Imperial China Restaurant,3-2, Jaya Square,
No. 7343 Jalan SS17/2,
Subang Jaya.
Tel:03- 5636 1266
Business hours: Mondays to Saturdays
(11.30am to 2.30pm, 6.00pm to 10.30pm),
Sundays and public holidays
(9.30am to 2.30pm, 6.00pm to 10.30pm)
Reservations hotline: 1-800-88 2338.
WHEN it comes to eating crabs, the one advice that Tai Thong Group executive chef Jacky Lim Bee Lin has is: “You can’t be shy or courteous because there are only two claws. Grab it before anyone else does!”
The chatty and witty chef was recently featured with host Jojo Goh on Astro Wah Lai Toi’s Simply Crab programme where they went around Asia in search of crab dishes.
Creative presentation:The Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab is served with a nutty-flavoured dip
After the 13-episode series, Lim was given the task of coming up with several crab dishes that were different from the ones he had sampled, three of which would be available at the Imperial China Restaurant in Subang Jaya.
With 30 years of experience in the food industry, Lim, who hails from Seremban, said that shooting the series was an eye-opening adventure.
“Shooting a television show requires long hours on location. That was my first time being fully involved in a programme and the director and crew helped me a lot throughout the shoot,” he said.
The three dishes that he created for the promotion were Steamed Crab with Bean Curd Supreme Stock and Crisped Rice Cereal; Braised Crab with Minced Meat, Mushroom, Eggplant and Glass Noodle; and Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab.
The Steamed Crab was an interesting creation, with the crab served atop a velvety layer of steamed bean curd and egg white surrounded by crispy rice bits.
“The crab is steamed with wine and the broth is then used for the gravy that is poured on top of the bean curd. The rice is boiled before it is deep-fried to give it that crunchy consistency,” he said.
The soft bean curd and crispy rice made for a nice combination of textures that could have passed off as another separate dish.
Lim said that it was quite a challenge to come up with dishes that were different than the ones he had savoured on the show.
“There are so many wonderful dishes out there and a lot of times, you innovate dishes from the ones that inspire you. That’s how I came up with the steamed bean curd and egg white for the steamed crab. It is quite common to have crabs cooked in a starchy egg sauce so I thought of having the bean curd steamed on the plate instead,” he said.
For the Braised Crab with Minced Meat, Mushroom, Eggplant and Glass Noodle, Lim used a type of short and wide noodles made from green been flour, with a springy texture very different from the regular thin glass noodles.
“Most dishes would have mee hoon in it so I used this noodle that is sourced from Hong Kong. The springy texture gives you something to chew on. I also made it spicy to give it a bit of kick,” said Lim.
For the Deep-fried Soft Shell Crab, Lim created a peanut-based dip that had a tinge of spiciness in it.
Lim said that customers would sometimes come in to the restaurant after watching the show and request for a certain crab dish that was featured.
“If I happen to be in the restaurant, I would be more than happy to recreate the dish for them,” he said.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
