CHINESE NEW YEAR MENUS AT ELEGANT INN HK

 

Fresh, natural ingredients form the mainstay for the customary Bountiful Harvest Salmon Yee Sang at Elegant Inn HK Cuisine (E.I.). 

Never mind about the muted colours; at least the whole platter was a natural composition of shredded carrot, radish and cucumber with pickled onion and ginger, pearl clams and sesame seeds. A dedicated member of the E.I. kitchen team painstakingly prepares this speciality throughout the celebratory period.

In addition to the house-made sauce, the raw salmon slices are sliced on premise, to ensure food safety and hygiene standards are met. Every mouthful of the delicious salad with its myriad of textures and flavours left us raving with sheer delight.

To welcome the Dragon Year with a bang, E.I. is offering 8 special CNY menus for groups of 4-10 persons and 3 individual set menus, available from 8 January (minimum 3 days prior notice) and throughout the festive period from 22 January onwards.

During our sneak preview, we sampled festive offerings selected by lady boss Jeannette Han from the different celebratory menus. A traditional soup of Double Boiled Spare Ribs with Night Blooming Cereus, Fresh Cordyceps, Organic Black-Eyed Beans and Topshell came hot on the heels after the yee sang salad.

 

The edible night blooming cereus is said to be rich in antioxidants; to help protect the body from free radicals, reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, improve digestion, and reduce the risk of certain diseases. Together with E.I.’s cachet of fresh cordyceps, topshell clams, black eyed-beans, Yunnan ham, chicken feet, dried conch and dried scallops, the resultant broth was soul-satisfyingly sweet.

Specially sourced from a Penang farm, the Free-Range Chicken cooked with Fish Maw, Lotus Root and Wild Termite Mushroom in Premium Soy Sauce wowed us with its impossibly tender and toothsome texture. We like the slightly resistant bite of the flesh; a far cry from the mushier mass farm-raised chickens. Of course, we couldn’t pass up the chance to lap up the slick, savoury-sweet sauce with all that chicken jus.

Fluffy-soft, crisp and succulent textures integrated nicely in the Trio Seafood Platter. The delicate, flake-like Fried Japanese Dried Scallops and Golden Coin Shark’s Fin is meant to resemble osmanthus flower petals hence the dish’s Cantonese ‘kwai fah chi’ name. A tricky dish that demands deft handiwork on the chef’s part, to prevent the scrambled egg from clumping into large clods.

Airy-light crunchy E.I. Salt Pepper Fried HK Silver Fish contrasted nicely with the earlier appetiser. Completing the tasteful trinity was delectable Hokkaido Scallop Bacon Roll.

 

The evening’s show-stopper of Braised Five Treasures Stuffed Pork Belly with Black Garlic, Chestnuts and Lotus Seeds garnered rapturous praises among our dining party. We found the black garlic’s fleeting licorice-like nuance lent a muted sweet earthiness to the meaty, collagen-rich sauce.

Almost too indulgent to savour, the expertly prepared slab of pork with its alternating streaks of fat and lean meat was sumptuously moist and sweet with rich, lustrous flavour. The chestnuts and lotus seeds lent a delightfully subtle crunch.

From the individual menus, the lady boss indulged us with Aromatic HK Liu Ma Kee (LMK) Red Beancurd Pork Belly and French Beans on Sesame Sauce, and Braised Fish Maw with Pork Cartilage Ribs and Prosperous Chicken Meat Ball in Crab Roe Sauce.

The first reminded me of an amped up version of Hakka jar yoke (fried pork); the pork belly marinated with Hong Kong’s famous and established LMK nam yue (fermented red beancurd) then fried to light crispness. Utterly yummy without being too cloying thanks to the crunchy French beans dressed in sesame sauce to balance things out.

Some clever textural interplay made the latter porky dish memorable, especially the tender meat which came off easily the soft cartilage bones. The varied softness of the velvet-soft fish maw and chicken ball with seamoss heightened the dish’s overall appeal.

To fulfill our quota of greens, we tried Fish Maw with Organic Spinach, Silky Egg White and Crab Roe. Primed up with pricey fish maw and crab roe in addition to custardy-soft egg white, the Japanese spinach would certainly induce even non-veg fans to succumb to its allure.

Instead of 'lap mei farn' (rice with waxed meat), the lady boss chose to treat us to a winsome Claypot Rice with Chicken Fillet, French Goose Liver and Fish Maw. Personally, I love it as a nice departure from the tried-and-tested. With the supremely rich-tasting foie gras oil coating the fluffy rice grains, each spoonful was a sheer joy to eat.

