SPRING FEAST AT PAK LOH CHIU CHOW

Customary festive dishes and the chef’s signature specials take centrestage at the classy Pak Loh Chiu Chow restaurant, Starhill Feast Village for the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations.

Recently named one of Asia’s Top 20 Chefs, Executive Chef Alex Au touts Classic Chiu Chow Yee Sang with Grass Carp (RM78-small, RM38-regular) for the second year running. Fresh ingredients such as coriander (stalk & leaves), basil leaves, roasted peanuts, julienned chillies and turnip, garlic slivers, yellow chives, jellyfish and fresh slices of grass carp abound. 

 

Drizzled with a blend of Japanese soya sauce, sesame oil, and grated galangal followed by a squeeze of lime juice over the raw fish rosettes, the salad ingredients captures the tastebuds with its harmonious balance of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy nuances. Other variants (RM48-RM188) include venus clams, baby octopus, topshell, black caviar, salmon, jellyfish and sliced abalone.

Chef Alex was also inspired to include a local touch into his festive creations such as the delightful Deep-fried Prawn Balls with Pineapple (RM28). Breaded and deep-fried till golden brown, the crisply coated prawn ball was complemented by a glob of thick marmalade-pineapple sauce to enhance its delicate flavour.

For me, the real spark of inspiration came from the chef’s simple but sublime Honey Glazed Hong Kong Dried Oyster (RM45). Placed atop a piece of fried toast and a sliver of cucumber, the smoky sweetness and slight chewiness of the dried oyster was mid-blowing. A stellar offering worth returning for.

For traditionalists at heart, there’s Double Boiled Shark’s Fin Soup with Dried Straw Mushroom (RM50). The fungi known as agrocybe cylindracea or poplar fieldcap bestowed its noticeably woody-nutty accent to the rich broth culled from old chicken, Chinese ham, lean pork ad pork bones. All in all, it took the chef 12 hours to make this soup.

Evergreen festive fave such Braised Pork Trotter with Black Moss & Vegetable (RM88) is also big with the Pak Loh Chiu Chow clientele. There was no need to reinvent the wheel for this customary dish but its painstaking preparation means blanching the trotter first before it is deep-fried then braised until melt-in-the-mouth tender. With the mere addition of black moss and greens, the hefty portion becomes a soul-satisfying platter reminiscent of hearth and home. Also available as a take-away option, the dish can easily be reheated for 30 minutes, making it perfect for family reunion dinners.

If you want a speciality with more creative slant, go for the Dried Oyster Fortune Parcels with Black Moss in Superior Stock in the Golden Jade Prosperity menu (RM798 for 4, RM1198 for 6 and RM1988 for 10 persons). A clever update on fatt choi hou si (dried oyster & black moss) combo, the gossamer thin, egg white pouches filled with diced dried oyster, roast pork, fried garlic pips and waterchestnuts (resembling jewel-like pomegranate seeds), bundling them up into chrysanthemum-like ‘blooms’. Each parcel sat atop a pool of unctuous superior stock embellished with black moss, garlic and shimeji.

Healthier dining expectations also drove the chef to rustle up his self-made Pumpkin Beancurd with Eel Maw & Sea Abalone (RM28). The beancurd’s clear simplicity and smooth custardy texture has an enticing hint of sweetness, resonating with marine-savouriness from the attendant glossy, umami-rich sauce. For textural contrasts, there’s toothsome sliced abalone and eel maw to chew on.

To boost the waxed meat flavours, he boiled them with ginger, spring onion and Xiao Shing wine before the assorted waxed delicacies are steamed and served for the Claypot Mixed Waxed Meat Rice (RM68). A special soya sauce concoction is mixed into the rice with the waxed meat before serving so each flavourful bowl had us devouring more than our fair share.

The grand finale came in the form of Crispy Chinese Glutinous Cake – finger-thick batons of glutinous cake (nin koh) and yam wrapped in strands of deep-fried kataifi pastry which drew nods of approval from all present. Accompanied by Double Boiled Sea Bird’s Nest with Osmanthus Flowers & Chinese Yam, the dessert broth left us replete.

Pak Loh Chiu Chow will be offering two 8-course set menus: the Four Season Fortune Set Menu (from RM398 onwards) and the Golden Jade Prosperity Set (from RM798 onwards) for dining parties of four, six and ten persons. Available from 9 January 2016 until 22 February 2016. All prices are inclusive of 10% service charge and 6% GST.

For reservations, call Pak Loh Chiu Chow, tel: 03 – 2782 3856. Address: Feast Village, Feast Floor, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. www.feastvillage.com

THE HAN ROOM'S NEW LOOK

They say life’s a stage and it seems even dining out has to go beyond the mere act of serving food. Chefs and restaurateurs are constantly exploring ways to raise the dining experience bar and each meal is a command performance no less.

Our dessert of Chilled Snow Pear & Seaweed Ball in Teapot (RM18++ per pot) at The Han Room is a fine example. We were astounded when the sweet broth came in a matching teapot and bowl set cleverly designed to delight, adorned with a life-like, semi-3D goldfish at the base. When the broth is poured into the bowl, it deceives you into believing a goldfish is ‘swimming’ in the receptacle.

It is such little unexpected surprises that make The Han Room such a popular venue with Chinese cuisine lovers. Renovated in mid-September 2015 for 1.5 months, the newly relocated resto looks resplendent with minimalist Chinois chic.

Modern angular pendant lights, plush red carpet and some cushy sofa seats make The Han Room a befitting venue for weddings and corporate events. Overall, the cavernous space fits about 28 tables for banquet seating. Coupled with The Oriental Group’s well synchronised operations, diners are made to feel welcome and accorded top notch treatment.

My first encounter with the unique vegetable known as ice plant was in Chengdu last year. Intriguingly, it was originally from South Africa and was widely cultivated in Japan and China on dry, arid land. Dotted with fine icy droplets on its leafy surface, the dewy green plant is almost artificial looking and has great ability to store salt. It’s also edible but bland like lettuce so when you order the Ice Plant Salad (RM28++ per portion) here, an appetising dip of sliced shallot, dried shrimps and chilli gives the crunchy leaves a nice zingy ‘kick’.

Decked with finely diced mango for a touch of tangy sweetness, the crunchy Prawn & Foie Gras Toast (RM28++ per portion) won’t go remiss with a glass of wine. It’s a simple but clever marriage of East & West culinary accents; the usual deep-fried toast with prawn paste switched up with sliced foie gras for extra luxe mouthfeel.

Porcine fans should find ample succour in the Crispy Pork Belly with Garlic (RM38++ per portion). We like how the mildly caramelised garlic pips sweeten the thinly sliced streaky pork while fried curry leaves infuse the meat with an aromatic scent.

Chef Justin Hor and his erstwhile team have the knack for turning familiar Chinese dishes into updated temptations – the Charcoal Grilled Iberico Pork Neck with Garden Salad (RM45++ per portion) bears testament to this. According to Emily Chiam, our charming host for the evening, it’s a variation from the highly sought-after soft shell crab salad. The porky serving came atop a bed of fresh salad greens and some tangy dressing to minimise the guilt factor.

Peking Duck (RM118++) served with Piggy Buns is given a novel twist thanks to dainty Instagram-worthy buns shaped like cute piggy faces; a soft fluffy base for the crisp duck skin. Remaining duck bones and meat are whisked away to be stir-fried with noodles, resulting in another raveworthy dish.

Soup fans should lap up the Fish Maw with Yunnan Ham in Superior Stock (RM168++ for a 4 person serving). Redolent with savoury umami flavour, we appreciate every spoonful of the superior stock; a salubrious canvas to showcase the fish maw’s toothsome texture, the soft Chinese cabbage and the briny taste of fine Chinese ham.

Covered with melted cheese on top, Baked Two Rice Varieties with Seafood in Pumpkin (RM58++ per portion) is mercifully nothing pedestrian like those char chan theng (HK tea house) baked cheesy rice. Enlivened with assorted seafood and pine nuts in a whole baked pumpkin, be prepared to jettison your no-carb diet for an irresistibly flavourful crispy rice puffs and fluffy cooked rice.

Dim sum is a hot commodity during lunch (from 11 am) on weekdays and brunch (from 10 am) on weekends and public holidays. The soft Chicken Mushroom Buns (RM8++ per basket) are fashioned to resemble brown crackly lined faux ‘mushroom’ caps but the filling tastes lighter on the palate when compared to regular char siew bao filling.

Health concerns among city folks have also see the rise of subtly sweet dim sum options and obviously, the Crystal Longevity Buns with Macadamia (RM8++ per basket) are supposed to fit the bill. Encased inside the stretchy, translucent tung meen skin similar to that of har gao (prawn dumplings), the nutty filling borders to the point of blandness on the palate. Oh well, one man’s dessert is another man’s 'poison' in these trying times.

For reservations at THE HAN ROOM, call: 03-2284-8833. The new location is T-216A, 3^rd floor, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, Kuala Lumpur.