ORGANIC VILLAGE CHICKEN AND BEST OF HONG KONG AT ZUAN YUAN

Free-range, organically raised village chicken is prized for its toothsome, leaner meat texture. This month, Zuan Yuan’s Executive Chinese Chef Tommy Choong Chan Hoo focuses on five different preparations to showcase this chook at its best eating quality.

The notable show-stealing Organic Village Chicken with Chinese Herbs (RM120 per bird) needs to be pre-ordered 24 hours in advance. Thoroughly suffused by the enticing nuances of various Chinese herbs used in its preparation, the fall-off-the-bone chicken is satisfyingly good. Not a single drop of the flavourful herbal broth is wasted either.

According to Chef Tommy, diners may enjoy the village chicken smoked, steamed with cordycep flowers, poached with dried scallop sauce and garden greens or roast with black truffle paste. The various preparations will be available until end October.

Long recognised as Asia’s "Gourmet Paradise" and "World's Fair of Food", Hong Kong holds a special place in Chef Tommy’s heart as the place where his culinary career took off. This month, he pays tribute to this bastion of Cantonese food with a special range of Hong Kong-style specialities.

His Pan Fried Scallop stuffed with Prawn Paste served with Superior Sauce encapsulates the refined spirit of Cantonese cooking perfectly. Lightly dressed with a lush, caramelised sauce, the sea-fresh sweetness of the scallops and prawns easily make this the ‘must have’ dish of the day.

Dried mandarin peel, dried prawns and spring onion are de rigeur when it comes to making fish balls in Hong Kong but for his speciality of Curry Fish Balls and Fish Maw “Hong Kong” Style in Claypot, the chef says he has tweaked the recipe to suit local tastebuds.

Served in a fragrant Indian-inspired curry gravy, the fishballs’ QQ springiness is delicious. Coupled with spongy pieces of fish maw, one can easily be induced to eat more than their fair share of rice.

Shiitake and oyster mushrooms are mixed with chopped onion, butter, milk and superior stock to form a rich stuffing for the Baked Assorted Mushrooms and Crab Meat with Cheese in Crab Shell. It’s an old-school appetiser when cheese was a novelty during the colonial era and the well-heeled preferred to devour crabs without getting their hands dirty.

The Crispy Roasted Duck stuffed with Yam Paste served with Sweet Sauce is a misnomer. In reality, Chef Tommy stuffed the roast duck between a layer of yam paste before deep-frying his creation. Served with drizzle of sweet bean sauce, the outer crust is deliciously crisp with wispy tendrils whilst the inner layer is the meaty part.

Priced between RM36 and RM48, the Best of Hong Kong selection is available for lunch (12noon to 2.30pm) and dinner (6pm to 10.30pm) daily.

For enquiries or reservations at Zuan Yuan, please call tel: 03 - 7681 1157 or email: zuanyuan@oneworldhotel.com.my. Address: One World Hotel, First Avenue, Bandar Utama City Centre, Selangor.

OVER THE MOON CELEBRATION WITH HONG KONG MEI-XIN MOONCAKES

When it comes to mooncakes, Hong Kong Mei-Xin (HKMX) has been a forerunner in the business since 1987. Personally, I never realise how different the brand’s Mid-Autumn selection is until I sampled some HKMX mooncakes several years ago.

When it comes to the timeless mooncake with lotus paste filling, I daresay the White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncakes with 2 Egg Yolks (RM173 per box of 4) from HKMX is incomparable. Packed in a gold metal tin box embossed with the silhouette of Chang Er against a full moon, this particular set of HKMX Mooncakes has been my preferred choice when it comes to personal gifting during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The creamy-nuttiness of its lotus seed paste is more pronounced at first bite. Combined with the muted savouriness of salted egg yolks, a wedge of HKMX mooncake will invariably whet the appetite for a second helping.

Coming in a close second is HKMX Lava Egg Yolk with White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake (RM179 per box of 8 pcs). This year, HKMX has unveiled a new rectangular box in maroon with gilt etchings on the lid. Smaller in size but big in flavour, the mooncake’s molten egg yolk core gives this trad treat a novel albeit appealing factor.

 

Of course, most HKMX fans will undoubtedly clamour for its award-winning Lava Custard Mooncakes (RM179 per box of 8 pcs). Todate, no other brand can rival this signature speciality of HKMX. You have to taste one personally to understand its distinctiveness.  

 

 

Ever mindful of its health-conscious customers, HKMX also has Low (Reduced) Sugar White Lotus Seed Paste with Pine Nuts Mooncakes (RM182 per box of 6 pcs). The subtle sweetness melds with the nice nuttiness of pine nuts to ensure health buffs can have their mooncake and eat it too.

Hong Kong Mei-Xin mooncakes are sold at Jaya Grocer, Ben’s Independent Grocer, Isetan KLCC, Urban Fresh, and AEON outlets. For information, call Nguan Seng (1980) Sdn Bhd, hp no: 016-335 6884.

TASTY THROWBACKS AT HONG KONG SHENG KEE DESSERT

Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert from Singapore is out to conquer the Klang Valley with the opening of its first concept restaurant at 1 Utama.

