Grace and Gio invited me to one of their private dining sessions at By Grace Sweet Treats Dessert Bar in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru.
Among JB locals, By Grace Sweet Treats has a strong following for their creative and delicious desserts. Since opening By Grace Sweet Treats four years ago, Grace and Gio have created over 200 different desserts.
But, Grace and Gio are multitalented chefs with many interests.
They have also always been passionate about modern European cuisine, especially using molecular gastronomy and sous vide techniques.
So, Grace and Gio host private dining sessions to indulge in their love for fine European cuisine. And, they host it right here at By Grace Sweet Treats, a casual dessert shop.
It's a unique kind of private dining - unexpected in many different ways.
The venue is different from the usual fine dining places to start with. Since it's a dessert shop with youthful appeal, there are Grace's stuffed bears, Grace and Gio's travel memorabilia like their Coke bottle collection etc. With Christmas around the corner, there are plastic mistletoes, gayly red velvet jolly Santas and racing Christmas track lights. The background music - popish with a racy beat was played quite loud :-D
Customers came as they are, usually in informal, casual everyday wear. Grace was dressed comfortably like she was in her own kitchen at home, which indeed she was :-D
If the place was anything but ordinary for fine dining, the food was out of this world.
To me, the quaint eclectic combination of food, people and place makes private dining at By Grace Sweet Treats all the more charming.
The food is created right here at what Gio calls the "Lab". Grace and Gio love to create modern European dishes using ingredients which they hand carry back from Kyoto and Osaka during their annual trips there.
Tonight, Grace and Gio were assisted by Mervyn (back to camera) who will be proceeding to France for his culinary academy training next month.
By Grace Sweet Treats holds private dining sessions only once a month and for up to 20 persons only at RM250 per person. Booking is by telephone call to Gio at +6011-1067 3337 only, as he needs to discuss the menu with the guests.
Here's the 7 course degustation menu we had on 27 Nov 2015.
Gio started us off with the Garden of Tomato.
And, right from the start Gio showed us his true colours of surprising guests with delightful flavours.
Every one in the bunch looked just like red cherry tomatoes but they were actually pairs of confit tomatoes, basil and tomato jelly and mozzarella balls. All look the same but with vastly different flavours and textures.
The fun had just started :-D
Next, the Sous Vide Salmon.
15 °C sous vide salmon dressed with matcha and nori, and burnt onions.
I like that salmon skin which tasted and felt like a crispy fish cracker.
Recently, I tasted sous vide salmon in a few places in Malaysia and Singapore. This sous vide salmon by By Grace was stunning. It was juicy and sweet like cubes of honey melon.
Till now, I am still thinking of By Grace's sous vide salmon.
Texture of Mushroom.
Truffled egg chip, porcini meringue, mushroom consomme jelly, and pickled mixed mushrooms.
The only thing that looked like a mushroom in this dish :-D
Mushroom consomme jelly.
Chilled King Prawn.
Citrus infused king prawn, melon caviar, charcoal and lime powder.
The meaty king prawn was not crunchy but oh... my... it has the most intense crustacean umami flavour that I have ever tasted in a prawn.
Memorable.
Crackling Pork Belly.
Twelve hours sous vide pork belly, roasted cauliflower, sweet potato pomme puree, dressed with tonkatsu sauce.
The pork skin was so crackly crispy that I can hear it shatter loudly in my ear bones.
Greek yogurt sphere and roselle soup.
Mandarin Orange and Hazelnut - a dessert created by Mervyn Pee. Served with pliable curd and calamansi ice cream. All ice creams served at By Grace's private dining are made in house.
Come to By Grace Sweet Treats must of course taste their renowned desserts, lah. (The following desserts are not part of tonight's private dining menu.)
Yum, yum, I love this matcha lava cake, one of By Grace Sweet Treat's signature desserts.
My friend Peggy's choice of dessert. She wanted something with salted caramel. She loved this :-D
Please note that this was an invited food tasting.
->> Call Gio of By Grace Sweet Treats for a unique private dining experience. It's not what you expect - in more than a few ways. Prepare to be surprised.
Click on photo for my previous visit to By Grace Sweet Treats
Restaurant name: By Grace (sweet treats, dessert bar and private dining)
Address: 93, Jalan Kuning, Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/4IZVU
GPS: 1.484096,103.775146
Tel: +6011-1067 3337 (Gio for private dining)
Hours: 5:00pm to 1:00am (closed on Sunday)
Directions: Locating By Grace Sweet Dessert at night can be slightly challenging for non-JB folk. Study the map and lock in your GPS before setting off. There is plenty of free parking in front of the shop lot.
Non Halal
Date visited: 2 May 2013, 27 Nov 2015
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wow! looks like a mighty meal!
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