MID-AUTUMN MOONCAKES FROM FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KL

The Snow Skin Mooncake with Butterfly Pea Flower Custard Paste with Saffron, Mullet Roe, Salted Egg Yolk and Pistachios – a new snowskin mooncake crafted by Chef Ng Meng Loong of Four Seasons Hotel KL turns out to be the bee’s knees this year.

 
Clad in swirly white and blue snow skin threaded with saffron, the subtly sweet custard paste incorporating mullet roe and pistachios, and a salted egg yolk core bewitched us instantly at first bite.

 
Levelling up on the nut mooncake variant, Yun House’s dim sum and dessert maestro also proffers his Eight-Nut Treasure Baked Mooncake for fans who enjoy utterly nutty mooncake filling. The favoured pistachios - now all the rage among kunafa choc fans - makes its presence felt.

This year’s mooncake gift box comes stylishly beribboned with a specially commissioned scarf designed by acclaimed Malaysian artist C.N. Liew. Bearing contemporary patterns juxtaposed against an auspicious red background, the gift box exudes modern glamour and understated sophistication. Best of all, the designer scarf can be used as a pocket square, handkerchief or twilly.

Back to the artisanal Mid-Autumn Festival creations, the winsome baked variants include Classic Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk and Melon Seeds (RM45++ each), Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk and Melon Seeds (RM45++ each), Pure Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk and Melon Seeds (RM45++ each), Red Bean Paste with Almond Flakes (RM45++ each) and Eight Nut Treasure (RM48++ each).

Snow skin mooncake fans will swoon over the luscious Musang King Durian (RM88++ each) and revel in the luxe appeal of Black Sesame Lotus Seed Paste with Bird’s Nest and Almonds (RM68++ each). The distinctly inventive Pure White Lotus Seed Paste with Palm Sugar, Macadamia and Seaweed (RM58++ each) tastes equally sublime.

"The Mid-Autumn celebration is all about joy and togetherness, with the main event being a feast with family and friends under the full moon," says Chef Loong. "Designed to appeal to all generations and palates, our mooncakes welcome everyone to join in the festivities."

 
Orders can be made and collected now and 6 October by calling tel: 03 2382 8602 or email:
yunhouse.kualalumpur@fourseasons.com
 

CHALET RETURNS WITH GOURMET SWISS-EUROPEAN CLASSICS

 

The unmistakable scent of Raclette Valaisanne — molten Swiss cheese paired with tender new potatoes, tangy cornichons and pickled pearl onions — heralds the triumphant return of Chalet to Sabayon, EQ Kuala Lumpur, from 14–30 August.

 
Dining is as much theatre as it is indulgence with Chalet’s signature show-stealers of Fondue au Fromage — a molten pot of velvety cheese and the majestic Canard à la Presse where a whole roast duck is dramatically pressed tableside in a gleaming silver duck press, making for an unforgettable performance of sorts.

 
Our preview begins with the alluring Raclette fresh from the grill, followed by sumptuous Beef and Cheese Fondues, the latter crowned with shaved truffle.

Pan-seared to perfection and paired with apple, port wine, brioche and endive, we take to the curtain-raising Foie Gras like proverbial ducks to water.

 
A luxurious hug in edible form best describes the silky Crème de Champignons Sauvages, wild mushroom soup served in a crusty bread boule.

 
Quality produce meets culinary technical expertise shine the spotlight on the timeless flavours of stellar mains such as Saumon Atlantique, pan-fried salmon with potato fondant, vegetables and a chive-kissed lemon butter sauce, and Carré d’Agneau Provençale, an unbelievably tender 30-day grain-fed Tasmanian lamb rack in herb crust with Provençale jus, asparagus and carrots.

 
Dessert is a grand finale in itself. The Notre Chariot à Dessert rolls in, an old-world trolley laden with sweet temptations: Saint Honoré avec Choux (shortcrust pastry piped with whipped cream crowned with caramelised choux puffs), Fruit Tarts, Almond Galette (flaky, buttery pastry filled with almond paste), and Apple Tart — each vying for attention.

Also, the pièce de résistance: Chalet’s flamboyant spectacle of Crêpes Suzette, flambé Cherries Jubilee, and the spirited Sabayon is memorable to behold, injecting a dash of delightful drama to the Chalet pop up experience.

 
For reservations, please contact EQ Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03 2789 7839, WhatsApp +60 12 583 5319 or email: dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com
 

ORIENTAL GROUP'S 26TH ANNIVERSARY GRAND BANQUET SERIES

 

The rich cultural and culinary legacy of pairing and infusing Chinese liquors into gourmet creations takes the limelight for Oriental Group’s 26^th Anniversary Grand Banquet Series.