Opened in September, Hong Kong Sheng Kee Dessert woks up simple, popular HK-style

dishes and dessert in a relaxing and contemporary ambience that's reinterpreted from Hong Kong’s char chan teng (tea shops). The contemporary ambience features iconic images of the Fragrant Harbour and a flag-inspired art piece in a cosy premise that's separated from the mall’s general foot traffic by industrial-style metal gates.

Novel drinks such as Lychee Peppermint (pix above, RM5.90), Rainbow Passion Fruit with Soursop and Osmanthus Lime with Honey Pearl are available to slake one's thirst. Light and fruity, they should go down a real treat in our tropical weather.

 

We can vouch for the cool concoctions of Mango Freeze with Honey Pearls (RM7.90) and Passion Fruit Freeze with Honey Pearls (RM7.90) which prove delightful after a heavy meal.

 

It would be a great idea to nibble on the house appetiser of Crispy Salmon Skin with Pork Floss (RM5.90) while you peruse the menu. Tufts of briny pork floss atop these deep-fried morsels make them a moreish treat.

I have always love HK-style polo buns and the Char Siu Snowy Buns (RM6.90) at Sheng Kee are similar to them but slightly better in my opinion. Never mind that they're a dead ringer for those famous ones from a certain Michelin-star HK dim sum resto. It was love at first bite when I sampled the crumbly crust of Sheng Kee's subtly sweet buns that gave way to bites of savoury, sticky char siew filling. The buns are worth returning for in my books.

The wantan meen at Sheng Kee is another pleasant surprise as the chewy egg noodles are close to the ones we had devoured on our recent HK trip. My choice would be the SK Signature Combination Noodle (RM16.90) that comes with honey glazed char siew, plump prawn and pork filled wontons and sui kow dumplings.

You can have the egg noodles in soup or dry. True to HK-style, a light flavourful sauce doused the chewy threads in place of local dark soya sauce. Interestingly, things are a-changing on the isle as we discovered certain noodle shops have started to drizzle their wantan meen with a little dark soya sauce (influenced by us perhaps?)...

When it comes to classic comfort food, nothing beats the traditional dish of Braised Pork Belly with Mui Choy Rice (RM13.90). This simple homely dish is sure to appeal to all ages as the braised pieces of streaky pork belly paired with crunchy mui choy (preserved mustard leaves) lend big, deep-seated sweetish-salty flavours to plain white rice.

For light eaters who want something hearty in manageable portions, SK's dim sum selection should fit the bill. Worthy recommendations include Siew Mai (RM5.90), Honey Char Siew Pau (RM4.90) and Yolky Custard Buns (RM5.90).

 Delectable mouthfuls of minced pork and prawns make these Siew Mai superbly sublime

 

Piping hot fluffiness...enjoy notable sweet-savoury nuances of SK's Char Siew Pau

 Be careful of the molten centre of runny yolk-based custard when you bite into the scrumptiously soft Yolky Custard Buns

Although I'm not partial to Carrot Cake (RM5.90) or Zha Jiang Cheong Fun (RM6.90), both these offerings are more than up to scratch. Shredded radish (it's really radish instead of carrot) is discernible in the fried carrot cake and as an added bonus, we found the slabs generously studded with bits of lap cheong (Chinese sausage). 

Instead of the usual char siew or prawn filled cheong fun (flat rice rolls), SK's version is adorned with robust minced pork topping and light soya sauce - an ingenious melding of regional Chinese and Hong Kong influences.

The Oriental Chicken Sausage Rice & Mushroom (RM13.90) can be likened to a healthier version of loh mai kai (steamed glutinous rice with the same combo of ingredients). Served with some leafy greens, it is a hearty meal that would satisfy serious carb lovers. Somehow it also reminded us of the perennial CNY fave of lap mei farn (waxed meat rice).

Those who yearn for some beefy goodness would do well to order the HK Braised Beef & Tendon Hor Fun (RM13.90) - a yummy pairing of melt-in-the-mouth braised beef and tendon with silky Ipoh hor fun. Personally, I find the overall taste of this dish too subtle for my liking as the braised brisket which I had in HK had much more pronounced accents. Anyway, give this offering a whirl and decide for yourself as there's no hard and fast rule where taste is concerned.

Dessert is very much part and parcel of the HK food scene and SK's reputation and success are built on these sweet treats. The headliners are SK Mango Pomelo Sago (RM8.90) and Yuan Yang Paste (RM6.90) - two palate-pleasing creations that promise not to leave you with a sugary overdose.

Diced Filipina mangoes, plump juicy pomelo sacs and translucent sago pearls grace the first sunny-yellow broth, making it a sumptuous option to wrap up one's meal on an ethereally sweet note.

Nutty, creamy profiles dominate in the second yin-yang broth. If you aren't a fan of almond milk or pudding, this may not float your boat but I daresay the black sesame puree helps to temper that inherent aniseed-like overtone a little.

Check out HONG KONG SHENG KEE DESSERT at Lot LG311B, Lower Ground Floor (New Wing), 1-Utama Shopping Centre, Lebuh Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Open daily from 10 am to 10 pm.