THAI-RIFIC MEAT & SEA TEMPTATIONS

Homestyle Thai cooking by Kanchanaburi-born chef Chutikan Parnphan or fondly known as Amy rules the roost at Meat & Sea KL – a Thai restaurant which opened last month in Desa Sri Hartamas.

Besides the chef’s signature specials, the menu highlights some Isan (Thailand’s northeastern province) culinary gems such as Moo Ping (RM18) and Kor Moo Yang (RM18). In Thai, ‘moo’ means pork and ‘ping’ means barbecue. 

Suffice to say, the Barbecued Pork on Sticks Skewers are showstoppers in their own right: tender and juicy to the bite, the meat delectably slicked with a sumptuously sweet-savoury-garlicky marinade. Yums!

Ditto for the Grilled Pork Neck. Brimming with enticing charred smokiness and the on-point fat-lean ratio turned us into proverbial greedy pigs. The accompanying house dip is great for dialling up the heat- and flavour-o-meter.

Working with her own supplier to source for the necessary ingredients gives Chef Amy the freedom to serve seasonal and off-menu items. For example, although Som Tum Mamuang or Mango Salad isn’t on the restaurant menu, patrons can request for it in advance.  According to Meat & Sea KL, they will strive to fulfill customers’ requests for off-menu dishes provided the required ingredients are available.

A flavour bomb of a salad, the Som Tum Mamuang comprises crunchy slivers of green mango tossed with chopped bird’s eye chili, peanuts, dried shrimps, dried chilli flakes, lime juice, and fish sauce. Be forewarned this is a tear and sweat-inducing offering but in a palatably pleasing way.

No Thai meal is complete with the ubiquitous tom yum soup. Chef Amy’s Tom Yum Talay (RM27 – medium, RM38 – large) is chockful of prawns, squid and mussels as well as cubes of eringi mushroom for extra textural interest.

The soup’s piquant hotness boasted a nice creamy finish, underscored by the distinct grassy-citrusy accents of sawtooth herb (Eryngium foetidum) and lemongrass. Few Thai eateries in Klang Valley include the aforementioned herb in tom yum but it’s such an essential component in its preparation so we give thumbs up to the chef for being such a stickler to details.

Prepared with equal aplomb, the Khao Ka Moo [RM35 – medium, RM60 – large, RM110 – whole leg (pre-order)] is a comforting dish of braised sliced pork leg with salted vegetable, hardboiled eggs and Chinese broccoli. Best eaten with plain rice, we bet this homespun porcine classic would pass even the most finicky matriarch’s taste test.

Meat & Sea KL is also one of the rare Thai restaurants to serve Khai Jiao Cha-Om (RM12), a fluffly omelette laden with Senegalia pennata shoots. Rich in vitamins A, B and C as well as calcium and iron, this Thai herb is a good source of fiber and phosphorus. According to research, cha-om also helps to lower cholesterol, has anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties. It tastes similar to petai (stink beans) but subtler.

The chef’s inimitable touches come to the fore in Pla Kaphng Nung Manaw, Steamed Seabass with Lime and Chilli (RM45 – medium, RM60 – large) and Pad Pak Boong (RM16), Stir-fried Morning Glory with Chilli, Black Bean Paste and Garlic to differentiate them from the usual Thai versions.

Having plump slices of shiitake mushroom scattered amidst the steamed seabass, to soak up the flavourful fish jus was a masterstroke. Another simple yet ingenious trick was using black bean paste to stir-fry the greens for more rounded and controlled umami profile in place of shrimp paste (belacan).

Her delicate handiwork appeared in our Dessert of the Day known as Bua Loy (RM8). Shaped like dainty pearls in pretty pastel hues, the Glutinous Rice Balls in Coconut Milk also included pieces of young coconut flesh.  Do check with the restaurant team on what’s the dessert du jour as it changes frequently.

Some of the house specials such as Tom Yum Talay and Khao Ka Moo are available as part of the resto’s lunch sets (RM19 each). A wallet-friendly deal since some of the meal options includes rice or mee suah, and a glass of ice lemon tea.

For reservations and more information, please call Meat & Sea KL, tel: +6 012 800 4833 from 11am to 6pm Tues to Sat.  Address: 1 Plaza Prismaville, Jalan 19/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

#STAYHOME LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION WITH DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

 

Crunchy Jellyfish and Fresh Fruits Yee Sang (RM138 nett per full portion for 6-10 persons, RM68 nett per ½ portion for 2-4 persons) from The Emperor Chinese Restaurant, Dorsett Grand Subang is a uplifting way to stir our spirits for a #stayhomestaysafe celebration this Chinese New Year.

