Malaysia has always been a hot spot for Hong Kong celebrities' food ventures

Full steam ahead

Dive into a hot and steamy affair at this eatery owned by popular Hong Kong comedian, Eric Tsang.

Malaysia has always been a hot spot for Hong Kong celebrities' food ventures. So when actor, producer, director and zany game show host Eric Tsang Chi Wai opened his Hong Kong-style steamboat and seafood restaurant at the Hartamas Shopping Centre two and half years ago, the eatery naturally made a splash.

Done up in red, yellow and orange hues, the spacious outlet can seat 300 diners. Its minimalist dark wood d6cor includes a colourful wall mural of its famous owner. General manager Rou Ho, says "One of our biggest challenges is to change the local perception of steamboat. There's intense competition to see who offers the cheapest deal. Most outlets end up serving mass produced fish balls and low quality ingredients. In Hong Kong, we use the freshest and best ingredients for our steamboat so the taste is incomparable.

"However, now Malaysians are becoming more discerning. They also realise steamboat can be delicious if you start with a flavnurful stock and choose good quality ingredients. Here, we regularly introduce new soup bases to entice customers. In fact, our Fatt Thieu Cheong Foh Wor or Jumping Buddha Steamboat promotion is the latest craze among Hong Kong steamboat lovers."

Ho explains that the steamboat is a version of Fatt Thieu Cheong, a premium soup favoured by Chinese gourmands because it includes shark's fin, dried scallops, abalone and fish maw.
"The steamboat stock is made fresh daily from boiling pork bones and Jinhua ham for at least four hours," he says. "We also add in half a kampung (village) chicken, ginseng and Kei Chi (wolfberries) to give the soup extra flavoun"

Ingredients for the Jumping Buddha Steamboat Set (RM108++) include shark's fin, sliced Chilean abalone, dried scallops, fish maw, Chinese mushrooms, Taiwanese abalone mushrooms, local beancurd, home-made prawn dumplings, Japanese udon (noodles) and seasonal greens.
Ho also shares some tips on how to enjoy this dish. "It's best to allow the steamboat stock to come to a full boil before adding m the ingredients so that the high heat will seal in their fresh, natural sweetness. Never let ingredients soak in cold stock or you will end up with bland, tasteless stuff."

Other ingredients from the a la carte menu include home-made cuttlefish balls, fresh tiger prawns, hand-made pork balls, Teochew fish balls, sliced fresh fish fillet, fried bean curd skin, beef tendon balls and sliced lamb and beef, and a wide range of seafood.
Ho reminds us that sliced beef, lamb and fish should only be dipped briefly into the boiling soup to retain their tender and succulent texture.

"Prawns, crab, mussels and scallop can be cooked slightly longer but do keep a watchful eye or they will turn tough, coarse and rubbery."

We also liked the fact that Eric's Seafood & Steamboat Restaurant lets diners whip up their own sauces - a self-service counter is laid out with various condiments for this purpose. Mine was a piquant concoction of soya sauce, sesame oil, chopped bird's eye chilli, spring onion, minced fresh and fried garlic, and chilli oil.

If you are tired of plain chicken or tom yam stock, the restaurant's soup flavours such as Ma La (tongue-numbing spiciness) and Superior Soup, Special Teochew Soup, Herbal Chicken Soup, Chinese Parsley and Preserved Egg Soup, Hong Kong-style Spare Ribs, Tomato and Potato Soup, and Hong Kong-style Pork Soup will prove more tantalising.

Under the Citibank World Privileges - Gourmet Pleasures programme, Citibank credit card members enjoy 20% discount off the a la carte menu (except for on-going promotions, seafood and set menu). The offer is valid until Oct 31, 2008.

Uncle's personal touch - Succulent meat and fresh seafood grilled

Succulent meat and fresh seafood grilled to perfection Charcoal-grilled food holds a unique charm, as foodles reckon meat tastes better after going through the flame.Ronnie Wong of Uncle R'Restaurant could not agree more.

"Although it's time consuming and not veryeconomical to do charcoal-grill, 1 insist on doing it as it is something different.

"It brings out the flavour of the food," he said.

Wong was handling tbnd preparation for his church functions for years until someone suggested about two years ago that he starts his own restaurant.

"I thought and prayed about it, and finally opened a small restaurant with just five tables, serving charcoal-grilled Western food," he said. Business flourished and he shifted to a bigger shop, which can house about 70 diners.

The decor of his restaurant is simple and yet cosy, with a stainless steel pit standing outside the shop to charcoal-grill the orders.

"Some customers insist that 1 personally prepare their food. Even if I am out on errands, I return to fulfil their requests.

"It is important to control the fire well to make sure that the meat is not overcooked outside or undercooked inside," he said.

It is evident that Wong takes great pride in each and every dish available on the menu.
"Customers often ask me.What's your best item? My answer has always been the same - All are good," he said.

The choices include charcoal-grilled lamb, beef. chicken, chicken cheese sausages, cod fish, salmon and squid.

The mixed grill consists of lamb beef and chicken.
The meat is drenched in thick gravy - regular or black pepper - while the seafood Is covered with flied minced garlic and boney lemon sauce.

Each dish comes accompanied by charcoaled-grilled potato and garlic bread, lettuce and tomatoes or coleslaw.

Like other restaurateurs who guard their recipes jealously, Wong is secrenve about his homemade gravy.

"I make the gravy myself with about 12 or 13 ingredients. All 1 can tell you is. it contains oyster sauce, brown sauce powder, assorted vegetables and herbs. Most people love it and l always keep on experimenting to improve the taste." he said.

Wong added that he got the lamb from New Zealand. cod and salmon from Europe and currently, his supply of beef comes from Argentina.

