A YEAR OF BLOOMING ABUNDANCE AT HILTON KUALA LUMPUR

Strawberries in yee sang. Seafood soup redolent with oceanic flavours. Fish swimming with nostalgic inspired accents. Brace yourselves for a Year of Blooming Abundance at Hilton Kuala Lumpur's Chynna Restaurant this Chinese New Year.

From the precision of the resident tea-pouring expert to the last morsel of sticky nian goa, our dinner preview was anything but ho-hum. A harbinger of the auspicious celebration ahead, the preview session started with the curtain-raising Yu Sheng Selection (RM128 for half portion, RM280 for whole portion).

A pile of huge American strawberries, bursting with bracing tanginess mingled well with the colourful platter of julienne radish, carrot, pickles, crushed macadamia, fresh coriander and dried kumquat. We were relieved to find the house dressing was light, fruity and didn’t turn the salad into a soggy mess after our vigorous bout of tossing.

In conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration, Chef Lam Hock Hin has conjured up a repertoire of special dishes for the occasion. While the Grand Fortune Set would require a minimum of 5 persons per table at RM688 per head, other festive sets: Abundance (RM288 per person), Prosperity (RM398) and Wealth (RM438) are good for two or more. All the festive menus will be available from 7 January to 24 February.

The night’s show-stopper was the Braised Assorted Dried Seafood with Vegetarian Fins, Crabmeat & Fish Maw; its complex layers of savoury, deep-sea flavours in my experience was the only soup to have come closest to mimicking the real deal. I daresay I lapped up every last drop of that subtly fishy, unctuously thick milieu of crabmeat, seamoss, slivers of fish maw, translucent noodles...it was par excellence. 

Pumpkin sauce was Chef Lam’s way of bestowing a healthy slant to his creation of Braised Abalone Cubes with Sea Cucumber, Pumpkin Sauce & Crispy Smoked Meat. “I got the brainwave after eating a pumpkin dish prepared by my girlfriend” said the chef in jest when he was asked on the inspiration behind the dish. 

“The pumpkin sauce’s golden colour also bodes well for Chinese New Year. Finely diced, crispy smoked duck was added to give the dish more flavour. It makes a nice change from the usual braised abalone and sea cucumber dish.”

Lots of painstaking work has gone into the chef’s speciality of Steamed Wild Caught Giant Grouper Slices with Congee, Fried Ginger & Touchu Chilli Sauce. According to Lam, the rice has to be soaked overnight and underwent several water changes before it was boiled down into that milky white, smooth congee base.

The final dish was a gastronomic treat for fish lovers who are partial to supple, smooth and delicate texture. Again drawing inspiration from traditional comfort food, Lam amped up the fish slices and congee pairing with fried ginger strips for some warm, spicy kick, and briny taucheo (preserved soya beans) with chilli to jolt the tastebuds awake.

Mindful of our multi-racial society, Lam decided a dish with Indian and Malay influences has a place on the Chinese New Year table too. It was on-point too as the spice quotient of the Batter Fried Crispy Chicken with Yellow Curry Sauce proved a hit especially among the young ones. 

We enjoyed the curry leaf-scented okra pieces atop the fried chicken. Marinated with dried shrimp paste, the crispy and moist chicken pieces were delectable to boot.

Another wave of nostalgia hit us when we sampled the Stewed Cabbage with Yam and Shrimps in Claypot. It wasn’t anything to look at but the taste was homey and delicious; good comfort food that you’d want to keep eating. 

 

One dish to ensure you leave Chynna replete is the Ten Grain Rice Stuffed with Chicken Floss. My only pet peeve with this offering is the clumps of rice was a tad sweet for my liking. IMHO, the rice should not have been steamed with sugar since each clump of the multi-grained rice already came with chicken floss on top — in this case, less is more!

Dessert featured a duet Combination of Snow White Coconut Jelly and Nian Gao Roll with Cheddar Cheese, Macadamia Nut and Musang King Durian. The former passed muster but paled into the shadows next to the festive new year cake.

With a powerful King of Fruit filling, we couldn’t detect any trace of the cheese nuance in the Nian Gao roll. Overall, the sweet treat was acceptable but the cheese simply failed to make its presence felt. Otherwise it was a lovely and sweet way to conclude a celebratory CNY dinner.

For reservations, call Hilton Kuala Lumpur's Chynna, tel: 03-2264 2264 or visit life.hiltonkl.com

RESOUNDING APPLAUSE FOR TWO HANDS

Crisp. Golden brown. Gluten-free. Inspired by the Indian pakora (vegetable fritter), the Crispy Parmesan Cauliflower (RM22) by Chef Vicneswara Thenamirtham (better known as Chef Vic) is a showstopper at Two Hands, a 7 month-old cosy restaurant tucked away inside Qliq Hotel at Empire Damansara. 

Coddled within pouffy-light, crisp gluten-free batter (made from a mixture of chickpea, tapioca and rice flour), the cauliflower florets makes eating vegetable pleasantly addictive. Dusted with parmesan and heaped atop Greek yoghurt flecked with chopped dill, onion, coriander and Spanish smoked paprika, the delectable morsels will have you asking for more after one bite.

