minded parties to see how we can develop more varied and tastier vegetable-based dishes for our upcoming menus.
“I want to start the ball rolling in getting both adults and kids to eat healthier. If we succeed in teaching the adults, they’ll pass the good eating habits on to their kids.”
The chef’s immediate aspiration is to win diners over with his duet of organic salmon and free-range duck confit with morel mushroom, asparagus, herb and truffle velouté. The scrumptious speciality will be paired with Capel Vale Cabernet Merlot 2005 from Western Australia.
Even his dessert of mascarpone and organic tofu (beancurd) cheesecake seems intent on leaving a pleasingly light imprint on the tastebuds with its ethereal mousse-like texture and subtle sweetness.
“While the energy saved from each meal may not seem significant, its symbolic gesture is one as large as the global movement it’s made in honour of,” says Ruth Yeoh. “Our Earth Hour efforts aim to highlight the importance of practicing sustainable energy consumption to Malaysians. As individuals, we can make a conscious decision to consume less, waste less and be more efficient in using earth’s limited resources.”
Aside from the special Earth Hour menu, Shook! will also be serving a range of cocktails and mocktails with catchy environment-themed names such as Eco-tini, Chocolate Conservationist, Green Juice and Peach Tree Hugger from March 23 to 25 in celebration of the event.
> Diners who are keen to sample Chef Kevin Cape’s Earth Hour dinner menu (RM250++ per person) can call Shook! at Starhill Gallery for reservations, tel: 03- 2719 8535.
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