Flavours burst through each mouthful of the Prosperous Norwegian Glacial Salmon Trout Yee Sang. — Courtesy photo
INFUSING traditional fare with contemporary flavours to suit diverse palates is no easy task.
Each festive season, chefs spend hours crafting a menu to have broad appeal.
This year has been no different as Eastin Kuala Lumpur executive chef Alex Choong Mian Sang carefully considered ingredients to highlight for the Chinese New Year menu.
It is evident that Choong and his team allow the delicate tastes of the chosen premium ingredients to shine.
The Prosperous Norwegian Glacial Salmon Trout Yee Sang has a delightful sweet, salty and tangy sauce coating crackers, peanuts, finely julienned turnip and carrot as well as melt-in-your-mouth slivers of salmon.
Once tossed together, each mouthful is a burst of textures and flavours.
After such a colourful start, the Braised Superior Shark’s Fin, and Fish Maw and Baby Cabbage with Superior Chicken Broth at first appear subdued.
A winning dish was the Slow-braised Claypot Fragrant Rice with Goose Liver Sausage, Waxed Meat and Japanese Sakura Ebi.
With heartwarming flavours, however, these are no less delightful.
The soup, in fact, succeeds in whetting one’s appetite for the meatier dishes ahead.
The Volcano Stone Roasted Irish Silver Hill Duck proves to be a crowd-pleaser with its tender meat and crispy skin.
The duck is from an award-winning breed of the same name, specially imported from Silver Hill Farm in the Emyvale townland in Ireland.
Next up is a taste of the sea in the form of Steamed Deep Sea Giant Grouper Fillet with XO Golden Garlic Sauce.
Mildly sweet and flaky, the flesh of the fish pairs well with the nuttiness of the golden garlic sauce.
Waking up the palate soon after is a platter of Deep-fried Sea Prawns with Crispy Rice Crackers and Dried Chilli.
The slow build of heat from the dried chillies is a bold change from the otherwise neutral line-up.
Choong said the spicy element is necessary to strike a balance in terms of flavours.
To counter the fiery nature of that dish comes the Braised Sea Cucumber, Sha Jing Oyster, Mushroom and Black Moss.
The plump fragrant oysters from the Shajing subdistrict of Guangdong province, China, are bathed in a rich gravy with black moss.
A clear favourite at the dinner turns out to be the Slow-braised Claypot Fragrant Rice with Goose Liver Sausage, Waxed Meat and Japanese Sakura Ebi.
The unexpected addition of cherry blossom shrimp is a pleasant surprise as it elevates the earthy dish with intense taste.
The multi-course meal then finishes with two kinds of sweet treats.
The Double-boiled Osmanthus, Lotus Seeds and Lily Bulb with Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Ball has a wonderful springtime feel.
The moreish Deep-fried Nian Gao with Teochew Sweet Yam Paste is a hit with its clever use of pandan adding both colour and flavour.
Oysters from China’s famous oyster hub of Shajing is served with braised sea cucumber, mushroom and black moss.
The hotel’s Chinese New Year Prosperity Set Menu is available until Feb 28.
Different set menus are also available for groups of four to 10 people, starting from RM1,288+.
Diners can choose premium toppings such as abalone and jellyfish for their yee sang, and mix and match items to their heart’s content.
Other specialities prepared for the Year of the Snake include Braised Treasures from the Sea Abalone, Dried Scallops, and Sea Cucumber and Deep-fried Tiger Prawns with Golden Salted Egg Yolk.
EE CHINESE CUISINE,
Eastin Kuala Lumpur, 13, Jalan 16/11, Section 16, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
(Tel: 03-7665 1111 ext 357, WhatsApp: 016-262 2059).
Business hours: Noon-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10pm (Tuesdays to Fridays); 10.30am-2.30pm, 6.30pm-10pm (weekends). Closed on Mondays.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
