September 29, 2017

Recipe: Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl with LINGHAM’s Special Sauce


I try to eat healthy when I can. Lately, there’s been a poke bowl craze going on to encourage many to enjoy healthy food. Poke bowl originates from Hawaii and took off as a major trend in Los Angeles dining scene recently. It landed on our Malaysian shores lately and Malaysians seem to have taken a liking to this healthy bowl as well.

I had my first Hawaiian Ahi Poke Bowl or Tuna Poke Bowl when I visited my sister 20 years ago in Hawaii in a Japanese restaurant. It’s obviously not authentic Japanese but rather a Hawaiian twist on Japanese rice bowl. Usually, the condiments on a poke bowl is raw except for the cooked rice. Hawaiian poke bowl uses sushi rice as a base and topped it with seasoned sashimi, originally tuna fish which is usually cut into cubes. It’s the sauce that really shakes up the flavours of a poke bowl.


And so I was inspired to make my own poke bowl once day when I had some smoked salmon in the fridge. So my version isn’t exactly the authentic Hawaiian kind either but I wanted to enjoy something similar and healthy. I also wanted a creamy and spicy sauce to jazz up my poke bowl and so I started playing with my all-time-favorite LINGHAM’s Chili Sauce for this special sauce.


My Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl with LINGHAM’s Special Sauce is very easy to dish up. Simply topped your favorite ingredients on cooked rice or sushi rice and serve with my LINGHAM’s Special Sauce. I used LINGHAM’s Ginger Chili Sauce and Sriracha Sauce because one is sweet with a gingery note and the other is spicy with a kick. Blend the sauces with fresh lemongrass, onion and cilantro to brighten and freshen up the flavours and add some apple vinegar for a hit of tang. The LINGHAM’s Special Sauce is very versatile and can be used as a dipping sauce too for fried or grilled food.

Smoked salmon’s saltiness is balanced by fresh sweet and fruit mango with crispy textures of pea shoots and radish while cherry tomatoes added a pop of juiciness to the bowl. Hope you enjoy my version of poke bowl and don’t forget to change up any ingredients you like or don’t like on the poke bowl.



Smoked Salmon Poke Bowl with LINGHAM’s Special Sauce

Ingredients for Poke Bowl
1 cup           Rice
1 packet      Smoked Salmon
1 small        Mango
Handful       Pea Shoots
Some           Radish
Some           Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients for LINGHAM’s Special Sauce

½ cup          LINGHAM’s Ginger Chili Sauce
2 tbsp          LINGHAM’s Sriracha Sauce
3 tbsp          Mayonaise
2 tbsp          Apple Vinegar
1 stalk         Lemongrass
1 small        Red Onion
Some           Cilantro
                   Pepper to season

Method
Cooked rice, peel and slice mango into slices, slice up radish thinly and cut cherry tomatoes into half.
Blend together LINGHAM’s Ginger Chili Sauce and Sriracha Sauce, mayonnaise, apple vinegar, lemongrass, red onion, cilantro stem and leaves till smooth and fine, season pepper to taste.
Assemble smoked salmon, mango, pea shoots, radish and cherry tomatoes on to the cooked rice.
Served with LINGHAM’s Special Sauce on the poke bowl or on the side.


Extra Notes and Tips
  • Add more LINGHAM’s Ginger Chili Sauce or Sriracha Sauce to your liking.
  • Condiments on Poke bowl can be change to suit your favorite ingredients.
  • Try different range of LINGAM’s chili sauce – Original, Garlic, Thai, Extra Hot









September 22, 2017

Ming Palace Chinese Restaurant @ Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur



Classic Dishes Prevails at Ming Palace


Ming Palace Chinese Restaurant has been serving classic Cantonese and Szechuan cuisine to many for more than 30 years ago when the Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur opened. This Chinese restaurant has not only garnered awards through the years but also a solid list of fans that return for their list of sumptuous Chinese cuisine.


The entrance to Ming Palace has an old school charm from Chinese yesteryears…



The restaurant is set in traditional Chinese grandeur with dark wood panels enhancing the ambiance with shades of red and cream through its furniture and Chinese ornate lanterns. There is a main dining room for public dining as well as 5 private rooms for privacy. Ming Palace seats up to 200 diners and is also a popular choice for wedding banquets.


The private dining room echoes the same theme as the restaurant, sectioned by wood panels and flanked by glittery chandeliers.


