Happily I trotted into Checkers Cafe for their Chinese New Year set menu preview last week. I have an inclination of basing my anticipation of the next review from my previous experience; and since I was suitable impressed with the ramadan buffet last year, I was naturally; of high expectations for their Chinese New Year menu.
Below: Gong Xi Gong Xi!! greetsDorsett Regencys signature giant muffins; all adorned in CNY prosperity hues of gold & red.
Dorsett Regencys only F & B outlet; Checkers Cafoffers a slightly out of the norm option from the traditional 8 course set dinner for 2012.
Instead of a sit down, course by course Chinese cuisine,Checkers Cafpresents a series of value-added CNY themed buffets; both ideal for big groups and small, cosy gatherings.
22ndJanuary 2012
Price:RM108.00++ per person
Gong Xi Fa Cai New Year Brunch23rd & 24thJanuary 2012.
12.00 noon to 4.00 pm
Price: RM75.00++ per person
Joy & Luck Buffet LunchMonday to Friday
25th to 31stJanuary 2012
2nd to 5thFebruary 2012
Price: RM75.00++ per person
Prosperity Buffet DinnerMonday to Friday
23rd to 31stJanuary 2012
1st February to 6thFebruary 2012
Price: RM85.00++ per person
No mor! e worrie s of not having enough pax for a set course of 8-10, and no more pondering for hours picking the best set dinner for everyone.
Concerns such as Does Andrew eat sea cucumber? , I think Jane is allergic to broccoli, Hmmm..I like this set but the fish is done sweet and sour instead of in soy sauce ceased to exist as buffets offers something suitable for even the fussiest of eaters.
The best part of the buffet at Checkers Caf?
Traditional ubiquitous items such as Yee Sang,Braised Sea Cucumber and Mushroom,Chinese Fried Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaves andStir Fried Dry Oyster with Fatt Choy shares the spread with everyones favourite of smoked salmon, Japanese sushi and sashimi, cold station with its abundance of oysters and mussels and the fact that EVERYTHING comes in unlimited portions for ONE price!!
A good deal? You bet.
Heres an example menu of the buffet:
REUNION DINNER MENU @ CHECKERS CAF
SALMON YEE SANG SALAD
Yee Sang with Crackers and Salmon Fillet
*The plum sauce was a specialty of the chef
Roasted Duck Breast Glazed with Honey Dressing (cold)
Roasted Chinese-style Duck, Chicken and Chinese bun
CAESAR SALAD
Toss Romaine Lettuce with Caesar dressing with choice of
Crispy Beef Bacon, Shave Parmesan Cheese, Crouton, Garlic Confit, Anchovy and Lemon Wedge
BREAD
Assorted homemade breads
COLD PLATTER SELECTION
River Smoked Salmon with Lemon Dressing
Roasted Chicken and Gherkin
APPETIZER
Sweet Corn Salad, Mexican Corn Salad, Oyster Mushroom and Green
German Potato Salad, Green Bean, Nicoise Salad, Tomato, Yoghurt Cucumber, Hummus
Babaganoush, Tauboleh Salad, Garden Green, Asian Spicy Thai Beef Salad
DRESSING AND CONDIMENTS (COLD)
Thousand Island, French Dressing, Herb Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Italian Dressing
DEEP BLUE SEAFOOD ON ICE WITH CONDIMENTS (COLD)
Oyster, Green Mussel, Tiger Prawn
Lemon Juice, Cocktail Sauce, Shallot Dressing and Lime Dressing
SOUP ON BUFFET
Hot & Sour Soup, Seafood and Sharks Fin Soup
ACTION COUNTER
Chicken Rice Roasted and steamed chicken
Waffle Ala minute
maple syrup, Fruit Salad, Whipped Cream (topping)
Icing Sugar, Cinnamon Sugar
HOT DISHES
Roasted Lamb Leg,
Salmon Confit with Poached Egg
Kari Ayam Berkentang
Pan Fried Cod Fillet with Cod Caviar
Sauted Vegetable with Fish Maw
Braised Sea Cucumber and Mushroom
Nian- nian You yu- Steamed Sea Bass
Buddhas Delight Braised Mixed Vegetables
Lucky Chicken Golden Roasted Chicken
Deep Fried Prawn with Oats
Chinese Fried Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leave
Stir Fried Dry Oyster with Fatt Choy
Braised Chinese cabbage with Dried Scallops and Fish Paste
Fried Wanton Mee with Shitake Mushroom & Seafood
Cantonese Fried Rice
Malaysian Hawkers fare
NOODLE SOUP OF THE DAY
Curry Mee
SATAY CORNER
Charcoal-grilled chicken, beef, lamb satay served with
rice cakes, cucumber, onions, pineapple & peanut sauce
Japanese Corner
SUSHI DELI CORNER
Maguro & salmon sushi, baby octopus & unagi sashimi,
Futomaki Rice Rolls with Prawns & Vegetables
California Rolls with Avocado & Cucumber
served with kikoman, wasabi & pickles radish
F RUITS
Watermelon, honeydew, papaya, pineapple
dragon fruit and jack fruit with asam powder
DESSERT
Orange Brulee Tartlet, Strawberry Fantasy, Ginger Cream Caramel,
Panna Cotta, Mango Smoothness, Profiterole, Chocolate Baked Cheese, Tutti fruity & Tiramisu
Assorted Malay Kuih, French Pastries, Chinese New Year Cookies
Fried Nian Kao, Golden Sesame Balls
ICE CREAM COUNTER
Macadamia, pistachio, almond, walnut, chocolate chips, peanut, apricot with
Chocolate, vanilla, raspberry & strawberry sauce served with waffle
Chocolate fountains
HOT DESSERT
Rice Pudding, Bread and Butter Pudding
HOT BEVERAGES
Coffee & tea
***********************************************
I didnt sample the whole buffet that night but was pampered insteadwith selected dishes from the kitchen. The Yee Sang was lou-ed(the customary act of tossing contents of the yee sang dish high in the air) and dinner commenced shortly after.
Below: Shark Fin Soup.Dried scallops, crabmeat, and assorted seafood in a light, flavourful broth with generous amount of sharkfin.
For those sensitive to eating shark fins, you can opt for it to omitted as the prized fins were only added into the soup prior to serving. Here, I must extend my praise to the Chef for a flavourful soup which was neither starchy nor too thin in consistency.
Sipping the soup, I eagerly scannedthrough the menu for the night, wonder! ing what else is in store for my stomach. My eyes were immediately reverted on the keywords lamb, cod and a interesting fried rice with ginger & salted egg yolk dish.
Finally, I thought with a sigh of elation theres something out of ordinary tonight! Yes, Im not a hardcore traditionalist and I prefer my tradition food with a twist if possible.
Pan Fried Lamb Rack with Chef Special Sauce.
Happily enough, the lamb was perfectly pink, charred nicely for a smoky flavour & well seasoned with the chefs special sauce. One of the best dish I had in my series of CNY reviews this year for sure.
There was a few grumbles around that the Chicken in Herb wasnt anything great.
I, however beg to differ as Im on opinion that the Chef has shown considerable skill in poaching the chicken. The bird retained a firm yet tender bite. I thought the dish shone in its overall simplicity.
It could be that Im partial to herb infused dishes and thus I appreciated the chicken which was infused right to the bone with flavours of the herbs.
Or, I had way too many mediocre chicken rice where the chicken is tasteless and tough as hell hence this was like hitting the jackpot! LOL!
Another dish I enjoyed was the cod fish.Though Im never a fan of fried fish; since I prefer my seafood as lightly prepared as possible to avoid masking its natural flavours, the Deep Fried Cod Fish was delish.
The flaky fish was as fresh as it should be, lightly battered and fried prior to being doused in Chefs superior soy sauce. The fish has not died in vain for sure. :)
Since the lamb and cod were served, my focus was on The Fried Rice with Ginger and Egg Yolk. The Braised Sea Cucumber and Deep Fried Prawns came and went, of which I neither noticed nor heard any complains about it. I trust both were satisfactory.
The much awaited (for me at least) Frie! d Rice f inally made its appearance. Its pale and unadorned appearance elicited some remarks from the table. I, however, just wished they get their pictures taken quick and leave me to dig in.
Verdict?
My fellow diners said it was a bit of a let-downdue to the lack of wok hei. The egg yolk flavour was a tad light and we certainly couldnt detect any ginger. Personally I liked it and thats not surprisingly cos I have a tendency to prefer my fried carbs (noodles or rice) to be very lightly fried, non-greasy and midly seasoned.
Its ok Chef , the rest might not be in favour of your fried rice but I think a bit more time on the wok and additional egg yolks will do the trick! :)
Finally we got to dessert at 10pm. I was about to pass out from exhaustion but was given a sugar boost from the sweet red bean sesame balls & homemade nian kao. The latter was very homely, and obviously not commercially made. The red bean paste had theperfect texture;not too coarse nor too smooth like puree. All desserts served had acceptable sweetness levels.
All in all, I would confidently recommend the food here at Checkers Cafe. The ramadan buffet I had last yearwas good and pricing-wise much reasonable compared to the other hotels in the vicinity of KL. Likewise, the Chinese Chef Lai has shown much aptitude in his craft of Chinese cooking, apparent in his homemade nian kou, poached ch! icken, l amb rack and the red bean paste. Though Dorsett Regency has only one F & B outlet, the kitchen team doesnt cut corners and order their Malay kuih and desserts (in this case the nian kou as well) from a supplier. I find little details like this important; as it showcases the kitchens ability and pride in preparing the best food they could.
I have dined at many hotels, most with larger team of cooks and bigger names with numerous outlets which includes a dedicated Chinese restaurant and found that most ready made items are sourced from suppliers.
So do head over to Dorsett Regency this Chinese New Year and sample their buffets. Prices are as follows:
ReunionBuffet Dinner22ndJanuary 2012
RM108.00++ per person
38% off for my readers = RM66.96++
Gong Xi Fa Cai New Year Brunch23rd& 24thJanuary 2012.
12.00 noon to 4.00 pm
Price: RM75.00++ per person
38% off for my readers = RM46.50++
Joy & Luck Buffet LunchMonday to Friday
25thto 31stJanuary 2012
2ndto 5thFebruary 2012
Price: RM75.00++ per person
38% off for my readers = RM46.50++
Prosperity Buffet DinnerMonday to Friday
23rdto 31stJanuary 2012
1stFebruary to 6thFebruary 2012
Price: RM85.00++ per person
38% off for my readers = RM52.70++
- 50% discount for children be! tween th e ages of 4 to 12 and senior citizens of 55 years old and above.
- Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge and 6% government tax.
- 38% discount for RebeccaSaws blog readers (referral name must be quoted when making table reservation, so do say Rebecca Saw when you make your bookings!! :) ).
Heres the special link for you to make an online table reservation:http://dorsettregency.com/CNY-RebeccaSaw.
I assure you that I do not make any commission from this. LOL. I didnt even know the hotel management was going to extend this offer till the next day when they emailed me about it.
So yea, either make an online book as per the link above or call:
+603 2716 1000 extension 188.
Remember, Say my name, say my name!! (Sings to Destinay Childs song) LOL!
If you have any issues or queries, drop me a comment here and Ill try sort it out for you. Gong Xi Gong Xi! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment