HUNG CHUN POPO X RED CUISINE CHINESE REUNION DINNER

To reinforce the popular adage, ‘the proof of the pudding is always in the eating’, Hung Chun collaborated with Pullman KLCC Hotel to introduce Hung Chun’s three new products: Popo Black Vinegar, Popo Garlic Chilli Sauce and Popo Oyster Sauce recently.

After a welcome address by Hung Chun Sdn Bhd Director Peter Yee (bottom pix) followed by the customary curtain-raiser of Yee Sang, the versatility of Hung Chun Popo sauces appeared in the Hot & Cold Combination. 

Chef Fong explained he used Popo Soya Sauce, Chilli Sauce, Vinegar, Oyster Sauce, and Dark Soya Sauce to prepare the Crispy Chicken and Prawns Money Bag, Squid with Chilli and Garlic Crisps, and Stir-Fried Pacific Clams with Dried Chillies.

For the tantalising serving of Marinated Jelly Fish with Fungus and Aged Vinegar, Hung Chun Popo Soya and Chilli Sauces along with Vinegar played key roles in the dish. Chef Fong said, “Popo Black Vinegar is layered in its complexity yet its taste is gentle on palate; allowing you to drink it neat without having to dilute it.” 

Based on a traditional formula passed down from older generations, Popo Black Vinegar uses premium grade key ingredients such as “dang gui” and natural rice vinegar, to bring out its best flavour – great for mums in confinement. 

We then sampled Double Boiled Chicken Broth with South American Fish Maw, ‘Hong Kong’ Ginseng, Boneless Chicken, Prickly Sea Cucumber and Chinese Tea Mushroom.

Founded in 1946, Hung Chun started as a humble cottage industry but its dynamic efforts saw it conquering the export market in Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.

As the first local sauce manufacturer to adopt modern German technology pasteurization process in sauce-making, quality remains Hung Chun’s main priority. The company’s careful selection of raw materials, well-trained staff and the usage of advance machinery combine to ensure the products are not only of the highest quality, but also the most hygienic, safe for consumption and best-tasting.

The show-stopping dish of Braised Goose Web with Dried Oyster, Mushroom and Green Vegetables incorporated Hung Chun Popo Oyster Sauce and Popo Soy Sauce. Granted, the smooth fall-off-the-bone tender goose web was not for the faint-hearted but it hit the spot for those who enjoyed its wondrous texture and the richness of Popo Oyster Sauce.

To showcase Hung Chun’s newly launched Popo Black Vinegar,  executive Chinese chef, Fong Teik Fei imbued his creation of Baked Five Spice Chicken Roulade with Szechuan Cucumber, Green Vegetables and Shimeji Mushroom with Hung Chun Popo Black Vinegar and Soya Sauce.

A saucy concoction of Hung Chun Popo Soy Sauce and King Soy Sauce with Chicken Essence and ‘Hong Kong’ Ginseng Superior King Sauce enhanced the ‘Hong Kong’ Style Poached Grouper. The fish’s delicate sweetness was discernible despite it being overdone.

Ditto with the Steamed Stuffed Jumbo Fresh King Prawn. A splash of Hung Chun Popo Soya Sauce amplified the sea-freshness of the crustacean which was stuffed with pickled vegetables and ‘Bentong’ ginger atop steamed truffle paste egg white.

Toppings of chicken floss and scallion lent textural and flavour accents to the Claypot Waxed Duck Meat Rice. Naturally, Hung Chun Popo Oyster Sauce, Soya Sauce, and Dark Soya Sauce are the essential sauces in the preparation of this festive delicacy.

Doubled-boiled Fuji Apple Aloe Vera Broth with Glutinous Balls rounded up our celebratory meal on a sweet note.

For diners who are keen to sample the Hung Chun Popo X Red Cuisine CNY Reunion Menu, it’s priced at RM280++ per person.

