Cheesy Artisanal Pizzas by Anchor Food Professionals

Cheese PizzArt Rules at Movida and U Pizzeria

Mentioned pizza and anyone will tell you that it’s got to have lots of cheese! Oozing cheesy goodness from melted stringy cheese never fails to please foodies of all ages.

From May to mid-November 2017, Anchor Food Professionals is bringing a cheesy artisanal pizza trails through their Pizzart campaign throughout the country. Reigning leaders in the dairy food-services segment, Anchor Food Professionals is celebrating pizza in all its shapes and sizes to bring mouth-watering dishes to cheesy foodies.

The PizzArt promotion is available at all participating 24 restaurants in Malaysia. Be prepared to savor lots of cheesy pizza treats created by Anchor Food Professionals’ Hot Cooking Chefs. We took a tour of the PizzArt food trail to savour some of the artisanal pizza dishes at three of their participating restaurants one weekend and was rendered craving for more of these cheesy treats.

Using the finest dairy products available, these artisanal pizzas are made with Anchor Mozzarella Shredded Cheese, Anchor Unsalted Butter, Anchor Colby Cheese, Anchor Cheddar Cheese, and Mainland Edam Cheese. Each restaurant features different recipes so you might just need to visit a few of them to taste all the delicious artisanal pizzas available during this campaign.

While you’re dining at the restaurants, you may be able to collect these super adorable pizza magnets too!

For our first stop, it was a Trio of Pizza Muffins (RM15.50) at Movida at Puchong IOI Boulevard! Three is definitely better than one when it comes to choices of flavours. An order of the Trio of Pizza Muffins comes in Smoked Duck & Peach, Chicken Pepperoni & Jalapeno and Turkey Ham & Chives.

While all three were deliciously yummy on their own, my favorite was certainly the Smoked Duck & Peach with its salty and sweet flavours of oozing cheese paired with smoky duck and sweet juicy peaches in a buttery crust.

These savory pizza muffins make great snacks paired with beer or cocktails, especially at the happening bar cum restaurant at Movida at Puchong IOI Boulevard. There menu at Movida offers a wide list of local and international dishes as well as long list of beverages to go with the food. The restaurant gets packed so make sure to go early for dining. Visit Movida website: www.movida.my for more information.

Our next stop was at U Pizzeria in USJ 21, Subang Jaya for the exploding sensation of a supreme pizza boat filled with copious amount of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. This mind-boggling artisan creation of U Formaggio Pizza (RM36) was inspired by Adjaruli Khachapuri, a Georgian dish of cheese-filled bread.

One can’t help but to stare in awe of this magnificent creation of cheesiness as we tear up the bread and mopped up the oozing hot melted cheese that defies gravity!

Best eaten hot and definitely to be shared because that’s a lot of cheese in that boat! Trust me, burning those fingers is absolutely worthy of this cheese masterpiece…

If you’re dining solo, then the Pot Pie Pizza (RM26) would be a better choice. Once baked, the Pot Pie is turned upside down and served like a bread bowl filled with much tomatoey and cheesy flavours. It may not look as nice as the other dishes but this one taste sublime. The tomato sauce balanced the richness of the cheese and the bread but one still gets the awesome cheesiness without the cloying aftermath.

U Pizzeria is more of a take-out pizza place but they do offer some seating for those who wishes to dine-in. Other highlights from U Pizzeria include Durian Delight Pizza… certainly not for the faint-hearted. Visit U Pizzeria at www.upizzeria.com for more information.

Our final destination landed at Movida but this time at their Sunway Giza outlet in Kota Damansara. Featuring mini cheesy bombs filled with salted egg and cheese, these Salted Egg Pizza Bombs (RM15.50) is also best savored hot for that extra cheesy sensation. It may be mini but these crispy golden balls explodes to much unctuous savory notes of pleasure in the mouth.

One serving may not be enough since they are pretty addictive!

Movida at Sunway Giza also shares the same menu as their other outlets. Highlights of the menu include Clubbers Platter, Flaming Bean Can Chicken, Balinese BBQ Lamb Ribs, Slow Braised Lamb Osso Bucco and more. Visit Movida website: www.movida.my for more information.

The artisanal pizzas will be available at Movida and U Pizzeria in Klang Valley, Movida and U Pizzeria in Perak, US Pizza and Lunarich in Penang, Movida in Melaka and Johor, Ejohng Concept in Johor, The Chubs Grill and Mad Ben Café in Sabah and Coup De Grill and Bistecca & Bistro in Sarawak from May to mid-November 2017.

