GOLDEN PHOENIX RISES FOR THE HORSE YEAR AT EQ

 

Saddle up with EQ Executive Chinese Chef David Yee’s festive set menus this Chinese New Year, marking the return of Golden Phoenix pop-up for the Year of the Horse.

 
Riding on a classical approach emphasizing familiarity and rich symbolisms, the chef seasons his stable of celebratory recipes with subtle Szechuan accents. Cantonese banquet hits such as Poon Choy, roast duck, premium braised seafood and rice cake desserts ensure broad appeal whilst some specialities provoke the tastebuds with judicious use of spices.

 
From the modest Peaceful Seasons and Rich Fortune lunches to the more indulgent Happy Reunion, Bright Auspicious, Wealth Treasures, Great Prosperity and a dedicated Vegetarian Feast, the set menus offer ample flexibility. At the media preview, the Bright Auspicious set made a persuasive case for the culinary team’s strengths.

Our opener of Ten Head Abalone Yee Sang was suitably grand, with QQ abalone lending luxe gravitas to the rainbow hued salad. The milieu of textures and flavours was agreeable enough, just managing to refrain from the cloying sweetness threshold.

A wholesome Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Sea Coconut and Fish Maw followed; its restorative, salubrious goodness hitting the spot nicely.

 
Leaning into the New Year’s symbolism of abundance, the Steamed Tiger Grouper with Cordycep Flowers, Black Fungus and White Fungus won instant approval. The fish flesh softly yielding whilst the worthy accompaniments amped up textural contrasts.

In a nod to old-school tradition, Stewed Whole Chicken with Chinese Herbs and Yu Tiao was the poultry offering of choice. This should find favour with those young-at-heart although my personal preference veers towards roasted fare.

 
Assertive fragrant, punchy accents from the Wok-fried Tiger Prawns with Kam Heong Paste and Cashew Nuts elicited convivial response, making this dish a crowd-pleaser.

 
We reckon the slippery succulence, custard softness and gelatinous resistance of the Braised Fish Maw with Conch Slices, Pipa Tofu, Mushrooms and Sea Moss is a palate-pleaser to bridge the familial generation gap.

You won’t leave the table unsatisfied after loading up on the hearty portions of Steamed Glutinous Rice with Dried Oysters wrapped in lotus leaves.

Adhering to tradition, chewy Golden Phoenix Rice Cakes with Snow Skin Mandarin Orange to sweeten the year ahead. Paired with Chilled Peach Dessert Broth with White Fungus and Red Dates, these dessert treats closed proceedings on an appropriately soothing note.

 
EQ Golden Phoenix’s set menus are priced from RM178+ to RM698+ per person (minimum four diners per table). Yee Sang ranges from RM138+ to RM688+ per serving, depending on ingredients and portion size. Premium Poon Choy is RM688+ (enough for six persons) and a whole roast duck at RM288+.

 
From 27 January to 3 March 2026, head over to EQ’s lobby pop-up booth to shop for festive hampers filled with premium abalone, Chinese teas and house-crafted treats; ideal gifts to get the Year of the Horse off to a galloping start.

 
For Golden Phoenix dining reservations and retail purchases, please contact EQ, tel: 03-2789 7839 or email: dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com
 

ROAR-SOME CELEBRATION AT DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

Patrons of The Emperor can look forward to a roar-some Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration at Dorsett Grand Subang thanks to the award-winning culinary prowess of Senior Sous Chef Liew Yin Wah (right) and Dim Sum Chef Chan Chee Loong (left).

With a plethora of Prosperity Yee Sang, CNY a la carte specialities, and 3 celebratory set menus to choose from, hotel guests will be spoiled for choice to welcome the Year of the Tiger from 1 – 15 February.

Chef Liew, whose accolades include 3rd placing in Battle of the Chefs at the 13th Penang International Sales Gastronomique in 2011, and part of the winning Malaysian team at the 2019 Salon International De L’alimentation (SIAL) Competition in Shanghai, proved adept at serving up treasured festive classics for the 8-course Wealthy Set Menu (RM899 nett for a table of 5-6 diners) we sampled.

Fervent wishes of good health, return to normalcy and reunion with our near and dear ones were uppermost in our minds as we tossed and enjoyed the customary platter of delicious Salmon and Shredded Young Mango Yee Sang. The mixture of shredded vegetables, pickles, and crisps hit the spot with a tantalising plum sauce that wasn’t too thick nor cloying.

Wholesome and nutritious yet light on the palate, the Double Boiled Sea Whelk, Bamboo Pith and Farm Village Chicken Soup proved on-point. A dish that’s likely to gain the approval of the fussiest matriarchs.

Reminiscent of grand banquets past, the timeless Roast Crispy Chicken with Prawn Crackers made it a show-stopper in this menu. Roasted to perfection, the paper-thin crispy skin and juicy meat would have tasted even better had it come accompanied with the classic ‘jiu yim’ (salt with ground Sichuan pepper and perhaps a smidgen of five spice powder) dip.

The chef’s winning streak continued with Wok Fried Tiger Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce. Rarely has any caramelised sauce coating sauteed crustaceans’ came on par with the finger-licking level but this one did. Coupled with the sweetness of stir-fried onions, we abandoned decorum to savour every morsel of the sweet, fresh crustaceans.

