Showing posts with label pork trotter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pork trotter. Show all posts

Friday, April 07, 2023

THAI ISAAN TEMPTATIONS AT MERA

Coated in airy-light wisps of batter, the crispy catfish with green mango and cashews or Yam Pa Dok Ko (RM48), is the show-stealer at Mera. The huge chunks of deep-fried catfish form a sublime combination with a tart-salty-tangy salad of shredded mango, onion and roasted cashews.

While most Thai restaurants in the Klang Valley serve central Thai food, mostly Bangkok-style, we rarely come across any Thai resto showcasing Isaan food. Now, Mera at Damansara Kim has an Isaan-born chef at the helm, tasked with ensuring the authentic essence of Isaan cooking is retained whilst catering to Malaysian palates.

Dishes from the North-eastern Thai province of Isaan flaunt bolder, more robust flavours: making them spicier and sourer. Culinary influences from Laos and Cambodia also hold sway, with fresh herbs such as lemongrass, galangal, lime, chillies and garlic commonly used. Glutinous rice is another staple; a perfect vessel to capture those punchy, vibrant flavours.
Aside from the memorable crispy catfish salad, Mera serves several typical Isaan salads. Topping the list is Som Tum (RM38), fresh and crunchy Isaan-style young papaya salad with full-blown spicy-briny-sour-garlicky accents. Cherry tomatoes add a tinge of fruitiness to it. 


Another popular option is Larb Moo (RM48), spicy-salty minced pork salad seasoned with fish sauce, chilli flakes, lime juice and assorted fresh Thai herbs. However, the one we tried tasted somewhat underwhelming so if you prefer a no-holds-barred version, let the Mera team know.


Happily, the flavour quotient is dialled back up by Tom Sap, hot and sour pork soup. Thanks to the various aromatics: sawtooth coriander, cilantro, lemongrass, dried chillies, onion and tomatoes, this clear, sweet tom yum soup gets the thumbs up.


Grilled Isaan sausages or Sa Kork Isaan (RM48) are also worth sampling. The stuffing is made using fermented pork mince, rice and garlic, and laced with strands of glass noodles, rendering the sausages with a distinct tang. This popular Isaan street food snack is usually enjoyed with chopped bird’s eye chilli, raw cabbage or cucumber and cut ginger.


Fat. Lean. Gelatinous. These varied meat textures make Kao Ka Moo (RM48), a comforting dish of braised pork trotter with hardboiled egg utterly delectable and soul-satisfying. To counter any discernible meaty richness, we savour the melt-in-the-mouth chunks of pork with blanched greens, pickles and a zingy house made chilli dip.


Kor Moo Yang (RM58) – barbecued pork neck is another crowd-pleaser. The pork slices look rather lean at first glance but on closer inspection, they bear an irresistible layer of fat on top, amplifying the pork’s juiciness. A salty-sweet chilli and toasted rice dip helps to boost the smoky, fatty taste profile.


The flavoursome party continues with Moo Yang Nam Tok (RM48), spicy and sour grilled pork salad. Tossed with shallot, cilantro, lemongrass, mint, basil, and crushed roasted rice; each stimulating mouthful leaves us hankering for more.

 

Speckled with aromatic fried garlic bits, Gai Yang (RM48) – Isaan-style grilled chicken cuts a swath with us too. Marinated with lemongrass and fish sauce, the juicy and tender chook comes accompanied by a tantalising dip of lime juice, fish sauce, chilli flakes, palm sugar, chopped coriander and toasted rice.


Steamed with lime, chilli and garlic, the deliciously tender squid dish of Pla Muk Meung Manao (RM68) instantly reels us in with its bold, piquant flavours. It’s irresistible when paired with the scrumptious Crispy Pork Fried Rice (RM38). We can’t get enough of the fluffy, wispy egg-coated fried rice studded with cubes of crispy pork crackling.

 

Pandan juice and pumpkin purée bestow jade green and cheery orange hues for the dessert of glutinous rice balls in sweetened coconut milk. Known as Bua Loy (floating lotus in Thai), the soft and slightly chewy balls, interspersed with strips of jackfruit in the coconut milk, broth prove nice and light yet interesting enough as a sweet conclusion to our meal.


Currently, an a la carte menu is available at Mera. Diners with advance reservations may ask for the chef’s table, featuring a specially composed menu priced from RM150++ upwards per person.

