The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat 4 HANDS Collaboration Dinner with JEFF’S CELLAR & GOODDAM

The exclusive epicurean 4 HANDS Collaboration Dinner event held at the award-winning JEFF’S CELLAR in The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Ipoh offers diners an opportunity to enjoy a degustation menu jointly presented by JEFF’S CELLAR & GOODDAM.

The fine food melding modern European with local ingredients by Executive Chef, Lee Choon Boon of JEFF CELLAR together with Chef Daniel Yap, Co-owner and Head Chef of GOODDAM in Kuala Lumpur was paired with exceptional wines by AsiaEuro Wines & Spirits.

The Banjaran’s own Chef Boon enjoyed a stellar career at Asia’s leading hotels, including Shangri-La Singapore. His maxim is to always cook using local produce, sourcing many ingredients from the Sunway Organic Gardens to craft menus for the resort’s food and beverage outlets.

Chef Daniel who graduated from the prestigious La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana in Parma has an illustrious culinary career in top restaurants in Italy, Michelin-starred STUD!O in Copenhagen, and now Kuala Lumpur. His style of cooking uses fresh produce to showcase his Italian cuisine, inspired by the regional dishes of Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and Tuscany.

(From left) Nicholas, Chef Boon, Chef Daniel & myself

(From left) The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat General Manager Marc Groh and myself

Both of them brought their experiences with a menu for a one-night-only collaborative affair on 22nd July 2023. The 14-course tasting menu priced at RM990 nett is inclusive of food and wine pairing.

White and red wines were served including the Domaine Fournier Sancerre Blanc Les Belles Vignes, Domaine Fournier Menetou-Salon Blanc, Domaine Fournier Sancerre Les Belles Vignes Rouge, Château des Tours Brouilly Vieilles Vignes, Château de Corcelles Morgon, M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine, and Dow’s Fine Ruby Port.

Amidst the serene surroundings with stalactites, and stalagmites, the evening started out with the 2021 Sancerre Blanc Les Belles Vignes. The white wine made from quality Sauvignon Blanc grapes which embraces fruity flavors and citrus notes were paired with a slew of canapés.

Chef’s Boon BUAH NIPAH (foie gras mousse with glazed onion, palm sugar & glazed palmfruit) and PETAI BELALANG (mini tart filled with pulled beef cheek, ricotta labneh, wild petai and fried shallots), and Chef Daniel’s CRUDO (cold soup of green hornet tomato & selom with cured snapper and candied kaffir lime), and BONITO FLAN (house-made katsuobushi custard with confit calamari, nasturtium hot sauce and pomelo) went around well with the diners.

(From left) myself, Grace Chan & William Chong from AsiaEuro Wines & Spirits

Canapés paired with Domaine Fournier Sancerre Blanc Les Belles Vignes

Fine Dining Journey
The light bites were splendid thus far and we moved on to a series of delectable dishes. It is too extensive to go through dish by dish in details, so here is a brief intro of each.

Chef Daniel started off with his ART OF YEAST (Ipoh coffee-glazed Parker House roll with roasted yeast butter). The light and soft roll scented with Ipoh coffee aroma came with an unexpected addictive earthy and savory yeast butter. This is one dish that we would love to enjoy more but with the menu of 14 dishes, we decided not to fill up the tummy so fast.

Pairing – Domaine Fournier Menetou-Salon Blanc

Ipoh Coffee-glazed Parker House roll / Roasted yeast butter

Chef Boon followed with the KOHLRABI (Velouté prepared with coconut, Amur caviar from Tanjong Malim, crisp pickled kohlrabi with wild pepper). Beautifully presented, the silken creamy soup with layers of comfort had crisp pickled kohlrabi and caviar added for texture and richness.

Pairing – Domaine Fournier Menetou-Salon Blanc

Velouté with coconut, Amur caviar from Tanjong Malim, pickled kohlrabi with wild pepper

Chef Daniel’s GAME ICE CREAM (Australian truffle ice cream, smoked duck bone caramel, terrine, gooseberry relish, pucuk paku) was smartly done, encompasses a balance of savory and light sweetness. The accompaniment local pucuk paku fern provided the right spark of green for this rich, sweet, and salty dish.

