THE ORIENTAL GROUP'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL MENU

A special 8-course celebratory menu to mark The Oriental Group of Restaurants 25^th Anniversary takes centrestage this year. Curated by the Group’s veteran master chefs featuring best-selling dishes and some ‘off menu’ items, the milestone menu showcases clean tasting yet well-balanced and intensely flavoured Cantonese cuisine. The different culinary sections are also represented, allowing each chef to demonstrate their skills and prowess.

Headed by Executive Chef Wong Ching Leong of Noble House, the other team members include Dim Sum Chef Mak Tin Woi of Oriental Pavilion, Chef Choong Yaw Loong and Sous Chef Yam Yoon Loy of Noble Mansion and BBQ Chef Wai Kok Cheng of Oriental Treasure. Collectively they had 88 years of service and more than 150 years of kitchen experience.

Priced at RM3,888 per table of 10 persons, the 8-course menu opened with a festive curtain-raiser of Soft Shell Crab and Crispy Enoki Mushroom Fruit and Vege Salad. Reminiscent of yee sang, the assorted vegetable and fruit julienne tossed with roasted sesame and wasabi mayo dressing paved the way for more of the chefs’ culinary arsenal.

Using bird’s nest for creating dessert is normal but to incorporate the pricey ingredient into a savoury dish makes it distinctive. The clear, delicately flavoured broth of the Double Boiled Superior Bird’s Nest Stuffed in Chicken alone was superb. Bamboo pith and ginkgo lent textural interest whilst dried scallops accentuated the soup with a touch of umami.

Crisp meets supple-soft texture in the show-stopping Deluxe Roast Suckling Pig Platter. 

Chef Wai’s BBQ expertise shines through the shiny, crackling skin which is placed on top of meltingly tender Iberico pork slice wrapped around goose liver sausage and spring onion. Slicked with char siew sauce, the delectable morsel was paired with soft mantou to complete the sublime speciality.

For the Braised Whole 5 head Abalone with Dried Seafood in Whole Lotus Root, we were told the huge lotus root was sourced from Hebei. Hollowed out at the centre, the lotus root is then braised for 4-5 hours and soaked overnight. Steamed until cooked, it’s filled with the braised abalones, dried scallops and black mushrooms.

We love the dish’s lip-sticking sauce, redolent with umami-rich taste of the filling which had thoroughly seeped into the soft yet gently tender lotus root. The abalones’ toothsome chewiness stood out in pleasing contrast.

The dim sum element was represented by a dainty Taro Pear with Kurobuta Pork. It was agreeable although more of that delish pork filling would proffer better mouthfeel.

Anniversary celebration inevitably means noodles to denote longevity and Braised Ramen with King Prawn marked the occasion. The slippery smooth ramen played a coy supporting role, allowing the fresh sweetness of king prawn to shine. Personally, I reckon springier sang meen works better for this dish but the chefs call the shot...

 

I went nuts over the lightly sweetened Almond Cream with Egg White. A classic dessert blending Chinese sweet and bitter almonds (nam hung, pak hung) or apricot kernels, some diners may find the natural nutty-floral scent offensive but I like it. Suffice to say I lapped up every drop and my partner’s portion too.

Between the Jade Corn Dessert and Green Tea Mochi, the latter fared better. The red bean-studded green tea cream filling was a nice surprise as we bit into the thin chewy skin. I didn’t care much for the former – it was too insipid for such a grand occasion.

The Grand Dinner dates from 8 to 28 August 2024 will be held at different restaurants under The Oriental Group. However, the special a la carte and set menus will be available until end September for diners who couldn’t make it to the Grand Dinners.

For more information and reservations, contact The Oriental Group, visit: https://www.orientalrestaurants.com.my/
 

NEW MENU ITEMS YOU'D LOVE AT AN VIET

 

Bánh Khọt (RM14.90), scrumptious Vietnamese mini savoury coconut pancakes laden with minced pork, chopped shrimps, mung beans and sautéed spring onions transported us to Vietnam briefly.

