SAJIAN MERENTASI ZAMAN AT CURATE FOR RAMADAN

It will be a culinary trip down memory lane with Chef Dato’ Fazley Yaakob at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur (FSHKL) come Ramadan, where the month-long Sajian Merentasi Zaman (Food Across Generations) familial feast will take place at Curate from April 13 to May 12, 2021.

FSHKL General Manager Alex Porteous (pix above, right) says “With our thoughtfully curated dining experiences and caring service, families can once again share meaningful moments and build new memories together. This year, it is time to reconnect with loved ones and cherish them.”

In line with new norm SOPs, the assisted buffet spread will highlight beloved recipes from Chef Dato’ Fazley’s childhood, cherished dishes handed down from generations, and delicacies evoking feelings of nostalgia in parents and grandparents.

FSHKL Executive Chef Junious Dickerson with Chef Dato' Fazley

According to Chef Dato’ Fazley “cooking is an act of love and healing. My grandmother was the heart of our home and her cooking brought us together. I want to create that same feeling for other families with Sajian Merentasi Zaman.”

Top of the ‘must eat’ list is Nasi Nyiru Ayam Baka Pasu (pandan-scented rice with charcoal-grilled chicken in claypot served on traditional coconut leaf woven platter; the rice platter can be complemented by your choice of assorted curries and condiments from the buffet spread). Another favourite of ours is Nasi Tumpang (cone-shape packs of flavoured rice with coconut sambal, egg and curry) which can be enjoyed on its own or perked up by the wide array of curries as shown here. 

Rare local fruits and herbs such as cermai (Malay gooseberry) and pegaga (Asiatic pennywort) also find their way into Chef Dato’ Fazley’s culinary repertoire, appearing in his speciality of Ikan Sepat Masin Masak Lemak Cili Api Buah Cermai & Pucuk Pegaga (fermented freshwater fish in turmeric cream with cermai & pegaga) to pique diners’ interest. He also urges us to sample the traditional delight of Puyuh Salai & Kulit Mangga Muda Bakar (smoked quail with grilled unripe mangoes).

A refreshing and healthy selection of local salads to whet the appetite also beckons invitingly. Tempting choices include Urap Jantung Pisang Udang Geragau, Kerabu Pucuk Paku Daging Salai, Kerabu Kulit Tembikai & Kacang Tanah Panggang, Kerabu Telur Ikan, Kerabu Udang Tomato Hijau, and Rojak Buah among others.

For bursts of heat and palate-pleasers rustled up by the Curate team, stop by for chicken, beef or crabs doused in fiery hot, creamy-rich coconut milk gravy from the Lemak Cili Api Station or try Asam Pedas Pari Bakar Telur Masin. A fearsome Tenggiri with Gremolata takes pride of place at the grill station.

 

Over at the Middle Eastern section, a whole Roast Lamb awaits atop aromatic spice-scented rice, accompanied by Beetroot Labneh, Warak Enab and Babaganoush.

Equal attention has been devoted to the beverage and dessert selection. Thirst-quenchers ranging from syrup to teh tarik and local coffee, complement the chef’s notable sweets. From the wide tableau available, our preferred finds are: Lempeng Kelapa (coconut pancakes with palm syrup), Kuih Gertas (chewy fried glutinous rice flour cakes crusted with sugar), Sira Labu (caramelised pumpkin wedges), Kelamai Buluh (little cones of fudgy glutinous rice, brown sugar and coconut milk wrapped in banana leaf), Puteri Mandi (colourful glutinous rice discs in coconut milk) and Kuih Ubi (steamed tapioca, sweet potato with condiments).

Sajian Merentasi Zaman at Curate will be available at the following prices:

April 13 to 18 and May 7 to 12

RM189 per adult; RM94.50 per child (age 6-12)

April 19 to May 6

RM228 per adult; RM109 per child (age 6-12)

For bookings or queries, call Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03-2382 8888.

5 EASY HEALTHY YET TASTY DINING OUT TIPS & TRICKS

 

Now that dine-in restrictions have been lifted, we can patronize our fave restaurants again while maintaining new norm SOPs. Since most of us are mindful about eating healthier these days, whatever effort we make counts: be it opting for keto-friendly meals, eating more greens or cutting down on sugar. Personally, I use these easy tips & tricks when dining out all the time for healthy yet tasty meals:

1.      Choose wisely. Be selective. Look for healthier options.

Regardless of whatever cuisine you choose, restaurants will always have healthy options available. Look for dishes with more vegetables, prepared with less oil, vegetarian or keto-friendly options.

For example, An Viet serves GỎI CUỐN – fresh spring rolls with tiger prawns (which can be vegetarian with the prawns omitted). Another favourite of mine is BIBIMBAP – Korean rice bowl ‘mixed’ with assorted sautéed and seasoned vegetables, meat, a sunny side egg, and gojuchang sauce from Daorae Korean BBQ.

2.      Drink lots of water. Eat your greens. Make smart swaps.

Drinking water before your meal helps to reduce your appetite and prevent overeating. Try lemon-infused water, freshly squeezed juices or unsweetened vegetable/fruit smoothie. Enjoy fizzy drinks? Kombucha or kefir is a good alternative to soft drinks.

