Paella Cookout at Agua, Straits Quay

We are big fans of paella (pronounced ‘pie-a-yah').

Frankly speaking, I am quite a new fan. I was only introduced to paella by hubs a few years ago at El Cerdo in KL, and boy, am I hooked!

For those who don’t know, paella is a rice dish that originates from the Valencia region in Spain. The key ingredients in this dish is obviously rice - short to medium grain, vegetables, saffron (which is the most expensive spice in the world), and everything else you can think of – chicken, snail, rabbit, seafood, sausages, pork etc.

So, you can imagine our excitement when we were invited by Agua to experience a Paella Cookout at the Mediterranean restaurant in Straits Quay. The cookout is organized every third Wednesday of the month. I was told the previous few cookouts had been hugely successful. 

In the cookout, diners can experience how paella is made and indulge in the taste of the paella, accompanied by a generous serving of garlic bread, Paysanne salad and a glass of Sangria each. Given how expensive we used to pay for paella at other restaurants, I have to say the price of RM38++ per person is a real steal.

We reached the restaurant at 7:45pm, in the nick of time before the paella cooking demonstration started. The restaurant was already filled with diners and all abuzz with activities and excitement. Some diners gathered around the table where the demo would take place. 

All the ingredients and cooking utensils were lined out on the table including the special flat pans in which the paella will be cooked.  

Crowd gathered around demo table

The chef started the cooking demo by stir frying some fresh ingredients like tomatoes, capsicum, beans, onion, garlic, chicken and squid with olive oil and fresh herbs like oregano and thyme. The rice is then added followed by stock. The prawns and mussels were last to go into the pan. 

The cooking demo was very interactive, with diners enthusiastically asking questions and the chef happily sharing with them the secrets of cooking good paella.

Short grain rice

Smoked paprika powder

The paella normally takes about 25 minutes to cook so diners were served with garlic bread and Paysanne salad in the meantime, with a glass of zesty Sangria on the side. For those who abstain from alcohol, a non-alcoholic version made with grape juice is also available.


Paysanne salad is a typical Spanish salad with fresh greens like avocado, cucumber, corn, carrot and onion drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh herbs. The salad was very light; a great way to start the meal while we waited in anticipation for the climax of the night.

Sangria

Paysanne Salad

Garlic Bread

The full house at the restaurant

Seafood Paella and Chicken Paella served

Diners were served to two types of paella that night – the Chicken Paella and the Seafood Paella.  

To me, paella is all about the burst of flavours in the slightly sticky and burnt rice. The seafood or meat are nice to have but quite trivial. And I definitely get some of those flavours with the paella served that night.

I have never been to Spain but that night I experienced the passion for paella, a dish that is sometimes viewed as the national dish of the country. 

I also experienced Agua's passion and celebration of the Mediterranean cuisine which strikingly stood out in the extensive Mediterranean menu and Karen and her team's genuine efforts to share the love of the cuisine with the people in Penang, which should be applauded. 

Various promotions at Agua

More promotions at Agua

Set dinner menu

Agua Mediterranean Restaurant

If you are up for a chance to experience the flavours and passion of Spain, what better way to do it than the Paella Cookout at Agua. So, don’t miss the next cookout on May 16. 

Book your seat now on-line at http://www.agua.com.my/paella-cookout/ before May 16 to experience it all at the special rate of RM38++ per person. Tickets sold on the night will be RM50++ per person. For reservation, call +604-8908668. 


Read Lingzie's review of the Paella Cookout here.

3AG18-19 Straits Quays, E&O Marina,

Penang, 10470,
Malaysia.

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Sigi's 1st Anniversary Celebration Set and All New Menu

Time flies...

It felt like just yesterday when Sigi's Bar and Grill on the Beach re-opened after a nine-month makeover costing RM3 milllion. Soon it will be celebrating its first anniversary on 10 March 2011.

In conjunction with the special occasion, Sigi's is offering a limited-time-only anniversay set menu daily from 1 to 31 March 2011, except on Thursdays and Sundays.

The set meal consists of best selling dishes and selected new appetisers, main courses and desserts.

Sigi's 1st Anniversary Celebration Set Menu:

Appetiser

Gourmet Flat Bread

Salt and Pepper Calamari

Arancini Balls (Mushroom and pea risotto balls with minted aioli)

Wild Mushroom Soup

Main Course

Chicken Tandoori Pizza

Prawn Tagliatelle Pasta

Peppino's Classic Lasagna

Pan Roasted Chicken Breast

Sigi's Fish & Chip

Dessert

Chilled Rice Pudding with Strawberry Soup and White Chocolate

Bread and Butter Pudding

Chocolate Tarte

The limited time set dinner is priced at RM100++ per set, inclusive of one appetiser, one main course, one dessert and coffee or tea. The good news is, as part of a special anniversary offer, a complimentary set is offered with every set purchased. (Buy One, Get One Free)

The anniversary also marks the first major update to Sigi's lunch and dinner ala carte menus with 19 new dishes to choose from, be it an appetiser, main course or dessert.

