Red Chinese Cuisine

Special thanks to Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre for extending this food review invitation.

Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre has a Chinese restaurant called Red Chinese Cuisine. Located right above Sedap Restaurant, the award-winning eatery features a stylish decor with a touch of modernity.

The culinary team here is led by Chinese Head Chef David. Chef David is well-versed in traditional Chinese recipes as well as contemporary fusion dishes.

Chef David's expertise in fusion cuisine is reflected in the Oven-Baked Five Spice Chicken Roulade (四川五香麻辣鸡卷). The dish is topped with Chef David's signature Szechuan-style crumble. Served on the side are sautéed sweet peas, capsicum and shimeji mushrooms.

In the festive spirit of Chinese New Year, Red Chinese Cuisine is offering special course meals for 5 or 10 persons. For today's media preview, a selection of dishes from several menus are presented.

Yee sang is an integral element of reunion dinners. Red Chinese Cuisine offers several versions of yee sang. The main highlight is the South African Abalone Yee Sang (五星拱照齐捞生), which also includes soft-shell crabs and passion fruit.

Infused with baby abalones, the Braised Winter Melon Soup (鲍鱼海味冬瓜羹) is good to the last drop. A dash of vinegar makes the broth even more appealing.

To ensure maximum freshness. Red Chinese Cuisine maintains a supply of live fish in the kitchen. This evening, the restaurant serves Hong Kong-Style Steamed Dragon Grouper (港式清蒸醉酒龙虎斑) with superior soy sauce.

Slow-Steamed Prawns (松露蛋白蒸鲜虾) are served with steamed egg and Bentong ginger. The presence of truffle butter adds a layer of earthy aroma to this exquisite dish.

The next dish, Jade Abalone & Vegetables (荷叶响螺烩蟹粉酱), derives its savoriness from golden crab sauce and dried scallops. The dish is wrapped in lotus leaf for the added aroma.

Moving on, Shanghainese-Style Fried Rice (腊味炒饭) is served with waxed duck meat, pickled vegetables and chicken floss.

Recommended desserts are Almond Pudding With Peach Gum, Glutinous Rice Balls & Osmanthus Brown Sugar (杏仁豆腐桃胶汤圆) as well as Steamed Nian Gao With White Sesame & Peanut Crumble (麻花年糕).

As for customers who prefer to enjoy their meals at home, Red Chinese Cuisine has an interesting range of dishes for take-away and delivery. For instance, the 5 Hot & Cold Combination (鸿运彩碟) comprises of deep-fried oyster rolls, chili squids, marinated jelly fish, stir-fried Pacific clams and crispy money bags.

Meanwhile, the Seafood Boat (一帆风顺海鲜船) contains wok-fried tiger prawns, chili squids, simmered Sabak clams, Szechuan-style yabbies and wok-fried soft-shell crabs. These food items are served in an elegant boat-shaped container.

Reunion Waxed Meat Rice (腊味扣饭) is a good choice too. The rice is topped with air-dried duck meat and chicken floss.

Looking for a special gift for loved ones? Check out the Chocolate Kamquat Cupcakes (杯子蛋糕)! The cakes are given a refined touch by Pastry Chef Tasnim, who is also responsible for crafting the eye-catching desserts last Christmas.

The festive promotions at Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre are available from 15 January 2022 to 15 February 2022. For take-away and delivery orders, please contact Red Chinese Cuisine via WhatsApp (+60) 16-290 3864 or email restaurants@pullman-klcc.com.

Name: Red Chinese Cuisine
Address: Pullman KLCC, Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-2170-8888
Business hours: 12:00pm-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm
Website: https://www.pullman-kualalumpur-citycentre.com/restaurants-bars/red
Coordinates: 3.15041 N, 101.71449 E
Directions: Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre is situated at Jalan Conlay, just within a short walk from Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. Red Chinese Cuisine is located at Level 2 of the hotel. Dine-in customers may park for a flat rate of RM10.00 per entry.

Restoran CH

Restoran CH (中华食馆) is a Chinese restaurant in Setapak. It is located several shops away from Restoran Shuang Ling. Restoran CH consists of three contiguous shops, two of which constitute the air-conditioned dining area.

Restoran CH is operated by the Chong Hwa Alumni Association (中华校友会). Many paintings in the restaurant are contributed by a famous artist, who is also a member of the association. The restaurant used to operate 2 more nearly restaurants (CH Dim Sum and CH Hainan Chicken Rice) but they have since closed.

CH Curry Fish Head (咖喱鱼头煲, RM40.00) is one of the restaurant's signature dishes. The choice of fish is grouper. Other ingredients in the curry are tofu puffs (豆腐卜), eggplants, yardlong beans, red chili peppers and curry leaves. The curry is quite rich and creamy. This is certainly a recommended dish.

Baked Pork Ribs (金桔焗香口骨, RM42.00) are flavored with preserved kumquat, which gives them an appetizing tanginess. The texture of pork is also delightful except for the fact that some sections are too fatty.

The Yam Basket (佛钵飘香鸡丁, RM30.00) is an edible ring made of taro. The deep-fried ring is filled with stir-fried chicken, vegetables, mushrooms and nuts. Despite having a nice presentation, the dish's taste is mediocre at best.

