A Merry GUINNESS® With Masterchef Adam’s Bold Flavours This Christmas!

Be one of the Lucky 25 Guinness Fans to meet Masterchef Adam Liaw!!

GUINNESS® has long been associated with great food and good times especially during the festive season. This year is no different as participating outlets across Malaysia will be featuring a selection of GUINNESS®-infused dishes, inspired by celebrity chef Adam Liaw in true Merry GUINNESS® style.

MasterChef Adam Liaw, the winner of MasterChef Australia Season 2 will be specially flown in to Malaysia to conduct the exclusive Merry GUINNESS® launch for more than 200 invited guests including 85 chefs from a select list of GUINNESS outlets. These unique dishes were infused with the bold, distinctive & signature bittersweet taste of GUINNESS®, which has proven to be the perfect ingredient to intensify flavours, enhance texture and basically make good food taste great.

Adam may have been a young prodigy having completed Year 11 at just14-years-old, enrolled in university at age 16 and become a lawyer by 21, but Adam Liaw Winner of the 2^nd series of the Ch10 hit series MasterChef, will tell you taking out the title was one of his proudest moments. 

On the 25^th July 2010 watched by over 4.2 million people, Adam completed a grueling round of finale tests to finish a close 4 points ahead of his opponent and mate Callum Hahn. Relief and shock flooded his face as he came to realize that success was so much sweeter when it came from achieving something you are truly passionate about.

As the winner of MasterChef Series 2 he has worked in the kitchens of some of his biggest idols like Tetsuya, Gilbert Lau and Peter Gilmore.  Plans for his Izakaya are underway with an opening planned for late 2011 and the most coveted part of the prize package, Adam’s first cookbook ‘Two Asian Kitchens’, was released by Random House in April 2011. Check out more here.

Yap Swee Leng, Marketing Director of Guinness Anchor Berhad said, “If you were to ask any Malaysian what Christmas is best known for, they’ll definitely tell you, it’s the food! We at GUINNESS® see Christmas as a time for goodness and communion. So what better way to make your Christmas this year merry and bright with our sumptuous range of GUINNESS®-infused dishes specially crafted for you by world renowned MasterChef Adam.”

25 lucky Guinness fans also stand a chance to be part of this exclusive event and be among the first to be treated to his specially crafted Merry GUINNESS® Christmas menu. GUINNESS® Malaysia is running a contest to give lucky GUINNESS® fans the chance to win these exclusive invites. The contest requires fans to post pictures of themselves enjoying GUINNESS® together with food in the most creative way to stand a chance to win.

So whether gathering with friends or family this Christmas, there’s certainly no better place to celebrate good times with great food than at a participating Merry GUINNESS® outlet. For more information on Merry GUINNESS® this festive season, please log on to http://www.facebook.com/guinnessmalaysia .

See you there!! J

Tai Zi Heen, Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur: Taiwanese Food Promotion

Embark on a journey of authentic Taiwanese Cuisine at Tai Zi Heen, Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur by Taiwan’s Taipei Garden Hotel, Executive Chef Wang!

One of my favorite Chinese cuisine restaurants, Tai Zi Heen is helmed by a creative management and kitchen team to bring numerous promotions to its customers each month. For the month of November, Prince Hotel & Residences Kuala Lumpur has launched the Taiwanese Food Promotion at Tai Zi Heen, available from 18^th to 30^th November, with set menu starting from RM78 nett to RM88 nett per person.

Executive Chef Wang is known for his expertise in creating dishes that preserves the original essence of Taiwanese traditions. A truly talented chef who wears many skills from creating Taiwanese snacks to mains and desserts, Chef Wang is in town for two weeks to share a taste of his Taiwan specialties with us! Read more about Taiwanese specialties here.

I started off my epicure journey that night with a warm cup of tea to sooth our palate.

A sneak peak at the pretty staff performing the art of making tea with all the interesting teapots, cups and tea leaves.

There was also a very gorgeous display of teas and its adornment of tea accessories at Tai Zi Heen. I adored the tea canisters with its embossed motifs of Chinese art!