The serving of moreish pancakes was one of the new items launched by An Viet recently. Slightly crisp on the outer edges segueing into spongier texture towards the centre, we savoured them wrapped in fresh lettuce and herbs. Nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce) with pickled radish and carrot strips boosted the overall taste.

We also sampled several other new dishes at the latest outlet at Pavilion Bukit Jalil recently. The show-stealer was Crispy Rice Noodle Pillows with Sautéed Pork/Beef (a la carte: RM22.90 pork/RM23.90 beef; set RM27.90 pork/RM28.90 beef).

According to restaurateur Caren Poon, the dish is a tricky one to prepare. “The flat rice noodles needs to be of a certain thickness so that they can be layered, cut into squares then deep-fried to puff them up. If the noodles are too thick, the resultant ‘pillows’ will be hard. It cannot be too thin either as they may break during the frying process.”

Taste-wise, the noodle ‘pillows’ combined with the stir-fried greens and sliced beef/pork bore some similarities with Cantonese fried noodles. We like the cohesive textures and enticing smoky aroma emanating from the dish.

Besides the prawn version, An Viet now features Gỏi Cuốn (RM10.90), fresh spring rolls with grilled pork belly in addition to fillings of rice vermicelli, fresh lettuce, radish and carrot julienne and basil.

Dunked into sweet-savoury-tangy nuoc cham, the gamut of harmonious flavours and disparate yet complementary textures scored well with us.  
 

Evoking the comforting warmth of hearth and home, we couldn’t resist sampling the soulful Stewed Chestnut Pork Belly (RM24.90 with rice; RM29.90 set). Think tau ew bak (braised pork in soy sauce) Vietnamese-style, albeit shades lighter due to a mixture of coconut water, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar used to braise the pork.

Succulent black mushrooms and powdery-soft chestnuts dialled up the speciality’s appeal. We slurped up the rich, flavourful gravy to the last drop.

For our quota of greens, we opted for Gong Cai Crunchy “Sound Vegetable” Salad with Tiger Prawns (RM18.90). Black sesame seed-flecked crackers and toasted peanuts played key supporting roles, tastefully backing up a trio of sautéed sliced celtuce, carrot julienne and poached tiger prawns.

The entire delicious medley not only proved on-song but also rendered delightful ‘sound bites’ to the ears.

No visit to An Viet is complete without pho. The newly included Sautéed Beef Noodle Soup (a la carte RM24.90, set RM29.90) was the satisfying solution; a splendid pairing of silky smooth noodles with gently sautéed beef slices.

Chè Ba Màu (RM8.90), Vietnamese 3 Colour Dessert capped off our culinary sojourn. Similar to ice kacang, this refreshing shaved ice treat atop soft red and mung beans, pandan-green jelly strips, and lightly sweetened coconut milk was the perfect ending to our marvellous Vietnamese dining experience.

 
For more information and reservations at An Viet, visit: https://www.facebook.com/anviet.my
 

CHINESE NEW YEAR MENUS AT ELEGANT INN HK

 

Fresh, natural ingredients form the mainstay for the customary Bountiful Harvest Salmon Yee Sang at Elegant Inn HK Cuisine (E.I.). 

Never mind about the muted colours; at least the whole platter was a natural composition of shredded carrot, radish and cucumber with pickled onion and ginger, pearl clams and sesame seeds. A dedicated member of the E.I. kitchen team painstakingly prepares this speciality throughout the celebratory period.

In addition to the house-made sauce, the raw salmon slices are sliced on premise, to ensure food safety and hygiene standards are met. Every mouthful of the delicious salad with its myriad of textures and flavours left us raving with sheer delight.

To welcome the Dragon Year with a bang, E.I. is offering 8 special CNY menus for groups of 4-10 persons and 3 individual set menus, available from 8 January (minimum 3 days prior notice) and throughout the festive period from 22 January onwards.

During our sneak preview, we sampled festive offerings selected by lady boss Jeannette Han from the different celebratory menus. A traditional soup of Double Boiled Spare Ribs with Night Blooming Cereus, Fresh Cordyceps, Organic Black-Eyed Beans and Topshell came hot on the heels after the yee sang salad.

