Lavish Cantonese cuisine celebration

Steamed Glutinous Rice with Crispy Roasted London Duck.

This month, a restaurant group is rolling out seven sumptuous Cantonese dishes in celebration of its anniversary.

To mark its 18th anniversary, Grand Imperial Group designed the menu together with Hong Kong chef Andy Ng in a showcase of fine Cantonese cuisine.

From this special menu are four appetisers – Barbecued Pork with Osmanthus and Rose Glaze, Golden Crispy Deep-sea Cod with Sea Salt and Pepper, Aged Vinegar Pickled Cucumber and Chilled Chilean Abalone with Green Sichuan Pepper Emulsion.

The barbecued pork, with a balanced ratio of fat and lean meat, is topped with a layer of crispy skin that is slightly sweet and caramelised.

Crunchy pickled cucumber provides the perfect accompaniment, balancing savoury, sour and spicy flavours that refresh the palate and enhance every mouthful.

Ng collaborated in designing the anniversary set menu.

The Chilean abalone’s texture is perfect, with green Sichuan pepper adding a slightly tingling sensation.

Main dishes on the set menu are no less impressive.

Diners are first served the visually stunning Boston lobster that comes in two forms.

A lobster claw is wrapped in crispy bacon to enhance its savoury, firm flesh.

It is accompanied by Lobster Broth with Steamed Egg Custard and Fish Roe, a silky, comforting dish infused with the rich savouriness of dried scallops, while the fish roe adds delicate bursts of texture.

Grand Imperial Group executive chief chef Chai Wan Loong said: “The lobster is the menu’s highlight.”

The dish takes three hours to prepare, he added.

Meanwhile, the Double-boiled Premium Shark’s Fin with Chan­terelle Mushroom, Dried Scallops and Fish Maw announces its arrival with savoury fragrance.

The Steamed French Turbot with the Chef’s Signature Sauce showcases a firm fish that is delicately covered with a sweet-savoury sauce flavoured by fermented black beans.

Steamed French Turbot with the Chef’s Signature Sauce.

Grand Imperial Group deputy chief chef Sim Seng Liang said, “If the fish is too small, the texture won’t be as good.”

Braised Stuffed Liaoning Sea Cucumber with Abalone Sauce and Baby Pumpkin is another treat.

The pleasantly chewy sea cucumber, stuffed with fish flesh, is elevated by the sweet, savoury abalone sauce and accompanied by broccoli and tender baby pump­­­kin.

Undeniably, a showstopper on the menu is the Steamed Glutinous Rice with Crispy Roasted London Duck, with the crispy, juicy bird striking a contrast to the sticky glutinous rice.

For desserts, the Sweetened Water Chestnut with Supreme Goji Berry and Lily Bulb has crisp water chestnuts and lily bulbs while the Chilled Pandan Coconut Jelly is very smooth.

The Smoked Bacon Puff with Baked Cheese, meanwhile, delights with a crisp, golden pastry encasing a savoury filling and an irresistible cheese pull.

Grand Imperial Group’s anniversary event will be held at its branches in Hartamas Shop­ping Centre (Aug 21 at 7.30pm), Sunway Pinnacle Royale Ball­room (Aug 22 at 7.30pm) and The Club @ Bukit Utama (Aug 23 at 7.30pm).

The menu, priced at RM3,988nett (for 10 diners), includes a bottle of alcohol of the diners’ choice.

Grand Imperial Restaurant, Hartamas Shopping Centre, Lot F33-F35, First Floor, Hartamas Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: [phone]) Business hours: 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm -10.30pm. Non-halal.

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