Move over
Fantastic Four, Famous Five and Magnificent Seven. Make way for Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur's 'Super Six' speciality chefs who are
stepping into the limelight at Lemon Garden.
The spotlight is trained on each chef's handpicked signature dish;
served at the different interactive and live cooking stations throughout the
spacious all day dining restaurant.
That day
we decided to start with Chef Au Yong Guan’s Double Boiled Chinese Herbal Soup
with Black Chicken to whet our appetite. The clear soup prepared with chicken feet, red
dates, wolfberries and Chinese herbs like dong
gwai and dong sum is a
nourishing concoction to improve blood circulation, boost one's energy level and revitalise kidney function. Double-boiled for 4 hours, every heartwarming spoonful of the sweet broth reminded
us of hearth and home.
The
Japanese Kitchen helmed by Japanese Executive Chef Nao Takeshita beckons with a
plethora of sushi rolls and sashimi. Taking pride of place is the chef’s
Seafood Big Roll — also known as the Good Luck Roll in Japan. We were told the
ingredients used represent good health, happiness and prosperity.
Take your
pick from Prawn Tempura Maki Roll or Seafood Maki Roll; the vinegared rice
roll comes packed with tempura prawn, cucumber and shiso leaves for the former while sea
bream, salmon, red tuna, salmon roe, yellowtail, sweet shrimp and Japanese omelette
are the fillings of choice for the latter. Both, upon our sampling, came up to
scratch. You can assured the plethora of sushi and sashimi here will also leave you replete.
Executive
Chef Olivier Pistre conjures not one but three specialities to tickle our
tastebuds at the Western Kitchen. As avid cheese fans, we were stoked to find
Raclette, a cheese dish originally from Switzerland but also popular in the
French Alps. We enjoyed relishing the sumptuous raclette cheese melted over a
salamander (overhead grill), served atop boiled baby potatoes, gherkins,
pickled onion and bresaola (air-dried
meat).
Banking
on the evergreen appeal of Italian fare, Chef Olivier also proffers Tortellini
and Calzone. Similar to Chinese wonton, the tender, little dough parcels are said
to be inspired by Venus’ navel. Stuffed with spinach and three types of cheese,
anyone who tasted them would succumb to their decadent appeal. Here, the chef artfully
balances the pasta’s lush savouriness with the muted sweetness of butternut
squash purée.
Beef
sausage, spinach, mozzarella, ricotta and pecorino form the rich, hearty
filling for Calzone, a Naples delicacy meaning pants or trouser leg in Italian.
Made from salted bread dough, it’s basically a huge pizza folded in half. Actually if you're partial to Italian food, Lemon Garden's vast selection of antipasti, pasta and pizza will leave you spoiled for choice.
Our local
Malay heritage is proudly upheld by Malay Chef Mustafa Kamal and his speciality
of Rendang Tok, a Perakian favourite that needs no introduction. Lovingly cooked
to dark, glistening perfection, the recipe of simmered beef in ground spices,
chillies, rich coconut milk and dry-fried grated coconut belonged to the chef’s
beloved grandmother. We had a field day savouring the delicious rendang with
biryani rice.
Its closest
rival in terms of robust hotness and spice-high appeal has to be Indian Chef
Devender Singh’s Murgh Kasurimethi. A signature dish inspired by the chef’s
mother, the bright and piquant chicken curry is a trailblazer with assertive
accents of dried fenugreek leaves, Kashimiri chilli powder, cloves and
multitude of exotic spices. There’s no way you can avoid ladling this sumptuous
curry over rice or dipping pieces of fluffy bread into it.
Such a
strong symphony of flavourful specialities require a noteworthy conclusion but
Chef de Cuisine Goh Ti Cheong proves his dessert is no pushover. We reckon he’s
a brave soul who dares to push the sweet boundaries with his rather pungent Durian
Croquembouche Peanuts Nougatine with Sesame.
It’s a heavenly take on the classic
French profiteroles for us durian lovers but possibly sheer hell for haters.
Luckily the durian odour is subtle enough and should pose no cause for concern. I especially love the decadent Durian Cake with scorched meringue.
The Six
Chefs’ Signature Specialities are served daily for lunch and dinner at Lemon
Garden at the following prices:
Lunch
Mon-Fri RM135 nett per person
Sat&PH RM155 nett per person
Sun RM175 nett per person
Dinner
Sun-Thurs RM165 nett per person
Fri & Sat RM218 nett per person