The new additions which are highly recommended by Executive Sous Chef John Brock include Beef Cheek and Shallot Pie, Sigi's Paella for two, Lobster Pizza, Pumpkin and Spinach Rotolo, Lobster Linguine and Salmon and Avocado Terrine.

We are honoured to be invited to sample the old time favourites and new highlights from Sigi's 1st anniversary set and new menu.

Wild Mushroom (Mushroom Soup, Truffle Cream)

Cioppino (An Italian favourite, spiced fish stew)

This fish stew and thick fresh tomatoes puree combination is a welcomed change in the soup department.

Grilled Jumbo Prawn (saute of courgette, toasted almond and salad)

Mocktail

Pan Fried Salmon (Potato gallete, green peas, salsa verde and gribiche)

Slow Roasted Lamb Rack with broccoli, goat curd tart, Romesco sauce

The flavourful rack of lamb was definitely hubs' top pick of the night with its' tender meat and crispy skin. It is served with a special Romesco sauce made of almonds, hazelnuts and chili, amongst other ingredients. I absolutely loved the light and smooth goat curd tart.


I personally feel that the limited time set menu with the Buy One Free One offer is really value for money and is a great excuse to sample what Sigi's new menu has to offer.

Rotolo Pasta with pumpkin, spinach and ricotta and burnt sage butter

The Rotolo Pasta is a rather interesting dish and highly recommended by Chef John too. It is made of pasta sheet rolled with a filling of spinach, pumpkin and ricotta cheese in abundance.

Sigi's Paella for 2 (Traditionally cooked saffron rice, chorizo, chicken, prawns, calamari, mussels and capsicum)

Tagliatelle with Prawns, Chili, Tomato and Capsicum

Bread and Butter Pudding with vanilla anglaise

Sticky Date Pudding with calvados caramel and cream



Chilled Rice Pudding with Strawberry Soup and White Chocolate



Sigi’s can accommodate up to 248 guests and includes an outdoor patio, an air-conditioned dining hall, a private room, a giant outdoor barbecue pit, bar area and a signature upper deck dining area with a view of the beachfront and sea.

Sigi’s serves lunch and dinner daily, and is open from 11 a.m. to midnight. Four days a week, Sigi’s offers live band performance starting from 6 p.m. For reservations or further information, please contact Sigi’s at (60 4) 886 1852 or e-mail sigis.gsh@shangri-la.com.

 

Private room

Sigi's Bar

Sigi's popular BBQ Nights every Thursdays and Sundays feature a variety of meats and seafood with salads, appetisers, desserts and accompaniments at only RM59.90 ++.

El Cerdo - nose to tail eating

We were walking along Changkat Bukit Bintang in KL looking for a nice restaurant for dinner and found ourselves at a Spanish restaurant, El Cerdo, not knowing how famous this place is until I Googled about the it after our dinner.

El Cerdo means "The Pig" in Spanish thus the name of this restaurant which is famous for its pork dishes from around the world. The restaurant serves all things pork and a host of other interesting tapas and dishes e.g. paella, pasta etc.

We ordered some tapas and a paella to share. The waiter recommended their famous roast suckling pig but we didn't try because we felt it was a bit too heavy for just the two of us. However we saw a lot of people ordering this house special and read a lot of rave reviews about it so we are definitely going to try the infamous roast pork next time.

Prawns with Olive Oil Garlic and Chili (RM18)

Jamon Serrano - Thin slices of mountain air dried ham (RM18)

Loved the prawns but not the ham because they were too "raw" for me. Hubs loved both tapas nevertheless.

Rose Raspberry Sangria (RM25)

I loved the decor. It felt like you are transported to a small European town in a sidewalk restaurant. :)

Paella Traditional with Seafood, Chicken, Chorizo Sausage and Pork (RM88)

I loved the paella to bits. Even to this day I still pine over the paella. The paella took longer to cook (about 25 minutes) but it was well worth the wait. The flavours or the seafood, chicken and pork were so fully infused in the paella.

Churros Con Chocolate

Churros is the Spanish equivalent of the Chinese crueller or 'yau tiao'. The churros is deep fried
and sprinkled with icing sugar, accompanied by thick and rich hot chocolate. Simply decadent.

We were presented with a complimentary after dinner drink to aid digestion.

Business Hours:
Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner
(closed between 3pm - 6.30pm)
except Saturdays, El Cerdo is closed for lunch and open for dinner only.
Reservation: Call 603 2145 0511

No. 43 & 45, Changkat Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel: 603 2145 0511
Fax: 603 2145 1375
Email: werner@elcerdokl.com
Website: http://www.elcerdokl.com/