The menu at Ming Palace offers Chinese delicacies such as Dim Sum, Chinese a la carte dishes as well as banquet set menus and monthly promotions. We tried a few dishes of everything that is their signatures as well as some promotional dishes.


Ming Palace is pork free and offers a selection of pork free Dim Sums daily for brunch and lunch. We tried the Steamed Chicken Dumpling with Crab Roe Siew Mai (RM10) and Deep Fried Crispy Prawn Roll (RM10) from the Dim Sum menu and were pleased with both.


The Chicken Siew Mai is plump, moist and has a lovely bouncy texture. A true testament to the skill set of the dim sum chef since it is made with chicken.


The Deep Fried Crispy Prawn Roll is light and very crispy. Its fine battered lacey net is rolled and filled with sweet prawn filling before fried and finished with drizzle of mayo sauce.


Soups are always a welcoming sight and the Simmered Chicken Soup with Papaya & Almond (RM12) hit all the right spot in warming up my tummy with much comfort. Soothing and flavourful, the soup does not only taste so sweet and tasty but is cooling for the body.


This ravishing duo of Salad Soft Shell Crab with Salted Egg Yolk (RM56 small| RM103 large) and Salad Pee Par Bean Curd (RM21 small| RM33 medium | RM45 large) certainly tick all the right notes of a yummy appetizer. Crispy battered soft shell crabs is made even better with sublime salted egg yolk coating while the house made pei par bean curd was moreish with a creamy sauce. All I know is that I cannot stop eating this platter…


Another house specialty is the Crispy Chicken with Mango – Thai Style (RM33 small| RM56 large). The crispy fried boneless chicken was moist and goes so well with the robust flavours of the tangy and lightly spicy mango salad. It’s just a classic dish that is executed deliciously.


We all need our greens and what better way to enjoy greens with the duo preparation of Seasonal Vegetables Fried with Garlic (RM21 small| RM33 medium | RM45 large). The Hong Kong kai lan stems are blanched and sautéed with lots of garlic while the kai lan leaves are finely shredded and deep fried till crispy. The ying and yang vegetable was a crowd pleaser that evening.


There was a promotion featuring mango for September and October. We tried the Chilled Smoked Duck with Mango (RM38 small), an unusual pairing but nevertheless superb. The chilled duck slices was gorgeous with its salty notes balanced by the sweet fruity slices of ripen mango. Served on a bed of Japanese seaweed salad, they should really consider to put this dish into their regular menu.


We were also told that we simply must try the Chilled Mango with Pomelo Puree (RM21). The dessert is such a classic one and the version here is deliciously fresh, fruity and sweet. Coupled with the burst of the pomelo sacs, this one is definitely a must-order!


Sweetened Herb Jelly with Almond Tea (RM14) sounded unusual and warrants an order since I enjoy the two components of the dessert on its own. Despite this unusual pairing, I really enjoyed it. The herb jelly or kwai link ko has a bittersweet note that is nicely balanced by the hot creamy and nutty almond tea.

Ming Palace is a place where one can be assured of delicious classic Chinese cuisine coupled with excellent service. The wait staff there has been serving customers for over decades and is very friendly and knowledgeable which makes dining at Ming Palace a truly memorable one.



MING PALACE CHINESE RESTAURANT
1st Floor Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur,
Jalan Ampang,
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +60 3-2161 8888 Ext.127/188


Business Hours:
Lunch 12.00noon to 2.30pm
Dinner 6.30pm to 10.30pm


September 17, 2017

Crab Factory Introduces New Cheese and Salted Egg Sauce



Crabbing Just Got Better with New Value Sets!


Seafood lovers are in for a treat… The pioneer in bringing us seafood with Southern Creole flavours as well as some local flavours, Crab Factory’s concept of dining straight on the table with large seafood boils poured on the table is all about diners getting dirty deliciousness. With minimal utensils, it’s all about savoring glorious seafood with finger-licking yumminess.


With a new menu on board, Crab Factory owner T.Y Ooi is not only making seafood affordable but introducing new lip-smacking Cheese and Salted Egg sauces, Crab Factory Value Meal sets and BBQ seafood as well as lunch specials.


It’s all about the Cheese! Hot cheesy and creamy, it’s irresistibly yummy. Pour the Cheese Sauce over Crab Factory’s signature sauces and simply enjoy the creamy cheesy indulgence on your seafood for extra shioknness….


We all love our salted egg dishes but this one is extra special. Crab Factory’s Salted Egg Sauce is more spiced up with a lusciousness of punchy flavours. The Salted Egg sauce goes really well with all seafood, elevating the sweetness with moreish spices. It is finished with aromatics and crunchy bits. Simply addictive, foodies are sure to be hook on sheer sublime flavours of this sauce!

Making seafood affordable, Crab Factory has come up with new sets of seafood boils with its new sauces in tow. Crab Factory Value Meals offers 3 choices – Crab Lover Shiok, Crab Lover Party and Crab Lover Giler to cater to different groups of diner. These sets feed from 2 pax to 9 pax (est. RM49.90 to RM59.90 per pax) with upgrade options on various types of crabs. 


Crab Lover Party (4 to 5 pax) with additions of 2 cheese sauce (RM299.50 set + RM13.80 – 2 x cheese sauce)



First up, we had the Crab Lover Party with Southern Bang Sauce (Medium Hot) with add-ons of 2 portion of cheese sauce. Getting down right dirty and delicious, this set has Meat Crab (2pcs XL), King White Prawns, Squid, Mini Lobsters, Hamaguri Clams Freshwater Prawns, Mussels, Corn and Potatoes. It also comes with 2 Fried Mantao and 4 Shallot Rice to go with all that yummy sauce.

For those who never tried Crab Factory Creole sauce, this Southern Bang has a robust tangy kick of heat and moreish notes. We only opted for medium hot but hey, be my guest and ask for their hottest level if you are game for heat. The best part of this has yet to come. Now one can order a portion of oozing hot Cheese sauce, which we did, and add this on to the bag of Louisiana seafood boil.

*Cheese sauce is free of charge from now till 31 October 2017



That Cheese sauce… it’s literally da bomb! Creamy and cheesy, the cheese sauce paired so well with the Southern Bang sauce. As we watch the cheese sauce being poured over the seafood, our mouths were literally salivated as the combination is utterly irresistible with the seafood and sauces.

Succulent and sweet seafood, drenched in unbelievably creamy and spicy sauces, will make you want to keep eating. Mopping up all the saucy goodness with the Fried Mantou makes this even better. Just in case you need your rice, the Shallot Rice is also yummy on its own or with the sauces!



Crab Lover Giler (7 to 9 pax) featuring 2 sauces (RM539.10 set + upgrade Brown Crab RM40)

If you’re dining in a big group of 7 to 9 pax, the Crab Lover Giler is the perfect Crab Factory Happy Meal featuring 2 bags of Louisiana boils of seafood in 2 sauces of your choice. We even upgraded one of the Louisiana boil bag with French Brown Crab (charges applies) instead of the Meat Crab.

This Crab Lover Giler set is value-for-money as it also comes with 1 Fried Chicken Wings, 1 Fried Mantou, 1 Fried Squid Tentacles and 7 to 9 Shallot Rice.


First Louisiana boil bag of Gang Giler #1 was upgraded with French Brown Crab in Garlic Butter Sauce. This one has Brown Crab, King White Prawns, Squid, Mussels, Hamaguri Clams, Corn and Broccoli. Garlic Butter has always been a crowd pleaser at Crab Factory. Diners can expect loads of buttery garlicky flavours in the lot of the seafood. It’s a sauce that pleases most palates as it enhances the sweetness of the seafood.


Check out that rich roe in the Brown Crab!


Our second Louisiana boil bag of Gang Giler #2 in Southern Bang Sauce (Medium Hot) also has lots of seafood such as Meat Crab (2 pcs XL), Mini Lobsters, Freshwater Prawns, Jumbo Sweet Prawns and Corn. This one is an explosion of firework flavours in the mouth and had us at Hello!



King Crab (1 pc XXL) with Salted Egg Sauce (RM298)

Talk about a Malaysian classic, Crab Factory is introducing its own version of Salted Egg Sauce. We had the ala carte King Crab with Salted Egg Sauce. This order even comes with corn, potato and fried mantou.


Crab Factory’s version of Salted Egg Sauce has more oomph of spices to deepen the salted egg note. Lusciously creamy and spicy, the salted egg sauce proved to be a matched for the sweet flesh of the King Crab as well as the other bag buddies. We also enjoyed mopping up this sauce with the mantou.

Besides King Crab, there’s Red Lobster, Crab, French Brown Crab and all the other seafood that is available for ala carte order in your choice of sauce.



Also new on the menu list, Crab Factory is introducing lunch specials of Noodles/Rice from SIXTH Bowl. Ordering is easy, pick a noodle, then select the toppings and the broth. There’s also rice bowls too.


