RETURN OF CHEF DEBBIE TEOH

To know Malaysia is to dine in Malaysia...in line with Visit Malaysia Year 2014, this is your chance to romance the halcyon days of Straits Chinese cuisine through Chatz Brasserie's Best of Malaysia: Nyonya Cuisine by Chef Debbie Teoh promotion.

We were lucky to get a sneak preview of what Malaysia's Queen of Nyonya cuisine will be serving up at ParkRoyal KL. Featuring almost extinct recipes such as Kuih Bongkong and Pais Buah Keluak, diners can be sure they'd be in for some authentic treats for the promo which takes place every Friday & Saturday night for dinner and weekend high tea from now until 12 October.

Debbie herself would be holed up in the hotel to personally prepare the various dishes; a mean feat in itself as Nyonya specialities are notoriously time-consuming and labour-intensive to prepare and cook. True to her Straits Chinese background, the lady has even unearthed some long-lost and almost extinct recipes to showcase for this promotion.

I had a dose of nostalgia when I tasted her soul-warming Hu Pio Soup (pix above of fish stomach soup). Light and clear on the palate, the textural interest came from spongy pieces of deep-fried fish stomach and the unexpected inclusion of two fresh prawn dumplings. Flecks of deep-fried garlic added a sublime deep-bodied flavour which saw us slurping everything up to the last drop.

Debbie's next labour of love was Nasi Ulam - a rice salad of sorts that's heavy on turmeric and assorted local herbs: finely cut shallot, turmeric leaves, bird's eye chilli and lemongrass among others. A really painstaking dish to prep as I have attempted to make it in the past.

One rare dish we sampled was Pais Buah Keluak (RM30 for 2 pcs; served a la carte). This steamed fish meat in banana leaf parcel is similar to its spicier counterpart known as Otak-otak but instead of ground spices, the fish is mixed with that mysterious black nut from Indonesia, giving the ensemble a faint ashy-bitter chocolate nuances. Some diners may find this speciality an acquired taste but it's recommended you should sample it at least once.

Once you go black, you can't go back - Buah Keluak is addictive once you gain a penchant for it

Dark and mysterious with vein-like streaks, this tough nut (pix above) is really a seed from  or the Kepayang (Pangium edule), a mangrove swamp tree. According to Wikipedia, the raw seeds are as poisonous as cyanide. They have to be boiled and buried in ash, banana leaves and earth for forty days; turning the creamy white nuts to dark brown or black. The hard and bitter kernel inside is an essential ingredient in the preparation of Ayam Buah Keluak, another typical Nyonya dish.

Those of us who enjoyed buah keluak couldn't resist digging in and scooping up the dark, creamy paste within. The richly spicy chicken was tender and thoroughly suffused with its unique nuance which Debbie dubbed as Peranakan truffles.

 

Penang Perut Ikan (pix above) is yet another almost extinct delight that you'd be hard pressed to find in today's Nyonya restaurants. Debbie's sterling version had that vivid melding of savoury, sweet, sour, and spicy accents that completely erased the disappointing versions I have had in the past. One can eat loads of rice accompanied by this dish alone; in order to appreciate the melange of finely shredded herbs, vegetables and pickled fish stomach fully.

From her maternal Melakan side, Debbie proffered a rich, thick Ayam Pongteh, chicken stewed with taucheo (salty fermented soy beans) and gula melaka (dark palm sugar). Again it is a comforting offering that goes best with plain white rice.

A Nyonya feast cannot be relished without rice; not when there are irresistible, appetite-whetting servings of Gulai Kiam Hu Kut or Curried Salted Fish Bones. Unabashedly creamy with a muted brininess, the splendid curry drew rave reviews all around as we drenched our rice with the piquant gravy.

