Come, eat healthier with H Gourmet

Healthy is the new norm and H Gourmet, the first sous vide themed café in the nation, aims to help diners to eat good and feel good.

Some of the Hurry Jars packed ready for
busy people to buy as takeaways

Health activist, Dr Sharifah Halimah Jaafar, founder and CEO of Go-WellSpring (GWS) Gourmet Healthy Food, knows that a healthy outside always starts from the inside. 

She reminds us that we are indeed what we eat.

And this was why Dr Sharifah Halimah, fondly called Dr H, and her team at H Gourmet, are committed to providing a menu of perfectly cooked, nutrient rich, healthy food in easy gourmet meals to enjoy for fitness and good health.

Working in partnership with a culinary team led by Chef Consultant & Manager, Andrew Thee, H Gourmet serves calorie-controlled meals in a dine-in menu, chilled, ready-to-eat takeaways, and tender sous vide products with easy-to-prepare reheating instructions.

I spied Chef Andrew Thee
[Far Right] in action...

Chef Andrew believes that eating healthy does not mean food must taste bland, so he chooses high-protein, low-fat and nutrient-rich meats that are marinated with 100% Italian extra-virgin olive oil, Himalaya salt and fresh herbs, perfectly prepared through the sous vide method before they are vacuum sealed for food safety.

The phrase sous vide in French, means ‘under vacuum’ and this is a low-temperature cooking method where food is vacuum-sealed and cooked slowly in a water bath.

The sous vide method uses heated water, well below simmering temperature, to gently cook food so that it stays juicy and full of flavour.

As discerning diners are eating healthier, H Gourmet provides a feasible dining option both for leisurely dine-in experiences and a choice of chilled takeaways for busy people, packed in tall see-through jars dubbed, Hurry Jars.

The H Gourmet dining hall is situated at the rear section on the ground floor level while the retail section up front has a counter for coffee, cakes and gelato as well as chillers for GWS Gourmet Healthy Food that display a range of Hurry Jars and a variety of vacuum-packed sous vide products.

Vacuum-packed sous vide Salmon in the chiller

Quinoa Salad, Avocado & Sous Vide Chicken Salad, Avocado & Sous Vide Chicken Pasta, Fresh Salmon Pasta Salad, Tuna Pasta Salad, and Sous Vide Prawn Salad are among the popular picks for Hurry Jars.

Just two to three minutes of reheating by pan-frying, using an electric cooker or by simply soaking the vacuum-packed pouch in hot water, is all you need to do to prepare the ready-to-eat sous vide products.

Among the popular products are seafood like de-shelled prawns, fillet of salmon, seabass and saba fish, meats like lamb chops, and poultry that include duck breast, chicken breast and chicken chops.

Vacuum-packed sous vide Chicken Breasts

To strike a balance with the meats, H Gourmet also offers ready-to-eat packs of Baked Vegetables and Kimchi Spicy Chicken Soup set that serves up to four diners.

And if you are like me – who prefer being served at a dine-in experience – these quality products are also presented in a calorie-counted yet tasty menu of food and snacks.

I am delighted to be among the diners invited for a food preview, to sample a few of the popular items in their menu.

Cold Cappuccino for me, please!

On such a warm day, my beverage choice is Cold Cappuccino, freshly brewed by the barista behind the counter.

The pleasing sight of the four portions in the tasting platter provokes a sense of curiosity as I identify them (clockwise) as a cube of Cheesecake (which I will taste last!), a twist of Prawn Avocado Cold Pasta, a piece of Chicken Breast Roulade and a piece of Ika Lobster Salad with Tamagoyaki.

The Chicken Roulade, made with sous vide prepared chicken breast, is smoothly cut through and a morsel to taste is enough to assure me of its juicy and tasty texture.

The satisfying taste of the items in this platter continues with a serving of a refreshing Dragonfruit with Seafood Salad to share, followed by individual bowls of tangy Kimchi Chicken Soup with Shirataki.

Tasty and tender sous vide Chicken Roulade

Dr H tells me that the Dragonfruit Seafood Salad is her favourite item on the menu and after tasting this appetizer, I know it certainly works well to whet my appetite for more.

And when the Lamb Chops with a side of vegetables and mashed potato is served, it was sheer pleasure to slice through the tender meat and savour its natural jus with every bite.

Fans of fish like salmon are also delighted with the juicy and tender flavour of the salmon steak served with a side of baked vegetables.

Tender and tasty sous vide Lamb Chop

For rice lovers, the menu also offers a healthier choice of rice – multigrain – topped with choices of meat like beef and chicken as well as Salmon and Unagi.

While it may take a bit more chewing to savour multigrain rice, it is an acquired taste and rather tasty when enjoyed along with the meat and seafood ingredients.

Earlier on H Gourmet’s Business Manager, Jamie Au, assured us that we will sample a selection of their popular gelato flavours so I saved some space for this sweet indulgence.

I wait with bated breath for the gelato to be served and when the serving staff presented the tray with a variety of icy scoops, she promptly replied when I quizzed her about the flavours.

A selection of refreshing gelato

There are (clockwise on the tray) Macadamia, Vanilla, Yogurt-Raspberry, Premier Chocolate, Pistachio, Calamansi Sorbet and (wait for it!) Nasi Lemak with Black Truffle (in the center).

This Nasi Lemak gelato is not only exotic but also extraordinary, and a must-try for fans of this local favourite.

A spoonful of this icy treat melts in my mouth with the taste of lemongrass infused with hints of coconut milk and the spicy zing of chilli, tinged with the fragrance of toasted ikan bilis (anchovies) and groundnuts, uncannily reminiscent of the taste of real Nasi Lemak.

But as for me, I just cannot get enough of the tangy and refreshing taste of Calamansi Sorbet, my personal favourite and a perfect end to a healthier meal.

P.S. I left H Gourmet with two Hurry Jars to savour at home.

Each jar was packed with Quinoa Salad and Avocado & Sous Vide Chicken Salad (sauce sealed-packed separately), which I popped into the refrigerator. When I enjoyed the salads over the next two days, it not only tasted fresh but was also a refreshing addition to my healthier diet.

H Gourmet, a Muslim-friendly café, is at No. 35 Jalan Eko Botani 3/4, Taman Eko Botani, 79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor. Tel: +6011 1618 8124.

Open daily from 11am to 9pm. Cakes and Desserts served from 2.30pm to 4pm.

Closed on Thursdays.

For more info, visit Facebook page: hgourmet.my or webpage: www.gwsmalaysia.com