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.

EARTH-SPECIALLY FOR YOU

Raise a toast to Dorsett Regency KL's pledged to support of Earth Hour on 31 March! The hotel team aims to create better awareness and draw hotel guests to support the worthy cause through several interesting activities.

Besides switching off lights and reducing usage of electricity for an hour on that evening, guests can participate in the campaign by dining in candlelight at Checker's Cafe/Cellini's with Executive Chef KK Yau and his team preparing a low-energy, more eco-friendly menu.

A special cocktail concoction named Window Slide refreshes the palate, reminding you of the fresh vitality of life through its tangy-sweet concoction of lemon, lime and orange juices blended with mint leaves.

The chef's tasty tapas of Foie Croquette with Yuzu Marmalade got the ball rolling. We love the fried morsel of duck liver foie gras encrusted in breadcrumbs; its crispiness is less cloying when paired with some fresh micro sprouts and a tiny dollop of mildly sweet citrusy marmalade.

This paves way for his next starter of Australian King Fish Sashimi with Pastrami Spice. The sashimi-grade fish's rich succulence is lightly tempered by a palate-tingling mixture of fennel and mustard seeds, ground black and white pepper, chopped garlic and parsley on a bed of fresh salad.

I love partaking the Heirloom Tomato Consomme. Depending on whether you love or loathe cooking, this clear broth is a labour of love (or pain!) that demands detailed preparation and saintly patience to make. I thought it most befitting that the crystal clear and intensely flavourful broth is served with a grand flourish; poured piping hot from a teapot into our soup dish bearing a single square of homemade mozzarella ravioli and a cherry tomato stuffed with mozzarella.

We taken by surprise by the unexpected moistness of the filling inside the Ballantine of Organic Chicken on Osso Bucco of Organic Carrots. Chef Yau explained that chopped chestnuts had been added into the cheese and turkey ham stuffing to give better moisture. He also revealed that the 'osso bucco' in this instance refers to the braising of baby carrots in white stock, a reduction of chicken stock and herb infusion to tenderise them. Overall, it certainly ensures the chicken rolls remain moist and juicy to the bite.

The final crescendo came when I dug into the fudgy-soft Steamed Chocolate Brownie with Organic Hazelnut Ganache. Rich, nutty but spongy light, this brownie is a far cry from the usual dried crumbly versions that I had encountered. Kudos to Pastry Chef Badrul Hisham for such a luscious creation...whose dulcet voice is as soulful as his dessert.

So do your part and be an eco warrior this Saturday for Earth Hour. Our one and only home planet's worth rooting for over a sumptuous dinner where it'd be lights out from 830 pm to 930 pm. At RM98++ per person, it's a small price to pay to help save Mother Earth. 

Call Checker's Cafe, Tel: 03-2716 1000. It's at Dorsett Regency, 172 Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur or log onto: www.dorsettregency.com/kualalumpur

ORGANIC GROWTH

Organic food seems to be enjoying a growth spurt of sorts in KL.

There's now an Organic Farm outlet in my own neighbourhood. Recently I spied and ventured into two organic cafes - Haven and EarthFood in Ampang Hilir which served dishes cooked with organic ingredients; both outlets also sell organically grown vegetables, organically farmed fish and organic produce.

 I've also been told that there's great Sarawak laksa and organic dishes to be had at Living Food (Menara Tan&Tan) and Opika (1Utama) but I've yet to make my way these places.

Diners in the city can expect to find organic beef and lamb soon on some hotels' and restaurants' menus. This is a foregone conclusion after I attended an informative cooking cum tasting session on organic beef and lamb by Beyond Culinary and Classic Fine Foods which was well-attended by many of the said industry players.

Rose Yong's Beyond Culinary Studio Theatre is more than just another cooking school. It's designed to let professional chefs and food service/trade people explore and experience the whole 'source to plate' process through hands-on educational sessions.

According to Jacques Cosset, MD of Classic Fine Foods, his company decides to import The Organic Meat Company's organic beef and lamb from Australia in response to consumers' growing awareness and demand for healthier, safer meat.

"Organic farmers also emphasize on and practise sustainable farming; from the animals' welfare to how their produce is grown and harvested which are more eco-friendly in the long run," he said. "To be certified organic, the animals have to be born and bred on certified organic pasture outdoors, be allowed to roam and feed without any given antibiotics or growth hormones."

 Chef Victor Seow from Las Carretas pan-fried, grilled and roasted different cuts of beef and lamb for us to sample. To retain the meat's inherent flavour, no marinade was used. No complaints from all present though as most of the cuts were superbly tender and juicy. A dash of coarse sea salt and ground black pepper were more than ample to perk up the flavour profile according to taste.

The lamb rack was another major hit that afternoon ... needless to say, it was one of my fave cuts too!

Before we wrap up for the afternoon, Victor also demonstrated the convenience of cooking Bonduelle's frozen spinach, baby French beans and broad beans - a boon for the busy food service personnel who are constantly pressed for time. Definitely an interesting way to spend an afternoon!

FOOD FOR LIFE

A scoop of healthy Olive Couscous

In response to overwhelming demand from her customers, founder of Woods Macrobiotics June Ka Lim has now opened a brand new café, Woods Bio Marche in the bustling suburb of SS2 Petaling Jaya.

For the uninitiated, the words ‘macro’ means ‘big’ or ‘long’ and ‘bio’ means ‘life’ in Greek so macrobiotics essentially means a ‘long life diet’. The Macrobiotic way believes in eating and living in harmony with nature – food should comprise whole grains and cereals, organic fruits and vegetables, natural seeds, nuts, legumes and other eco-friendly products.

The cheery and streamlined outlet with a simple open kitchen serves organic Japanese, Malay, Indian, Chinese and Western dishes. We were amazed by the versatile selection that was served at the opening bash. If nobody told us the delectable array was meat, dairy and sugar-free, we would be none the wiser!

What a feast! Turmeric-infused Yuba with Sesame (top)
tasted even better accompanied by some Fried Brown Rice Meehoon

The wholesome feast included Organic Tumeric Yuba (bean sticks) with Sesame, Caesar Salad with Vegan Feta, Seeds and Rye Croutons, Fried Organic Brown Rice Vermicelli, Mediterranean Olive Coucous, Green Vegetable Curry and French Toast, Sour Cherry Sliced Cake, and Bread & Butter Pudding.

Piquant Green Curry (top) complemented by slices of French toast made from naturally leavened bread

A selection of organic, vegan and macrobiotic groceries, fresh produce, naturally leavened breads and pastries made without dairy, eggs, butter or trans-fat are also available.

There's no excuse not to eat healthier as offerings are priced from RM3 upwards – perfect for budget-conscious diners on the lookout for healthy and affordable meals. With a seating capacity of 50 seats, Woods Bio Marche is open for brunch, lunch, tea and dinner from 11am to 9.30pm daily except Mondays.

WOODS BIO MARCHE, 54, Jalan SS2/72, Petaling Jaya