ZHE HOU DIAN
Block KA2, Kuchai Avenue
Lot 1-10, 39
Jalan Kuchai Maju 13
Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park
Off Jalan Kuchai Lama
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (03) 7980 8966
A dim sum date with Angeline Tan at Zhe Hou Dian proves memorable, not only because of the food but also because of the attention lavished on her.
FIVE hours. That was how long Angeline Tan, the actress who shot to fame as Lucy in Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu, spent on a recent dim sum and yum cha session at Zhe Hou Dian, a seven-month old restaurant in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park, Kuala Lumpur.
Spoilt for choice: A delectable spread before Angeline Tan, who is flanked by the owners of Zhe Hou Dian, Endrew Wong (right) and Tan Kai Hin.“I love dim sum. I think they are so artistic,” said the 44-year-old actress.
Endrew Wong, Zhe Hou Dian’s co-owner, ordered an endless stream of bamboo baskets, filled with the delectable nibbles, to be sent to Tan’s table. He fussed over her and insisted that she try everything, sending his waitresses back to the kitchen for replacements as soon as the food got cold.
Tan, a first-time visitor to the restaurant, was flattered by the attention. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but she revealed that all her fondest memories have somehow been connected to these little morsels of delights. Tan’s earliest recollection was of her grandfather peeling the skin off a pau for her when she was a little girl.
“I took it as a sign of affection because it meant that he did not want me to eat the germs that came from the vendor’s handling of the pau when they were being loaded into the steamer,” she said.
Today, Tan found herself being fussed over again, thanks to Wong’s attention.
The first order to arrive was the Seafood Dumpling (RM14.90), an enormous wantan floating in a clear broth made of supreme stock. Within the parcel was a fine mix of scallops, crabmeat and minced pork. Lending a soft, jelly-like texture to the meaty filling were sprigs of bamboo fungus that gave a velvety feel in the mouth.
This pleasing softness was due to the chef first gelling the stock, and then having cubes of it enclosed within the wantan parcel. This was so the stock would liquefy and seep into the contents, further infusing it with flavour and moisture.
“It has a warm, comforting feel. This is something I would love to have again on a rainy day,” was Tan’s verdict.
Next, came the Baby Abalone Siew Mai (RM5.80). The single baby abalones topping each siew mai was cute, no bigger than a five-sen coin.
Baby Abalone Siew Mai.“It makes me sorry to eat a baby abalone. It wouldn’t have had enough time to understand what life was about,” quipped Tan when the dish was presented to her. Considered a delicacy, baby abalones are softer than adult ones. They take eight months to grow to the size of a fingernail before landing in a cooking pot.
The baby abalone has a delicate sweet taste. The ones on the siew mai also had a soft texture, having been braised for three hours.
Tan, however, thought the meat filling in the siew mai overpowered the abalones.
The dish that won her over was the Siew Long Pau (RM6.50), and the actress decided to give a demonstration on how it should be eaten.
“The mark of a true dim sum connoisseur is in the way she handles this complicated dumpling,” she said.
Tan opined that eating a siew long pau was something of an art because of the soup encased in the dumpling together with the minced pork.
You want to savour the rich stock as it floods the mouth on first bite, so you have to gently scoop it with a spoon, taking care not to puncture it. Once the whole dumpling is safely resting on a spoon, it should be topped with slices of ginger and a bit of soy sauce before eating.
However, Wong advised Tan that it was best to not overdo it with the ginger topping or it would overwhelm the delicate flavours.
Another dish that found favour with Tan was the Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun (RM5.50). This dish, served in a light soya sauce, was a bit different from the usual – beneath the soft steamed rice sheet was a layer of fried bean curd skin. This was a pleasant surprise.
Tan was amazed that the bean curd skin was still crunchy. The rest of the filling was either prawn or lean roasted pork.
The Prawn And Jackfruit Roll (RM4.50) served towards the end was rather unusual, Tan thought.
“Who would have imagined that prawns could be paired with nangka?” marvelled Tan as the contents were revealed to her.
Wrapped in a Vietnamese rice wrapper and then deep-fried, the roll had contrasting flavours but the sweet pungent fruit strips matched the prawns perfectly.
A simpler, but no less delicious combination came in the form of the Deep-fried Durian Fritters (RM6.50). The hot crispy outer layer concealed a cold, sweet, creamy durian filling. The blend of textures at contrasting temperatures was interesting.
But Tan, who prefers non-greasy food, thought the mango dessert (RM5.50) – a smooth custard-like confection topped with sliced mango and passion fruit – was more notable.
She announced that she would be sure to come back again, and this made Wong blush with pleasure.
“If I want to give my family a treat or chat with a friend over a meal, I’d bring them here. The place is nice, the price is OK and the dim sum is delicious,” summed up Tan.
Zhe Hou Dian is non-halal dim sum restaurant with 60 items on its menu. The first 20 readers to present this article to the restaurant will be given to a free cooking lesson by the dim sum chef. A free plate of Laurel Blossom Jelly will be also be given to readers of The Star who present this article at the restaurant.