Complementing the heartier dishes is Kerabu Jantung Pisang with Prawns - a scrumptious creation that warms the cockles of our hearts with the use of the humble banana flower 'heart' (the equivalent of the Asian artichoke). Up until now, we have always encountered it in kerabu (local salad that consists of the finely chopped heart of the banana flower and tossed with chilli, toasted grated coconut and shallot). Needless to say, it was another huge hit as the zesty chilli and spice notes set our tastebuds tingling with pleasure.

Even the usual grilled fish was given a fresh twist. The celeb chef served the grilled fleshy stingray with an almost forgotten sauce concocted from kalamansi lime juice, pounded chilli and sliced onion, calling it Fish Panggang with Lum Chut Sauce.

For high tea, expect delectable nibbles and kuihs galore. Top pick includes the delicious Rempah Udang, an old-school treat comprising grilled tubular parcels of glutinous rice with a subtly spicy filling of pounded dried shrimp with grated coconut. The rice is stained a pretty blue using the juice of pea flowers.

Kuih Bongkong...a light teaser that's sweet and slightly custardy drenched with melted palm sugar

Kuih Bongkong and Sweet Potato Kasui are superb throwbacks to the era where familial matriarchs reigned supreme and would outdo each other with colourful and tempting array of kuih-muihs; sweet cakes made mostly from glutinous or rice flour, palm sugar, grated coconut or coconut milk and literally anything and everything that's locally grown and freshly available in abundance.Most are usually steamed although there are also selected grilled or fried kuihs.

Again Debbie has stayed true to her roots in making these traditional treats, with the only concession being the amount of sugar used is much less now. The two dessert we savoured were to-die-for with no seconds in sight.

To complement the meal, we were served two healthy refreshing drinks: Serai (lemongrass) and Kedondong (a tropical sour, fibrous plum-like fruit known as Spondalis dulcis).

The Best of Malaysia: Nyonya Cuisine by Chef Debbie Teoh is available for Friday & Saturday dinner buffet at RM125 nett per person and Sat & Sun high tea buffet at RM78 nett per person. Cooking enthusiasts can pick up tips and tricks on Nyonya cooking from the celebrity chef herself during High Tea on Sun (prior seat reservation required).

For reservations, call Chatz Brasserie, tel: 03 - 2147 0088.

EE-XQUISITE CNY SELECTION

 

Melon, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and rice puffs lend a crunchy textural dimension to the Salmon with Rice Cracker Yee Sang at Ee Cuisine. Chef Yong Kam Wah deliberately keeps the various ingredients as fresh and natural as possible to ensure the raw fish salad turns out refreshingly light.

Next up is soup - a milky white Shark's Bone Soup with Superior Shark's Fin and Fish Maw that has been double-boiled for six hours. The broth's deep-seated, ocean-sweet flavour is pure manna for the soul. Enhanced by the highly prized collagen-rich fa kau (fish maw), its gelatinous smoothness is akin to a fleeting caress in every spoonful.

Covered with generous amount of chopped spring onion and fresh coriander, the Gui Fei (Empress) Farm Chicken is a majestic treat in its own right. The slightly chewy meat packs a tasty wallop when savoured with two dips: a tantalising blend of garlic, bird's eye chilli and coriander with lime juice and sugar, and the second, minced ginger.

Baked River King Prawn with Cheese Sauce bestows a touch of luxe indulgence to the preview. Easily the size of a mini lobster, the springy-fresh and sweet king prawn is smothered in a rich topping of milk, grated cheddar, chopped onion, vinegar and mustard. A superbly sublime speciality that you shouldn't pass up on.

While some chefs tend to go overboard in pushing the envelope, Chef Yong knows what is best left well alone for his Steamed Cod with Bean Curd Skin and Golden Garlic in Soya Sauce. Pricey, naturally oily fish like cod rarely needs fancy condiments or sauces and his decision to stick to the time-honoured Cantonese style of steaming is a smart move. It brings out the fish's voluptuous ching (clear) nuance which is fully absorbed by the pieces of foo chuk (bean curd skin) underneath the fish. Pips of golden fried garlic punctuated it with bursts of mellow pungency.

