DELICIOUS WEIL OF A TIME (part 2)

Update: Yuk Sou Hin is now a pork-free restaurant

Yuk Sou Hin Chinese Restaurant

"Yum cha" or tea drinking is a ritual cherished by Ipohites; a sociable practice that sees family and friends sitting down to enjoy copious cups of Chinese tea with dainty morsels of dim sum.

 

That's why WEIL Hotel's fine Chinese restaurant Yuk Sou Hin opens as early as 9am daily, to cater to Ipohites who wish to stop by for yum cha. Spearheaded by Hong Kong Masterchef Chung Ho Shi whose 47-year career has taken him beyond Hong Kong to Shanghai, Japan and Singapore, a refined selection of classic and contemporary Cantonese specialities and dim sum take pride of place here.

Three types of dim sum (pix above) whetted our appetite from the get-go: a triangular parcel of minced meat, a deep-fried crispy prawn & mango roll and a delicate prawn dumpling formed a tempting trinity so exquisite they begged to be savoured on their own sans sauce.

Personally, I like the crisp prawn & mango roll best especially the ethereal skin which turned out to be tissue-thin edible wafer paper (made from rice starch batter). Available from Chinese food speciality shops, this 'skin' is pliable enough to wrap and roll whatever stuffing or filling the chef chooses to use. Once deep-fried, its crisp-crumbly texture magically dissolves on the palate.

The delicate nuances from the subsequent wintermelon puree with minced chicken was a welcome change after the earlier flavour and texture overload. Although the broth was slightly unctuous, it had a clean, refreshing taste.

The deep-seated briny accents of soya sauce and black beans were cleverly reigned in by the chef using silken beancurd, giving the slab of cod just the necessary amount of flavour. Some freshly cut chilli add some zingy interest to the ensemble.

Our tummy space was reaching maximum capacity by now but no Chinese meal is complete without some staples such as rice or noodle. Naturally Chef Chung opted to treat us to his fluffy fried rice with egg white, dried scallop and ebikko garnished with chopped spring onion. Taking it up several notches was the chef's signature chilli and silverfish condiment; his XO sauce of sorts. We loved its robustness which packed nice zingy heat without leaving us dumbstruck.

 

For the finale, we rounded the meal off with a glass of chilled mango puree with pomelo. Such an apt choice as the juicy bursts of pomelo sacs reminded us of charming Ipoh and the state of Perak yet again.

For reservations at Yuk Sou Hin, call tel: 05-208 2228. The restaurant is on Level 1, WEIL HOTEL IPOH.

05-20822280

05-2082228

DELICIOUS WEIL OF A TIME (part 1)

 

Pomelo is a fruit that's associated with Perak especially in the town of Tambun. It's only befitting that the first dish to welcome us to Ipoh's WEIL Hotel is this palate-pleasing pomelo salad from TIFFIN All Day Dining Restaurant. Bursts of fruity sweetness mingled with umami savouriness and punchy sharpness of sliced shallots and spring onion in this Thai-inspired pomelo salad adorned with plump blanched prawns. 

Served at WEIL's stylishly designed Tiffin, diners will discover there's more to the outlet's substantial buffet. The a la carte boasts some hidden gems that should satisfy discerning foodies, ranging from a Balinese slanted satay lilit to its excellent Penang prawn noodles.

The secret lies in the capable hands of Tiffin's chef de cuisine Lee Choon Boon (pix below) and his team. Following several successful international hotel stints, this affable Ipoh guy aims to conquer his own home turf. His dishes have been great testaments thus far...you have to taste them to believe it.

 

The uber-delicious prawn mee stock comes in fiery red-masala hue; its full-bodied, savoury depth culled from a mixture of dried shrimp, prawn shells and heads that teases your palate with prawny sweetness amidst riffs of warm zingy chilli heat. Teamed with sizeable sea prawns, hard-boiled egg, kangkung (water convulvus), beansprouts and sliced fish cake (Tiffin is pork-free), the noodles can rival the best in Penang.

Weekdays see a mostly business and corporate crowd partaking Tiffin's Asian buffet (RM35++ per person) while weekend tunch (tea & lunch RM47++) lets you feast from 12 noon to 4 pm. From our experience, the buffet has ample choices that should leave you spoiled for choice with several notable offerings worth returning for.

Welcome drinks for guests are served at the cosy Tea Lounge one level up. A serene haven filled with cushy armchairs, comfy settees, modern pendant lights and linear streamlined touches, you can while away an afternoon here over tea and cakes or unwind over Happy Hours with your fave tipples and bar snacks.

We took our own sweet time to savour the refreshing lemongrass mocktail; a simple but meaningful welcome gesture that typifies the cordial charm of Ipoh. Soaking in the quiet atmosphere, this little nook is ideal for reading, business discussions or chilling out post-work.

