WHAT A GREAT NUMBER!

Dark & delectable...Deep-fried Pork ribs in Beer Stout

Slurpilicious Sang Har Meen

Cut to the chase with 52's Claypot Curry Fish Head

Ever since we were introduced to this outlet, it has quickly become a favourite haunt. Not only does the restaurant serves good food, the pricing is incredibly reasonable!

From the outside it looks like just another corner single terrace house - few would actually have any inkling it's actually a no-frills Chinese restaurant that holds plenty of delicious secrets. Hot sellers here are its Fish Head Curry, Lightly Deep-fried Tilapia, Salt Baked Chicken Wings and Stir-fried Sang Meen with Fresh Water Prawns. And that's barely scratching the surface - the lady boss told us their other specialities include Hakka braised fried pork (char yoke), vinegared pork trotters, claypot ribs with yam, butter squid and hot plate hor fun...are you drooling already?

The Curry Fish Head comes piping hot in a claypot, filled with ladies fingers, brinjal, long beans, cabbage, beancurd puffs and fleshy pieces of fish head in a fiery orangey-red gravy that goes really well with plain white rice. A small portion here can easily feed 3-4 persons or more if you have other dishes thrown in. You can also ask the chef to substitute the fish head with tilapia chunks but it doesn't have quite the same 'fun' as digging and searching for that elusive piece of fish meat off boney creviches.

Even though the cook more often than not tends to overcook the Ribs in Beer Stout Sauce, the shortcoming is easily forgiven thanks to the bewitching, caramelised sauce that clung and enveloped the ribs completely.

When it comes to Fresh Water Prawn Noodles or Sang Har Meen, nothing quite comes up to our gold standard - Sang Kee or what KL-lites used to know as the Tai Shee Tau (under the big tree)...Having said that, 52's version is still above average and perfect to assuage any prawny noodles craving! The crustaceans are of a decent enough size and I would have preferred the fresh egg and wheat noodles to be thicker but heck, it's as good as it comes. Generously doused with a rich, sublime eggy sauce that's not too starchy or watery, the crisp noodles are adequately 'soaked', rendering it nicely chewy but not soggy.

The kids usually go wild over the Chiu Yim Kai Yik or Deep-fried Salted Chicken Wings but you must remind the chef to omit the chopped bird's eye chilli that gets sprinkled on top together with spring onion. Forget that at your own peril - you don't want to go into crisis mode, trying to douse little numb tongues and soothe teary tots! The Claypot Taufoo is another kid-friendly dish which comes chock-a-block with local or Japanese beancurd cooked in a thick, oyster sauce gravy, chopped baby corn, snap peas, diced carrots, mushroom, assorted seafood and sliced pork.

So if you are ever in the vicinity of Semenyih, 52 is a number you should remember. The outlet is easily located along the early stretch of Jalan Sungai Lalang, the same road leading towards Nirvana Memorial Park. Just don't bother going on a Monday since it's their rest day.

Restoran 52

52 Jalan Sungai Lalang

Semenyih Negeri Sembilan

Tel: 87238733

GOOD COOKING AT ZUHO

Slurpilicious Freshwater Prawns in Special Sauce


Loh Mein with Freshwater Prawns & Crabmeat


Nyonya Sambal Fried Cincaru & Okra


Perk up the palate with Fried Kway Teow with Black
Pepper Beef




Hearty, rustic Fish Head Meehoon


Crispy Deep Fried Fish Fillet with Barreto Sauce


Few foodies can resist Sang Har Meen or stir-fried noodles with freshwater prawns. This dish reigns supreme amongst the many hawkers’ dishes available and the only one that can get away with restaurant's pricing!

Now there's a new eatery in Taman Tun Dr Ismail that prides itself in dishing up some freshwater prawn dishes, whether on their own or with noodles or rice. Its house speciality of Freshwater Prawn and Crab Meat Loh Mein (RM25 for regular, RM45 for large portion) is an extremely indulgent offering (forget about cholesterol counting for once).