Braised Mushroom With Beancurd (三菇豆腐, RM15.00) uses homemade tofu, which I generally prefer as it leaves a "fresher" taste on the tongue. The dish is cooked with three types of mushrooms: shiitake mushrooms, button mushrooms and straw mushrooms.

The final dish, Fried Sweet Potato Leaves (清炒番薯叶, RM25.00), serves as counterbalance to the previous dishes. Sweet potato leaves are silky and have succulent stems. The dish is lightly fried with garlic to maintain the vegetable's juiciness.

All in all, the dishes at Restoran CH are well prepared. In addition, the waiting service is also reasonably good. The restaurant is quite packed on weekends especially in the evening, so it is advisable to make a reservation in advance.

Address: 16, Jalan 9/23A Off Jalan Usahawan, 53200 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-4148-1799
Business hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:00pm-10:30pm
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Hospitality

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The Emperor

This article is part of my Chinese New Year 2020 compilation.

Special thanks to Dorsett Grand Subang for extending this food review invitation.

Today marks our second visit to Dorsett Grand Subang, a 5-star hotel in Subang Jaya. The hotel has several restaurants, one of which is The Emperor (皇帝宝中餐厅).

Located at the Mezzanine floor, The Emperor specializes in authentic Cantonese cuisine. The kitchen is helmed by Executive Chinese Chef Bryan Teh. Chef Bryan is a seasoned chef with a long resume of awards and accomplishments throughout his career around the world.

Upon entering the restaurant, customers are greeted by a majestic grandeur reminiscent of an imperial palace. The Emperor has 5 private rooms, namely Cheng Zu (成祖), Tai-Tsu (太祖), Tai-Tsung (太宗), Kang Xi (康熙) and Chien-Lung (乾隆). The rooms are named after famous emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Our visit to The Emperor this evening is to review the Lunar New Year Feast, which is served from 15 December 2019 to 8 February 2020. The restaurant offers 3 set menus: Prosperity, Wealthy and Happiness.

The Wealthy Set Menu is served today. Priced at RM1,388.00 net per table (8 to 10 people), the meal consists of 9 dishes including Prosperity Yee Sang. Each dish has been meticulously crafted by Chef Bryan based on his gastronomic philosophy.

Our meal begins with the tossing of yee sang (鱼生). "Yee sang" literally means "raw fish". Fish is considered auspicious because the Chinese word for "fish" (鱼) sounds similar to "abundance" (余). In addition, the Japanese-style Prosperity Yee Sang includes smoked salmon and crispy fish skin. A hint of wasabi can be added upon request.

The second course is a soup: Double-Boiled Matsutake Mushrooms. Matsutake mushrooms are prized for their earthy aroma. In fact, diners are greeted by tantalizing fragrance as soon as the soup is served. The soup also contains bamboo pith (竹笙) and chunks of free-range chicken.

Moving to poultry, Roasted Crispy Chicken is served with butter and sweet corn. I am quite impressed with the crispy chicken skin. Chicken and sweet corn also seem to blend well with each other.

This is followed by Hong Kong-Style Steamed Mandarin Fish. Mandarin fish (桂花鱼) is known for its sweet flesh and fine texture. The fish is served in superior soy sauce (头抽豉油) and garnished with coriander.

Wok-Fried Tiger Prawns is a classic dish that Chef Bryan included because it is one of his personal favorites. The crunchy shrimps are seasoned with a special blend of sweet-and-savory sauce.

Braised Black Mushrooms are served in concentric rings of dried oysters (蚝豉) and broccoli. The dish is garnished with sea moss, a silky substance that resembles hair. Sea moss is popular during Chinese New Year because its Chinese name, "fatt choy" (发菜), is a homonym of "striking rich" (发财).

Steamed Organic Brown Rice is introduced by Chef Bryan in response to diners' request for healthy dishes. Using a mixture of brown rice and glutinous rice, the dish is cooked with egg whites and mushrooms. Smoked duck on top provides much-needed saltiness to the otherwise-bland rice.

A bowl of Double-Boiled Red Dates is served as dessert. The soup contains jelly-like peach resin (桃胶) and snow fungus (雪耳). I enjoy the chewy texture of peach resin. However, I think the dessert is sweeter than necessary.

Deep-Fried Chinese New Year Cake concludes the meal on a sweet note. Popularly known as nian gao (年糕), the sticky cake is believed to elevate one to greater heights in the upcoming year (年高). Also included are pieces of pandan-flavored coconut milk jelly.

Customers who dine at The Emperor on Chinese New Year's Eve (24 January 2020) will get a gift bag from Lee Kum Kee (李锦记). The bag contains several bottles of Lee Kum Kee's products and 2 sets of ang pow packets. This offer is limited to one gift bag per table reservation.

The Emperor offers Prosperity Yee Sang for take-away too. There are 5 versions to choose from, one of which has been served this evening. There are 2 types of seasoning: traditional and wasabi. I recommend the latter if you are willing to tantalize your tongue!

Name: The Emperor (皇帝宝中餐厅)
Address: Dorsett Grand Subang, Jalan SS 12/1, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Contact: 03-5031-6060
Business hours: 10:00am-2:30pm, 6:00pm-10:00pm (Sunday), 12:00pm-2:30pm, 6:00pm-10:00pm (Monday-Saturday)
Website: https://www.dorsetthotels.com/en/dorsett-grand-subang/dining/the-emperor.html
Coordinates: 3.07987 N, 101.59679 E
Directions: Dorsett Grand Subang is located at Jalan SS 12/1, about 300 meters from Subang Jaya Medical Centre. The Emperor is a restaurant at the mezzanine floor. The hotel has open-air and covered parking.

Sunway Hotel

This article is part of my Chinese New Year 2020 compilation.

Special thanks to Sunway Hotel Georgetown and Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya for extending this food review invitation.

This evening, I am attending a Chinese New Year food review at Sunway Hotel Georgetown. The event is held in collaboration with the sister property, Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya. Both hotels are serving 8-course set dinner from now until 15 February 2020 (except on 24 January 2020).

There are 4 choices for the set dinner: Fortune Set (RM888.00 net), Prosperity Set (RM988.00 net), Auspicious Set (RM1,088.00 net) and Emerald Set (RM1,288.00 net). The Emerald Set includes Salmon Yee Sang. Meanwhile, customers who choose any of the other 3 menus can have Salmon Yee Sang for an additional RM100.00.

The menus for Chinese New Year set dinner are specially crafted by Executive Chef How, who was also the mastermind behind the Christmas Eve Seafood Buffet Dinner recently. The review this evening largely follows the Emerald Set.

The tossing of yee sang (鱼生) is essential during Chinese New Year. Each ingredient is meant to represent an auspicious value. For instance, the presence salmon symbolizes "abundance" (余) because it sounds identical to the Chinese word for "fish" (鱼).

The first course is New Year Combination Hot & Cold Appetizer. The dish comprises of deep-fried bean curd skin rolls, roasted honey barbecue chicken, chili prawns with fresh fruit salad, and steamed scrambled egg with artificial shark fin & crab meat.

The next course is Braised Artificial Shark Fin Soup. The creamy soup contains exquisite seafood ingredients such as crab meat and fish lips. Made of starch, artificial shark fin is an alternative to actual shark fin. The latter is rarely seen nowadays due to concerns over sustainability.

Next, Steamed Eight-Treasure Chicken is seasoned with auspicious ingredients like mushrooms (for longevity), ginkgo nuts (for wealth) and water chestnuts (for social success). The ingredients are wrapped and cooked in aromatic lotus leaf.

Baked Tiger Prawns are cooked with butter and herbs, and then gratinéed with cheese. The platter is also garnished with steamed bok choy. The presentation of this dish is rather unique.

Steamed Whole Grouper is served with premium soy sauce so as to retain the fish's natural sweetness. Also present is a special pesto made of ginger and garlic. The pesto is tantalizing to the tongue but I think it may be too pungent for some people.

Mongolian Roasted Lamb Rack is one of the best dishes this evening. The dish has a hint of toastiness that makes it succulent indeed. Furthermore, a special blend of sauce enhances the lamb to a new level.

Braised Assorted Vegetables consist of Pacific clams, conpoy (dried scallops), mushrooms, broccoli and fatt choy (moss) wrapped in cabbage. Fatt choy (发菜) is considered an auspicious ingredient because it sounds like "striking rich" (发财) in Chinese.

Moving on, Special Fried Rice is wrapped in lotus leaf to keep the rice warm and fragrant. The dish contains seafood and minced chicken too.

Finally for desserts, Chilled Papaya Sago is blended with vanilla ice cream. The resulting emulsion has a soothing sweetness that does not overwhelm the palate.

Pan-Fried Chinese Brown Sugar Cake is another lovely dessert. Also known as "nian gao" (年糕), the sticky cake is usually eaten during Chinese New Year as a symbol of an improved year.

The Chinese New Year set dinner is served at Level LG of the hotel. 1-week advance reservation is recommended as popular dates are being filled quickly. Bookings can be made by phone (+60) 4-229 9988 or by email shgp.enquiry@sunwayhotels.com.

As for residents of Seberang Perai, the identical set dinner is also available at Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya. Customers who wish to dine here may make reservations by phone (+60) 4-370 7788 or by email shsj.bookfnb@sunwayhotels.com.

In addition to set dinner, both hotels are serving buffet dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve (24 January 2020). For families who prefer to skip the hassle of cooking, this buffet is a convenient alternative to reunion dinner. There are lucky prizes to be won, so let's see whether the Year of the Rat brings good fortune to you!

Name: Sunway Hotel Georgetown
Address: 33, Lorong Baru, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-229-9988
Business hours: 6:00pm-10:00pm
Website: https://georgetown.sunwayhotels.com
Coordinates: 5.41425 N, 100.32575 E
Directions: Sunway Hotel Georgetown is located at New Lane (Lorong Baru) in George Town. The hotel is accessible from either Macalister Road (Jalan Macalister) or Jalan Dato Keramat. There are parking spaces inside the hotel as well as along New Lane.