SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION ON THE RISE SAYS NORWEGIAN SEAFOOD COUNCIL

Seafood consumption, driven by a shift towards a more sustainable diet, is on the rise according to a recent study* of more than 25,000 consumers across 20 markets performed by Kantar on behalf of the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC). *the study is the largest seafood consumer study of its kind

At a recent Virtual Luncheon of Norwegian Salmon and Fjord Trout hosted by the NSC, NSC Regional Director Asbjorn Warvik Rortveit (pix above), shared the following Seafood Consumer Insights: 

• 78% Malaysians rank sustainability as important when choosing to buy seafood

• 65% Malaysians state country of origin is important when buying seafood

• 60% Malaysians state country of origin is an indicator of quality when it comes to buying seafood

• 63% picks Salmon as their first choice of Sushi

• 50% eats Sushi at least once a month

• 35% picks Norway as the most preferred country of origin for salmon and 43% for fjord trout

He also said many markets in this region are reporting increased demand for processed and pre-packed seafood. “The Norwegian seafood industry is adapting to these shifts in buyer preference, and is turning its production to meet these needs. It continues its efforts to provide safe, sustainable, and nutritious seafood as keeping safe, and eating safe and healthy is the way to go during this pandemic and beyond.”

Joining the virtual event was Lars Fredrik Martinussen (pix above), Head of Communication of Nordlaks Group, who spoke about efforts undertaken by his family-owned aquaculture company to develop the sustainable aquaculture industry in the north of Norway.

Also present was Phyllis Teh, co-founder of Art of Salmó, who highlighted how her online store succeeded in “Adapting to Consumer Needs in Covid-19 Times” by delivering the finest and freshest Norwegian fjord trout with its special seasoning sachets to their doorstep.

Participating media members were treated to sumptuous “When East Meets West, Norwegian Seafood Tasting Menu” set lunches prepared by Chefs Jordash DeCruz (pix above) and Steve Chua too to complete the virtual media event experience. Calling on his experience working on the Norwegian Cruise Line and Viking Ocean Cruise, Chef Jordash DeCruz presented the following 3-course menu with inspiration from the Land of the Midnight Sun.

His starter of cured beetroot with Norwegian salmon, lemon essence and pickled daikon was accompanied by the main course of seared fjord trout with roasted vegetable and sandefjordmor (Norwegian butter sauce). Wrapping up the meal was Norwegian success cake with fresh berries.

 

Founder of Two Chefs Lab, Chef Steve Chua (pix below) who represented Malaysia as a Norwegian Seafood Council’s sponsored participant at the World Sushi Cup 2018, also rendered his Japanese starter, sushi platter and dessert. 

Seared sliced Norwegian fjord trout with truffle and grated onion dressing sprinkled with cured egg yolks was the tantalising starter, complemented by six assorted nigiri sushi creations. Azuki crepe with red beans with green tea sauce was the dessert to finish with.

The distinct finale came from the Art of Salmó, in the form of a Smoked Salmó Cheese Cake. A rather unusual sweet-savoury combo of crushed Oreo, smoked salmon, cream cheese, butter, whipping cream, ikura and smoked salmon which you either love or loathe. I’m ambivalent about this but I'm willing to give it another go should I have the chance to sample it again in future.

Interestingly, one of the key concerns arising from the seafood study is to encourage more children to increase their intake of seafood. Chef Jordash DeCruz and NSC Regional Director Asbjorn Warvik Rortveit suggested getting children involved in food preparation and getting the young ones to try eating fish and seafood early. "Get your child involved in the kitchen. Let them touch, feel and taste fresh seafood like salmon and fjord trout."

Phyllis Teh echoed similar sentiments as the popularity of her Art of Salmó products bear testament to urban consumers who seek convenience and willing to pay for quality ready-to-eat seafood like fresh Norwegian salmon and fjord trout.

NEW PHO-NOMENON AT AN VIET

Just ‘pho’ for you – that’s the succinct message An Viet is sending out to its customers and ardent Vietnamese food lovers. The restaurant has recently unveiled its latest beefiest pho to much plaudits. Proof of the pho-nomenon lies in the eating. Laden with honeycomb tripe, meticulously handmade 100% pure beef balls, premium raw Aussie ribeye beef slices, tendon and beef brisket, the Vietnamese Beef Noodle Special (RM23.90 a la carte; RM28.90 set with 3 side dishes) gives great bang for every buck.