The Mix Balls (RM13.5) with Mi Xian in Superior Soup was tasty and it even comes with Char Kuey or Yu Tiao. There’s a generous mix of Fuzhou, Squid Ink & Fish Balls that is bouncy and delicious. The broth is full of umami notes and the added Char Kuey gave this noodle extra yum.


We also tried the Freshwater Prawns (RM16.90 + 0.50 for spicy sauce) with Mi Lidi in Special Spicy Broth. It’s not overly spicy but rather enough heat to awaken your palate for more. This bowl is really decently priced for the 2 large Freshwater prawns that is sweet and full of luscious roe.

Crab Factory is also giving back to the community with its Bowl-IT-Forward program. Diners get One Free Bouncy Balls Bowl for every 6 bowls purchased when dine-in at Crab Factory. Customer can either choose to enjoy the Free bowl or donate it to Charity. Crab Factory will visit selected children’s or old folks’ homes every 2 months to cook for them with your Free bowl.

All the above are available at Crab Factory SS2 and Crab Factory Johor Bahru outlets.



The next new menu of Bara BBQ is only available at Crab Factory Johor Bahru for now. Diners can enjoy a long list of BBQ seafood as well as other specials at the new JB outlet.


There’s BBQ Crab (RM39 per crab) with choice of Cajun or Garlic. Charred to give the crab a smoky flavour with intensified sweetness of the crab, this one is excellent for those who enjoys the natural sweetness of the crustacean.


Love oysters but prefer them lightly cooked? Feast your eyes on Crab Factory’s 12 BBQ Oysters (RM69) that comes with 12 different sauces. Best to enjoy them piping hot, we are reminded again how creative Crab Factory gets with all its different sauces. Hard to choose a favorite since these aphrodisiacs have different flavours that goes well with the briny plump oysters.


Another dish worth sharing is the Best of Both Worlds (RM56.80) platter. Featuring Crab Factory’s Signature Coke BBQ Lamb Chop, Fried Freshwater Prawns and BBQ King White Prawns with sautéed vegetable and French fries, this one is unusual twist to the all-time-favorite surf & turf. The lamb chops were tender, juicy and moreish with a light tinge of sweetness and smoky aroma.


An unusual addition on the menu is the Sotong Sumbat Coconut (RM33). A dish with a local flavour, the squid is generously stuffed with a lovely coconut filling, chargrilled till tender and served with a sweet and spicy sauce on the side.


The Fried Quails (RM22.80) warrants a reorder in my books. Well-marinated and fried till nicely lacquered, it comes on a bed of crispy rice noodles, topped with sautéed aromatics and a tangy chili sauce. This one makes a nice addition to the plethora of seafood.


Corn Croquette (RM11.80) may not be spectacular but it’s decent and great for corn lovers. The kiddies are bound to enjoy this crispy and creamy croquette well-studded with sweet corn kernels.


Last but not least, Crab Factory JB also has some lunch specials. We tried their version of Hainanese Fried Chicken Chop (RM15.50). Crispy fried chicken thigh drenched in brown sauce and served with crispy potato wedges and sautéed vegetable makes a decent meal. This lunch special (up to 3pm) also comes with Ice Lemon Tea & a scoop of Ice Cream.


Crab Factory has just open its sister outlet in Little Paris at Mount Austin Johor Bahru in August. About time too since foodies down South can now savor seafood Crab Factory style! We spent a short weekend getaway recently for some food hunting in the South and paid a visit to Crab Factory JB.


It is quite easy to located Crab Factory JB since it’s facing the main road in that area. There’s plenty of parking too. The new outlet echoes its original outlet, industrial theme with bright shades of orange enriching the whole ambiance. Diners are also asked to express their creativeness on the wall with markers provided.




With two new fabulous sauces in tow and new menu on board, it looks like Crab Factory is gearing up for some serious seafood bingeing for foodies. With new affordable Value Meal sets as well as lunch specials and let’s not forget a new sister outlet in JB, Crab Factory is taking seafood to new heights!



CRAB FACTORY JB
Little Paris, Mount Austin, JB
G14, Jalan Jaya Putra 1/1,
Bandar Jaya Putra,
81100 Johor Bahru
Tel: +607- 351 4062

Business Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday        12pm to 10pm
Closed on Monday

CRAB FACTORY SS2
21, Jalan SS2/64,
47300 Petaling Jaya
TEL: +603-7865 5850

Business Hours:
Tuesday to Thursday      11.30am to 10.30pm
Friday to Sunday            12pm to 11pm
Closed on Monday