The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Chef Choi’s creation with a Penang touch

Posted: 13 Sep 2013 08:51 PM PDT

BY EU HOOI KHAW

September 14, 2013
Latest Update: September 14, 2013 01:35 pm

Penang "Loh Bak" and fried scrambled eggs with caviar would not appear to belong in a Chinese restaurant menu, but it definitely reflects the chef's diverse food experiences in Chef Choi.

First off, chef Chan Thye Seng's family has roots in Penang, so he sets about attempting to make the best "Loh Bak" there is.

Scrambled Eggs with CaviarIt may sound strange but we arguably had the best scrambled eggs in this restaurant, stirred patiently over a low flame at tableside. The outcome was a buttery, creamy and velvety feel, with salty bursts from the Beluga caviar. I tried my best to prolong the exquisite moment on my palate.

The Penang "Loh Bak" on the other hand had a crackling and crispy skin, falling apart to chunks of pork and the requisite hints of five spices, matched with a light dip. It was Penang in every bite.

Then it was on to The Double-boiled Shark Bone Soup with Bamboo Pith. The soup had a round mouthfeel, steeped with all the essence of the shark bone, meat and herbs. The fine, crunchy bamboo pith and the gourd in it soaked this up.

Next, The Matsuzaka beef was pink in the pan, with its fat marbling as all it needed was just two minutes of pan frying. It's beef was savoured slowly, to relish the sublime, buttery texture. The Panfried Matsuzaka Beef is a taste of what is to come when the restaurant sets up its own teppanyaki.

"Boston lobsters are harder to cook, as they come from cold waters," said Chan.

"The superior broth has to be at the highest heat on the stove for the lobster to be thoroughly infused with the flavours of the stock."

This was obviously achieved as the Baked Boston Lobster with Superior Stock turned out superbly sweet, with the bouncy meat almost translucent.

Roast GooseA wonderful aroma of The Traditional Roasted Crispy Goose marinated with Chinese herbs hung in the air as it was brought out. It had the right amount of fat under the skin that melted under the heat of the roasting, allowing the goose meat to be tender, juicy, moist and flavourful. It was served with a light, mellow plum sauce dip. We were informed that The Roast Goose has to be ordered a day in advance.

We then moved on to The Steamed Brown Marbled Grouper with Light Soya Sauce, also known as the Tiger Grouper. Not surprising, it was perfectly steamed.

Thereafter, The Fresh Sliced Lotus Root with Waterchestnut and Celery was a welcomed plate of crunchy vegetables, with fresh shiitake mushrooms and sweet "pak hup".

Fried Rice with Mini AbaloneThe Fried Rice with Mini Abalone was a delicious ending and it was in an eggy, soupy sauce though it took effort to finish this after all the dishes we had eaten.

Finally, for desert we had The Sweet Red Bean Paste with 18-Year Mandarin Peel. The boiled red beans had been put between two sieves to render them to a silky texture and it was fragrant with the Mandarin peel.

A dinner at Chef Choi is always a treat you shoul save up for.

The Fried Rice with Mini Abalone is RM18 per person, Red Bean Paste is RM20 per person, Fried Sliced Lotus Root is RM48 (large), Roast Goose is RM320 (whole bird), Baked Boston Lobster is RM35 per 100g, Shark Bone Soup with Bamboo Pith is RM25 per person, "Loh Bak" is RM18 per portion, and Scrambled Eggs with Caviar is RM180 per person.

Chef Choi is located at No 159, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur and the contact number is 03-2163 5866. - September 14, 2013.