Trust Chinese cuisine supremo and Group Executive
Chef of The Oriental Group of Restaurants Justin Hor to make a big splash for the
arrival of the Rat Year...his Alaskan Spider Crab Vegetables Yee Sang (RM198++
medium, RM298++ large) is an unmatched festive dish to rule them all.
Available at all restaurants under the Oriental Group except Ruyi & Lyn,
the fresh melange of shredded green apple, carrot, cucumber, purple cabbage, spring
onion, coriander, raisins, crushed peanuts and dried mandarin peel is luxed up with
freshly extracted and shredded Alaskan spider crab meat. Lightly dressed with
the chef’s specially concocted plum sauce, the yee sang easily ranks as one of the
best in town.
Chef Justin agrees the inclusion of Alaskan spider
crab is a tad indulgent but he surmises such an extravagant culinary treat
befits a major occasion like Chinese New Year when kith and kin gather around a
good meal.
Diners welcoming the Rat Year at Oriental
Pavilion, Noble Mansion and Noble House can look forward to a familiar
favourite and the much sought-after speciality of Whole Pork Trotter with Hokkaido
XL Dried Scallops, Japanese Mushrooms and Quail Eggs (RM488++ per portion).
Every ringgit spent is worth your while as Chef
Justin and his team have devoted much time and effort into the dish’s
painstaking preparation; to ensure the resultant pork trotter is sublimely
fall-of-the-bone tender, every bite of the pork, skin and gelatinous bits
thoroughly suffused with rich, savoury flavours augmented by black sea moss and
XL dried scallops. Both the tau
kan (compressed layers of beancurd skin) and plump mushrooms ooze with the
unctuous braising sauce, amplifying their deliciousness.
Crazy about crabs? Then you’d love the speciality
of Crabs Prepared Two Ways: Deep Fried Crab Claws with Red Vinegar and Crab
Meat with Scrambled Egg in Lettuce Wraps (RM238++ per portion for 4 persons,
available at The Ming Room and Noble House).
It’s a dream dish for diners and crab lovers who
prefer not to get their hands dirty. The first comprises a sweet chunk of crab
meat encased in deep-fried prawn paste wrapped atop a crab leg similar to a
lollipop for easy eating. We find the whole morsel so delectably on-point when
it’s dipped into some red vinegar for a subtle shot of acidity.
For smoother and creamier mouth feel, the latter
consists of hand-extracted crab meat cooked gently with cream, egg white and a
dash of vinegar, scooped into fresh iceberg lettuce; evocative of an old-school
banquet dish of scrambled egg with shark’s fin.
Frolic in glorious abundance this CNY with
Steamed Deep Sea Garoupa with Fresh Abalones and Prawn Medallions in Casserole
Basket (RM388++ per portion for 8 persons), a house speciality of the Oriental
Star restaurant. The fish is sweet with the right doneness, the prawns springy
and succulent, and the abalones boast a nice garlicky punch.
Bottarga or salted dried mullet roe – a pricey
delicacy favoured by Taiwanese gourmands – is the ingredient of choice to elevate
the Crystal Prawns with Gold Caviar Sauce (RM128++ per portion).
Combined with lemon juice and red chilli oil, the
mildly savoury sauce coating the prawns bestow a distinct richness similar to
cheese. Break the giant beancurd bowl into shards to complement the prawns for
a refined epicurean treat. This speciality is available at all Oriental Group
restaurants except for Seafood World, Ruyi and Yu.
Tender French beans help to lighten up the
ubiquitous Steamed Rice with Waxed Meat Hakka Style (RM78++ medium, RM128++
large). Available at all Oriental Group restaurants except for Seafood World,
Ruyi and Yu, this festive favourite still has its die-hard fans who never tire
of sampling the fragrant rice with slices of waxed liver and pork sausages in
addition to waxed meat.
The last hurrah is as auspicious as the dessert
name: Golden Pudding with Bird’s Nest in Whole Orange (RM23++ each). Served in hollowed-out
orange ‘bowls’, we rave over the delightful orange jelly topped with bird’s nest.
Of course, every CNY meal calls for a serving of
nin kou (sweet glutinous rice cake). At the Oriental group of restaurants except
for Seafood World, Ruyi and Yu, it’s in the form of dainty Deep Fried Sesame
Balls with Nin Kou (RM5++ per pc) to round up the celebratory feast.
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