 

The edible night blooming cereus is said to be rich in antioxidants; to help protect the body from free radicals, reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, improve digestion, and reduce the risk of certain diseases. Together with E.I.’s cachet of fresh cordyceps, topshell clams, black eyed-beans, Yunnan ham, chicken feet, dried conch and dried scallops, the resultant broth was soul-satisfyingly sweet.

Specially sourced from a Penang farm, the Free-Range Chicken cooked with Fish Maw, Lotus Root and Wild Termite Mushroom in Premium Soy Sauce wowed us with its impossibly tender and toothsome texture. We like the slightly resistant bite of the flesh; a far cry from the mushier mass farm-raised chickens. Of course, we couldn’t pass up the chance to lap up the slick, savoury-sweet sauce with all that chicken jus.

Fluffy-soft, crisp and succulent textures integrated nicely in the Trio Seafood Platter. The delicate, flake-like Fried Japanese Dried Scallops and Golden Coin Shark’s Fin is meant to resemble osmanthus flower petals hence the dish’s Cantonese ‘kwai fah chi’ name. A tricky dish that demands deft handiwork on the chef’s part, to prevent the scrambled egg from clumping into large clods.

Airy-light crunchy E.I. Salt Pepper Fried HK Silver Fish contrasted nicely with the earlier appetiser. Completing the tasteful trinity was delectable Hokkaido Scallop Bacon Roll.

 

The evening’s show-stopper of Braised Five Treasures Stuffed Pork Belly with Black Garlic, Chestnuts and Lotus Seeds garnered rapturous praises among our dining party. We found the black garlic’s fleeting licorice-like nuance lent a muted sweet earthiness to the meaty, collagen-rich sauce.

Almost too indulgent to savour, the expertly prepared slab of pork with its alternating streaks of fat and lean meat was sumptuously moist and sweet with rich, lustrous flavour. The chestnuts and lotus seeds lent a delightfully subtle crunch.

From the individual menus, the lady boss indulged us with Aromatic HK Liu Ma Kee (LMK) Red Beancurd Pork Belly and French Beans on Sesame Sauce, and Braised Fish Maw with Pork Cartilage Ribs and Prosperous Chicken Meat Ball in Crab Roe Sauce.

The first reminded me of an amped up version of Hakka jar yoke (fried pork); the pork belly marinated with Hong Kong’s famous and established LMK nam yue (fermented red beancurd) then fried to light crispness. Utterly yummy without being too cloying thanks to the crunchy French beans dressed in sesame sauce to balance things out.

Some clever textural interplay made the latter porky dish memorable, especially the tender meat which came off easily the soft cartilage bones. The varied softness of the velvet-soft fish maw and chicken ball with seamoss heightened the dish’s overall appeal.

To fulfill our quota of greens, we tried Fish Maw with Organic Spinach, Silky Egg White and Crab Roe. Primed up with pricey fish maw and crab roe in addition to custardy-soft egg white, the Japanese spinach would certainly induce even non-veg fans to succumb to its allure.

Instead of 'lap mei farn' (rice with waxed meat), the lady boss chose to treat us to a winsome Claypot Rice with Chicken Fillet, French Goose Liver and Fish Maw. Personally, I love it as a nice departure from the tried-and-tested. With the supremely rich-tasting foie gras oil coating the fluffy rice grains, each spoonful was a sheer joy to eat.

 

Tender boneless chicken fillet, dulcet smooth fish maw pieces and dices of melt-in-the-mouth foie gras added extra appeal to the offering. We also clamoured for the charred, smoky rice crust scraped up from the bottom of the pot.

We wrapped up our lavish preview with a light yet befitting dessert treat of Double Boiled Fuji Red Apple with Organic Apricot, Chinese Almonds and Snow Fungus. It was clear, nutritious with delicate textures; a sweet ending to another outstanding experience at E.I. 

Prices for the CNY Menus start from RM1,688++ per table of 10 persons. Festive set menus for 6-10 persons from RM2,088++ upwards and individual menus from RM228++ upwards per person are also available.

For reservations at Elegant Inn HK Cuisine, call tel: 03-2070 9399. Address: 2.01, 2nd Floor, Podium Block, Menara Hap Seng, Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur.