FEAST OF FORTUNE AT HILTON PETALING JAYA

Book your Lunar New Year feast early at Toh Yuen, Hilton Petaling Jaya and enjoy an early bird offer of 25% off for groups of 10 persons and more. The Early Bird dining offer is valid until 15^th January 2025 so make your reservations soonest possible.

 

Taking centrestage will be Chef Dexter Lai’s signature Yee Sang variations with Abalone, Hokkaido Scallop, and Akemi Tuna Sashimi with Truffle Oil. With 19 years of experience, the chef’s Yee Sang creation hit the spot; the colourful salad stimulating the tastebuds with palate-pleasing balance of invigorating flavours.

Our platter of Yee Sang had scallop sashimi, cashews, candied peel, crispy fried fish skin and jackfruit strips included in the milieu of freshly shredded vegetables and pickles.

A requisite course in most Lunar New Year menu is the thick and smooth Braised Fish Maw Broth with Crab Meat and Dried Scallops. We relished every spoonful of its light viscosity and rich marine savouriness.

 

The subsequent Steamed Chicken with Cordyceps Mushroom Gravy proved winsome as we lapped up the nice, rich herbal-accented gravy alongside the fall-of-the-bone tender chicken pieces. 

 

Although a tinge salty for us, the Steamed Dragon Tiger Garoupa with Chopped Scallion and Garlic flaunted spot-on doneness. We relished the fleshy fish thoroughly thanks to the accompanying aromatics.

Sichuan peppercorn imbued zingy heat to the soya sauce slicked Wok-Fried Tiger Prawns with Sichuan Style Sauce. Chilli and spice fiends should find the crustaceans good for firing up their tastebuds.

We all hope fervently for happiness and all things prosperous as we feasted on the classic Braised Sea Cucumber with Shitake Mushroom and Seasonal Vegetables. The sauce was rich and tasty with fine strands of seamoss in it. 

Fried Glutinous Rice and Dried Oyster wrapped in Lotus Leaves left us replete. Another classic favourite to indulge in before dessert is served.

The finale of Chilled Honey Dew Puree with Pumpkin Konnyaku and Steamed Rice Cake with Grated Coconut and Red Bean Wagashi formed simple yet delightful offerings to conclude the celebratory menu.

Prices for the Golden Set we tried range from RM1,688 nett for 6 persons to RM2,888 nett for 10 persons. 

During the Chinese New Year celebration, Toh Yuen will also serve à la carte Dim Sum menu for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 11 am (11 January - 9 February 2025), and Wednesday to Friday from 8 am to 11 am (29 - 31 January 2025).

For further enquiries or reservations, contact Toh Yuen, Hilton Petaling Jaya at tel: 03 7955 9122, via WhatsApp at +6016 216 0414, or email: PETHI_FB@hilton.com or visit eatdrinkhilton.com.

A FEAST FOR THE SENSES AT ELEGANT INN

Attention to the tiniest details is restaurateur Jeannette Han's maxim. Still going strong after 15 years at Menara Hap Seng, the understated Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine restaurant remains a firm favourite among discerning Chinese food lovers in the city.

Executive Chef Wesley Ng who cut his teeth in the restaurant scene at the tender age of 19, joined Elegant Inn (E.I.) in 2002. Previously attached to an established Chinese restaurant in Klang, the chef has helmed the E.I. team since then.

A lunch invitation from Jeannette to sample some of E.I.’s crowd-pleasers and signature dishes turned into a languorous and indulgent affair.

Right off the bat, we were spoiled with E.I.’s Happy Start platter comprising Salt & Pepper Hong Kong Silver Fish & Cuttlefish (RM32.80 – Silver Fish, Cuttlefish – RM39.80), Steamed Silky Egg with Pan-seared Hokkaido Scallops & Crab Roe Sauce, and Special Chilled Spoon Delight with Fresh Salmon and Crabmeat.

The steamed egg topped with creamy crab roe was sensuously smooth. Its deliciousness was rivalled by the scrumptious servings of raw salmon strips and crabmeat atop silky noodles; our palate tingled from the appetiser’s tantalising lime dressing.

We also relished the light-as-air batter-coated silver fish and cuttlefish, flecked with salt and pepper. A fine sprinkling of fried and raw garlic bestowed fleeting bursts of sweet and sharp accents as we munched our way through the delectable morsels.

Nothing warms the soul like a hearty tureen of Traditional Double Boiled Soup of Pig Stomach, Peppercorn and Salted Vegetable (RM148.80). Aside from a whole pig’s stomach, salted vegetables and Sarawakian white peppercorns, the salubrious broth suffused our palate with a cacophony of sublime flavours thanks to the bountiful ingredients in it: chicken feet for a touch of viscousness, Yunnan ham for that umami nuance, and free-range kampung chicken and pork ribs for delicate sweetness.

According to Han, the soup should taste clear and sweet on the palate, with a perceptible peppery finish coming through. Kudos to the E.I. team for ensuring it was on-point.

