ORIENTAL GROUP'S 26TH ANNIVERSARY GRAND BANQUET SERIES

 

The rich cultural and culinary legacy of pairing and infusing Chinese liquors into gourmet creations takes the limelight for Oriental Group’s 26^th Anniversary Grand Banquet Series.

Scheduled from 13 August to 9 September at different restaurants under Oriental Group, the exclusive Grand Banquet menu curated by Noble House Senior Executive Chef Wong Chin Leong, Oriental Pavillion and Noble Mansion Senior Executive Chef Paul Lee Kim Yew, Oriental Treasure and Han Room Executive Chef Jay Chan Meng Heng, The Ming Room and Ruyi Executive Chef Vincent Ong Chee Sin, and Oriental Pavilion BBQ Chef Kent Yam Kean Boon will flex the versatility of rose flower baijiu, Japanese plum wine, sake and whiskey in masterfully crafted dishes.

According to Dato’ Sri Philip Siew, founder and chairman of the Oriental Group, “the grand banquet series brings special dishes for our loyal clientele to savour whilst pushing the envelope and enabling our chefs to go beyond their comfort zone.

“Instead of inviting guest chefs this year, our chefs have created a special menu focusing on the use of wine and liquor in Chinese cooking which goes back thousands of years. Our chefs have experimented with Shao Hsing, Moutai (Chinese distilled spirit), sake, brandy and whisky, matching the liquors with premium and quality ingredients.”

At RM2,988++ per table of 10, discerning diners will be savouring the hallowed legacy of Chinese gastronomy, elevated by the artful harmony between food and spirits.

 

Delicate sweet-sour accents from umeshu (Japanese plum wine) tickle our tastebuds as we nibble on the pretty opener of Pickled Radish Roses. Immersed for 4-6 hours in umeshu, the crunchy radish slices leave a pleasantly rounded tartness on the tongue.

 

That paves the way for a classic handcrafted Spring Rolls with Chinese Wine. This painstakingly made appetiser consists of pig’s caul stuffed and rolled with handchopped pork mince, prawns and waterchestnuts flavoured with Chinese white wine. It's moreish, biting into the crisp outer layer before the delicious meaty filling hits the palate.

Balsamic vinegar pearls add playful pops of muted sourness to the Drunken Chicken with Vinegar Pearls. First marinated then poached with Shao Xing wine and baijiu, the chicken is then pressed until firm without affecting its succulent smooth texture.  

 

Due to logistical issues, we didn’t have a chance to sample the Chilled Japanese Sake Sea Clams but presumably the dish will undoubtedly delight food lovers.

More painstaking efforts goes into the making of the XO Cognac Stuffed Duck with Whole Abalones and Fin. Imagine a whole duck meticulously deboned, stuffed with shark’s fin, diced yam and whole abalones then braised for 6 hours. The duck bones are then simmered with base stock to make a flavourful gravy-like sauce.

Suffice to say the duck meat rendered with the distinct taste of XO cognac instantly captures our hearts and mind. We love how the varied textural contrasts of the impossibly tender duck alongside toothsomely resistant abalone and tender shark’s fin level up the dish’s sublime appeal. That sumptuous rich sauce pulls it all together superbly.

Instead of soy sauce, fragrant 8 Year Aged Hulu Shao Xing is used to infuse its complex, delicate sweetness to the Steamed Wild Sultan Fish. Although there’s barely sauce, the fine fish flesh oozes with sweet richness – a melding of fish jus and the aged Chinese wine. Perking it up further is aromatic chopped and oil-scalded spring onion.

Earthy and mutedly sweet nuances make the Stuffed Prawn Paste in Morel Mushroom especially enticing. Sautéed with House Made Dried Scallop Sauce, the heap of sauteed asparagus, celtuce, Chinese yam (huai san), ginkgo nuts, fresh lily bulb and baby corn levels up the enjoyment of nutritious vegetables.

Sticky glutinous rice with Mei Kwei Lou (distilled fermented sorghum spirit infused with rose) marinated chicken is rolled up with deboned suckling pig then roast until crisp for the Suckling Pig with Glutinous Rice Rolls masterpiece.

We also relish squares of delectable Cinnamon Whiskey Braised Pork; meltingly tender layers of fat and lean pork exuding enticing hints of cinnamon and whisky.

Doubled boiled for 3 hours in coconut, the next level Red Bean Paste with Guangzhou Aged Tangerine Peel wins the day with its timeless old is gold allure.

Oriental Group’s award-winning Taro Puffs complete the stellar culinary session. The Teochew style treat of airy-light pastry dome encasing decadent yam paste is rave-worthy; a most befitting finale to the grand banquet experience.

