Of hairy crabs and an Iberico pig

Braised noodles with hairy crabmeat and roe... sinfully good. Pictures by Eu Hooi Khaw

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 I did not have much use for cutlery at my most recent meal at Chef Choi. It had started with steamed hairy crabs that demanded more than the inefficient use of a small fork.

There was the crushing and tearing with the fingers and teeth, picking out the super sweet and delicious bits, the slurping up of the velvety, almost liquid roe that tasted like half-boiled egg yolk, but infinitely better, and finally the clean pulling of meat from the crab legs.

The hairy crabs with their luscious roe.

The satisfying, messy eating over, I loved the warming ginger tea that followed and had my cup refilled. The hairy crabs appeared again towards the end of the meal in the Braised Ee Fu Noodles with Hairy Crabmeat. These were noodles with the roe clinging to each strand, and the crabmeat infusing them with its sweetness. The roe of three crabs had gone into frying these noodles.

The hairy crab season ends about December 15, so theres not much time left to enjoy them.

Chef Choi now has the Iberico pig on its menu. The acorn-chomping black pig from Spain is much prized for its meat, and we got to taste how good it is with first the BBQ Iberico Suckling Pig.

The skin was crispy, but for once the incredible taste of the meat with very little fat overshadowed it. Every bite was so tender, moist and bursting with flavour. It didnt need five-spice salt or the plum sauce that Chinese love to serve suckling pig with.

Sweet and sour pork... the luxe version with Iberico pork.

The BBQ Iberico Sho! rt Ribs had this aromatic whiff as it was brought near us. The ribs had only been rubbed with salt and pepper before the grilling. The meat fell off the bone, with bits of tendon sticking to it, which made the eating so much more enjoyable.

You would have thought it sacrilegious to mince Iberico pork with waterchestnut, and steam it in a classic home-style dish. But no, the meat turned out super smooth and creamy, and oh so lovely with the sweet crunch of juicy, chopped waterchestnuts.

It looks and cuts like butter, someone remarked. This was also when a request for rice went out, all the better to spoon the sauce of the minced pork over and consume with relish.

Roast pigeon... a must try at Chef Choi.

It was exactly as what chef-owner Chan Tai Seng had said in the middle of dinner: Its a taste adventure, in the casino concept of different food in the same restaurant. A meal in Chef Choi is not a meal but an experience!

And he followed these words by serving us Roast Pigeon next. It was just so yummy the skin paper-thin and crispy, the aroma of rose wine in its marinade so evident. Again, the fingers did the work, leaving the bones clean.

Then it was back to Iberico pork again, this time slivers of the top loin, the fatty part, flash fried to get rid of the fat, and tossed with asparagus in XO sauce thats generous with dried scallop. Wow we went again on tasting.

There was then a diversion, from the short and fat green pea shoots fried with garlic, and even this drew appreciation for being so green, crunchy and sweet.

Red bean broth with 18-year-old mandarin peel... superb.

The restaurant strangely (in view of all the meat dishes we had) is known for its Sweet and Sour Vegetarian Pork (or go lou yook). It has somethin! g to do with the finely balanced sweet and sour sauce, and the sticky but not floury texture of the deepfried meat, that has a delightfully springy bite.

The dinner hit a climactic crescendo with the Sweet Red Bean Paste with 18-year-old mandarin peel. The peel has been aged like a good wine but it hits its peak at that age. Theres also 80-year-old mandarin peel, but its paper-thin, with no scent and used for medicinal purposes, said Tai Seng.

No sugar had been added to the red bean, just dried longan, all blended to a silky broth. The fragrance of the peel wafts up as you drink it, giving a slight citrusy zing. After two spoonfuls I waited to catch the flavours slowly developing and evolving on my palate. It was a fitting end to a dinner of diverse experiences.

Chef Choi is located at 159 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur (Tel: 03-2163-5866). The website is www.chefchoi.com.

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