MERCHANTS ALL DAY DINING AT CROWNE PLAZA KLCC

 

Specialities from four corners of the world beckon from Merchants All-Day Dining restaurant at the new Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).

Located on Level 13, this modern and inviting outpost serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and even brunch to both hotel guests and the public daily. Neutral tones reign within: pristine white tiled walls with contemporary light fixtures, rustic communal tables, open kitchens and eye-catching décor evocative of a bustling marketplace form an inviting backdrop for dining, entertaining and relaxing purposes.

Open 6.30am to 10.30 pm (operational time applicable for various meal sessions), Merchants also has a tastefully furnished private dining room, available for reservations.

Pix courtesy of Crowne Plaza KLCC

Currently, the Selera Kampungku Buffet Dinner (RM188+ per adult) is served for ‘buka puasa’ (6.30pm-10.30pm) until 7 April.

On our maiden visit recently, lunch can be had from Merchants’ a la carte menu offerings of local classics and international fusion options. We opted for Gambas Al Ajillo (RM50), Grilled Australian Angus Beef Burger (RM55) and River Shrimp Curry Noodles (RM60) as there was only two of us.

Lunch started on a positive note with toasted baguette slices as the perfect accompaniment for the delicious tiger prawns. Cooked in olive oil, garlic and chilli flakes, the crustaceans were yummy and tasted even better when paired with the crusty bread soaking up the robustly flavoured oil.

That appetiser paved the way for the scrumptious burger. Sandwiched between a sesame seed bun, the juicy mince Angus beef patty was enhanced by caramelised onion, melted Cheddar cheese, smoked beef slices, sliced tomato, lettuce and gherkins.

For different taste variations, we tried sampling the burger with mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and sweet chilli sauces in miniature bottles on the side. Chopped onion and jalapeno also provided sharp albeit welcome flavour accents. These condiments worked well with the burger. Our only complaint was the rather dry thick-cut fries.

If you choose to have the curry noodles, you can pick either wantan noodles, yellow noodles or rice vermicelli. We preferred rice vermicelli and it was a good choice to absorb the aromatic spiced broth.

The river shrimp imbued the soup with its rich, natural sweetness; its meaty texture adding textural appeal to the equation. Varied textural interest was drawn from the inclusion of chicken, beancurd puffs, long beans and beansprouts.

We completed our meal with Sago Gula Melaka (RM25), a pretty creation of moulded large sago pearls complemented by mildly creamy coconut milk with palm sugar syrup. As desserts go, it passed muster as we personally prefer the smaller sago pearls for nicer mouthfeel.

To work off our lunch a little, we went on a quick tour of the hotel, starting from the rainforest-inspired RhymBa Lobby Lounge & Bar where huddle spots and solo pods accord guests a nice respite or double up as functional work spaces.

The different room categories were pleasantly modern and versatile, designed to blend work/life travel needs for productivity and relaxation. Furnished in neutral tones to suit today’s business and leisure traveller expectations, each room come with spacious and well-appointed bathroom, comfy sofa couches, and tactile rainforest element décor.

Up of level 32 we were shown to Le Midi, a modern brasserie cum bar with expansive views of the city skyline and a speciality menu of French fusion fare.

Relaxation reaches new heights with the hotel’s rooftop infinity pool and cutting-edge gym. Also available is a spacious ballroom and five well-equipped function rooms with all the essential mod-cons.

For more information and reservations, call Crowne Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre, tel: 03-27828888. Address: No 22, Menara 8 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur.

 

AN VIET’S SOUP-ER HOT STONE WAGYU PHO

Listen up beef lovers. If you're partial to Japanese wagyu, An Viet has a pho-nomenal deal on-going until 31 January 2024. 

Starting from just RM34.90 per serving, you can savour sliced premium A5 Japanese wagyu imported from Tokushima, Japan for An Viet’s signature pho.

Served in a hot stone bowl, components for the beef noodles are served separately, allowing you to customise it to your own liking. It comes on a compact tray; the hot stone bowl keeping the broth constantly hot throughout your meal. 

We added noodles into the piping hot broth first as per the instruction card. If you’re unaware, An Viet’s MSG-free pho soup base is deeply flavourful as it has been painstakingly simmered for 12 hours using two types of beef bones and various spices. The resultant broth forms the basis of the restaurant’s signature noodle dish. 

Next, we added in the beansprouts, fresh herbs, shredded lettuce and basil leaves. Since I opted for the honeycomb tripe and beef ball combo, these went into the broth too.

Instead of simply throwing in the slices of A5 Japanese wagyu, I prefer to swish the tender, marbled beef slices in the hot soup until they are cooked to desired doneness. A squeeze of fresh lime juice lent the final touch before I slurped up the noodles along with the delectable beef. 

For a tantalising dimension, I found adding in a dollop of An Viet’s housemade sriracha sauce didn’t go remiss either.

While we were waiting for our pho to be ready, we feasted on Mini Savoury Vietnamese Pancakes. Filled with prawns and minced pork, the little bowl-shaped turmeric and coconut pancakes tasted sublime when eaten wrapped in fresh lettuce and herbs. The accompanying Vietnamese dipping sauce enhanced their deliciousness further.

Most of the set meals at An Viet comes with a trio of appetisers comprising Sugarcane Prawns, a wedge of Fresh Spring Roll and Deep-fried Spring Roll. Made from a hundred percent minced tiger prawns, the sugar cane skewers are always a surefire palate-pleaser.

The two types of spring roll also proved moreish; the former featuring rice paper rolled with tiger prawn, vermicelli, homemade pickle, fresh veggie and herb whilst the latter, deep-fried rice paper roll with tiger prawn and pork mince filling, proffered crispier texture.

Suffice to say, a meal at An Viet never disappoints.

For the locations of An Viet Restaurant, visit: https://www.anviet.com.my/

 

 

DIFFERENT EATS OF GREEN AT ELEGANT INN

The curtain-raiser of Truffle Radish Puff with Twin Purple Sweet Potatoes from Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine’s Unique Vegetarian Set looks almost too pretty to be eaten.

An artistic creation featuring crisp, deep-fried purple sweet potato slices arranged around a flaky domed puff stuffed with truffle oil-scented radish and carrot julienne, the pastry’s outer layer is similar to that of a traditional Teochew mooncake crust: delightfully feather-light and crisp to the bite.

It’s one of the many inventive specialities showcased in the restaurant’s special set menu to commemorate Gau Wong Yeh – the Nine Emperor Gods Festival, a major Toaist religious celebration held on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Devotees usually observe a strict vegetarian diet with many flocking to the Nine Emperor Gods temples in Ampang, Selangor and Butterworth, Penang for prayers.

Elegant Inn HK Cuisine is one of the rare Chinese restaurants in the city to offer a specially composed vegetarian set menu to mark the said festival. According to proprietress Jeanette Han, “our vegetarian menu is increasingly popular with diners who adhere to vegetarianism during the Nine Emperor Gods Festival. Since I’m not fond of greens, I challenge my chefs to create unique vegetarian dishes for this period.”

Her culinary team deftly rises to the occasion with that opening volley. The subsequent soup course proves equally show-stopping; a masterful demonstration of nifty knife skills that has beancurd ‘blooming’ into an  otherworldly blossom with fine, wavy tendrils in the Double Boiled Soup of Tofu Blossom with Fresh Beetroot & Carrot.

True to the Cantonese preference for clear, uncomplicated flavours, Han says she prefers to serve soups with a natural, delicate sweetness culled from the ingredients used; through 4-6 hours of double-boiling. Hence one sip of the dark yet beguiling broth is enough to suffuse the palate with the inherent sweetness of beetroot, carrot and wolfberries chosen for its preparation.

Another clever masterstroke comes in the form of Trio Treasures Stuffed with Organic Beancurd & Quinoa. A more refined vegetarian version of ‘yong tau foo’, the pan-fried wedges of brinjal, bittergourd and red capsicum come stuffed with mashed organic beancurd with quinoa instead of fish paste. The slightly nutty and appealing stuffing is further enlivened by a tantalising dressing concocted using lychee vinegar and sesame sauce.

Crunchy like asparagus, plump groundnut sprouts is a new ingredient that rouses much interest among our dining party. The sweet subtlties of the Groundnut Sprouts Wok Fried with Sweet Peas & Premium Cordycep Flowers make it a noteworthy dish.

Springy hand-made noodles are stir-fried with porcini mushrooms and leafy greens result in a tempting serving of Premium Wild Porcini Noodles. Touched with truffle oil, the noodles leave us happily satisfied without feeling bloated.

Such hazy weather calls for a soothing dessert broth and the Double Boiled Snow Pear with Chuan Bei and Citrus Peel is roundly welcomed as chuan bei mu or fritillaria bulbs is known for its lung-soothing efficacy in traditional Chinese medicine herb.

The mildly fruity-sweet broth is also cooling for the body, making it a nice panacea for the hot, smoggy weather. Complementing it is Yan Xi Lotus Bloom Pastry – a flaky, multiple layer flower-shape pastry with sweet lotus seed paste centre. We learned the artful creation was inspired by the hit Chinese drama series, Yan Xi Palace.

Priced at RM138++ per person (minimum 2 diners per table), the Nine Emperor Gods Festival Unique Vegetarian Set from Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine is available from September 29 to October 7, 2019.

For reservations, please call Elegant Inn HK Cuisine, tel: 03-2070 9399. Address: 2.01, 2nd Floor, Podium Block, Menara Hap Seng, Jalan P Ramlee, KL.