‘FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BOLD’ FEASTS AT HILTON PETALING JAYA

Like the bold and brave Tiger leaping into the coming Lunar New Year, the Hilton culinary team decides ‘fortune favours the bold’; the team showing their inventive streak via this year’s selection of Yee Sang creations and 3 set menus to welcome the Year of the Tiger.

During the media preview, we sampled dishes from the 3 different set menus priced between RM168nett – RM218 nett per person (minimum per table of 5 diners). Overall, the quality was on-point with the Eight Orchards Treasure Yee Sang (RM178 for 10 persons) garnering the most effusive praises.

The colourful combination of fresh fruits was refreshing was visually pleasing and whetted our appetite for repeat helpings. Imagine it was our second salad of the evening yet it got the thumbs up so that spoke volumes of its appeal.

While the Tiger Prawn, Salmon and Rose Apple Yee Sang (RM268 for 10 persons) was nice and distinctive, the jumble of crisps and pickles left it begging for more fresh vegetables and fruits to balance the equation.

When it comes to soul-satisfying soup, one of the key choices included Double Boiled Soup with Dried Scallop, Chicken, Black Mushroom & Herb. A surefire crowd-pleaser, this timeless broth is likely to go down well with both the young and young-at-heart.

Chicken is popularly eaten during the Lunar New Year – symbolically referred to as ‘the phoenix’ – is prepared in different ways for the 3 set menus. The Succulent Roasted Chicken with Mongolian Sauce should pique the tastebuds especially since the dark ginger-garlicky sauce enhanced the juicy and tender meat.

Fish is quintessential for Lunar New Year – to reflect abundance and excess – also takes centrestage in the festive menus. The Steamed Cod with Superior Soy Sauce and topped with Crispy Garlic was delicious although slightly overdone.

 

The Fried Golden Tiger Prawns with Butter, Salted Egg & Chicken Floss proved on-point; the rich savoury sauce a nice complement to the crustaceans’ natural sweetness. In Cantonese, the word ‘har’ (prawn) - a homonym for laughter - means eating prawns is believed to evoke happy laughter.

Hearty and comforting, the little parcels of Steamed Glutinous Rice with Salted Egg wrapped in Lotus Leaf will ensure no diners leave the table dissatisfied.

As expected, sweet dessert broth such as Warm Lily Bulb in Longan Syrup & Lotus Seeds rounded up the celebratory meal. One of the set menus also showcased dainty morsels of Nian Gao & Snow Skin Pumpkin.

For reservations at Toh Yuen restaurant, call tel: 03-7955 9122, WhatsApp +6016 216 0414 or visit: eatdrinkhilton.com                 Address: Hilton Petaling Jaya, Jalan Barat, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

#STAYHOME LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION WITH DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

 

Crunchy Jellyfish and Fresh Fruits Yee Sang (RM138 nett per full portion for 6-10 persons, RM68 nett per ½ portion for 2-4 persons) from The Emperor Chinese Restaurant, Dorsett Grand Subang is a uplifting way to stir our spirits for a #stayhomestaysafe celebration this Chinese New Year.

The hotel has other variants available: ‘Japanese’ style crispy fish skin with salmon or softshell crab and Korean pear; priced at RM188 nett per portion (6-10 persons) and RM68 nett per ½ portion (2-4 persons) and salmon and Korean pear too.

In view of current SOPs, the CNY Set Menu A or B, a 5-course set meal affordably priced at RM388 nett for 4 – 6 persons is ideal for small families like mine.  Menu A which was delivered to our doorstep by the Dorsett team featured a curtain-raiser of ‘Sichuan’ Hot and Sour Soup. 

Laden with strips of Sichuanese preserved vegetable (zhar choi) and chicken meat, the thick soup brimming with hot, sour and savoury accents primed our appetite for the other dishes.

Generous servings of plain white rice served as the plain but perfect canvas to capture the tantalising flavours from the Deep-fried Crispy Fish with ‘Thai’ Mango Salad Sauce. (Note: Only half of the fish is shown here)

Both the fish and sauce came in separate containers so the fish remained crispy when we poured the sauce onto it. Fans of Thai sauces will find this dish greatly appealing; the zingy chilli-mango sauce enticing you to eat extra helpings of rice.

Hearty umami flavour ruled the Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce, subtly sweetened by caramelised onions whilst the Deep-fried Crispy Chicken with Lemon Sauce proved a hit with anyone who enjoy fried stuff.

Kudos to The Emperor team for managing to retain the ‘just nice’ doneness of the Stir-fried Black Fungus with Seasonal Vegetables (we had baby bok choy).

Menu B (available for takeaway only) features Sweet Corn Soup with Minced Chicken, Oil Poached Grouper Fillet with Soya Sauce, Roasted Crispy Chicken with Thai Mango Salad Sauce, Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Crispy Oats and Stir-fried Seasonal Vegetable with Garlic, and Steamed rice. 