My food is priced very reasonably, from RM9 until RM19,50, With Uncle R, everybody can afford charcoal-grilled Western rood." be said.

Adding some variety m the menu are spaghetti and combo sets comprising lamb or chicken, rice and egg.

"My spaghetti recipe comes from my daughter, who now resides in England," Wong said proudly.
For side orders, there are cream of mushroom, coleslaw salad, grilled-flied egg, masted potatoes and garlic bread.

"I added flesh mushroom to my cream of mushroom, and it is served with two slices of charcoal-grilled garlic bread," Wong said.

At Uncle R', drinks are good value for money too. For instance, a small glass of iced cincau is priced at RM1 while a giant-sized one is at RM3.

"I try to put my price low. You can have a meal here with just RM10," Wong said.
He added that special arrangement for whole lamb could also be made with prior appointments.
"I have many repeated customers and their support never fails to encourage me," he said.

* UNCLE R', 49, Jalan Radin Anum Satu, Sri Petaling, 57000 Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 016-2712070). Business Hours: (Monday to Saturday) noon - midnight, (Sunday) 4pro - midnight. Closed on Tuesdays. Pork-free.

the Tropicana Golf Club's Palm Coffee House is the space and the vast variety in its buffet and live cooking stalls

Breaking fast in a tranquil setting
Live cooking stalls will be a main feature
ONE of the biggest advantages of breaking fast at the Tropicana Golf Club's Palm Coffee House is the space and the vast variety in its buffet and live cooking stalls.

The clubhouse can cater for about 2,000 people during the Ramadan month as it opens its Golfers' Terrace and Lounge, coffee house and the main lounge tbr
dining.

Private Ramadan functions can also be arranged at the poolside Terrace.
The Ramadan buffet promotion, which starts on Sept l, offers a wide range of Thai, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western food.

The promotion will feature five menus. Each menu consists of choices at the soup counter, a variety of appetisers and the main courses.

Among the popular dishes that will be available are Hot Basil Chicken Thai Style. Sambal 8otong, Green Curry Chicken, Creamy Spicy Butter Crab and Honey Chicken.

The live cooking stalls will offer various local and traditional dishes such as Roti Canai, lkan Bakar, Ayam Percik, Cendol, Satay, Bubur Lambuk and stir-fried vegetables.

The carving section will serve Roasted Boneless Lamb, Special Roasted Beef, Roasted Chicken with Spices, Roast Sidion Beef and Lamb Percik in rotation.

The self-service section includes the Steam Boat corner, Soup Noodle, Rojak Mamak, Roti Bakar and the Nasi Lemak stalls.

There is also a dessert counter offering local delicacies, French pastries and fresh fruits. There will also be a five-piece band performing traditional Malay songs throughout the evening to entertain diners as they enjoy their meal.

Also, in conjunction with the Mooncake Festival, the restaurant is promoting its Tropicana Mooncake. Catering for the halal market, the mooncakes come in the low sugar white lotus single yolk, white lotus white coffee with butter skin, red bean paste and jade custard varieties.

The buffet is priced at RM52++ for an adult and RM30++ for a child. Buka PuasaWeekdays Supervalue vouchers, which are valid from MondaystoThursdays, are available nowat RM38++ per person while Weekends Supervalue vouchers are RM48++.

For reservations, call 03-7804 8888 ext 306, 325 and 309.

Fusion of Eastern and Western flavours enhance the experience English afternoon tea

Adding to the delight of afternoon tea

Fusion of Eastern and Western flavours enhance the experience English afternoon tea is traditionally a delightful affair with scones, butter cookies, pastries, cakes and dainty sandwiches to savour with a refreshing cup of tea as you enjoy a cosy tete-a-tete with friends. But, a small deviation by way of including some local savoury items makes tea time with your friends even better.

A mini spring roll, a tiny curry puff or a mouthful of an Indian dessert adds to the pleasure of that most welcome occasion.

The English Afternoon Tea promotion at the Conservatory in Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur offers just that, resulting in a fusion of offerings on its tea tiers.

Located at the hotel lobby, the Conservatory, is a cosy and comfortable setting for the occasion,
The promotion offers a choice of two selections, called This and That.

Both This and That come in a specially-designed two-t~er tray and include open-faced sandwiches, warm delights, scones with jam and cream and sweet temptations,
The hotel's communication director, Cheryl Lum, said the promotion was about giving customers a variety of tea time goodies,

"We have a very fusion selection of items for the promotion," she said,
And, indeed, fusion it is - a combination of East and West.

The two scones in the promotion are Apple Raisin and Orange Chocolate Chips, served with cream,jams and butter.

Among the outstanding items on the trays are the Deep-Fried Beef and Leek Spring Roll with Sp cy BBQ Sauce, Cajun Chicken Rolled Pancake with Corn Salsa, and Spicy Oxtail Stew in Golden Puff Pastry, One of the open-faced sandwiches is the Bou Bon Chicken Ham sandwich that comes wrapped in a sugar paper.

There are also the Beef Bresaola, Green Asparagus and Olive Cake and the Cured Salmon, Dill Honey Risotto and Wakame Salad.

Cheese lovers might find the Grape Coated with Cream Cheese, Sesame Seed Pistachio and Paprika an interesting item.

Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy the Indian Gulab Jamun skewers, Oriental Baklava, Macaroons, Tiramisu Spoon and Poached Saffron Mine Pears filled with Mascarpome.

The food is served with a choice of tea or coffee.
The promotion is priced at RM28++ per person and runs until Sept 30. It is available from 2pro to 6pm daily. For reservations, call 03-2263 ?434.