XIN-FULLY HORSE-PICIOUS EATS

Traditions are hard to break when it comes to Chinese New Year but Chef Wong Pak Seng and his team have no intention of putting the cart before the horse when it comes to dishing up festive specialities.

The Xin team left no stone unturned in setting the pace and giving us a galloping start to the Wooden Horse Year, starting with the ubiquitous yee sang (raw fish salad). With six variations available (RM68++ to RM198++ depending on serving size), the Prosperity Salmon Yee Sang is a perennial fave with the restaurant's die-hard regulars and CNY revellers.

Freshly shredded vegetables, frisky tangy pickles, frilly jellyfish and crispy flour crackers go into this terrific toss-up of a salad that is neither too dry or moist even after the dressing has been added. We give it our full stomp of approval.

Although I'm not the 'chicken soup for soul' kinda person, I'm akin to the proverbial horse that's led to water, to drink from the heartwarming bowl of Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Wolfberries. Clear and delicately sweet, I daresay soup fiends will lap up this up with gusto to the very last drop.

Upping the ante on this year's festive feast race, the Xin team jockeys for top position with a stunning show-stopper - Roast Goose with Special Sauce. Mildly gamey yet lusciously juicy, the firm, tender goose has us chomping on the bit. Surprisingly it wasn't fatty at all and we relish every delectable mouthful.

 

 

A huge, tissue-thin egg-based pouch ringed by broccoli florets impresses from the get-go. The fillings turn out to be a gastronome's dream: a braised hodge-podge of sumptuous sea cucumber, plump black mushrooms and alluring abalones. Aptly listed as Bountiful Abalones in Golden Pouch, this is a dish that grabs the limelight the minute the eggy pouch is cut open to reveal its deluxe contents.

According to chef Wong, there are a handful of new creations to mark the CNY but timeless classics such as Steamed Pomfret with Soya Sauce & Garlic Oil will never fall out of favour. The fish flesh is fine and smooth and barely needs much tricking up so trusty condiments like superior soya sauce, aromatic garlic oil, freshly chopped Chinese parsley and spring onion are preferred to jazz it up.

Horsing around with fruits resulted in a tempting creation of Wok-fried Prawns with Fresh Fruits & Sesame Sauce. A boon for those too lazy to bother with prawn shells, the crustaceans slicked with creamy, nutty sesame sauce are sublime; their bouncy texture likely to put a spring in your step after devouring them.

Another consistent best-seller for the Lunar New Year period is the 'xin-ful' treat of Waxed Meat Rice in Claypot. Most chefs have their own closely guarded trade tricks to ensure this cherished offering command a loyal following year after year and Xin's has remained consistently sought-after since the restaurant opened. Suffice to say the rice tastes so good that one bowl is never enough.

To sweeten up the celebrations, diners will find tong sui (dessert broth) such as Double-boiled Honeydew to wrap up their meal nicely.

There's no horse play when it comes to rustling up new nian gao (steamed sweet glutinous rice cake) dessert. This year, they turn to the dark side of chocolate...boldly blending bewitching cacao with earthy green tea for the Chocolate Paste Green Tea Nian Gao.

Our vote goes to the Deep-fried Hazelnut Paste Nian Gao which has sticky nian gao crusted with a crumbly, toasty batter coating and stuffed with some nutella-flavoured paste. Subtly sweet, the chewy cake releases the distinct hazelnut fragrance the longer one chews on it.

Special CNY dishes from the a la carte festive menu are priced from RM13++ to RM318++ per order. Families and groups of friends may prefer the Prosperity Set Menus that start from RM1,388++ to RM1,588++ per table of 10 persons.

Xin Cuisine, Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 2 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03 2144 8750   

A MANY SPLENDOURED FEAST

Come the frenetic CNY period, it will be on hands on deck at Noble Mansion. Similar scenarios are repeated throughout all restaurants under The Oriental Group where armies of service and culinary personnel battle gamely to withstand the overwhelming onslaught of diners throughout the CNY period.

By now Noble Mansion has received overwhelmingly positive response on CNY eve for all its reunion lunch and dinner sessions. Naturally the savvy Justin Hor wouldn't dream of allowing a single CNY to go by without ensuring the debut of new and inventive dishes to reel in diners.

This year, we were given first-hand sampling of the season's de rigeur salad - yee sang with seared salmon belly and white truffle powder (RM98++ medium, RM138++ large). Interestingly, the fish was lightly seared on the edges; the resultant faint smokiness melding unexpectedly well with the white truffle's lush, voluptuous musky nuance. Even after we had 'lou sang', subsequent mouthfuls of the refreshing salad still bore that distinct aroma and left a lingering aftertaste in its wake on the palate.

