Nan Yang Authentic,
Lot C 4.01.00,
Level 4 (Connection Precinct),
Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2148 8996
Business hours: Daily, 10.00am to midnight
Non halal.
ALTHOUGH newly opened, Nan Yang Authentic restaurant already has the backing of more than 30 years’ experience in the food and beverage industry.
Avid foodies in the Klang Valley will be glad to know that the team behind Nan Yang Authentic is also the same team that has been operating 1977 New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice.
Signature dishes: Ipoh bean sprouts (top) and Wen Chang Garden Chicken,using organic kampung chicken.
The 1977 New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice restaurant chain presently has seven outlets, including its flagship restaurant at Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya. As its name suggests, the restaurant was established in 1977.
Nan Yang Authentic director Bryan Yan said he and his partners envisioned a plan to elevate the quality and concept of the restaurant, which was why they established Nan Yang Authentic at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur when the opportunity presented itself.
The menu at Nan Yang, which means South-East Asia in Chinese, features specialities from Ipoh and a range of Chinese cuisine infused with a twist of Malaysian flavours.
Its signature dish is, of course, the Ipoh Bean Sprouts Chicken (Ipoh Nga Choy Kai).
“We want to tell the world and introduce to international tourists the specialities that Ipoh and Malaysia have to offer.
“We use the best quality ingredients, including top-grade organic kampung chicken.”
Nan Yang’s Steamed Chicken, also named Wen Chang Garden Chicken, is available in the form of organic kampung chicken and ordinary chicken.
“More importantly, the chicken is dressed with a speciality sauce made from a mixture of premium soy sauce, cooking oil and sesame oil, served with cooked ginger and garlic.
“In addition to the health benefits, the dressing helps to enhance the taste of the chicken,” said Yan.
A key accompaniment to the Wen Chang Garden Chicken are the plump and crunchy Ipoh bean sprouts.
“Our bean sprouts are grown in Buntong, Ipoh. The semi-hilly terrain is rich in minerals, which makes it an ideal place to farm bean sprouts,” said Yan.
“We can sell more than 250kg of bean sprouts at all eight restaurants on weekdays; the number goes up to 350kg per day on weekends.”
Nan Yang’s other specialities are Stir Fried La La in Superior Soup, using a Yan family recipe that includes garlic, ginger, Superior Chicken Soup and bird’s eye chilli, and pork balls made from a blend of pork and cuttlefish.
For some fusion-inspired dishes, Yan recommended the Sizzling Asam Mixed Seafood, Buttermilk Fried Fish Fillet, and Homestyle Steamed Talapia with cheong cheng sauce.
While the manufacture of ingredients for dishes like Pork Balls are outsourced, Yan stressed that they are all done according to the Yan family’s special recipes.
“Our hor fun rice noodles have a silky-smooth texture and are hand-cut by our chefs,” he said.
“My father Yan Khoon Yin, who founded the first 1977 New Restaurant at age 20, a team of chefs and I will regularly conduct research and development to ensure the food quality is up to par and experiment with new dishes and recipes.
“We are planning to introduce steamboat using a special kind of seafood-based stock, pumpkin-based dishes and salt-baked chicken into Nan Yang’s menu.
“Nan Yang will also prepare pun choy for takeaways and dine-ins, as well as set menus, to cater to the crowd during the Chinese New Year festive season,” said Yan.
The 33-year-old said the Yan family had revamped the menu at 1977 New Restaurant to make it more family-friendly and provide greater variety for its diners.
“We want to take it a step further at Nan Yang by educating diners, particularly international tourists, on the evolution of our local dishes and the philosophy of Chinese dining,” he said.
“For example, not many people know that 50 years ago, Ipoh Nga Choi Kai was served with the steamed chicken atop the beansprouts. Or why the Chinese prefer dining at round tables, which symbolises harmony and unity.”
Nan Yang’s opening promotion includes signature sets with a choice of ordinary or roasted chicken, which make a suitable lunch or dinner introduction to the restaurant’s specialities.
This is the writer’s observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.