Mixed yee sang, for a change

By CHOONG MEK ZHIN

mekzhin@thestar.com.my

TAI PING,
The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur,
6, Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2688 9688
Business hours: Daily, lunch (11am to 2.30pm);
dinner(6.30pm to 10.30pm).
Halal

THERE is no such thing as Chinese New Year speciality dishes at Tai Ping, The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, because every dish is special in its own way.

“After more than 30 years of cooking, the experience I picked up along the way have been incorporated into each and every dish the team has come up with this year,” hotel executive Chinese chef Toni She Kam Cheong said.

He also said the restaurant was offering “mixed” yee sang on request.

Heralding good fortune: The red snapper is presented with its tail in its mouth to symbolise good fortune coming in.

“We have three types of yee sang this year — fruit, salmon and abalone. Upon request, we can actually do a combination of salmon with either fruit or abalone,” he said.

The restaurant is offering set menus for 10 people, priced at RM1,388++, RM1,588++ and RM1,888++, for lunch and dinner, until Feb 28.

“Each dish is carefully prepared and carries traditional good luck symbols. Take, for instance, the steamed red snapper. It is arranged so that its tail sticks out of its mouth, symbolising lots of good fortune coming in,” he said.

He added that the sauce used for steaming the fish took one month to perfect and was a combination of supreme soy sauce, rock sugar, coriander, ginger and chicken essence.

Timing is also everything in preparing the eye-pleasing dishes.

“The fish should not be steamed longer than 15 minutes or the sweetness would also drain out of the meat. On the other hand, the braised dishes have to be simmered for six hours to bring out the best taste of the ingredients in it,” he said.

For dessert, there is the four-hour slow-cooked chilled aloe vera with red date that will refresh the palate after the meal.

The restaurant caters for private events of any size.