Symbolism is rife when comes to Chinese New Year feasting so those who want their pockets, wallets and bags to brim over with gold, money and all that glitters would love the Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber, Dried Oysters and Vegetable. These treasures of the deep sea come nicely tucked inside a dainty pouch that's drenched with a slick, unctuous sauce. We later discovered that it was aburaage - deep-fried thin beancurd slice that's commonly used in Japanese cooking.

Stewed Fragrant Rice with Preserved Meat is an evergreen fave that few people can resist. Stirred with waxed belly pork, pork and liver sausages and waxed duck, the hearty rice treat is flavoured with fragrant soya sauce and chopped garlic; the overall richness tempered by the fresh sharpness of chopped spring onion and chunks of crunchy raw cucumber.

Rounding off the meal is servings of subtly sweet Double Boiled Lotus Seed with Glutinous Rice Dumpling and two Special Homemade Dessert: a crumbly pineapple tart that's reminiscent of the Taiwanese version and a slice of pressed sago sweetcake inspired by the Nyonya pulut tekan (pressed glutinous rice cake).

Whether it's a rousing 'sou gong' - that traditional ritual of finishing outstanding work prior to CNY with fellow colleagues and business associates or 'tuin yuin' (family reunion), three set menus priced between RM538++ (4 persons) and RM1,388++ (10 persons) are available from now until 14 February.

Ee Cuisine, Eastin Hotel, 13, Jalan 16/11, Pusat Dagangan Seksyen 16, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7628 7338

CLAWS FOR CELEBRATION

Di Wei's bringing out the claws this Merdeka Day with the king of shellfish - lobsters taking the lead role. Chef Thian Taik Yong shows you five delicious ways to your heart through his tummy-pleasing lobster dishes: deep-fried with salted egg yolk, baked with cheese, sauteed with garlic, braised with ee-fu noodles or cooked in superior stock. Suffice to say, whichever cooking style you choose, the sweet and succulent luxurious Boston lobsters (RM128++ per portion) are guaranteed to ensure utmost satisfaction.

'Less is more' is the ruling maxim for our first serving that had a whole lobster sauteed with garlic. Speckled with minced garlic, the lobster's inherent sweetness was clearly discernible, amplified by the chef's choice of aromatic accent. Most importantly, the shellfish wasn't overcooked; it was pleasantly firm but not hard to the bite.

The second offering that had the lobster braised with ee-fu noodles was equally top notch. If you prefer landing dishes with greater substance, this option will float your boat. The silky noodle threads taste irresistibly rich; suffused with salubrious lobster jus and complemented by chunks of springy lobster meat to boot.

Although the Boston Lobster promotion runs until today (August 31), chances are the lobsters will still be available while stocks last.

Experience more heart-touching moments with your loved ones over sumptuous servings of Di Wei's latest Dim Sum selection (RM9++ per basket). We recommend the newest Steamed Three Treasures Prawn Dumplings and Deep-fried Twin Egg Rolls.

Har gaw or prawn dumpling - a timeless classic - is updated with tiny dollops of crunchy ebikko (prawn roe), chopped spinach and mushroom. A smart move on the chef's part as these add colours and textures to the otherwise plain, pale dumpling.

Crunchier and contrasting textures emerge from the latter. We also love how the century and quail eggs' presence brought a different dimension to the usual spring roll.

Best of all, I welcome the new dessert creations (RM8++ per portion) that lend a sweet finish to the meal. The Mango Puree Crystal Noodles will give your jaw a good workout thanks to the chewy, gelatinous strips immersed in the dulcet smooth, fresh mango puree with diced strawberries and basil seeds.

Love agar-agar? Then you'd go weak in the knees over the subtly sweet, beautifully cut Osmanthus and Wolfberries Jelly that look like oversized amber gemstones with wolfberries embedded in them.

