Showing posts with label roe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label roe. Show all posts

Friday, January 28, 2022

FISH FOR ABUNDANCE AT SOUTHERN ROCK SEAFOOD


年年有余 is a customary wish for abundance and surplus during Chinese New Year, spurring the Chinese to toss Yee Sang with gusto, and load up on fish and seafood during the festive celebration. You can do so at Southern Rock Seafood Kitchen & Fishmonger, one of the most established seafood importers in the Klang Valley with its own restaurant in Bangsar (and a few off-site in major shopping malls).


At Southern Rock Seafood, it is most befitting to welcome the Year of the Water Tiger with a towering triple tier of Fruits De Mer (RM168++). Conceived for sharing, this impressive seafood selection is a sight to behold and will make waves with ardent seafood lovers.


To fully appreciate the quality of Southern Rock’s premium seafood, we recommend starting with the bottom tier of raw Tragheanna Bay Oysters (Ireland), Australian Mussels, Cloudy Bay Clams (Australia), and blanched local Tiger Prawns.


Local oyster connoisseurs in the know can vouch for Shucked - the best oyster bar in town (Southern Rock Seafood is behind it). Freshly shucked to order, the oysters are best savoured au naturel; it allows you to appreciate the briny and minerality of the oceanic nuances concentrated within these mollusks.

Likewise, for the mussels and clams – a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice is perhaps all that's necessary to accentuate their soul-satisfying sea-fresh sweetness. 

To ensure things go swimmingly throughout the Tiger Year, prime your palate with a surfeit of seafood appetisers in the second tier: Salmon Sashimi, Cured Salmon (Beetroot & Gravlax), seared Japanese Scallops, Anchovies in Olive Oil (imported from Holland), Smoked Ocean Trout stuffed with Marinated Goat Cheese, and House-made Smoked Mackerel Paté.


Thin crisp toast points are served to complement the assortment; to enable you to savour the paté or place the anchovies on top to enjoy them. Take your time to discover the sensuous textures and complex flavours as you devour the succulent and scrumptious morsels.

A glass of classic Prawn Cocktail serves as the crowning glory for the seafood tower. For millennials and the uninitiated, this hors d’oeuvres consists of a whole blanched shelled prawn and diced prawns with chopped lettuce, dressed in creamy cocktail sauce – a mixture of ketchup with mayonnaise (sometimes Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and cayenne pepper are added). Prawns are believed to evoke laughter so eat up and be happy for 2022!


Also eat more fish for abundance throughout the Chinese New Year and Southern Rock Seafood reels you in with an array of fresh wild imported fishes that can be grilled, steamed, baked or prepared a la Meunière. Grilled Whole Sea Bass (RM88++) with roast Mediterranean vegetables and romesco sauce is a notable option.

The simple cooking style retains the fish’s natural taste whilst the slightly charred vegetables and rich Catalonian-style sauce (tomatoes, garlic, toasted almonds or pine nuts with olive or sunflower oil) add textural and flavour contrasts, should you desire it.


Noodles is synonymous with longevity so the Crab & Scallop Linguine (RM58++) should hit the sweet spot for carb-loving diners. Globules of salmon roe enriched the plump sweet scallops while the linguine passed muster.

 

Established as a full-fledged restaurant in 2015, Southern Rock Seafood has weathered the stormy F&B scene in Klang Valley rather well. According to manager Mostaq Ahmed, the team is open to catering to birthday parties, corporate events and social gatherings of up to 100 persons since things are gradually returning to normal.

Featuring a nautical theme with seafaring vibes, the rustic restaurant interior features distressed clapboard, mellow lighting and a long bar where showcases of imported oysters on ice take pride of place.

Over at the fishmonger section, chillers filled with whole and fillets of premium fishes from Australia and Europe and fridges of smoked and cured fish, and jars of caviar, fish roe and mackerel paté beckon invitingly. Live lobsters are kept in tanks in the inner sanctum.

