APRIL AND PARENTS’ DAY SPECIALS FROM THE MING ROOM

Nowadays a meal at The Ming Room come with some dramatic flair. Due to the ‘camera eats first’ maxim, restaurateurs and chefs have to work much harder, to ensure the dishes not only taste good but are fanfare worthy of TikTok and Instagram.

Highlighting a combination of April specialities and choice picks from Oriental Group’s Parents Day set menus, our lunch started on delightful note with Prawn Salad Honeydew Bowl with Wasabi Cream Prawns.

One of the curtain-raisers from the upcoming Parents’ Day menu (RM1,888++ per table of 10 persons), the dish arrived trailing wisps of dry ice for ethereal effect. 

The mayo-coated prawns with fresh honeydew dices teased the tastebuds with subtle sweetness whilst the wasabi nuance dialled up zingy notches, lending extra appeal to the appetiser.

Finicky parents will find the premium Stuffed Bird’s Nest Chicken Wing and Bamboo Pith in Superior Broth (RM78++ per person) right down their alley. 

The collagen-rich broth was succour for the soul, a splendid canvas to accompany the chicken wing stuffed with luxe clumps of bird’s nest. Sublime.

 
Also igniting interest with its dramatic ‘flaming’ presence was the Fiery Cherry Duck (RM118++). Infused with a myriad of Chinese spices, the crisp skin and juicy, tender duck was a joy to eat. No sauce necessary although we did sample it with plum sauce and mustard. Personally, I find the duck delectable enough sans dip.

While steamed fish remains a tried-and-tested option at most Chinese restaurants, the flavour bomb of Braised Live Garoupa with Chef’s Special Sauce (RM298++) had us hooked at first bite.

We happily lapped up every drop of that hearty, tasty sauce; its complexity richly nuanced with shimeji and black mushroom, fuchuk (beancurd sticks), kum jum (dried lily buds), Chinese cabbage, capsicums, and garlic pips.  

Meat lovers will find ample satisfaction from picking the bones clean off Oriental Group’s scrumptious Iberico Pork Ribs in Banana Leaf. Slightly smoky and savoury with hints of sweetness, the delish ribs is another stellar inclusion for the Parents’ Day (found in the RM1,888++ per table of 10 persons menu) celebration.

 

Steamed Rice with Pork Ribs, Hong Kong Chinese Liver Sausage and Preserved Vegetable (RM88++ medium, RM178++ large) unfailingly evoked Chinese New Year vibes again when we sampled the superb dish. We like how the punch of chilli heat in the rice tempered the dish’s fatty richness.

Musang King Ice Cream and Mango Tart and Dang Ying (lamp shape) Red Bean Pumpkin Balls with Banana wrapped up our lunch preview on a light yet palate-pleasing note. Both dessert creations are featured in the Parents’ Day menu.

Although the banana dices didn’t make an impression amidst the red bean filling, the crisp yet chewy pumpkin balls scored highly.

IMO, durian die-hard fans will be more than happy to devour the former as its discernible aroma may not appeal to all and sundry.

Spacious and contemporary with a seating capacity for 500 persons and several private dining rooms, The Ming Room is event-ready for small, intimate weddings and significant celebrations.

Cheery lighting, scores of bamboo accents set against rustic backdrops and plush underfoot carpet with floral motifs dominate the interior. Lines of terracotta horses draw attention inside private dining rooms. Whether it's a casual lunch or a big do, The Ming Room is ready to roll out the red carpet for discerning lovers of excellent Chinese cuisine.

 

For reservations, please contact The Ming Room, tel: 03- 2284 8822 or WhatsApp 012 811 8812. Address: Lot T109, T111, T111a, T112, T113 & T115, 3rd Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, 285, Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, Kuala Lumpur. 

SIZZLING GOOD TIME AT HANAM BBQ

 

Pork cuts cooked at tableside. Unlimited refills of kimchi, lettuce and marinated wild garlic leaves. Fluffy steamed egg and Korean tofu stew on the side. As far as first impressions go, Hanam BBQ knocked it out of the park from the get-go.

My belated birthday treat – an unforgettable, slap-up Korean bbq lunch – comprised a superb good-value set at RM175++. It comprised 360g pork belly, 180g collar butt and 150g jowl meat; ample enough to leave our party of four replete.

We also ordered Soft Tofu Stew (RM30++) and Steamed Egg with Flying Fish Roe (RM20++) in addition to a serving of rice (RM6++). 

Hats off to the service team for taking such meticulous care in grilling the three different pork cuts. It was nice not having to lift a finger.

Not only did they patiently grilled everything in an orderly manner, they even stacked up the pieces of cooked pork nicely. The tilted grill pan had a spout to drain off excess oil; that flowed into a paper cup.

When the kimchi was being cooked, we dug into the fluffy, piping hot steamed egg. So delicious! The two types of kimchi were so appetising we asked for repeat servings.

