One of the most memorable dim sum meals I had in 2012 was here at Ti Chen. The lovely pink dumpling, black egg tarts and charcoal buns are forever etched in my memory. Attractive not merely in looks, the dim sum tasted fantastic too!
Last year’s Chinese New Year preview showcased basic and traditional Chinese fare. This year, the chef has taken steps to evolve with times and had adapted some novelty into his creations to tease our discerning tastebuds.
It’s always a challenge when you try to be funky, and in most cases, more often than not it’s a matter of trial and error before a dish becomes an accepted adaption, and then hopefully evolves to be a signature or a raving favourite.
I can only hope the same for the Oven Roasted Char Siew Duck with Onion Rings that I sampled as part of the CNY preview just recently. I had thought it was a fabulous adaption, marrying char siew sauce with duck. The dish had sounded really intriguing and was probably the dish that I looked forward most to on the menu that day. The char siew sauce was specially concocted by Chef and when it was served, I very nearly drooled as I snapped my prerequisite shots.
The duck was finally portioned and served to me nearly 20 minutes later. Bad move. It was gamey and the thick sauce has somewhat “jellified” slightly by then. The overly saccharine sauce very nearly killed the whole dish. On the other hand, I could be over-reacting, as there were 2 young journalists who loudly proclaimed that they loved it just as I was giving my feedback to the chef. Other than rude journalists, I suppose this dish will really go well for those who prefers their meat sweet.
Cold meat with candy-like sweet sauce? I’ll pass.
The Steamed Camouflage Grouper with Snow Fungus & Superior Soya Sauce was another such novel adaption by the Chef.
Fortunately this dish fared much better. The steamed fish was indeed unique in its own way as it was not simply steamed with just soya sauce. It was topped generously with white fungus and lily bulbs, giving it extra body and developing its flavour from just plain salty. The only regret was the fish was cold as the waiter took quite a long time to portion it out and serve it to us. Such a waste, as the fish would have really tasted divine if we’re to have it piping hot. But as we all know, fish are always best savoured hot, especially steamed ones.
I find that wasabi mayo dressing are pretty popularly matched with prawns, and I have personally came across this adaption in either fried dim sum or a fried prawn dish. Ti Chen’s Deep Fried Prawns with Wasabi Mayo Dressing came seated on a bed of chilled fruits, also dressed in wasabi mayo. The wasabi flavour wasn’t very strong and I suppose that’s a good thing as it allows the diners to appreciate the fresh prawns. I can’t say I enjoyed this as the batter was a tad dry and the sauce plus chilled fruits didn’t quite correspond well for the dish as a whole.
There was also soup, of course. The Double Boiled Seafood Soup was a revelation in itself with all of its rich ingredients of fish maw, fresh ginseng as well as a mixture of herbs like dried scallop, Pak Kei, fresh ginseng from China and Tung Sum. With such a myriad of herbs, I wasn’t sure what herb exactly that contributes to the sourish aftertaste that was present with each sip of the soup. But it wasn’t an unpleasant aftertaste. As a matter of fact, I loved the soup!
At this point of time, we decided to take matters in our own hands and asked for the dishes to be left at the table so we could help ourselves. And of course, so we could enjoy it while it was still hot! LOL.
Wok Fried Four Seasons Vegetable with Sliced Abalone. This dish was topped with black moss and was perfectly done, so I have no complaints on this one.
Ti Chen’s Lotus Leaf rice with Turkey Ham and Dried Shrimp is fabulous if you’re a fan of glutinous rice. Almost every spoonful yielded tasty ingredients that packed the whole parcel in abundance. As any lotus leaf rice are supposed to be, this was moist, flavourful and mouthwatering-ly fragrant.
The feast ended with a refreshing dessert of Chilled Fragrant Pear with Aloe Vera and Sea Olive in Longan Syrup. I absolutely adore the lovely pear and aloe vera bits. I highly recommend this! 🙂
Ti Chen offers four different sets this coming Chinese New Year 2012 to usher in the Year of the Water Snake 2013 :
Pearl Set at RM988++
Nine course meal with two complimentary bottles of Misterio Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wines
Jade Set at RM1,180++
Nine course meal with complimentary bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky
Golden Set at RM1,388++
Nine course set with complimentary bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky
Emperor Set at RM2,288++
Nine course set with complimentary bottle of Hennessy VSOP
Ala carte Yee Sang is also available from RM48++ to RM228++
If you’re planning your Chinese New Year reunion dinner with family and friends, do make sure call up Ti Chen to place a reservation.
There’s also a room promotion available starting from RM315++, so if you’re looking for a place to escape to during this upcoming Chinese New Year, The Saujana Hotel is a great bet too. The package includes a one night stay in a Superior Room, complimentary buffet breakfast for two at Suria Café, complimentary extra bed for one child up to 11 years or a baby cot, complimentary internet access, 50 percent discount on F&B for children ages 4 to 12 (not valid for kid’s menu), complimentary scheduled one-way shuttle service to nearby shopping malls and complimentary late check out at 3pm (subject to room availability). This package is valid for stays between 1 to 24 February 2013. Contact reservations at 03 7843 1234 or e-mail [email protected] for more information.
Address:
The Saujana Hotel
Ti Chen Restaurant
Saujana Resort
Jalan Lapangan Terbang SAAS
40150 Shah Alam
Here’s my round-up for 2013 Chinese New Year Menu in KL. I’ll include the links once I have published the posts this/next week. I’m trying to write as fast as I can!
1. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: Ti Chen Chinese Restaurant, The Saujana Hotel
2. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant, One World Hotel
3. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: Li Yen Chinese Restaurant, The Ritz Carlton Hotel
4. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: Shanghai Restaurant, JW Marriott Hotel
5. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: Cheng Ho Court Chinese Restaurant, Mines Wellness Hotel
6. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa
7. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: Armada Hotel PJ
8. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: 5enses, Westin KL
9. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: Celestial Court, Sheraton Imperial Hotel KL
10. Chinese New Year Menu 2013: Latest Recipe, Le Meridien Hotel KL
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there’s more for sure… let me eat first and I’ll update ya! 😀
Aiksss! Too bad about the somewat lukewarm duck…20 mins wor…definitely the sauce had jellified…bad move! =)
ooo, i’m curious about the char siew duck too! i love duck, and it’s always nice to taste duck recipes that are done right 😀
Amazing! You have 10 yee sang sessions??