Max! Kitchen and Wines

Jac:  The month of September heralds the arrival of many important birthdays, the celebration of which is an involved affair. But I enjoy celebrations anyway despite all the moaning and groaning I do; any reason to eat and drink is always a great one! Bran had pronounced that western cuisine was his choice and Max! Kitchen and Wines was a natural choice as I’d been reading so much about this place for the longest time. Being a weekday, we were one of only 3 tables that night. Chef Max wasn’t in attendance that day as I overheard the waiter saying that he was on leave.

Bran: September 11th, it was, and it was my 32nd year residing on planet earth.  My spiritual birthday has always been on 1st January, seeing as how September is so long in the coming – but since that’s already a celebration on its own, the actual day is always worth celebrating.  Jac had wanted to come to Max! for a while and so it was decided.

Yabbies!

More yabbies!

Jac: There was no need to mull over my starter, I’d decided even before arriving that Yabby Lobters it would be. But I was taken aback by the sheer size of the platter! Oh but who am I to complain in the face of such shellfish goodness? The yabbies were very fresh, grilled just right, firm flesh succulent and sweet.

Bran: I’ve never had baby lobsters before but they were good – reminding me of the huge prawns from Sabah that we’d once cooked.  The one I had, donated graciously by Jac, may have been slightly undercooked though.  It must be hard to get these delicacies barbecued just right.

Scallops

Jac: Bran’s scallops while certainly ample enough couldn’t compare to my yabbies

Bran: They were unfortunately texture-less and had the same consistency as Japanese tofu.  I didn’t really enjoy the combination and felt that the dish wasn’t seasoned well enough, even though the green olives were frightfully salty.

A bottle of French Burgundy

Jac: The wine list was firmly in the high end range, and as usual wine selection duties was relegated to the more critical between the two of us. I must say that he did a good job, the French Burgundy he chose was deliciously smooth and subtle. It was a light fruity wine that should suit most palates; highly recommended.

Bran: I’d actually wanted a decently priced Bordeaux but they were out of that and so I decided on something that we hadn’t tried before.  The medium bodied wine was wonderfully floral, subtle and smooth.  It was a great accompaniment to the overall dinner, not overpowering but suitably supplemental.

Smoked Duck Breasts

Jac: My entree was quite delicious. The portion was a little smaller than I’d expected but the medium well duck breasts were very tender and flavourful. The sauce was sweetish made with some berries I believe and underneath the meat and mushrooms was a bed of mash and bok choy. The only thing I was hesitant about was the use of bok choy as the greens as it signals fusion cuisine which I tend to stay away from. But still the duck was a winner for me.

Bran: I was surprised to see the duck sliced, stir fry style, but it was prepared so well that I initially had trouble identifying it as duck.

Wagyu Beef Tenderloin and Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks

Jac: Once you’ve eaten Wagyu beef, is there any way to return to other kinds of beef? The Wagyu beef tenderloin was absolutely exquisite, impossibly tender with a full rich beef flavour. Ah, I’m in love! The beef cheeks were a bit too gelatinous for my liking probably because of my strong ‘jelak’ reflex, but Bran seemed to really like it though. At RM 120 this is not a dish the average Joe could afford to eat everyday, but as a special treat and as a gourmet, you should try it if you get the chance.

Bran: This was the first time that I’d had a whole Wagyu beef steak, instead of the usual Wagyu beef slices that go in shabu shabu or yakitori and mind you, this may have been the best beef steak that I’ve ever had. (I haven’t had a Kobe beef steak yet, so maybe I am yet to taste the best beef steak ever)  Juicy, succulent, tender, moist and buttery – I was hard-pressed not to wolf it all down in a few bites.

The steak was accompanied by braised Wagyu beef cheek which was absolutely divine.  Think of the best  long and slowly braised beef you’ve had – soft, melt in your mouth beef – and concentrate all those experiences into a marvellously marbled beef meat that’s retained its beefy goodness despite the long cooking time.

What you don’t see in the picture are a few slices of duck liver terrine, mashed potato and bak choy that were a perfect accompaniment to this ascendant symphony of beef.  My only complaint, apologetically so, is that the portions weren’t as substantial as I’d hoped but had I ordered a bigger starter it might have been the perfect size.

Warm Valrhona Chocolate Souffle

Jac: I wished I had more of the Valrhona Chocolate Souffle, it had just the right degree of bittersweet-ness that I enjoy.

Kataifi Pastry with Coconut Ice-cream

Bran: The coconut ice cream was a bit of a let down and the strawberries…pfbbt.  Don’t get me started on local Malaysian grown strawberries…

Jac: I enjoyed the food at Max! though I’d be a bit hard-pressed to return seeing as it’s rather pricey and I am the epitome of Ordinary Jane-ness. Still my curiosity about this restaurant has been satiated and hopefully my other half enjoyed our little culinary experience as well. Happy Birthday hun XOXO.

Bran: Luckily, a less than ordinary desert does not bring down a not-so-much-of-a-desert person like me.  I thoroughly enjoyed the entree and wine experience, and I fully absorbed what the real fuss about gourmet beef is all about.  It was a wonderful birthday present and well, well appreciated.  Thank you sweetie!