FESTIVE CNY FEAST AT SUMMER PALACE

Three festive set menus designed to usher in prosperity, happiness, and good fortune for Chinese New Year celebrants beckon at Summer Palace, Putrajaya Marriott Hotel this year.

At a recent media review, we savoured the indulgent Good Fortune Set (RM2,688 nett per table of 10 persons with a complimentary bottle of wine).

 Everyone participated in the tossing of the house made Tuna Yee Sang with Crispy Fish Skin and Mixed Pickles. The colourful array of shredded vegetables and pickles also had pumpkin crisps and deep-fried fish skin for additional crunch.

 

A treasure trove of King Neptune’s best: sea cucumber, dried scallops, abalone and fish maw ensured the sublime Buddha Jumps Over The Wall Soup with Morel Mushrooms superbly memorable. We love the complexity and savoury depth of each spoonful of the soup.

 

Subtle herb accent was discernible when we tried the Roasted Duck Marinated with Tong Kwai, Star Anise and Cinnamon in Truffle Sauce. Tender and juicy to the bite, the distinct truffle sauce amplified the dish’s tasty appeal.

Another luxe serving of Fried Lobster with Premium Golden Pumpkin Sauce and Sea Prawns with XO Sauce left us smiling from ear to ear. The delicate flavour of pumpkin sauce complemented the naturally sweet lobster meat whilst the more piquant XO sauce bestowed zingy heat to the prawns.

Crispy Bean Crumbs and Japanese Kikkoman Soya Sauce lent textural interest and subtle flavour to the Steamed Tiger Garoupa. It was a creative and welcoming touch, differentiating the steamed fish from the usual tried-and-tested soya sauce, minced ginger and spring onion version.

The Stewed 5-head Abalones with Black Pearl Sea Cucumber, Sea Moss and Dried Oysters tasted a tad underwhelming. Not sure if the earlier dishes had overwhelmed our tastebuds. Still, the varied textures proffered hit the spot so it wasn’t a complete loss. 

My favourite dish was snagged by the soul-satisfying Steamed Rice with Smoked Duck in Claypot. It’s less greasy than the customary waxed meat version yet chockful of appetising flavours, inducing repeat helpings.

 

A generous bowl of fuschia hued Chilled Dragon Fruit Cream with Sago and Bird’s Nest brought dinner to a sweet conclusion. We like the dessert broth’s mild sweetness; it made a nice pairing with the Fancy Double Combination of mochi-type balls and another of deep-fried balls studded with puffed rice pearls.

 

Diners can also opt for the Prosperity Set at RM1,888 nett per table of 10 persons with a complimentary bottle of wine, or the Happiness Set at RM2,188 nett per table (10 persons).

For reservations at Summer Palace, Putrajaya Marriott Hotel, please contact tel: 03-8949 8888 ext. 1333 or WhatsApp: +6011 56855608.

GREEK FOOD'S THE WORD AT AEGEAN BLUE

Contemporary Euro-Greek dishes takes the limelight at Aegean Blue within the imposing New Ocean Fine Food City, Petaling Jaya. As we set foot into the Greek restaurant, a projected image of Apollo, the Greek sun god greets us at the entrance. 

Inside the cream and sand enclave stands another life-size statue of Apollo amidst several Grecian columns. Modern, sleek partitions, mellow lighting and gauzy white curtains adorned the interior of this newish Greek restaurant. A tastefully decorated private dining room is also available onsite.

The most notable dish to savour IMHO is Ammos Moussaka (RM55), a befitting choice definitive of this Greek restaurant.

Topped with kefalotyri, a salty Cypriot-Greek white cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk, the baked gooey layers of eggplant with potatoes, minced beef and bechamel sauce looked like lasagna at first glance. We found its hearty richness agreeable and not overly cloying.

Another memorable speciality is Kolokythosoupa (RM20), a velvety pumpkin cream soup. Its smooth, delicate sweetness proved memorable, especially when paired with crusty garlicky toast.

Light and refreshing, the Aegean Blue Salad with Smoked Salmon (RM48) comprising fresh garden greens, smoked salmon, crème fraiche, black olives and balsamico vinaigrette is a well-balanced and wholesome creation to satisfy healthy diners. It was a welcoming precursor to our meal.

On a previous visit, we ate outstanding dishes such as grilled octopus salad, pan-fried duck breast and braised lamb shank. Although they aren't no longer in the menu, be assured plenty of culinary gems worth sampling await at Aegean Blue so a single visit may not suffice.

To lure the white collar crowd, there's an Executive Set Lunch at RM55+ per person inclusive of one drink is available from 1130am-230pm.

You can either start with Soup of the Day (think Vegetable Cream Soup with Shrimp or something similar to it) or salad du jour of Mixed Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken and Cheese. The mildly savoury vegetable broth was on-point, and superbly delicious when accompanied by crusty slices of buttery-garlicky toasts.

We also enjoyed the substantial Greek salad that included a sizeable piece of grilled chicken breast dusted with paprika. It sat atop fresh lettuce, boiled potato and carrot dices, blanched cauliflower and broccoli florets, cherry tomatoes, and boiled egg. TBH, this could be a meal itself for light eaters.

Main course was a toss between Grilled Chicken Leg with Mashed Potato and BBQ Sauce or Pan-fried Seabass Fillet with Dill Sauce, Orzo with Mushroom.

Both dishes were deftly prepared although the slab of seabass held extra appeal for us thanks to the fish’s natural sweetness. Perked up by creamy dill sauce and orzo (semolina pasta shaped like rice grains), we fell hook, line and sinker for it.

Juicy and tender, the slightly smoky chicken earned extra points on the deliciousness scale with a most stellar concoction of butter-honey-barbecue sauce.

Dessert fell somewhat below expectations as the Carrot Cake with Vanilla Chantilly appeared a tad too dry for our liking. Hopefully, this would have improved after our feedback. Aegean Blue has many good things going for it so give this resto a chance where Greek food is the word.

For reservations at Aegean Blue, please call tel: 012 988 2790 and 03-8408 8030. Address: L3-12A, Level 3, New Ocean World Fine Food City, 15 Jalan 19/1, Seksyen 19, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

 

ALIYAA SHOWCASES SRI LANKAN CUISINE

 

Cinnamon, cardamom, chillies and coconut are essential building blocks of Sri Lankan cuisine. Tamarind and curry powder are also favoured in the arsenal of spice mixes for Chef Sivarajah Suppiah of Aliyaa.

Hailing from Nuwara Eliya also known as Little England, the tea growing hills of Sri Lanka famed for its cool climate and colonial era bungalows, Chef Siva started cooking at 18 years old. As the eldest child, he was responsible for preparing family meals when his parents were at work.

Chef Siva was recruited to join Aliyaa in 2008 and worked hard to eventually spearhead the Aliyaa team in 2012. He was instrumental in promoting the diverse flavours of Sri Lanka to the restaurant’s local clientele. “From our famous crab sambal to soul-warming kothu, Aliyaa strives to showcase Sri Lanka’s vibrant food scape through the intricate use of spices and techniques passed down through generations.”

The homespun Kothu (RM30-RM45) is a compelling must try offering. An ingenious way of using leftover string hoppers, roti or puttu (steamed cylindrical-shape ground rice cakes layered with grated coconut), it’s cooked with chicken, mutton, seafood or vegetables in addition to egg, onions, and chillies. Stir-fried in a heated stone pot, the comforting kothu’s enticing charred smokiness and mouth-watering medley of flavours and textures are similar to that of char kway teow.

Earlier we had devoured some golf ball-sized Fish Cutlets (RM24), crisp yet tender orbs of flaked mackerel fish and aromatic spices dipped into luscious onion sauce. No prizes for guessing why this dish remains a favourite among Aliyaa customers.

Another classic hit is Crab Meat Curry (RM185) in which chunks of sweet crab meat comes served in slightly creamy, robustly flavoured curry. Such bliss to enjoy sumptuous bites of crab meat minus the hassle of cracking shells and extracting bits of crab meat. The curry’s stealthy heat also left us hot under the collar.

Named after Sri Lanka’s beach resort with its time-honoured seafood and ancient fishing traditions, the speciality of Tiger Prawns Negombo (RM38 per 100g) proudly stood up to scrutiny. Huge, succulent tiger prawns in thick, aromatic curry reeled us in; capturing our hearts and tummies with a symphony of winsome flavours and texture.

We then relished scraping out the soft pulp from long, slender Moringa pods in a notable Drumstick Curry (RM22). Dousing the turmeric-accented gravy over rice, we were gratified to know drumsticks are good for digestion, high in fibre and rich in calcium and iron.

A gastronomic journey to Sri Lanka can be sampled via the Aliyaa Experience set menu (RM128 per person, minimum 2 persons per table). Crab Samosa and Atukkal Rasam served as the opening salvo.

The isle’s vibrant food heritage will be revealed to you as you work your way through the small portions of Fish Sothi, Prawn Varuval, Devilled Chicken, Mutton Curry, Cashewnut Paal (brinjal) Curry, Brinjal Moju (pickle), Nethili (dried anchovies) Sambol, Vallarai (medicinal herb also known as daun pegaga) and Carrot Sambol, Papadam and Chilli, along with Nei Soru (ghee rice) and string hoppers.

Completing the sensorial tasting party are warm, fluffy soft Sweet Appam sprinkled with palm sugar.

To cap off our Sri Lankan culinary adventure, we indulged in Wattalappam (RM15), a classic steamed custard pudding of coconut milk, eggs and spices delicately sweetened with jaggery.

For reservations at Aliyaa, call tel: 017-883 3738. Address: 48 G&M, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.