The beauty about Southern Rock Seafood is they can source and import the fish and seafood you want if they don’t have it in stock – all you have to do is ask. They also supply premium seafood to most 5-star hotels and reputable restaurants in town and throughout Malaysia.

For reservations at Southern Rock Seafood Kitchen & Fishmonger, tel: +6 012 385 0266. Address: 32-36, Jalan Kemuja, Off Jalan Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: Mon-Fri 11 am-10 pm; Sat & Sun 8.30 am – 11 pm (last call 930 pm) Website: www.southernrockseafood.com

Saturday, November 21, 2015

OISHII KAISEKI EXPERIENCE AT ISHIN




‘Kaiseki’ is so rarefied that no Japanese cuisine connoisseurs would turn down an invitation to savour this multi-course haute dining experience. My last kaiseki encounter was over three years ago so when Angeline Ong invited us to join her for kaiseki at Ishin, it was an offer too good to refuse.

This refined Japanese restaurant is located a stone’s throw away from Mid Valley City, along a main thoroughfare. Housed in a refurbished bungalow, Ishin's cosily outfitted with sleek timber accents and warm lighting. 
 

The oval sushi counter accords upclose and first-hand view of the chefs in action while upstairs boasts a warren of private rooms including several with tatami-style seating albeit with recessed floor space.
The opening act was a trio of tempting morsels. It was full of crunch thanks to the paper-thin slices of deep-fried satsuma (Japanese sweet potato). Things swung to the opposite spectrum with the dense smoothness of pan-fried duck liver spreading on our palate; its unctuous richness tempered by a dash of citrusy yuzu dressing. Completing the appetising showcase was a mini skewer of smoked duck breast rolled with mango strips and micro sprouts, touched with truffle dressing. 

Sipping on the thick and mildly gluey double-boiled blue fin soup, we discovered the collagen-rich gelatinous chunk had a feral mineral aftertaste to it. The broth’s savouriness was tempered by grated yuzu zest whilst mushroom, carrot and leek add extra textural dimension.

Rare and high-brow ingredients are often featured in kaiseki and the subsequent course testified to this. Fried ankimo (monkfish liver) was a rare speciality that was worth its weight in gold. Garnished with tara shirako (cod’s milt or sperm sac), saffron threads, globules of salmon roe and melted cheese, it was a super decadent delicacy tasting of musky gaminess.
 

Equally impressive was the sashimi course. Presented on a bed of crushed ice and a domed ice ‘cave’, the raw fish selection included a superbly sweet akaza ebi (a type of Japanese deep-sea prawn), maguro (tuna) and shima aji (striped jack).

Marbled with flecks of fat throughout, the two slices of Kagoshima beef were more than ample for each person. Quickly seared on a hot stone grill, the meltingly tender meat appeared richly buttery on our tastebuds.

Chasing this up was a dainty don composed from vinegared rice sprinkled with pink fish floss crowned with seared otoro (tuna belly), uni (sea urchin) and slivers of nori. It reminded us of an ultra-luxe, scrumptious onigiri (Japanese rice ball).

Fresh fruit rounded up our meal and even then the variety was mind-blowingly posh. Nectar-sweet Japanese musk melon, persimmon and Kyushu grapes were simple yet refreshingly light; the perfect conclusion to our meal.

You too can savour a similar kaiseki experience at Ishin from about RM600 per person. Price may vary according to the seasonal ingredients served.

For reservations at ISHIN Japanese Dining, call tel: 03-7980-8228. Address: 202, Persiaran Klang, 3¾th Mile, Off Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur

Saturday, September 19, 2015

MODERN JAPANESE MEDLEY FROM MANMARU







 
My first encounter with robatayaki was at Keyaki – once a hotel's award-winning Jap resto but now defunct to the annals of my hotelling history. Like fashion, robatayaki has edged its way back into the city food scene; taking pride of place in modern Japanese restaurants like Manmaru which flaunts a robatayaki & bar on premise in the bigger and slicker Atria Shopping Mall.

