A Home-Classic Swine Affair
I could never say no to a few things in life. One of them would have to be pork. There is something utterly satisfying about the swine. It’s the most versatile meat that takes on creativity to endless possibilities and the ability to absorb flavors injected into it is equally divine. Pork is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide and is practically worship by the Chinese community by appearing in any Chinese communal feasts. The whole pig can literally be consumed and is cooked fresh or in preserved dried form. A recent visit to savor a list of porky fare be fitted with touches of home-cooked style was tempting and heart-warming.
Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant has been serving up Nouvelle Cantonese with classic Chinese cuisine and Hong Kong Dim Sum at Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur to its loyal guests. Dining at Xin is quite the grand affair as the restaurant is dressed with an illustrious interior of gold trimmings and grand Oriental décor. The huge 360 seating capacity makes Xin a favorite for celebrations and special occasions. My previous experience at Xin was last year’s CNY feast here. This round, we are here to savor a list of Xin’s home-classic pork dishes.
Available from April onwards, savor Chinese Chef Wong Pak Seng along with Barbeque Chef Kou Kim Hai’s 10 signature pork dishes at Xin Cusine. Its home-cooked classics served with flair and perfect for a lovely and warming meal. From succulent Crispy BBQ Suckling Pig Hong Kong Style, Deep-fried Spare Ribs with Lemon Sauce or Red Wine Sauce to classic favorites like Crispy Pork Belly with Salted Fish, Stewed Pork Belly with Dried Chili, Wok-Fried Pork Belly with Dried Chili, Braised Pork Knuckle Mongolian Sauce, Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables, Slow-cooked Pork Tendon with Garlic and Braised Beancurd Stick with Pork Knuckle. Available for lunch and dinner, prices starts from RM35++ onwards except Suckling Pig which is RM80++ (half portion) and RM160++ (whole)
Our Chinese dinner had to start with the customary soup to warm up the appetite. The Herbal Chicken Soup exudes comfort and warmth. Filled with essence of Chinese herbs and chicken, the broth is soothingly flavorful, something that reminds me of my mom’s cooking. Classic and heart-warming…
BBQ Crispy Suckling Pig Hong Kong Style with Steamed Mantao never fails to hold all attention at any table it lands on. The prize is the crispy crackling executed with tender care and hours of slow roasting on the traditional open fire. No easy feat, this dish requires lots of effort and attention to produce amber crackling that many would openly fight for at any feasts. Every suckling pig is hand-roasted by BBQ chef to ensure the roast is even and well roasted.
Enjoy the sumptuous crackling with Steamed Mantao, chili threaded spring onion and a dollop of sweet rich hoisin sauce for the swine sensation. At Xin Cuisine, their suckling pig is so well crafted that there is only a light layer of fat and everyone gets to enjoy the crackling at a lesser guilt. This platter left our table with only the head left. And even so… one might even beg for the head to be doggie bagged up for another classic dish of Braised Preserved Vegetable!
As mentioned previously, every part of the swine have been dissected, cooked and savored by many. The tendon receives no less the same attention as other much favored part of the swine. Tendons are air dried and reconstituted through a slow process before it can be cooked. Here, tendons are turned into Slow-Cooked Pork Tendon with Garlic. The dish may look a tad brown and plain but flavors are otherwise. Soft gelatinous tendons has absorb the rich brown gravy and are accompanied by soft sweet garlic that simply melts-in-the-mouth. The dish simply begs for a bowl of piping hot white rice if you asked my opinion.
The next dish is a favorite of mine. Wok-Fried Pork Belly with Dried Chili has thick pieces of pork belly braised and wok-fried in an aromatic brown sauce with garlic. The chef has also cleverly deceived us all as the dish is non-spicy but one can taste the subtle undertone of chili in the pork belly. The belly has the right texture, soft and yet fairly firm for a nice bite. I lost count of how many pieces I had as this dish is very tasty and quite addictive. A must-order in my books…
Deep-Fried Beancurd with Minced Meat will be a favorite with every one of all ages. House made egg beancurd is deep-fried till a crispy skin is achieved but retained its soft and smooth texture inside before it is being covered in savory minced meat sauce. The addition of bits of dried shrimp, sweet onions and aromatic curry leaves gave the dish another boost in flavors.
Greens are also given a lavish treatment here as our Fried Seasonal Vegetable with Crabmeat and Salted Egg had all the checkmarks of lush flavors. The green pak choy has a lovely crunch while the luscious egg sauce with lots of sweet crabmeat is simply a joy to eat. The sauce stole the show in this dish and I heaped on lots of it on my rice that night.
Hokkien Noodles showed up in our meal and we were mighty pleased. Crowned with lots of crispy lardons, the thick yellow noodles have been braised with a well-balanced of savory and sweet dark soy sauce. The noodles have all the classic ingredients that made this street dish a much-ordered one. Despite being full, I managed to savor a little of this and was satisfied with its flavors.
I was glad dessert was Chilled Aloe Vera. The dessert is sweet and light. Lots of soft chunks of aloe vera with jelly cubes, longan, orange and strawberry is simply refreshing and enjoyable after our meal of swine laden dishes.
It’s lovely to be able to savor such home-classics at Xin Cuisine. The dishes bring back nostalgia flavors and are perfect for daily enjoyment. Xin Cuisine also serves up a lovely feast of Hong Kong dim sums. Head over to Xin Cuisine for a taste of their top 10 home-classic pork dishes and more!
For reservations, please call +603 2144 8750 extn 2338.
XIN CUISINE CHINESE RESTAURANT
Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur
2 Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur,
Tel: +603 2144 8750 or +603 2144 2200 ext 2338
2 Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur,
Tel: +603 2144 8750 or +603 2144 2200 ext 2338
Fax: +603 2144 1628
Oh???? It's not halal then, the Chinese restaurant? Somebody was saying in my blog yesterday that all eateries at hotels must be halal, no pork. Not true, of course.
ReplyDeleteI guess its too porky for me but i'd love to try that hokkien noodles though :D
ReplyDeleteGood food, I love the roast pig.... Yummy.
ReplyDeleteHotels have a choice, and they will label a place as halal or not. Hudud hasn't been implemented on food yet!
ReplyDelete