Served piping hot in super beefy, MSG-free broth simmered for hours with 18 secret ingredients, suffice to say the silky smooth rice noodles hit the spot with gusto. You can even customise the broth to your liking and preference with more fresh basil and accompanying condiments such as lime, coriander, beansprouts and housemade sriracha sauce from An Viet’s Basil & Condiment Bar (currently only available at The Gardens and Paradigm Mall PJ outlets).

Besides harvesting the desired amount of fresh basil from the Basil & Condiment Bar, you can also choose the amount (100g, 150g or 200g) of noodles and rice as An Viet encourages their customers to minimise food wastage. For each meal you finish, the restaurant donates 10 sen to Food Aid Foundation so be mindful when you eat at An Viet.

Should you eschew innards, Vietnamese Raw Beef & Beef Balls Noodle Soup (RM18.90 a la carte, RM23.90 set with 3 side dishes) is a viable alternative. The combo offers good textural contrasts as the handmade beef balls are scrumptiously bouncy with good ‘toothsome’ bite whilst the supremely tender beef literally melts in the mouth. Partial to just sliced beef? Then stake your bet on the Vietnamese Beef Noodle Special (RM23.90 a la carte, RM28.90 set with 3 side dishes).

As a precursor to your mains, the commendable Appetizer Platter (RM14.90) comprising fresh and fried Vietnamese spring rolls stuffed with rice vermicelli, lettuce, carrot julienne and tiger prawns, and a piece of sugar cane prawn is worth dawdling over.

Served with nước chấm (Vietnamese dipping sauce), I daresay the sugar cane prawn is the best in town as An Viet uses purely tiger prawn paste to wrap around the sugar cane skewer. The burst of sweet sugar cane juice proved nostalgic as we chewed on it amidst yummy mouthfuls of the springy prawn paste.

Finish your meal on a high with Vietffogato (RM9.90) – Coconut Ice Cream with Vietnamese Coffee. The smooth coffee melds wonderfully with the nutty ice cream, guaranteed to wrap up your visit on an exuberant note.

For more information, visit AN VIET: https://www.anviet.com.my/

 

LE MEI’S WASABI-SPIKED AND NUTTY MOONCAKES #FTW

The fleeting yet noticeably zingy presence of wasabi was inescapable the minute I bit into the wedge of Low Sugar White Lotus Paste with Wasabi and Pistachio Nuts Mooncake from Le Mei, Le Meridien Putrajaya.

I was hooked at first bite as the tantalizing taste had me returning for more. Since wasabi and pistachios aren’t the norm in mooncake-making, I applaud the chefs at Le Mei for daring to push the envelope when it comes to creating new variants of the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival confection.

The mooncake’s subtle sweetness also scored with me as did the smooth lotus-pistachio paste. Handcrafted by the Le Mei team, the signature mooncake is priced at RM33 each and needs to be ordered 3 days in advance.

Another nutty variant comes in the form of Pandan Paste with Hazelnut Mooncake (RM30 each). Again, the thin baked skin encasing the fragrant pandan-scented filling flecked with hazelnut bits was palate-pleasing. The mooncake also had a nice glossy shine to it.

To please purists who prefer the tried and tested, I’d recommend the White Lotus Paste with Single Egg Yolk Mooncake (RM33 each). The confection is on-point, ticking all the requisite boxes and should leave no room for complaint.

Two other flavours: Assorted Fruits and Nuts (RM38) and Mini Snow Skin with Raspberry and Cashew Nuts (RM20) are also available. The Signature Mooncakes of Le Mei have to be ordered 3 days ahead of your desired collection date.

Available until 1^st October, Le Meridien Putrajaya’s Mid-Autumn Festival gift box features a sturdy laminated gift box with a magnetic flap, clad in a mosaic of colours and rabbit motifs reflective of the celebratory Mid-Autumn Festival.

For more information, please call Le Meridien Putrajaya, tel: 03 8689 6888 or email: dining.lmputrajaya@lemeridien.com 

PETITE PRESTIGE MOONCAKES BY PLAZA PREMIUM GROUP MALAYSIA

Six mini Shanghai mooncakes packed in an elongated Gift Box from Plaza Premium Group Malaysia found its way to my Mid-Autumn Festival celebration this year.

