Welcoming the Year of the Dragon

Hilton Petaling Jaya executive Chinese chef Lai Kuok Sing with some of the highlights, including (pic, below) Yee Sang with Lobster, from Toh Yuen’s set menus available until the end of February. — Photos: MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star

AFTER the Christmas festivities last month, hotels have made a quick switch to welcome Chinese New Year in February.

At Hilton Petaling Jaya, the team at its Chinese restaurant Toh Yuen has curated two menus for diners.

The Golden Set I previewed started with Yee Sang with Hokkaido Scallop and Truffle Oil.

While the festive appetiser was filled with the regular colourful ingredients, flavours and textures, the addition of truffle oil enhanced the complexity of the dish, taking it to a greater height with its garlicky taste.

Next was a comforting dish, Braised Bird Nest Broth with Crabmeat and Dried Scallop.

The thickness of the soup was just nice and so laden with ingredients that every spoonful had some meat.

Roasted Chicken with Boletus Mushroom Gravy was next. Hands down, it was one of the best roasted chickens I have had in a long time.

The skin was crisp but the meat was still tender and juicy.

Adding extra kick was the boletus mushroom gravy, with the mushroom finely diced and cooked with chilli to lend some heat to the meat with every bite.

Prawn lovers will be sure to enjoy Poached Tiger Prawn with Yam and White Pepper Broth.

The prawns retained their fresh taste, receiving subtle heat from the broth and texture from the yam.

Another highlight was Steamed Golden Snapper Fish, which was served with spicy mushroom sauce that added depth, while the fish retained its succulence and natural flavour.

Braised Whole Abalone and Shiitake Mushroom with Seasonal Vegetable.

Braised Whole Abalone and Shiitake Mushroom with Seasonal Vegetables will surely be popular with diners with its star ingredient symbolising good fortune.

The Fried Glutinous Rice with Dried Oyster Wrapped with Lotus Leaf reminded me of bak chang, a traditional Chinese rice dumpling served during the annual Dragon Boat Festival.

To complete the meal were three sweet treats.

The Chilled Red Date Soup with Fig, Aloe Vera and Snow Nest was refreshing, light and not too sweet.

There were also Layer Rice Cake Fritters, a fried version of nian gao which is the glutinous cake popular around Chinese New Year, that were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Layer Rice Cake Fritters.

Overall, the food exceeded my expectations, with innovative additions that still maintained the familiar taste but heightened the experience with complex flavours.

The Golden Set is priced at RM1,688 for six people and RM2,388 for 10 people.

The Jade Set, meanwhile, is priced at RM1,988 for six people and RM2,888 for 10 people.

The sets are available until Feb 29.

TOH YUEN, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Level 1 (East Wing), 2, Jalan Barat, PJS 52, Petaling Jaya. (Tel: [phone]. WhatsApp: [phone]. Email: [e-mail]). Business hours: Noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm. Pork-free.

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