Popo Black Vinegar, Popo Garlic Chilli Sauce, Popo Oyster Sauce and other Hung Chun’s products such as Popo Soy Sauce can be found at various supermarkets, hypermarkets and Shopee. 

URBAN: A MOD GASTRONOMIC HAVEN

Urban’s signature appetiser Element of the Sea by Chef de Cuisine Sharusmizal bin Mohamed Salleh reminds me of Malaysia-born, Australia-based chef Cheong Liew’s famed Dances of the Sea, a ground-breaking quartet of Mod Oz appetisers as opposed to Chef Sharusmizal’s contemporary European creations.

The Element of the Sea artfully blends global influences and regional ingredients into a sumptuous visual and sensorial composition. Fresh Hamachi (yellowtail) Sashimi recline alongside Saba Ballotine, Relish King Crab and Cold Inaniwa Udon.

Remember to heighten the freshness of the raw yellowtail slices with calamansi lime juice from the get-go. The rolled disc of saba ballotine (French for bundle or parcel) stuffed with Spanish piquillo pepper is exquisite, lightly touched by mildly tangy ambarella fruit emulsion. Textural contrasts emerge to delight the palate when you sample the Relish King Crab with tofu followed by cool, silky Inaniwa Udon adorned with briny smoked Spanish caviar and tart yuzu jelly.

Our maiden visit to Urban was heralded by two molecular gastronomy-type amuse bouches: freshly shucked Oysters topped with Seaweed & multi-colour ‘pearls’, and spoonfuls of spherical pumpkin purée that look deceptively like egg yolks.

Prices at Urban are surprisingly sober with a la carte appetisers priced at RM55 nett, mains at RM95 nett and dessert at RM45 nett each. A tasteful 3-Course Dinner sets you back by RM150 nett while a posher Gourmet Special 3-Course Dinner can be had at RM210 nett. Fancy a Degustation experience? Then trump up RM250 nett for a princely seven course menu.

The appetiser of Smoked Farm Quail Roulade is on-point thanks to a splendid supporting cast of petit micro salad, quail egg benedict, miso daikon, trumpet mushroom, truffle vinaigrette, sour lychee, cabernet sauvignon with raisins & lavender infused perfume, and toasted brioche. We can’t help but wax lyrical over the dish’s cornucopia of rustic, woody aroma and hearty country flavours.

Weightier in substance and taste is Arborio Rice with Grilled Squid and Diver Sea Scallop. The creamy, slightly nutty grains prove ideal to amplify the lushness of the sautéed girolle (chanterelle mushrooms) and tranches of black truffle.

Coarsely crushed Iranian pistachios and crisp Moroccan bestiya lend textural interest in the sumptuously tender Sous Vide Lamb Loin. Complemented by vine yellow pearl chevre tomato cherry tart, the delectable meat shines in the cordial embrace of mint pea purée and marjoram jus.

Another main to reel landlubbers in is the speciality of Red Mullet. Paired with butter poached tiger prawn, the delicate fish sweetness tastes stellar amidst tomato beurre blanc sauce, silky mash potato, crustacean powder, salted cod croquette, jumbo asparagus and confit tomato.

Voracious eaters would enjoy the generous portion of Crispy Duck Breast crusted with Jordan Almonds. Red cherry jus forms a classic, harmonious affinity with the subtly gamey meat. 

To liven up the trad side of sautéed Savoy cabbage, the chef springs a delightful curveball into the equation by proffering a savoury beef bacon-flavoured crème caramel in place of the requisite starch or carb.

Are you one of those diners who want it all? Then the house special of Surf & Turf should rock you. A notable combination of grilled petite fillet mignon with king prawn, the protein pairing comes accompanied by potato fondant and green peppercorn sauce.

Dessert options are worth savouring too and should rightly pique the interest of the sweet-toothed. I’m partial to Thousand Layer (RM45 nett) – a prettily stacked creation of crisp, paper-thin mille feuille layered with colourful mandarin orange cream and exotic fruits. An ethereal but almost guilt-free meal ender.

