SPLENDID MOONCAKES FROM DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

Handcrafted by resident chefs of The Emperor restaurant, both baked and snowskin mooncakes make perfect gifts this Mid-Autumn Festival.

I like the design simplicity of the Celestial Gift Set. Clad in red with the hotel name hot stamped in gold, each gift box can hold a set of four mooncakes.

TBH, these baked variants comprising White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM46), Pandan Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM46), Pure Red Bean Paste (RM38) and Six Coarse Grains Paste (RM46) exceeded my expectations.

Their nice, glossy sheen once I cut into them bears testament to good ‘yau sui’, that slick slight oiliness all notable mooncakes is judged by. According to experienced Chinese chefs, it’s a sign of well-made mooncakes with ample time to rest post-baking, resulting in their deliciousness.

Proof of that is truly in the eating. The red bean paste blows me away with its just-right sweetness. Between the pandan-flavoured and regular white lotus paste, I find the former coming up trumps thanks to its enticing aroma and appealing vanilla-like flavour.

Only the nutty variant seems a little dry and underwhelming. Overall, I’d recommend mooncakes from The Emperor as gifts this Mid-Autumn Festival. They are Halal-certified too.
 
To order Dorsett Grand Subang’s mooncakes, call The Emperor restaurant, tel: 03-5031 6060 ext 1912 or email: bookfnb.subang@dorsetthotels.com

OVER THE MOON WITH ORIENTAL GROUP’S MOONCAKES

Moonlight and love converge this Mid-Autumn Festival when you celebrate with delicious mooncakes from Oriental Group of Restaurants.

A vibrant red oblong gift box adorned with pretty blossoms and a pair of birds can be filled with your choice of baked or snowskin mooncakes from the restaurant group.

My favourite is the old-school Baked Mixed Nuts (RM30) mooncake. Packed with almonds, sesame seeds, walnuts, sunflower and melon seeds, the mooncake’s subtly sweet and nutty filling has a subtle whiff and taste of kaffir lime leaf too.

More unusual is the Black Sesame with White Lotus Snowskin (RM24) variant which boasts a rich nuttiness complemented by the delicate sweetness of white lotus.

 

Fans of classic mooncakes may prefer the buttery crumb texture of the Single Egg Yolk Shanghai Style (RM37) mooncake or the Baked Single Yolk with White Lotus Paste (RM34) mooncake.

To order Oriental Group’s mooncakes, kindly WhatsApp: 012 811 8812.

EXQUISITE, TIMELESS MOONCAKES FROM SHANGRI-LA KL

 

Available now until 17 September 2024, an exquisite range of timeless mooncakes is available from Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

My Blossom Bliss Gift Set in a pretty pink gift box contained a set of four baked mooncakes. The auspicious gift box of Snowskin Indulgence set came with 8 snowskin mooncakes.

Priced at RM288 for the latter, the 60g snow skin creations feature Musang King, Butterfly Pea Flower Skin with Coconut, Mango & Passion Fruit and Yuzu & Cheese variants.

Delicately crafted, you’d know the luscious Musang King filling from the ripe aroma alone. Since I’m an avid durian fan, I adore the creamy richness enfolded within the delicate layer of mochi-like snow skin.

Light and fruity with refreshing tanginess denotes the Mango & Passion Fruit variant whilst the Yuzu & Cheese filling exuded a delightful pairing of citrusy and savoury accents. For a touch of local flavour, the subtly sweet Pea Flower Snowskin with Coconut filling proved enticingly on-point.

Purists may prefer the baked Red Bean Paste with 30-year Dried Tangerine Peel (RM41). This was one of my favourites too as the dried tangerine peel imbued the red bean paste mooncake with a mellow sweet tangerine nuance.

The Black Truffle Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM46) turned out to be a dark horse; a thoroughbred creation that romped home a winner. Unconventional but I found myself liking how the musky-earthy truffle aroma was amplified by the savoury yolk.

Likewise, the distinctly heady floral scent of osmanthus was noticeable when I sampled the Osmanthus Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM42) mooncake. Another outstanding pairing worth savouring if you’re looking for a new twist to old-school baked mooncakes.

