Showing posts with label Lobster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lobster. Show all posts

Saturday, 27 January 2024

Jia He Grand - Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024 [MEDIA INVITE]

Enter the auspicious Year of the Dragon with Jia He Chinese Restaurant and its sister establishment Jia He Grand. From 21 January 2024 to 24 February 2024, both establishments will dazzled the guests with meticulously curated menus tailored for families, friends and business associates. What better way to celebrate the Lunar New Year than with Jia He Chinese Restaurant and Jia He Grand.

For this Media Tasting session at Jia He Grand, we tried their Jia He Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024, priced at $2688++ for 10 persons.

Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng”
The feast commences with Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng” (嘉和五福彩玉捞生). This Yu Sheng contains 5 key ingredients with Auspicious Blessings: Fish Maw, Sliced Roast Duck, Shredded Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Salmon. Served together with Bellpeppers, Juliene of Radish, Salads and Special sauce.

Jia He Prosperity Five Auspicious Blessings "Yu Sheng”
After the fun session doing the “Lo Hei”, the Yu Sheng is plated individually and the service staff ensure we got all the ingredients on our plate. As each of the ingredients contributed their unique texture and flavour, it is like having a party in your mouth. On top of that, the special sauce from Jia He added fireworks in the mix, as it contains Sichuan chilli sauce and yuzu. WOW. (Do note that for those who do not or are unable to take spicy stuff, you can request the non-spicy version)

My Yu Sheng Plate
Sea Cucumber
Double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall with Red Ginseng (红参佛跳墙). This sumptuous yet nutritious double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall is unique, especially with the extra ingredient of Red Ginseng.

Double-boiled Buddha Jump Over the Wall with Red Ginseng
(红参佛跳墙)
First serving, Fish Maw and Shark Fin. For this first serving, I enjoy the crunchy texture of the shark fin and the bouncy & collagen of the fish maw. While the clear broth looks light, it contains the essence of all the ingredients, including the red ginseng in the broth. Usually, when we see the shark fin, we automatically reach for the vinegar, in this case, there is no need for it. There is no fishy smell from the shark fin and the fish maw.

First serving, Fish Maw and Shark Fin
Second serving, sea cucumber, mushroom, pork tendon & dry scallops. The broth of the second serving is thicker, more robust and filled with umami flavour. The sea cucumber and pork tendon are soft, but crunchy. While the mushroom soaks up the essence of the ingredients beautifully. A lovely and fulfilling broth.

Second serving, sea cucumber, mushroom,
pork tendon & dry scallops
Steamed Australian lobster with Sea Urchin in Egg White and Chinese Wine (海胆威龙). An Exquisite bowl of Chawanmushi. When this dish is presented, a serving of Singapore whisky is lit on fire and poured over each bowl. The lobster is cooked to perfection, delivering a sweet, smooth and silky texture that pairs nicely with the sea urchin. The pillowy egg white and Chinese Wine added a delicate flavour, while the whisky gave a contrasting flavour of oak and smokiness.

Steamed Australian Lobster with Sea Urchin
in Egg White and Chinese Wine (
海胆威龙)
Poached Sliced Spotted Garoupa with Wild Mushroom and Superior Lobster Soup (野菌龙虾汤堂灼星班). While the preparation is done in the kitchen, the cooking and plating are done table side. The sliced fish and wild mushrooms are pan-fried table side with oil and butter. Once cooked, lobster stock is added to complete the dish. The result is soft, silky smooth garoupa slices, accompanied by robust stock complete with umami flavour. A very comforting dish. Yummy!!

Poached Sliced Spotted Garoupa with Wild Mushroom and
Superior Lobster Soup (
野菌龙虾汤堂灼星班).
 
Roasted Suckling Pig with Australia 3 Head Abalone, Fried Rice with Yam and Sakura Shrimp (香芋櫻花虾3头鲍鱼有米乳猪). This dish can also be considered as the third serving of Buddha Jump Over the Wall, as the abalones used here were cooked inside the broth.

Roasted Suckling Pig with Australia 3 Head Abalone, Fried Rice with Yam and Sakura Shrimp (香芋櫻花虾3头鲍鱼有米乳猪).
The suckling pig has a paper-thin crispy skin, followed by juicy and fatty flesh. The fried rice is fragrant, filled with the flavour of the Sakura shrimp and the drippings from the suckling pig. The abalone is soft and flavourful. Don’t forget about the pickled Roman tomato and cucumber on the side, not only they are very yummy, it will help to balance the richness of this dish.

My Serving of Suckling Pig
Desserts are Daifuku filled with Mandarin Orange and Cream Served with Bird's Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao (橙香雪梅拼泡参小笼包燕窝). The Bird’s Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao is best eaten when it is hot. It is refreshing, while the broth is medium sweet, offset with a touch of bitterness from the ginseng.

Bird's Nest-Ginseng Xiao Long Bao (泡参小笼包燕窝)
Meanwhile, the Daifuku is packed with orange flavour, refreshing and just bursts in your mouth.

Daifuku filled with Mandarin Orange and Cream (橙香雪梅拼)
We had an additional treat of Nian Gao from our host. It is pan-fried without coating, resulting in a crispy exterior, with a nice caramelisation. It has a medium sweetness followed by a warming taste of the ginseng.

Nian Gao
Overall, Jia He Grand Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024 exceeded my expectations. It is packed with flavour, nutritious and tantalises your palate. Jia He Exquisite CNY Set Menu 2024, priced at $2688++ for 10 persons and advanced booking are required. Ganbei! Cheers!

Thank you very much Sharon & Jia He Grand Team for hosting us.

