HOP OVER TO DORSETT GRAND SUBANG FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR FEASTS

Three Lunar Set Menus, Prosperity Yee Sang and Festive Dim Sum will have you jumping for joy this Year of the Rabbit at Dorsett Grand Subang (DGS).

DGS Chinese Executive Chef Eric San and his team showcased Health Set B (RM1,688 per table of 10 persons) during our recent media preview; a lavish 9-course meal incorporating premium, healthy and symbolic ingredients befitting the auspicious Lunar New Year celebration.

Denoting fame and recognition, we tossed and stirred the refreshing platter of Prosperity Yee Sang with Salmon and Shredded Young Mango with much gusto before relishing the melange of freshly shredded fruits, vegetables, crisps and crackers dressed in a fruity-plum sauce.

With promises of career success, the subsequent tureen of Double Boiled Wild Mushroom with Bamboo Pith and Farmed Village Chicken was warmly welcomed. The concentrated sweetness of the various ingredients was a soothing balm for the soul.

Heralding an abundance of blessings, the Roast Crispy Chicken with Barbecue and Chilli Oil proved on-point with its crispy skin and juicy meat. The accompanying barbecue-chilli oil dialled up its appeal factor, adding some tantalising spicy heat to the chook.

Eaten to symbolise hope and abundance for the Lunar New Year, we thoroughly enjoyed the delicate sweetness of the Hong Kong Style Steamed Live High Fin Patin with Superior Soya Sauce. The smooth flesh coupled with the garlicky and mildly sweet soy sauce made it something to write home about.

When it comes to evoking laughter and happiness, Chef Eric San banked on his crowd-pleasing Wok Fried Tiger Prawns with Superior Soya Sauce. Suffice to say, the delicious crustaceans brought out the smiles at first bite.

Fervent wishes of good things and prosperity were foremost in our minds when the Braised Sea Cucumber with Dried Oysters and Sea Moss was served. A perennial Lunar New Year dish eagerly partaken by everyone, this luxurious dish ticked all the right boxes for us.

A joyful reunion of Steamed Organic Brown Rice with White Rice and Smoked Duck garnered two thumbs up in place of the more traditional glutinous rice. 

The inclusion of diced yam, peas, corn kernels, and peanuts lent the rice dish a myriad of textures whilst the diced smoked duck lent a nice smoky savouriness to it.

To ensure a sweet year ahead, we feasted on Doubled Boiled Red Dates with Sweet Peach Resin and Snow Fungus accompanied by Deep-fried Chinese New Year Cake and Glutinous Dumplings Shanghai Style. It was a relief to find these treats are restrained on the sweetness level.

The Emperor also serves five variants of Prosperity Yee Sang (from RM98 upwards) in addition to two other Set Menus: Prosperity Set A (RM1,388 nett per table of 10) and Wealth Set C (RM1,988 nett per table of 10).

Adding to the festive merriment, Dim Sum Master Chef Chan Chee Loong has also created a Lunar New Year Selection of Dim Sum.

Available now until 5 February for lunch (except Mondays) from 12noon to 230pm at The Emperor, you can sample cute rabbit-shaped Steamed Prawn Crystal Dumplings (RM28) or delicate Steamed Blue Pea Flower Dumplings (RM28).

Other tempting options include Steamed Siew Mai with Dried Oyster & Sea Moss (RM28), Steamed Beancurd Skin Stuffed with Seafood (RM25), Steamed Stuffed Green Mussels with Oriental Butter Sauce (RM25), and Deep-fried Banana with Red Bean & Prawn (RM22).

For gifting and takeaway, you can order DGS Radish Cake (RM48 nett each).
 
For reservations and booking, contact The Emperor Restaurant, Dorsett Grand Subang, tel: 03-5031 6060 ext. 1954 or email: bookfnb.subang@dorsetthotels.com

 

DIM SUM LUNCH BY APPOINTMENT ONLY AT LE SENSE

Le Sense is one of the few restaurants in the Klang Valley where dim sum is revered as an art form. Restaurateur Chris Chew is so discerning when it comes to the serving of these delicate morsels that patrons of Le Sense who wish to sample the restaurant’s lunch-tasting menu (starting from RM138++ per person) must make reservations at least two days in advance.

