BEST OF BEIJING'S CANTONESE FARE AT TOH YUEN

 

Meet guest chef Vincent Zhang from Hilton Beijing whose mettle in whipping up Beijing's finest Cantonese cuisine takes centrestage at Toh Yuen, Hilton Petaling Jaya from now until 30 April 2017. 

Chef Zhang artfully fuses the traditional and contemporary, resulting in Beijing fare with distinct Cantonese influences. According to the youthful Zhang, Beijing folks enjoy whetting their appetite with a wide assortment of cold appetisers and this is evident from the starters he has selected for us, to appeal to the Malaysian palate.

We were greatly tickled by the show-stealing khou sui ji (口水鸡); its tongue-in-cheek tag means drool-worthy chicken. Indeed, the succulent pieces of Poached Chicken with Spicy Sauce certainly ruled the roost once we had a sampling. 

Smothered in fiery-red chilli oil, the chook's deliciousness was discernible. Also the gritty chilli on top wasn't tongue-searing hot as we had anticipated but faintly smoky-sweet. 

Served on crushed ice, the paper-thin strips of Fruit Juice Infused Bitter Melon Salad proved on-point too. If you balk at eating this bitter vegetable, I urge you to try it. Instead of the usual astringent bitterness, each crunchy strip tasted mildly fruity as the chef has infused the bitter melon strips with guava juice (sometimes apple juice is used).

Taking a leaf from a classic 300 year-old Chinese appetiser recipe, Zhang reinterpreted Marinated Chinese Cabbage with Mustard his way. The 1.5" Chinese cabbage rolls which resembled siew mai dumplings were pliantly soft, zapping the tastebuds with bright mustardy zinginess once we bit into them.

The Jellyfish Flower in Aged Vinegar with Leek and Ginger Dressing served up a flourish of toothsome crunchiness and piquant flavours. We relished every mouthful of this simple, no-frills offering.

Both the Double Boiled Black Chicken Soup with American Ginseng, Goji Berries & Red Dates and 'Surfing' Fine Slices of Whole Live Abalone with Kombu Seaweed in Superior Broth stayed true to the Cantonese ching theem (clear and sweet) approach. Suffice to say, the delicate, unadulterated accents of the two soups warmed our hearts at first sip.

A hodge-podge of aromatics had gone into marinating the cod overnight before it was deftly transformed by Zhang into Beijing Famous Pan Fried Cod with Mustard Mayo. Paired with plump asparagus spears and a smear of palate-prickling wasabi mayo, this fish exuded such winsome panache we swiftly wiped everything clean.

Zhang then raised the bar with Beef Fillet with Golden Garlic Crisps, a signature dish at Hilton Beijing. Laden with enticing aroma and nuance from golden brown confetti of garlic crisps, the meat's scrumptious mouthfeel invariably scored top marks.

Sha jiang or sand ginger (Kaempferia galanga) was integral to the chef's marinade for the delectable Crispy Roast Chicken with Salt & Pepper, lending muted camphorous peppery hints to the perennial crowd-pleaser. In fact, the crisp skin and juicy, moist flesh made the side dip of chilli sauce almost redundant.

Equal parts of egg and bean milk went into the making of the yellowish Beancurd with Seared Foie Gras, Scallops & Mushroom Sauce. Never mind its amusing Scotch Brite appearance, the eggy beancurd topped with chopped spinach worked like a charm. The beancurd's light sponginess was a match made in culinary heaven with the attendant ingredients.

Ethereally soft and bouncy textures converged with delicately sweet and clear seafood accents in the dish of Prawn Fritters with Asparagus, Pumpkin & Lily Bulbs; an admirable testament of the chef's flair for his craft.

He even presented a Chinese fusion of Taiwan's famed 'three cup' chicken speciality, resulting in Cantonese Stir-fried Chicken with Trio of Sauces. Whilst basil plays an assertive role in the Taiwanese version, the convergence of savoury-sweet-herbaceous nuances was no less voluptuous on the palate. Garlic, ginger and shallot also added a tinge of warm spiciness.

Mindful of our hot, tropical weather, Zhang proffers Hot Green Bean & Mandarin Peel Broth as one of the dessert options. Known for its cooling property, the green bean purée was pleasantly smooth and slightly unctuous.

Another cooling dessert broth which should prove popular is Snow Pear with Red Dates & Sweet White Fungus, served hot or cold. A timeless not too sweet treat that's both nutritious and wholesome after a hearty meal.

Dishes for the Beijing's Finest Cantonese Cuisine by Chef Vincent Zhang are priced from RM35 onwards. 

For reservations, call Toh Yuen, tel: 03-7955 9122 extn. 4073/74 or check www.zestpj.com for more details.

MOONCAKE MEDLEY FROM TAO CHINESE CUISINE

 

Mooncake lovers will see red this year at Tao Chinese Cuisine with Dim Sum Chef Lo Tian Sion proffering his Scarlet Baked Snow Skin with Pandan Salted Egg Bean Paste and Beetroot Powder Mooncake (RM30 each). The unusual mooncake skin bears ripples of red and white; its unique taste stems from a combination of almond and bean flour. Inside the savoury-sweet filling comprises a blend of pandan and salted egg bean paste.

Also once you go black, you’d never go back after sampling the Bamboo Charcoal Skin Mooncake with Assorted Nut Paste (RM32 each). It’s definitely an alluring treat to go nuts over.

Available until 27 September 2015, Tao’s classic baked mooncakes in five exquisite variants (from RM28 each) starting with White Lotus Paste with Almonds and Single Salted Egg Yolk and six mini snow skin ones (from RM20 per piece) should furnish enough shine for the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

The mini snow skin range touts inventive flavours of Mini “Red Prawn” Durian with Egg Cream (Custard), Mini Chestnut Paste with Diced Hawthorn and Pineapple Paste, Mini Tiramisu Paste with Assorted Honey Nuts, and Mini Peanut Butter Snow Skin with Japanese Purple Potato Paste and Yam Omachi.

 

Other noteworthy choices to try include Pandan Coconut Floss Paste with Single Yolk or the Mini Yam and White Skin Mooncake with Pumpkin and Green Tea Paste.

Starting 28 September to 11 October, diners at Tao can look forward to the IHG Culinary Journey, a dining experience featuring Singapore celeb chef Sam Leong. Drawn from his personal culinary journey into Cantonese cuisine, Leong’s specialities are featured in two and three course menus (RM118 & RM138 per person respectively; minimum two persons per table).

Wasabi Prawns with Mango Salsa is the chosen teaser in this promotional menu. The sizeable crustacean is sweet and crunchy, spiked with hints of wasabi sharpness and balanced by some fruity salsa.

It primes the palate for the main course of Crispy Sea Garoupa in Superior Light Soy Sauce. Served with steamed rice, the fish is unbelievably crisp sans batter yet the flesh remains moist; its freshness clearly unadulterated. A table of 3-4 diners would probably get a whole fish to savour.

The next course consists of Sautéed Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce, Ginger and Spring Onion. Tender boneless thigh meat is used so you’d find the dish deftly executed although it may taste a tad salty if you eat it without rice.

Dessert - while pleasing enough - seems rather ho-hum as Chilled Mango Pudding isn’t something one writes home about.

Besides Sam Leong, six other guest chefs will be featured for the IHG Culinary Journey; each specialising in Thai, Australian, Japanese, Italian, Indian cuisine and bakery/patisserie for specific period all the way until 15 November 2015.

For reservation or more information, call Tao Chinese Cuisine, tel: 03-2782 6000.

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.