 

For reservations, call MERA, tel: 018-268 2333. Address: 6, Jalan SS20/10, Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

NOBLE CNY OFFERINGS FROM THE ORIENTAL GROUP


Trust Chinese cuisine supremo and Group Executive Chef of The Oriental Group of Restaurants Justin Hor to make a big splash for the arrival of the Rat Year...his Alaskan Spider Crab Vegetables Yee Sang (RM198++ medium, RM298++ large) is an unmatched festive dish to rule them all.
Available at all restaurants under the Oriental Group except Ruyi & Lyn, the fresh melange of shredded green apple, carrot, cucumber, purple cabbage, spring onion, coriander, raisins, crushed peanuts and dried mandarin peel is luxed up with freshly extracted and shredded Alaskan spider crab meat. Lightly dressed with the chef’s specially concocted plum sauce, the yee sang easily ranks as one of the best in town.
Chef Justin agrees the inclusion of Alaskan spider crab is a tad indulgent but he surmises such an extravagant culinary treat befits a major occasion like Chinese New Year when kith and kin gather around a good meal.
Diners welcoming the Rat Year at Oriental Pavilion, Noble Mansion and Noble House can look forward to a familiar favourite and the much sought-after speciality of Whole Pork Trotter with Hokkaido XL Dried Scallops, Japanese Mushrooms and Quail Eggs (RM488++ per portion).
Every ringgit spent is worth your while as Chef Justin and his team have devoted much time and effort into the dish’s painstaking preparation; to ensure the resultant pork trotter is sublimely fall-of-the-bone tender, every bite of the pork, skin and gelatinous bits thoroughly suffused with rich, savoury flavours augmented by black sea moss and XL dried scallops. Both the tau kan (compressed layers of beancurd skin) and plump mushrooms ooze with the unctuous braising sauce, amplifying their deliciousness.
Crazy about crabs? Then you’d love the speciality of Crabs Prepared Two Ways: Deep Fried Crab Claws with Red Vinegar and Crab Meat with Scrambled Egg in Lettuce Wraps (RM238++ per portion for 4 persons, available at The Ming Room and Noble House).
 
It’s a dream dish for diners and crab lovers who prefer not to get their hands dirty. The first comprises a sweet chunk of crab meat encased in deep-fried prawn paste wrapped atop a crab leg similar to a lollipop for easy eating. We find the whole morsel so delectably on-point when it’s dipped into some red vinegar for a subtle shot of acidity.
For smoother and creamier mouth feel, the latter consists of hand-extracted crab meat cooked gently with cream, egg white and a dash of vinegar, scooped into fresh iceberg lettuce; evocative of an old-school banquet dish of scrambled egg with shark’s fin.
 
Frolic in glorious abundance this CNY with Steamed Deep Sea Garoupa with Fresh Abalones and Prawn Medallions in Casserole Basket (RM388++ per portion for 8 persons), a house speciality of the Oriental Star restaurant. The fish is sweet with the right doneness, the prawns springy and succulent, and the abalones boast a nice garlicky punch.
Bottarga or salted dried mullet roe – a pricey delicacy favoured by Taiwanese gourmands – is the ingredient of choice to elevate the Crystal Prawns with Gold Caviar Sauce (RM128++ per portion).
Combined with lemon juice and red chilli oil, the mildly savoury sauce coating the prawns bestow a distinct richness similar to cheese. Break the giant beancurd bowl into shards to complement the prawns for a refined epicurean treat. This speciality is available at all Oriental Group restaurants except for Seafood World, Ruyi and Yu.
Tender French beans help to lighten up the ubiquitous Steamed Rice with Waxed Meat Hakka Style (RM78++ medium, RM128++ large). Available at all Oriental Group restaurants except for Seafood World, Ruyi and Yu, this festive favourite still has its die-hard fans who never tire of sampling the fragrant rice with slices of waxed liver and pork sausages in addition to waxed meat.
 
The last hurrah is as auspicious as the dessert name: Golden Pudding with Bird’s Nest in Whole Orange (RM23++ each). Served in hollowed-out orange ‘bowls’, we rave over the delightful orange jelly topped with bird’s nest.
 
Of course, every CNY meal calls for a serving of nin kou (sweet glutinous rice cake). At the Oriental group of restaurants except for Seafood World, Ruyi and Yu, it’s in the form of dainty Deep Fried Sesame Balls with Nin Kou (RM5++ per pc) to round up the celebratory feast.
For reservations and information, visit The Oriental Group of Restaurants website: www.orientalrestaurants.com.my

Featured Post

EXPLOSIVE SURPRISE FROM CAKE RUSH

Whimsical. Fun. Impactful. Imagine a flock of butterflies fluttering up once you open Cake Rush’s latest Explosion Gift Box. We were thrille...