Handcrafted by the chefs from Plaza Premium Group Malaysia in the time-honoured tradition of Mid-Autumn Festival, the petite, low sugar and preservative-free Prestige Mooncakes comprise crumbly Shanghai-style Crust and Crystal Skin variants. 

Launched for the first time this year, the mini mooncakes are available at Plaza Premium Lounge (next to Aerotel Kuala Lumpur at gateway@klia2), Plaza Premium First (KLIA), Flight Club (KLIA) and Flight Club Grab’n’Go (KLIA) from now until 1 October 2020.

Peeking into my Gift Box in maroon with discreet gold motifs, the sliding container tray revealed a pair of mini Shanghai Crust Pu Er with Pine Nuts Mooncakes, another pair of Lotus Melon Seeds with Single Egg Yolk and a pair of Black Sesame with Single Egg Yolk Mooncakes. 

I found the delicate taste of Pu Er pleasing on the palate, melding harmoniously with the subtle nutty-creaminess of pine nuts. The black sesame version was on-point too; its sweet-savoury filling somewhat richer due to the salted egg yolk in it.

My only quibble was the underwhelming Lotus Melon Seeds version – the filling was dry and lacklustre. Possibly this imperfection was confined to my batch of mooncakes or it could be due to the confection didn’t have enough ‘resting time’ to allow the oil within to be released.

Under the Crystal Skin range, the selection includes Crystal Skin Durian, Red Bean and Green Tea encased in a layer of snow skin crust. Priced at RM12 per piece and RM60 per box of six (6) mini mooncakes, Prestige Mooncakes by Plaza Premium Group Malaysia come packed in refined gift boxes befitting the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.

 

For every bulk purchase of 10 boxes and above, corporate partners may customise their company logo placement on the gift boxes (subject to terms and conditions).

Special Prestige Mooncakes Offers:

- 10 % OFF online purchase for all types of mini mooncakes in a single receipt via https://malstore.plazapremiumlounge.com/ .

- Additional 5% OFF (on top of 20% OFF online purchase) for corporate clients and Aerotel Kuala Lumpur room guests (with valid promo code)*.

- For every room booking at Aerotel Kuala Lumpur, guests will receive ONE (1) piece of complimentary mini mooncake per room booking upon check-in as a welcome gesture.  Available from 28 August – 1 October 2020.

For further information or to place an order, contact Plaza Premium Group: tel: +6 03 8778 0808 or email: onlinestore.mal@plaza-network.com 

ZUAN YUAN TOUTS LOW SUGAR MOONCAKES

Melon seeds embedded within the Snow Skin Mooncake with Red Bean Paste with Melon Seed (RM21.50 per piece) from One World Hotel are evocative of the traditional versions I ate as a child. It’s a nice touch as the seeds are noticeably missing in many of this Mid-Autumn Festival treat lately.

 

Another recommended snowskin variant is Durian Lotus Paste (RM23 per piece) – the durian aroma is discernible in the lotus paste; its subtle sweetness a perfect balance to complement the astringency of Chinese tea. Other snow skin, low sugar variants available include White Lotus Paste (RM23), Pandan Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM25) and White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk (RM25).

 
This year, One World Hotel Dim Sum Chef Jordan Chin Chee Hong has decided on 12 varieties of mooncakes to offer for the traditional celebration. Available now until 1^st October, Chef Chin said “A good mooncake will not stick to the teeth”. Having travelled to many Asian countries to taste different mooncakes, Chin is adamant Malaysia’s is the best.

 

He also offers a classic Deep Fried Teo Chew Yam Paste with Single Yolk (RM26 per piece), a tricky to make but scrumptious creation for the occasion. The crisp, swirly pastry is airy-light and generously filled with a savoury-sweet yam paste and salted egg yolk.

The mooncakes come in an Oriental themed gift box with a magnetic flap. Maroon with floral and lantern motifs, it holds four boxes of your choice of baked or snow skin mooncakes snugly.

 

As for the baked versions, the mooncakes are low sugar to cater to health-conscious market demand. We can vouch for the White Lotus Paste with Double Yolks (RM26) which taste great despite the reduced sweetness. Other enticing flavours in the selection include White Lotus Paste, Red Bean Paste, Pandan Lotus Paste and Supreme Mixed Nuts.

For further enquiries or orders, please call Zuan Yuan at 603 7681 1159 or email: zuanyuan@oneworldhotel.com.my