First of the CNY Feasts At Celestial Court, Sheraton Imperial KL

In the blink of an eye, a new decade dawns upon us, barely had the jingle of the Christmas songs faded before it is replaced by the melodious familiar cacophony of Chinese New Year kongsi songs.  Now, the main difference I reckon is the very money and prosperity skewed lyrics.  (compared to a baby born in the manger etc)

And since we're on the note of prosperity, Celestial Court, the pork free Chinese Restaurant of Sheraton Imperial KL, has three AUSPICIOUS CHINESE NEW YEAR REUNION 9 COURSE SET MENUS.

CNY Wealth Set at RM1688 nett per table
CNY Prosperity Set at RM1988 nett per table
CNY Happiness Set at RM2388.
Who says that money can't buy happiness.

And the mandatory Yee Sang, touted as the UNITY LOU SANG, is priced as below:

Abalone Sliced With Fresh Scallop Yee Sang (RM188 nett/ RM376 nett for large)
Crispy Soft Shell Crab Yee Sang (RM108nett/ RM216 nett for large)
Norwegian Salmon Yee Sang (RM108 nett/ RM216 nett for large)
Jelly Fish Yee Sang (RM88 nett/ RM176 nett large)

It was nice to partake in the "ritual", as it was referred to..... Words ushering prosperity, good health, good business, etc etc represented by the various condiments.  I think yee sang is a brilliant invention, and probably can attribute its origin to Malaysia. 

The crispy roasted Garlic Corn Fed Chicken, Sichuan Spiced Mushroom Sauce.  I enjoyed the moist thighs meat and the sauce had a nice sweet sour tangy zing to it.

Stewed Dried Oyster With Sea Cucumber and Black Moss ("Hair vegetable")
Traditionally, the Chinese word for oyster, Ho See, also sounds like good fortune, and the hair vegetable, FATT CHOY, well, forms part of the KUNG HEY FATT CHOY, so you get the drift.  Our table didn't get to sample this, as there were two sea cucumber dishes, and each table tried one variety.

Our table's version was the Braised Sea Cucumber With Chinese Mushrooms and Yam in Claypot.  A good combination, with the creamy yam, which melts in the mouth. 

Wok-fried prawns with Angled Loufa Gourd, Shimeji Mushrooms and Cashew Nuts
Prawns, like no 5 in Thai, is HA....which of course denoted mirth and joy.

Poached White Pomfret With Shredded Chicken and Mushrooms in Spicy Supreme Stock.  Pomfret is one of my favourite fish, so I was glad our table got the pomfret and the other table got the grouper.

To finish off, pan fried nian gao, which I have to say, was very good.  Not too sweet, well fried with a crispy exterior and soft insides.

Maybank, HSBC or CIMB cards get 20% discount (t&c apply)
Club Marriott members 30%, and Marriott Bonvoy from 10 - 20 % depending on tier. (t&c apply)

For dining and reservations, call 03-2717 9977 or email dining.specialist@sheraton.com

A Pre CNY Meating at Meatology

In the chaos and mayhem approaching Chinese New Year, I complacently thought that my back log of yee sang posts had been completed, and that I had seen the last of those tossy posts behind me for now...Until I saw these two books on my desk this morning, and thought to myself, SACRE BLEU!!! I forgot to post about this place!!!!

I'm referring to the the Meatology Book and the Her World Cookbook,..not the drinks menu which I certainly do not have on my desk right now.  A brief intro, Yenni is one of the authors of the Masterclass by MPH series, which also includes the likes of luminaries like Sapna Anand, Marinah Mustapha, etc etc... But for some reason, the title of that book made me think it was an Atkins or Keto kind of anti carb book, and so I never even bothered to open it.  Talk about judging a book by its cover.  Anyway, when Makan Fairy Godmother (hereinafter referred to as MFG) invited me to sample their unique yee sang, I was quite fascinated.  Unbeknownst to me Meatology is the former Boathouse, in TTDI.

It was with eager anticipation that I visited, because I also was excited to meet famous instagrammer and blogger, Foodgazer, whom MFG described as a "most earnest person".  Yenni and partner were busy initially, as the restaurant was rather packed, which is always a good sign.

Yee Sang, a rather different take, and the most outstanding and interesting difference was the "crispy" choi pok pok stuff that adds the crunch to the dish.  In this case, it was choi Pork Pork...unbelievably light and crispy pork crackling.  The overall dish was more of a salad rather than your traditional yee sang, and looking at Yenni's svelte figure, you'd swear she was trying to health you up with a healthy yee sang salad.

The Yee Sang is priced at RM32.80, which is mighty reasonable considering it has tuna sashimi, octopus, jelly fish..

MFG's Pink Margarita...

The flaming crabmeat soup was delicious, truly... with Xiamen Mushrooms.  Flambed with brandy, I liked it already even before tasting it. Priced at RM29.80, I would actually label this as value for money soup.  Now we learnt something interesting about the huge xiamen mushrooms.  Apparently farmers of this crop have to be pure in heart, or the entire harvest will turn black and fail.

