Imagine getting a set of piping hot Pork &
Shrimp Dumpling (siew mai) and Pork Rib & Century Egg Porridge when you order any dishes price RM28
and above. Too good to be true? Such great deals are part and parcel of dining
at Grand Shanghai Banquet in Seri Petaling.
According to owner Eujuan Teh, Grand Shanghai
Banquet is just a few steps up from most neighbourhood Chinese restaurants. “We
want to serve dim sum and typical ‘tai chow’ dishes in a comfy, air-cond
environment for diners.”
He’s far too humble honestly. As befitting its name,
the resto interior is more opulent than the average ‘tai chow’ eatery. With its
gilded ceiling and modern Chinoiserie drum lantern lights, the interior looks
as if King Midas has given it his golden touch.
Even though I rarely eat porridge, the resto’s
smooth congee is palate-pleasing enough. Complementing it with delectable bites
of siew mai makes it even better.
Naturally, you can order baskets of the steamed Pork
and Shrimp Dumpling
(RM7.50) separately.
The hefty serving of Fish Head Hot Pot with fresh
Grouper fillet and Beancurd (RM48 – small & RM88 – large) is ample for
groups of five or more. We love the soup’s tummy-warming goodness and clear
sweetness; drawn from the milieu of assorted vegetable,
sweetcorn, mushroom and yam added to it.
Thanks to a certain Hong Kong Michelin-starred
dim sum resto, crusty char siew baos are now all the rage. Although the
scrumptious Grand
Shanghai Special Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (RM12.80) doesn’t have a queue up
front for them, they are excellent. The buns’ sweet crumbly crust is not as
greasy and the filling is truly satisfying.
Sliced chilli lends a zingy hot kick to the soft and
gelatinous Steamed Chicken Feet (RM6.50). Steamed to falling off the
bone, this delightful speciality is a ‘must try’ if you’re a fan of interesting
texture and mouth feel.
More QQ bounciness to tickle the tastebuds is
evident from the Steamed Fish Ball Dumpling with Seasonal Vegetable (RM6.50). Again
its plain simplicity bears testament to the fish paste’s freshness. There’s no
trace of any fishiness – a troubling sign of less than fresh fish paste.
Runny salty-sweet custard and salted egg yolk
filling has us all a-wooing and ah-ing the minute we break the Steamed
Custard Quicksand Bun ‘Hong Kong’ Style (RM7.50) into halves. The golden yellow
liquidy centre makes it a little messy to devour but it is worth getting your
hand dirty for this.
Xiao
Long Bao or Steamed Pastries with Grand Shanghai Style in Superior Soup
(RM9.00) is a mainstay here. Be careful when you pick up the hot soup-filled
dumplings to avoid breaking the skin.
Succulent scallops, springy prawns and robustly hot sambal
ensure we make short work of the fab Fried
Rice with Salted Egg and Assorted
Seafood (RM19.80).
Lightly flavoured with salted egg, the briny fluffy grains leave a favourable
impression.
Memories of my Chengdu jaunt return when I sample the
smooth poached Grand
Shanghai Special Spicy Chicken (RM14.80). Topped
with ginger and gritty robust Sichuanese chilli condiment, the tender meat is toothsome to the
bite.
It is sublime when paired with the crunchy Stir
Fried Kailan with Chinese Wine (RM15.80). The
jade-green vege comes with wood ear fungus, soused in sweet rice wine and soy
sauce for a heady accent.
Porky enthusiasts can go the whole hog with Braised
Pork Belly with Brown Sauce & Chinese Wine served with Man Tou (RM28) or Grandma’s
Traditional Stewed Pork (RM28). Set in a pool
of unctuous brown sauce, the tung por yuk’s multiple layers of fat and meat look
stunning. As expected, it’s sublimely rich.
The pork belly with salted fish in claypot begs to
be eaten with plain rice. All the deep-seated, comforting meaty nuances should
be doused over rice in order to derive greater enjoyment from it.
Acknowledging the Malaysian penchant for strong,
piquant flavours, you’d find a dish or two laden with chilli and spice. The Claypot
Assam Prawn
(RM38) best exemplifies this approach.
For a refreshing finish to such a substantial meal,
the dessert of choice has to be
Aloe
Vera, Grass Jelly, Sea Coconut and Yogurt Pearls Jelly (RM30 - large,
RM25 - medium and RM7 - single portion). We especially like the mildly tangy
taste of the yogurt pearls which pop and burst on the tongue.
For reservations, call GRAND SHANGHAI BANQUET, tel: 03-8934 3852. Address:
No. 45, Jalan Radin Tengah, Sri Petaling, Kuala
Lumpur. Business hours: 10am-10pm Monday-Friday, 9am-10pm
Sat, Sun &PH
2 comments:
please teach me how to make that braised pork belly!
@KY - you gotta ask the chef. I just find it too much work...he he
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