Have salads to start with but go easy on the dressing. You can also make smart substitutions like ordering baked sweet potato wedges or hummus with vegetable crudites instead of French fries and deep-fried appetisers. Many restaurants such as myBurgerlab and An Viet are willing to replace their burger buns and rice or noodle servings with leafy greens, making their offerings keto-friendly.

3.      Fresh & natural is best. Good food takes time.

Use common sense when it comes to selecting your food choices. Fresh, natural food is best. Also, good food is worth waiting for so do allocate realistic waiting time for your food to be prepared and served.

Dislike raw salads? No matter. Nowadays organic food and vegetarian restos such as Simple Life and BMS Organics offer plenty of healthy choices to tempt you. An Viet even uses free-range chicken for its PHỞ GÀ – Vietnamese rice noodle soup with chicken to amp up the goodness quotient. Even the homely Oriental Cravings resto at One Utama is particular about sourcing ingredients for their house specialities. Hence some of the specialities: POMELO SALAD and NYONYA SEAFOOD CURRY IN CLAYPOT are only served as and when the ingredients meet the owners’ exacting standards.

4.      Stay focused. Take it slow. 

Eating should be pleasurable. In these days of hyper-social connectivity when the phone cameras need to ‘eat’ first, make it a point to focus on what you’re eating and the sensorial pleasure it evokes. Eat slowly, savour every bite. Avoid rushing through your meal or from being too distracted as mindless eating will make you crave for food later.

A small portion of good food can be satisfying when you’re focused on the dining experience. Train and awaken your tastebuds to appreciate subtler nuances and various textures. Start by experimenting with An Viet’s VÁNG ĐẬU CUỘN CHAY – Bean Curd Skin Rolled with Tofu in Mushroom Sauce (pix above). Although the different components look deceptively bland, learn to discern the delicate accents first before jazzing the serving up with fresh herbs or house sauces available.

5.      Eat, play, laugh. You are what you eat.

Instead of depriving yourself of certain food, choose to share a serving with someone or opt for a smaller portion. Alternatively, look for healthier options. For example, dessert lovers can enjoy An Viet’s LIME & LEMONGRASS SORBET as a cool treat to wrap up their meal. Most restaurants will have sorbets or yoghurt or you can settle for a smaller scoop of ice cream and take your time to enjoy every spoonful.

Stay active, laugh and live life to the fullest. Remember, the old adage you are what you eat holds true. Just remember these easy healthy and tasty dining out tips on your next outing in the city.

 

OX-PICIOUS YEE SANG FROM ONE WORLD HOTEL PJ

Fresh, fruity and packed with a gamut of tantalising textures and vivid flavours, the Yee Sang with Crispy Whitebait and Salmon Skin from Zuan Yuan restaurant, One World Hotel Petaling Jaya once tasted won’t be forgotten.

The assortment of finely shredded vegetables, pickles, candied mandarin peel, crisps, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds with crispy whitebait and salmon skin was tossed with much gusto with the house dressing provided. Needless to say, everyone greatly relished the resultant salad.

Available for takeaway, the four other variants available include Lobster Meat and Abalone Yee Sang, Alaskan Scallop and Black Truffle Yee Sang, Salmon Fillet Yee Sang, and Fruit Yee Sang with Chef’s Special Sauce.

Prices for Zuan Yuan’s Yee Sang start from RM98 nett per half portion and from RM168 nett for a full portion.

To order or for further enquiries, please call tel: 03-7681 1159 or email: zuanyuan@oneworldhotel.com.my

#STAYHOME LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION WITH DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

 

Crunchy Jellyfish and Fresh Fruits Yee Sang (RM138 nett per full portion for 6-10 persons, RM68 nett per ½ portion for 2-4 persons) from The Emperor Chinese Restaurant, Dorsett Grand Subang is a uplifting way to stir our spirits for a #stayhomestaysafe celebration this Chinese New Year.

The hotel has other variants available: ‘Japanese’ style crispy fish skin with salmon or softshell crab and Korean pear; priced at RM188 nett per portion (6-10 persons) and RM68 nett per ½ portion (2-4 persons) and salmon and Korean pear too.

In view of current SOPs, the CNY Set Menu A or B, a 5-course set meal affordably priced at RM388 nett for 4 – 6 persons is ideal for small families like mine.  Menu A which was delivered to our doorstep by the Dorsett team featured a curtain-raiser of ‘Sichuan’ Hot and Sour Soup. 

Laden with strips of Sichuanese preserved vegetable (zhar choi) and chicken meat, the thick soup brimming with hot, sour and savoury accents primed our appetite for the other dishes.

Generous servings of plain white rice served as the plain but perfect canvas to capture the tantalising flavours from the Deep-fried Crispy Fish with ‘Thai’ Mango Salad Sauce. (Note: Only half of the fish is shown here)

Both the fish and sauce came in separate containers so the fish remained crispy when we poured the sauce onto it. Fans of Thai sauces will find this dish greatly appealing; the zingy chilli-mango sauce enticing you to eat extra helpings of rice.

