Chan with some of Shanghai restaurant’s Lunar New Year specialities. — Photos: ART CHEN/The Star
The iconic “prosperity toss salad” called yee sang gains a refreshing twist, thanks to the creativity of a Kuala Lumpur restaurant’s culinary team.
While it has seafood toppings like salmon, jellyfish or abalone, the yee sang version at Shanghai restaurant in JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur has a crisp, salad profile featuring finely sliced cabbage, carrot, pomelo, coriander, cucumber and several pickled vegetables.
The secret lies in the dressing, featuring a blend of olive oil, wasabi and peanut sauce.
“The wasabi dressing is a key feature, but we’ve enhanced it with peanut sauce to make it more fragrant,” said chef Chan Chee Hoong.
“The wasabi’s piquant flavour gives the diner’s palate a brief zing that sets the tone for the meal.”
There are also vegetarian-friendly options such as Fresh Fruit Yee Sang and Vegetarian Ham Yee Sang.
Prices for Shanghai’s yee sang start from RM168+ for a small portion and from RM238+ for a large one. Advance orders are required for the Lobster Yee Sang.
Prosperity Yee Sang with Salmon and Jellyfish artfully presented as a pair of koi swimming on a plate.
The Michelin-selected restaurant is presenting a Chinese New Year menu that blends the sophisticated flavours of China’s business capital with local influences.
The menu, crafted by executive Chinese chef and Shanghainese native Wong Wing Yeuk, Chan and their team, features perennial festive specialities and a few new dishes.
The new additions are the Stir-fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk and Deep-fried French Goose Liver wrapped in Cuttlefish.
“The prawns are a must-have dish as the word is a homonym for ‘laughter’. They are coated with a layer of salted egg yolk, to resemble little gold ingots,” said Chan.
“The dish is then topped with some crushed almonds and seaweed strips to create a harmony of textures and flavours.
Stir-fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk crafted to resemble little gold ingots.
“We crafted the goose liver (foie gras) dish using a blend of two goose liver grades to create a balance in taste.”
The bite-sized dish, which has a rich, buttery taste, could also be mistaken for dim sum due to its delicate presentation.
Shanghai is presenting three set menus this year, ideal for family reunions and corporate gatherings.
They are priced from RM238++ per person or from RM2,688++ for a table of 10.
Depending on the selected menu, featured dishes include Double-boiled Superior Chicken Soup with Dried Scallop, Fish Maw and Ham; Stir-fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, Shanghainese Poached Chicken with Garlic and Soy Sauce, Steamed Fish with Light Soy Sauce, Braised Spanish Pig’s Trotter with Sea Moss, and Traditional Rice with Chinese Waxed Meat and Vegetables in Casserole.
The steamed fish with light soy sauce features the orange roughy species. This deepwater creature is sometimes known as the “longevity fish” due to its long lifespan.
The meal finishes off with a warm tong sui dessert and Deep-Fried Crispy Glutinous Rice Cake with Yam. This nian gao dish, which symbolises growth and advancement, is steamed with bamboo leaves to give a delightful aroma when savoured.
Steamed Fish with Light Soy Sauce.
A selection of dishes is also available as a la carte options, such as Stir-fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, Deep-fried French Goose Liver wrapped in Cuttlefish, Shanghainese Poached Chicken with Garlic and Soy Sauce, and Braised Spanish Pig’s Trotter with Sea Moss.
This year, Shanghai has undertaken a special collaboration with Champagne Mea Alexandre with two cuvees from the French brand available as an optional pairing, priced from RM688.
The label from Champillon is helmed by Alexandre Mea, the fifth-generation member of a family with over 150 years of champagne-making expertise and approximately 100ha of Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards.
Lambocellar retail management senior manager Sabrina Wong shared that Champagne Mea Alexandre made its first global launch in Malaysia, with Lambocellar as its first international partner.
“We are introducing two cuvees from the 2020 vintage for the collaboration at Shanghai.
“The Blanc de Blancs is a 100% Chardonnay grape champagne with a light, crisp mouthfeel. It pairs well with seafood or fish dishes.
“The Rose Brut has a medley of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. It has a bolder flavour and structure, so it goes better with braised or fried dishes.”
Shanghai’s Lunar New Year menu is available from Feb 3 to March 3 for lunch and dinner.
SHANGHAI, Level 1, JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. WhatsApp: 018-623 0069. Email: shanghairestaurant@jwmarriottkl.com Business hours: Lunch, noon-3pm (Mondays-Saturdays), 10.30am-3pm (Sundays and public holidays); dinner, 6pm-10pm (Mondays-Sundays). Non-halal.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
