NEW DIM SUM & MOONCAKE GALORE FROM LE MEI

Prawns star at Le Mei's latest dim sum showcase as the chef's mainstay ingredient of choice since Le Mei is a halal eatery. The crustaceans' fresh sweetness and QQ springiness are evident at first bite when we sample new, stellar servings of Deep-fried Golden Almond coated Prawn Balls with Parmesan, Steamed Fresh Shrimp with Spinach Dumplings and Steamed Shrimp Dumplings with Black Pepper-seared Foie Gras.

Tiny baby abalones perch atop Steamed Scallop & Prawn Dumplings evoke a touch of luxe whilst chopped asparagus lend some crunch to the Sunday Dim Sum Buffet. These words are music to the ears, mouths and stomachs of every food-crazy Malaysians, record-breaking obesity figures be damned.

At Le Mei Chinese restaurant at Le Meridien Putrajaya, sensible diners are susceptible to gluttony on Sundays at the Dim Sum Buffet from 11 am to 2.30 pm. At RM138 nett per adult and RM69 nett per kid, Dim Sum Chef Yau Fong Peng and his team will roll out their arsenal of dainty morsels for diners to have their fill.

Inspired by the saying ‘once you go black, you’d never go back’, the unique Squid Ink Dumplings with Sea Urchin has distinct allure thanks to its uncommon jet-black, mildly chewy dumpling skin and the inclusion of sea urchin — an ingredient rarely used in dim sum-making but is beginning to wend its way into Chinese cuisine.

As with any Dim Sum Chef worth his salt, Chef Yau ensures his dim sum du jour teases and tickles the tastebuds with myriad textural combinations: ranging from the crisp and crunchy to unctuous-gelatinous alongside a varying palette of light, clear flavours contrasting with heavier deep-fried and baked variants.

 

Renditions of the abovementioned traits are found in Green Pea Phoenix Shrimp with Ebiko, Crispy Dried Cod with Fresh Prawns, and Black Sesame tipped ‘Cigar’ Rolls with Prawn & Fish Paste. Happily, we find the offerings on-point and tasty eaten on their own or dipped into the ubiquitous sweet bean paste or chilli sauce.

 

Giving diners more bang for their bucks, the supporting cast of delectable offerings includes Braised Fish Maw with Crab Meat Soup, Sautéed Asparagus with Prawns in XO Sauce and Stir-fried Noodles with Shredded Chicken in Supreme Soya Sauce.

Sweet ending comes in the form of Chilled Mango Purée with Vanilla Ice Cream, Pomelo and Sago.

Le Mei’s Dim Sum Buffer is available on Sundays from 11am to 2.30pm, while regular dim sum à la carte is served on weekdays from 12.30pm to 2.30pm.

EIGHT VARIETIES LEND SHINE TO MID-AUTUMN FEST

 

Dim Sum Chef Yau Fong Peng and his team will also have their hands full, preparing for an onslaught of mooncake orders for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival in September.

Handcrafted for sale from July 28 to September 24, this year will see the signature debut of Coffee and Raisin Mini Snowskin, made fresh daily. The coffee accent is subtle enough to make its presence felt, punctuated by the fruity sweetness of raisins.

 

Last year’s runaway best-seller, Premium Durian Mini Snowskin, makes a comeback whilst other fruity mooncake flavours include Jackfruit and Mango Mini Snowskin.

 

High protein flour, peanut oil, golden syrup, soda bicarbonate and alkaline water form the key ingredients for the baked mooncake skin. We had a first-hand look at how the confection was made and came away with greater appreciation for the efforts involved.

 

Green Tea with Cheese and Cashewnuts is the most inventive variant we sampled. Purists will like classic versions such as Assorted Fruits and Nuts or White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk and Melon Seeds.

 

 

New twists to old staples result in Pandan Lotus Paste with Hazelnut Mooncakes, White Lotus Paste with Walnuts and Black Sesame. In line with today’s healthier consumer demands, the mooncakes are less cloyingly sweet without sacrificing its lush rich taste.

 

Priced from RM18 upwards, the mooncakes can be purchased in an auspicious red gift box of four. Le Mei offers 20% discount to credit card holders of Maybank, Citibank, CIMB, Hong Leong Bank, HSBC and UOB.

For reservations at Le Mei, call tel: 03-8689 6888. Address: Lobby Level, Le Meridien Putrajaya. Website: www.lemeridien.com

BEATS & BRUNCH A HIT AT LAFITE

It is said music is food for the soul…perhaps that’s the inspiration behind Lafite’s newly launched Beats and Brunch promotion on every first Sunday of the month at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.