Of course, you can always return to classic Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Yolk (RM42) if you’re a stickler for tradition. The sweetness level is just nice with the jade-green filling exuding a nice vanilla-like aroma.

The Blossom Bliss or Snowskin Indulgence gift sets from Shangri-La KL will make impressive gifts for family and friends to celebrate this Mid-Autumn Festival.

For more information, call Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03 2786 2378 or email: festive.KL@shangri-la.com

 

THE ORIENTAL GROUP'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MENU

A special 8-course celebratory menu to mark The Oriental Group of Restaurants 25^th Anniversary takes centrestage this year. Curated by the Group’s veteran master chefs featuring best-selling dishes and some ‘off menu’ items, the milestone menu showcases clean tasting yet well-balanced and intensely flavoured Cantonese cuisine. The different culinary sections are also represented, allowing each chef to demonstrate their skills and prowess.

Headed by Executive Chef Wong Ching Leong of Noble House, the other team members include Dim Sum Chef Mak Tin Woi of Oriental Pavilion, Chef Choong Yaw Loong and Sous Chef Yam Yoon Loy of Noble Mansion and BBQ Chef Wai Kok Cheng of Oriental Treasure. Collectively they had 88 years of service and more than 150 years of kitchen experience.

Priced at RM3,888 per table of 10 persons, the 8-course menu opened with a festive curtain-raiser of Soft Shell Crab and Crispy Enoki Mushroom Fruit and Vege Salad. Reminiscent of yee sang, the assorted vegetable and fruit julienne tossed with roasted sesame and wasabi mayo dressing paved the way for more of the chefs’ culinary arsenal.

Using bird’s nest for creating dessert is normal but to incorporate the pricey ingredient into a savoury dish makes it distinctive. The clear, delicately flavoured broth of the Double Boiled Superior Bird’s Nest Stuffed in Chicken alone was superb. Bamboo pith and ginkgo lent textural interest whilst dried scallops accentuated the soup with a touch of umami.

Crisp meets supple-soft texture in the show-stopping Deluxe Roast Suckling Pig Platter. 

Chef Wai’s BBQ expertise shines through the shiny, crackling skin which is placed on top of meltingly tender Iberico pork slice wrapped around goose liver sausage and spring onion. Slicked with char siew sauce, the delectable morsel was paired with soft mantou to complete the sublime speciality.

For the Braised Whole 5 head Abalone with Dried Seafood in Whole Lotus Root, we were told the huge lotus root was sourced from Hebei. Hollowed out at the centre, the lotus root is then braised for 4-5 hours and soaked overnight. Steamed until cooked, it’s filled with the braised abalones, dried scallops and black mushrooms.

We love the dish’s lip-sticking sauce, redolent with umami-rich taste of the filling which had thoroughly seeped into the soft yet gently tender lotus root. The abalones’ toothsome chewiness stood out in pleasing contrast.

The dim sum element was represented by a dainty Taro Pear with Kurobuta Pork. It was agreeable although more of that delish pork filling would proffer better mouthfeel.

Anniversary celebration inevitably means noodles to denote longevity and Braised Ramen with King Prawn marked the occasion. The slippery smooth ramen played a coy supporting role, allowing the fresh sweetness of king prawn to shine. Personally, I reckon springier sang meen works better for this dish but the chefs call the shot...

 

I went nuts over the lightly sweetened Almond Cream with Egg White. A classic dessert blending Chinese sweet and bitter almonds (nam hung, pak hung) or apricot kernels, some diners may find the natural nutty-floral scent offensive but I like it. Suffice to say I lapped up every drop and my partner’s portion too.

Between the Jade Corn Dessert and Green Tea Mochi, the latter fared better. The red bean-studded green tea cream filling was a nice surprise as we bit into the thin chewy skin. I didn’t care much for the former – it was too insipid for such a grand occasion.

The Grand Dinner dates from 8 to 28 August 2024 will be held at different restaurants under The Oriental Group. However, the special a la carte and set menus will be available until end September for diners who couldn’t make it to the Grand Dinners.

For more information and reservations, contact The Oriental Group, visit: https://www.orientalrestaurants.com.my/