Before you scoff and think it's nonsensical, the request is more pragmatic in reality. The culinary team needs time to source and buy the necessary ingredients and to prepare the specialities for your lunch at Le Sense.

Understated and elegant, the interior of Le Sense is accentuated with inlaid wood panels, beautiful oversized Chinese paintings, modern pendant lights, and strategically placed side tables -- setting a befitting stage to further enhance your dining experience.

In line with Chew’s exacting standards, every dim sum item served bears testament to the resident chef’s skills and techniques, as well as his meticulous attention to detail. Market-fresh, premium ingredients such as amaebi (sweet shrimp) and kurobuta (pork from Japanese black pig from the Berkshire breed), coupled with artfully made ‘produce’ such as dumpling skins and house sauces result in some second-to-none creations.

A fine example of this is the curtain-raiser of Truffled Dumpling: a steamed charcoal-skin Xiaolongbao brushed with edible gold, placed atop a wafer-thin slice of yuba.

Bite into the dumpling’s delicate pleated folds and you'd get a delicate whiff of the musky scent of truffle. Take care as you attempt to slurp up the deliciously sweet broth encased within - you won't want to waste a single drop of that precious liquid. For the final flourish, savour the juicy kurobuta filling with the tender dumpling skin.

The bar of excellence rises further with Kagoshima Pork Dumpling & Fish Maw Bouillon. Stuffed with delectable Kagoshima pork, the divine dumpling is nestled amidst slippery smooth braised fish maw and the sweetest-tasting fish bouillon. An ensemble made in culinary heaven.

The pace rolls nicely along with Yuba Skin Roulade and Collagen Demi-Glace – a delightfully crispy fried Japanese beancurd skin roll stuffed with chopped amaebi and Kurobuta. 

Rich, glossy pork bone sauce and crunchy snow peas ensure this offering underscore deliciously distinct contrasts, taste and texture-wise from the earlier speciality.

Marinated in a sake-shoyu concoction then cooked to meltingly tender perfection, the Spanish Iberian Jowl with Seasonal Organic Vegetables cuts quite a swathe with us. 

The enticing umami accent blooms on our palate the longer we chew on the meat. Even the supporting cast of green mustard stems, lotus root, ginkgo, wood fungus and dried scallop threads, exudes ample appeal of their own.

Dried sakura ebi and fried onion atop the Daikon Radish cake (which has jamon and Kurobuta incorporated in it) lend beguiling depth of flavours to this familiar homey treat. Little pieces of pickled green mustard that’s mutedly spicy-sweet help to offset its richness. 

IMHO, the Crystal Prawn Wonton with Smoked Dover Sole and Egg Noodles is possibly the closest replication of a good Hong Kong-style wantan meen in Klang Valley.

Made with a mixture of sweet shrimp and sea prawn, and smoked Dover sole for the elusive combination of sweetness and desirable mouthfeel, the prawn wonton is scrumptious.

Made in-house and cooked to the right toothsome texture, the fine egg noodles in a nice clear broth and blanched greens are so soul-satisfying good you'd wish the serving is somewhat a tad bigger.

To finish, the savoury dessert of Yam Croquette is a show-stopper. Golden brown with a lacy-wispy exterior, the powdery-soft Japanese mountain yam mash is filled with savoury-sweet Iberico char siu.

A crisp, buttery and mildly sweet Egg Tart serves as the finale to the lunch-tasting menu. You can’t fault this on-point classic creation to wrap up your meal.

Diners are welcome to bring their own wine for their culinary sojourn at Le Sense as there won’t be any corkage charged. For bespoke dinner menus, prices will be slightly higher so kindly call the restaurant for more information.

For reservations, call Le Sense Restaurant, hp no: 018-268 2333. Address: 8, Jalan SS 20/10 Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.