Cheng Ho Court,
Level 3, Mines Wellness Hotel,
Jalan Dulang, Mines Resort City,
Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
Tel: 03-8943 6688
Business Hours: Noon to 2.30pm
and 6.30pm to 10.30pm, daily
Pork-free.
SIMPLICITY is at its best here at Cheng Ho Court where chef Chin Hock Seng has come up with several set menus to cater to those preferring a healthier diet.
“The taste is simple because I have toned down the use of condiments and skipped it completely where I can. This actually enhances the whole meal which typically consists of 10 dishes because you do not have that feeling of fullness from having too many rich dishes by the third or fourth dish,” he said.
Chin said the amount of condiments and non-necessary ingredients has been lessened by some 25% at the restaurant.
Fish is a must for Chinese New Year and at Cheng Ho Court, garoupa liberally covered with a thick soya bean sauce is served.
It is also the healthier choice, something the Mines Wellness Resort, where Cheng Ho Court is located, can relate to.
The Longevity Set, which is priced at RM1,188++ per table of 10, has some dishes that showcase the restaurant’s efforts at providing a tasty yet healthy meal.
For instance, instead of a yee sang with ingredients that are usually preserved and sometimes heavily coloured, Chin replaces it with a julienne of carrots and two varieties of sweet potato, among other things, creating the same dish without losing the colour or taste.
Another good example is the chicken dish which is typically just roasted but here, Chin steams it with marinade but to give it that same nice crispy skin, he bathes it lightly in hot oil, a method which also helps preserve the moist and tender meat underneath.
The Chinese Food and Beverage Chef’s specialty, however, is the braised boiled chicken with fish maw soup, a clear broth with tender black-meat chicken and other goodies.
The ‘roast’ chicken (front), made first by steaming it and then bathing it in hot oil for added crispiness, comes with nyonya chicken (back) as well.
One of the great things about keeping a dish simple is that the taste of the main star, such as the fish or prawn, can really shine and is a refreshing change from the normal Chinese New Year fare available.
The set comes with all the above dishes as well as steamed sea garoupa with soya bean sauce, wok-fried prawn with pineapple in nyonya sauce, wok-fried fresh mushrooms with vegetables, fried rice with abalone, prawns and tobiko before ending with boiled black sesame with glutinous rice ball, mochi and nien gao, a traditional Chinese deep-fried delicacy using yam and gula melaka.
Most of the dishes are also available on an a la carte basis with four types of yee sang such as abalone, salmon and abalone, mixed fresh fruit and jellyfish.
Three other set meals for a table of 10 are available at the price of RM988++ (Prosperity Set), RM1388++ (Wealth in Aplenty Set) and RM1,888++ (Fortune in Abundance Set).
The Chinese New Year dishes are available now and throughout Chinese New Year.
A feast for the eyes, savour the wok- fried mushrooms with vegetables.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by Star Metro.