First dish up of Dried Daikon Radish Omelet was pan-fried thick wedges of egg omelet studded with nibbles of chopped three-month old dried daikon radish (‘Choy Poh’). The omelet was savory and aromatic from the dried daikon radish and would have gone superbly with a bowl of hot porridge!

After our omelet, then came huge claypot of sizzling Traditional Three-Cup Chicken or ‘San Bei Ji’. This dish represents the true essence of Taiwan in all its glory. The dish is named simply as its ingredients which measures a cup each of rice wine (‘Mei Qiu’), black sesame oil and soya sauce. The aroma was heady and glorious as I inhaled in the fragrant sauce against the hint of basil. Chef Wang advised that the trick to a fabulous three-cup chicken is the control of the sauce and the doneness of the chicken. One must ensure that the pieces of chook are cut to bite size and the meat is cooked just done. This is my favorite dish of the night!! A Must Order… J

Once again, a Chinese meal is never complete without a sip of broth and ours that night was a Thick Vegetable and Seafood Soup that was utterly warming and soothing to my tummy since it was a rainy weather evening. Chef Wang advised that the soup is famous in Taiwan as it showcases Taiwan’s abundance of Chinese Napa cabbage of ‘Wong Ah Pak’. One can be sure to see this soup is every corner of Taiwan cafes and restaurants utilizing this vegetable in a home-style soup.

The broth was very light in flavors and amped up with sliced Chinese Napa cabbage, shreds of bean curd sheets, mushrooms, fish cake, prawns, clams and dried shrimps. The natural sweetness of the broth derived from the vegetables and seafood was very delightful and I finished my bowl wholeheartedly.

The superior dish of Steamed Glutinous Rice with Crab came looking like a glorious basket of pure crustacean ecstasy! A huge red crab sat proudly on steamed glutinous rice awaiting its destiny in our stomach… J. We dug in and found the freshness of the sweet crab flavors is absorbed into the soft glutinous rice, making the rice really delectable in its own way. A dish that shows off straight unadulterated crab it is original flavor!

Check out the sweet fresh crab roes guaranteed to increase your cholesterol! However, I still find foodies fighting for bits of this luscious ecstasy despite its richness… muahahaha!! J

Our last savory dish is an exquisite mountain of Stir-Fried Shark’s Fin with Whipped Eggs! The golden sunshine yellow of egg coating bits of vegetables, mushrooms and fish cake topped with shark fins was fairly decent in textures and taste. The dish had a good aroma of egg flavors and was lightly seasoned to portray original flavors of the ingredients.

We were then treated to Chef Wang’s demonstration on the makings of Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes before dessert. Chef Wang was deft and precised in his demo and showed his skills well as he completed the demo fast and smoothly throughout. He explained that Taiwanese pineapple cakes are square or rectangle and is stuffed with a dark and aromatic pineapple filling which takes time to dry out to achieve its aroma and texture.

We then proceed to sample a plate of fresh and warm pieces of Pineapple Cakes which in my humble opinion was truly fabulous!

The dense and buttery richness of golden pastry was scrumptious while the dark caramelized pineapple filling was bursting with sourness and sweetness at the same time. I could taste the fibers of the pineapples and I love how it textured the whole piece of dessert. A very decadent dessert for indulgence!!

We also sampled two other authentic Taiwanese desserts in the form of a loosely translated name of Sun Cake and Beef Tongue Cake! J

No, it’s not made from sunning the cake but rather it was named after a pastry shops that sell this snack in the early days! Famously popular in the city of Taichung in Taiwan, Sun Cake or ‘Taiyang Bing’ has a flaky pastry enveloping a filling of sticky maltose as its signature trademark. The version here is pretty good as the sweetness is well balanced and the pastry is very flaky and crumbles at first bite.

Beef Tongue Cake or Ox Tongue Cake is another popular pastry representing Taiwan but it does NOT contain any beef or ox tongue! The pastry is named apparently as it bears a resemblance to the animal tongue and nothing more. I thought the pastry is a bit chewier compared to the Sun Cake and the version here has a filling of malt as well. Apparently, this pastry also has many other fillings available in Taiwan and is famous in the city of Yilan.