Scheduled from 13 August to 9 September at different restaurants under Oriental Group, the exclusive Grand Banquet menu curated by Noble House Senior Executive Chef Wong Chin Leong, Oriental Pavillion and Noble Mansion Senior Executive Chef Paul Lee Kim Yew, Oriental Treasure and Han Room Executive Chef Jay Chan Meng Heng, The Ming Room and Ruyi Executive Chef Vincent Ong Chee Sin, and Oriental Pavilion BBQ Chef Kent Yam Kean Boon will flex the versatility of rose flower baijiu, Japanese plum wine, sake and whiskey in masterfully crafted dishes.

According to Dato’ Sri Philip Siew, founder and chairman of the Oriental Group, “the grand banquet series brings special dishes for our loyal clientele to savour whilst pushing the envelope and enabling our chefs to go beyond their comfort zone.

“Instead of inviting guest chefs this year, our chefs have created a special menu focusing on the use of wine and liquor in Chinese cooking which goes back thousands of years. Our chefs have experimented with Shao Hsing, Moutai (Chinese distilled spirit), sake, brandy and whisky, matching the liquors with premium and quality ingredients.”

At RM2,988++ per table of 10, discerning diners will be savouring the hallowed legacy of Chinese gastronomy, elevated by the artful harmony between food and spirits.

 

Delicate sweet-sour accents from umeshu (Japanese plum wine) tickle our tastebuds as we nibble on the pretty opener of Pickled Radish Roses. Immersed for 4-6 hours in umeshu, the crunchy radish slices leave a pleasantly rounded tartness on the tongue.

 

That paves the way for a classic handcrafted Spring Rolls with Chinese Wine. This painstakingly made appetiser consists of pig’s caul stuffed and rolled with handchopped pork mince, prawns and waterchestnuts flavoured with Chinese white wine. It's moreish, biting into the crisp outer layer before the delicious meaty filling hits the palate.

Balsamic vinegar pearls add playful pops of muted sourness to the Drunken Chicken with Vinegar Pearls. First marinated then poached with Shao Xing wine and baijiu, the chicken is then pressed until firm without affecting its succulent smooth texture.  

 

Due to logistical issues, we didn’t have a chance to sample the Chilled Japanese Sake Sea Clams but presumably the dish will undoubtedly delight food lovers.

More painstaking efforts goes into the making of the XO Cognac Stuffed Duck with Whole Abalones and Fin. Imagine a whole duck meticulously deboned, stuffed with shark’s fin, diced yam and whole abalones then braised for 6 hours. The duck bones are then simmered with base stock to make a flavourful gravy-like sauce.

Suffice to say the duck meat rendered with the distinct taste of XO cognac instantly captures our hearts and mind. We love how the varied textural contrasts of the impossibly tender duck alongside toothsomely resistant abalone and tender shark’s fin level up the dish’s sublime appeal. That sumptuous rich sauce pulls it all together superbly.

Instead of soy sauce, fragrant 8 Year Aged Hulu Shao Xing is used to infuse its complex, delicate sweetness to the Steamed Wild Sultan Fish. Although there’s barely sauce, the fine fish flesh oozes with sweet richness – a melding of fish jus and the aged Chinese wine. Perking it up further is aromatic chopped and oil-scalded spring onion.

Earthy and mutedly sweet nuances make the Stuffed Prawn Paste in Morel Mushroom especially enticing. Sautéed with House Made Dried Scallop Sauce, the heap of sauteed asparagus, celtuce, Chinese yam (huai san), ginkgo nuts, fresh lily bulb and baby corn levels up the enjoyment of nutritious vegetables.

Sticky glutinous rice with Mei Kwei Lou (distilled fermented sorghum spirit infused with rose) marinated chicken is rolled up with deboned suckling pig then roast until crisp for the Suckling Pig with Glutinous Rice Rolls masterpiece.

We also relish squares of delectable Cinnamon Whiskey Braised Pork; meltingly tender layers of fat and lean pork exuding enticing hints of cinnamon and whisky.

Doubled boiled for 3 hours in coconut, the next level Red Bean Paste with Guangzhou Aged Tangerine Peel wins the day with its timeless old is gold allure.

Oriental Group’s award-winning Taro Puffs complete the stellar culinary session. The Teochew style treat of airy-light pastry dome encasing decadent yam paste is rave-worthy; a most befitting finale to the grand banquet experience.

For more information or table reservations, call +6012 811 8812 or visit orientalrestaurants.com.my.