Aesthetically pleasing interior decor inside the Tea Lounge

Personally I like the muted shades of gray, stone, wood and dusky blue of its soft furnishings - all neutral tones that aren't too feminine or masculine. Teamed with wood and some metal trimmings, it's contemporary decor with subtle retro slants should withstand the passage of time well without being dated too quickly.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...Highlights on The Deck Gastrobar and Yuk Sou Hin coming up. 

For reservations and more information, call tel: +6 05 - 2082 228. WEIL HOTEL IPOH is located at 292, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

UN-BEATO-BLE AGED STEAKS

Isn't this a magnificent piece of steak? Mind you, this scrumptious Porterhouse cut has been aged for about 25 days so its natural meaty flavour was even more intense. For the uninitiated, the fuss over aged steaks boils down to this sign displayed outside The Beato Steakhouse.

Danny Choi, who is Korean and has lived many years in the US - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/food/article/the-juice-on-beef-at-the-beato/#sthash.bC6GT6Dn.dpuf

Danny Choi - the man behind Beato tells us that the word means 'blessed', 'blissful' or 'happy' in Italian. Ardent beef and steak lovers who step into Choi's steakhouse in Publika are blessed indeed for his restaurant is just the place to appreciate and savour glorious cuts of aged steaks.

The specially built temperature-controlled dry-aging compartment with slabs of Himalayan salt are piled in one corner is given pride of place in front of Beato. From the glass window, you can easily view hunks of beef that are undergoing the dry-aging process. Dry-aged beef tends to have greater concentration of the meaty flavour and better tenderness as the dry-aging process causes natural enzymes in the beef break down connective muscle tissues whilst intensifying its inherent flavour.

Awash in warm, mellow lighting, Beato's mod industrial chic interior (think red bricks, raw concrete floor and wood trimmed bar) is fuss-free yet cosily welcoming.

Although aged steaks rule here, the menu proffers some non-beef options too. Warm up your appetite with warm bread rolls - deliciously comforting when spread with butter and the house olive tapenade.

However, the limelight belongs to Beato's sublime Bruschetta (RM15) - a defyingly simple and thickly cut slice of crusty white country bread piled high with juicy cherry tomatoes and cream cheese. Dribbled with balsamic vinegar and honey, the burst of bright colours and soul-lifting accents literally knocked our socks off.

Aged for 25 days, our medium rare serving of 775g Porterhouse (RM38/100g) was adorned with grilled caramelised garlic and a lemon wedge. While the seared outer crust yielded a well-rounded gaminess with hints of flinty minerals to it, we found different marbling of the strip steak and fillet flanking each side of the T-bone allowed us to relish the variation of each cut's chewy succulence. Adding dollops of Dijon and wholegrain mustard or horseradish simply enlivened the taste and flavour dimensions.

The 344g Ribeye (RM39/100g) boasted more noticeably buttery-tender texture with mellower beefy nuance. Best enjoyed medium rare, the steak was speckled with coarse sea salt to enhance its deep, full-bodied flavour.

Balance your meaty quota with assorted side dishes of grilled asparagus (RM14), corn (RM8), zucchini (RM9), sauteed mushroom (RM15), sweet potato fries (RM14) or mashed potato (RM14).

Our faves were the mushrooms, sweet potato fries and creamy potato mash; all left indelible impressions on our palate as their textures and delicate taste profiles acted as counterpoints to the stellar steaks.

Those who eschew beef can still eat well at Beato. We'd recommend the notable Half A Roast Chicken (RM39) with grilled mixed vegetables. The moist poultry came fully suffused with the sweet pungency of its garlic marinade.

Another viable option is Lamb Rack (RM59); cooked to blush pink at the core, the whole rack is lightly encrusted with crushed walnuts, breadcrumbs, honey and wholegrain mustard. Naturally, we picked the bones clean on this speciality.

In case you have companions who prefer fish, try Baked Salmon with Smoked Salmon Salad. The smoked salmon salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette served as the base for the substantial salmon fillet which slightly flaky on the outside. The centre remained spot-on pink.

Sweet options are kept simple with Dried Fruits (RM19) emerging as the conversation-stopper. The basic ensemble of dehydrated slices of kiwifruit, pineapple and banana complemented by fresh blueberries, strawberries and lemon curd surprised us with bursts of concentrated fruity sweetness.

Chocolate fanatics would adore the decadently luscious Chocolate Lava (RM11) and Chocolate Mousse (RM18). Dense and slightly bitter on the palate, the mousse should melt the hearts and tastebuds of die-hard chocoholics.

Don't let the little portion of chocolate lava mislead you. Served with fresh berries and cream on the side, the molten choc centre was most befitting for leaving you in a blissful state of mind.

For reservations, call BEATO Publlika, tel: 03-6206-2405. Address: D2-G3-9 Solaris Dutamas, Bangsar tel: 03-2202-2405. Address: 24-1 Jalan Telawi 3 Bangsar Baru, KL. Biz hours: 5pm to 12am; weekend 12pm to 12am