CNY 2015: Tai Zi Heen, Prince Hotel & Residence KL

A friend asked me last week to recommend a few pork-free restaurants to her for hosting a Chinese New Year dinner and without hesitation, one of the restaurants I recommended was Tai Zi Heen in Prince Hotel KL. The Cantonese fare there is consistently good, and their CNY menu is a mix of fusion and traditional, symbolic dishes. 

Three specially crafted auspicious 9-course CNY menus are available from 26 January to 5 March 2015 - the Spring and Happiness set menu at RM1488++,  the Everlasting Prosperity Menu at RM1888++ and the Wealth and Fortune Menu at RM2188++ for 10 persons. Furthermore on 26 January, there will be a special lion dance performance. 

Four Seasons Prosperity Yee Sang

This year, I had the pleasure to try out some of Chef Michael Wong's delicious CNY dishes again. To start, we tossed to good fortune and health with the signature Four Seasons Prosperity Yee Sang which is topped with butterfish, salmon, tuna and jellyfish. I particularly enjoyed the jellyfish which added a really nice texture to the salad. Other toppings available are abalone, hamachi, Canadian surf clam, salmon or snow pear.

Butterfish, salmon, tuna and jellyfish yee sang

Toss, toss, toss... the higher you toss, the better!

We also sampled some highlights from the CNY menus, starting off with the soup. The soups here are always good, and we really enjoyed the double-boiled chicken broth with whole abalone, dried scallops, bamboo pith and vegetables. Clear yet so flavorful, I instantly felt my body warm up and invigorated as I sipped the soup. The abalone is perfectly cooked and the bamboo pith has a lovely crunchy texture as well. Thumbs up!

A highly sought after dish during CNY, the braised Japanese sun-dried shiitake mushrooms with dried oysters and fatt choy. Oysters ("hou see") means "all good things and "fatt choy" means wealth and lettuce and "sang choy" means prosperity, making this an auspicious dish.

The baked salmon fillets with honey and onion rings was also a big hit. I am not usually fond of cooked salmon, but this was beautifully done, with a lovely honey and soy glaze. I wish I got more of the sauce though. Onions rings are an unusual touch for a Chinese restaurant, fortunately it was crispy and light. 

The wok-fried rice with diced lobster, tobiko and bonito flakes had plenty of wok hei and we love the addition of the tobiko and bonito flakes.

For dessert, we had the crispy deep-fried sesame balls with salted egg yolk custard and durian mochi. Instead of the usual coconut or red bean filling, the sesame balls were filled with salted egg yolk custard, which I liked a lot. Plus when you break it in half, it looks like flowing gold. Gold, gold, come to mama. The durian mochi was pungent, smooth and rich. Pretty good!

Tai Zi Heen's CNY menu is available until 5 March 2015. It is open throughout the CNY period. Reservations are highly recommended.





Pork-free.

Opening times: Mon- Fri 12.00pm - 2.30pm, Sat- Sun 11.30am - 2.30pm; Mon-Sun 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Location: Tai Zi Heen, Level 2, Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur, 4 Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2170 8888 ext 8200

Website: http://www.princehotelkl.com

GPS Coordinates: 3.150179, 101.714516

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CNY 2015: Qing Zhen Chinese Restaurant, Novotel Kuala Lumpur

Usher in the Year of the Wooden Goat with one of three delightful Chinese New Year menus on offer at Qing Zhen Chinese Restaurant at Novotel KL. Available from 19 January to 7 March 2015, you can choose from Wisdom Set Menu (RM1088++ for 10 pax), Fortune Set Menu (RM1288++ for 10 pax, and Prosperity Set Menu (RM1888++). If you are dining in a smaller group, fret not as Qing Zhen also offers a smaller menu for a minimum of 6 pax. Full CNY menu can be viewed here.

CNY Decor at Qing Zhen

We had the pleasure of dining at Qing Zhen during our staycation here last year and last week, we were invited back here to sample their CNY menu.

Yee sang is always my favorite part of a CNY meal. Over here, you can choose to have smoked duck, lamb & salmon or smoked salmon & abalone yee sang. We had the latter, which is also part of the Prosperity Set Menu. Tossing yee sang is always fun, as we shout out auspicious wishes for the new year such as good health, more money, winning the lottery, etc.

