CHILLI CRABS FOR BUCKED OUT SEAFOOD AT GOBO CHIT CHAT

To paraphrase a famous fast food chain, it’s finger-lickin’ good. Hot, saucy and meaty Chilli Crabs are the ‘must have’ dish of Gobo Chit Chat’s Bucked Out Seafood promotion.

Although disposable gloves are provided, we reckon a first-hand experience in grappling with the saucy mud is the best way to go. The mud crabs yield a good amount of sweet meat. Deep-fried pieces of mantou buns are served, for dipping into the scrumptious sweet and sour sauce.

 

Aside from that star dish, the restaurant’s popular seafood feast is a siren’s call seafood-loving crowd in the city couldn’t resist at RM149 nett per person. 

Available every Friday and Saturday from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm, Gobo Chit Chat touts its fresh seafood market concept with aplomb. 

 

 

Stacks of stainless steel buckets are provided for diners to pick and choose from the wide assortment of seafood: live mud crabs, langoustines, baby slipper lobsters, flower crabs, crayfish, razor clams, cherry stone clams, scallops, prawns and mussels.

 

 

Hand over your bucket of raw seafood to the chefs and they’ll cook them with your preferred sauce: coriander lime sauce, garlic cheese sauce, sambal sauce, and rendang sauce.

 

If you like adrenalin-boosting chilli heat, the coriander lime sauce will set your tastebuds ablaze. Our vote goes to the creamy garlic cheese sauce as it amplifies the inherent sweetness of the seafood. 

 

 

 

More of King Neptune’s deep-sea treasures are laid out in an international showcase of culinary styles: from Japanese and Thai to European and Scandinavian, to reel in hungry diners.

A riot of colours catches the eye from the impressive array of sashimi, sushi, maki rolls, tempura and Japanese appetisers: jelly fish, marinated seaweed and chuka idako (marinated baby octopus) while freshly made takoyaki (Osaka’s famed dough balls filled with chopped octopus) beckons nearby.

I enjoy tossing my own salads from the multitude of mixed greens, condiments and sauces laid out at the salad bar. Chilled seafood such as poached slipper lobsters, crayfish, scallops and mussels jostle for attention alongside salmon gravlax, cold cuts, smoked white fish and little shot glasses of ready-to-eat appetisers.

 

 

 

The hot main course section will leave you spoiled for choice. Noteworthy specialities to savour include grilled salmon head, seafood paella, a whole fish grilled Thai-style in salt crust, steamed red snapper with garlic, otak otak, seafood spaghetti aglio olio, grilled seabass with salsa, mussels with black beans, roasted beef brisket and breaded jalapeno with cheese among others.

 

 

If you manage to find tummy space for dessert, sweet treats such as churros with cinnamon sugar, durian crepes, banana fritters with cheese, assorted cakes and local kuih, and ice cream will leave you on a lovely high.

For every group of five paying diners, the sixth diner can dine for free at Gobo Chit Chat. Reservations are highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

For reservations, call Gobo Chit Chat, tel: 03-2332 9905. Address: Level 5, Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

CRAB CHOWDOWN AT VASCO'S, HILTON KL

Flower crabs or blue swimmer crabs from Tanjung Karang, Selangor and local coastal waters will take centrestage at Vasco’s throughout April for the Crab Chowdown promotion. Crab enthusiasts will find Vasco's chefs have pulled out the stops in rustling up a versatile showcase of Chinese, Malay, Japanese, Indian and Thai specialities to whet the appetite.

In keeping with its Travel with Purpose commitment, the culinary team is ensuring its crab and seafood supply are responsibly sourced, used and served in their efforts to preserve the enviroment. Hence the crabs will be procured from the coasts of Selangor, Johor and Sarawak.

For openers, the inventive appetiser of Kerabu Ketam with Avocado strikes a harmonious chord where East meets West tastefully. Another stellar showstopper is the soul-satisfying Crabmeat Soup with Cordycep Flowers — coming from yours truly who isn’t big on soup, this broth hits the spot!

Do keep your eyes peeled for notable tummy pleasers such as crunchy Deep-fried Baby Crabs with a dash of Vasco’s special sauce and Soft-shell Crab Maki (both laver-wrapped and ebikko-crusted made reverse-roll style).  

The crabs’ natural sweetness also make them a shoo-in for Indian-style cooking; both the smoky Tandoori Crabs and the piquant Chettinad flavoured Xec Xec Crabs get our thumbs up. In addition, there’s a tempting Goan Crab Curry to boot.

Chilli and spice fiends will find ample satisfaction from flower crabs freshly cooked in a choice of Thai tom yum or white coconut gravy with oyster mushroom and complementing condiments.

Milder and rendered with minced garlic and mixed spices, the Kam Heong Crabs and Hong Kong-style Crabs pass muster. Alas, the Black Pepper Crabs misses the mark as the dish tastes a tad sweet for our liking and lacks that necessary ‘bite’ to be of interest.

When it comes to saucy offerings like Crabs in Pineapple Curry or Chilli Crabs, some man tao buns or plain rice may come in handy to soak up the delicious gravy. This is one combo to spark joy for your crab chowdown.

Priced at RM178 nett per person, the Crab Chowdown at Vasco’s is available from 1-30 April daily from 6pm to 10.30pm. Add RM100 nett per person for Vasco’s beverage package for free flow of Tiger beer, selected house wine and soft drinks.

For reservations, please call Hilton Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03-2264 2264 or email: KULHI_FB@hilton.com