10 special dishes to mark restaurant's 10th anniversary

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THE Shanghai Restaurant is celebrating its 10th anniversary by offering 10 special dishes that are a mixture of both traditional and modified Shanghainese favourites.

According to master chef Wong Wing Yeuk, some of the dishes, like the pan-fried king prawns with chilli and sour sauce and braised pork marinated with nam yee sauce, are time-tested favourites from Shanghai.

Signature dessert: Served in a whole orange peel, the double-boiled white fungus with papaya is one of the signature dishes available on the promotional menu.

“There are some traditional dishes that I have modified by using ingredients that were not found in Shanghainese cuisine when they were first created,” Wong said.

One such modified dish is the deep-fried cod with foie gras and prawn paste on toast that Wong recommends be eaten hot so as to savour the flavour at its best.

The above-mentioned dishes, along with the fragrant five-grain fried rice with ham and egg, are signature dishes, according to Wong.

“The two desserts – the double-boiled white fungus with papaya and the triple delight that is basically three types of desserts, namely baked water chestnut pastry, chilled mango pastry and chilled coconut cake, are also signature dishes,” Wong said.

The appetiser in this special promotional menu is the chilled Japanese cucumber with pork and shrimp roe while those who like soup can try the double-boiled wild mushroom and ham soup.

Completing the set of 10 dishes are the braised stuffed bean curd with fresh scallop and shrimp roe sauce and the baked cod fish with salt and pepper and coated with rice wine.

Creative chef: Master chef Wong and his team have come up with more than 100 dishes since the restaurant’s inception 10 years ago, and will be adding to that number with some dishes that are available in the outlet’s current promotional menu.

“Because it’s all about the number 10, seeing how we’re celebrating the restaurant’s 10th anniversary, each dish is priced at RM10++ and is available throughout September,” Wong said, adding that after that, the dishes would only be available via advance order.

Wong, who hails from Shanghai, has almost 30 years of experience in the food industry and his culinary skills caught the attention of YTL Group executive chairman Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay 10 years ago.

“Since then, I’ve been part of the team here and together with dim sum chef Kwok Kam Hung, we have come up with more than 100 dishes that showcase the vibrancy and distinctive flavours of Shanghai cuisine,” Wong said.

Likely top choice: Chef Wong believes that the deep-fried cod with foie gras and prawn paste on toast pictured here will be the most popular among the 10 dishes in the promotional menu

Patrons who spend a minimum of RM800 in a single receipt will receive a wine voucher for a bottle of house wine, while those who spend RM1,200 and above will receive a meal voucher worth RM100. The vouchers can be used during their subsequent visit to the restaurant.

Shanghai Restaurant is the only hotel restaurant in the city to specialise in Shanghainese cuisine and has a seating capacity of 120.