BOWLED OVER BY NOODLES AND SHANGHAI DIM SUM AT DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

Five Flavours Shanghai Dumplings (RM25 nett) was the headline offering to tease our tastebuds at the newly launched Impressively Shanghai promotion at The Emperor.

Served daily for lunch (12noon – 2.30pm), we feasted on six new Shanghainese dim sum created by Dim Sum Master Chef Chan Chee Loong.

Naturally coloured with beetroot (red), spinach (green), carrot (yellow) and butterfly pea flower (blue), the soup-filled chicken meat dumplings were delicious. Vinegar and shredded ginger dip is served on the side, to dial up the taste appeal.

We also enjoyed soul-satisfying Rice Rolls with Yam Bean and Dried Shrimps (RM13 nett). A fresh take on chee cheong fun albeit the flat rice rolls are broader and stuffed with scrumptious shredded yam bean (sengkuang) and dried shrimps. Simplicity at its best.

Drawn from an age-old recipe, Shanghai Traditional Glutinous Rice with Chicken Meat (RM15 nett) dumplings won us over with its clear, delicate nuances and pleasant grainy chewy texture.

Crispy with sweet oniony flavour, the Housemade Scallion Pancake (RM13 nett) proved on-point too. The wedges proved addictive as we found ourselves reaching for second and third helpings.

A nice departure from the usual steamed buns, we gave thumbs up to Pan-fried Shanghai Chicken Buns (RM16 nett) and Pan-fried Shanghai Dumplings (RM16 nett). The irresistible savoury filling and varied textures made fans out of us.

 
Always up for something spicy, the crowd-pleasing Prawn Dumplings with Chilli Oil (Rm18 nett) managed to hit the spot. Chilli fiends will enjoy the zingy heat contrasting against the scrumptious dumplings.

Noodle fans will find tangles of endearment from The Emperor’s hefty servings of Big Bowl Noodles. Available now until 31 August for lunch and dinner, the big bowls of thick or thin noodles come in three different permutations. Each big bowl can serve 2-3 persons.

Much to my surprise, I was besotted with the Deep-fried Giant Grouper with Special Vermicelli in Salted Vegetable Soup (RM128 nett per order). A riff on the currently popular suan chai yue – the regional Chinese dish of sour vegetable with fish, we eagerly slurped up every strand, morsel and drop in our bowls.

Surrounded by blanched bok choy, the tangy-sour broth stimulated our salivary glands into overdrive; teasing us with sweet slices of giant grouper, strands of salted vegetable amidst toothsome vermicelli noodles.

Turning up the luxe factor was Slipper Lobster and Seaweed with Shanghai Noodles in Superior Soup (RM148 nett per order). The umami-packed broth melded well with the sweetness of slipper lobster whilst straw mushrooms lent textural variation.

The viral ‘flying noodles’ also made an appearance here much to our delight. Both young and old alike should relish digging into the crispy noodles immersed in an eggy sauce. Pin-drop silence ensued when we were busy gobbling down the Flying Noodles with Deep-fried Fresh Water Prawns and Crab Meat in Egg White Sauce (RM188 nett per order). Proof it was an all-round winner in terms of presentation and taste.

For reservations and booking, contact The Emperor Restaurant, Dorsett Grand Subang, tel: 03-5031 6060 ext. 1954 or email:bookfnb.subang@dorsetthotels.com

FESTIVE & NEW CHEF'S SPECIALS AT MEATOLOGY

Single portion Roast Turkey. Mentaiko gratinade Baby Lobster. Flambé Spanish Octopus Tentacle with Fettuccine. Chilli Lime Ribs. These are a mere handful of festive dishes conjured up by Chef Yenni Law and her right hand lady Shelly Saw at Meatology for the upcoming festive celebration.

 

Ever so thoughtful, Chef Yenni is prepared to serve individual servings of Roast Turkey (RM58.80++) for those who hanker for the popular Christmas speciality. Well-brined to ensure its moist juiciness, the delectable offering is accompanied by grape, chestnut and bacon stuffing, giblet gravy and cranberry & rum sauce.

New on the menu but no less luxurious for the festivities is Mentaiko Gratinade Baby Lobster (RM23.80++). In Japanese cooking, mentaiko or cod/pollack roe marinted in chilli pepper and salt is a common ingredient used to flavour salad, noodles, omelette and rice dishes. Here, Chef Yenni used it to gratinate the two halves of baby lobster; giving them an irresisitble umami-packed finish.

Curry leaves add vivid lemon-spice aroma to the Christmas menu’s Lobster Special in the form of creamy rich curry-like sauce. We like the Eastern touch as the sauce packs 'oomph' without stealing the limelight from the lobster. Shimeiji mushrooms lend textural interest to the dish.

Sunday is a good day to visit Meatology if you want to savour the house speciality of Siew Yuk (RM38.80++). The blistery, super-crackling skin and alternating layers of fat and lean pork makes this roast pork an on-point teaser to get the gustatory juices flowing.

Yearning for more pork for thought? The sedaplicious Grilled Cincalok Pork (RM23.80++) will hit the spot with a cold beer or your fave tipple. We guarantee you’d find it hard to stop at just one slice of that scrumptious pork belly marinated with briny preserved krill.

The cheekily named Ladies Lap Cheong (RM18.80++) sounds risqué thanks to its double entendre. Jokes aside, the tender okra turns out to be a match made in culinary heaven with sliced Chinese sausage and crispy fried garlic chips. Unless you happen to be big on tempeh — cooked, slightly fermented and compressed soybean cake, the chef's Tempeh
with Chickpeas, Green Peas and Pea Sprouts (RM13.80++) may just miss the mark. Personally, I love it as the thick fingerling soybean cakes is lightly slicked with sweetish soya-chilli sauce. A filling vegan dish that should leave vegetarians pleased as punch. 

A new house speciality worth getting entangled with is the chef’s creation of Flambé Spanish Octopus Tentacle (RM53.80++). Awash in a rich sauce laden with wild mushroom & a dollop of salmon caviar, the al dente fettuccine trimmed with a fat, springy curl of flambéed Spanish octopus tentacle leaves us singing its praises.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Yenni Law continues to work tirelessly in gaining her fair share of coverage both in the mainstream and social media for Meatology. Her progress as a chef is evident through simple yet inspiring dishes like Truffle Spaghetti (RM35.80++). Break the custard-soft onsen egg into the pasta and your palate will hum with a sensuous symphony of earthy wild mushroom, truffle, kombu (kelp) and white wine accents. What's not to like?

 

You know her local roots are firmly anchored by playful culinary ideas such as her Herbal Seafood Toddy (RM48.80++) — a claypot of prawns, squid, clams, blue mussels and lai fun (laksa) noodles swimming in piping hot herbal and coconut toddy broth. Few seafood fans would eschew the comforting, sweet-boozy soup and its treasure trove of oceanic goodies.

Living up to her restaurant’s name, prime cuts of meat continue remain centrestage at Meatology. Joining the new menu parade are Chilli Lime Ribs (RM48.80++) and Grilled Aged Grain-fed Ribeye (RM35/100g); both notable choices no carnivores can ignore. The former leaves an indelible impression thanks to the piquant marinade while the latter stays true to the back-to-basic maxim.

Fancy fish instead? The chef plans to reel you in with Seared Grouper Fillet with Capers, Butter & Lime (RM48.80++). A substantial chunk, the white fish is perked up by the appetising sourness of capers and chopped hum choi (salted mustard leaves) cloaked in buttery-citrusy sauce.

The art of flambé is one of the highlights of dining at Meatology. Now you can wrap up dinner with aplomb when you order Yorkshire Pudding Flambé (RM32.80++). A dramatic tableside presentation, the dessert comprises a pouffy Yorkshire pudding graced with seasonal fruits (ours had cherries and berries) set alight with liquor in sweet red wine reduction and served with a scoop of ice cream. Heady stuff!

 

Another boozy treat we enjoy thoroughly is the decadent Real Rum & Raisin Pie (RM18.80++) which Chef Yenni dubs as a crust-less pie. Alternatively, opt for the Forbidden Rice Brulee (RM14.80) — French custard with banana and ‘forbidden’ rice with burnt palm sugar topping.

For reservations, please call Meatology, tel: 03-7727 4466. Address: 16, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Visit Meatology Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MeatologyKL/