Pairing – Domaine Fournier Sancerre Les Belles Vignes Rouge

Australian truffle ice cream, smoked duck bone caramel, terrine, gooseberry relish, pucuk paku

Domaine Fournier Sancerre Les Belles Vignes Rouge

Chef Boon’s TANAH KITA (freshly harvested vegetables from the Sunway organic farm, guinea fowl confit and fresh truffle) celebrates the freshness of vegetables, fruits, roots, and beans. The fresh raw ingredients were good on their own with just a dip in the creamy dressing with luscious fresh truffles shaved on top.

Pairing – Domaine Fournier Sancerre Les Belles Vignes Rouge

Freshly harvested vegetables from Sunway organic farm, guinea fowl confit, fresh truffle

Domaine Fournier Sancerre Les Belles Vignes Rouge

Chef Daniel continued with his RAVIOLO, featuring a green and white striped raviolo filled with heirloom zucchini, served with hazelnut & kukur mushroom butter sauce, and portion of fried sweetbread in emping padi (rice puff) for a crunchy touch. Firm to the bite, the raviolo and all the ingredients made an interesting combination in this stuffed pasta dish.

Pairing – 2021 Château des Tours Brouilly Vieilles Vignes

Heirloom zucchini, fried sweetbread in emping padi, hazelnut & kukur mushroom butter

Château des Tours Brouilly Vieilles Vignes

Chef Boon named his main, IKAN KELI (dry-aged catfish with fermented ginger flower, sorrel, crispy bones), and many of us were wow by the dish presented with fillet, crispy bones, bed of greens, and edible flowers in a bright, slightly sharp and citrusy flavor sauce.

The dry-aging process took the catfish to a cleaner taste and texture level. The taste was enhanced by the 2021 Château de Corcelles Morgon with high acidity and smoky floral & earthy notes.

This dish had us sharing our childhood memories where the catfish was known for its strong fishy odor.

Dry-aged catfish with fermented ginger flower, sorrel, crispy bones

Château de Corcelles Morgon

Chef Daniel’s main dish was the SURF & TURF with a mish-mash of meat and crustacean combination. We feasted on the tenderly treated wagyu rump cap aged in koji, glazed Borneo lobster, and breadfruit with caramelized pepper jus paired with the velvety medium-bodied 2020 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine from the award-winning Rhône Valley appellations.

Pairing – 2020 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine

Wagyu rump cap aged in koji, glazed Borneo lobster, breadfruit, caramelised pepper jus

Replete with the fine food, we were served with a trio of desserts prepared with a lot of local ingredients – Chef Daniel’s RICE (roasted bario rice ice cream, rice wine ice and pickled jicama mousse), Chef Boon’s BERRIES (highland strawberry mousse, dehydrated mulberry, bee pollen, oxalis and 12 years aged balsamic reduction), and a selection of PETIT FOURS (passionfruit pouches, pandan macaron filled with kaya & salted butter, pineapple & spice madeleines, and local Chemor dark chocolate with bario salt).

Paired with Dow’s Fine Ruby Port which has a lighter sweet taste (more fruity and nutty flavor), it was a delightful way to end the night.

Roasted Bario rice ice cream, rice wine ice, pickled jicama mousse

Highland strawberry mousse, dehydrated mulberry bee pollen, oxalis, 12-year-aged balsamic reduction

Passionfruit pouches, pandan macaron with kaya & salted butter, pineapple & spice madeleines, and local Chemor dark chocolate with bario salt

Overall, the 4 HANDS Collaboration Dinner was something of a surprise, and a classy way to enjoy a good meal in Ipoh. For those unable to make the journey to this culinary collaboration, do make a trip to Jeff’s Cellar and GOODDAM. You may find some of the featured dishes on their menus or be surprised with a totally different wine and food tasting experience.