For the Mid Autumn Festival on September 19, the restaurant has eight varieties of mooncakes for sale. While the fail-safe Pure White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk is notable, our preferred variants are the Baked Pandan Lotus Single Yolk and Snowskin Black Sesame Single Yolk mooncakes. Prices range between RM16.50 and RM20 each.

Dim sum is served at Di Wei daily from 11 am to 3 pm. On Sundays and public holidays, the hours are extended from 3 to 6 pm. The restaurant is open on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 10.30 am to 3 pm. Dinner hours are from 6 pm to 10 pm.

For reservations, call Di Wei at 03-5565 1388 or visit www.empirehotel.com.my for further info.

DINING LIKE NOBLE-EAT-Y

Pig out...a-bun-dant good eats await at Noble Mansion

There's always a good story behind good food...that's Chef Justin Hor's core philosophy and he's spot on. The savvy director and group executive chef of The Oriental Group is a great story teller with the ability to weave interesting anecdotes and insights into a plethora of signature specialities at the group's latest chapter - Noble Mansion.

Posh space...Chinese cuisine reaches new heights within this refined restaurant

Designed to showcase refined Chinese creations for special banquets and private dinners, the posh and artfully furnished interior befittingly mirrors that of an opulent mansion. Several themed private dining rooms, some complete with karaoke facilities are included but it was the central dining enclave that took our breath away with its stunning centrepiece - a bespoke, complex light installation.

Stunning light adornment to turn heads

"We have many set menus that give first-time diners an overview of what we offer," said Justin Hor who joined us for dinner that evening. "The set menus serve as a sampling of sorts, an introduction of what's good. By their second and subsequent visits, diners will know what to order. Another selling point here is most of Noble Mansion's specialities are drawn from Shunde, Guangzhou - a place famous for its Cantonese dishes and wing chun martial arts that's popularised by exponents like Ip Man."

Shunde inspirations given inimitable twists here

At the lavish preview, we feasted like nobility; each dish competed for our attention with such imaginative pairing of ingredients and inventive approach that our heads were left spinning from all that creative sparks. 

Dainty servings of Liver Sausage Char Siew Rolls (RM16 per person), Smoked Vegetarian Spring Roll (RM8 per portion) and Japanese Cucumber with Minced Ginger (RM8 per portion) started the ball rolling.

        

Roll call...porky curtain-raiser to tickle the tastebuds

As expected, the scrumptious porky rolls left us in rapture over their delicious richness. We even polished off the crunchy cos lettuce tossed in a creamy, peppery dressing and skinned cherry tomatoes that had been marinated a day in preserved asam boi (preserved salted plums) sauce. Yes, they were that good!

 

I like the hotness of the chopped young ginger heaped onto the chilled, matchstick-thick Japanese cucumber batonettes. The dish's pared down simplicity was an amalgamation of stimulating hot and cold contrasts on the tongue.

Another delicacy to get wrapped up in is the smoked vegetarian spring roll - an epitome of delicate flavours and subtle crunchy textures that served as a light precusor to pique interest and leave one wishing for more.

 
Whetting our appetite further is the incredibly addictive Premium Anchovies & Starfruit in The Oriental's Cincalok Sauce (RM14 per portion) - it's hard to stop nibbling on the juicy chunks of starfruit with crispy, caramelised premium anchovies in a zesty XO-type sauce.  

Stick em up...delectable pork cheek skewers

Then dollops of the amber hued lemongrass sauce accompanying the well-marinated BBQ Pork Cheek on Skewers (RM12) lent a barely discernible citrusy accent to the bite-size morsels; something that would have gone fabulously with a glass of crisp white wine. Darn, Kajang satay will never be quite the same ever again after this...

Prepared for a good shelling...

