Not too long ago, I attended the M.A.C Spring Color Forecast Collection launch party held at Midvalley Concourse floor. And true to M.A.C style, the event was star studded with celebrities, socialites and of course, the paparazzi.
Promising a stunning array of colours – to name a few…pink, lavender, coral, yellow, gold and burgundy, the season lives up to its name of being fashion forward.
Caressa Hanoom, Senior Training Manager of M.A.C, tells us that the must-have colours are Crush Metal and Blush Ombre. The Crush Metal Pigment is a set of four gorgeous shades that stack together to help create four key looks while Blush Ombre provides cheeks with a flawless and lightly pearled radiance.
Everything from lipstick, eye shadow, nail lacquer and more can be found bearing the colors of collection. My personal favourite was the subtle nudes but if bright pink is your Achilles heel, this collection is definitely pour toi.
Models strutted the small runway in orange and purple – while guests were treated to an instant photo session. It was also a great way to make new friends, catch up with old ones and put some make-up on (their makeup artistes are very helpful!) if you haven’t worn any in the first place.
Tucked behind the façade of a private bungalow, Indulgence is unassuming from the outside and makes no bones of itself on the inside. Upon stepping into its wide doors, you are greeted by a glass refrigerator filled with elegant cheeses and desserts: none too fancy though, just the core classics, beckoning your attention without selling itself. There was no irony, no false charm, only a loose ambience and a seriousness of food you’d come to appreciate.
The owner and head chef Julie Song glided out of her kitchen, welcomed our company, and then glided right back in. We were in her charge for the night, she smiled, and then started us off with the Hiramasa King Fish Sashimi. Delicate to the palate with its subtle blend of garlic, lime and cauliflower sauce, the fish felt like a firm tuna at first bite, and then endedgracefully into soft flakes that melt in the mouth. There was no edge to the taste, no room for doubt. At one point we debated if it was actually raw – it was.
The Tasmanian Salmon, with oven-dried tomatoes and caramelized onions,on the other hand, tasted slightly heavier. I found the light toss of honey mustard and mint to be a little overpowering, although my dining companion enjoyed the zing of mint that lingered after the last chew.
Julie’s FoieGras, served with potatoes, spinach, nuts and finished with pepper froth, literally melted in my mouth upon taste. The flavor of duck was strong but doesn’t linger– just the way I liked it.
Seafood seemed to be the highlight tonight, and I had no beef about that. When the fresh Tomamo to oysters came up, I was bowed over with excitement. The four fresh raw shellfish had different garnishes and toppings: sea urchin butter and nasturtium flower, pistachio and sesame with avocado, oven dried tomatoes, and finally olive and salsa. Without a doubt the olive salsa shell was the first one I reached for, being one who lives for spice on my plate. As the only one at the table who could stomach raw oysters, I washed down all four of them with slippery gusto. These oysters were fresh and a tad raw with a strong back kick to the palate, but it was nothing a dash of lemon and Tabasco sauce couldn’t fix.
The next dish – Australian Littleneck clams steeped in white wine and tossed with chili angel hair pasta – would be one of my favourites. It was practical but still full of charm, and was one of those dishes that you yearningly polish off down to the last bite. These imported clams were just a tad larger and rounder on the edges compared to the local ones, but most definitely sweeter and more tender. The garlic white wine sauce takes on the texture and flavour of a soup, so what you get is a delightful orchestra of clam, pasta and soup, each playing their own chords within the symphony.
Julie then showed us how the Hiramasa we sampled for appetizer could turn into its own main – baked and topped with champagne grapes, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. The cooked version featured heavier flavour and a more sizeable chunk, but I preferred the firm raw texture of the fish uncooked.
For a firmer bite Julie whipped up a dish of Lamb Ribs. Simply marinated with salt and pepper and then delicately grilled to medium, its flavour surpassed the dish’s simple ingredients. With a colour palate of light pink darkening into a deeper shade towards the center, the meat looked and tasted tender. There are little-explored virtues in simplicity, and Indulgence repeatedly emphasizes this – with noted subtlety. Admittedly I am not a lamb regular, but I was quick to convert; this dish would be the perfect mid-weight fare if you were thinking about room for dessert.
For dessert, we started with the Chocolate Fondant with Chocolate Sauce, which was thick, creamy, and without a flaw. It was the dish you knew you wouldn’t go wrong with. We also tried the Fresh Turkish Figs that were glazed with sugar and topped with vanilla ice cream. Dress with blood orange sauce, this was a less sweet and less rich treat, but still oozing with flavour. My favourite that night was the Mango and Passion fruit Soufflé accompanied by lime and coconut ice cream, simply because the taste was so straightforward and was quite like nothing I have ever had before.
At the end of the dinner spread, I felt as if every corner of my taste bud has been teased and fulfilled. This was indulging with barely any gluttony. The pit of my stomach gurgles approvingly as Julie invites us for a cuppa coffee.