Braised in a rich, eggy sauce with two big, succulent freshwater prawns, the fat yellow Hokkien noodles tasted out of this world with a dash of vinegar in it. Devour the noodles whilst they are still piping hot though. Otherwise, you'd end up with an unappetising congealed dish as they cool. I'm dying to sample their Freshwater Prawn Braised Yee Mee, Freshwater Prawn Wanton Mee in Fragrant Soup and Freshwater Prawn Meehoon in Nyonya-style Soup.

I have had better Fish Head Meehoon (RM8 – regular, RM13 – large) elsewhere but honestly, Zuho's version is as decent as they come. I prefer lai fun or thick rice noodles for this particular dish but to each her own I guess. What stood out was the fleshy chunks of deep-fried fish head and delicious sweet-tangy soup that has generous slices of hum choi or salted mustard, tomato wedges, sliced ginger and chopped spring onion in it.

The scrumptious Venison Fried Rice Nyonya-style (RM13 – regular, RM22 – large) fares better with me. Who can resist fluffy rice stir-fried with thin slices of venison, aromatic shredded kaffir lime leaves and local spices? I can only presume the Anchovy or Salted Fish Fried Rice, Beef Fried Rice Yong Chow Style and Crab Meat Fried Rice taste equally arresting.

If you like Hong Kong-style korn chau hor or dry-fried flat rice noodles, resident chef, S H Lim or Uncle Lim as he is known amongst staff and customers, executes this with panache. The Black Pepper Beef Fried Kway Teow (RM8 – regular, RM13 –large) remains slippery smooth, nicely separate and fully imbued with the robust nuances of freshly ground black pepper and sliced beef.

For all the farn tung (die-hard rice eaters) out there, Zuho's small selection of home-style dishes make perfect accompaniments to have with plain white rice. One of their specialities is Deep-fried Fish Fillet in Barreto Sauce (RM8 – regular, RM13 – large), a Filipina-inspired dish that comprised crispy, boneless pieces of fish fillet eaten with a tantalisingly sweet, sour and mildly spicy dip that has sesame seeds and chopped coriander in it.

Har loke, a classic prawn dish for many major Chinese festivals, is superbly replicated here. Its Freshwater Prawns Fried in Chef’s Special Sauce (RM30 – regular, RM45 – large) beg to be eaten with your hands to fully appreciate the dark, glistening and full-bodied sauce made from chopped garlic, red chilli, coriander, ginger, Worchestershire sauce, thick soya sauce and spring onions.

Chilli fiends will get fired up over the Nyonya Sambal Cencaru Fish (RM8 – regular, RM13 – large) as the ground chilli paste for this packs quite a wallop. The Kunyit Chicken (RM13 – regular, RM20 – large) and Stir-fried Chicken with Salted Fish (RM13 – regular, RM20 – large) come highly recommended as well.

A surprisingly good Melaka Nyonya Cendol (RM4) consisting of thick, caramelised gula Melaka (palm sugar) syrup, rich coconut milk and short, fat and soft jade-green cendol strands is the perfect conclusion to your meal at Zuho.

With its modern, spartan decor and quick, amicable service, Zuho is definitely worth the (reasonable) prices it is charging.

Zuho (pork-free)
44 Jalan Datuk Sulaiman
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 012-238 8135/016-600 3389

Business hours – Tues-Sun 11.00 am – 3.00 pm, 6.00 pm – 10.30 pm

NEW YEAR WISHES

Been missing in action for some time due to an unbelievably hectic last quarter in 2006. The last quake which disrupted the Net access didn't help either.

Anyway another year beckons with more great dining experiences await! Believe it or not, eating well can be a vice...but heck, it's a blessed task that yours truly will undertake with no qualms whatsoever. 2006 has been a fair year filled with more fabulous food than mediocre eats so overall, it was memorable in its own way.