For more information and locations of participating outlets for Anchor Food Professionals PizzArt Campaign, visit website: www.anchorfoodprofessionals.com/my/en/news/pizza-art-campaign.html

Oriental Group of Restaurants Presents Classic Nanyang Cantonese Cuisine

The 9^th Annual Guest Chef Grand Dinner series with Chef Justin Hor & Chef Peter Tsang

It may be an annual affair but each year takes Chinese cuisine to new heights. The 9^th Annual Guest Chef Grand Dinner series is back this year with another exclusive guest chef. Oriental Group of Restaurants Chef Justin Hor has roped in Hong Kong-born Chef Peter Tsang of Si Chuan Dou Hua Parkroyal Singapore in creating a truly memorable and gastronomical journey in honor of Chinese cuisine in this year’s grand dinner series.

“We started our annual Grand Dinners series back in 2008 with the intention of introducing different dimensions of classic Chinese cuisine to the public, whilst educating them on the cultural significance of the selected dishes.” says Chef Justin Hor.

A distinguished and passionate chef himself, Chef Hor started his culinary journey at the age of 13 and has headed many reputable restaurants over 33 years in the industry. With many awards under his belt, he is well-known for creating authentic married with new cooking techniques, yet preserving traditional flavours of Chinese cuisine.

Fortunate to be able to host this year’s grand dinner series with acclaimed Chef Peter Tsang, both culinary maestros are celebrating the Chinese culinary heritage with two eight-course menus as well as ala carte dishes themed Classic Nanyang Cantonese Cuisine. Gourmands will be taken through a sumptuous journey of culinary heritage elevated with modern presentation of the finest.

“It is an honour to share my 47 years of experience and to work together with Justin to create this year’s menu. The various cooking methods and combination of ingredients used in the menus are significant as the culinary roots still bear much resemblance and connectivity between the local ‘Nanyang’ community and their Chinese ancestors.” shared Chef Tsang.

Chef Tsang, currently the Master Consultant Chef at Si Chuan Dou Hua Parkroyal Singapore, brings a wealth of 47 years of culinary experience to the table. Besides having worked inn some of the finest Chinese kitchen in Asia, he has also cooked for renowned distinguished leaders of the world. In addition to his culinary repertoire Chef Tsang also gives back to the community by being an active organizing member of the annual World Culinary Charity Dinner that raises funds for charitable causes in various countries.

Inspired from the little bites of the Chinese cuisine, both Chef Hor and Chef Tsang has created a list of Chinese tapas platter to tease our palates before the main dishes of the set menu arrives.

The freshness of the ingredients plays an important element in the Capsicum & Apricot Mushroom in Miso and Chilled Bitter Gourd in Sweet Chili Sauce. Sweet crunchy bites of peppers and earthy mushrooms are cleverly seasoned with umami miso while blanched and chilled thinly sliced bitter gourd, artfully arranged to symbolized a blooming bud is paired with sweet chili sauce to enhance its subtle bittersweet notes.

For heat, the classic Chilled Chicken with Szechuan Peppercorn Sauce is deliciously familiar with a very well-controlled numbing heat from the peppercorns. It’s not overly an explosive taste but rather just enough to keep one hankering after it’s spiced up flavours. For a milder heat, the Pork Kyuri Roll with Spicy Sauce might be your best bet. Pork, cooked till firm yet tender, are rolled up with crisp cucumber and doused in piquant sauce, an ode of a blast from the past in Chinese cuisine.

Another classic takes form in Liver Sausage & Prawn Roll. Pretty much an old school dish but rendered modern in presentation, the dish was surprisingly delicate in flavours with various pleasing textures. The tiny cherry tomatoes balanced up the strong flavour of the liver sausage well, making the dish easy to enjoy.

At first sight, the Fragrant Black Sesame Flat Noodle looked rather plain. However, the dish turned out to be a solid favorite as the house made black sesame noodles was marvelous in flavours as well as jellied-like texture. Coated in a spicy and nutty sesame sauce, each strand of noodle was divine on the palate. A must-order…

Featuring deep-fried dishes that is much-ordered in many Chinese restaurants, the Deep Fried Salt & Pepper Sea Cucumber is a nice crispy appetizer concocted to evoke joys of savoring the gelatinous sea cucumber. The Radish Cake Typhoon Shelter Style combines another two classics of radish cake turned crispy and jazzed up with the popular aromatics of garlic, onion, chilies and more with Typhoon Shelter style flavours.

The first main of the set menu arrives with a lasting impression of Double-Boiled Haruan Soup with Fish Maw served in Paper Wok. Hours of labor goes into a soup of yesteryears, doubled-boiled with the nutritious snakehead fish or haruan.

