Braised Hong Kong Goose with Plum and Yam prepared by Tsang (right) for Grand Imperial Group’s ‘A Night in Hong Kong’. With him is Chai who has some special dishes of his own. — Photos: SAMUEL ONG/The Star
CHEF collaborations have become a popular way to blend different culinary styles and techniques to create innovative dining experiences.
This requires finding the right people with the skills and creativity to suit the establishment.
For its “Night in Hong Kong” dining experience, Grand Imperial Group teamed up with Hong-Kong born chef Peter Tsang, known for his mastery of Nanyang Cantonese cuisine harnessed over four decades in the industry.
Tsang joined Grand Imperial deputy executive chef Kenneth Chai Wai Keong to come up with a one-off collaborative menu showing off Nanyang Cantonese cuisine in both the traditional as well as modern sense.
Tsang will showcase traditional techniques rarely seen now in the modern Cantonese culinary world.
His two highlight dishes are Double-boiled Chicken Broth in Winter Melon Cup and Braised Hong Kong Goose with Plum and Yam.
Stuffed House Special Abalone with Village Chicken is lit on fire before serving.
Tsang, 68, said, “The methods I used are almost forgotten now in the modern era and involves more steps and know-how than modern techniques.
“This is how it was done by my sifu (master) and his peers in the 1970s in Hong Kong.”
He said frying the winter melon, for example, could be dangerous, and one needed to know how to handle the tall fruit as it sat in boiling oil.
The fruit is then simmered in rich chicken broth for two hours.
This creates a thick and flavorful soup which is then fused with grouper roe and seafood with a hint of orange peel. It makes for a uniquely nourishing dish.
Shima-Aji Sashimi reminiscent of ‘yee sang’.
His second dish involves slow-cooking the goose in a clay pot until tender before dressing it with a sauce made from plum and juices from the meat.
“This dish goes by many names. In the olden days in Hong Kong and GuangZhou, chefs would fry the goose until it became fragrant and braise it for a while.
“The juices and plum sauce were then poured back onto the meat to give it extra flavour.
“This is a very nostalgic dish,” said Tsang.
Like his winter melon soup, one serving is not enough.
The tender and flavourful goose meat served with yam slices and sauce offers a unique taste that is best enjoyed with a big bowl of steaming rice.
Chai, meanwhile, draws from his 20-plus years of experience for his showcase.
His creations are Shima-Aji Sashimi in Cantonese Style, Stuffed House Special Abalone with Village Chicken and Steamed Glutinous Rice with Lobster and Truffle.
Shima-aji (striped jack) sashimi is known in Japanese cuisine but features here in Chai’s appetiser, reminiscent of the popular yee sang we get during the Chinese New Year season.
Here, the premium fish is served with nutmeg, roasted peanuts and sesame, fresh vegetables and the restaurant’s special soy sauce.
The result is a tantalising taste that is herby, nutty and savoury. The velvety thick cuts of raw fish makes for a decadent starter.
The Stuffed House Special Abalone with Village Chicken is a rendition of foil-wrapped herbal chicken.
The presentation is a spectacle, with the foil bundled up into a hamper and lit on fire before it is served.
The premium abalone, mushrooms and scallops burst with flavours of umami enhancing the dish.
The last of the main dishes is the luxurious and mouthwatering Steamed Glutinous Rice with Lobster and Truffle that will surely please lovers of lobster meat.
Desserts for “A Night in Hong Kong” require the expertise of Grand Imperial Group’s executive dimsum chief chef Fanny Foo who has more than 35 years of experience.
Diners will love the nourishing Wolfberry with Bird’s Nest Jelly as well as the Iberico Jerky with Lotus Paste.
To close the meal, Foo serves up some refreshing organic soya bean and Japanese Tofu with Peach Gum and Sago.
A table of 10 diners cost RM3,333 nett (RM3,888 with a bottle of Chivas Regal 18).
“A Night in Hong Kong” is a one-night-only event at the following Grand Imperial Restaurants starting at 8pm.
Aug 14: Hartamas Shopping Centre (03-6201 3777); Aug 15: Sunway Velocity (03-2771 1234); Aug 16: The Club, Bukit Utama (03-7731 7223); Aug 17: Pavilion Kuala Lumpur (03-2110 2913); Aug 18: The Pinnacle Sunway (03-5888 7222).
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