Sea Treasures, a pot brimming with the fruits of poseidon, abalone, scallops, mussels, prawns, slipper lobster, squid, razor clams on a bed of glass noodles, over and above the crispy vermicelli.  Priced at RM88.80, I also concluded that this was a very reasonably priced dish.  The glass noodles, which had absorbed all the lovely flavours of the seafood, was so good.

Blue Eyed Cod Salted Egg Thermidor, RM118.90.  Well, I'll just have to return to try this again, because this particular rendition failed to impress.  The flesh seemed tough, almost like chicken breast, and overcooked.  Blue Eyed Cod is different from your black cod which is apparently almost impossible to overcook.  I also feel that for a good piece of fish, like steak, there shouldn't be too many supporting actors to outshine the main star...

In place of the traditional lap mei fan, an amazing smoked duck risotto.  RM43.80.  Not particularly a risotto fan, I actually quite enjoyed this dish, save for the bits of waxed duck that made me wonder if salt is free in some parts of the world.  But no matter, cos those small morsels of salt licks weren't significantly damaging to the entire dish, and the smoked duck was superb.

Not many places do crepe suzettes the old way, ie, making and flambeing the sauce in front of you.  The last memory of such an occurence was at the Chalet at Equatorial (now being reconstructed and rebuilt).

I think they use brandy here, instead of Grand Marnier or orange flavoured liqeurs, which is actually good, because some crepe suzettes seem to have that "cough mixture" kind of taste.

That's us, Makan Fairy Godmother, Foodgazer, See Ling, FBB and Yenni.  What a privilege it was to sit down and chat with them and listen to her stories.  Incidentally, I bought her books after I saw that there was another one about Rice, so clearly she was not an Atkins or Keto advocate in Meatology.

Address: 16 Lorong Rahim Kajai 14 Taman Tun Dr Ismail 60000 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: 03-7727 4426

Ushering the Rooster at Dynasty Restaurant, Renaissance Hotel Kuala Lumpur

I always enjoy eating at the Dynasty Chinese Restaurant in Renaissance KL, because, WELL, the food is consistently good.  It was with eager anticipation that I came for their CNY review.  By eager anticipation, I mean with empty stomach, and arriving on time, so as not "miss out".  Chef Kok Chee Kin's menus are always something to look forward to anyway.

From the myriad sets that are available for the choosing, we were given the Fortune Set, priced at RM2088 nett per table of 10.  Over and above that, we were lucky enough to have a special "guest star appearance" by a dish that truly is one of the piece de resistance of the night.

Despite "lou sang" being done to death during the CNY Period, I have to say that there is a certain amount of bon viveur in celebrating and communing over this dish.  For starters, I can't think of any dish that requires communal participation, in chinese cuisine.  Steamboats don't really count, cos that's more like everyone for himself kinda thing.

The tossing of Yee Sang is an action packed routine, starting with the various condiments being strewn over the dish, much like an elaborate salad dressing.  Whilst this is done, utterance of prosperity, good health and all things good are said, usually by the server, and this is again regurgitated during the communal toss.

Whoever devised this dish is pure genius.  Almost every conceivable flavour and texture is present. Sweet, sour, bitter, crunchy, soft, mushy, slimy.....

And there we have it, lift off.....At my age, the most important auspicious utterance is probably SUN TAI KEEN HONG....good health.  Of course the Sang Yi Heng Loong (business prospers) is a close second.

The Fortune Combination Platter, a generous potpourri of plump scallops, delicious moneybags, and the usual deep fried fritters with salted egg yolk, and an elaborate vegetable sculpture ...this particular one of the longevity old man I think.

Ying Yang Scallop Soup With Dried Seafood...The flavour of the bamboo pith was a bit overpowering, which some of us didn't care much for.  I do know of some who do like that pungent flavour.  But I think it would be wise to tone it down a notch as I felt it overpowered the goodness and sweetness of the seafood broth.

Steamed Live Tiger Dragon Grouper  with Scallions and Ginger.  Lest it be miscontrued, I think what they mean is it was swimming live before it met it's fate on the plate, not that it was steamed alive.

It's always a challenge to get a good shot of steamed fish, because let's face it, a dead fish is hardly the most photogenic thing.  Gone are the colorful hues that one sees underwater.

And the bonus dish for the night, POON CHOI, the prosperity pot of goodness.  Scallops, abalone, big prawns, siu yoke, and that's just the top layer.  Beneath that opulent layer was duck, chicken, mushrooms, cabbage, ...the "lesser items" of the food kingdom, I suppose.  Mirroring life in general, I suppose.

Wok fried glutinous rice with waxed meats.... A good ratio of meats to rice... and very tasty, but so very filling it's impossible to have more than a few spoonsful, especially with a decadent menu such as tonight's.

One of my favourite dishes here, the Braised Pork Knuckle with Sea Cucumber.  That stewy goodness of pork skin, fat, cartilage, and meat which melt in the mouth.  Hog heaven.

