SIZZLING GOOD TIME AT HANAM BBQ

 

Pork cuts cooked at tableside. Unlimited refills of kimchi, lettuce and marinated wild garlic leaves. Fluffy steamed egg and Korean tofu stew on the side. As far as first impressions go, Hanam BBQ knocked it out of the park from the get-go.

My belated birthday treat – an unforgettable, slap-up Korean bbq lunch – comprised a superb good-value set at RM175++. It comprised 360g pork belly, 180g collar butt and 150g jowl meat; ample enough to leave our party of four replete.

We also ordered Soft Tofu Stew (RM30++) and Steamed Egg with Flying Fish Roe (RM20++) in addition to a serving of rice (RM6++). 

Hats off to the service team for taking such meticulous care in grilling the three different pork cuts. It was nice not having to lift a finger.

Not only did they patiently grilled everything in an orderly manner, they even stacked up the pieces of cooked pork nicely. The tilted grill pan had a spout to drain off excess oil; that flowed into a paper cup.

When the kimchi was being cooked, we dug into the fluffy, piping hot steamed egg. So delicious! The two types of kimchi were so appetising we asked for repeat servings.

Two signature offerings stood out at Hanam BBQ: the tangy, refreshing condiment of Calamansabi (calamansi with wasabi) and tangy-sweet Myeonginamul (marinated wild garlic leaves) lent a distinctive dimension to the bbq pork.

All the meaty richness were offset by the pleasantly piquant Soft Tofu Stew. A moderately spicy broth made with gochujang and gochugaru, it had a hodge-podge of sliced cucumber, soft beancurd, oyster mushroom sliced leek and onion, and an egg to give textural substance.

It was fun, slurping up the stew as we took our time savouring the bbq pork pieces wrapped in fresh lettuce. Raw garlic slices, house gochuchang paste, calamansabi and sesame seed-flecked salt dip along with more cabbage as well as chives and lettuce kimchi enabled us to create multiple variations of our little lettuce and pork wraps.

 

Overall, it was a splendid experience as the restaurant’s efficient ventilation system ensured we didn’t leave imbued with bbq fumes.

HANAM BBQ, B-019, The Starling Mall, 6, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya Selangor

CREATIVITY RULES AT NEWLY REFRESHED TOH YUEN

Familiar yet fresh sums up the newly renovated Toh Yuen restaurant. Modern elegance with contemporary touches blends artfully with traditional accents of red and understated decorative elements to create a serene, sophisticated dining space.

 

With a seating capacity of 150 and four private dining rooms, Toh Yuen is ideal for casual and special outings.

Among the culinary gems awaiting diners is Roasted Peking Silver Hill London Duck (RM168 nett for half duck, RM268 nett whole duck). The Wagyu of ducks are meticulously roasted using a customised oven then carved tableside. Wrapped in delicate pancakes, the meltingly tender duck is accompanied by fresh cucumber strips, spring onions, and rich hoisin sauce; a delectable treat you’re unlikely to forget.

The remaining duck meat is then transformed into delicious Braised Shredded Duck with Ee Fu Noodle. Truffle oil adds a luxe touch to the silky noodles. Crisp cornets stuffed with duck meat and other dishes are available from the restaurant too.

For an overview of its dim sum repertoire, Toh Yuen offers a Dim Sum Lunch Set at RM99 nett per person. The culinary team puts a lot of efforts into creating exquisite morsels such as the goldfish-shape Steamed Cod Dumpling with Chicken Broth (so good I was tempted to lick the plate clean), Steamed Siew Mai with Hokkaido Scallop (an on-point showcase of bouncy-tender textures), and delicate Steamed Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp and Wolfberries (love the translucent skin yielding to a clean vegetal nuance touched with the fleeting sweetness of shrimp and wolfberries).

One of the show-stealers to gain two thumbs up is Baked Chicken Tart with Abalone. The flaky pastry encasing a mildly sweet-savoury chicken filling topped with mini abalone is memorable for its resemblance to char siu sou.

Even the soup course is levelled up with a mini pumpkin filled with Braised Crab Meat Broth with Scallop and Asparagus. Delicate flavours aplenty, with subtle crunch of the asparagus and supple-soft diced scallop bestowing textural interest.

Should you decide to go à la carte, we highly recommend sampling Toh Yuen’s signature offerings. Notable specialities such as Sweet and Sour Diced Chicken with Figs stood out for its enticing sauce and palate-pleasing fried chicken pieces paired with fresh sweet figs, and the supremely tender Stir-Fried Wagyu Beef with Porcini Mushrooms and Trio of Peppercorn.

