ORIENTAL STAR SHINES IN CHERAS

The largest banquet hall in Cheras. That is Oriental Star’s claim to fame; heralding the debut the newest restaurant under the Oriental Restaurants group, to open in one of KL’s most densely populated suburbs.

Personally, I’m overjoyed as Cheras has always been considered a backwater; more renowned for its notorious traffic jams (really? Which part of Klang Valley is not??) and often perceived as a ‘rough and tumble’ ‘hood. It is heartening to know savvy restaurateurs like the Oriental Group realise this huge area has untapped potential, with folks yearning for the latest lifestyle mod-cons.

 

Designed as a wedding and banquet venue, Oriental Star’s cavernous premise boasts an uncluttered setting, complete with a raised stage, mellow downlights and plush underfoot carpeting. Besides dim sum to pull in the lunch crowd, Oriental Star is enticing Cheras residents with a super value Gourmet Set Menu. Priced at RM 798++ per table of 10 pax, the multiple course menu should be the irresistible siren’s call to any food lover’s heart and stomach.

True to the Oriental Restaurants’ Group ethos, the opening volley is already designed to create an indelible impression. No detail is left to chance as the curtain-raising Teochew Style Platter is presented with aplomb, on a custom-made tiered stand to exude that wow factor.

Under the capable leadership of culinary supremo and Group Executive Chef Justin Hor, the kitchen team here proves they have the chops from the get-go. The quartet of appetisers comprising Fragrant Garlic Fish Fillet, Stewed Pork Neck, Intestines & Beancurd, Crispy Crab Meat Dumplings and Sea Clams with Wasabi Sesame Sauce is guaranteed to garner a few 'wow' around the table. Thumbs up to the clever melding of old-school, nostalgic taste and textural appeal with fleeting fusion influences.

My fave out of the lavish platter is the sliced clams complemented by crunchy jellyfish and okra pieces dressed in the nutty-zingy sauce. The other offerings are equally on-point and should bridge the familial generation gap easily.

The stodgy and somewhat fishy Braised Shark’s Fin with Crab Roe is underwhelming IMHO. And let's not wade into hot soup over the key ingredient (you know what I'm referring to) as one's man soup is another man's poison.

Fresh hope resurfaces once we sample the whole Steamed Ocean Dragon Garoupa with Fresh Abalone, Seng Kwa (luffa) & Squid Balls Taishan Style. Inspired by the ubiquitous hot pot of Taishan — a city-level county in Guangdong province — the clear, inherent sweet fish makes a raveworthy splash along with some toothsome abalone scattered with minced garlic, soft-tender luffa with slippery glass noodles and springy squid balls.

As expected, the house speciality of Roast Suckling Pig with Preserved Beancurd alone makes this menu worth every ringgit. Just savouring the impossibly thin, crackly crisp skin is utterly satisfying.

Although I enjoy the plump strands of Stir-fried Asparagus Beans with Olive and Soy Beans, I find the residual oily aftertaste leaves much to be desired. It could be our fault as we had left the dish sitting there too long. Remember, this dish is best eaten piping hot.

Eating Steamed Rice with Waxed Meat & Yam Shunde Style is almost evocative of the Lunar New Year season but such flavour-packed comfort food will undoubtedly hit the spot with the Cheras crowd.

Bringing the curtains down with a flourish are Three Angels, whimsically presented on another triple tiered stand resembling a tree with tiny birds perched on it. On closer inspection, each ‘branch’ bears a different dessert: lemon jelly and osmanthus jelly balls as well as dainty bricks of steamed sponge cakes with dessicated coconut. Ethereally light and subtly sweet, the delicate morsels ensure we leave Oriental Star in blissfully sweet mood.

The Gourmet Set is available for dine-in only until 31 December 2018.

For reservations, call Oriental Star, tel: 03-9134 8488. Address: M-S-01, Level 2, EkoCheras Mall, No. 693, Batu 5, Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

GRAB GOOD BITES FOR LUNCH AT MARBLE 8

Now you can lunch like a boss at Marble 8. Meet your top dog match in a stellar main like Grilled Black Angus Fillet, one of the on-point Elite Gourmand Lunch options. Deftly cooked to medium rare doneness with a scattering of black and pink peppercorns, the scrumptious steak forms an enticing affinity with buttery cannelloni beans, spring onion and beef jus.