Should you wish to order takeaway a-la-carte options (enjoy 20% discount), irresistible temptations include Braised Duck with Dried Oyster, Sea Moss and Assorted Dried Seafood (RM230 nett); Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce (RM63 nett per order); Stewed Dried Oysters with Black Mushroom, Black Moss and Beancurd (RM108 nett per order), and Roasted Crispy Chicken (RM140 nett whole bird, RM76 nett ½ bird). 

For online orders, click here (https://dorsettbooking.com/malaysia/), WhatsApp +6016 2011 259 or email to  terazza.subang@dorsetthotels.com

HUAT MORE WITH CONCORDE HOTEL KL'S TANTALI-XIN'S TEMPTATIONS

Dining at home tops the bill this year with my family for the reunion on Chinese New Year eve. Mulling over viable options, the Treasure Pot ‘Poon Choy’ (RM468 nett for 6 persons) from Xin Cuisine, Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur has emerged as an alluring option.

A potful of 16 premium ingredients: Abalone, Dried Scallop, Dried Oyster, Pork Knuckle, Tiger Prawn, Fish Maw, Lotus Root, Yam, Radish, Roasted Chicken, Sea Moss, Mushroom, Broccoli, Chinese Cabbage, Beancurd Sheet and Beancurd Gluten, it makes a great main course for the family reunion meal.

We are delighted to know orders are accepted for Xin’s CNY Takeaway/Delivery packages starting from now until 26 February, 2021. Ensure abundant good fortune for the coming year with Yee Sang (RM88 nett – RM148 nett available in regular/large) in 3 variants: Fresh Mixed Fruits; Crispy Fish Skin & Jellyfish or Salmon & Snow Pear.

Derive greater value from the Abundance Set (RM588 nett for 6 persons) featuring Yee Sang with Crispy Fish Skin & Jellyfish, Treasure Pot, Waxed Meat and Steamed Nian Gao with Shredded Coconut or select your preferred dishes from the restaurant’s a la carte selection: Stewed Pork Knuckle with Sea Cucumber in Brown Sauce, Sautéed King Prawns with Garlic Honey Sauce, Signature Spare Ribs with Champagne Sauce, and Waxed Meat specialities among others.

Sweeten the celebration with Steamed Nian Gao with Shredded Coconut, Deep-fried Nian Gao Roulade filled with Golden Sweet Potato and Tricolor Crystal Brown Sugar Roulade to wrap things up on a high note.

> Pre-order 3 days before your desired collection date.

> For CNY Eve (February 11) orders, pick-up time is from 2 pm – 4 pm

> For takeaway/home delivery, kindly call tel: 03-2144 8750/012 399 5007. Order accepted from 10 am – 7 pm daily. Delivery fee applies.

LE MEI’S WASABI-SPIKED AND NUTTY MOONCAKES #FTW

The fleeting yet noticeably zingy presence of wasabi was inescapable the minute I bit into the wedge of Low Sugar White Lotus Paste with Wasabi and Pistachio Nuts Mooncake from Le Mei, Le Meridien Putrajaya.

I was hooked at first bite as the tantalizing taste had me returning for more. Since wasabi and pistachios aren’t the norm in mooncake-making, I applaud the chefs at Le Mei for daring to push the envelope when it comes to creating new variants of the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival confection.

The mooncake’s subtle sweetness also scored with me as did the smooth lotus-pistachio paste. Handcrafted by the Le Mei team, the signature mooncake is priced at RM33 each and needs to be ordered 3 days in advance.

Another nutty variant comes in the form of Pandan Paste with Hazelnut Mooncake (RM30 each). Again, the thin baked skin encasing the fragrant pandan-scented filling flecked with hazelnut bits was palate-pleasing. The mooncake also had a nice glossy shine to it.

To please purists who prefer the tried and tested, I’d recommend the White Lotus Paste with Single Egg Yolk Mooncake (RM33 each). The confection is on-point, ticking all the requisite boxes and should leave no room for complaint.

Two other flavours: Assorted Fruits and Nuts (RM38) and Mini Snow Skin with Raspberry and Cashew Nuts (RM20) are also available. The Signature Mooncakes of Le Mei have to be ordered 3 days ahead of your desired collection date.

Available until 1^st October, Le Meridien Putrajaya’s Mid-Autumn Festival gift box features a sturdy laminated gift box with a magnetic flap, clad in a mosaic of colours and rabbit motifs reflective of the celebratory Mid-Autumn Festival.

For more information, please call Le Meridien Putrajaya, tel: 03 8689 6888 or email: dining.lmputrajaya@lemeridien.com 

FROM MACAO TO KL GRAND DINNER SERIES

Award-winning Master Chefs Yap Poh Weng (below centre) and Chung Kuy Fai (right) are the leading men at The Oriental Group's Grand Dinner series, scheduled from 22 August to 8 September 2020.

Teaming up with Ruyi's Chef James Ho (left) for the opening night, both master chefs pulled out the stops to showcase their signature specialities for the evening. Using carefully selected superfood ingredients and their wealth of culinary experience, the dynamic duo expertly whipped up more than a menu of good Chinese food – they artfully merged an eclectic blend of traditional Chinese cooking techniques with premium quality items and subtle global influences.

