Pampered by a right Royal treat

 

It was simply wonderful to meet up with my friends in Desaru Coast at the recent Raya Open House event. It was not about the sumptuous spread in festive fare but always about reconnecting with the (important!) people.

 

Twilight view of the Sea.Salt.Fire from the lobby
level of Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas

Then the table next to the one I was at started to fill up with familiar faces who included key people from Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast and Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas.

 

After two years of lockdown and uncertainties, it was so good to meet in person again. The prevailing vibe was an overall anticipation of better times ahead, particularly with the borders reopened and the imminent start of services at the Desaru Ferry Terminal in July 2022.

 

With the June school term holidays upon us, destinations in Desaru Coast were often fully booked and this was a very promising and positive situation business-wise.

 

A warm welcome back to the
Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast

When Anantara Desaru extended an invitation to a gourmet dinner hosted at the Sea.Fire.Salt, I was politely informed that the resort was fully booked and that the invite did not include a stay.

 

This was an exclusive event by Pernod Ricard Malaysia for their loyal clients in the southern region and Executive Chef Fahdrul Abd Malek will curate a delightful menu to showcase the signature dishes served at Sea.Fire.Salt. that are exquisitely compatible with Royal Salute whiskies.

 

The Sea.Fire.Salt. has the honour of receiving the Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, two years consecutively since 2020 & 2021, and I knew that the excellent service and fine food paired with whisky, will present a rare experience for gourmands in Johor.

 

While I was delighted to receive this invitation, I was (responsible!) not prepared to drive on the Expressway after the whiskey dinner. With this in mind, my response to the invite was, I would accept the invitation only when I have arranged accommodation in Desaru Coast.

 

My check-in at the Rock Royalty Lounge

When I received the email that confirmed my room reservation with the Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, I did not know that the Director of Rooms, as an added gesture of their goodwill, had upgraded my room to Rock Royalty level.

 

On arrival that afternoon, I checked in comfortably at their Level Six Lounge but I did not make the connection yet.

 

When I looked around the cosy interior, the Lounge seemed vaguely familiar because I then recalled that the Hard Rock Speakeasy event was hosted here.

 

While I am familiar with the hotel [I had experienced the hotel since its preopening days and had the privilege to witness it official opening at its Grand Opening Party), I listened patiently as the reception team member provided all the helpful information to make my stay complete.

 

A light snack with flower tea at the Lounge

While considering the options offered, I thought I could enjoy the afternoon tea and cocktails, served after 5pm at the Lounge before I dressed to leave for dinner.

 

But first, I had to set up my wi-fi connection to join an online meeting at 4pm. With the help of the team member at the reception, I quickly got my devices connected.

 

“Back here again!” I captioned the photograph of my socked feet wearing the hotel bedroom slippers, sent to my family to let them know that I had checked in comfortably. That done, I prepared to log-in for the online meeting.

 

The menu for the Royal Salute whiskey dinner
at Sea.Fire.Salt

When I logged out of the meeting and glanced at the time, it was just on time for afternoon tea.

 

Back at the Lounge, the team members were putting the final touches to the tea buffet spread and offered to open the warming dishes to show me the contents.

 

To save space to enjoy a delightful dinner later that evening, I declined the kind offer because I only wanted a cup of tea with a light snack.

 

From where I was seated, the curtains at the floor-to-ceiling glass walls were pulled back to present a panoramic view of a section of the adjacent Adventure Water Park where water-lovers were having a splashing good time.

 

Pouring Royal Salute
whiskey to pair with each
course in our dinner

As I watched the holidaymakers enjoying the Water Park, I recalled the excitement of my first visit to this wet, wet world when it was newly opened.

 

My musing came to an abrupt end when a cool young man approached to introduce himself. He was Executive Chef Alexander Chong, who welcomed me to the hotel and when I invited him to sit down for a chat, I could not help but noticed the elaborate tattoos on his arms…

 

The Royal care I received (thus far) at the Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast continued at Anantara Desaru as my host welcomed me into the Sea.Salt.Fire, the restaurant located adjacent to the Infinity Pool.

 

When I was seated next to my host, I noted that aside from the couple opposite us, I was the only other guest at the table for this (very!) exclusive dinner invite.