Hong Kong Style Steamed Red Snapper is featured in the actual festive menu. However, the chef’s recommended dish of Braised Housemade Beancurd with Fish Fillet (RM68 – small, RM118 – medium, RM168 – large) proved such a hearty hit, we made short work of it in no time.

It would be remiss if Braised Black Mushrooms with Dried Oysters and Sea Moss wasn’t included in a festive meal. Eating plump succulent black mushrooms, smoky dried oysters and fine threads of black seamoss during CNY is akin to internalising everything fortuitous, good luck, prosperity, etc for the rest of the year. Now, who is going to argue with that?

Chef Liew also gave the traditional waxed meat rice a healthier spin by serving Steamed Organic Brown Rice with Glutinous Rice and Smoked Duck. We are glad to report the recipe worked well as the inclusion of brown rice lent the dish a nutty slant whilst lightening the denseness of glutinous rice.

Refreshing dessert broth of Chilled Sea Coconut with Lemon Slices and Dim Sum Chef Chan’s handiwork: Deep-fried Nian Gao with Sweet Potato and Yam, and Crystal Skin Mango Puree with Pandan Lotus Paste wrapped up our lunch on a high note.

You can also order CNY Steamed Radish Cake (RM38 nett) for takeaway. Packed in a convenient gift box, the radish cake is ready-to-eat with toppings of fried shallot, spring onion and chilli. In Hong Kong, it's a festive treat enjoyed among family and friends throughout the Chinese New Year celebration.

For reservations at The Emperor, call tel: 03-5031 6060 or email: bookfnb.subang@dorsetthotels.com.

  

CHEERS TO CHIR CHIR

Chi-ruh Chi-ruh ... the sound of boiling oil when chicken goes into a deep-fryer is music to the ears of every fried chicken fans. That’s also how you pronounced Chir Chir — the name of Korea’s largest casual restaurant chain specialising in freshly-cooked chicken dishes.

 

Amidst the recent CNY hustle-bustle, we managed to snuck in an afternoon of good lunch, trying out some of the resto’s signature chicken dishes. Todate, Chir Chir has over 100 outlets and more opening across South Korea, China and Taiwan, making it one of the largest chimaek franchises. In Korean foodspeak, chimaek is a contraction of two words: chi = chicken and maek = beer.

 

Most of the offerings comprising newer and existing specialities were on-point and as authentic as those we had eaten in Seoul. We predict the scrumptious Curry Fried Chicken (RM30.90/RM56.90 double portion), Chir Chir’s signature crispy battered chicken sprinkled with curry seasoning should hit the spot for locals.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the distinct burst of zingy heat when I bit into the deliciously crisp chicken. Nifty small tongs were provided for us to pick up the chicken pieces, ensuring we didn’t need to get our hands dirty. For such delectable fried chicken, I daresay most people won't mind getting to grips with it.

At this point, the latest beverage of Grapefruit Yoghurt (RM14.90 glass/RM30.90 jug) proved a godsend, to douse our fired-up tastebuds. A cool ice blended drink of grapefruit juice and yoghurt, we were tickled to see the concoction came topped with half a fresh grapefruit and mint leaves.

 

Cheese lovers would go ga-ga over the indulgent offering of Rose Cheese Chiqueen (RM33.90/RM60.90 double). Conceived to appeal to the young (and the young-at-heart), the crispy albeit juicy fried chicken tenders heaped atop a creamy pool of rosy tinged melted mozzarella and fondue cheese is served with thick, burbling cheese sauce in a cast iron skillet. Some chunky-cut potatoes and cherry tomatoes lent textural contrast to the dish.

An avalanche of whipped cream and grated cheese crowned the wickedly decadent Nest Chicken (RM34.90/RM62.90 double). Guarantee to send young dairy-loving queens and kings into spasms of joy, the strips of tasty Cajun chicken tenders came swimming in rich cream sauce and sweet potato mash. Bits of capsicum, black olives and broccoli studded the unctuous mixture but we bet nobody is likely to complain about the cloying richness.

Personally, I’d return for the house speciality of Spicy Chi-Bap (RM33.90/RM60.90 double). Served with fragrant seaweed-flavoured rice, the juicy fried chicken tenders in sticky spicy marinade of onion salsa, BBQ sauce and sweet potatoes topped with rice and grated cheese proved incredibly addictive. The strong, punchy sweet-savoury-spicy accents are as typically Korean as it gets.

 

Washing that down was another newish drink, Pineapple Smoothie (RM14.90 glass/RM30.90 jug). Sips of the ice blended concoction of pineapple puree, coconut, strawberry, banana and mint leaves conjured up visions of blissful, balmy summery days.

Todate, the staple crowd-pleaser of Honey Butter Chicken (RM24.90/RM52.90 double) still rules. Dried cranberries, almond flakes and honey-mayo dip ramped up the appeal of lightly battered boneless chicken chunks coated in honey butter sauce. Textural contrasts came from thick-cut fries and chewy topokki (rice cake pieces).

For more info, call Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory, tel: 03-2110 4867. Address: Lot 1.108.00, Level 1, Pavilion Elite, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. https://www.facebook.com/ChirChirMY