What an eye opener for a foodie like me! I have never been to Taiwan but after this delectable experience, Taiwan is on my list of travels in the coming year! The culture and heritage are truly as seen in its costume of colors and intricate art of representation. Prince Hotel & Residences Kuala Lumpur has even brought in a few staffs from Taiwan dressed in the Taiwan costume just for this event!

The menu for the Taiwanese Food Promotion is not limited to the above but there are set menus and special a la carte offerings such as Poached Squid with Five Spice Sauce, Stir-Fried Oysters with Preserved Black Beans, Thick Amaranth and Baby Sardine Soup, Deep-Fried Shrimp with Salt and Pepper, Braised Clams and Baby Sardines with White Bean Paste, Wok-Fried Morning Glory with Beef and so much more.

Although two weeks is not enough to satisfy everyone’s glimpse and tasting of Taiwanese fare, I concurred that it only whets the appetite for more Taiwan flavors to come. Do check out Tai Zi Heen promotion for the Taiwanese Food Promotion in November before it ends as one can savor true authentic Taiwanese classics from Executive Chef Wang right here at Prince Hotel & Residences Kuala Lumpur!

Tai Zi Heen

Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Conlay, 59459 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 603-2170 8888

Fax: 603-2170 8808

Website: http://www.princehotelkl.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/PrinceHotelKL

*Thanks to Sabri & team for the lovely invite!

**Pictures without my watermark are courtesy of Prince Hotel & Residences KL

One Happiness Seafood Restaurant, Kepong: Happy Comfort Food!

One Friday night, Ten Happy Foodies gathered to savor One Happiness Seafood Restaurant in Kepong!

I m still discovering hidden gems in Kepong and this never fails to amazed me each time. One Happiness Seafood Restaurant is located facing the main road of Jalan Rimbunan Raya 1 with a huge neon sign highly visible on the main road. As always in a food session, I look forward to see what this Chinese seafood restaurant has to offer… J

Accompanying two shop lots, the ambience is minimal with its distinctive red chair, pink tablecloths and several Chinese arts adorning the walls. There are also the usual live fish tanks on display to reassure its customers that all seafood is as fresh as one can get!

Here’s a Chinese snack of Nuts & Crackers to get us started while we wait for others to arrive!

Fish is significant seafood in very Chinese cuisine and this is also a testament to the chef’s skill. Our first dish to arrive was Pomfret Slices with Crispy Bones. Pomfret, a highly prized fish among the Chinese household, is prepared two ways here for enjoyment.

Thick slices of pomfret were lightly stir-fried with bell pepper, celery, snow peas and ginger to evoke a sense of comfort food. Sweet and fresh, the fish was cooked well to tenderness while the vegetables still retained its crunch for a contrast texture.

In Chinese cuisine, nothing is left to waste; therefore, the pomfret bones are chopped up to pieces and deep-fried to superb crispiness. Well seasoned, the bones are just like crackers! We all loved munching on this very much as it was truly delicious… J

Our next dish was quite sinful but being foodies, sinful dishes are usually a favorite among us. Stewed Dong Poh Pork displayed a luxurious piece of pork belly braised in the infamous ‘Dong Poh’ sauce. The version here has a lighted color of amber gold and I personally felt it tasted a bit sweeter than other versions that I have tasted.

Check out the layers of sin! A very nice piece of pork belly if I may say so because the layers of fat are very evenly intertwined with the lean meat.

Golden Fried Mantou was not spared as we used this to mop up the braised pork sauce!

I highly recommend the Special White Curry Prawns that came bubbling in a claypot! The flavor of this dish is very unusual as there is a hint of sour undertone and yet, it’s not overly creamy. I could taste a lot of herbs like mint and lemongrass in the curry. Dried shrimps are also present among the big prawns. The creaminess of the curry is due to evaporated milk to lighten the calories of the curry.

Prawns are huge and fresh with a good bite! I actually drank a lot of the curry soup as it is very addictive and flavorsome. The curry broth is actually very light and has a thin consistency to mimic a soup rather than a thick curry. Love this and definitely the showstopper at One Happiness!

