perilous drinking in perth

there is news and there is news.
apparently this blog made it to tvsmith's mycen. under the party heading. what possessed him, apart from a shared taste in whisky and beer, is beyond me. doesn't mean this blog will see regular updates, i can tell you that.
be that as it may, after months of going to work - for a lack of a better term - decided to spend a week in perth, australia. the details are unnecessary but it is not an ordinary visit.
and what better way to visit the most remote of cities in australia than drinking a wee dram at the start of the journey.
no choice really! the flight out of klia was delayed. and i crossed paths with an old friend on his way to austria. so a quick check at the friendly duty-free, a hasty appraisal of new choices and before you can say whatever-it-is-one-says on occasions like this, a bottle of glen ord 12 years old made its way into my hands. of course, after the appropriate travel documents was shown and money given.
the first thing to hit you about this single malt, with just 40 percent alcohol by volume in a handsome boxy bottle, is the sheer sweetness. this is beginner's single malt. the bouquet is reminiscent of fruitcake - not too rich but dry like the ones made by a malaysian bakery years ago.
and the malt is just palpable with a hint of smokiness and peatiness. enough for a shot of courage but the finish is light caramel/vanilla/orangey like a cup of designer joe in your neighbourhood coffee chain.
having said that, finished a couple of rounds in paper cups at klia. and it does say in its label that its perilously drinkable. i guess that means it is about drinkable. just about.
took the rest of the bottle to perth and finished it with my hosts there, the same day i landed. goes to show that we either liked it that much or we just wanted to kill the bottle. glen ord is available at the klia dutyfree but more importantly, there is a wider range of single malts available there now. more on that when i travel again.
but what about perth? after glen ord, my wonderful hosts brought home a six pack of australian reds from the de bortoli sacred hill range. the pack contained three bottles each of the cabernet merlot and the cabernet sauvignon 2005 vintage, all 13 percent alcohol by volume.
the wine, from the riverina region in new south wales, was young but kicked in after a while. let's just say at least two bottles were sacrificed to the altar of good hosting nightly.
at A$4.99 a bottle or A$4.49/bottle if bought in dozen packs, this wine is more than fair value. its 2004 vintage won a trophy at the respected sydney royal wine show for the best wine under A$20 last year, along with other accolades from australia’s wine press.
the great australian alcohol revelation for me was a fantastic draught beer from j. boag and son which is based in tiny tasmania. apparently the pristine waters of tasmania's highland rivers add to the rich full-bodied lager with its smooth hop bitterness and a rather crisp, refreshing aftertaste.
the draught, in standard 375ml bottles with 4.7 alcohol by volume, was only released nationwide in australia in 2004. which explains why a lot of mates have not heard or tasted this beer.
its a beer that is definitely worth your time in perth or any other parts of australia.

kallianees - kerala cuisine in kuala lumpur

there has been a number of indian restaurants opening in kuala lumpur of late, particularly in bangsar and the business district. here's one of them with many more to visit and catalogue.
kalliannees at 16, lorong yap kwan seng is just down the road from the suria klcc shopping centre down jalan yap kwan seng, past the kampung pandan restaurant on the left and next to the jaguar showroom. the double-storey restaurant has a balcony and grounds with a view of the 88-storey petronas twin towers.
kalliannees, which opened for business in early april 2005, prides itself on serving authentic kerala food, the famed cuisine from the west coast state in india. several young chefs from kerala handle the kitchen and the results are pretty good, if the simple dinner i had was anything to go by.
a plate of deep fried fat anchovies started the dinner, quickly followed by plates of sizzling kallianees special prawns - a recommendation from the manager as it was not on the menu. the prawns were superb - a spicy marinade combining with the sweet prawns that made the mound of rice flatten out quite quickly.
a plate of spicy mutton and sauteed okra together with one of the best raitha - onions and cucumbers with green chillies in yoghurt - rounded off an excellent dinner.
the dishes are slightly pricey but the food was worth it.
pity that the beverages were not too good. all the waiters - dressed in traditional cream jippas - had to offer was instant coffee and standard draught and bottled beer.
not really the way to end a good dinner near the giant banyan tree complete with its stone and water feature, watching the petronas twin towers illuminate the night sky.
the consolation is a small corkage for either wine or liquor brought into the house. let's hope they improve and serve some quality beverages soon.
call +603 2161 0616 for reservations. kallianees is open between 11.30am and midnight everyday with limited parking space. major credit cards are accepted.