The creamy and milky broth with essence expelled from lots of fish bones coupled with ginger and other ingredients, evoked soul-food notes in every spoonful. As if the broth was not enough, both chefs elevated the soup with delectable fried fish, premium fish maw and ‘old’ tofu. A soup like this can never be forgotten for sure…

If there is one dish that has withstood the test of time and perhaps that took center stage in Chinese culinary heritage, it would be the Treasures Chest Duck, braised with Abalone & Soft-Boiled Quail Egg. A dish that requires skills of deboning a whole duck while retaining its original shape before stuffing it with bejewels of lotus seeds, barley, mushrooms and salted egg. Each duck, weighing in about 2.2kg, goes through a tedious process of cooking before it’s presented with more lux of braised whole abalones and quail eggs.

Melt-in-the-mouth tender duck meat is rendered even better with the loads of creamy, nutty and earthy stuffing. In fact, the duck was so luxuriously delicious, one might even let the abalone take a side seat. The soft-boiled quail egg with a molten egg yolk center was the final standing ovation to the dish. A masterpiece of Chinese cuisine indeed!

It nearly felt like Christmas came early when the Crystal-Wrapped Steamed Soon Hock with Radish & Green Ginger was placed on the table. The presentation not only evoked an element of excitement within the child in us but it kept the premium fish nicely hot and steamy. Fresh and large sweet Soon Hock fish along with soft radish pieces goes so well with the piquant green ginger sauce.

Chef Tsang personally took us on a quick masterclass of his Scallop in Golden Egg White Soufflé. Inspired by one of his trip in Japan, he enveloped sweet diver scallop in a fluffy egg white soufflé and sprinkled shrimp roe or Har Chee over it. Finishing the broth stuffed with bits of vegetables, the scallop ball was simmered in the broth again till it soaks up the goodness of the broth.

The scallop ball was superbly light, almost fluffy with a delicate eggy note enhanced with glorious fresh sweet scallop. The shrimp roe elevated the umami note in the dish well and the wilted spinach gave the dish a lovely finishing of the greens we needed after all the heavier dishes earlier.

Chef Tsang also took center stage again when he prepared the Yin Yang Rice with Lobster & Crab Meat in Superior Crab Soup in front of us. A dish he holds dearly in his heart, he spoke about classic dishes from his past and how important it is to maintain authentic flavours while added the need to uplift the dish to our modern culinary palates.

Using a ratio of 1/3 of steamed glutinous rice with 2/3 of crispy rice puff, he cooks both in a luxurious crab broth along with sweet chunks of lobster and crab meat till the rice has soaked up all the flavours of that broth. Adding some final touches of French beans and spring onion, the rice looked gloriously majestic and extravagant.

A single spoonful of this Yin Yang Rice with Lobster & Crab Meat in Superior Crab Soup reaffirmed the decadent flavours and myriad of textures this dish has. Deemed simply the best course of the evening, there was no doubt that everyone was secretly hoping for an encore of the dish.

The journey ended with a sweet and nutritious Chilled Peach Resin in Snow Pear. Peach resin is renowned for beautification purposes while snow pear is good for cooling down the body.

It makes perfect sense to end the meal with this dessert on our ode to Classic Nanyang Cantonese Cuisine with Chef Justin Hor and Chef Peter Tsang.

Don’t miss this exclusive Grand Dinner by The Oriental Group of Restaurants as the gastronomical journey from Chef Hor and Chef Tsang is truly one of its kind in our culinary scene!

Chef Peter Tsang will be making an appearance in a series of grand dinners on the below dates:

Noble Banquet                 21 August 2017

The Han Room                 22 August 2017

Oriental Pavilion              23 August 2017

Noble Mansion                24 August 2017

Noble Banquet                25 August 2017

The Classic Nanyang Cantonese Cuisine set menu is available at all participating Oriental Group of Restaurants from 21 August to 30 September 2017. Priced at RM1,888 nett per table of 10 pax and RM3,888 nett per table of 10 pax. Diners can enjoy these dishes on ala carte basis from 25 August to 30 September 2017.

Reservations are encouraged for the Classic Nanyang Cantonese Cuisine with Chef Justin Hor & Chef Peter Tsang as some dishes require time to prepare.

Participating Oriental Group of Restaurants

Oriental Pavilion    03-7956 9288

Oriental Banquet   03-7957 8488

Noble House          03-2145 8822

Noble Mansion       03-7932 3288

The Ming Room     03-2284 8822

The Han Room       03-2284 8833

Tang Room            03-7733 9866
Oriental Viva          03-9283 8833

                Maju Palace           03-2691 8822 (pork free)

For more information, please visit:

Website: www.orientalrestaurants.com.my

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theorientalgroupofrestaurants/