We like the pared-down, utilitarian look and homey feel of Two Hands. Its white, deep blue and gray colour scheme accentuated with naked Edison bulbs and futuristic etched shade brass pendant lights conjure up a fuss-free yet welcoming setting for Chef Vic's food to take centrestage.

According to Chef Vic, he strives to source and use as much local produce where possible. Due to rising demand, many of the dishes served at Two Hands are also vegan-friendly and gluten-free. "There has to be synchronicity between food producers and consumers as both are stakeholders in this aspect; both parties have to be responsible for the food we cook and eat. As a chef, I care deeply and devote a lot of efforts into transforming local, organic and fresh produce into healthy dishes for diners."

His creation of Hummus 3 Ways (RM28) exemplifies the aforementioned philosophy. The bright and flavourful trio of tahini chickpeas, beetroot and roasted pumpkin hummus is a surefire winner. Served with house-made bread, the appetiser is good for sharing. Each type of hummus is conferred with marinated chickpeas, diced beetroot and roasted pumpkin on top for textural interest. Touched with balsamic glaze and globs of feta cheese, this is an offering to write home about.

Salad days have never looked cheerier than the Apple & Walnut Salad (RM21) from Two Hands. Even my jaded palate perks up once the refreshing melange of mixed lettuce leaves (the menu stated local spinach but the greens may change depending on supply) tossed with unwaxed apple dices, roughly chopped heirloom cherry tomatoes, streaked with creamy, tangy Greek yoghurt and organic acacia honey.

Housemade, crisp Cinnamon Rolls paired with Smoky Albondigas (RM31) sounds odd off the bat but the unlikely pairing proves to be a revelation. Chef Vic's tireless experiment paid off in his search for the perfect bread to complement his albondigas (Spanish for meatballs) -- hand-rolled chilled mince lamb meatballs imbued with smoked dry rub. Chunky, blistered tomato sauce anointed with freshly chopped coriander tie up the artful melding of savoury-sweet nicely. (Note: add RM6 for 3 pcs cinnamon rolls)

Flaky, housemade Croissants (RM6 for 3 pcs) are the ideal companion for the Salted Egg Custard Prawns (RM28) offering. While it's tasty, the lush braising gravy of garlic, onion, chilli flakes and crumbled salted egg yolks strewn with curry leaves seems to overwhelm the delicate sweetness of the sustainably caught sea-white prawns. IMHO it's a decent but unexceptional dish.

Besides the cauliflower speciality, I'd urge you to plump for the scrumptious 4-hour Beef Short Ribs (RM112 for 2 persons to share). Baked with rock salt for 4 hours, the short ribs are toothsomely tender. Topped with Chinese chicken floss, spring onion and sesame seeds, the beef is heavenly sublime; the slices slicked with moreish beef jus and barbecue sauce. Catching all that saucy goodness is a generous spread of garlic and coriander mash. 

Inspired by the aromatic Cajun rice dish cooked with onion, pepper and celery 'mucked up' with chicken liver and ground beef, Chef Vic tweaks his version with smoked paprika, braised tomato and coconut cream to create Grilled Portuguese Chicken with Dirty Rice (RM58, ample for 2) in a skillet. The crusty, burnt bits scraped from the pan base are especially delish. We also like the juicy chicken which tastes reminiscent of ayam percik.

After that slew of stellar offerings, it's hard to appreciate the simpler Pulled Beef Pasta (RM57 for 2). Intermingled with pulled chunks of stewed beef, brined carrots and asparagus, the hearty pasta dish appears underwhelming on the tastebuds but we daresay it should hit the spot with ardent pasta fans.

If you are in the vicinity during lunch, pop in for Two Hands' good value lunch deals. Top of the list is Thai Green Curry (RM18 – Slashed for Lunch, RM26 - a la carte), a tiffin carrier containing rice topped with a fried egg complemented by mild green curry. Portion-wise, it's big enough to ensure a hearty eater leave replete.

Health-conscious and fitness buffs will be pleased to know Two Hands serves vegan-friendly and gluten-free dessert treats. Try the fudgy, biscuit-based Strawberry Jelly Cheesecake (RM14) with toasted coconut and chocolate chips or Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake & Coconut Latte Ice Cream (RM18).

The assorted ice cream featuring Salted Caramel with Walnuts and classic flavours are lusciously good. Remarkably on-point as a wholesome treat to wrap up the meal.

Post-work succour in the form of spirited cocktails abound here too. Notable concoctions we can vouch for include Jack Jean Paul (RM44) -- London dry gin with jackfruit puree, Russian vodka, fresh mint and hazelnut liqueur; Coffee Chanel (RM31) -- an energising drink of Kahlua, vodka, frangelico, caramel and espresso; Coconut Coach (RM32) -- Malibu coconut rum, vodka, freshly pressed pineapple juice and organic coconut oil, and Cucumber Chloe (RM37) -- elderflower liqueur, dry gin, Russian vodka, cucumber juice, cured cucumber and thyme.

For reservations at Two Hands Restaurant & Bar, please call tel: 012-424 1194. Address: A-LG-05, Qliq Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8A, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Open daily, 7am-12 midnight.