MARKET-FRESH SEAFOOD BECKONS FROM MAKAN KITCHEN

Locally sourced seafood and produce take centrestage at Makan Kitchen as part of Hilton’s commitment to emphasise on serving responsibly sourced seafood. Currently, Makan Kitchen enables diners to select their own seafood for the chefs to prepare a la minute, in 10 different Chinese cooking styles. Our sampling of the market-fresh seafood experience began with a free flow of Lemonade Mint.

DoubleTree by Hilton Executive Chef Eric Siew and Makan Kitchen’s Chinese Chef Chong Wai Yin explained to us the selection of market-fresh seafood dishes will be served in addition to the regular buffet every Friday and Saturday night until 25 November.

With so many tempting dishes available, it took us some time to make up our minds. It was a night of surprises aplenty but pleasantly so I must admit. While the yabbies have never held much appeal for yours truly, those little critters upstaged the whole undersea repertoire. 

Nestled in a bed of crispy strands of deep-fried rice vermicelli, the Wok Fried Yabbies with Soy King Sauce tasted scrumptious. Their natural sweet flesh melded so cohesively with the savoury sauce, we sang effusively high praises of them. They had a tendency to leave you hooked on them once you get going but hey, knock yourself out as there's no limit to how much you can order.

What looked like a standard-issue Steamed Garoupa with Hong Kong Style Soy Sauce also wowed us jaded landlubbers. The fish's doneness was on-point; the marble smooth flesh hitting the sweet spot with just the right amount of fragrant soy sauce.

Upping the flavour ante slightly, we landed another winner as the dish of Wok-Fried Tiger Prawns with Buttermilk & Curry Leaves coated our palate with a lush creamy saltiness. Touched with the bright, aromatic freshness of crushed curry leaves, it clinched the seafood showcase for us. A similar sauce minus the curry leaves again worked its magic for the offering of Fried Squid with Salted Egg.

 

We had such high hopes of the Fresh Clams in Superior Broth but alas, they left us a tad high and dry with their rather skimpy, rubbery meat that evening. The clear broth was nice though so hopefully, you’d have better luck when you order this.

 

I fell hook, line and sinker for the Fried Red Snapper with Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce. Never mind the disconcertingly orangey sauce…I like the depth and slickness of it which coated the chunky, flaky fish fillet evenly. Even the pineapple juiciness was discernible.

While the Steamed Scallops with Garlic & Glass Noodles weren’t impeccable, I was partial to the shellfish. Personally I’d prefer more restrained use of the fried garlic bits to allow the delicate scallops to shine. The inclusion of glass noodles was a masterstroke as a slippery canvas to soak up the speciality’s delicious nuances.

Although I didn’t pick the Chilli Crab, my dining companions readily vouched for it. Since taste is subjective, nothing beats a first-person experience of sampling the dish before dismissing it. Ditto for the Deep-fried Pomfret with Spiced Salt & Pepper, and Steamed Mussels in Ginger Emulsion.

Vegetable dishes such as Bittergourd with Salted Egg, Four Heavenly Kings (pix above - a mixture of eggplant, okra, long beans and stink beans flash-fried in zesty sambal) and Stir-fried Sweet Potato Leaves with Garlic among others are available to balance your meal. 

Makan Kitchen’s For The Love of Seafood promotion is available every Friday & Saturday from 630pm to 1030pm at RM165 nett per person inclusive of free flow sirap selasih, lemonade mint and lemongrass pandan. Enjoy 35% off when you charge it to your Maybank, CIMB, HSBC, Affin or Watsons card. Valid until 25 November 2017 subject to terms & conditions.

For reservations, call Makan Kitchen, tel: 03-2172 7272. Address: DoubleTree by Hilton KL, The Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak, KL.