Smoked salmon and abalone yee sang

Topped with salmon and abalone

Ready for the toss

First yee sang toss of the year! Yay. ;)

Next to arrive is the braised seafood soup, filled with treasures of the sea such as fish lips, sea cucumber, dried scallops, fish maw and crab meat as well as mushrooms. Although Qing Zhen is a pork-free restaurant, their dishes will not lose in the taste and flavour department  even when compared to a restaurant serving pork. Each mouthful of the soup is smooth and soothing to the tummy, all of us had second helpings and some even up to 4 bowls! Excellent soup.

The prettiest, and my favorite dish of the afternoon is the steamed Pacific cod fish. Each piece of cod is topped with a large pan seared sea scallop with green ginger sauce. Utterly delicious! And lucky me for getting two portions of this ;)

The wok fried king prawns boasts huge, fresh prawns which are deep fried until the skin crispy, while retaining the taut, juicy flesh within. It is served with wolf berry, red dates and a sauce made from dried Chinese yam "Wai San" style.

Lamb is not something you always see on Chinese menus, and this wok fried lamb loin was certainly a breath of fresh air. Furthermore with this CNY being the year of the goat/lamb. We were really impressed with the tender, flavorful lamb meat which is coated in aromatic premium coffee sauce. Assistant Chinese Chef, Jerry Kong explains to us that he uses lamb tenderloin and we also expressed how we liked that the dish did not display a strong lamby taste. The lamb was delicious eaten on its own or wrapped with the flower bun and lettuce.

A well-loved dish during the CNY period, the braised Mexican abalone, mushroom, sea cucumber and dried oyster with scented abalone sauce was delicious. Discerning, health-conscious diners will be happy to learn that Qing Zhen's menu is pretty low in sodium, but without comprising on the taste as all the dishes were very well-flavoured and tasty. 

The steamed aromatic buttered rice in lotus leaf got the approval of my fellow diners, and they were impressed that such a delicious version could be made without any pork. Chef Jerry uses dried mushrooms, waxed meat (duck) as well as his own-made chicken char siew for this. Furthermore, rice instead of glutinous rice is used for a lighter, healthier version.

To end our meal on a sweet note, we had Chinese New Year cake, also known as nian gao. The nian gao is coated in a light, thin batter and deep fried until the skin is crispy and the nian gao is warm and gooey.

Thanks to Novotel KL for having us, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal! :)



The Chinese New Year menus are available for both lunch and dinner from 19 January to 7 March 2015. However please note that the restaurant will be closed from 19-22 February 2015. For reservations or enquiries, email H6324-FB3@accor.com or call 03-2147 0888.

Pork-free.

Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays - Lunch: 12.00pm – 2.30 pm; Dinner: 6.30pm – 10.00pm. Closed on Sunday.

Location: Qing Zhen Chinese Restaurant, Novotel Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 2 Jalan Kia Peng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2147 0888

GPS Coordinates: 3.151861, 101.719673




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Recipe: Spaghetti pasta with garlic butter prawns, crispy bacon and chilli flakes

Last year, my kids were totally crazy about pasta (having pasta every weekend and weekdays too if they can get away with it)... and it looks like this craze will continue in 2015. Other than crispy bacon, my kids also love prawns hence this pasta dish was born.

It is a combination of the Asian-style "garlic butter prawns" as well as Italian aglio olio pasta - a really fantastic fusion pasta dish, I have to say. For the adults, I also added in some dried chilli flakes for the spicy kick. Absolutely delicious!

The kids love this :)

Spaghetti pasta with garlic butter prawns, crispy bacon and chilli flakes
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves 4


Ingredients
300-350g spaghetti
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 rashers streaky bacon, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
20 king prawns, peeled and deveined, with tails intact
1-2 tbsp salted butter
1-2 tsp chilli flakes
2-3 stalks parsley, roughly chopped
8-10 sweet basil leaves, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Parmesan cheese, to garnish



1. In a pot of salted water, cook the spaghetti pasta according to pack instructions, about 8-10 minutes until al dente. Remove from heat and drain, run under cold water to stop from cooking further.

2. Heat the olive oil in frying pan on medium high heat. Add bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same pan, melt the butter and then add the garlic and cook for another minute until golden brown. Then, add the king prawns and chilli flakes (start with 1 tsp and more if you prefer it spicier), and cook for 1- 1 1/2 minute until the prawns are cooked through. Add the drained pasta, season with salt and pepper as necessary and toss well.

4. Using a two-pronged carving fork, swirl some of the pasta around the fork. Slide the pasta off the fork and mound it in the center of a plate. Repeat for each serving. Top with crispy bacon, prawns as well as parsley and basil. Grate Parmesan cheese all over.

Note: You can omit the chilli flakes in Step 3 if serving to kids, then sprinkle in at the end with cheese for those who want it.

*I am submitting this to LTU: Noodles/Pasta hosted by Anne of My Bare Cupboard.


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Ichi Zen Japanese Restaurant, Tokyo Street + Christmas Decor @ Pavilion KL

Do you have a favorite cuisine? Usually when we eat out, my kids will choose Japanese food. We visited Pavilion KL last week to check out their Christmas decoration and at the same time, we had lunch at Ichi Zen, located in Tokyo Street on Level 6.

Ichi Zen is owned by Edo Ichi Group, which owns Edo Ichi in Publika and several other Japanese restaurants. The restaurant here was busy when we arrived, so they asked if we were okay with being seated at the sushi counter. No problemo. Usually when we have Jap with the kids, it's easier to order a set since it comes with chawanmushi, rice, miso soup and fruits which they like.

Baby C requested for tempura, so I went for the tempura set (RM28). Hubby went for the tonkatsu set (RM28). We also went for an extra plate of sashimi, which you can order for RM10 with every set lunch. We were both happy with the sets - my tempura had a light, crispy batter and came with 4 prawn and assorted vegetable tempura. The sashimi was also fresh - for RM10 it's definitely good value - 3 slices of salmon sashimi and 2 slices each of tuna and butter fish.

Tempura set (RM28)

Nice tempura

Smooth chawanmushi

Tonkatsu

Beautiful Christmas decoration at Pavilion KL - definitely the best in town and my fav!

With my two cuties :)

Giant Santa

For dessert, we stopped by Chapter Two again for some mille crepe cake - this time we went for tiramisu and chocolate (RM12.90 each). Still as good as I remembered it!

Opening times: 10am to 10pm daily.

Service: Good.

Price: Total bill RM88

Location: Ichi Zen Japanese Restaurant, Lot 6.24.1B, Level 6 Tokyo Street, Pavilion KL Shopping Mall, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2142 8333



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Recipe: Pan Seared Scallops with Pea Puree and Crispy Bacon

You know how much I love scallops,  so this would definitely be the ideal Christmas starter for me. I also love how Christmassy this dish feels,  incorporating the two main Christmas colours - green (from the pea puree) and red (from the crispy bacon). 

Pan Seared Scallops with Pea Puree and Crispy Bacon

The pea puree is adapted from Gordon Ramsay's recipe for pea and mint soup with Parma ham from his "Fast Food" cookbook. For me, the soup has a thick consistency, more like a puree than soup and works very well with pan fried scallops. And to finish off my dish nicely, I topped it with some crispy bacon for texture and colour. Super tasty!

A super delicious way to start a meal!

When I made the above scallop dish, our main course for the evening was this gorgeous op rib, cooked to perfection. This will also make a great main course on Christmas day.

Pan seared scallops with pea puree and crispy bacon
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients
18 large scallops (I used Hokkaido)
Salt
3 rashers streaky bacon, sliced thinly
2 tbsp olive oil

For the pea puree
300g frozen peas
A large handful mint, leaves only (about 5 sprigs)
400ml hot water
3-4 tbsp creme fraiche



1. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over high heat and add the bacon. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove and place on a kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil, then add the mint leaves. Then, add the peas and blanch for 2-3 minutes, until they are just tender and still bright green. Drain, and reserve the liquid.

3. Tip the peas and mint into a blender with 400ml of reserved water and whizz to a smooth puree. If the consistency is too thick, you can add a bit more water. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and creme fraiche and pulse for a few seconds to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Pat the scallops very dry using a kitchen towel, then season with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan with a drizzle of oil over medium high heat and once hot, add the scallops and cook for 1 minute, each side, or until cooked through. The cooking time depends on the size of scallops you are using, you want your scallops to still be slightly translucent in the centre.

5. To serve, spoon the puree into deep bowls, then top with 3 scallops each as well as some crispy bacon. Drizzle with some olive or truffle oil. Garnish with a mint sprig.


Note: Recipe for the pea puree is adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food cookbook.

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I am submitting this to the "Cook & Celebrate: Christmas 2014" event which I am co-hosting with Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Diana of The Domestic Goddess Wannabe. To join, simply cook or bake any Christmas recipes for the whole month of December 2014.

Your post must be a current post i.e. posted in December 2014 - please do not link older posts.Please mention our "Cook & Celebrate: Christmas 2014" event in your post and link back to Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Diana of The Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Baby Sumo of Eat your heart out.

Happy cooking! Do check out the other bloggers recipe below:




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