A ZINGY TWIST TO MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL AT FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR

“Szechuan” Ma La Mung Bean mooncake anyone? Or perhaps a summer-inspired Mango with Lotus Seed Paste variant? These inventive conversation stoppers along with baked and snowskin creations form part and parcel of Yun House’s Mid-Autumn Festival cachet this year.

Trust Chef Jimmy Wong to imbue the traditional mooncake with a core of zingy-hot ‘ma la’ filling. When you bite into a wedge of his “Szechuan” Ma La Mung Bean (RM42), your tastebuds will tingle pleasantly when the sensation of burning heat blooms on your tongue before the confection's sweetness gradually creeps in.

Since gifting and sharing mooncakes is a beloved Malaysian tradition, Chef Jimmy has taken great pains to craft a variety of inventive and timeless selection for the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“This year, the ritual has taken on added importance, since many of us haven’t been able to meet loved ones and close colleagues for a long time”, said Chef Jimmy Wong. “Sending and gifting mooncakes expresses our good wishes, to remind people we care about them and a gesture to value their presence in our lives.”

His Baked Mooncakes with luxurious fillings include Pu Er Tea Paste with Tangerine Skin (RM42) and the summer-inspired Mango with Lotus Seed Paste (RM42). The former is subtly sweet with the citrus peel lending it a nice ‘bite’ while the latter yields a sublime candy-sweetness, remarkably similar to the fruit itself.

 According to the chef, mooncakes with egg yolk are symbolic of the harvest moon and good luck hence his Pandan Paste with Single Yolk (RM42), and Lotus Seed Paste with Single Yolk (RM42) offerings. For purists, there’s White Lotus Seed Paste (RM42).

 

Overall, the timeless selection are on-point and should please sticklers for tradition.

The mooncakes come packed in the Four Seasons gift box. Clad in theatrical red with a magnetic gilt clasp, the oblong box is embossed with the floral outlines of lotus leaves and butterflies, evoking feelings of joy and harmony with nature.

For more information, contact Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur: https://www.fourseasons.com/kualalumpur/dining/restaurants/yun-house/

OX-PICIOUS YEE SANG FROM ONE WORLD HOTEL PJ

Fresh, fruity and packed with a gamut of tantalising textures and vivid flavours, the Yee Sang with Crispy Whitebait and Salmon Skin from Zuan Yuan restaurant, One World Hotel Petaling Jaya once tasted won’t be forgotten.

The assortment of finely shredded vegetables, pickles, candied mandarin peel, crisps, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds with crispy whitebait and salmon skin was tossed with much gusto with the house dressing provided. Needless to say, everyone greatly relished the resultant salad.

Available for takeaway, the four other variants available include Lobster Meat and Abalone Yee Sang, Alaskan Scallop and Black Truffle Yee Sang, Salmon Fillet Yee Sang, and Fruit Yee Sang with Chef’s Special Sauce.

Prices for Zuan Yuan’s Yee Sang start from RM98 nett per half portion and from RM168 nett for a full portion.

To order or for further enquiries, please call tel: 03-7681 1159 or email: zuanyuan@oneworldhotel.com.my

PETITE PRESTIGE MOONCAKES BY PLAZA PREMIUM GROUP MALAYSIA

Six mini Shanghai mooncakes packed in an elongated Gift Box from Plaza Premium Group Malaysia found its way to my Mid-Autumn Festival celebration this year.

Handcrafted by the chefs from Plaza Premium Group Malaysia in the time-honoured tradition of Mid-Autumn Festival, the petite, low sugar and preservative-free Prestige Mooncakes comprise crumbly Shanghai-style Crust and Crystal Skin variants. 

Launched for the first time this year, the mini mooncakes are available at Plaza Premium Lounge (next to Aerotel Kuala Lumpur at gateway@klia2), Plaza Premium First (KLIA), Flight Club (KLIA) and Flight Club Grab’n’Go (KLIA) from now until 1 October 2020.

Peeking into my Gift Box in maroon with discreet gold motifs, the sliding container tray revealed a pair of mini Shanghai Crust Pu Er with Pine Nuts Mooncakes, another pair of Lotus Melon Seeds with Single Egg Yolk and a pair of Black Sesame with Single Egg Yolk Mooncakes. 

I found the delicate taste of Pu Er pleasing on the palate, melding harmoniously with the subtle nutty-creaminess of pine nuts. The black sesame version was on-point too; its sweet-savoury filling somewhat richer due to the salted egg yolk in it.

My only quibble was the underwhelming Lotus Melon Seeds version – the filling was dry and lacklustre. Possibly this imperfection was confined to my batch of mooncakes or it could be due to the confection didn’t have enough ‘resting time’ to allow the oil within to be released.

Under the Crystal Skin range, the selection includes Crystal Skin Durian, Red Bean and Green Tea encased in a layer of snow skin crust. Priced at RM12 per piece and RM60 per box of six (6) mini mooncakes, Prestige Mooncakes by Plaza Premium Group Malaysia come packed in refined gift boxes befitting the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.

 

For every bulk purchase of 10 boxes and above, corporate partners may customise their company logo placement on the gift boxes (subject to terms and conditions).

Special Prestige Mooncakes Offers:

- 10 % OFF online purchase for all types of mini mooncakes in a single receipt via https://malstore.plazapremiumlounge.com/ .

- Additional 5% OFF (on top of 20% OFF online purchase) for corporate clients and Aerotel Kuala Lumpur room guests (with valid promo code)*.

- For every room booking at Aerotel Kuala Lumpur, guests will receive ONE (1) piece of complimentary mini mooncake per room booking upon check-in as a welcome gesture.  Available from 28 August – 1 October 2020.

For further information or to place an order, contact Plaza Premium Group: tel: +6 03 8778 0808 or email: onlinestore.mal@plaza-network.com 

ZUAN YUAN TOUTS LOW SUGAR MOONCAKES

Melon seeds embedded within the Snow Skin Mooncake with Red Bean Paste with Melon Seed (RM21.50 per piece) from One World Hotel are evocative of the traditional versions I ate as a child. It’s a nice touch as the seeds are noticeably missing in many of this Mid-Autumn Festival treat lately.

 

Another recommended snowskin variant is Durian Lotus Paste (RM23 per piece) – the durian aroma is discernible in the lotus paste; its subtle sweetness a perfect balance to complement the astringency of Chinese tea. Other snow skin, low sugar variants available include White Lotus Paste (RM23), Pandan Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM25) and White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM25).

 
This year, One World Hotel Dim Sum Chef Jordan Chin Chee Hong has decided on 12 varieties of mooncakes to offer for the traditional celebration. Available now until 1^st October, Chef Chin said “A good mooncake will not stick to the teeth”. Having travelled to many Asian countries to taste different mooncakes, Chin is adamant Malaysia’s is the best.

 

He also offers a classic Deep Fried Teo Chew Yam Paste with Single Yolk (RM26 per piece), a tricky to make but scrumptious creation for the occasion. The crisp, swirly pastry is airy-light and generously filled with a savoury-sweet yam paste and salted egg yolk.

The mooncakes come in an Oriental themed gift box with a magnetic flap. Maroon with floral and lantern motifs, it holds four boxes of your choice of baked or snow skin mooncakes snugly.

 

As for the baked versions, the mooncakes are low sugar to cater to health-conscious market demand. We can vouch for the White Lotus Paste with Double Yolks (RM26) which taste great despite the reduced sweetness. Other enticing flavours in the selection include White Lotus Paste, Red Bean Paste, Pandan Lotus Paste and Supreme Mixed Nuts.

For further enquiries or orders, please call Zuan Yuan at 603 7681 1159 or email: zuanyuan@oneworldhotel.com.my

READY, SET, PIVOT...XIN CUISINE DELIVERS RM15 SET LUNCH

Hainanese Chicken Rice. BBQ Spare Ribs with Rice. Stewed Chicken with Chinese Wine with Rice. Sweet Corn Puree with Fish Fillet with Rice. Minced Pork and Pickle Omelette with Rice. These are the new temptations available from Xin Cuisine’s Set Lunch for Takeaway and Home/Office Delivery.

Launched in June 2020 during the Movement Control Order (MCO), each Set Lunch (RM15 per serving) is a delicious one-dish meal of rice and meat. Available for takeaway or delivered right to your home or office doorstep, it comes with FREE soup of the day. For an additional RM5, you can enjoy the Chef’s Choice Dessert. This dessert is free for Concorde Cash Card and Priority Plus Members.

We find the various options featured in the menu superb value and reflective of the hotel's uncompromising quality. The yellow ‘oiled’ rice for the Hainanese Chicken Rice is good enough to be eaten on its own. Complemented by succulent smooth poached chicken, it’s a surefire crowd-pleaser. There’s also a chilli dip to give it a punchy finishing touch but unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to try that.

Those hankering for a taste of hearth and home will be drawn to the Minced Pork and Pickle Omelette (choy poh jin darn) with Rice. A defyingly simple dish, its evergreen appeal lies in the combination of pickled radish (choy poh) and eggs, creating a homey staple that had withstood the test of time.

Most of us are familiar with pai kwat wong – literally translated as king pork ribs – a perennial Chinese restaurant staple with different chefs and restaurants proudly touting their own version. Xin Cuisine’s BBQ Spare Ribs with Rice ticks all the requisite boxes for us: chunky and glossy with sticky, flavourful sweet-tangy sauce, the meaty ribs beg to eaten with plain rice.

Slightly boozy-gingery on the palate, the Stewed Chicken with Chinese Wine has plenty of crunchy wood ear fungus for textural contrast. Personally, I’d prefer a stronger Chinese wine accent but understandably, the Xin team opts to strike a middle ground with its clientele.

Sweet Corn Puree with Fish Fillet with Rice will reel in pescatarians. If you like deep-fried, battered fare with creamy mayo-type sauce then this should hit the spot.

Todate, Roasted Pork & Hong Kong Kailan with Rice remains the most sought-after dish on the Set Lunch menu. The various dishes featured in this review will be available until 9 August. New temptations will be revealed on a fortnightly basis whilst certain saleable dishes will be retained by popular demand.

Dessert fans will be pleased to know a choice of three types of tong sui (sweet broths) is available daily. The selection may include Barley with Beancurd Skin, Honey Dew Sago, Waterchestnut with Snow Fungus, Longan White Fungus with Monk Fruit, Black Glutinous Rice, Wheat Porridge with Coconut, Sweet Mung Beans, Peanut Puree and Black Sesame Seed Puree.

Xin Cuisine's RM15 Takeaway/Delivery Set Lunch is available from 10.30 am to 2.30 pm and from 4 pm to 8.30 pm. No minimum order is required. Delivery fees starts from RM5 (0-5km from Concorde Hotel KL) upwards. For a single receipt amounting to RM150, the hotel will accord complimentary delivery (within 10km from the hotel). 

There are also two Set Menus available for lunch and dinner daily, priced at RM148 nett for 4 persons and RM188 nett for 4 persons. The 4-course and 5-course menu are for dine-in, takeaway or delivery until further notice.

For information and to pre-order, WhatsApp: 012 399 5007/016 906 3220.