Instead of just ocha (green tea), Manmaru entices diners to sip fancy cocktails and more sobering mocktails rustled up by the resto’s mixologists. Our drinks of choice: Yuzu Samurai (RM28), Spring Peach (RM25), Sparkling Ruby Calpis (RM15) and Lychee Sour Fizz RM15 are more than ample to keep spirits high.

 

Spurred by earnest owners who wish to make their restaurant's presence felt, head chef Danny Leow spearheads the Manmaru team, dishing up a dizzying selection that covers everything from Gozen Set Lunches (RM28-RM58) to mod-Nippon specialities.

 

With stiff competition, restaurateurs and chefs have to work so much harder to please and Manmaru takes the ‘feast for the eyes’ approach to new, detailed heights. Designed for social media sharing, the pretty as a picture Coral Bash Sarada (RM18) is just as nice to savour. The mound of tater mash ‘coral’ has tiny crabs, minute shrimps, pearly salmon roe, fish roe and strands of nori perched on it.


More Instagrammable eats appear in the dish of Salmon Ikura Millefeuille (RM45). The show-stopping composition is playful yet packs enough flavour and textural elements to reel us in. It’s a fun way of nibbling on crispy flatbread toasts heaped with diced salmon and salmon roe. A scattering of masago ‘caviar’ and a sawagani crab (subject to availability) complete the arty palette.

 
Simply delish...think of it as 'deconstructed' gyoza turned salsa

I like the clean almost minimalist preso of the Gyoza Kawa Age To Maguro Salsa (RM28) and Unagi Karaage (RM40) – two immensely likeable appetisers designed for sharing. Their uncomplicated tastiness amp up the appeal quotient several notches.


Pescatarians would snap at the Salmon Tataki Salad (RM35). With slices of lightly seared salmon playing peek-a-boo underneath a generous serving of fresh mixed leaves surrounded by a pool of olive green spinach dressing, you too would be clamouring for more salad days like this.


Manmaru’s Sashimi Moriawase (seven seasonal varieties @RM210) isn’t carve in stone selection-wise as the varieties served up each time changes according to market supply and season. Remember, there’s no such thing as cheap sashimi…


Likewise, Manmaru Nigiri Sushi Moriawase (RM150) follows the same maxim. Again it’s a visual masterpiece that resonates delicate, sublime accents. The picture alone is sufficient enough to ‘voice’ that proverbial thousand words.


Choice picks from the robatayaki bar appear as Kushiyaki Moriawase (RM68) – a stunning composition of various skewers threaded with crispy chicken skin, liver, beef bacon, chicken wing, salmon, king mushroom, scallop, smoked duck, beef and minced chicken balls. Looks good, tastes even better.


If you like the less is more approach, take your pick of seasonal fishes like Kasago (RM150/480g) from the ice-filled seafood counter where prized catches beckon. Grilled at the robatayaki, every morsel of the sweet flesh is picked clean from the rockfish.
Out to impress? Then you can’t go wrong with the dragon-shaped Lobster Roll (RM68) – a luscious maki roll fit for a king with shelled lobster, mango, cucumber, salmon roe and masago packed within vinegared rice.


Notable contenders for your wallet include Wagyu Teppanyaki (RM180) and Hotate Chawan Mushi (RM30); indulgent treats that should moo-ve beef enthusiasts and leave scallop lovers shell-syiok!


The zingy Volcano Roll (RM38) rocks too with its abundant filling: crab meat, salmon roe, avocado and cucumber drizzled with a creamy robust sauce.


Sakana Kami Yaki (RM58) - grilled snapper with beef bacon and seaweed baked in paper parcel with a creamy mustard sauce is one of the more inventive offerings available alongside Cream Korokke (RM22) – potato croquettes livened up with chopped onion, cream and seafood inside crisp breadcrumb crust.

Be prepared to fork out just a little more when dining at Manmaru but the creative efforts and quality should leave you walking away with a satisfied smile. 

For reservations at Manmaru, please call tel: 03-77331038. Address: G-26, Ground Floor, Atria Shopping Mall, Jalan SS22/23, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

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