Chefs preparing the yee sang for guests to toss. — Photos: CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
THOSE wanting to enjoy a Chinese New Year meal beyond Kuala Lumpur’s limits might consider the creative flair found in Putrajaya.
The Le Mei Chinese Restaurant at Le Meridien Putrajaya is featuring its Chinese New Year menus promising an indulgent culinary experience for diners.
Deviating from traditional Chinese dishes, the spotlight of the menu shines on the Wok-Fried Australian Lamb Racks with Black Truffle and Black Pepper Sauce.
While not a typical Chinese dish, Le Mei executive chef Lim Kian Meng, who curated our six-course meal, provided insight into the creative inspiration behind this unique choice.
He said in Mandarin, the word for lamb is “yang” which resonates with the phrase “si yang yang”, translating to mean “four joyful sheeps”.
His intention is to evoke a sense of joy among customers.
“The black pepper sauce for the lamb is boiled with chicken and lamb bones, together with celery and carrot, extracting the distinctive taste of each ingredient for a bolder taste,” said Lim.
Using black truffles enhances the dish’s umami taste which is dominantly savoury due to the lamb and aromatic pepper.
When combined, the ingredients harmonise like a delightful melody, delivering a medley of flavours.
For appetiser, there is the Double-boiled Silkie Fowl Soup with dried scallops, dendrobium, and American ginseng.
The appetiser’s bold flavours, derived from the ginseng, woke up my senses.
It did a great job clearing up the palate and getting me ready for the next course.
The Le Mei Chinese Restaurant at Le Meridien Putrajaya features unique CNY dishes on its menu.
The third course was Braised Whole Abalone with Fish Maw and Goose Web in premier oyster sauce.
I had to try it when I learned it was a rare dish not always found on a Lunar New Year menu.
Each of the three main ingredients in the dish offers a different and distinct texture – the fish maw was tender, the abalone was chewy while the goose web offered a stringy texture.
Despite the variations in texture, they all paired well with the tasty oyster sauce.
After the lamb, the delectable Fried Organic Brown Rice with Quinoa, Seafood, and Sakura Shrimp charmed the palate.
Braised Whole Abalone with Fish Maw and Goose Web in Premier Oyster Sauce.
The chef skillfully conveyed the flavours, presenting a well-balanced taste in the brown rice with quinoa.
The combination with shrimp offered delightful crunchiness, perfectly complemented by just the right amount of saltiness.
Served as desserts, the Double-boiled Almond Tea Honey Locust Fruit with Snow Fungus and Black Sesame Dumpling is paired with the Deep-fried Crispy Golden Spring Rolls, Glutinous Rice Cake with Yam and Sweet Potato.
The former boasts a sweet and nutty profile, with the honey locust fruit adding a subtle honey-like sweetness, complemented by earthy tones from the snow fungus and almond tea.
The black sesame dumpling, however, enhances the earthy a and nutty flavour, providing a contrast to the overall sweetness.
Salmon Fish, Tosaka Nori Green and Butter Fish Yee Sang.
The Deep-fried Crispy Golden Spring Rolls, Glutinous Rice Cake with Yam and Sweet Potato had a beautiful crunchiness that made this rather enjoyable.
Inside, a blend of chewy glutinous rice cake, creamy richness of yam and natural sweetness of sweet potato creates a rich and diverse combination.
This dessert offered a variety of textures in every bite, making it a delightful and indulgent conclusion to the meal.
Discover the range of traditional, contemporary and fusion dishes at Le Mei until Feb 25.
Every weekend for dinner, visitors at Le Mei will be serenaded by live instrumental and traditional Chinese music.
Fried Organic Brown Rice with Quinoa, Seafood and Sakura Shrimps.
The Splendor and Luxurious set is priced at RM1,590 nett per table of five, which comes with a complimentary bottle of wine.
Be served with the freshest ingredients in Le Mei’s yee sang selections, priced from RM60 nett (medium size) to RM388 nett (large size).
For tables of 10 people, Le Mei offers four set menus priced at RM1,988 nett, RM2,688 nett, RM3,688 nett, and RM3,888 nett.
Le Meridian Putrajaya is also having an acrobatic lion dance performance on the first day of Chinese New Year from noon.
Le Mei Chinese Restaurant,
Lebuh IRC IOI Resort City, 62502 Putrajaya, Selangor.
(Tel: 03 8689 6888 x 6868)
Business hours: Noon to 10.30pm.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
