Let’s take a little break from the recipes posts and talk about the TOKL Food Awards Celebration Party, held on the 23rd Nov, at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC). Ah… if not the place that holds special memories for me as I’ve done my first mini musical there while participating in the Short and Sweet Festival this year, not all that long ago. And here’s a pic of me in my little black dress and the dude in a mask with pretty bird cage.

I’ve had the privilege to attend the event as guest of Sid’s Pubs which, was shortlisted as Best Pub Grub in Kuala Lumpur for the third time (I believed they won the first year and was specially commended last year), and had the chance to catch up with a few friends there too.

Given that I’ve spent less than a year in this city there are still a lot of places on that list I have not visited. Fear not, I’ll get to them soon enough. Anyway, here’s the list of winners and nominees of the Time Out KL Food Awards 2011:

Best Chinese
Winner:
Li Yen
Shorlisted:
Yut Kee
Shang Palace
Restaurant New Paris
Grand Imperial Restaurant
Chynna

Best Continental
Winner:
Hakka Republic
Specially commended:
El Cerdo
Shortlisted:
Albion KL
Tanzini
The Press Room
twenty.one tables+terrace

Best Fine Dining
Winner:
Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar
Specially commended:
Lafite
Shortlisted:
Shook!
Sage
Chalet

Best Hawker/Mamak
Winner:
Devi’s Corner
Shortlisted:
Nasi Kandar Pelita
Hutong, Lot 10
Nagasari Curry House
Sri Nirwana Maju

Best Healthy Eating/Vegetarian
Winner:
Marmalade
Shortlisted:
The Yogitree
Annalakshmi
R.A.W. (Real and Wholesome)
Haven

Best Indian
Winner:
Kanna Curry House
Specially commended:
Bombay Palace
Shortlisted:
Passage Thru’ India
Sri Nirwana Maju
Gills

Best Italian
Winner:
La Risata
Specially commended:
il Lido
Shortlist:
Ciccio
Tatto
Nerovivo
Sassorosso

Best Japanese
Winner:
Kampachi
Specially commended:
Fukuharu
Shortlisted:
Rakuzen
Zipangu
Tatsu
Gonbei San

Best Malay
Winner:
Bijan
Specially commended:
Enak KL
Shortlisted:
Makan Kitchen
Songket
Restoran Rebung Chef Ismail

Best Middle Eastern
Winner:
Al-Amar
Shortlisted:
Al-Andalus
Tarbush
Al-Rawsha
Hadramawt
Laziz

Best Thai/Indochinese
Winner:
Rama V
Shortlisted:
Erawan
My Elephant
Sao Nam
Tamarind Springs

Best for Pub Grub
Winner:
Jarrod & Rawlins
Shortlisted:
Sid’s Pub
Hoofed
Arthur’s Bar & Grill
Tom, Dick & Harry’s

Best for Coffee
Winner:
Espressamente illy
Shortlisted:
Whisk Espresso Bar & Bake Shop
R.A.W. (Real and Wholesome)
Chilla Cup
Antipodean Café
Best Seafood
Winner:
Restoran Fatty Crab
Shortlisted:
Causeway Bay Spice Crab
Fisherman’s Cove
Green View
Lala Chong Seafood Restaurant
Pantai Seafood Restaurant

Best for Steak
Winner:
PRIME
Shortlisted:
Jake’s Charbroil Steaks
MeatWorks
Qba
Suzi’s Corner

Best New Restaurant
Winner:
Ben’s
Shortlisted:
Antipodean Café
Brotzeit
Arthur’s Bar & Grill
Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie
Hoofed

Outstanding Chef of the Year
Winner:
Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille, Nathalie’s Gourmet Studio & Cuisine Gourmet by Nathalie
Shortlisted:
Chef Saiful Baharin, formerly of The Press Room
Chef Michel Karam, Al-Amar
Chef David King, formerly of Westin KL
Chef Adi Radzi, Hakka Republic

Restaurateur of the Year
Winner:
Benjamin Yong, BIG
Shortlisted:
Joseph Afaki, Al-Amar
Richard Holland & Dan Thompson, DrBar
Edward Hyde, Gastrodome
Werner Kuhn, The Werner’s Group

Blogger’s Choice
Winner:
Memoirs of a Chocoholic, Village Park Nasi Lemak
Shortlisted:
Masak-Masak, Frangipani
So What’s Up?, Andes
3iLing, Millesime
A Whiff of Lemongrass, PRIME
Babe in the City, Al Amnah
Bangsar Babe, Burger Bobby
Places and Foods, Hutong, Lot 10
Aly’s Wonderland, Simply Mel’s
That Thing I Do, Ben’s General Food Store

Ok, that is all well and good but where’s the category for French restaurants, or Spanish? Also why is Jarrod and Rawlins which is not a pub, allowed to be shortlisted in Best Pub Grub? (Psstt… I did not say that because Sid’s Pub came second) It would have been nice perhaps to add in a category for service too since it contribute greatly to the dining experiences.

In general I felt that the event was well run. The champagne never stopped flowing (though my choice of poison was the white wine) and there were plenty of laughs. One thing I do wonder though was that since it’s a food award (surely all that food talk has made everyone hungry!), it would have been nice to be served more substantial food rather than small canapes that were scarce and far in between. Mr Google told me that last year award was much more filling, tummy-wise.

But still, hearty congratulations to all winners and shortlisted outlets. especially these boys:

I’ve also managed to get a photo with the gorgeous Daphne Iking who was the MC of the award show with Dominic Lau.

Hopefully we’ll be back next year! Now I also have Merry Guinness Launch next week to look forward to, can’t wait to meet Adam Liaw, Masterchef Australia 2010!