 

Tender boneless chicken fillet, dulcet smooth fish maw pieces and dices of melt-in-the-mouth foie gras added extra appeal to the offering. We also clamoured for the charred, smoky rice crust scraped up from the bottom of the pot.

We wrapped up our lavish preview with a light yet befitting dessert treat of Double Boiled Fuji Red Apple with Organic Apricot, Chinese Almonds and Snow Fungus. It was clear, nutritious with delicate textures; a sweet ending to another outstanding experience at E.I. 

Prices for the CNY Menus start from RM1,688++ per table of 10 persons. Festive set menus for 6-10 persons from RM2,088++ upwards and individual menus from RM228++ upwards per person are also available.

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

 

 

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

 

HUNG CHUN POPO X RED CUISINE CHINESE REUNION DINNER

To reinforce the popular adage, ‘the proof of the pudding is always in the eating’, Hung Chun collaborated with Pullman KLCC Hotel to introduce Hung Chun’s three new products: Popo Black Vinegar, Popo Garlic Chilli Sauce and Popo Oyster Sauce recently.

After a welcome address by Hung Chun Sdn Bhd Director Peter Yee (bottom pix) followed by the customary curtain-raiser of Yee Sang, the versatility of Hung Chun Popo sauces appeared in the Hot & Cold Combination. 

Chef Fong explained he used Popo Soya Sauce, Chilli Sauce, Vinegar, Oyster Sauce, and Dark Soya Sauce to prepare the Crispy Chicken and Prawns Money Bag, Squid with Chilli and Garlic Crisps, and Stir-Fried Pacific Clams with Dried Chillies.

For the tantalising serving of Marinated Jelly Fish with Fungus and Aged Vinegar, Hung Chun Popo Soya and Chilli Sauces along with Vinegar played key roles in the dish. Chef Fong said, “Popo Black Vinegar is layered in its complexity yet its taste is gentle on palate; allowing you to drink it neat without having to dilute it.” 

Based on a traditional formula passed down from older generations, Popo Black Vinegar uses premium grade key ingredients such as “dang gui” and natural rice vinegar, to bring out its best flavour – great for mums in confinement. 

We then sampled Double Boiled Chicken Broth with South American Fish Maw, ‘Hong Kong’ Ginseng, Boneless Chicken, Prickly Sea Cucumber and Chinese Tea Mushroom.

Founded in 1946, Hung Chun started as a humble cottage industry but its dynamic efforts saw it conquering the export market in Singapore, Thailand and Brunei.

As the first local sauce manufacturer to adopt modern German technology pasteurization process in sauce-making, quality remains Hung Chun’s main priority. The company’s careful selection of raw materials, well-trained staff and the usage of advance machinery combine to ensure the products are not only of the highest quality, but also the most hygienic, safe for consumption and best-tasting.

The show-stopping dish of Braised Goose Web with Dried Oyster, Mushroom and Green Vegetables incorporated Hung Chun Popo Oyster Sauce and Popo Soy Sauce. Granted, the smooth fall-off-the-bone tender goose web was not for the faint-hearted but it hit the spot for those who enjoyed its wondrous texture and the richness of Popo Oyster Sauce.

To showcase Hung Chun’s newly launched Popo Black Vinegar,  executive Chinese chef, Fong Teik Fei imbued his creation of Baked Five Spice Chicken Roulade with Szechuan Cucumber, Green Vegetables and Shimeji Mushroom with Hung Chun Popo Black Vinegar and Soya Sauce.

A saucy concoction of Hung Chun Popo Soy Sauce and King Soy Sauce with Chicken Essence and ‘Hong Kong’ Ginseng Superior King Sauce enhanced the ‘Hong Kong’ Style Poached Grouper. The fish’s delicate sweetness was discernible despite it being overdone.

Ditto with the Steamed Stuffed Jumbo Fresh King Prawn. A splash of Hung Chun Popo Soya Sauce amplified the sea-freshness of the crustacean which was stuffed with pickled vegetables and ‘Bentong’ ginger atop steamed truffle paste egg white.

Toppings of chicken floss and scallion lent textural and flavour accents to the Claypot Waxed Duck Meat Rice. Naturally, Hung Chun Popo Oyster Sauce, Soya Sauce, and Dark Soya Sauce are the essential sauces in the preparation of this festive delicacy.

Doubled-boiled Fuji Apple Aloe Vera Broth with Glutinous Balls rounded up our celebratory meal on a sweet note.

For diners who are keen to sample the Hung Chun Popo X Red Cuisine CNY Reunion Menu, it’s priced at RM280++ per person.

Popo Black Vinegar, Popo Garlic Chilli Sauce, Popo Oyster Sauce and other Hung Chun’s products such as Popo Soy Sauce can be found at various supermarkets, hypermarkets and Shopee.