Gobo Upstairs & the White Asparagus Promotion

Calling all fans of the White Asparagus… Gobo Upstairs at Traders is having a rather cool promo..

What’s not to like about white asparagus? My only complaint is that the season is so short, usually running from mid April until early June.

And while I do love green asparagus, there’s just something that feels extra luxurious about the texture and flavor of white asparagus. Maybe it’s that it gets along uncommonly well with butter, and hardly need any dressing at all.

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The white asparagus (or spargel in German), I learned, is grown underground, protected from sunlight, which means that chlorophyll never forms (i.e. the stuff that turns regular asparagus green). Treated with nearly the same feverish excitement as other spring harbingers such as morels and fiddleheads, the asparagus season is fleeting, so best be quick about catching it. And the good news is that you KL folks who love this vege, can catch the white asparagus promotion at Traders Hotel, Gobo upstairs.

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dinner would be at Gobo, but first, cocktails at Skybar – the bellini and the kiwitini

The Kiwitini keeps it classy with Moet & Chandon, and stays fun by adding in fresh kiwi, Belvedere vodka and sugar. The Bellini is the perfect choice for ladies – a classic Champagne drink with peach juice or puree. The drink is named after Giovanni Bellini, an Italian Renaissance artist whose paintings often have a pink “glow” to them. The moniker is appropriate, because the Bellini features a pink tinged cocktail that’s flamboyant and refreshing. I love the one at Skybar because it’s all fresh peach they use, not the canned stuff.

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more cocktails – the classic margarita and the martini vodka

Then it is time to adjourn to dinner. At Traders Hotel, sous chef Melvin Brandon Chong has created a white asparagus menu that includes grilled white asparagus with smoked salmon, balsamic orange, baby romaine leaves, croutons and truffle vinaigrette (RM35), roasted asparagus with poached egg, parmesan cheese and hollandaise sauce (RM35), asparagus soup with sautéed wild mushrooms and mascarpone cheese on grilled sour bread sticks (RM 22), an asparagus risotto with arborio rice sautéd with white and green asparagus, grilled chicken and parmesan cheese (RM38) brown butter almond crust white asparagus with pan seared salmon, caramelised onion and caper cream reduction (RM50), Sautéed white asparagus with wild mushrooms glazed au jus, grilled mulwarra black angus tenderloin and pomme puree (RM130).

White asparagus

This promotion as we mentioned is incredibly short due to the availability of the asparagus, but the wonderful creations are worth visiting Gobo for.

Flavours of the white asparagus are just beautifully nutty, almost like walnut or hazelnut oil, and these go beautifully with truffle shavings and anything salty. I actually love the simplicity of the warm spears – break a poached egg over it and let the warm yolk run all over the stems, and blend with the parmesan cheese and hollandaise sauce. Heaven on earth! But my absolute favourite is asparagus dressed with wild mushrooms glazed au jus, then eaten with a grilled, medium rare, mulwarra black angus tenderloin and pomme puree. Oh, this is really the best season for something as healthy as the asparagus.

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The smoked salmon salad with grilled white asparagus, served with balsamic orange, baby romaine leaves, croutons and truffle vinaigrette was a little too salty for me.

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I loved the poached egg on a bed of roasted asparagus – simple but delicious.

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The vegetarian asparagus soup was thick and sweet, and had a nice flavor since it came with sautéed wild mushrooms and cut up asparagus bits in it. A long, slender bread stick with mascarpone cheese on it could be used for dipping into the soup.

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The asparagus risotto had a great texture. It was cooked al dente – incredibly cheesy tasting. Order this if you like your risotto with tons of parmesan aroma. Inside the arborio rice you will find white and green asparagus and bits of grilled chicken .

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The pan-seared salmon was a great alternative for folks who don’t eat steak. It was served with some caramelised onion, caper cream reduction and white asparagus, of course. Since I am a bigger fan of red meat, I rather preferred my steak.

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The grilled mulwarra black angus tenderloin and pomme puree with asparagus was to die for. Perfectly flavorful and bloody enough to satisfy me. This was the highlight of my dinner.

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sous chef Melvin Brandon Chong

A terrific promotion which only runs for the month of April that features a sextet of mouthwatering culinary creations, using asparagus imported from France. We highly recommend you check out Gobo Upstairs, Traders Hotel asap!

Call +603 2332 9910 or visit [email protected]

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Add:
Gobo Upstairs,
Level 6,
Traders Hotel,
Kuala Lumpur City Centre, KL.
Tel: +603 2332 9910
Website: http://www.shangri-la.com/kualalumpur/traders
Operating Hours
Lunch 11.30am – 2.30pm Dinner 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Dress Code
Smart Casual

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