Fresh from Guangzhou
7 April, 2018
For the next two weeks, chefs Guo
Deigo and Liao Jin Shuang from Hilton Guangzhou have taken over the kitchen at
Toh Yuen in Hilton Petaling Jaya. They bring with them years of experience
in China’s Cantonese cuisine. Guangzhou is said to be the birthplace of
Cantonese cuisine, one of China’s top
four cuisines.
According to
the duo, Cantonese cuisine is characterised by ching (clear)
flavours, depending largely on the four seasons for choice of ingredients. Unfortunately, they add, some of the
seasonal ingredients are not available over here in Malaysia, so they have to
use close substitutes.
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| Burdock With Mango Sauce |
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| Guava In Plum Sauce |
Our little media group start with
two appetisers. There’s Guava In Plum Sauce (RM28), reminiscent of how we eat
crunchy, freshly cut guava with a sprinkle of sour plum powder. But I prefer
the guava here which has a softer texture and the plum sauce is not heavily
laced with salt.
Chinese Burdock Yam With Mango Sauce
(RM38) is definitely a first for me as it’s usually made into soup or braised.
The fingers of snow-white burdock root are mild in flavour and slightly slimy
in texture.
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Braised Shredded Roasted Duck,
Bamboo Shoot & Mushroom Soup
|
The chefs offer three types of soup;
we have Braised Shredded Roasted Duck, Bamboo Shoot & Mushroom Soup (RM38).
I am surprised that the soup has been thickened instead of the light variety.
 |
Smoked Hainanese Chicken With Dragon
Well Tea
|
There are nine main dishes in the Guangzhou menu. My favourite has to be Smoked Hainanese Chicken with Dragon Well Green Tea Flavour (RM88/half;
RM138/whole). The free range chicken is
first braised and then smoked with Dragon Well (longjing) green tea. Then a
sauce infused with tea leaves is poured over it and crispy, deepfried tea
leaves sprinkled on top.
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Deepfried Scallop & Shrimp-Squid
Paste
|
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| Deepfried Seafood Roll In Rice Paper |
Scallop & Shrimp-Squid paste
(RM88/8pcs) is enveloped with kataifi pastry and deepfried to a
crisp, golden brown. The sweet juiciness of the seafood is most appetising.
I far prefer this to Deepfried
Seafood Roll In Rice Paper (RM58/8pcs). Looking like sausages, the seafood
rolls are breaded and deepfried, a cooking method that the two chefs seem to
favour.
However, the taste of seafood is a
bit lost as the finely chopped prawn and scallop are combined with chopped
celery, carrot and mayonnaise.
 |
Deepfried Mandarin Fish Flower In
Sweet And Sour Sauce
|
Seafood seems to be the forte of the
two chefs and naturally, we get a taste of Guangzhou’s famous squirrel-shaped
fish. Deepfried Mandarin Fish Flower In Sweet And Sour Sauce (RM33/100g) is
easy to eat. Deboned (which makes it great for young ones) and scored, the process of deepfrying results in a fillet
that’s pretty as a picture. The sweet and sour sauce, I’m happy to note, does
not threaten to overwhelm the sweetness of the fish.
 |
| Braised Fish (song yue) Head With Garlic & Tofu |
In contrast, Braised Fish Head With
Garlic & Tofu (RM68) in claypot is not recommended for families with small
children. Not only does the song yue have a slight muddy flavour but it also has plenty
of fine, Y-shaped bones that can cause a nasty stuck-in-the-throat incident if you’re
distracted momentarily.
The flavour of the sauce, perked up
with whole cloves of garlic, sliced ginger and a small dose of finely chopped
chilli, is delicious though.
 |
| Supreme Stirfried Assorted Seafood Rice |
Supreme Stirfried Assorted Seafood
Rice (RM48) is another dish I cannot get enough of. Not only is it not oily but
it has big chunks of fresh, crunchy prawn, bits of dried scallop, chopped squid
ball and scallions which come together in a riot of flavours. A generous scoop
of tobiko (flying fish roe) on top gives it an added oomph.
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| Pumpkin, Taro & Barley (left) and Mango Coconut Milk Sweet Soup |
Dessert is Pumpkin, Taro & Barley In Claypot (RM38),
a poor cousin of our local bubur cha cha. Mango Coconut Milk Sweet Soup (RM18)
with small cubes of fresh mango added, is more like a drink. No wonder it is
served in a tall cocktail glass. Sadly, I would have gladly given both a miss.
Toh Yuen Chinese Restaurant
(halal)
Hilton Petaling Jaya
2
Jalan Barat, Petaling Jaya Selangor
Malaysia
Tel:
+603-7955 9122
Website: petaling-jaya.hilton.com
PROMOTION
Best Of Guangzhou
April 5-21, 2018
OPERATING HOURS
Monday to Saturday: Lunch Noon to
2.30pm; Dinner 7pm to 10.30pm
Sunday: Lunch 11.30am to 2.30pm;
Dinner 7pm to 10.30pm
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