 

With an encompassing view of the city towering skyscrapers from inside Tower 3 on level 56, the resto's dark, austere atmosphere is evocative of an exclusive gentleman’s club. The main dining space anchors a long bar with tactile cow’s hide finish and a faux tree.  Groups of tufted, leather upholstered armchairs and dining tables, juxtaposed against marble and timber surfaces are parked throughout.

 

Make no bones about it, Marble 8 is an upscale culinary pedestal befitting the city’s captains of industry and ladies who lunch by day before the posh, see-and-be-seen set ascends by night. Stepping up to the power lunch plate, the resto has refreshed its weekday Elite Gourmand Lunch (RM78++ for 3 courses, RM118++ for 4 courses) and unveiled a new Grab & Bite deal.

Breaking bread goes up to a new level here. Only sheer willpower and good manners dictate one doesn’t overdo the stuffing down of those crackly sheets of lavosh, chewy sourdough slices, rustic sundried tomato buns, soft potato foccacia and crunchy taralli (Italian bread rings).

Like proverbial matches made in baking heaven, a quartet of alluring Italian dips: kalamata olive tapenade, sundried tomato & garlic, red capsicum and oregano-garlic vinaigrette stands ready to ramp up the appeal of that bready bunch.

 

A sobering choice of Virgin Mojito or Ice Lemon Tea helps to wet the Grab & Bite whistle while you weigh up the temptations available. Headline billing goes to the Wagyu Beef Burger — a no-contest choice for serious meat lovers who won’t have any beef with the hearty serving.

Switched up with melted vintage Cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, fresh rucola (rocket leaves) and sliced tomatoes, the delectable wagyu patty in pillowy sesame seed-flecked charcoal bun proves on-point. Unabashedly big, savoury flavours tinged with mildly sweet-peppery nuances burst through on each bite of the burger. By the time you make short work of the steak fries on the side, I guarantee you’d be grinning from ear to ear with gluttonous self-satisfaction.

Delicious alternatives from the Grab & Bite menu include Steak Sandwich with fresh rucola, mustard, parmesan and tomato confit; Crab Sandwich with Japanese momotaro tomatoes, fresh lettuce, truffle aioli and steak fries; or Polenta Fries with Truffle Butter with chicken financier and sour beetroot pesto.

Ambitious souls with loftier dining goals may do well to set their sights and palate on the Elite Gourmand Lunch. Get to grips with the 3-course appetiser, pasta and dessert deal or be a risk taker and roll with all 4 courses.

Depending on personal preferences, we reckon the ace appetiser is a tussle between Crab Salad and Burrata Cheese with Momotaro Tomatoes and Asparagus Salad. Prepped with fresh papaya and lemon mayonnaise, the former boasts lightly creamy sweet-tangy accents melding with winsome, whisper-light textures. Fresh, clean vegetal-fruity flavour and textural dimensions define the latter; paying homage to the ‘less is more’ maxim.

 

Pasta still has pride of place among lunchers here with four choices proffered, keto-diet be damned. The sublime Angel Hair Aglio Olio with Crabmeat is worth waxing lyrical over; the natural crabmeat sweetness is discernible when you bite into the endearing tangles. 

 

More downhome with countryside charm, the bankable Pappardelle with Mushroom and Capsicum Salsa underscore the timeless appeal of Italian food done right. Those broad pasta ribbons simply opens up to embrace the mushroom and capsicum’s lush, sweet earthiness.

 

 

The failsafe but no less delicious Chicken Leg Confit with sautéed mushroom and chicken jus, and Lemon Sole Milanese with sautéed vegetables and lemon rosemary sauce stand up to tasting scrunity too.

Sealing the gastronomic lunch deal is dessert of the day. It may range from the house signature of wobbly but divine Panna Cotta to an arty creation of Meringue with Yoghurt Gelato, Balsamic Reduction and Strawberries. Luscious, ephemeral textures and bright, pleasurable nuances that slip and slide across discerning palates — a nice curtain-call to galvanise the mind, body and spirit for the rest of the day.

For reservations, call Marble 8 on 56 Restaurant, tel: 03 2386 6030. Address: Level 56, Petronas Tower 3, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre.