MID-AUTUMN INDULGENCE FROM TAI THONG GROUP

The first salvo in the annual mooncake sales war has been fired by Tai Thong (TT) Group. Media and blogger friends were roped in to drum up support the Mid Autumn Indulgence press conference cum dinner recently - a full-blown affair complete with Chinese classical musicians, a stilt-walker, a DIY mooncake-making corner and a thunderous drum performance.

Each year, TT Group’s head chef Yiu Wing Keung not only keeps the mooncake-making tradition alive but also introduces new flavours to excite the resto group’s customers – a tall order as the sweet treats have to boast unique taste profiles and look presentable yet retain the essence of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Rising to market demand for healthier options, TT Group has taken a fruit and nut approach for its new mooncake flavours this year. It’s a tricky path to manoeuvre but Chef Yiu succeeded in pulling it off with his Baked Orange Lotus with Palm Sugar & Assorted Seeds, Snow Skin Pineapple Lotus with Jackfruit Mochi, Baked Blueberry Lotus with Dried Fruits & Assorted Seeds and Snow Skin Mango Kiwi with Assorted Dried Fruits.

The Baked Orange Lotus variant comes up trumps in my book for its distinct caramelised citrusy notes and subtle crunch from the added seeds.

Another harmonious pairing is Snow Skin Mooncake with Pineapple Lotus and Jackfruit Mochi. A delightful combination which reminded me of a chewy pineapple tart of sorts with hints of jackfruit thrown into the sunny yellow equation.

Since blueberries are being touted as a super food, it is inevitable they’d end up in mooncakes. Imagine a baked mooncake studded with plumper raisins, bits of dried fruits and mixed seeds – that’s how it taste.

Ephemerally light on the palate, the tropical tanginess of the Snow Skin Mango Kiwi with Assorted Dried Fruits mooncake should please those who eschew the ‘heaviness’ of traditional lotus paste fillings.

 

Of course, if you’re into the King of Fruits, only TT’s evergreen ‘blockbuster’ – the decadent Imperial Musang King Royale (RM78 - 2 pieces) will fit the bill. I guarantee you it’d be love at first bite.

Return of the King...TT's Imperial Musang King Royale mooncakes come with a special 'cooler' bag to retain its freshness. Photo courtesy of Chasingfooddreams

 

 

Tai Thong Mooncakes are HALAL certified by the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (JAKIM), are HACCP compliant and free from artificial colourings and flavourings. Prices start from RM12.80 onwards per piece (West Malaysia) and RM13.30 onwards (East Malaysia).

The resident culinary team at TTG also pooled their ideas to come up with several Mid-Autumn Fest a la carte menu dishes incorporating the same fruits used in their mooncakes.

But first, paving the way was a heartwarming bowl of Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Conpoy, Papaya & Snow Fungus. Sweet, savoury and brimming with homespun goodness, it’s the kind of broth that even mothers would approve of.

The fruity acidity and lush mango sweetness lend extra appeal to the platter of Crispy Soft Shell Crab with Mango & Kiwi Sauce (RM43++); both admirably reining in the cloying richness of the fried stuff.

Interestingly, you’d detect varying degree of sweetness in the inventive creation of Seared Scallop with Blueberry and Apricot (RM58++). We like the juicy bursts of berries mingled with the shellfish’s succulence and crisp romaine lettuce.

Hats off to the chefs for managing to raise the bar even higher with the dual offerings of Stuffed Prawns with Palm Sugar & Fresh Orange (RM38++) and Fried Prawns with Pineapple & Jackfruit Sauce (RM43++). The refreshing fruitiness and toasty caramel-like sweetness are delightful on the palate.

Most of us strove to find tummy space when the Spicy Pineapple Fried Rice with Vegetarian Floss was served. It lacks the necessary ‘oomph’ but let’s not quibble over such a minor thing.

Dinner wraps up on a high sweet note with a fluffy-light Blueberry-cranberry Sponge Cake (RM8.80++) and a delicately fashioned Peony Puff Pastry with Pineapple & Jackfruit, (RM10.80++). 

The special Mid Autumn Festival a la carte menu is available at all TT Group of restaurants (except Spring Garden KLCC) until 27 September 2015.

For more details or reservations, call 1800-88-2338 or visit www.taithong.com.my

UN-BEATO-BLE AGED STEAKS

Isn't this a magnificent piece of steak? Mind you, this scrumptious Porterhouse cut has been aged for about 25 days so its natural meaty flavour was even more intense. For the uninitiated, the fuss over aged steaks boils down to this sign displayed outside The Beato Steakhouse.

Danny Choi, who is Korean and has lived many years in the US - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/food/article/the-juice-on-beef-at-the-beato/#sthash.bC6GT6Dn.dpuf

Danny Choi - the man behind Beato tells us that the word means 'blessed', 'blissful' or 'happy' in Italian. Ardent beef and steak lovers who step into Choi's steakhouse in Publika are blessed indeed for his restaurant is just the place to appreciate and savour glorious cuts of aged steaks.

The specially built temperature-controlled dry-aging compartment with slabs of Himalayan salt are piled in one corner is given pride of place in front of Beato. From the glass window, you can easily view hunks of beef that are undergoing the dry-aging process. Dry-aged beef tends to have greater concentration of the meaty flavour and better tenderness as the dry-aging process causes natural enzymes in the beef break down connective muscle tissues whilst intensifying its inherent flavour.

Awash in warm, mellow lighting, Beato's mod industrial chic interior (think red bricks, raw concrete floor and wood trimmed bar) is fuss-free yet cosily welcoming.

Although aged steaks rule here, the menu proffers some non-beef options too. Warm up your appetite with warm bread rolls - deliciously comforting when spread with butter and the house olive tapenade.

However, the limelight belongs to Beato's sublime Bruschetta (RM15) - a defyingly simple and thickly cut slice of crusty white country bread piled high with juicy cherry tomatoes and cream cheese. Dribbled with balsamic vinegar and honey, the burst of bright colours and soul-lifting accents literally knocked our socks off.

Aged for 25 days, our medium rare serving of 775g Porterhouse (RM38/100g) was adorned with grilled caramelised garlic and a lemon wedge. While the seared outer crust yielded a well-rounded gaminess with hints of flinty minerals to it, we found different marbling of the strip steak and fillet flanking each side of the T-bone allowed us to relish the variation of each cut's chewy succulence. Adding dollops of Dijon and wholegrain mustard or horseradish simply enlivened the taste and flavour dimensions.

The 344g Ribeye (RM39/100g) boasted more noticeably buttery-tender texture with mellower beefy nuance. Best enjoyed medium rare, the steak was speckled with coarse sea salt to enhance its deep, full-bodied flavour.

Balance your meaty quota with assorted side dishes of grilled asparagus (RM14), corn (RM8), zucchini (RM9), sauteed mushroom (RM15), sweet potato fries (RM14) or mashed potato (RM14).

Our faves were the mushrooms, sweet potato fries and creamy potato mash; all left indelible impressions on our palate as their textures and delicate taste profiles acted as counterpoints to the stellar steaks.

Those who eschew beef can still eat well at Beato. We'd recommend the notable Half A Roast Chicken (RM39) with grilled mixed vegetables. The moist poultry came fully suffused with the sweet pungency of its garlic marinade.

Another viable option is Lamb Rack (RM59); cooked to blush pink at the core, the whole rack is lightly encrusted with crushed walnuts, breadcrumbs, honey and wholegrain mustard. Naturally, we picked the bones clean on this speciality.

In case you have companions who prefer fish, try Baked Salmon with Smoked Salmon Salad. The smoked salmon salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette served as the base for the substantial salmon fillet which slightly flaky on the outside. The centre remained spot-on pink.

Sweet options are kept simple with Dried Fruits (RM19) emerging as the conversation-stopper. The basic ensemble of dehydrated slices of kiwifruit, pineapple and banana complemented by fresh blueberries, strawberries and lemon curd surprised us with bursts of concentrated fruity sweetness.

Chocolate fanatics would adore the decadently luscious Chocolate Lava (RM11) and Chocolate Mousse (RM18). Dense and slightly bitter on the palate, the mousse should melt the hearts and tastebuds of die-hard chocoholics.

Don't let the little portion of chocolate lava mislead you. Served with fresh berries and cream on the side, the molten choc centre was most befitting for leaving you in a blissful state of mind.

For reservations, call BEATO Publlika, tel: 03-6206-2405. Address: D2-G3-9 Solaris Dutamas, Bangsar tel: 03-2202-2405. Address: 24-1 Jalan Telawi 3 Bangsar Baru, KL. Biz hours: 5pm to 12am; weekend 12pm to 12am

ZESPRI DE CORP

What was once known as the Chinese gooseberry is now better known as the kiwifruit! 

Think of this little hairy fruit as your natural Vitamin C 'pill'...after all one serving (150g) of kiwifruit gives you over 150% Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of Vitamin C – that's twice as much as a 100g orange! A great immune booster, Vitamin C reduces fatigue and tiredness, and enhances the body's absorption of important minerals such as iron and calcium.

Rohani Jelani shared nifty tricks on how to cut kiwifruit and easy recipes during the cooking session

Flying high on the pole...kiwifruit delivers more nutrients for dynamic ladies

Zespri, the world’s leading marketer of kiwifruit from New Zealand which exports the Zespri® Green and Zespri® Gold kiwifruits to our shores and around the globe, recently held a special cooking session at Bayan Indah for bloggers and media; enabling us to learn more about this amazing fruit.

Sweet surprise...gorgeous kiwifruit muffins rustled up by the Bayan Indah team

After a brief intro by Ms Judy Lee, Marketing Manager for Zespri in SEA and a quick overview by a dietician, we all were treated to a pole dancing session. More sporting bloggers gamely tried their hands at the exercise but we were all chomping at the bit to cook with celebrity chef Rohani Jelani who guided us on how to prepare 4 delicious recipes using Zespri® Kiwifruit!

Rohani showing different ways of cutting fresh kiwifruit for a dessert platter

Needless to say, the proof of the pudding was always in the eating...as avid foodies and cooking enthusiasts, it was half a day well-spent on how to make the most out of Zespri® Kiwifruit besides just eating it raw.

Mille feuille of kiwifruit makes a nice and light treat

Here's a couple of healthy facts about the kiwifruit's goodness:

- enhances good digestive health i.e. regulate bowel movement, reduces feelings of bloatedness and discomfort after a heavy meal.

- its fibre-rich content promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in our gut.

- perfect for weight management as its protease enzyme (actinidin) helps food protein digestion, including meat, dairy, soy and legume, enabling better nutrient absorption.

- low in glycemic index that helps moderate blood glucose level – making it safe for diabetics.

- a natural source of Folate that's essential for the formation of red blood cells, cell growth and nerve development and Potassium, key nutrient to normalise functions of nerves and muscles.

Chicken chop with kiwifruit sauce...yummylicious!

Wholesome meal cooked with kiwifruit...tangy fish curry with kiwifruit, prawn skewers with kiwifruit salsa, kiwifruit kerabu salad & chicken chop with kiwifruit sauce

More recipes using Kiwifruit and information on Zespri available from www.zespri.com

Tangy fish curry gets a unexpected lift from kiwifruit wedges

Grilled prawn skewers laden with kiwifruit and capsicum salsa

Congratulations to Huey Min and Kristen for winning the Zespri freebies! Look out for more goodies to come in future blog posts... :)