AFTERNOON TEA APPEAL AT PALM COURT, E&O HOTEL PENANG

Tea time at the new Palm Court of Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O) Penang harks back to the halcyon days when well-heeled ladies, lovey-dovey couples and even an immaculately garbed gentleman or two gather for a cuppa and light refreshments prior to dinner.

Named after the legendary Palm Court Bar that used to operate below the echo dome in the lobby during the Sarkies Brothers’ era, the new Palm Court retains its charming old world ambience: overstuffed sofa lounges, wingback chairs, ottomans and coffee tables intersperse with starched white tableclothed tables make it a welcoming haven to escape the tropical weather.

 

In the old days, bachelors, planters, traders and sailors converge at the Palm Court for their glass of stengah (equal measures of whisky and soda water, served over ice), today it's business and leisure travellers, close girlfriends and small families who are drawn to the resto's a la carte assortment of Indian and Malay inspired dishes, Chinese noodles and casual international favourites for lunch or dinner.

The Afternoon Tea (RM88 nett per person) is a favourite mainstay here, featuring triple-tier stands of finger sandwiches and dainty pastries. For a touch of luxe, the Champagne English Afternoon Tea is RM168 nett per person inclusive of 1 glass of champagne. 

Out of the 13 varieties of tea, we selected Orange Passionfruit, Japanese Sencha and Organic Earl Grey to accompany our selection of savoury and sweet temptations.

From the appealing assortment of sandwiches presented, it was obvious much thought has gone into the whole repertoire. Upping the ante on the plain ol’ cucumber sandwich, the Palm Court team proffered Cucumber, Dill and Cream Cheese Pullman Sandwich, Smoked Salmon Tartare Wholemeal Finger Sandwich, Marinated Tuna Flake Sandwich, Crab Meat Slaw Sandwich, Corn Fed Chicken Ragout Gougères (cheese choux pastry), Truffle Scented Egg on Poppy Seed Butter Bun, and Organic Spinach Quiche to set the ball rolling.

Being waited on hand and foot, luxuriating in the hallowed setting made the experience thoroughly enjoyable. After the on-point savoury appetite pleasers, we made short work of the Raisin and Plain Scones with clotted cream, house-made strawberry jam and for a touch of the tropics, pineapple jam.

By the time we were ready to hit on the Red Velvet, Opera Cake and Fruit Cake, we had struggled a little. There were still Fruit Tartlets and Millefeuille to contend with but alas, it was a lost cause as having downed copious cups of our tea, we were hard pressed to make short work of everything. Overall, it was an exceptional afternoon to remember.

Note: Review conducted prior to Malaysia's Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO). The English Afternoon Tea is now available every Saturday & Sunday from 3pm to 5pm at Palm Court, E & O Hotel Penang.  Limited seats available; to reserve click: http://bit.ly/PalmCourtBooking

HEART 2 HEART CHARI-TEA

A charity afternoon hi-tea by women in support of a women’s cause featuring a fashion show by iKARRTiNi and Ms World Malaysia 2019 Alexis Sue-Ann will be held on 28 March 2020 at Dorsett Kuala Lumpur.

Scheduled to be held in conjunction with International Women’s Day and in support of Visit Malaysia Year 2020, DYAM Raja Puan Muda Perak Tunku Soraya Halim is expected to grace the charity event as Guest of Honour.

The one-day only charity fashion show not only aims to channel part of the event proceeds to Orphan Care Foundation – a transit home for abandoned babies, underprivileged children and pregnant women, it also a platform to promote the rich heritage of Malaysian batik and the fashion-forward designs by Kartini Illias under her homegrown label, iKARRTiNi.

Founded in 1990, iKARRTiNi has since gained recognition for its fashion-forward batik designs. Designer Kartini Illias believes one must design to suit the market when using traditional fabrics, in order to stay relevant in the fashion industry. Besides the 2015 Expo Milano and 2016  Rome Fashion Week, Kartini has showcased her design collection at the 2014 Modest Fashion Show by Haute Arabia in London.  She also designed the National Costume for Ms World Malaysia 2019 Alexis Sue-Ann for the Ms World Finals 2019.

Ms World Malaysia 2019 Alexis Sue-Ann will be leading the catwalk, her show of support for Orphan Care Foundation; part of her ‘Beauty with A Purpose’ advocacy for the recently concluded Ms World Finals 2019 held in London last December.

Slated for Saturday, 28 March @3 pm at Alamanda Room of Dorsett Kuala Lumpur, invitation to the event is by donation of RM188 nett per person. Guests will receive door gifts by L’Oreal Professionel, L’Estetica Facial Bar and BYCHIÈN, a makeup artist agency established in 2019.

Those who are interested to support this worthy cause may contact Mel T@Dorsett Kuala Lumpur, tel: 016 201 1107, email:  events.kualalumpur@dorsetthotels.com OR call Kattie Hoo, hp no: 016 201 1340.

SUMPTUOUS SURPRISES JUST FROM YU

Mothers are always the finickiest of eaters. Especially if they love food. I was relieved when we had lunch at YU this Mother’s Day; my Mum had a gala time savouring the dim sum specialities. Despite the restaurant being full, the attentive service met and exceeded her expectations.

Next time, I shall bring Mum back to sample YU’s Dim Sum Hi Tea (RM98++ for 2 persons). Available on weekdays (excluding Public Holidays) from 2pm-4pm, the leisurely yum cha session includes two drinks: a choice of soft drink, juice, coffee or tea. For those with deep pockets, luxe it up with a chilled bottle of Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut Champagne (RM350++).

Taking a leaf from the English afternoon tea concept, YU proffers a carefully curated range of dim sum comprising a basket of dainty steamed morsels, followed by a two-tier stand laden with baked, pan-fried and deep-fried savoury and sweet temptations.

 

The overall ensemble forms a marvellously satisfying and substantial meal; nice to look at and even more delicious on the palate. Painstakingly handcrafted, we find each of the delicate creations on-point; generously stuffed with chunky prawns and chicken to form Siew Mai with Abalone, Sakura Prawn Dumpling, Truffle Seafood Dumpling, Unagi Dumpling, a goldfish-like Prawn Dumpling and Beancurd Promegranate.

If possible, refrain from dunking the scrumptious dim sum in the sweet bean and chilli dips provided. Savour each morsel on its own first, to appreciate the pure, unadulterated flavours at first bite. Then subsequent mouthfuls may be enliven with YU’s housemade dips: yellow pepper, chilli oil, Chinese ginger sauce (a blend of basil, coriander and ginger), Mongolian sauce (chilli & garlic) and Thai chilli sauce.

Interestingly, the deep-fried/baked retinue piques our interest with inventive specialities such as Sweet Chilli Crab in Toasted Bao, Golden Foie Gras Puff and Crispy Taro Spring Roll. The culinary team deserves plaudits for their ingenuity in intepreting familiar fare like chilli crab and foie gras into new gastronomic delights.

Pickled radish rosette...one of the pretty amuse bouche creations from YU

More sensuous offerings to tickle the tastebuds include feather-light and delectable Wagyu Puff, whimsical and flaky puffs of Crispy Swans with smoked duck filling, crispy Kataifi Mango Prawn Roll, Fried Prawn Dumpling and BBQ Chicken Bun.

Even simple yet clever touches can be game-chaging. YU’s signature White Lotus Salted Egg Yolk Hedgehog Bun is a fine example — the cute little ‘hedgehog’ shaped bun has become a ‘must have’ item and you won’t be surprised. Cuteness factor aside, the bun itself is a bona fide sumptuous treat; texturally and taste-wise. Ditton for the slightly chewy Playboy Lava Carrot with its yummy, molten peanut filling.

Personally, I’m partial to the bewitchingly dark Gula Melaka Honeycomb Cake and cottony-soft HK Thousand Layer Cake. Charcoal Custard Flowy Bun, Portuguese Egg Tart and Bird’s Nest Lemongrass Infusion with Basil Seeds & Mixed Fruits complete the Dim Sum Hi-Tea Set. We reckon the Dim Sum Hi-Tea Set is a fabulous introduction to YU’s extensive a la carte Dim Sum selection (priced from RM8 upwards per serving).

Delving into the restaurant’s main menu, Corporate Executive Chef James Ho from Ruyi (sister restaurant of YU) proves he has several culinary aces in store at this mdoern, pork-free Chinese resto.

Top of the eats list at YU is Steamin’ Crabilicious (RM108++ per portion). The impressive dish of steamed whole crab with roe perched on salted fish and chicken paté, and glutinous rice tastes as good as it looks. Take your time to sample this house speciality...let the faint, pleasing aroma of Chinese wine stimulate your senses before you dig in.

Every mouthful is divinely pleasurable, from the fresh, clear sweetness of crabmeat to the slick, fine texture of the chicken paté (it’s akin to a chicken patty subtly imbued with the savoury brininess of salted fish) and richly flavoured glutinous rice.

 

Another show-stopper here is Crackling Wagyu Hor Fun — deep-fried crispy noodles topped with sautéed wagyu beef, ginger and spring onion (RM68/portion). What sets this noodles dish apart is the full-bodied, lustrous and golden yellow sauce that complements it.

Blended from chicken stock, carrot and pumpkin juice, sesame oil & fried shallot oil, the chef reveals some Shao Xing wine is added last to give the sauce appetising aroma and deeper nuance.

Crispy conpoy and puffed rice crispies bestow the Imperial Lobak (RM28), pan fried radish cake, with layers of varying textures. Scrambled duck egg enriched the offering further, giving the smoky dish, an enticingly scrumptious finish.

For a luxuriously regal treat, you won’t go remiss with The Prince & The Pauper (RM48++, minimum order 2 pcs) — Seared Foie Gras with Caramelised Watermelon. A fabulous go-to house special when you’re out to impress or indulge.

Chef Ho is also bold enough to reintepret bak-kut-teh by deconstructing the traditional dish into Chick-U-Tei (RM38++ per person). The results are surprisingly agreeable even to a purist like moi; the resultant taste profile boasts subtler dimensions with multiple textural interplay. 

His imaginative albeit more upmarket presentation is highly laudable: the herbal broth with a whole chicken thigh and drumstick is served in a bowl while an elogated platter showcases a whole abalone with crispy mushroom, a pair of petite rice rolls with shiitake, a quail egg and garlic, and pieces of deep-fried cruller and beancurd puffs.

 

To fulfill your green quota, we’d recommend Empress Tien Chi (RM48 per portion). Known as tien chi in Mandarin or teen chut in Cantonese, the waxy, mildly bitter green leaves of panax notoginseng are poached with barley, fish maw, conpoy and wolfberries. A nice, comforting way of relishing this nutritious greens. In TCM, the leaves are prized for their efficacy in lowering blood sugar level, replenishing blood vessels and expediting wound-healing.

For reservations, call YU, tel: 03-2202 2602. Address: G-243, Riverview Entrance, Ground Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, KL. Business hours: Daily 11am – 4pm for lunch and dim sum, 6pm - 1030pm dinner.