Few working people
especially office workers has the luxury of time to waste during lunch. With
just an hour or less to spare, they descend on eateries like hungry locusts to
grab a quick bite before returning to the workplace in a jiffy.
Preferred lunch fare for
them has to be speedy, filling and reasonably priced. It’s one of the main
reasons why Executive Chef Alex Au and his team at Pak Loh Chiu Chow are
proffering Weekday Set Lunch from 12 noon to 3 pm.
The choices available are
varied and substantial enough for sharing, based on what we sampled. Each
set lunch includes a glass of juice, a delicious appetiser of Roast Duck with
Butterfly Bun before your choice of main course arrives and wraps up with a serving
of fresh fruit. Light eaters may wish to share as some of the rice-based dishes
are rather generous or small groups may want to supplement the meal with a
signature dish or two.
Chiu chow cuisine is
homely and hearty so the dishes are soul-satisfyingly good and should leave you
replete. Traditionalists who hanker for simple, home-style cooking will find
the scrumptious Braised Pork
Belly with Preserved Mui Choy with Rice and Seasonal Vegetable
(RM45) spot-on in this aspect.
A familiar and timeless favourite in many Chinese
homes, Chef Au’s version of course boasts richer and more complex flavour
dimensions. After listening to his detailed explanation on its painstaking
preparation, we appreciate the humble offering even more. The proof is
definitely in the eating.
We reckon the closest offering
to upstage that would be Rice with Baked Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs and Seasonal
Vegetables (RM45). The winsome sweet and sour
sauce (which incorporates the famed Zhenjiang vinegar as a key ingredient)
tastes delicate yet lushly balanced; bestowing the delectable meaty ribs with a
nice, glistening sheen.
The millennial crows would prefer Lemon Chicken Chop
with Rice & Seasonal Vegetable (RM35). The tender yet crisp chicken fillet
doused in tangy lemon sauce is already a popular crowd-pleaser according to the
chef.
By comparison, the Fried
Rice with Barbequed Pork, Prawns and Seasonal Vegetable
(RM35) seems almost underwhelming. If you’re big on this perennial fave,
everything’s par for the course.
Those of you who prefer
noodles, fret not as the big bowl of La Mian Soup with Bacon and Seasonal Vegetable
(RM35) is an irresistible option. We like how the smoky, slightly salty bacon
lends voluptuous indulgence to the broth. Hand-made onsite, the springy noodles
prove excellent too.
Not into soupy stuff? Stir-fried La Mian Noodles
with Pork & Seasonal Vegetable (RM35) may be more appealing then. Again the
prevalent flavours are unmistakably of hearth and home so singletons craving
for mom’s cooking will find much comfort from the dish.
Chef Alex Au is rightly
known for his repertoire of jiu phai choi
or house specialities among Pak Loh Chiu Chow’s regulars. Among the
standard-bearers from day one is Slow-Braised
Goose with Pork Fillet, Pork Intestine, Pig’s Ear, Egg and Bean Curd (RM45
small, RM80 regular).
A traditional speciality no true-blue Chiu Chow will
ever tire of eating. The secret to the dish’s deliciousness boils down to the
mother stock known as lou sui –
literally translated as braising water coupled with the ensemble of different
textural interests.
The natural sweetness of three
types of fresh fish takes the limelight in the comforting serving of Pomfret
Rice Porridge (RM45). A firm staple in Chiu Chow homes, the soupy porridge is
accentuated with ground dried sole powder and chopped coriander thus further
boosting its homely appeal.
Being in the soup is not
such a bad thing here when it’s old-skool Double-Boiled Pork Tripe with Pepper
and Salted Vegetables (RM25) on the menu. An
unpretentious, wholesome broth that Chinese tycoons and plebs would readily
succumb to.
If you’re old enough like
me, major Chinese festivals mean the appearance of heartwarming dishes similar
to Braised Spring Chicken Stuffed with Glutinous Rice, Garlic, Ginger and Straw
Mushrooms (RM45). A sublime speciality that
reinforces Chef Au’s masterful skills as a capable proponent of Chiu Chow
cuisine.
Both the Stir-Fried Kailan
with Fresh Lily Bulb and Halibut Fish (RM40), and Honey
Barbecued Pork (RM40) are eclipsed by the show-stopping offering; their
simplistic albeit palate-pleasing traits bringing reliable substance to the
table.
For reservations, call Pak Loh Chiu
Chow restaurant, tel: 03 – 2782 3856. Address: Feast Village, Feast Floor,
Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. www.feastvillage.com
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