Our next dish of Pork Ribs with Blackcurrant Sauce was quite a fruity sensation on my palate. Pieces of hog were fried to golden brown and coated with a sweet and fruity blackcurrant sauce. The dish is perfect for kids as the flavors are quite wholesome and fruity.

I spied pieces of grapes in the dish to boost up the flavors of the ribs. My only gripe in this dish is that some pieces of the ribs are still with the tendon intact so it was a bit chewy if you happen to pick up that tendon part.

I am a bean curd fan! Give me bean curd in any form and I will enjoy it tremendously with white rice. Our dish of Bean Curd with Crab Meat and Vegetable came in a mini steel wok with a small burner to keep this bubbling hot.

Big pieces of smooth bean curd were bathed in a thick sauce of fresh crab meat, fish maw and snake gourd or ‘Seng Gua’. A sprinkling of wolfberries completed the appearance of the dish. Flavors were light and showcase the sweet crab meat thoroughly. A dish that soothes the soul when comfort food is in need!

Thai Style Roasted Chicken also showcased the chook being prepared two ways. Variety is the spice of life!!

Our portion of the Thai Roasted Chicken has a delicious crispy skin that I enjoyed very much. I guess the Thai influence in this dish is the marinade and also in the Thai Sweet sauce that was beneath the chook. I prefer the chicken on its own as I thought the Thai sauce was a bit too sweet for my liking.

The Thai Chicken Salad was better as it was enhanced with a refreshing salad of apple, cucumber, shallot and bird-eye chilies. This time, the dish had a good balance of sweetness contrasting against the spiciness while a hint of ginger torch added a lovely aroma to the salad.

Home Fried French Beans may look ordinary but the flavors were full of wok heat and lifted the aroma of the beans nicely. I was told that the chef makes his own ‘Tau Kon’ or hard bean curd to accompany this dish specifically. The vegetable dish had good crunch factor from water chestnut and natural sweetness from the French beans and shrimps. This dish was wiped out clean in no time!

We forgo our usual white rice and opted for noodles and fried rice for this round. So we asked the chef to whip up some of his specialties for the rice and noodle section.

First up was the House Special ‘Kon Chau’ Fried Beehoon. Decent as the rice noodles were soft and filled with egg flavors, sliced meat and bean sprouts. The only thing is the flavor was a bit too sweet again for my preference.

Yong Chow Fried Rice was stir-fried with loads of chopped ‘Char Siew’, shrimps, long beans and egg. The rice was the grainy kind for those who enjoy such texture.

Among the three dishes, I prefer the house signature Braised Hong Kong Yee Mee with Crab Meat! The egg noodles had a lighter yellow than usual Yee Mee and tasted really good in flavors and texture.

Braised wonderfully in a sauce of crab meat, mushroom and scallion, the flavors were surprisingly light and savory. I detected a hint of Chinese wine in the sauce and this was confirmed by the chef himself later that he also uses wine and pork oil to enhance the flavors. No wonder the noodle is so delicious!! (wink!)

We rounded up our meal with house dessert of Sweet Corn with Sago! Mimicking the usual honeydew sago, I actually love the sweet corn dessert a lot! Readers from my past post, I have confessed a liking towards corn so maybe it’s due to this that I find myself enjoying this dessert fabulously.  Fragrance of sweet corn bits perfumed the milky dessert with pearls of sago was a great way for me to end my meal!

The dishes at One Happiness Seafood Restaurant tend to run towards an almost home-cooked style while occasionally surprising its customers with unique dishes like the Special White Curry Prawns and Pork Ribs with Blackcurrant Sauce! Yes, flavors are more on the sweet end so this really depends on your preference of palate in terms of delicious. However, one can enjoy a warm series of dishes that lends a soothing sense to those in need of comfort food. With this in mind, it is always the simplest and comforting things in life that brings happiness and I think One Happiness just about sums it up! J

One Happiness Restaurant Sdn. Bhd.

117,119, Jalan Rimbunan Raya 1,

Laman Rimbunan Kepong,

52100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 03-6257 7277

Fax : 03-6257 3277