For more information or table reservations, call +6012 811 8812 or visit orientalrestaurants.com.my.

OISHII SHOWCASE OF OITA SPECIALITIES AT KAMPACHI

For the uninitiated, Japan's Oita prefecture is known for its hot springs (onsen) particularly in Beppu and Yufuin. A culinary haven with its own exceptional food culture, Oita boasts abundant local produce from the mountains and sea. Hence fresh catches of fish and seafood, kabosu (native lime), nashi pear and muscat grapes among others take pride of place at Kampachi restaurant's current Oita showcase.

At the recent media preview, a standee of Kabosu Nukumizu – the kawaii (cute) mascot of Oita prefecture caught our eye within the dining outpost in Plaza 33. Oita is out to entice more Malaysians to discover its plethora of food and drink delicacies until 24 September.

Risa Ito, Director General of Oita Foreign Trade Association (left) together with Takahiro Gokita, CEO of Fan Japan (M) Sdn Bhd and Manabu Fujimoto, Managing Director of Inspire Corporation, shared snippets of interesting information about Oita prefecture with us throughout the evening.

The specially composed Oita menu at Kampachi restaurants is akin to a sensorial feast of Oita delicacies. To toast the collaboration, specially concocted cocktails: Kabosu Tonic (mixture of shochu and kabosu, RM38) and Yuzu Honey Shochu High Ball (RM38) as well as mocktails: Matcha Ichigo Mirukusheku (bottom pix, RM28) and Matcha Yuzu (RM28) will be available to tickle your fancy.

Suffice to say the cocktails should leave you in high spirits whilst teetotalers will find ample delight in the mocktails: the first similar to a light milkshake, blending Oita green tea with fresh strawberry and the second (below pix), a mixture of matcha and Japanese citron evoking clean, fresh grassy-citrusy accents.

 

Making an indelible splash with us was the sumptuous Buri Sushi (RM150). Shaped into nigiri sushi, each one came dotted with different Oita condiments: Kabosu Kosho, Ougon-Yuzukoshou, Yuzu Kosho, Oba-Kosho and Red Pepper Yuzu Kosho.

 

Just like our sambal, the Japanese paste is made from fresh red/green chillies fermented with yuzu juice and zest, and salt. Kabosu, yuzu, oba leaf, and red pepper render the condiment with varying levels of spiciness and zingy nuances. The assorted condiments certainly heightened our enjoyment of the Buri Sushi.

We were also smitten with Ryukyu (RM98) in which slices of marinated raw salmon, tuna, amberjack, squid and scallop were draped atop mounds of rice.

Every mouthful of the irresistible fish and rice was aptly complemented by an exclusive Oita-brewed sake with a 50% rice polishing ratio (RPR). In sake-making, the level of RPR will determine the desired and resultant taste profile of each sake.

Served at room temperature, the delicate umami-sweetness of Saiki Hisho, an artisanal sake with a 65% RPR and the distinctive Bungo Meijyo no Umeshu left us game for more.

Sake enthusiasts will have a chance to meet Oita’s master sake brewers at Kampachi Plaza 33 on September 21 and Kampachi EQKL on 22 September at a special Oita food and sake pairing dinner. Limited to only 40 seats per venue, the dinner priced at RM742 nett per person featuring a selection of rare sake from Oita which have never been exported.

We also had a chance to taste a ‘gold’ soy sauce specially formulated to complement sushi and carpaccio. Served to accompany Hirame no Kobujime (RM145), thinly sliced hirame (Japanese flounder) cured with konbu seaweed, the gold soy sauce with hints of vinegar and fish sauce in it, enabled us to appreciate the hirame’s delicacy even more.

Coated in crisp, airy-light batter, Toriten (RM48) - delectable morsels of deep-fried chicken tempura with ponzu sauce - sparked joy at first bite. One could easily get addicted to them.

 

The offering of Dango Jiru (RM65) proved comforting and soul-satisfying. The flat, slippery noodles in addition to tofu puffs, spring onion, carrot, radish, cabbage, chicken and mushrooms cooked in a pale, creamy miso broth won us over with its savoury richness. 

Sweet ending options include refreshing Nashi (pear), Budou (muscat grapes) & dollops of tart yuzu Jelly (RM48), and Sorakita Mochi (RM22).

Unique to Oita, the slightly chewy, semi-flattened mochi was made using sweet potato stuffed with red bean and chestnut filling. Lightly dusted with kinako (roasted soybean) powder, the delightful treat tasted mildly sweet - a befitting way to conclude your Oita culinary adventure. 

For advance reservations and more information on the Oita prefecture showcase and sake pairing dinner at Kampachi, email: kampachi@equatorial.com or log onto: https://linktr.ee/KampachiOfficial