RESTORAN CUBES CHINESE CUISINE,
L1-1, 18-1, Palm Square, Jaya One,
No: 72A, Jalan University, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7960 3788
Business hours: 10.30am to 3.00pm (lunch)
and 5.30pm to 10pm (dinner). Opens daily.
Non-halal.
THERE is something exquisite about Peking Duck, not only because it was an imperial delicacy, but also the way it is savoured.
The dish is known for the duck’s crispy, aromatic skin. The skin has to be separated from the meat and wrapped with egg crepe together with cucumber, spring onion and seafood or sweet bean sauce.
Preparing the dish is challenging and good ones are uncommon in the Klang Valley.
Cubes Chinese Cuisine Restaurant at Jaya One is one of the handful that serve the delicacy, alongside a careful selection of dishes originating in various parts of China and done with a touch of local creativity.
For RM48, diners can feast on the crispy skin of the Peking Duck. It is also accompanied with a dish made with shredded duck meat stir-fried with capsicum, bean sprouts and black pepper.
Chef Yap Yoke Kwan has loved Chinese cuisine since he was 16, mainly because of its variety and versatility. He is at the helm of the kitchen that is capable of dishing out more than 100 dishes.
“I always like to introduce something new to a dish to excite diners’ taste buds but when it comes to a special dish like Peking Duck, I will try to make it as authentic as possible.
“Also, I minimise the use of oil, salt and sugar to make sure the food is healthier,” he said.
Peking Duck is not complicated, he explained, as long as one could get the timing right.
Yap’s Peking Duck was a perfect starter as its skin had a thin layer of fat to keep it succulent yet crispy and it was nicely paired with with warm crepes, fresh vegetables and black sauce.
Black Pepper Stir-fried Shredded Duck gives one the exotic kick that would appeal to Malaysian diners.
The strongly flavoured dish will definitely go well with white rice.
Yap also prepared mantis prawns in a different style. Instead of stir-frying them with spicy sauce and curry leaves, he coated them with salted egg yolk.
Modern appeal: A glimpse at the restaurant’s decor.The restaurant also offers a variety of double-boiled soups, among them, Double Boiled Winter Melon Soup is a popular choice.
It is a concoction made using flavours from dried scallops, Chinese ham, clam and bamboo pith.
Instead of using water, Yap said the ingredients were double-boiled for a day using a soup base that took another day to prepare.
“This method brings out the flavours without affecting the textur too much,” he added.
Stir-fried Assorted Vegetables balanced off the meaty affair. It was a healthy delight with various vegetables and mushrooms while nuts were used to add flavour. The dish was served in a yam nest.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.