Savor Authentic
Northern and Southern Nyonya Feast by Chef Debbie Teoh
If you had read my previous posts here
and here, you would know how much I love Chef
Debbie Teoh’s dishes. A true blue Nyonya, this petite chef wears many hats
among her repertoire for serving up some of the best authentic Northern and
Southern Nyonya cuisine. Now Debbie do not own any restaurants but she does have
her own catering services so it’s not easy to be able to savor her dishes on a
daily basis.
The good news is that PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur is proud to
welcome Chef Debbie Teoh back to Chatz Brasserie with her authentic Nyonya
feast through a buffet dinner on each Friday and Saturday from 5 September
to 12 October, 2014. That’s not all, there is even a High Tea on each
Saturday and Sunday available together with a Sunday Cooking Class with Chef Debbie!
It’s the perfect moment to catch a
taste of the talented Chef Debbie’s
Nyonya cuisine if you still haven’t had one. Chef Debbie is set to whip up
an unforgettable Nyonya spread from her repertoire of Nyonya dishes perfected
through her 17 years of experience in the food industry. Born to a Baba from
Malacca and a Nyonya from Penang, Chef Debbie’s heritage allows her to master
both Northern and Southern Nyonya dishes to a tee. She also has a long list of
other talents that include foodie, author, food stylist, ambassador for the
Nyonya cuisine and culture, food catering business and is a Nyonya Food
Consultant for Tourism Malaysia.
Here’s a delicious sneak peek at the
offerings available at the ‘Best of
Malaysia: Nyonya Cuisine by Chef Debbie Teoh’ buffets and Hi-Teas.
Kick start the feast with Chef Debbie’s signature Hu Pio Soup filled with delicious
homemade prawn balls cooked in a chicken stock and laden with the luxurious
fish maw. I have tasted this soup a few times and each time is always as good
as the one before. Sweet and earthy, the soup is savored in many Nyonya
households, especially during festive seasons.
Nasi Ulam, a dish that calls for intricate and fine
knife skills, is simply a must-have! Debbie’s Nasi Ulam is studded and spiced
up with many ingredients that lend the rice salad the oomph. Did I mentioned
that Chef Debbie believes in staying true to her Nyonya roots and still does
all the cutting and shredding by hand? Well its fairly obvious as her Nasi Ulam
is specked and spiked with all the finely shredded herbs, spices and other
essential pounded dried ingredients like dried shrimp and salted fish. It is
also spicy from the bird eye chilies and will definitely whet your appetite for
more…
A Nyonya feast would not be complete
without the classic Ju Hu Char. All
the ingredients in this popular dish are still hand cut to achieve the true
flavour and texture of the Ju Hu Char. The vegetable is perfect with rice or
crispy fresh lettuce and a dollop of pungent Sambal Belachan.
The Nyonyas are famous for their
kerabu salads. This comes from the influence of the Malay heritage in the
Nyonya. At Chef Debbie’s Nyonya feast, one can savor the Kerabu Jantung Pisang with Prawns among other kerabu salads. It’s
really unique and features the heart of the palm from the banana tree which is
mixed with fresh shallots and a spicy kerabu dressing with a coconut milk
based. Prawns are added for extra deliciousness!
The next three main dishes are usually
savored with rice. These dishes are thoroughly complex and require many
elements of spices and herbs to achieve a unity of balance in flavours. Ayam Buah Keluak may not be everyone’s
cup of tea but it is certainly mine. This dish calls for the distinctive Buah
Keluak, a type of black nut that is poisonous. This nut is made edible by
fermentation and so it has to be treated properly for cooking and takes weeks
in advance for preparation.
Chef Debbie’s
Ayam Buah Keluak is marvelous. A
complex curry that is made unique from the buah
keluak, I kept taking the black nuts and scooping out the keluak paste to
be mixed with the curry. The intense nutty notes with an aniseed flavour and
aroma takes some getting used too for some so one will either love this or hate
this nut. Chef Debbie’s Ayam Buah Keluak
is gorgeously thick and spiced up so make sure to at least try this if you see
it at the buffet.