 

Appetizer pairs with 21 Year Old
Royal Salute Signature Blend

I reached for the menu propped up on the table and read that we were about to experience a four-course set menu that comprised the restaurant’s signature dishes paired with Royal Salute whiskey.

 

The serving staff came to our table to pour the whiskey into delicate goblets to introduce each blend of Royal Salute whiskey to pair with each course of the meal.

 

Smoked Salmon Mousseline, the first appetizer, was paired with the 21-Year Old Royal Salute Signature Blend, an elegant blend of vanilla and dry oak with subtle notes of sherry and smoke.

 

The second appetizer of Pan-seared Foie Gras paired perfectly with the 21-Year Old Royal Salute Malt Blend.

 

The Royal Salute line-up

From the main course choice of Lobster Tail or Beef Rossini, I picked the Beef choice that was beautifully paired with the Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute, a whiskey which has a powerful flavour, bursting with intense, sweet orange and a deep, nutty, oaky flavour.

 

I was impressed that the Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute was presented in a midnight blue, hand-crafted Dartington Crystal decanter, adorned with 24-carat Gold and crowned with a cut crystal stopper, truly a work of art.

 

To end the meal sweetly, Mont Blanc, the restaurant’s signature dessert, made up of a Manjari Log Mango Brulee with a side of Cinnamon Gelato, found its match in the Royal Salute 38-Year Old Stone of Destiny.

 

Handcrafted Dartington Crystal 
decanter, truly a work of art

With each sip of Royal Salute 38 Stone Destiny, I savoured a mature, sophisticated nose and a remarkable depth of flavour with the fragrance of rich dried fruits and bold spices, tastes of cedar wood and almonds with rich, sherried oak leading to an enduringly smooth finish.

 

No, this Royal Salute whiskey experience was not turning me into a whiskey snob but I must confess that this one-off, exclusively curated dinner menu paired with Royal Salute blends, was truly something special.

 

After our delightful dinner, we took a pleasant walk on the garden path to the car park to retrieve our cars and on the short drive back to the neighbouring hotel, I paused to capture the night scenes, rarely seen because I was seldom out here at this hour.

 

A slice of fried cod fish with a side of 
prawn dumplings topped with caviar

As I snuggled down comfortably to sleep, my last thought was… “I could get used to being treated like Royalty.”

 

The next morning, I read the WhatsApp message from Chef Alexander, “…let me know what time you will go to breakfast… I just need 15 minutes in advance to prepare…”

 

Wow! The Chef was ready to delight me with dishing out something special for my breakfast so just as I was about to head out of my room, I replied his message.

 

Sweetness in the yogurt and fresh fruit

When I arrived at the Lounge, I was greeted by name and welcomed to a reserved table. The waitress offered me a cup of tea – because she remembered my choice for flower tea yesterday – but I told her that I could enjoy a coffee to start my day.

 

Then my breakfast dishes were served together: A generous slice of fragrant fried cod fish resting in a pool of sauce, topped with asparagus sticks and deep-fried ginger floss to savour with a bowl of steaming hot rice congee… along with a tiny side dish of crispy char-kway rings and shallots with a sprig of Chinese coriander as garnish.

 

This was not all because there was also a small plate of har-gau or prawn dim sum topped with… caviar.

 

Thanks very much for
the Royal treat!

Two more sweet items served in glass tumblers, were homemade yogurt with a layer of raspberry puree while the other was a small measure of orange juice topped with colourful cubes of fruit, I recognised as dragon-fruit, pineapple, honey-melon and honey-dew.

 

Chef Alexander was all smiles when he joined me for a coffee, probably because he knew that the delightful dishes, specially prepared for specific Rock Royalty guests, matched with my taste.

 

As I sipped on my second cup of coffee and appreciated the privilege for this Royal experience in Desaru Coast, I had a flashback to the previous time I was hosted by the Singapore Tourism Board and pampered by a perfectly posh weekend.

 

More guests with young families had arrived for breakfast in the Lounge and when the noise level increased, it was time for me to leave and start on a slow drive back – and return from Royalty to reality.