SIMPLY AMA-ZING!

Classy and elegant...the interior of Zing

It was the pièce de résistance of our dinner at Zing, the opulent Chinese restaurant at Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur – a whole Stewed Lamb Shank with Chinese Parsley that I daresay would give some Michelin-starred chefs a run for their money.

Chef Chan Kwok's latest creation is such a bold masterstroke that it left us in no doubt that he deserves the numerous accolades that had been heaped on him including Chef of The Year and Asian Cuisine Chef of The Year at the prestigious Asian Gastronomic Awards of Excellence 2011. After all, who would even think that such sublime sweetness could emerge from stewing lamb shank in a simple broth flavoured with just Chinese parsley? Served whole on the bone on a bed of blanched jade-green spinach, not only has the tender and juicy meat retained its inherent gaminess but also boast a tinge of delicately fresh herbaceous accent to it.

Complemented by a full-bodied Pu Er tea, the pairing was just one of several dishes that we had a chance to sample at Hong Kong master chef Chan Kwok's latest stint as a guest chef at Zing. No wonder Hua Ting Singapore continues to be a favoured restaurant for legions of discerning Chinese food connoisseurs after all these years.

Our dinner had commenced on a high note, starting with Roasted Suckling Piglet Skin with Prawn Paste and Crispy Fresh Crabmeat Spring Roll. It was a cornucopia of crispy, crunchy, springy and chewy soft textures interspersed with flavours of sea-freshness and delectable meatiness. To alleviate the appetisers' oily richness, the Eight Treasures Tea's subtle sweetness proved a welcoming counterpoint.

When it comes to soups, nobody can rival the Cantonese. In this aspect, Chef Chan Kwok's Double-boiled Chicken with Lingzhi Mushroom is second-to-none. Despite the soup's muted bitter aftertaste, it is a soul-satisfying broth. Much to our surprise, the bitterness magically disappears after sips of the accompanying Oolong Tea.

Deft knife and cooking skills were the secrets behind the chef's signature Crystal Prawn. Snow-white and marble-smooth, the huge crustacean was an epicurean treat; its sweet, springy flesh redolent with the irresistibly smoky-briny accent of Yunnan ham and the clean freshness of spring onion julienne. Aromatic Jasmine Tea was chosen to match this heavenly treat.

Even a humble dish like Fried Rice becomes an artisanal masterpiece in Chef Chan's hands. To give the speciality extra crunch, the ingenious chef incorporated chopped preserved vegetable and his own Rice Crispies into the equation. He explained that the puffy rice grains are made by drying cooked rice overnight and then deep-frying the grains again. Every mouthful is akin to eating tasty cooked rice embedded with 'pop corn' rice! Yummy!

Ending our dinner on a high was Mango Puree with Pomelo and Ice Cream - the brilliant yellow dessert literally had us licking our plates clean...quite apt since the sunny hue was all the rage now! LOL ^^

Ensconced in comfort ... one of Zing's semi-private dining rooms

The special tea pairing menu (RM248++ per person) by Master Chef Chan Kwok and his protégé Chung Kap Fai from Hua Ting Singapore will be served at Zing from now until 23 July. Selected dishes are also available in a special a la carte menu.

For reservations at Zing, call +60 3 2117 4180/4181 or email zing@grandmillenniumkl.com.

YELLOW THERE

Since yellow is the new black today, it's only appropriate that I commemorate this historic day with a similar hued cake :))

I should have used lemon but hey, this cheery yellow Orange Butter Cake turned out to be just the right hue! It was an easy peasy recipe I stumbled on from a blog - Ling's Passion. Although I reduced the sugar by 20g, the result was still splendid. Everyone just love the cake's soft, refined texture and an irresistible orangey aroma.

ORANGE BUTTER CAKE (adapted from Ling's Passion)

250 g unsalted butter
160 g caster sugar
4 large eggs
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
grated zest from 2 oranges
250 g self-raising flour

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius.
Add in egg one at a time. Stir well to ensure the mixture is even after each addition.
Use a big tablespoon to scoop and add in flour alternating with orange juice and grated zest.
Fold mixture gently before adding in more flour, orange juice and zest.
Repeat the above step until flour, orange juice and zest are completely used up.
Pour cake batter mixture into a greased and floured 8-inch square cake pan.
Bake for about 40 minutes until done. Insert skewer into the centre of cake - if it comes out clean then the cake is ready.
Remove from oven and let it cool on a wire rack before cutting the cake into slices.

FOOD FOR LIFE

A scoop of healthy Olive Couscous

In response to overwhelming demand from her customers, founder of Woods Macrobiotics June Ka Lim has now opened a brand new café, Woods Bio Marche in the bustling suburb of SS2 Petaling Jaya.

For the uninitiated, the words ‘macro’ means ‘big’ or ‘long’ and ‘bio’ means ‘life’ in Greek so macrobiotics essentially means a ‘long life diet’. The Macrobiotic way believes in eating and living in harmony with nature – food should comprise whole grains and cereals, organic fruits and vegetables, natural seeds, nuts, legumes and other eco-friendly products.

The cheery and streamlined outlet with a simple open kitchen serves organic Japanese, Malay, Indian, Chinese and Western dishes. We were amazed by the versatile selection that was served at the opening bash. If nobody told us the delectable array was meat, dairy and sugar-free, we would be none the wiser!

What a feast! Turmeric-infused Yuba with Sesame (top)
tasted even better accompanied by some Fried Brown Rice Meehoon

The wholesome feast included Organic Tumeric Yuba (bean sticks) with Sesame, Caesar Salad with Vegan Feta, Seeds and Rye Croutons, Fried Organic Brown Rice Vermicelli, Mediterranean Olive Coucous, Green Vegetable Curry and French Toast, Sour Cherry Sliced Cake, and Bread & Butter Pudding.

Piquant Green Curry (top) complemented by slices of French toast made from naturally leavened bread

A selection of organic, vegan and macrobiotic groceries, fresh produce, naturally leavened breads and pastries made without dairy, eggs, butter or trans-fat are also available.

There's no excuse not to eat healthier as offerings are priced from RM3 upwards – perfect for budget-conscious diners on the lookout for healthy and affordable meals. With a seating capacity of 50 seats, Woods Bio Marche is open for brunch, lunch, tea and dinner from 11am to 9.30pm daily except Mondays.

WOODS BIO MARCHE, 54, Jalan SS2/72, Petaling Jaya

TOP TIPPLE

Max Chin's Millesime has taken the bold step of offering discerning wine lovers a chance to savour Chateau Lafite Rothschild by the glass at his cosy restaurant which is located in Solaris Dutamas.

This unprecedented move makes Millesime the first in the region to serve not only one but FIVE of Bordeaux's famed first growths including the undisputed king of sweet wines, Chateau d’Yquem by the glass!

“All the wines are from either the 2000 or the 2001 vintage, which we believe are drinking perfectly right now,”says Max Chin, chef and co-owner of Millesime.

“We have a temperature controlled wine room and a Le Verre du Vin preservation system from Europe and this allows us to offer our customers this unique experience, which follows the theme of the restaurant where we are the only restaurant in Kuala Lumpur if not Malaysia that only has a prix fix menu that changes daily,” he added.

Prices by the glass for these wines start from RM575++.

Millesime

G1-01-3, Menara Kencana Petroleum Solaris Dutamas

No1, Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur

Reservations: +603 6211 0648

For full review on Millesime:

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/1/29/lifeliving/7869913&sec=lifeliving

SHANGHAI SURPRISE

The VVIP launch of One World's Flavours of Shanghai Promotion was graced by
Mr Gao Wei from the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia

The Braised Fish Head Soup with Preserved Vegetable in Claypot was the simplest dish of the evening but its sweet earthy broth was enough to steal the show. In fact it was so good that Phoenix Bee and myself unashamedly picked several of the fish head bones clean; delighting in the tasty morsels that we managed to extract from the boney crevices.

Earlier our dinner was off to a promising start with Three Shanghai-style Appetisers: Blanched Enoki Mushrooms, Braised Gluten Puffs with Wood Ear's Fungus and Peanuts, and Fried Prawns to whet our appetite.

Again the humblest offering amongst the trio - the enoki mushrooms proved to be the best tasting; reminiscent of a tantalising chilled pickle with a mixture of carrot and cucumber strips.

I love the cold, spongy and slightly sweet gluten puffs studded with peanuts and slices of crunchy wood ear's fungus; the whole ensembel was a multi-textural treat.

The mildly briny Shanghainese-style Fried Prawns were equally simple with a nice smoky tinge to them.

All these interesting specialities were whipped up by four guest chefs from The Eton Hotel Shanghai for Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant's Flavours of Shanghai promotion which will run from 23 June to 2 July.

The Sauteed Shrimp with Egg White is possibly one of Shanghai's most renowned offerings. I recall eating this particular dish on previous visits to the city that's famously touted as Paris of the East; only the delicate river shrimps were tinier with a lovely pinkish hue. Anyway I don't think anybody's likely to complain about the succulent shelled crustaceans here; they're bigger in size and slickly coated in smooth translucent egg white.

My personal favourite of the evening was the Deep-fried Mandarin Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce. The presentation was most impressive; one can't help but admire the criss-crossed cutting on each piece of fish ensures it curled up into a chrysanthemum flower shape once fried! Although you have to look out for hidden bones within the sweet flesh, I daresay it's well-worth the trouble. The bright orange-hued sauce with red and green capsicum dices and pine nuts lent it the final flourish.

We found the Sauteed Shredded Beef with Honey Beans superbly tender; suffused with a deep-seated hearty flavour.

The subsequent speciality of Steamed Mushroom with Minced Chicken and Shrimp was on a completely tangent so delicate and ethereal were the dish's nuances.

We were a little thrown off by the Fried Noodles with Beef and Vegetable. The use of our local yellow noodles was most uncharacteristic in Shanghainese cuisine. Perhaps this was possibly an unexpected substitute the chefs had to make in view of our local restrictions.

Bringing the curtains down to our dinner was Sweet Scented Osmanthus Rice Cake - an enticing treat that tasted remarkably similar to Chinese New Year nin koh (steamed glutinous rice cake) only this boast a subtle floral aroma to it.

The Flavours of Shanghai menu features both a la carte and set menus. Ours is priced at RM380++ per table of four persons. For reservations, call Zuan Yuan at 03-7681 1159.