Live DJ music and free flow of champagne, wine and cocktails add to the merriment of in­dulging in a fine brunch prepared by Executive Chef Olivier Pistre. As we were among the privileged few to experience Beats & Brunch recently, we went away impressed with the lavish, all-you-can-eat affair.

Who wouldn’t be when chilled glasses of Veuve Clicquot welcome you upon entry into the marbled confines of Lafite? Gasps of delight and astonishment were heard as we gaped at the centrepiece: a glass column bearing a bountiful pile of freshly shucked Cadoret oys­ters and lemon wedges on ice, flanked by little bottles of Tabasco.

Brunch started off sumptuously with an amuse bouche of buckwheat seasoned cream and scrambled eggs flecked with smoked salmon, accompanied by oven-fresh breads (so good but we had to restrain ourselves from stuffing ourselves with them!). A reverential hush soon descended as everyone savoured the lush offering.

A cachet of sig­na­ture en­trees fit for a king left us awed. We soon made short work of our half of the Cana­dian lobster thermidor. Gratinated with a light creamy-cheesy stuffing, the natural sweetness of the slightly underdone lobster was so sublime. 

The decadence brunch also saw us feasting on a slab of baked apple stuffed with foie gras accompanied by a slice of chocolate-streaked brioche. I daresay even Marie Antoinette would kill for such wicked temptations: a spoonful of oscietra caviar, appetising cold cherry tomato wedges with buffalo mozzarella, chilled tomato gazpacho and green pea veloute.

While waiting for our main courses to arrive, we had our fill of ocean-fresh, succulent oysters. The bubbly also continued to flow uninterrupted – most of us soon lost count on how much we imbibed!

 

 

In keeping with the Beats & Brunch theme, we found the main courses listed on an upcycled vinyl record; a surprising and quirky touch. My choice of Seared Hokkaido Scallops with Artichoke Veloute and Cooked A La Barigoule (stewed in olive oil) was a classical French preparation, allowing the fresh, plump scallops to take centrestage.

 

However, the day's show-stopper in my book was the Grilled Octopus with Corn Cream, Japanese Black Garlic Puree and Provencal Sauce Vierge (French sauce of olive oil, lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, onion and garlic). Tender and faintly smoky, the chunk of octopus formed a delicious affinity with the various saucy components.

My dining companion's Slow­-cooked Lamb Shoul­der with Red Onion, Parmesan Gnocchi, Promegranate Gel and Lamb Jus was passable. It was unexpectedly eclipsed by the sumptuous Smoked Cohiba Grilled Wagyu Beef with Cauliflower Puree, Lemon Gel, Oyster & Seaweed Emusion.

Smoked a la minute, Chef Olivier Pistre's beefy creation stood out like a gem at first bite. Once I tried a mouthful of that, the remaining mains: Eggs Parfait Cooked at 63°C with Asparagus Ragout and Veloute Parmesan, and Seared Cabbilaud (Cod) simply paled by comparison.

 

Chocolate Surprise was a befitting dessert choice to bring the curtains down on our classy affair. The chocolate sphere looked plain and simple at first until hot chocolate sauce was poured onto it. As the chocolate melted, we discovered the ball also contained vanilla ice cream, fresh black­ber­ries and syphoned chocolate on a bed of Sable Breton (French shortbread) crumble.

Updated classic  dessert of French Rum Baba - sponge cake soaked in rum, syrup and orange, topped with Chan­tilly cream was a sight to behold and mildly boozy to taste. Decorated with tufts of pis­ta­chio sponge, fresh rasp­ber­ries and rasp­berry gel, it was a nice treat to enjoy prior to coffee.

There was also assorted eclairs with different fillings you can help yourself to before dessert arrived. We just couldn't manage to fit in more and decided to save our tummy space for the plated dessert.

Beats and Brunch at Lafite is priced at RM499 nett per person and will be taking place every first Sunday of the month, from 12noon to 3pm. A free flow of Veuve Clic­quot Cham­pagne, Ter­razas Reserva Chardon­nay, Ter­razas Reserva Mal­bec and Belvedere Spritz cock­tails is included. The next Beats & Brunch sessions will be on 1 October, 5 November and 3 December 2017.

 

For reservations, call LAFITE, tel: 03-2074 3900. Address: Lobby Level, Shangri-La Ho­tel Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sul­tan Is­mail, Kuala Lumpur.