MID-AUTUMN MOONCAKES FROM FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KL

The Snow Skin Mooncake with Butterfly Pea Flower Custard Paste with Saffron, Mullet Roe, Salted Egg Yolk and Pistachios – a new snowskin mooncake crafted by Chef Ng Meng Loong of Four Seasons Hotel KL turns out to be the bee’s knees this year.

 
Clad in swirly white and blue snow skin threaded with saffron, the subtly sweet custard paste incorporating mullet roe and pistachios, and a salted egg yolk core bewitched us instantly at first bite.

 
Levelling up on the nut mooncake variant, Yun House’s dim sum and dessert maestro also proffers his Eight-Nut Treasure Baked Mooncake for fans who enjoy utterly nutty mooncake filling. The favoured pistachios - now all the rage among kunafa choc fans - makes its presence felt.

This year’s mooncake gift box comes stylishly beribboned with a specially commissioned scarf designed by acclaimed Malaysian artist C.N. Liew. Bearing contemporary patterns juxtaposed against an auspicious red background, the gift box exudes modern glamour and understated sophistication. Best of all, the designer scarf can be used as a pocket square, handkerchief or twilly.

Back to the artisanal Mid-Autumn Festival creations, the winsome baked variants include Classic Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk and Melon Seeds (RM45++ each), Pandan Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk and Melon Seeds (RM45++ each), Pure Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk and Melon Seeds (RM45++ each), Red Bean Paste with Almond Flakes (RM45++ each) and Eight Nut Treasure (RM48++ each).

Snow skin mooncake fans will swoon over the luscious Musang King Durian (RM88++ each) and revel in the luxe appeal of Black Sesame Lotus Seed Paste with Bird’s Nest and Almonds (RM68++ each). The distinctly inventive Pure White Lotus Seed Paste with Palm Sugar, Macadamia and Seaweed (RM58++ each) tastes equally sublime.

"The Mid-Autumn celebration is all about joy and togetherness, with the main event being a feast with family and friends under the full moon," says Chef Loong. "Designed to appeal to all generations and palates, our mooncakes welcome everyone to join in the festivities."

 
Orders can be made and collected now and 6 October by calling tel: 03 2382 8602 or email:
yunhouse.kualalumpur@fourseasons.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.

DRAGONITE FEAST AT DORSETT HARTAMAS KUALA LUMPUR

 

We had a rousing start with the ritualistic tossing of a multi-coloured Salmon Yee Sang, to kick off our sampling of the 10-course Golden Blossom set menu (RM1,188 nett per set for 6-8 persons) at Table Talk, Dorsett Hartamas Kuala Lumpur.

The refreshing curtain-raiser heralded everything auspicious for the upcoming Dragon Year, perked up by an enticing strawberry and blackcurrant sauce. For the first time ever, Dorsett Hartamas KL is offering four value-for-money set menus, featuring dishes with symbolic connotations befitting the Chinese New Year celebration.

Every spoonful of the Eight Treasure Seafood Soup yielded dried scallops and oysters, diced prawns and surimi crabstick in the thick marine-flavoured broth. It was rather tasty albeit a tad heavy on the salt.

 

Tender to the bite, the big flavours from the Kung Pao Beef with Cashew Nuts had us chomping at the bit. However, a zingier accent to the overall dish won’t be remiss but that’s strictly my personal take.

Subtly sweet with nicely charred edges, the delectably juicy Char Siu Chicken with Special Sauce garnered praises all round. A definite crowd-pleaser that hit the spot.

From sweet we traversed to the savoury spectrum with lip-smacking Butter Prawns. Cooked to on-point springy doneness, the crustaceans were thoroughly enjoyable, with a blanket of fried crispy cereal-oaty bits lending some crunch.

Fresh and fleshy, the Deep-fried Barramundi with Sweet and Sour Sauce piqued our interest with the fish’s natural sweetness shining through. Kudos to the chef for his judicious use of the bright, tantalising sauce to enhance rather than overwhelming the fish.

No surprises from the compelling serving of Stir-fried Broccoli with Mushroom and Bean Puffs. The crunchy broccoli florets integrated well with the softer, toothsomely tender textures of both the fungi and bean puffs.

Hearty and comforting bowls of Yong Chow Fried Rice with Brined Fish followed, leaving us utterly replete.

The winsome pairing of Sea Coconut with Dried Longans and Snow Fungus accompanied by piping hot Steamed Nian Gao with Freshly Grated Coconut was excellent. Both dessert treats were light enough with acceptable sweetness level.

Chef Lai Chan Meng has outdone himself with his festive parade; from Salmon, Jellyfish and Smoked Duck Breast Yee Sang (RM98 nett for ½ portion, RM178 nett for a full portion) to three other set menus available from now till 24 February 2024.

The 8-course Prosperous Beginning set menu at RM388 nett is ideal for 2-3 persons inclusive of yee sang. For a party of 4-5 persons, the 9-course Joyous Spring set menu is RM688 nett. Lastly, the Spring Fortune set menu at RM1,688 nett per table caters to 8-12 persons.

Table Talk restaurant is open daily for lunch and closes at 6pm. For dinner reservations of 3 tables and more, the Dorsett Hartamas KL team will be more than happy to cater to your needs. 

For further information and reservations, call Dorsett Hartamas KL or WhatsApp: +60 12 6883 043 or email to: fnb.hartamas@dorsetthotels.com

TOUCH OF FINE ART FOR MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KL

Acclaimed contemporary ink artist C.N. Liew has added his fine art touch to this year’s limited-edition Four Seasons Mid-Autumn Festival (MAF) gift boxes.

Filled with handcrafted mooncakes by the talented Yun House team, the bespoke designs featured on the MAF gift box come from Liew’s Beyond the Border series, which was showcased at ART SG 2023 in Singapore. Liew is the first Malaysian artist whose works have been exhibited at Art Basel, Fine Art Asia and Art Miami.

The vibrant red MAF gift box incorporates a twilly scarf of Liew’s eye-catching artwork tied onto the handle, and a double-tier ‘drawers’ to fit eight mooncakes bearing the iconic Four Seasons logo.

“The custom of gifting and sharing mooncakes signifies harmony, happiness and good fortune,” says Jimmy Wong, Executive Chef of Yun House. “Our limited-edition mooncake gift boxes are the perfect way to share the festive spirit with family, close friends and valued business partners.”

Available in a variety of flavours, ranging from the traditional to the innovative, the classic Baked Mooncakes such as Red Bean Paste with Almond Flakes; Pandan with Single Egg Yolk; and Puer Tangerine with Lotus prove their timeless appeal never wanes. We sampled them at a lunch recently and each variant lived up to expectations.

Partial to Snow Skin Mooncakes? We highly recommend the delicate Bird’s Nest with Black Sesame and Almond - a winsome filling with a pleasant tinge of luxury. Equally stellar is Chocolate Lotus Paste with Himalayan Salt and Egg Yolk Custard - the fleeting chocolatey accent and mildly sweet egg yolk custard heightened by a touch of salt. The popular White Lotus Paste with Seaweed Black Sugar and Macadamia Nuts manages to hold its own. Of course, the sumptuous Musang King Durian Snow Skin Mooncake rules them all with its creamy indulgent taste and fragrant aroma.

Priced from RM42 to RM78 per piece, and from RM336 to RM624 per gift box containing 8 mooncakes, only one thousand of the exclusive MAF gift boxes are available for pre-order now, while stocks last.

To place orders for Four Seasons Hotel KL’s MAF gift boxes and mooncakes, call tel: 03-2382 8888 or email: yunhouse.kualalumpur@fourseasons.com