Food & Drink: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Service: N/A (Tasting Invitation)
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Budget per Person: $81 & Above.

Jia He Grand @ One Farrer Hotel
One Farrer Hotel, Level 1
1 Farrer Park Station Road,
Singapore 217562

T: +65 6538 9688 / 6538 2788
OH: Daily 11.00 – 14.30 (LO 14.00); 18.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.00)
CNY Menu and other information is available online

Sister Restaurant
Jia He Chinese Restaurant
1 Farrer Park Station Road,
#01-14/15/16 Connexion,
Singapore 217562

T: +65 6694 8988 / 6694 9466
OH: Daily 11.00 – 15.00 (LO 14.30); 18.00 – 22.00 (LO 21.30)

Sunday, 29 October 2023

George Town – Exciting New Signature Dishes 2023 [MEDIA INVITE]

George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer (“George Town”) recently appointed Chef Michael Khor Choon Keat, a renowned maestro in Malaysia’s world of gastronomy to helm their kitchen. His CV includes Executive Chef at Grand Imperial Group Malaysia, The Oriental Group, vGarden and Number Seven Private Kitchen. In was 2018, he also awarded the prestigious Gold Award in the “Creative Perfect Fish Art Competition”.

Combining Chef Michael Khor creativity, wealth of experience and fresh ingredients available, George Town has introduced new signature dishes.

Lobster Mixed Platter
Lobster Mixed Platter and 3-Litres Amber Lager Tower ($88, served 4, limited to 1 set per table). Includes Lobster Meat, Prawn Rolls, Tako Balls, Pork Belly and Gobo Stick. George Town version of tapas (small plates) to accompany the 3-litres of Amber Lager Tower. On that evening, our platter includes Tako Balls x2, Prawn Rolls, Lobster Meat x2, Gobo Stick and Fried Octopus. It is value for money, cause some places already charge $88 for the 3L of beer tower.

Prawn Roll
Tako Balls
Gobo Stick
Fried Octopus
Lobster
Lobster
Black Truffle Sauce Lobster ($68). The flesh of the lobster is de-shell. stir-fried and finished with Black Truffle Sauce. The lobster meat is juicy and bouncy, nicely complemented with creamy sauce and infused with black truffle flavour. The flavour of the black truffle is not overpowering, instead, it elevates the flavour of this dish nicely.

Black Truffle Sauce Lobster 
Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Mushroom (至尊三宝, $38). One of my favourite dishes in Chinese restaurants. The abalone is juicy and bouncy, while the sea cucumber is crunchy. The robust and intense flavour of the sauce is the key to this dish and binds all the ingredients together. The mushroom soaks up this delicious gravy and adds the umami component to this dish. I can easily polish up a bowl of white rice just with the sauce in this dish. Yum Yum.

Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Mushroom (至尊三宝)
Lemon Butter Prawns in Yam Ring ($38). Crunchy prawns coated in lemon butter sauce plated on deep-fried yam ring. The texture of the prawn and the flavour of the sauce are spot on. However, the crispy yam ring is a bit dry in the middle, instead of smooth and creamy.

Lemon Butter Prawns in Yam 
Black Pepper A5 Wagyu 120g ($48). Black pepper is the most popular style of cooking beef in tze char. However, I don’t think it is a respectful way to cook A5 Wagyu beef. The beef texture is very tender, juicy and packed with umami flavour. However, the signature wagyu flavour is covered up by the salty black pepper sauce. They need to tweak the black pepper sauce to allow the premium ingredients to shine or they can use a lower grade of beef and upsize the portion to 250g to provide value for this dish.

Black Pepper A5 Wagyu
$1 Chilli Crab (500g with min order of $50 on food menu). The main stayer of George Town menu. The crab is fresh and the chilli sauce is smooth and silky with a nice spicy kick. For that price, it is super value for money. A MUST ORDER here!!

$1 Chili Crab
Foie Gras with Caviar ($38). Nice fine dining plating. The foie gras has a crisp exterior, followed by creamy and velvety interior. The crispy duck breast on top with tobiko complemented the foie gras nicely. The cube duck salad on the side is refreshing and crunchy. A very nice dish.

Foie Gras with Caviar
Supreme Lobster Paofan ($68). WOW!! Impressive!! The broth is robust and packed with umami flavour. Super generous with the seafood ingredients, including the lobster, scallops, and sliced fish. Together with the combination of crispy rice and boiled rice, each spoonful of the pao fan is a party in my mouth. A comforting dish and Super Yummy!!

Supreme Lobster Paofan 
While we were waiting for the first meal to arrive, the boss of George Town also arranged for us to try the Chinese skewers from @SGBBQBAR . We tried the lamb, beef and pork belly. The Yang Rou Chuan / lamb is the best, not gamy and the seasoning is just spot on for our taste.

Skewers
Overall, I enjoy the new signature dishes at George Town. I recommend the Black Truffle Sauce Lobster, $1 Chilli Crab, Foie Gras with Caviar, Abalone, Sea Cucumber and Mushroom (至尊三宝)and Supreme Lobster Paofan. If you are a beer lover, don’t forget to try the Lobster Mixed Platter and 3-Litres Amber Lager Tower package. Cheers!!

Thank you very much Jennifer Yeo Consultancy and George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer Team for hosting us.

Food & Drinks: 7.75/10
Value: 7.75/10
Service: N/A (Media Tasting)
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Budget per Person: $26 - $50; $51 - $80

George Town Tze Char & Craft Beer
81 Boat Quay
Singapore 049869
T: +65 6535 6277 / 9682 3826

IG: @Georgetowntzechar
OH: Daily 12.00 – 03.00

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