For those who have been following my food treks, thank you for your support. Stick around and I'd clue you in on what's hot on the dining scene in 2007. Now let the feast begin!

A TOSS UP FOR GOOD THINGS TO COME

Get fresh - and enjoy a fruitful start to the Lunar New Year!


Imagine you're participating in Fear Factor...

'Bean' there? Such luxurious smoothness on the palate

Roast pork - not! It's crispy chicken skin with prawn paste & nuts

Har har - prawns to usher in joyous laughter

It is believed that yee sang or Chinese raw fish salad was invented some 1,500 years ago during the Song dynasty. Traditionally consumed on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year to mark the birthday of mankind, this humble dish has come a long way from its ancient origins. Come every Chinese New Year, local Chinese chefs will vie to bring fresh interpretations to this colourful salad. Over at the Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant at Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur, Chef Chew Chee Keong decides to make it a fruitful head start to the Lunar New Year celebrations with his Tropical Fresh Fruits Yee Sang.

In addition to the mounds of assorted pickles, vegetables and deep-fried flour crisps, Chef Chew has included shredded kiwifruit, dragon fruit, strawberries, honey rose apples, snow pear, young mango, pomelo and rock melon to this ubiquitous festive delight.

Diners can inject ‘liveliness’, ‘abundance’ and 'good fortune' to their order with shark’s fin, pacific clams, soft shell crab or yellow fin tuna, abalone, salmon or jellyfish. They even have a choice of different sauces – Fruity Sour Plum Sauce, Sour Plum with Wasabi Sauce, Spicy Thai Chilli Plum Sauce or plain Plum Sauce. The end result will be a light, tantalising salad redolent with a whole gamut of tangy, zesty, sweet and tart flavours without any cloying aftertaste.

There's nothing like some Sichuanese spices to set jaded palates alight. The Crispy Prawn with Spicy Bean Paste is guaranteed to leave your tongue tingling from its crunchy, spicy outer crust whilst the crustaceans remain deliciously succulent inside. But don't worry, you can always tempering things down with Crispy Stuffed Chicken with Prawn and Shark’s Fin Paste and Deluxe Nut Coating. Looking deceptively like roast pork from afar, this scrumptious speciality proves memorable for its varied textural contrasts and delicate nuances. A robust chilli dip served on the side helps to give extra bite to these springy slices.

Shaped like mini gold ingots, the Homemade Green Puree Beancurd with Seafood and Scallops is distinctive for its top coating of jade green, blended seaweed. The silky smooth beancurd pieces are the perfect foil to emphasise the fresh scallop and minced seafood's inherent sweetness.

The typical Sichuanese delicacy of Fried Spicy Fish Fillet Sautéed with Sichuan Peppercorns is unlikely to be forgotten in a hurry. Unlike the 'in your face' spicy tartness of Thai tom yum, its fiery-hued broth is potent enough to give chilli lovers an instant ‘high’ with its ma la (numbing spiciness) flavour.

For the first time ever, those on a vegetarian diet can also look forward to a sumptuous feast at Si Chuan Dou Hua as Chef Chew has thoughtfully came up with a special Vegetarian Set Menu that will enable them to partake in the festive feasting. One of the specialities, Stir-fried Mixed Fresh Mushrooms with Seven Spices is something that will appeal to even non-vegetarians and diners who want a change from the normally indulgent fare served during this festive season.

All the dishes mentioned are from the different set menus available. The Feast of Abundance is tailored for two persons at RM98++ and at RM318++ for a table of six. For 10 persons or more, choose from its Feast of Prosperity, Fortune, Health and Wealth set menu or Vegetarian Set at RM638++ per table. Small portions of Yee Sang are priced from RM38++ onwards while large portions are priced from RM68++ onwards.

Go on, it is time to go the whole hog at the Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur for a fruitful Chinese New Year.

