CHINESE PALACE’S NEXT LEVEL HOT POT EXPERIENCE

It still takes an old chef to teach the industry new tricks. Upping the ante on good Chinese food is none other than Chef Frankie Woo – one of the few Chinese chefs in Malaysia with an almost cult-like following. The industry veteran turned consultant chef now displays his mettle at Chinese Palace, a newish Chinese restaurant adjacent to the stately, whitewashed Chinese Assembly Hall building.

Having notched up decades of experience at several five-star hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia: think Shangri-La KL, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the Regent KL, and Concorde Hotel Singapore to name but a few, and the now-defunct Gu Yue Tin restaurant, Frankie’s stellar reputation is now drawing hordes of admiring fans to Chinese Palace.

Tastefully conceived, Chinese Palace’s interior combines classic Chinese and rustic Old Malaya elements, amidst a soothing green and burgundy-red colour scheme to splendid effect. A warren of seven private dining rooms accords privacy for those who wish to entertain in discreet comfort.

Together with Executive Chef Sam Loo, distinctive dishes such as Sliced Cold Pork Knuckle (RM38 per portion) reign supreme here. This Shanghainese ‘yuin thai’ (cold pork knuckle) starter boasts Frankie's inimitable twist; the slippery-smooth and slightly gelatinous pork faintly perfumed with aromatic star anise, cinnamon and cloves thanks to its being simmered in a braising broth of the said spices.

Another exemplary speciality is Shanghainese-style Smoked Fish Fillet (RM38 per portion). Boneless smoked toman fillets come slicked in a glossy sauce of caramelised rock sugar, mustard and Chinese vinegar.

The Insta-worthy Sichuan-style Shredded Kampung Chicken in Chilli Oil (RM28 per portion) is almost too pretty to eat. Succulent smooth shredded chicken is hidden beneath a pretty dome of daintily cut ladies’ fingers. It’s almost criminal, us destroying the nice presentation in order to mix the okra, chicken and peanuts together with the piquant chilli oil (coarsely ground chilli-infused oil with Sichuan peppercorn, black vinegar, and sesame seeds).

From now until 30 April, Chinese Palace is promoting Hot Pot with housemade premium ingredients. You can select Fish Maw Chicken, Beef Tendon, Hong Kong Style Beef Brisket, Giant Garoupa Head with Yam, Spicy Mala or Dang Gui Gou Qi Zi for your hot pot of single or dual soup base.

 

During our visit, we savoured *Braised Pork Tendons (RM88 per pot, *subject to availability). Braised with superior stock for over 1.5 hours, the tender, toothsome pork tendons were superbly delectable whilst chunks of radish lent subtle sweetness.

We had a field day loading up on the rich, gelatinous gravy and pork tendons before Frankie poured in more superior stock, elevating and transforming the dish into a hot pot.

The soup was further enriched when Lamb Slices and American Beef Slices (fei ngau or Hong Kong-style short rib slices) were cooked in it. For extra textural interest and substance, we enjoyed the inclusion of Handmade Prawn Dumplings, Handmade Prawn and Cuttlefish Balls, and Deepfried Beancurd Rolls. Mind you, these are not your run-of-the-mill prawn, cuttlefish or pork balls and beancurd rolls as everything is made in-house using fresh, premium produce. One bite and you'd detect the difference.

 

Maximising on the flavourful stock, we added Hong Kong Ee Foo Noodles alongside two types of mushroom, sliced beancurd, and fresh romaine lettuce to it, transforming the hot pot medley into a most soul-satisfying offering. By now, the pork tendons had turned melt-in-the-mouth tender and went like a dream with the noodles and accompanying ingredients.

Two housemade green and red chilli dips bestow some variation to your enjoyment of the various hot pot ingredients but TBH, with such premium ingredients, there is hardly any need for dips or sauces. After this incomparable hot pot experience, we agree Chinese Palace's version would be a hard act to follow.

For reservations, call Chinese Palace, tel: 03-2022 1339 or 016-833 6228. Address: 1, Jalan Maharajalela, Kampung Atap, Kuala Lumpur. Open daily: 11am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm

ORGANIC VILLAGE CHICKEN AND BEST OF HONG KONG AT ZUAN YUAN

Free-range, organically raised village chicken is prized for its toothsome, leaner meat texture. This month, Zuan Yuan’s Executive Chinese Chef Tommy Choong Chan Hoo focuses on five different preparations to showcase this chook at its best eating quality.

The notable show-stealing Organic Village Chicken with Chinese Herbs (RM120 per bird) needs to be pre-ordered 24 hours in advance. Thoroughly suffused by the enticing nuances of various Chinese herbs used in its preparation, the fall-off-the-bone chicken is satisfyingly good. Not a single drop of the flavourful herbal broth is wasted either.

According to Chef Tommy, diners may enjoy the village chicken smoked, steamed with cordycep flowers, poached with dried scallop sauce and garden greens or roast with black truffle paste. The various preparations will be available until end October.

Long recognised as Asia’s "Gourmet Paradise" and "World's Fair of Food", Hong Kong holds a special place in Chef Tommy’s heart as the place where his culinary career took off. This month, he pays tribute to this bastion of Cantonese food with a special range of Hong Kong-style specialities.

His Pan Fried Scallop stuffed with Prawn Paste served with Superior Sauce encapsulates the refined spirit of Cantonese cooking perfectly. Lightly dressed with a lush, caramelised sauce, the sea-fresh sweetness of the scallops and prawns easily make this the ‘must have’ dish of the day.

Dried mandarin peel, dried prawns and spring onion are de rigeur when it comes to making fish balls in Hong Kong but for his speciality of Curry Fish Balls and Fish Maw “Hong Kong” Style in Claypot, the chef says he has tweaked the recipe to suit local tastebuds.

Served in a fragrant Indian-inspired curry gravy, the fishballs’ QQ springiness is delicious. Coupled with spongy pieces of fish maw, one can easily be induced to eat more than their fair share of rice.

Shiitake and oyster mushrooms are mixed with chopped onion, butter, milk and superior stock to form a rich stuffing for the Baked Assorted Mushrooms and Crab Meat with Cheese in Crab Shell. It’s an old-school appetiser when cheese was a novelty during the colonial era and the well-heeled preferred to devour crabs without getting their hands dirty.

The Crispy Roasted Duck stuffed with Yam Paste served with Sweet Sauce is a misnomer. In reality, Chef Tommy stuffed the roast duck between a layer of yam paste before deep-frying his creation. Served with drizzle of sweet bean sauce, the outer crust is deliciously crisp with wispy tendrils whilst the inner layer is the meaty part.

Priced between RM36 and RM48, the Best of Hong Kong selection is available for lunch (12noon to 2.30pm) and dinner (6pm to 10.30pm) daily.

For enquiries or reservations at Zuan Yuan, please call tel: 03 - 7681 1157 or email: zuanyuan@oneworldhotel.com.my. Address: One World Hotel, First Avenue, Bandar Utama City Centre, Selangor.

CULINARY JOURNEY TO WONDERFUL INDONESIA AT CURATE

Kambing Guling and Bakwan Malang are two of the interesting dishes

crafted by guest chef Robert Wisnu Untoro (right) for the Indonesian Food and Culture Week at Curate, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Held from October 7 – 13, the special food and cultural promotion was organised in collaboration with the Embassy of Indonesia in Kuala Lumpur. The sumptuous daily lunch and dinner buffet features specialities from across the Indonesian archipelago.

 

Chef Wisnu, who is also as a DJ, kept diners entertained while cooking up a storm with his inimitable flair.  We were smitten at first bite by the tender, spiced-rubbed Kambing Guling – roasted leg of goat sliced on request from the carvery.

 

Interestingly, Bakwan Malang isn’t unlucky despite its unfortunate name. In East Java, bakwan refers to fried wontons with a mixture of meat or fish and flour filling while Malang is the name of the East Javanese city. Basically, it’s a soupy noodle dish with fried wonton, fish balls, beef ball and fried beancurd. Chopped spring onion, fried shallot and a dollop of  green chilli sambal add subtle pops of flavour to the offering.

Aromatic spices like cloves and pepper are evident in clear, tummy-warming Sop Buntut (Javanese oxtail soup) which has chunky pieces of bones and tender cubes of beef in it.

 

 

A plethora of salads such as Urapan Sayur, Lalapan, Tahu Gejrot (fried tofu and beansprouts in sweet spicy sauce), Ketoprak (tofu, shredded vegetables and pressed rice cakes in peanut sauce), Salada Ayam Bumbu Bali, Pecel and Karedok piques our palate before we descend on the main courses. The lightly blanched salads are mostly tossed or served with peanut sauce.

 

 

 

Spicing the meal up are an array of curries; some flaunting lush, fragrant coconut milk-enriched gravy, others accentuated by drier spice blends. Notable dishes worth sampling include Telur Pop (deep-fried hardboiled eggs in pale coconuty gravy), Bebek Sambal Hijau (duck in dry green chilli curry), Ayam Gule (Sumatran chicken curry) and the classic Rendang Daging (beef braised in thick coconut milk, ground chilli and spices).

 

 

Different combination of spices are employed with finesse to produce delicious specialities such as Terong Belado (eggplant stir-fried with coarsely pounded chilli), Ikan Bakar Padang (grilled fish with spice rub), Gule Kapau (young jackfruit curry with long beans & cabbage) and Sambal Goreng Uti (stir-fried chicken liver & potato dices with sambal).

 

 

Dessert bears close similarity to our local kuih such as the colourful renditions of Kuih Lapis (steamed multi-layer rice cakes) and Kek Lapis (baked Indonesian layered cake enhanced with spices). Simpler street-food delights like Timus Ubi (baked tapioca cake) and Bubur Sumsum (thick gruel of coconut milk with rice flour complemented with palm sugar syrup) are also served.

A showcase of hand-drawn batik, pretty and traditional Indonesian apparel and handicrafts beckon at the mini Indonesian bazaar outside the bright and breezy Curate.

Dinner guests were also entertained by the percussive melodies of gamelan, a musical ensemble combining Javanese and Balinese influences together with the genteel movements of trad dancers.

For reservations, call Curate, tel: 03-23828888. Address: Level 5B, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Ampang, KL.