Berjaya Times Square Hotel,
1, Jalan Imbi,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2117 8000
USING Chinese herbs to enhance the taste and health benefits of a dish is nothing new but serving only these dishes in a banquet is certainly a rarity.
It will be a feat for the chef as the preparation of these delicacies is usually painstaking and time-consuming. On top of that, the chef will need to ensure that the taste and health functions of the Chinese herbs used in the different dishes do not clash with each other.
Berjaya Times Square Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Eu Yan Sang, a wellness company specialising in Chinese traditional medicine, have taken on the challenge with the launch of a new banquet healthy menu.
The creation of this menu is said to be in line with the companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility initiative to promote healthy living by improving one’s dietary pattern.
Eu Yan Sang’s scientific advisory board chairman Dr Patrick Loh gave a talk on traditional Chinese medicine, emphasising that the medicine places importance on striking a balance in the body.
He also briefed attendees on the beneficial properties of several common herbs and gave tips on how to achieve well-being through some simple steps.
Some herbs promote blood circulation while others improve complexion.
Aromatic: Roasted Crispy Chicken with Dang Gui and Five Spice Salt.These herbs are innovatively infused into the otherwise familiar banquet dishes to offer a whole new experience, which leaves diners feeling pampered and nourished after the feast.
Even chef Kwan Siew Leun, who has been in Chinese culinary since 1981, conceded that it was no easy feat preparing the healthy banquet menu as the preparation was much more complicated than the ordinary fare.
“The soup base, for instance, has to be boiled for 12 hours before we add the bird’s nest and cordycep to boil for two more hours. The different ingredients are to be treated differently and the time needed varies, but you need to be able to grasp the timing,” Kwan said.
The banquet healthy menu is available in various package selections priced from RM1,438++ per table.
We tried a six-course menu that started with Chinese Healthy Cold Cut Combination comprising four appetisers, namely Chinese Herbs, Jasmine Tea Smoke Duck, Chilled “Dang Gui” Chicken with Jelly Fish, Tossed Jade Abalone with Asparagus and Wolfberry and Chilled Prawn with Szechuan Pepper Pickled Vegetables.
Startin gafresh Chinese Healthy Cold Cut Combination.The Chinese herbs had given the dishes an appealing aroma while adding more layers to the taste, especially with a pleasant tinge of bitterness.
Next came a pampering soup, Double Boiled Bird’s Nest with Cordycep in Superior Stock, which was sweet, rich and with anti-aging properties.
Roasted Crispy Chicken with “Dang Gui” and Five Spice Salt lured with intense taste and fragrance, as well as a hint of sweetness from wolfberries. This dish is said to be able to tone the blood and improve the circulation of energy in the body.
Stewed Sea Cucumber and Flower Mushroom was flavoured with a rich gravy made from dendrobium, which is said to be able to improve the lungs’ function and enhance skin texture.
The last dish was Lotus Leaf Wrapped Brown Rice with Eight Treasures, which included dried scallop, dried oyster, dried shrimps, sea asparagus, lotus seed, chesnut, button mushroom and black mushroom. The combination can nourish the stomach.
The finale of healthy menu was Red Bean Paste with Pearl Sago, and the addition of “Chen Pi” heightened its taste.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.