SI CHUAN DOU HUA RESTAURANT (pork-free)
Lower Lobby
Parkroyal Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: 2711 1199/2782 8303

AN ITALIAN SOJOURN

Bacco's cosy & intimate setting

Elegant Italian decor by Datin Burna Mirri

Italian carnival favourite, Frappe

Bewitching Fish Dish

Something to stew over!

Omelette with a difference

Less is more with these Mini Pizzas

Light yet tasty Mozzarella Sandwich

Antipasti to kick start dinner

For those in the know, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng is a food haven in its own right. The entire stretch of road boasts of Nyonya, Japanese, European, Indian, Chinese steamboat and Penang nasi kandar outlets so diners are truly spoilt for choice. However, few are aware of a splendid Italian restaurant tucked away in one of the quieter lanes known as Jalan Liew Weng Chee.

Named after the Italian god of wine, Bacco, this understated restaurant is owned by architect Datuk Luciano Mirri and his interior designer wife, Burna who have made Malaysia their home for the last 22 years. Their eatery prides itself on serving rustic home-style Italian dishes that are rarely found elsewhere.

The inimitable style and creative handiwork of Datin Burna Mirri are evident in the hand-sewn table cloths and curtains, and sponge-painted walls within Bacco. Oriental and European antiques, paintings and furniture further enhanced the classic, homely ambience.

Chef Michele Dal Cero from Verona, Italy displays an uncanny flair for staying true to his Italian roots despite this being his first stint in the Far East and having to be mindful of local dietary sensitivities. Antipasti (appetizers) is a must here to start off your meal. We enjoyed sliced marinated mushroom, pickled red cabbage, zucchini, red and green peppers, a creamy tuna spread, olives and sun-dried tomatoes with the two types of breads – onion and truffle and another flavoured with chopped olives.

Italy’s simple, provincial-style cooking is best reflected in Frittata Ai Funghi Con Patate Alla Bacco or Bacco-style Mushroom Omelette with Potatoes. Special mention must be made of the accompanying sauce of boiled egg yolk blended with anchovies, extra virgin olive oil, thyme, lemon juice and salt.

Chef Dal Cero gets back to basics with his Mini Pizzas with a single ingredient to top each miniature dough disc – chopped tomato, olives or grated cheese. It is a great way to savour the pizza’s delightfully light texture and unadulterated flavour of each topping.

The Involtino Di Sogliola Con Salmone (Witch Fillet Roll with Salmon Garnished with Smoked Salmon) is as bewitching as its name. It is hard to fault this dish of baked sole fillet rolled and stuffed with fresh salmon and chopped romaine lettuce, complemented by a dainty roll of smoked salmon. The composition of subtle nuances and myriad textures proved the chef’s consummate skills.

A scrumptious creation served with a distinctive anchovy-caper sauce, the delicious pan-fried Mozzarella la Carrozza mini sandwich would captivate any discerning cheese lovers. Lightly covered in egg batter, it oozed with melted, piquant cheese in the centre.

La Padella Del Pescatore made us felt as if we were dining at an Italian friend’s villa in the Roman countryside. A hearty stew of fish, prawns, squid and mussels, the ingredients are first sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and cooked with chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic, white wine, chili, fresh herbs and black pepper. The deliciously sweet broth, tinged with the faintest hint of tanginess, is best enjoyed with crusty sliced baguette.

A traditional carnival fried pastry known as Frappe gave us another rare glimpse into Italy. Also known as Cenci in Tuscany, Chiacchiere in Lombardy, Crostoli in Venice and Bugie in Genoa, the rectangular paper-thin, deep-fried pastry are served with a dusting of icing sugar. At Bacco, this delightful creation comes with ice-cream and a little warmer of melted chocolate which you can drizzle onto the crispy pastry. The perennial favourite, tiramisu, is also available although this being an alcohol-free version, it may be a tad tame for those who used to the original recipe.