Sweet with on-point doneness, the Steamed Pomfret with Pickled Red Chillies and Minced Ginger is divine. Kudos to the chef for the tantalising combination of robustly flavoured toppings.

The springy Golden Butter Prawns with Cashew Nuts appears par for the course. I’d wish the chef has given this offering a little twist, just to set it apart from the competition.  

It’s nice to conclude on a high with a distinct Egg Custard Pastry (deliciously flaky and custard-soft filling win every time). Even the Chilled Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo finds favour with its just-nice sweetness.

Open daily from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm to 10 pm, reservations at Toh Yuen are highly recommended. 

To book a table or more information, contact Toh Yuen, Hilton Petaling Jaya at tel: 03 7955 9122 or WhatsApp 016 216 0414, or email PETHI_FB@hilton.com, or visit eatdrinkhilton.com.

BEST OF PERU AT FELIZ

 

Do you know chifa is the Peruvian version of fried rice? Heavily influenced by the Chinese, a gastronomy article published in Journal of Ethnic Food reveals chifa originated from the Chinese words: “chi” (eat) and “farn” (rice). The term emerged around the 1930s in Lima when Peruvians overheard Chinese restaurateurs cajoled potential customers to patronise their eateries to chi farn. 

Egg chaufa or fried rice with ceviche, egg, sesame oil, spring onion and beansprouts is Peruvians’ carb of choice along with French fries, to complement Pollo A La Brasa (RM118), roasted chicken which has been marinated 24 hours with garlic and cumin.

To amp up the flavour, they rely on aji de la casa (house-made chilli), chimichurri (a blend of flatleaf parsley, coriander, garlic, salt, chilli flakes, vinegar and olive oil) and tartara (tartar sauce).

 

This Peruvian speciality is one of the many offerings rustle up by Chef Franco Aldana at Feliz, Klang Valley’s first and only Peruvian restaurant at Avenue K.

Feliz, meaning happy in Spanish, flaunts an open rooftop bar surrounded by gleaming skyscrapers. A tiered water feature and a long, shaded patio decked with potted greenery complete the al fresco section.

Within the entrance, a narrow walkway flanked by multiple shelves of greenery leads into a tastefully decorated dining space. Peru’s vibrant cultural heritage is evoked through a jade-green glass tile wall, a circular wine glass chandelier, colourful Peruvian tassel and macrame wall hangings, and turquoise-toned furnishings.

Our culinary journey to Peru began with chicha morada, a boiled purple corn and pineapple peel drink. It tastes like blackcurrant juice, infused with cinnamon and cloves.

The opening salvo of Ceviche Limeno (RM38) is Peru’s most famous dish. Although it seems simple, Aldana said a good ceviche must be perfectly balanced; from the use of leche de tigre (tiger’s milk), a bright, salty-spicy marinade of aji panca, lime, salt, ginger, garlic and coriander, to the combination of white corn, sweet potato and canchita (fried corn kernels).

We like how the leche de tigre’s punchy sourness melded cohesively with the white corn and sweet potato’s delicate sweetness. Strands of sea grapes lent pops of savouriness as we relished the slippery succulence of marinated fish. Canchita and crispy fried plantain injected crunchiness to the well-balanced dish.

Raw, sashimi-style tuna slices accompanied by a sauce of cold potato pureé, vinegar, leche de tigre, cucumber and mango juices form the chef’s Tiradito De Tuna (RM145). Topped with chalaquita de mango, Peruvian salsa of tiny mango, red onion and cherry tomato dices, the riot of delicate textures and assertive flavours tantalised our tastebuds.

Feliz’s signature Arroz Con Mariscos (RM119), was faintly similar to a perfectly cooked risotto albeit dialled up with aji amarillo (hot yellow chilli), assorted seafood and cilantro.

We also enjoyed meltingly tender and piquantly flavoured Anticuchos De Lomo Fino (RM158), skewers of marinated and grilled tenderloin accompanied by white corn, sliced fried potatoes and chimichurri.

Light and sweet Alfajores (RM27), two buttery biscuits sandwiched between creamy dulce de leche (caramelised condensed milk) wrap up our Peruvian party.

 

The milk-soaked sponge cake topped with Chantilly cream, dulce de leche and fruits making up Tres Leches (RM45) was winsome whilst the Petit Foie Selection (RM45) comprising mini glasses of tres leches, tocino del cielo (creamy caramel flan) and alfajores paves an introductory pathway to Peruvian desserts.

For reservations at Feliz, contact: 011-1771 7742. Address: L4-05, LEVEL 4, Avenue K, 156, Jln Ampang, Kuala Lumpur