of mojitos and other madness: woo-ed & wow-ed by wild rocket!

this girl has officially broken the big three-o barrier...and i really couldn't think of any better way to mark the day but to have an outstanding meal with g and the whole family at wild rocket.

g and i were both blown away by our first experience at wild rocket so much so that we more or less already knew what we were going to have! the menu was as yummy as we remembered it, and with new additions to everything, i was really glad that there were seven of us (plus evan!) allowing us to really get a nice repertoire of dishes.

we started off with three appetizers - the beef carparcio, deep fried tofu and pumpkin rocket salad. the beef carparccio was exactly how the smoked salmon was done (see previous post!) except of course instead of paper thin salmon, it was paper thin smoked beef...producing fantastic flavours that really opened up everyone's palate! using the signature rocket leaves, the pumpkin rocket salad was another crowd pleaser, with fresh rocket drizzled with tangy dressing and sprinkled with roasted nuts and pumpkin seeds. a very nice asiany touch, reflecting the creativeness of the chef and attention to detail even with starters! the best of the three in my book, was the deep fried tofu. served fresh out of hot oil, the tofu was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. it could have been some special oil they use, or the probaby made from scratch batter, whatever it was...the tofu was heavenly! to top it all off, chef willin treated the table to a nice refreshing bottle of chilean sauvignon blanc just so that we could kick start the occasion on a perfect note.

the mains were served on cue the moment we were done with the starters and the table was quickly filled with classic white plates of al dente pastas and hot off the grill meats and fish. we had pastas done three ways, with me indulging in the the signature laksa pesto with tiger prawns and quails eggs, g revisiting the chili crab linguine and evan requesting to have the same yummy mushroom cream pasta he had at brunch two weeks back (even he remembers!). i thoroughly enjoyed the laksa pesto and think chef willin managed to capture the lemak-ness of the laksa and blend it perfectly with the pesto, resulting in a fusion of both asian and western flavours in every mouthful. and trust me, it isn't too spicy or too lemak, allowing one to really savour every last strand with the fresh seafood. g was slightly disappointed with his linguine, having remembered it to be a bit more creamy...but i personally found it still good with a bit more spice and less richness of the cream. for all cabonara and cream sauce fans, the mushroom cream pasta is a definitely must have. really rich cream sauce with a lot of mushroom and hints of ham (or was it bacon?) smothering fettucine done al dente, all the adults around the table were more then happy to have a second helping following the first bite!

meat-wise, the experience was as gastronomic! from the chef recommended stuffed quail wrapped in bacon, to the sirloin steak covered in mushroom gravy, bean and garlic coated sea bass and masala fused rack of lamb, everyone was on high dishing out portions to everyone, insisting that they try it just because it was so good. the quail was something quite different. stuffed with potato and enveloped within crispy bacon, it gave the bird a nice smoky flavour and texture to its otherwise lean meat. the sea bass was very fresh and extremely well done, with everyone blown away by the crispy garlicky yet slightly salty crust. i am still somewhat puzzled by what they actually used to encrust the fish, but this girl thinks it could be yet again the blend of eastern (bean paste) and western herbs and spices that gave the dish is unique character. the steak was done as requested, tender but not too red and was served with a very nice homemade mushroom sauce. the lamb got top votes all around the table for not only its tender meat but its awesome marinate of eastern masala spices. served with even a piece of papadom, chef willin's definitely got the lamb down perfectly. pak law was very impressed by the creativity of the dish that i've got my money on the fact that he just might experiment with indian spices the next time he does lamb!

like i mentioned in the earlier post, each main was portioned perfectly allowing all of us to have just the right amount of tummy space for dessert. birthday wishes were made over the must try molten lava warm chocolate cake. smooth warm chocolate encased by freshly baked chocolate cake, it was pure chocolate heaven! chef willin surprised us with wild rocket's dessert platter so next to the chocolate cake was a small serving of strawberry cheesecake and black sesame soup. we weren't too keen on cheesecake initially, thinking it would be your usual cake slice type, but this version reminded me of ben and jerry's strawberry cheesecake ice cream! think lots of yummy pieces of cake base infused in fresh strawberry cream and light cheese. very good! but what was truly phenomenal was the black sesame soup. freshly ground roasted black sesame with a bit of white sesame gave the soup a nice subtle grainy texture and truly sesame flavour. as chef willin said as we were leaving, most zi-ma hu has got too much hu and not enough zi-ma flavour...i couldn't agree more which is why he has definitely nailed this classic dessert and it is now my favourite place for zi ma hu! served with vanilla ice cream, the black sesame soup tops the books for best dessert at wild rocket. we also had the affrogato (served with a fresh shot of espresson) which is a must try for coffee lovers and the champagne jelly granita which is a must try for those craving a bit of alcohol to complete the meal.

dinner was a definite wow! everyone left happy and satisfied and already making plans to when next to head over to wild rocket to enjoy the nice vibe, friendly service and awesome food.

thank you chef willin!