Hailed as one of China’s Top 50 Celebrity Chefs for Food & Wine magazine, the Malaysian-born Chef Yap has chalked up a sterling career spanning three decades in luxury hotels and upmarket restaurants, covering Malaysia, Surabaya, Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Macao. His counterpart, Ipoh-born Chef Chung also boasts similar world-class credentials: having traversed some of the top kitchens from Tokyo to Shanghai, California’s Napa Valley to Macao.

Their Signature Appetisers Combination is a distinctive quintet featuring Pineapple, Mango, Pomelo & Crabmeat Tartare with Spicy Dressing & Caviar; BBQ Flaxseed Crispy Chicken; Organic Cherry Tomatoes with Sour Plum and Pickled Radish in Traditional Shanghainese Vinaigrette; Suzhou Style Crispy Eel; and Japanese Scallops with Sesame and Dressing Organic Spinach Rolls with Caviar.

Inspired by the idea of mango salsa, the chefs titillate our tastebuds with a tropical version: Pineapple, Mango, Pomelo & Crabmeat Tartare with Spicy Dressing and Caviar. Somewhat tart-tangy-hot, it helps to whet our appetite for the subsequent offerings.

Giving traditional sesame chicken an updated and healthier spin, Chef Yap’s BBQ Flaxseed Crispy Chicken wins instant plaudits around the table. Us Chinese are pragmatic people and the way to our hearts is definitely through our tummy!

Our palates have a bold wake-up call thanks to the sour-brininess of the Cherry Tomatoes with Sour Plum & Pickled Radish in traditional Shanghainese Vinaigrette. Luckily, it doesn’t affect our enjoyment of the exquisite Japanese Scallops with Sesame Dressing and Organic Baby Spinach Rolls with Caviar. We appreciate the dish’s delicate sweetness lightly punctuated by pinpricks of saltiness from the caviar.

Also on-point is the sesame seed-flecked, caramelized strips of Suzhou Style Crispy Eel. They’re incredibly addictive as once you try one, you’re compel to gobble up more unthinkingly. Slightly sweet and nutty on the outside before yielding to the soft, moreish flesh inside.

As a foodie, I never stop learning and discovering new food and ingredients. This year it’s the Double Boiled Roxburgh Anoectochilus & Black Garlic with Fresh Fish Maw Soup to leave us scrambling for more information. The smoky-sweet and slightly earthy broth is a result of two core ingredients: black garlic and a dried orchid root known as Roxburgh Anoectochilus – both selected for its medicinal properties and luxe up with smooth fish maw, dried scallop and village chicken. Let’s just say everything is good to the last drop.

A show-stopping main course of Poached Lobster with Chinese Wine quickly has us whipping out our smartphones to capture the impressive platter for posterity. Whiffs of the fragrant rose wine stimulate our senses as we savour the sumptuous lobster medallions.

On-point doneness makes the Steamed Ocean Garoupa with Guanxi Style Stuffed Japanese Beancurd Puffs & Luffa Gourd in Supreme Soy Sauce a joy to eat. The diverse spongy-softness of the beancurd puffs and the luffa’s soft, squishiness make interesting mouthfuls.

Instead of sticking to the tried and tested, the chefs proffer Crispy Stuffed Sea Cucumber with Hot & Sour Sauce. Stuffed with minced prawns, the plump piece of sea cucumber comes enveloped in a crisp batter crust. Complemented by a zingy hot and sour sauce, it’s another boundary-pushing dish to get Chinese food lovers talking.

Prior to dessert, we get to tangle with a generous serving of Shark’s Fin & Braised Meat Noodles with Chicken Lard Cracklings. Flavourful and springy to the bite, the eggy noodles are guaranteed to leave you replete albeit with enough tummy space for dessert.

Brace yourself for a triple treat as in addition to the salubrious Double Boiled Snow Lotus, Lotus Seeds & Pearl Seaweed with Osmanthus Sweet Broth, be sure to sample the sumptuous Black Thorn Durian Glutinous Rice Dumplings and Shanxi Red Dates Sweet Cake.

Not only does the sweet broth tickle the palate and senses with myriad textures, Malaysia’s highly sought-after, creamy black thorn durians also send us to seventh heaven as  gold-dusted charcoal powder glutinous rice dumplings in impossibly thin skins. Not to be outdone, slices of chewy Shanxi Red Dates Sweet Cakes – easily mistaken for layered agar-agar jelly – ensure the dinner finishes with a memorably sweet flourish.

Priced at RM288++ per person (min. 2 persons) or a table of RM2,288++ per table of 8 persons, the Grand Dinner at Oriental Group of Restaurants is available on:

August 25 & 29                 NOBLE BANQUET                     tel: 03 2145 8822

August 26 & Sept 4          ORIENTAL PAVILION             tel: 03 7956 9288

August 27                            THE HAN ROOM                         tel: 03 2284 8833

August 28 & Sept 8         NOBLE MANSION                      tel: 03 7932 3288

3 September                      ORIENTAL STAR                        tel: 03 9134 8488

5 September                       ORIENTAL TREASURE            tel: 03 2242 2382