A real palate-pleasing prawn star

Trust the Chinese to draw out the best in seafood and the Steamed Fresh Water Prawns (RM28 per person) with 8-year old Xiao Shing wine was a perfect example of such ingenuity. Everyone got half a prawn each, the doneness superbly succulent; its inherent sweetness enlivened by some creamy organic egg yolk sauce.

Perfect bait to land fish enthusiasts

Reeling fish lovers in is Shunde Style Steamed Ocean Garoupa (RM330) perked up with superior soya sauce, black beans, sliced garlic and some sliced pickled red and green chillies. I particularly enjoyed the ribbons of translucent flat noodles that soaked up all the flavourful juices exuded from the firm fleshed fish. 

Understandably, in Shunde, the original version is much simpler so Chef Hor has jazzed it up by giving the dish extra colours and greater depth using local accents. He also told us that the chewy noodles weren't identical to the ones in Shunde but the closest alternative he deemed acceptable.

C'mon, let's go the whole hog eh?

A whole roasted suckling pig (RM330) prepared Macau-style was brought to the table which we fell on after the photo session like hungry wolves. The crisp, crackling skin shone that like lacquer and the layer of well-seasoned, slightly briny meat left us almost gasping in orgasmic ecstasy at every bite. We learned that the chef's secret marinade is so closely guarded that Hor himself personally doles it out each day.

Three's company...the land, sea and sand represented by the pig, lobster and chicken ;D

More robust nuances assailed our palates with the appearance of the majestic treat of Lobster with Chicken and Pig's Stomach in Spicy Sauce (RM80 per portion for 4-6 persons). It was akin to eating the perennial steamed village-bred chicken ramped up with the luxurious addition of lobster meat and toothsome slices of pig's stomach. My only complaint was there was too little of this to go around especially the piggy part!

All cut up and gone in a blink

We had a double dose of suckling pig - this time with stuffed with some steamed Glutinuous Rice (RM330), turning it into a substantial dish that left us replete. I was especially happy to be given extra spring onion florets as their bracing sharp nuance helped to counter and balance out the indulgent meaty richness.

Layers of perfection...slivers of crispy pork crackling with glutinous rice

Some Braised Wolfberry Shoot (Gaugei) with Eggs (RM28 per portion) then brought a hint of green to our dinner. The leaves' mildly bitter after taste was tempered by the smooth egg sauce. Hor opined it is imperative to get the saucy texture right "similar to that of soft boiled egg".

Green is definitely in

To cleanse our palate, glasses of lemon and starfruit juice were proffered. It was a welcome drink that we appreciated for its tart, refreshing tanginess.



The lavish banquet also had us twirled around Rice Noodles with Abalone Sauce (RM28 per portion, good for 4-6 persons). The dry-fry rice vermicelli came with shredded crabstick, beansprouts and pungent Chinese celery (something I loathe). After all that stupendous dishes we had gobbled down, this noodle was a little unassuming and failed to excite despite the play of different textures. I still lapped up every bit of it though...

Apple of your eye with lots of goodies to boot

Chilled Sweetened Fuji Apple with Snow Jelly, Gingko, Fresh Lily Bulb and Red Dates (RM13 per person) and Longevity Piglet Bun (RM28 for a serving of 4 pcs) rounded up our dining affair with sweet flourish. The dessert broth was light and mercifully mildly sweet while the whimsical piggy shaped buns complete with blushing pink cheeks just begged to be eaten. 

Look ma, it's a piglet invasion!

The filling even had an element of surprise in it for instead of just pure lotus seed paste, we discovered salted egg yolk in the centre...it was again a playful dimension of tastes and textures. These whimsical buns can be ordered for birthdays and other family celebrations ahead of time.

Thank you PureGlutton for this delicious opportunity to hob nob with the Oriental Group's marketing team whose hospitality is greatly appreciated.

NOBLE MANSION, 1st Floor, The Plaza @ Jaya 33, No.1, Jalan Semangat, Section 13, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7932 3288