Hearty umami flavour ruled the Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce, subtly sweetened by caramelised onions whilst the Deep-fried Crispy Chicken with Lemon Sauce proved a hit with anyone who enjoy fried stuff.

Kudos to The Emperor team for managing to retain the ‘just nice’ doneness of the Stir-fried Black Fungus with Seasonal Vegetables (we had baby bok choy).

Menu B (available for takeaway only) features Sweet Corn Soup with Minced Chicken, Oil Poached Grouper Fillet with Soya Sauce, Roasted Crispy Chicken with Thai Mango Salad Sauce, Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Crispy Oats and Stir-fried Seasonal Vegetable with Garlic, and Steamed rice. 

Should you wish to order takeaway a-la-carte options (enjoy 20% discount), irresistible temptations include Braised Duck with Dried Oyster, Sea Moss and Assorted Dried Seafood (RM230 nett); Wok-fried Sea Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce (RM63 nett per order); Stewed Dried Oysters with Black Mushroom, Black Moss and Beancurd (RM108 nett per order), and Roasted Crispy Chicken (RM140 nett whole bird, RM76 nett ½ bird). 

For online orders, click here (https://dorsettbooking.com/malaysia/), WhatsApp +6016 2011 259 or email to  terazza.subang@dorsetthotels.com

HOMING IN ON STAYCATIONS IN SINGAPORE

Planning a staycation in Singapore? There's plenty to eat, see and do

With Chinese New Year less than a fortnight away, it seems unlikely my old friend AK will get the chance to welcome the Ox Year with her parents in Malaysia. Since the coronavirus doesn’t look like it’s disappearing anytime soon nor will the Malaysia-Singapore borders be opening in time for CNY, I told AK to forgo her trip home and use the festive break to rediscover Singapore instead. 

“AK, thousands of people fly from around the world to visit Singapore every year. Why don’t you take a step back, pretend you’re a visitor and see Singapore through that perspective? Sometimes we take our own backyard too much for granted-lah!” I rationalized with her.

Savvy travellers will find tons of info in Traveloka

When AK groused about not knowing where to start, I pointed her to Traveloka. The online portal is chockful of useful travel tips and information with links to hotel, restaurants, activities, packages, promotions and everything savvy travellers need to enhance their travel experience.

I believe AK will be able to enjoy her CNY break if she puts her mind to it and does her groundwork using Traveloka. Not only would it save her time and effort with the overall planning, she can’t make any lame excuses about not knowing what kind of staycation she wants. For instance, if she looks under Staycation Singapore in Traveloka, out pops a list of inspiring staycation ideas: from romantic rendezvous for couples to family-friendly escapades and gourmet getaways for friends.

Food paradise...from humble fare to refined restaurants, Singapore has it all

Depending on her budget, AK can take her pick from the mind-boggling range of hotels, be it budget-friendly or budget-busting … oooh, how I wish I’m going on staycation too!

As for the types of activities to fill her time, I daresay AK would be spoiled for choice. I must remind her to take advantage of the Singapore Rediscovers Vouchers in Traveloka. I bet many Singaporeans haven’t been on the interesting tours offered in the Singapore Rediscovers section! I find the activities are varied enough to please sporty go-getters and adventure-seekers, animal and nature lovers, history and modern entertainment buffs — there’s something to suit everyone.

Thinking how Chinese New Year is synonymous with our roots and heritage, AK may like booking a Kampong Buangkok tour. I’m sure the charming village will  stir up nostalgic feelings of her hometown back in Perak.

Few visitors can resist the captivating call of a day trip to Pulau Ubin
 

Hmm…she may want a full-blown tour to Singapore’s last surviving Kampung followed by visits to urban mushroom, wheatgrass and vegetable farms or an exciting day trip to Pulau Ubin. Ah, if it wasn’t for these pandemic times, I’d dearly love to join AK on these interesting excursions.

Of course, no staycation is complete without good food. Since it’s Chinese New Year, I wonder if AK would be game to embark on a Crazy Rich Asians Insta Tour with Cocktail Making Workshop…Hey, it’s not every day one gets a chance to ride in a Vespa sidecar touring some of Singapore’s ritzy locations and... YOLO, so why not?

The much-talked-about "Jewel" in Changi Airport's crown is a sight to behold

Again, I found Singapore Rediscovers Vouchers aplenty for guided walks, immersive tours, and hands-on cooking workshops — such a boon for those who are keen to learn and discover local culinary secrets and gems through experiential sessions.

Should AK prefer more sensible suggestions, then I’d propose she goes for the ‘Singapore: Melting Pot of Tea’ tour where she’ll have a chance to learn about more than 20 tea blends, sample delicious tea from traditional to modern, and even try making her own. Although I’m unsure about her interest in kitchen forays, perhaps a Hainanese or a Hokkien cooking class may strike a chord in view of the festive season or would that remind her too much of what she’s missing back home?

Even though she can’t return to Malaysia this Chinese New Year, I’m willing to bet AK will enjoy her staycation in Singapore thanks to all the tips I’ve shared with her from Traveloka. Now won’t that be an Ox-spicious way to welcome the Lunar New Year?