It’s neck to neck with the signature Manjari 75% Semi Freddo Dark Chocolate & Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream. Sounds decadent but thankfully, we daresay the iced confection is neither heavy nor cloying. Conjured using premium chocolate and house-churned ice cream, this sublime treat should hit the spot in our prevailing spell of heatwave.

Refined handiwork of the chef is obvious from the Hazelnut Pate a Choux. Embellished with caramelised nuts, hazelnut maison cream & cranberry purée, the éclair boasts lush, creamy accents that complement coffee or tea.

Weekdays also see Urban as a quick lunch refuge for the white collar crowd in the city. The Weekday Lunch Express (RM59 nett) pulls them in with a choice of Chinese fusion, Western or Japanese set. For the Chinese fusion and Western set, diners can select an appetiser to go with a main and a dessert. Those who opt for the latter have two different bento boxes to choose from.

For reservations, call URBAN restaurant, tel: 03-2141 9988. Address: Lobby Level, Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 73, Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur. www.hotelistana.com.my

MOONCAKE MEDLEY FROM TAO CHINESE CUISINE

 

Mooncake lovers will see red this year at Tao Chinese Cuisine with Dim Sum Chef Lo Tian Sion proffering his Scarlet Baked Snow Skin with Pandan Salted Egg Bean Paste and Beetroot Powder Mooncake (RM30 each). The unusual mooncake skin bears ripples of red and white; its unique taste stems from a combination of almond and bean flour. Inside the savoury-sweet filling comprises a blend of pandan and salted egg bean paste.

Also once you go black, you’d never go back after sampling the Bamboo Charcoal Skin Mooncake with Assorted Nut Paste (RM32 each). It’s definitely an alluring treat to go nuts over.

Available until 27 September 2015, Tao’s classic baked mooncakes in five exquisite variants (from RM28 each) starting with White Lotus Paste with Almonds and Single Salted Egg Yolk and six mini snow skin ones (from RM20 per piece) should furnish enough shine for the Mid-Autumn Festival. 

The mini snow skin range touts inventive flavours of Mini “Red Prawn” Durian with Egg Cream (Custard), Mini Chestnut Paste with Diced Hawthorn and Pineapple Paste, Mini Tiramisu Paste with Assorted Honey Nuts, and Mini Peanut Butter Snow Skin with Japanese Purple Potato Paste and Yam Omachi.

 

Other noteworthy choices to try include Pandan Coconut Floss Paste with Single Yolk or the Mini Yam and White Skin Mooncake with Pumpkin and Green Tea Paste.

Starting 28 September to 11 October, diners at Tao can look forward to the IHG Culinary Journey, a dining experience featuring Singapore celeb chef Sam Leong. Drawn from his personal culinary journey into Cantonese cuisine, Leong’s specialities are featured in two and three course menus (RM118 & RM138 per person respectively; minimum two persons per table).

Wasabi Prawns with Mango Salsa is the chosen teaser in this promotional menu. The sizeable crustacean is sweet and crunchy, spiked with hints of wasabi sharpness and balanced by some fruity salsa.

It primes the palate for the main course of Crispy Sea Garoupa in Superior Light Soy Sauce. Served with steamed rice, the fish is unbelievably crisp sans batter yet the flesh remains moist; its freshness clearly unadulterated. A table of 3-4 diners would probably get a whole fish to savour.

The next course consists of Sautéed Chicken with Black Pepper Sauce, Ginger and Spring Onion. Tender boneless thigh meat is used so you’d find the dish deftly executed although it may taste a tad salty if you eat it without rice.

Dessert - while pleasing enough - seems rather ho-hum as Chilled Mango Pudding isn’t something one writes home about.

Besides Sam Leong, six other guest chefs will be featured for the IHG Culinary Journey; each specialising in Thai, Australian, Japanese, Italian, Indian cuisine and bakery/patisserie for specific period all the way until 15 November 2015.

For reservation or more information, call Tao Chinese Cuisine, tel: 03-2782 6000.