Thanks to Bacco’s niche set-up, service is cordial and impeccable. Bigger groups of eight persons or more should ideally notify outlet manager, Ahmad Radhi Abdul Shukor ahead of time so that the team is prepared to cope with service delivery and food quality.

Datuk Mirri explained, “Good food takes time to prepare. Ample notice is necessary for our kitchen team to plan and work their magic. For our best dishes, the ingredients need to be freshly sourced and everything made from scratch. Some specialities need more than four hours of preparation to a full day’s work. Advance reservations minimize the customers’ waiting time in between courses and this maximizes their dining experience with us. So it’s a win-win situation for both.”

For those yearning for an Italian gastronomic sojourn, Bacco is well worth the trip.

BACCO (pork free)
5 Jalan Liew Weng Chee
Off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 21711190

Business hours – Lunch Monday to Friday 12 noon to 2.30 pm
Dinner Monday to Saturday 7.00 pm to 10.30 pm
Closed on Sundays

HELLO HAIRY!

Imperial walk into Shang Palace

Hairy crabs anyone?

Crispy crab & minced meat roll

Oodles of delicious noodles

This year’s hairy crab season clawed its way into international news headlines, triggered by a furore in Taiwan when a batch of Chinese hairy crabs was allegedly detected with nitrofuran, a cancer-causing agent. Consequently, this prompted a Chinese crab exporter to offer a one million yuan (approximately RM469,000) reward to any Taiwanese health inspectors who succeed in finding any trace of carcinogen in other hairy crab consignments as a measure to restore consumers’ confidence.

Back at the famed Yangcheng Lake in the Chinese eastern province of Jiangsu – home of the hairy crabs – counterfeit crabs appeared on the market despite numerous measures undertaken by the Yangcheng Lake Crab Farmers Association to set the real McCoys apart. In Hong Kong, a thief was nabbed by local police after his unsuccessful theft of these gourmet crabs worth a princely USD1,280 (RM4,736) from a restaurant.

These incidents only served to elevate the snob appeal of these pricey creatures. According to The Asian Wall Street Journal food writer, Stan Sesser, some Hong Kongers have even gone to the extent of eating hairy crabs ‘tycoon-style’ – consuming only the deep-orange hued roe found in female crabs without bothering with the rest of the crabs. A sheer waste considering how sweet and sublime the hairy crab meat is, especially when it is skillfully prepared by experts like Shang Palace’s executive Chinese chef, Leung Sing Cheung.

So what's the fuss about? Well, you won't really know until you sampled one of these hairy crustaceans. One of the few truly seasonal delicacies left, no Chinese food connoisseurs will forgo the chance of savouring these distinctive grey-green crabs with furry claws and legs come late autumn.

Local hairy crab lovers can feast on these pricey, princely delights in the Shang Palace’s imperial setting. The splendid six-course menu (RM238++ per person) starts with warm, satisfying bowl of Braised Shark’s Fin with Hairy Crab Roe and Sea Urchin. Not a very politically correct soup to have but ... it tasted oh so good! Thick strands of shark’s fin, egg-yolk rich crab roe, chunky crab meat and delicate sea urchin - they make an unbeatable combination.

The piece de resistance – a whole hairy crab steamed the traditional way – is first cut up with surgical precision by the staff for easy eating. What a luxury it is to simply scoop up the scrumptious roe from within the top shell and devour the sweet, fleshy crab meat from the crustacean’s spindly legs.

Surprisingly the claw meat turns out to be the most disappointing part unlike other crabs. The crab meat's inherent sweetness is heightened by the black vinegar and minced ginger dip. Since the Chinese believe the consumption of hairy crabs has a cooling effect on the body, a warm cup of sweetened ginger tea is always served to neutralize this effect.