Melaka Ayam
Pongteh is another dish that often appears in
many Nyonya households on a daily basis. The dish calls for slow braising of
chicken, potato and mushroom in a bean paste sauce with some spices. Our Melaka
Ayam Pongteh was creamy and rich with a savory nutty flavour. The tender
chicken and potato stew is comfort food at its best.
Lemak Nenas Ikan
Sepat is definitely a curry that hails from
the Malay side of the heritage as I have often seen this curry in many Malay
stalls. Chef Debbie makes a mean version of this as the balance of the spices
in the curry is boldly seasoned with the saltiness of the salted Ikan Sepat and brightened up with the
tangy flavours of the pineapple. So one gets lemak, salty and fruity sweetness
all in one taste.
Other delicious dishes to look out for
are Fish Tempra, Lemak Udang Nenas,
Telur Cincalok, Nasi Kunyit with Chicken Curry and Sambal Kiam Hu, Melaka Laksa
Lemak, Gulai Kiam Hu, Ayam Kapitan, Pai Tee, Geram Asam, Itek Tim and Lemak Sukun.
The next two dishes are not part of
the buffet but can be ordered a la carte for additional price. These are the
almost gone classics that are difficult to order these days as it requires lots
of work and special ingredients. I must say though that you should order these
to try as both dishes are practically non-existence in many Nyonya restaurants
now. I am talking about Chef Debbie’s Pais
Buah Keluak and Gulai Perut Ikan.
Pais Buah Keluak resembles the Nyonya Otak Otak texture, a
steamed spiced up fish mousse. This one is spiced up with the creamy buah
keluak and fish paste. Steamed in banana leave, the aroma and flavours are tantalizing
and very moreish. It is pretty strong in flavours of the black nut so it may
take some getting used to at first bite. Nevertheless, the Pais Buah Keluak is pretty much a yummy exotic dish in my books!
It is available as an a la carte order at Rm30 nett for two pieces.
The Gulai Ikan Perut is my favorite of the night! Another dish that
make use of fish stomach pickled and brine before being cooked in a tamarind
based sauce, the Gulai Ikan Perut is
also slowing showing up less and less in the Nyonya restaurants these days. It’s
a lot of effort for selecting the herbs and cutting them and takes days in advance
to make due to the fish stomach.
Cooked with pineapples, eggplant and lots of
various herbs, all these ingredients will be cooked slowly to imbue the fish
stomach and tamarind sauce. Chef Debbie’s
Gulai Ikan Perut evokes a harmony of complex flavours of savory, sour and
sweet with a unique herb aroma. This dish will have one refilling their rice simply
just to savor this heavenly concoction. It is priced at RM35 nett per bowl,
inclusive of steamed rice.
Chef Debbie’s Nyonya desserts are
always so good! I can still remember how awesome her Seri Muka with Yam was two years ago. This year, her Rempah Udang, Talam Chendol and Kuih Kosui is just equally as
delicious. The petite Rempah Udang
is so flavourful and pretty. Talam
Chendol is creamy with a very delectable layer of the rich Gula Melaka. Her Kuih Kosui has such a bouncy QQ texture and is not overly sweet,
perfect with the layer of fresh grated coconut. Make sure to save room for her
Nyonya kuihs!
The Buffet Dinner is available on
Friday and Saturday from 6.30pm to 10.30pm, priced at RM125 nett per adult and
RM62.50 nett per child. Diners may enjoy this promotion at a promotional rate
of RM85 nett per person from 5 September to 12 October. During the weekends,
Hi-Tea is available on Saturday and Sunday from 12.30pm to 4.00pm. Hi-Tea is
priced at RM78 nett per adult and RM39 nett per child. Diners will also have
the privilege to enjoy complimentary Nyonya cuisine cooking classes before Hi-Tea
commences with prior reservations.
Prior reservation is required for ‘Best
of Malaysia: Nyonya Cuisine by Chef Debbie Teoh’. For reservations or
enquiries, please call 03 2147 0088 or email chatz.prkul@parkroyalhotels.com
CHATZ BRASSERIE
PARKROYAL KUALA LUMPUR
Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2147 0088
50250 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2147 0088
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Parkroyalkualalumpur
*More pictures in
my Facebook: ChasingFoodDreams
Wish I were in KL. Would surely go and enjoy everything! I love peranakan/nyonya...A LOT!!!
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