Golden Prawns with Spicy Minced Garlic.  It was interesting to see how most of the women on the table were too lazy to peel prawns, so this was by far the least popular dish based on that alone, until the gallant and chivalrous respective partners were forced into the task.

Double boiled bamboo cane, aloe vera and fungus with Tong Yuen. It's always a welcome end to the meal to have that piping hot sweet soup, often gingery, with a couple of balls filled usually with nuts or seeds, to wash down the heavy dinner.

Dynasty's fortune pastries.  I have to say, the nian gao was outstanding...Perfect texture, and not too sweet.

 The dashing Executive Sous Chef Kok Chee Kin....hosting a question and answer session.

Sets start from as low as RM288 nett  for 2 persons, RM1088 nett for 6 persons, and RM1688 for 10 persons, while the Treasure pots start from RM428 nett for 5 persons.  ,

For Reservations, please call
Tel: 03-2716 9388

Renaissance Kuala Lumpur, Corner of Jln Sultan Ismail and Jln Ampang
Tel : 03-2162 2233

Top Chinese New Year Foods I've Had

Happy Chap Gourmet, all.

Sigh, after today, Chinese New Year will be over. Gone will be the heavy handbags, stuffed with angpows lest you bump into that relative or friend that has a brood of 10, the late nights of lifting hands to the gambling gods for a DOUBLE ACE, the smell of freshly minted notes, be they 1s, 5s, 10s or 50s....the startling sounds of the start of a lion dance, (as I am typing this, one has started down the road).

Rather than talking about individual restaurants, I think I'll just reminisce in passing the foods I've had in the last 15 days, and highlight those that I think are worthy of mention.

It's customary for us, at my inlaws place, to have a vegetarian lunch. I cant really understand the concept of chinese vegetarian, whereby they seek to replicate the real thing, by making it into mock meats. I guess in a way, it does widen a menu selection by a thousandfold. I mean, afterall, there are only so many ways one can serve a tofuburger, or a salad...but throw in vegetarian char siu, like the one below, and vegetarian mutton, and vegetarian prawns..... and whatever else, you get a infinity menu, basically. Let us just IMAGINE we're killing the animals, ........

I love this charsiu, despite the screaming absence of lard.


This curry dish I think doesn't have any fake meats, so it is really vegetarian in content and thought.


This is a horrible picture, it looks like someone's regurgitated meal, but believe me, it tastes deeeevine. The vegetarian gods would approve. It's mutton curry, made from mushroom stalks.

Nothing like a plump juicy lobster cooked the Chinese way, in superior XO stock, to tickle and tantalise the palate. This was at the Equatorial Bangi, at the 7th day (everyone's birthday, aka Yun Yatt) hosted by my inlaws. The rest of the food in Equatorial Bangi, in the other outlets, I reckon are generally quite awful, but the Golden Phoenix does serve exquisite Chinese, if you know how and what to order. The lobster was fresh, and was probably waving its antennae around an hour before that trying to get astro reception.

According to Kylie Kwong, the most humane way of killing a lobster is to freeze it, so that it goes to sleep, and THEN, kill it.

This has to be one of the most divine desserts in a chinese restaurant that I've come across. Durian pancake, (more like dumpling) and the ping pei pumpkin with lotus filling. Now, durian pancakes are quite common, and used to be Lai Poh Heen's signature dessert. What makes a good one? For starters, no fake dairy cream mixed with the durian puree. 2ndly, even if it was cream, (real cream, straight from the mammaries of a cow), it should only be a hint of it. I like my durian strong, and bold. Thirdly, the filling should be cold as possible. Fourthly, the crepe skin should be thin as possible, so you don't feel like you're eating a badly made giant durian wantan with skin thicker than an insurance agent.

Note how the filling is a gorgeous duriany yellow. Apparently they added custard, but only a hint of. Absolutely gorgeous.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not as Yee Sang-ed out as some may think. My first yee sang was on the Monday before CNY, (by which time some people had like had it up to their ears with it), and since then, I haven't really had it all that many times.

Of the restaurant ones, my favourites were the ones in Overseas Restaurant, and Equatorial Bangi.

But of course, my favourite yee sang are the home done ones, because we always chuck in a whole can of THIS:


Top quality abalone from the mexican seas. Copious amounts of this stuff, that of course, really, is good enough to eat on its own. And we usually do serve it separately.


Abalone with a hint of yee sang.

Paying tribute to our favourite edible mammal, that oft misunderstood, sometimes reviled, sometimes adored, porcine creature that has spawned classics such as the 3 little pigs, Charlotte's web, etc.

The Yoke Pai in Overseas. Yummy. Fat and lean, just the way God intended, and meat falling off the bone in a lovely sauce, complemented with fried man tau. (buns)

A platter of waxed meats, Lap Mei, with the special rice in claypot. A lot of pork, I know. Well, eating this dish about once a year is about right. It is very sickly rich, (in a non dairy way), and salty too.

And specially for Lyrical Lemongrass, the Lemon Tart that I meant to pass you a slice of. (okay, this isn't really under the CNY Foods category, it's just that I made it for one of the CNY meals).