Saturday June 27, 2009

Courting temptations

By ALICE CHING

If you can devour Chef Ho Boon’s 88 specialities in one sitting at Celestial Court, you need only pay RM1 for each dish.

Necessity is truly the mother of invention. The current economic downturn has spurred restaurants and chefs to find novel ways of attracting customers, and it’s no different at the Celestial Court, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur.

In fact, this fine dining restaurant has decided to give diners their money’s worth — by tempting them with 88 different dishes for dinner at only RM88.

Hong Kong-style Barbecued Duck.

So what’s the catch? Well, you’d have to finish all 88 items in one sitting.

“Our aim is to help diners stretch their ringgit further,” says Irene Chia, director of sales and marketing for Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur.

“Any food lover who can eat all the 88 dishes prepared by Chef Ho Boon need only pay RM1 for each dish! You can really eat your fill for just RM88.”

It would take some doing, though, to polish off 88 dishes.

“I actually had a list of 120 dishes,” Chef Ho Boon reveals, “but we decided on 88 as we believe it’s a lucky number that sounds catchy and will attract more customers. Our varied menu covers a good selection of classic home-style delights and regional Chinese delicacies to please every palate.”

All dishes are cooked to order.

“You can’t fool diners as they can quickly discern if you’re taking short cuts. Chinese food tastes best when it’s freshly cooked and comes piping hot to the table. Since the necessary ingredients are already prepared ahead of time, my team and I only need 10-15 minutes to cook anything you pick from the menu. We usually recommend that diners order small or medium servings so that they can savour as many dishes as possible.”

One way of deriving maximum enjoyment is to be selective with what you want to order. Start with the restaurant’s signature specials. Notable recommendations include Hong Kong-style Barbecued Duck, Marinated Abalone Top Shell, Double-boiled Chicken Soup with Assorted Mushroom, Steamed Fish with Ginger and Wolfberries and Sautéed Sliced Beef with Bitter Gourd and Black Bean Sauce.

The barbecued duck deserves special mention as the tender and juicy meat’s natural gamey flavour is tempered nicely by the enticing aroma and accent of five-spice powder.

Those yearning for simple, hearty Hakka and Teochew home-style fare reminiscent of mother’s cooking should consider rustic offerings like Braised Eggplant with Minced Chicken, Sautéed Chicken Fillet with Shredded Ginger and Black Fungus in Sesame Sauce, Stir-fried Beef with Luffa and Fungus, Sautéed Squid with Belacan (shrimp paste) and Stewed Beancurd with Diced Chicken and Salted Fish among others.

“These homely dishes have enduring appeal,” says Chef Ho Boon. “They’re best eaten with white rice but diners can always request plain porridge if they like.”

Their piquant and robust Sichuanese and Shanghainese creations include Stewed Spicy Ma Po Beancurd with Minced Chicken, Marinated Jelly Fish with Shallot Oil, Hot and Sour Chicken Soup, Sautéed Shrimps with Leek in Hot Bean Sauce and Pan-fried Chicken with Sichuan Sauce.

Aside from seafood and meat, Celestial Court is also offering several healthy beancurd and vegetable dishes such as Stir-fried Assorted Vegetables with Celery and Lotus Root, Braised Mushroom with Egg Beancurd and Vegetable, Sautéed Dried Bean Curd with Chilli and Vegetable, Shanghai-style Assorted Vegetable, Braised Mixed Vegetables with Nan-yu (preserved beancurd) Sauce and Stir-fried Asparagus with Spicy Bean Sauce. This is to ensure that diners enjoy a balanced meal.

Don’t forget to leave tummy space for Chef Ho’s delicious fried rice. Out of the eight variations, we can vouch for the Fried Rice with Salted Fish and Anchovies, Fried Rice with Diced Chicken and Belacan, and Fried Rice with Diced Grouper and Minced Garlic. Otherwise, cap off your lavish feast with Chilled Sago Cream with Mixed Fruits, Chilled Almond Beancurd with Longan, Mango Pudding, or Sea Coconut with White Fungus for dessert.

With its plush and elegant setting, Celestial Court is indeed a fitting stage for grand indulgences. Consult restaurant manager Chon Wai Ling and her friendly service team for helpful suggestions should you find it hard to decide on what or how much to order.

> The Celestial Court’s All-You-Can-Eat promotion priced at RM88++ per person is available nightly for dinner from 6.30pm to 10.30pm.

CELESTIAL COURT (pork-free)

3rd Floor Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Sultan Ismail

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 2717 9900

Fax: 2717 9999