LET THE FEASTING BEGIN!

Wok stars Chew Chee Kuong and Wang Yong Hai from Si Chuan Dou Hua, ParkRoyal KL will be cooking up a storm throughout the Chinese New Year (CNY) when all of us welcome the Year of the Snake come February 10.

Being the pragmatists that we are, CNY is an occasion to wish for abundant wealth, personal progress, eternal happiness, good health and every good tiding under the sun that you can think of. And we like to eat our way to prosperity too with family, friends, business associates and acquaintances.

No Malaysian and Singaporean Chinese will dream of starting their CNY meal without a platter of Yee Sang - raw fish salad (more salad than raw fish really) that consists of assorted finely shredded vegetable, fruits, deep-fried root vegetable and pickles topped with crushed peanut, sesame seeds and pok chui (deep-fried cracker strips). Seasoning of five spice powder and pepper powder as well as a thick, viscous dressing concocted from plum or fruit sauce and some oil lend the finishing touches.

Most chefs have their own recipes for the salad mixture and dressing so I daresay no two Yee Sang is ever the same. Several years ago Si Chuan Dou Hua was the first to create Fruity Yee Sang and the trend has caught on like a wild fire since then.

  

Strawberries, kiwifruit, dragon fruit, mango, honey melon, water apple and pomelo are some of the fruits that go into the rainbow-hued dish. It's definitely love at first bite for those who sample it.

Crabstick and diced seafood lend depth and multi-layered textures to shark's fin soup (yes, very politically incorrect but let's not wade into those murky, dangerous waters).

I have always enjoyed the deep-fried prawns with spicy Sichuan peppercorns at this fine Sichuanese restaurant and was again reminded why once I savoured the crusty, fiery hot and mildly briny crustaceans. But let it be known that the bouncy butter prawns with oats which are in another class of their own - equally scrumptious in their slick, sweet and crunchy splendour.

Who won't be hoi sum (happy) when treated to the ubiquitous but much cherished dish of braised dried oyster with sea cucumber, broccoli, seamoss and mushroom? Time and tide have failed to taint this superbly appealing dish judging from the great gusto everyone tackled the various goodies.

Whether you're a spice girl or guy, the dulcet smooth pieces of cod fillet with puffy rice bubble crackers and lashings of tart, tongue-numbing sauce will prove to be a real sizzler. Guaranteed you won't stop at just one serving!

 

Though I barely had tummy room left from the fab feast, I really couldn't turn down the fried rice with salted egg yolk. Speckled with orangey bits of salted egg yolk that I mistook for pumpkin, the fluffy grains hit the spot well. Alas I can only managed a smallish bowl but it was immensely satisfying.

The ‘Chinese New Year’ set for 4 persons is priced at RM798 nett and for 6 persons at RM1030 nett. ‘Prosperity’, ‘Fortune’ or ‘Wealth’ set priced at RM1158 nett, RM1390 nett and RM1622 nett respectively caters for a table of 10. 

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant, PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail,

Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2147 0088

JOIN THE LOUNGE CLUB

Grand Millennium KL relaunched its newly refurbished Club Lounge and Rooms recently with a sneak preview for media and bloggers.

The 3-storey cosy haven boasts contemporary elegance clad in steely greys, muted blues and glowing pendant lights.

With a choice of indoor and outdoor seating, the plush confines offer guests complimentary High Speed WiFi access and choice bites with a wide array of cocktails for privileged Club Room guests. 

Accommodating 60 persons at one time, the Club Lounge is spacious enough to ensure privacy for guests with its integrated office and meeting spaces as well as relaxing lounge seating.

The “Al Fresco" alternative at the patio is surrounded by a rock pool filled with koi and decked with lush plants and shrubs, a serene oasis amidst towering office blocks with the Petronas Twin Towers visible in the distance.

A wide range of daily complimentary food and beverage items is proffered from 5.30pm to 8.30pm daily.

 General Manager Peter Gibbons the new Club Lounge befits the upcoming Club Rooms that will also flaunt freshly updated features in keeping with the dynamism of modern corporate and leisure travellers.

Guests will be well-taken care of by a team of dedicated Club Ambassadors who are tasked to look after their every need. 

 

Another privilege that Club Lounge guests will enjoy is the plethora of tempting morsels rustled up by Executive Chef Steven Seow come breakfast and cocktail time.

 

From this impressive towering display of cream puffs drenched with honey and studded with fresh berries to assorted bite-size appetisers such as chilled avocado with smoked chicken, tuna tartar with wasabi mayo potato, rye bread smoked salmon sandwiches, lemon citron tart and chocolate mousse with pear, guests will literally find it hard-pressed to decide on what to eat.

Don't let these little buns fool you...they're more substantial than you presume them to be; stuffed to the brim with mixed lettuce, pickled gherkin slices and rosettes of smoked salmon.

Expect a clever interplay of textures, flavours and colours at the display counters which are designed to serve hot and cold dishes in addition to savoury and sweet offerings.

 

The chef has no qualms drawing inspirations from around the world. His creation of croissant stuffed with Arabic grilled chicken is a delicious example of how West meets Middle East in a single bite.

 Crisp shrimp toasties, lamb keema pizza, chicken teriyaki balls and a rich quiche are enough to warm the tummy and keep you going until dinner time.

 

 

Of course there is always the inevitable dessert selection - again in dainty servings to lessen the guilt. Fruit tartlets, chocolate mousse with pear and choc shavings in shot glasses, more luscious tartlets of strawberries peeking out from slivers of chocolate, tea scones and miniature tiramisu are just mere samplings that hit the sweet spot.

If you fancy a stay-cation now that the year-end school hols are in full swing, just call the Grand Millennium KL.

FEAST FIT FOR VI-KINGS

There's always a smug, palpable sense of excitement when one managed to reel in an invite to the annual Norwegian Seafood Gala Dinner.

Hosted by the new Norwegian Ambassador to Malaysia, Hans Ola Urstad, we had to battle a two-hour mega-jam to reach the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur. But heck, it was worth it the minute we clapped eyes on the spectacular seafood buffet laid out by renowned chef Frank Naesheim and his team. Imagine all the seafood you can eat, flown in from Norway and presented in both Norwegian and Asian cooking styles.

This includes Norwegian salmon and all its different forms, mackerel, Atlantic halibut, caviar, scallops, herring, crayfish and kingcrab.

With past stints in two and three-star Michelin restaurants in France under his toque, Naesheim is known as the Salmon King in Asia and the brainchild behind Snorre Food Pte Ltd, importer of quality Norwegian seafood.

On this evening, he and his battalion of chefs tirelessly whipped up a feast for attendees, from pan-fried scampi to seared salmon for everyone's enjoyment. It was a well-orchestrated show of skills and cuisine until we were stuffed to the gills from the surfeit of stupendous seafood.

The dinner was also held in conjunction with the Malaysian Norwegian Business Council (MNBC) Innovation Award as recognition to an outstanding member of the council for its excellent performance and contribution towards increasing business, technology transfer and cross-cultural understanding between Norway and Malaysia.

Det Norske Veritas Malaysia beat EMGS Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Specs Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd and Yara International (M) Sdn Bhd to walk away with this year’s MNBC Award. What a
feather in Det Norske Veritas Malaysia (DNV)'s cap to mark its 30^th anniversary in Malaysia. DNV is a global provider of services for managing risks; an independent foundation with the purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment especially in the maritime and energy sectors. 

Popular singer and actress Adibah Noor had the capacity crowd eating out of her hand the minute she stepped into the limelight, rendering a catchy repertoire of soulful ballads and uptempo numbers.

This is undoubtedly one event that had everyone hooked on the best of Norwegian seafood...