The Deep-fried Beancurd Roll Stuffed with Minced Meat and Crab Meat stands out in nice contrast with the Stewed Dried Fish Maw with Hairy Crab Roe and Wolfberries. Wonderfully crisp on the outside, the beancurd roll yields a most delectable filling inside. The latter is an apt showcase of delicated Cantonese nuances in which the fish maw’s bland, spongy texture acts as the perfect foil to offset the flavourful crab roe and meat whilst simultaneously emphasizing the wolfberries’ subtle sweetness.

Delicious stewed noodles with shredded chicken, hairy crab meat and suet choy (a type of preserved vegetable) and glutinous balls stuffed with black sesame paste in sweetened ginger tea round off this noteworthy menu.

SHANG PALACE
Shangri-la Hotel Kuala Lumpur
11 Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: 2074 3904

Business hours Monday-Saturday 12 noon to 2.30 pm
Sunday & public holidays 10.30 am to 2.30 pm
Daily 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm

-end-

Good Eating Experiences

It's good to be back after a short hiatus. Nope it has got nothing with the fasting month nor the recent spate of festive holidays. Just got too caught up with work and the inevitable stress of fulfilling deadlines.

Been revisiting some food haunts which were reviewed in the past. Glad to know some outlets are still maintaining the standards whilst sadly, one or two didn't quite cut it and has even folded. These are the ones which can be relied upon for a good dining experience:

Delicious by Ms Read

Now stronger than ever with a revamped menu. Old favourites remained but newer additions are most welcomed. Especially in the dessert section. Berrilicious Chocolate Pavlova, Apple Lumberjack and Mango & Lychee Triffle in a Glass are serious contenders to win over the sweet-toothed besides the outlet's signature buttery scones and 'blackforest in a glass' offerings.

Seek out Delicious by Ms Read at Bangsar Village and the new wing of One Utama.

Precious Old China

After a rather disappointing experience when I took an Oz-based dear friend/fellow foodie there, our most recent visit over the weekend proved the chef has lost none of his magic. Save for the overly salty 'tau kan' (vegetarian bean puffs?) in the beancurd dish, our order of Cincalok Chicken, Ju Hu Char, Pie Tee, Pucuk Paku Masak Lemak and Asam Fish were spot on. Special mention goes to the Ju Hu Char - can't recall the last time my parents raved over this popular Nyonya-Hokkien dish but yesterday, they did just that!

The Mee Siam was so-so ; love the sauce but disliked the clumpy meehoon. Nevertheless, the Bubur Cha Cha was top notch. No wonder this girlfriend of mine goes ever so often for lunch with her colleagues!

Dine in its ornate ambience filled with Chinese/Nyonya antiques and collectibles at the Central Market, a stone throw away from KL's Chinatown.

Hoong Kee Seafood Steamboat

Taman Maluri folks never had it this good. Every nook and corner of this bustling commercial centre (close to the ever-popular Jusco supermart) is either a coffee shop or an eatery of some sort. Reasonably priced and varied offerings attract hordes of hungry office workers by day and urban families at night.

Come here for the great seafood noodles in the morning and for lunch. The fish ball noodles are priced at RM3.50 but the seafood version at RM4.00 is much better. One gets 3 prawns, several razor clams, bouncy fish balls and sliced fish cake with bits of dried seaweed in the soupy noodles. 'Kon loh' or dry-tossed version also available. If you feel like indulging, pomfret and other pricier seafood from Pulau Ketam can be added upon request.

Dinner is strictly steamboat at RM13.50 per person. The platter of ingredients include fish paste noodles, two types of fish balls, meat balls, fried beancurd sheets or 'fu chok', white beancurd triangles, sliced fish, golden straw mushrooms, 'sui kow' or stuffed dumplings, prawns, vegetables, crispy yee mee, meehoon and eggs. Diners have a choice of having both clear soup and tom yam in one pot or stick to either broth of choice. While the freshness of the ingredients are unquestionable ... some of us felt a tad thirsty after the meal which could indicate the soup might have been flavoured with MSG. Still, the place seems to be doing roaring business so perhaps it's a case of eaters' beware?