INDULGENT FEASTS AT TAI THONG

Colourful, boisterous and eventful best describes any media event hosted by Tai Thong Group. With affable Eddy Kwong spearheading his dynamic marketing team, invited guests always have a whale of a time and the recent Chinese New Year (CNY) dinner preview was no different.

Even the mythical Choy Sun Yeh (God of Prosperity) and Sun Woo Kung (Monkey God) graced the event, adding much cheer and auspiciousness. A live band coupled with a lavish banquet and free flow of Carlsberg beer ensured we all left well-fed and brimming with good cheer.

The showstopper in my book is the impossibly scrumptious Baked Dried Oyster Tarts (RM8.80++). Part of the Prosperous Dim Sum repertoire – it’s a splendid pie of sorts consisting of airy-light flaky yet buttery pastry stuffed with savoury dried oyster bits.

 

Clearer flavours prevail in the Steamed Triple Delight with Oyster Sauce (RM9.80++) – a trio of bouncy steamed fish paste balls topped with fatt choi (black moss), mushroom and dried oyster. The natural sweetness of the fish paste bears testament to its appetising allure; a pristine ‘canvas’ to showcase the inherent nuances of the toppings.

Eat and prosper when you sample the translucent parcels of Steamed Fatt Choy Dumplings with Prawns (RM8.80++). Encased in sheer, subtly chewy skin, the simple filling again proves the premium and fresh ingredients used.

Rice fans would dig enthusiastically into a portion or two of Steamed Bamboo Rice with Chinese Waxed Meat (RM10.80++). Similar to ubiquitous lap mei farn, the individual serving is perfect for those who prefer to enjoy this festive treat with restraint.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Prosperous Dim Sum quartet from February 1 – 29. The offerings go superbly well with glasses of chilled Carlsberg too so it’s a great way to yam seng this CNY.

Of course, no family reunion or festive gathering is complete in Malaysia without yee sang. The Tai Thong Group chefs recommend three distinctive versions: Golden Fortune Yee Sang (RM68.80++ for half serving, RM108.80++ for full serving) with assorted fruits and nuts, Fortune Yee Sang with salmon and pear (RM68.80++ half, RM108.80++ full) and Double Happiness Yee Sang (RM88.80++ half, RM128.80++ full) with Japanese Fish Roe and Prawn.

 

Health-conscious diners should relish the fruity and nutty Golden Fortune Yee Sang – a refreshing take on this celebratory salad. The combination of shredded ginger, carrot and radish with pomegranate, grapes, dragonfruit, jackfruit, green apple, mandarin orange segments, rose apple, peach, dried cranberries and blueberries, salted almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds makes this platter a cut above the usual version.

If you have a penchant for soup, the Double-boiled Dried Premium Seafood Soup in Coconut (RM48.80++) should float your boat. The clear and mildly sweet coconut juice and coconut aroma makes the broth a pleasure to slurp up. Brimming with a chockful of goodies such as sliced abalone, conpoy, fish maw, crabstick, mushroom, red dates, bamboo pith and village chicken, this dish alone will leave small eaters replete.

Planning to feed the clan? No worries, the Fortune Seafood Treasure Pot (RM298.80++ for 5 persons, RM498.80++ for 10) should be ample for both young and old. 

This customary poon choi serves up a hodge-podge that includes deep-fried tiger prawns and jade perch, cheese baked mussels, stuffed crabstick with fish paste, stuffed squid with chicken meat, shiitake, fresh baby corn, button mushroom, cauliflower, carrot, pumpkin, lotus root, broccoli and Chinese cabbage. A two days’ notice is required though so make sure you call ahead to book.

Although most chefs usually resist tweaking the perennial lap mei farn, we like how Tai Thong Group chefs imbue it with shelled Japanese green soya beans resulting in Claypot Rice with Waxed Meat and Edamame. Never mind the waxed stuff was a tad salty that night. I personally think the beans lent an agreeable textural dimension to the carb-laden dish. Lots of chopped spring onion also help to reign in the greasy factor.

Expect some floral rhapsody when you bite into the dessert creation of Chilled Nian Gao with Osmanthus and Sakura (RM11.80++ for 6 pcs per serving). The jellified pudding looks pretty but the nian gao seems kinda lost amidst the equation. I guess it will sit well with those who just want a sliver of the traditional treat.

For more details on Tai Thong Group's CNY Festive Indulgence Menus or reservations, call 1800-88-2338 or visit www.taithong.com.my

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