Two signature offerings stood out at Hanam BBQ: the tangy, refreshing condiment of Calamansabi (calamansi with wasabi) and tangy-sweet Myeonginamul (marinated wild garlic leaves) lent a distinctive dimension to the bbq pork.

All the meaty richness were offset by the pleasantly piquant Soft Tofu Stew. A moderately spicy broth made with gochujang and gochugaru, it had a hodge-podge of sliced cucumber, soft beancurd, oyster mushroom sliced leek and onion, and an egg to give textural substance.

It was fun, slurping up the stew as we took our time savouring the bbq pork pieces wrapped in fresh lettuce. Raw garlic slices, house gochuchang paste, calamansabi and sesame seed-flecked salt dip along with more cabbage as well as chives and lettuce kimchi enabled us to create multiple variations of our little lettuce and pork wraps.

 

Overall, it was a splendid experience as the restaurant’s efficient ventilation system ensured we didn’t leave imbued with bbq fumes.

HANAM BBQ, B-019, The Starling Mall, 6, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya Selangor

GET SET IN MARCH AT ELEGANT INN

Life’s a continuous feast at Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine. March looks set to be marvellous with the debut of two special set menus: Bountiful Harvest and Golden Harvest at this city’s arbiter of fine Cantonese cuisine.

Highlighting a judicious selection of familiar favourites and newer creations, we were accorded a taste of the Golden Harvest menu recently.

Things got off to a happy start with us savouring Crispy Soft Shell Crabs in Light Spicy Sauce, Hokkaido Scallop Bacon Rolls and E.I. Crispy Vegetable Rice Rolls for openers.

Plump Hokkaido scallop wrapped in crisp, tasty bacon stirred our gastronomic juices with the scallop’s oh-so-delicate sweetness amplified by the bacon’s savoury richness.

Nice contrasting textures came into play from the Hong Kong-inspired jar leong. Instead of yutiao (fried fritters), the smooth flat rice rolls were filled with crispy taro strips. Drizzled with a little soy sauce, this delicious morsel made for a sublime mouthful.

I’m not a fan of deep-fried soft shell crabs so this appetiser was par for the course for me. Dressed in a tantalisingly spicy sauce, there were also crispy onion rings amidst the crab chunks.

Known for its salubrious soups, Elegant Inn reinforces its stellar reputation with a superbly Braised Twin Fish Maw with Sakura Ebi in Flaky Fish Winter Melon Broth. 

We lapped up every drop of that viscously silky broth whilst relishing the slippery suppleness of the fish maw strips. Lending it subtle crispiness and umami accent was some sakura ebi for that perfect finish.

Deserving a gold medal IMO was the serving of Golden Fried Sea Crystal Prawns in Salted Egg Yolk paired with Golden Prosperous Chicken Meat Balls. Springy to the bite, the big prawns had us hooked at first bite thanks to the attendant richly flavourful salted egg yolk crust.

Equally raveworthy were yummy chicken meat balls, reminiscent of classic hai jou (deep-fried crab and pork mince balls). The hearty bites brought back such nostalgic feels.

Heralding a sense of celebration in its wake was the show-stealing Braised Five Treasure Pork Belly with Whole 9-head South African Abalones, Black Garlic, Lotus Seeds and Chestnuts.

It was a stellar showcase of varied textures juxtaposed against a supremely lustrous, full-bodied sauce. We thoroughly relished soaking it all up with deep-fried mantou.

After all those heavy hitters, we readily welcomed the subtler nuances exuded by the Braised Vegetarian Assortment with Cordycep Flower and Housemade Tofu. Spongy and custardy-soft melding with gelatinous and tender textures ruled here.

Claypot Rice with Sea Star Garoupa Fillet, Hong Kong Dried Prawns and Tung Choi instantly garnered effusive praises once we dug into the scrumptious rice. Possibly the next best thing to Elegant Inn’s famed lap mei farn (waxed meat rice), this fish-laden version dialled up the appeal factor with a generous topping naturally umami-sweet HK dried prawns and preserved vegetable.

Lunch finished on a splendid high with exquisitely dainty Bird’s Nest Egg Tartlets and irresistible Nutty Sesame Balls. The latter deserved special mention as each chewy ball was stuffed with coarsely crushed peanuts and sugar, to deliver better mouthfeel. A treat worth going nuts over!

We chased those dessert treats with refreshing bowls of Double Boiled Fresh Pineapple with Lily Flower and Snow Fungus. An on-point, cooling broth to counter the current hot and hazy weather.

The Golden Harvest is priced RM1,188++ for 4 persons, RM1,688++ for 6 persons and RM2,788++ for 10 persons and will be available until end March.

For reservations, call Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine, at tel: 03-20709399 or 03-67379399 or WhatsApp 012-7223518.