An edible work of art best described the individual servings of Crispy Icelandic cod with mandarin orange cubes (RM18++ per person). With such a collusion of complementary textures and flavours, what's not to like? The fish pieces were crisp on the outside and buttery flaky inside; the natural oiliness well-tempered by citrusy mandarin dices.

I will always equate pork trotter with the Chinese proverb - wang choi jau sau which means lucky fortune flows smoothly in hand - definitely something that we all want badly this year to counter the ever-growing price hikes.

One has to applaud the chefs for stuffing the trotter with eight delectable 'treasures' that range from diced mushrooms and dried oysters to water chestnuts and gingko nuts for the Braised eight treasures whole pork trotter (RM98++ per portion). Drenched in a lightly unctuous sauce, the trotter was meltingly, fall-of-the-bone tender with the various diced 'treasures' lending myriad textural interest to it.

Those who want a luxe touch to their CNY feast can't go wrong with Braised Boston lobster with Shanghainese rice cake and garlic (RM33++ per 100g). Cooked to springy doneness, the lobster's inherent sweetness coupled with the slightly charred garlic lend abundant flavours to the chewy pieces of rice cakes.

Hearty, homespun nuances reign in the splendid dish of Tiger Garoupa with Roast Pork and Mushroom (RM330++ each). A fab departure from the usual steamed fish, the rich gravy comes with shimeji and black mushrooms, spongy layered beancurd sticks, Chinese cabbage, roast pork slices and garlic - a superbly bowl-licking tasty sauce that begs to be complemented with bowls of white rice.

I'm a sucker for well-cooked 'sang chow lor mai farn' - stir-fried glutinous rice but Noble Mansion's indulgent version is in a class of its own. After all, few restaurants serve up Stir-fried glutinous rice in pumpkin with whole abalone (RM48++ per person). Not only the grains are nicely separate with a slight nutty centre, they contrast nicely with succulent bites of the abalone.

For the finale, we readily succumbed to the piping hot pot of Lap Mei Farn (RM68++ for 4-6 persons, RM108++ for 8-10). Apart from the sliced waxed pork and liver sausages, there are sliced waxed duck and belly pork as well as arrow head. A scrumptious, flawlessly prepared dish that will leave no cause for complaints. Unsurprisingly, this ranks as one of the best we had sampled in the run-up to CNY.

RM68++ for a small pot (4-6 pax) and RM108 for a big pot (8-10 pax). - See more at: http://pureglutton.com/gourmet-chinese-new-year-meal-noble-mansion#sthash.NBex2s7z.dpuf

Special menus are available for table of two to ten persons throughout the CNY at Noble Mansion. Reservations are highly recommended.

NOBLE MANSION, 1st Floor, Plaza 33, 1, Jalan Semangat, Section 13, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7932 3288, 7960 8992

Noble Mansion
1^st Floor, Plaza 33
Section 13
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7932-3288/7960-8992
- See more at: http://pureglutton.com/gourmet-chinese-new-year-meal-noble-mansion#sthash.NBex2s7z.dpuf

FESTIVE TASTES OF PARADISE

It's the hottest Chinese dining hot spot in Bangsar right now. With its classically rustic yet opulently furnished interior reminiscent of the dynastic Chinese era, Paradise Dynasty is drawing the crowd as the CNY shopping frenzy reaches feverish pitch.

To herald the upcoming festive celebrations, the new restaurant has introduced its Paradise Fortune Pot (poon choi) that's available in two sizes, priced at RM388++ (4-6 persons) and RM688++ (8-10 persons).

This speciality is a feast in itself with 16 ingredients crammed into a huge claypot. Starting at the top layer, you'd find gourmet goodies such as abalone, prawns, fresh scallops, goose webs and sea cucumber. Delve a little deeper and up pops black and eringi mushrooms, slices of streaky belly pork, chopped chicken, beancurd puffs stuffed with dried oyster and black seamoss, broccoli florets and baby Chinese cabbage. Braised in a special abalone broth, the delectable ingredients have a nice sheen to them and lush, voluptuous flavour.

A basket of its signature Eight Flavours Xiao Long Bao (RM25.80++) is a 'must have' when dining at Paradise Dynasty. There is a little card on every table to guide diners on how to eat these dainty dumplings to avoid scalding one's mouth and why the ma la (tongue-numbing Sichuanese fieriness) variant should be saved for last. Slightly chewy, the xiao long bao skin is thin yet sturdy enough to hold the broth while the filling is tasty enough on its own without the usual vinegar and shredded ginger dip.

For the uninitiated, the restaurant takes great pride in its varied menu of Shanghainese and Sichuanese specialities such as Hot & Sour Soup. Admittedly it is one of the better ones I have tried; a tantalising blend of sour, salty and spicy accents that unleashes staccato bursts of explosive heat with each spoonful of thick, smooth broth.
Scrambled Egg White with Scallop & Fish is inspired by Chinese legendary folklore. Word has it that the dish was created for Empress Cixi who demanded for crabs. Since it was an off-season, one of the imperial cooks resorted to whipping up a mixture of fluffy egg whites with fish and scallops. When a whole egg yolk was gently stirred in, the whole ensemble resembled that of crabmeat and thus, the day was saved. You too will feel like a king once the velvety smooth egg white curds slicked with runny yolk caress your tastebuds.

Tiny bombshells...Close-up view of Sichuan peppercorns

Other regal treats that await include Sichuanese Diced Chicken and Salted Egg Yolk Prawns. Both dishes will wreak havoc on your palate with their riotous flavours and distinct textures.

CNY Festive Menus are available throughout the celebratory period, starting from RM388++ (4 persons) to RM1,088++ (10 persons) alongside ubiquitous servings of Yee Sang (RM48++ to RM88++).

For reservations, call Paradise Dynasty, tel: 03-2201 7022 (Level 2, Bangsar Village 2, KL) or 03-7887 5022 (Level 1, Paradigm Mall, PJ).  The restaurants will be opened throughout the Chinese New Year.

This food tasting session was organised by HungryGoWhere Malaysia – Discover, Eat, Share today! (URL link HungryGoWhere Malaysia to http://bit.ly/HungryGoWhereMY)

HOMEGROWN FLAVOURS

Private Kitchen is a homely haven for urban foodies

Shredded chicken and crunchy cucumber salad redolent with appetising tangy-spicy nuances

Everyone knows home is where the heart is and the way to our hearts is through the stomach. That's the feeling arises when you dine at Private Kitchen - the food has that unmistakably homeliness to it; a heartwarming reflection of the chef/owner's TLC.

The inviting private dining space upstairs at Private Kitchen

Just like any Chinese restaurant worth its salt, Private Kitchen is offering two special menus to celebrate the upcoming CNY festivities. Priced at RM398+ for 5-7 pax and at RM698+ for 8-10 pax, urbanites can very well afford to treat out-of-town relatives and friends here when they come a-calling.

Dark and delectable...chicken stuffed with assorted mushrooms

From our recent sampling of some key dishes from both menus, the conversation-stopper is undoubtedly the Special Stuffed Chicken with Assorted Mushrooms. A whole chicken stuffed with diced assorted mushrooms, minced pork and other goodies, it mimics that classic Chinese eight-treasure duck dish that was once all the rage for grand banquets.

Carved open...the chicken spillis over with scrumptious stuffing

Bathed in a bewitchingly dark, glistening sauce, the chicken is tender and thoroughly suffused with the rusticity of its fungi stuffing. It's wickedly delicious and you'd find it hard to stop at just one piece.

Gold ingots of beancurd to herald the Horse Year

Shaped like ancient gold ingots, the golden brown Wok-fried Homemade Tofu with Minced Meat in Abalone Sauce would be a shoo-in with the young and young-at-heart. The beancurd's soft texture is combined with minced pork to give it better mouthfeel. To boost the flavour quotient, the chef opts for a mildly briny abalone sauce.

 

Prawns to evoke happy laughter for CNY

Another festive crowd pleaser would be Deep-fried Prawns coated with Honey Sauce & Longans. A dead ringer for the evergreen sweet & sour dishes, the twist lies in the inclusion of juicy sweet longans. While the crustaceans are great on their own, it's a dish that will taste even better with plain rice.

Get hooked on this sumptuous fish drenched in a robust sauce

Malaysians are partial to strong, piquant sauces and the chef's Steamed Tiger Garoupa in Special Sauce bears testament to this. Our dining party wish there had been less of the robust sauce but alas, the fish's delicate sweetness was completely swamped except for a small piece that escaped the saucy tirade. I sampled that and found it utterly sublime.

Pork for thought in a pot

It would take you Herculean effort not to order bowls of rice to fully relish the Braised Belly Pork in Casserole. Scented and tinged with aromatic cinnamon sticks, ginger and dried chilli, the chunky pieces of belly pork and beancurd puffs call to mind the hearty braised pork in soy sauce that many of us grew up with. Simple, uncomplicated yet satisfyingly good.

Fried rice brimming over with deliciousness

If there's one good reason why you should restrain from gorging on too much on the earlier plethora, it would be the need to save space for Fried Rice with Preserved Meat and Mushrooms. These are not ordinary waxed delicacies mind you but imported ones from Hong Kong - the chef's home base. The heat doesn't dissipate as quickly from the claypot so the fluffy rice stays warm far longer.

Even the dessert harks back to hearth and home - classic tong sui (sweet broth) of Red Bean Cream with Lotus Seeds that nobody ever grow tired of eating. Its subtle sweetness is bound to evoke a sense of happy contentment that stems from being thoroughly well-fed.

For reservations at Private Kitchen, call tel: 03-7728-8399, The outlet is located at 103, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.