CREATIVITY RULES AT NEWLY REFRESHED TOH YUEN

Familiar yet fresh sums up the newly renovated Toh Yuen restaurant. Modern elegance with contemporary touches blends artfully with traditional accents of red and understated decorative elements to create a serene, sophisticated dining space.

 

With a seating capacity of 150 and four private dining rooms, Toh Yuen is ideal for casual and special outings.

Among the culinary gems awaiting diners is Roasted Peking Silver Hill London Duck (RM168 nett for half duck, RM268 nett whole duck). The Wagyu of ducks are meticulously roasted using a customised oven then carved tableside. Wrapped in delicate pancakes, the meltingly tender duck is accompanied by fresh cucumber strips, spring onions, and rich hoisin sauce; a delectable treat you’re unlikely to forget.

The remaining duck meat is then transformed into delicious Braised Shredded Duck with Ee Fu Noodle. Truffle oil adds a luxe touch to the silky noodles. Crisp cornets stuffed with duck meat and other dishes are available from the restaurant too.

For an overview of its dim sum repertoire, Toh Yuen offers a Dim Sum Lunch Set at RM99 nett per person. The culinary team puts a lot of efforts into creating exquisite morsels such as the goldfish-shape Steamed Cod Dumpling with Chicken Broth (so good I was tempted to lick the plate clean), Steamed Siew Mai with Hokkaido Scallop (an on-point showcase of bouncy-tender textures), and delicate Steamed Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp and Wolfberries (love the translucent skin yielding to a clean vegetal nuance touched with the fleeting sweetness of shrimp and wolfberries).

One of the show-stealers to gain two thumbs up is Baked Chicken Tart with Abalone. The flaky pastry encasing a mildly sweet-savoury chicken filling topped with mini abalone is memorable for its resemblance to char siu sou.

Even the soup course is levelled up with a mini pumpkin filled with Braised Crab Meat Broth with Scallop and Asparagus. Delicate flavours aplenty, with subtle crunch of the asparagus and supple-soft diced scallop bestowing textural interest.

Should you decide to go à la carte, we highly recommend sampling Toh Yuen’s signature offerings. Notable specialities such as Sweet and Sour Diced Chicken with Figs stood out for its enticing sauce and palate-pleasing fried chicken pieces paired with fresh sweet figs, and the supremely tender Stir-Fried Wagyu Beef with Porcini Mushrooms and Trio of Peppercorn.

Sweet with on-point doneness, the Steamed Pomfret with Pickled Red Chillies and Minced Ginger is divine. Kudos to the chef for the tantalising combination of robustly flavoured toppings.

The springy Golden Butter Prawns with Cashew Nuts appears par for the course. I’d wish the chef has given this offering a little twist, just to set it apart from the competition.  

It’s nice to conclude on a high with a distinct Egg Custard Pastry (deliciously flaky and custard-soft filling win every time). Even the Chilled Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo finds favour with its just-nice sweetness.

Open daily from 12.30 pm to 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm to 10 pm, reservations at Toh Yuen are highly recommended. 

To book a table or more information, contact Toh Yuen, Hilton Petaling Jaya at tel: 03 7955 9122 or WhatsApp 016 216 0414, or email PETHI_FB@hilton.com, or visit eatdrinkhilton.com.

KYOMO KOHI BREWS UP DELISH EATS

 

“Kyomo” in Japanese means today or daily, the essence behind Kyomo Kohi, the minimalist Japanese-inspired café at New Ocean Fine Food City. Channelling Japanese artisan café vibes, Kyomo Kohi takes pride in serving artisanal coffee drinks, creative beverages, and artfully prepared East meets West dishes as well as tempting cakes and pastries as its drawcards.

We felt at ease instantly within the bright, cheery and clean-lined interior. Coupled with friendly service and the stellar selection of good eats, we were charmed by this trendy outpost.

Finger-thick, lightly battered Japanese Sweet Potato (RM18) stirred our interest prior to our mains’ arrival. Drizzled with Thai brown sugar syrup, the yummy sweet potato fingerlings severely tested our restraint from gobbling up the whole lot in one go.

Slaking our thirst with chilled Cantaloupe Yuzu (RM17) and the newer Matcha Strawberry Latte and Tiramisu Latte, we found fresh appeal from the first drink’s citrusy yuzu accent while the other beverages’ fruity and creamy coffee appeal kept our animated conversation flowing.

Gyukatsu Don (RM65), headlined by a panko-crusted, 110-g Aussie wagyu cutlet emerged as the day’s favourite ‘must try’ dish. Done medium rare, the slab of tender beef accompanied by Japanese rice, miso soup, fresh mixed salad, house-made curry sauce and potato salad was not only great value but also delectable to boot.

Coming in a close second was the soulful Salmon Ochazuke Yuzu Spice (RM30). We love relishing the comforting succour of the hot seasoned dashi, poured over grilled salmon fillet and Japanese rice. Ikura (salmon roe) and bonito furikake (flavoured rice puffs and seaweed flakes) bestowed bursts of briny and savoury flavours.

 
Thick, rich and lightly spiced Japanese curry with well-balanced savoury-sweet accents complemented crispy fried chicken to create a most delicious Chicken Karaage Curry Rice (RM28). Along with a runny soft-boiled egg and sweet corn kernels, it was one of the better versions we had sampled. Even though I’m not a fan of Japanese curry, I found this likeable.

Go for breakfast (7am to 3pm) and you’d find a notable start to the day with spongy-light Buttermilk Pancakes (RM20). Served with seasonal fruits, berry coulis, Chantilly cream and maple syrup, the pancakes were deftly made and went like a dream with the various accompaniments.

 
Playful sweet-savoury nuances teased our tastebuds when we dug into the Brioche Blossom French Toast (RM26). Topped with supple slices of smoked salmon, fresh rocket salad, a medley of fresh fruits, grated cheese and maple syrup, the thick-cut toast came up to mark.

We left no scone unturned and succumbed to the delightful Lemon Scone (RM9). Buttery with just the right amount of crumbly and airy lightness, we enjoyed smearing it with clotted cream and lemon curd.

Kyomo Kohi is definitely a noteworthy outpost for coffee and good food in our books.

For reservations at Kyomo Kohi, please call tel: 03-8408 8021. Address: L1 - 01, Level 1, New Ocean World Fine Food City, 15, Jalan 19/1, Seksyen 19, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 8pm; Sat, Sun & public holidays 7am to 8pm