The hotel has other variants available: ‘Japanese’ style crispy fish skin with salmon or softshell crab and Korean pear; priced at RM188 nett per portion (6-10 persons) and RM68 nett per ½ portion (2-4 persons) and salmon and Korean pear too.

In view of current SOPs, the CNY Set Menu A or B, a 5-course set meal affordably priced at RM388 nett for 4 – 6 persons is ideal for small families like mine.  Menu A which was delivered to our doorstep by the Dorsett team featured a curtain-raiser of ‘Sichuan’ Hot and Sour Soup. 

Laden with strips of Sichuanese preserved vegetable (zhar choi) and chicken meat, the thick soup brimming with hot, sour and savoury accents primed our appetite for the other dishes.

Generous servings of plain white rice served as the plain but perfect canvas to capture the tantalising flavours from the Deep-fried Crispy Fish with ‘Thai’ Mango Salad Sauce. (Note: Only half of the fish is shown here)

Both the fish and sauce came in separate containers so the fish remained crispy when we poured the sauce onto it. Fans of Thai sauces will find this dish greatly appealing; the zingy chilli-mango sauce enticing you to eat extra helpings of rice.

Hearty umami flavour ruled the Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce, subtly sweetened by caramelised onions whilst the Deep-fried Crispy Chicken with Lemon Sauce proved a hit with anyone who enjoy fried stuff.

Kudos to The Emperor team for managing to retain the ‘just nice’ doneness of the Stir-fried Black Fungus with Seasonal Vegetables (we had baby bok choy).

Menu B (available for takeaway only) features Sweet Corn Soup with Minced Chicken, Oil Poached Grouper Fillet with Soya Sauce, Roasted Crispy Chicken with Thai Mango Salad Sauce, Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Crispy Oats and Stir-fried Seasonal Vegetable with Garlic, and Steamed rice. 

Should you wish to order takeaway a-la-carte options (enjoy 20% discount), irresistible temptations include Braised Duck with Dried Oyster, Sea Moss and Assorted Dried Seafood (RM230 nett); Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce (RM63 nett per order); Stewed Dried Oysters with Black Mushroom, Black Moss and Beancurd (RM108 nett per order), and Roasted Crispy Chicken (RM140 nett whole bird, RM76 nett ½ bird). 

For online orders, click here (https://dorsettbooking.com/malaysia/), WhatsApp +6016 2011 259 or email to  terazza.subang@dorsetthotels.com

THAI-LICIOUS DINING EXPERIENCE AT TAVERN IN THE SKY

 

Cool, fresh air and a panoramic green vista are the icing on the top for diners patroning Tavern In The Sky, a rooftop Thai dining and BBQ bar up at Genting Highlands.

 

Tucked away at the Grand Ion Delemen Hotel and easily accesible to guests staying at the neighbouring premium apartment towers of Gloria Residences, this serene restaurant is worth a visit during lunch or dinner.

Best seats in the house are naturally outside by the spacious patio. It’s a memorable experience like no other when you sit down to a piping hot mookata (Thai barbecue cum hotpot) meal in the chilly highland weather.

The house speciality Mookata (RM120 per set) is ample enough to cater to 2-3 diners. Ingredients include 3 tiger prawns, 1 freshwater king prawn, chicken and fish slices, scallops, mussels, squid, beancurd, chicken sausage, crabstick, mixed vegetables and noodles.

Additional portions of sliced beef, seafood and other ingredients (we counted 27 in total) available a la carte (RM8-RM18 per serving). For those who rather not get their hands dirty, the helpful restaurant team will gladly step in to cook the food. Otherwise, it promises to be a fun DIY experience with family or friends.

Based on our first-hand experience, the various morsels are delicious when eaten hot off the grill and pot. The barbecue items, cooked with butter, are done just right while soup for the hot pot is clear and sweet.

Crowd-pleasing snacks and Thai fare to accompany beer, wine or your tipple of choice are also served at Tavern In The Sky. We recommend Ochagavia Espuela (RM100), a fresh, crisp Chilean white wine to complement crunchy Fried Chicken Skin (RM20) and Garlic Fried Popcorn Chicken (RM20). Both are understandably popular choices among the restaurant patrons thanks to the chockful of appetising flavours and crunchiness.

Need some soup to warm you up? The signature Red or White Tom Yum Soup with Seafood (RM35-regular, RM65-large) will do the trick nicely. Personally, I prefer the red version although the white, clear variant is no less punchy heat quotient-wise.

Hearty, one dish meals such as Pad Thai (RM20) — Thai fried flat rice noodles and Fried Rice are trusty options to fall back on for carb-loading. A serving of zingy Chicken Feet Salad (RM20) won’t be remiss as a supplementary speciality to add textural interest.

For reservations, call Tavern in the Sky, tel: 012-391 3223. Address: Grand Ion Delemen Hotel, Genting Highlands, Pahang.