Chef returns to the basics of Cantonese cuisine this CNY

Kok has been with the restaurant for close to 20 years. His Chinese New Year menu focuses on traditional ingredients with light and fresh flavours. — Photos: DARRAN TAN/The Star

FOR Dynasty Restaurant’s executive sous chef Kok Chee Kin, it has been “challenging yet easy” creating a new festive menu since the restaurant at Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel became a pork-free eatery early last year.

“Having been with Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel for close to 20 years, I needed time to adjust to a new menu.

“But it was also easy as I had one less protein ingredient to work with.

“This time around, I used meat substitutes such as chicken, duck or mock meat made from mushroom and flour for the Chinese New Year menu,” said the affable chef, adding that the menu change was a business decision made by the hotel’s management.

“We also use pseudo shark’s fin made from jelly, as the Marriott Group believes in using sustainable seafood and not real shark’s fin at all its hotels.”

Dynasty Restaurant‘s poon choi (treasure pot) is filled with delicacies that spell prosperity.

Kok, who specialises in Cantonese cuisine, went back to basics for Dynasty Restaurant’s Chinese New Year menu, as he believes diners prefer traditional dishes for the celebration.

The restaurant has lined up a range of festive specialities such as yee sang, set menus, poon choi (treasure pot) and special dim sum.

It is offering a total of eight festive menus that are catered for a table of two, five, six or 10 persons.

The set menus for two persons are priced at RM378 nett and RM578 nett, set menus for five persons at RM988 nett and RM1,388 nett, and set menu for six persons at RM1,188 nett.

A group of 10 can choose from three set menus, which are priced at RM1,788 nett (Happiness Set), RM2,188 nett (Fortune Set) and RM3,388 nett (Longevity Set).

All of the festive set menus start with yee sang and end with Dynasty’s Fortune Pastries.

The Happiness Set was served during a media preview of the festive menu.

Braised Five Treasure Soup with Crab Meat and Sliced Abalone is part of the Happiness Set.

The set began with a Salmon Yee Sang, followed by Braised Five Treasure Soup with Crab Meat and Sliced Abalone.

The Crispy Almond Chicken lived up to its name, as the crispy almond slices gave the roasted chicken a crunchier texture.

Also included were the symbolic dishes, namely Steamed Live Sea Grouper with Sliced Ginger and Chilli, Sauteed Golden Prawns with Pumpkin Cream and Sun-Dried Oyster, Fatt Choy, Flower Mushroom and Vegetable.

The Supreme Seafood Golden Fried Rice with XO Sauce had a spicy kick thanks to its spicy seafood XO sauce.

For sweet endings, dessert was served in the form of Double-Boiled Chrysanthemum Tea with Pear, Red Date and Aloe Vera, and Dynasty’s Fortune Pastries featuring nian gao (sticky rice cake).

Diners can toss to a prosperous year ahead with yee sang that feature raw fish or exotic seafood.

The six yee sang options include salmon, fruity fiesta, jellyfish, sea cucumber and pseudo shark’s fin, scallop and lobster, and mini abalone.

All the set meals end with Dynasty’s Fortune Pastries, featuring nian gao.

Prices of the yee sang range from RM118 nett for a half portion of deluxe yee sang to RM368 nett for a full portion of premium yee sang.

There are two types of poon choi available, each catering for five diners. One pot is priced between RM488nett and RM1,038 nett.

Each pot is filled with delicacies such as whole sun-dried scallop, fish maw, stuffed dried oyster, money bag, sea cucumber, tiger prawn, coral clam and vegetarian roasted meat, with the premium version including Hokkaido scallop, whole abalone and smoked duck with carrot.

The specially crafted festive dim sum, available daily for lunch, include Steamed Stuffed Sea Cucumber with Seafood Paste, Steamed Dried Oyster with Fatt Choy Dumpling, and Taro Ball with Prawns and Salted Egg. Each basket of dim sum is priced at RM18 nett.

Dynasty Restaurant’s Chinese New Year menu is available from Feb 2 until March 2.

DYNASTY RESTAURANT, 1st Floor, East Wing, Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, Corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: [phone], email: [e-mail]. Business hours: Noon to 2.30pm (Mon-Sat), 9am-2.30pm (Sun), 10.30am-2.30pm (public holidays); 6.30pm-10.30pm (Mon-Sun). Pork-free.

This is the writer’s observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.