We also sampled several Dim Sum items: Crispy Vegetable Rice Rolls (RM5.20 per pc, min 4 pcs), Steamed Hokkaido Scallop Dumplings (RM) and Steamed Radish Cake with Hong Kong Prawn and Tung Choi (preserved vegetable).

As expected, the dumplings went down a treat; the scallop-prawn filling’s fresh sweetness raveworthy. E.I. also levelled up the Hong Kong-style ‘jar leong’ – flat rice rolls with fried Chinese crullers – by stuffing its silky rice rolls with crispy Vietnamese rice paper, shredded carrot and jicama for better textural interest.

Served with a mildly sweet-salty soy sauce, the rice rolls were a joy to eat. The intermingling textures complemented by the house concocted sauce transformed it into a memorable speciality.

Instead of the tried-and-tested pan-fried radish cake, E.I. steamed theirs. Each mouthful yielded fine radish strips amidst the tender pieces, accentuated with the complex flavours of caramelised Hong Kong dried prawns and preserved vegetable (specially sourced ingredients lugged back by Jeannette from Hong Kong).

After that came a surfeit of fish dishes: Steamed Sea Garoupa Slices on Rice Noodles with Fresh Lemon & Chinese Black Olives (seasonal price), Steamed Atlantic Cod with Fiery Garlic Black Bean Sauce (RM44.80 per 100 g), Golden Fried Atlantic Cod with Chinese Leek Topping (RM44.80 per 100 g) and Ichiyaboshi Threadfin to float our boat.

Suffice to say each fish dish had something distinct going for it. The refreshing lemon tanginess coupled with Chinese black olives gave the superbly fresh and sweet garoupa extra allure; the fish jus soaked up by the ribbons of flat rice noodles so each mouthful was heavenly to savour.

We also fell hook, line and sinker for the smooth and rich cod enhanced with fiery garlic-black bean sauce. Strands of glass noodles were included, to absorb the sweet jus for maximum enjoyment.

The fried version was no less stellar; the fish’s natural richness enlivened by sautéed Chinese leeks, chilli, garlic and light soy sauce.

Our interest was piqued by the ichiya-boshi (literally meaning overnight-dried) method of preparing the threadfin. This preservation technique is also popular in Korea as bountiful catches such as pollack are gutted, butterflied (cut lengthwise and split at the belly), then dipped in sea water before being set out to dry to extend their shelf life and concentrate their flavour. In modern kitchens and eateries, the fish is more likely to be doused with salty solution before it’s laid out to dry in front of fans or a well-ventilated space.

The threadfin we tried was moist and slightly briny. It was a novel experience, sampling the fish accompanied by rolled slices of asam boi-pickled celtuce (asparagus lettuce) and housemade chilli dip.

Reminiscent of a classic Chinese banquet dish, the Golden Boneless Stuffed Chicken with Chicken Tomato Salad (RM113.80 half chicken, RM226.80 whole chicken) proved to be an all-round winner. Who could resist crunching into crackle-crisp chicken skin layered with toothsomely QQ prawn paste?

The chicken meat, shredded and piled atop tomato wedges drizzled with balsamic vinegar, acted as the perfect counterpoint. An outstanding dish guaranteed to delight both young and old.

To cleanse our palate and alleviate all the indulgent food we had partaken, the Signature Fried Bitter Melon with Salted Vegetables (RM36.80) was more than welcome to tickle the tastebuds; the astringent bitter melon contrasting nicely with the salted vegetable’s subtle brininess.

Moreish and soul-satisfying, we couldn’t pass up the chance to partake the Signature Fried Rice (RM43.80). Full of wok hei (that wonderful smokiness only a ultra-hot wok and a skillful chef can produce), every grain vanished in the blink of an eye.

Somehow, we managed to find tummy room for the scrumptious Rice Noodles with Australian M9 Wagyu Beef in Egg Sauce (RM188). The supremely tender beef combined with the noodles in rich eggy sauce garnered praises all round.

Jeannette splurged on four desserts to wrap up our gathering: Golden Custard Cake (RM5 per pc, min 4 pcs), House Made Jujube Cake with Grated Coconut, Teochew Style Tau Suan with Crunchy Sea Cucumber and Double Boiled Hasma In Fresh Almond Cream.

The irresistible offerings are featured in Elegant Inn’s Parents’ Day celebratory menus priced at RM248 per person (min.2 persons) and RM968 for 4 persons and RM1,368 for 6 persons.

Interestingly, the unusual inclusion of sea cucumber caught our fancy in the old-school Teochew tau suan (sweet broth of mung beans). Following our host’s instructions to stir in the sea cucumber pieces but refrain from letting them soak too long in the dessert broth, we found the distinctive taste likeable.

Both the golden custard cake and jujube cake also hit the spot with their enticing softness and discrete sweetness. I was partial to the almond cream with hasma – a timeless choice one cannot go wrong with nor fault.

For reservations at Elegant Inn HK Cuisine, call tel: 03-2070 9399. Address: 2.01, 2nd Floor, Podium Block, Menara Hap Seng, Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur.