Ang with the steamed empurau at Ming Ren Xuan restaurant in Avenue K Mall in Kuala Lumpur.
A CANTONESE restaurant that has been listed in the Malaysia Book of Records for serving the most empurau (Tor tambroides) in a year will be featuring the freshwater fish to celebrate its fifth anniversary.
Until the end of the year, Ming Ren Xuan at Avenue K mall in Kuala Lumpur is offering a seven-course menu called “Wild Empurau Enchantment”.
The star item here is the steamed wild empurau, which, according to the restaurant’s managing director Datuk Seri Alvin Ang, is caught from the upstream areas of Sungai Rajang in Sarawak.
“You can only find this fish in the cleanest river waters which flow deep in the jungle.
“This explains the fish’s clear, sweet, oily notes. One way to identify an empurau is to look under its mouth and locate the dewlap (fold of loose skin),” said Ang.
The fish is served steamed and garnished with fresh coriander leaves, scallions and ginger.
Ming Ren Xuan executive chef Willis Phua uses ash tangerine that has been aged 10 years, in the sauce to give it a subtle, citrusy note.
Empurau has earned the reputation of being one of the most expensive freshwater fish species, so it is inevitable that every order will be prepared meticulously, said Phua.
“Walk-in orders are not encouraged. We prefer reservations to be done a day in advance so that we can thaw the fish slowly and preserve the silky texture of its flesh.
“Only demi chefs or those ranked higher are allowed to prepare the fish.
Double-boiled soup of morel mushroom with baby cabbage.
“Throughout the 25 minutes of steaming, the fish is constantly checked,” he said.
While it is entirely up to the customer to decide the preparation style, he highly recommends that the empurau be steamed to preserve its natural flavours.
Phua said connoisseurs had told him how they were able to detect fruity notes in the fish, as it is known for feeding on riverine fruits which are known in Sarawak as ara, dabai, ensurai, engkabang and kepayang.
“The unique part about the empurau diet is that these fruits would have gone through a fermentation process in river water.
“When they pass through the digestive system of the fish, they go through another stage of fermentation. This explains the subtle fruity notes in its flesh,” the chef explained.
As the empurau is a seasonal fish, the last few months of the year is the best time for consumption, he added.
At Ming Ren Xuan, the special menu starts with a combination platter.
It features a ball of cuttlefish paste with water chestnut which has been stuffed into the lacy skirt of a bamboo pith.
Braised Chilean abalone with pork belly braised in rice wine.
Interestingly, the latter is a mushroom that is also commonly known as “bridal veil”.
The amuse bouche sits in a dainty Chinese sauce dish filled with an earthy truffle sauce.
It is accompanied by an almond-flaked golden prawn ball with a foie gras centre.
A double-boiled morel mushroom with baby cabbage broth can be found in the soup section.
We were told that it had taken the kitchen team no less than eight hours to concoct the superior stock that forms the base of this dish.
Its natural sweetness is purely derived from the baby cabbage, not the result of additional flavouring.
There are two mains to look forward to. One is a soft, velvety pork belly cube which has been braised in dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, giving the dish a distinct rosy fragrance.
A Chilean abalone, the size of an old 50sen coin (2.5cm circumference), sits atop the pork belly as garnish.
Coconut pudding with gula melaka flakes and a black sesame puff made to resemble a blooming peony.
The other is a porridge of fragrant rice which sits in a superior chicken stock, topped with empurau tail.
The rice is baked in an oven till it puffs up and is only mixed just before serving, so diners can feel the crunch in their mouths.
Dessert is coconut pudding with gula melaka flakes. This comes with a black sesame puff that has been made to resemble a peony flower.
Diners who join the restaurant’s free membership programme are eligible for a free Peking duck, discounts as well as a RM50 reward when they refer their friends.
Prices for the “Wild Empurau Enchantment” menu start from RM2,088 for members and RM2,288 for non- members.
MING REN XUAN, Avenue K, L3-5, 156 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 012-688 1646). Business hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10pm. Restaurant opens at 10.30am on weekends.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
