We went to Club Chinois for our company Chinese New Year dinner this year. This was my first time there and was really looking forward to being treated to something different since Fusion is their forte that they command to the plate.
Our special menu comprised of:
Bountiful Harvest Hamachi, Japanese Clam and Salmon Yusheng
Club Chinois Crispy Roast Whole Suckling Pig
Braised Superior Shark's Fin with crabmeat and Conpoy in Noble Tanfu Sauce
Steamed "live" Red Garoupa in Chef's Special Mushroom Jus
Braised Sliced Australian Fresh Abalone with Golden Oysters and Shititake Mushroom
Oven-baked Half Tail Lobster with Golden Pumpkin Mayo Sauce
Braised Egg Noodles with Fresh Scallops in X.O. Sauce
Walnut cream with Glutinous Rice Dumplings
The Yusheng was an unusual experience with a Honey Mustard sause twist rather then the usual plum or sweet sauce. The salmon and clam was fresh, but I found this variation a tad too dry and left disappointed without my yu-sheng fix, and craving more so the traditional version.
Any dissatisfaction after the first course quickly dissipated when the suckling pig arrived. This has got to be one to best suckling pigs I have ever had. Very few restaurants are able to achieve such roasting to a perfection. The crispy light roasted skin left an enjoyable crackling sound, and the soft juicy and slightly fatty meat was yummy without any greasy feeling after. Quirky eaters out there will know what I mean when I say that some roast pigs tend to have a "porky" after-taste. This one, had zero after-taste and that alone got me reaching for my third and fourth piece.
While the rest of my co-diners tucked into their shark-fin (cruelty needs zero comments), I took the chance to snap a photo of one of my diner's vegetarian course - tomato soup.
The rest of dinner passed in a blur as we kept being fed with the usual suspects on a CNY menu.
Till the lobster was plated.
This was done in a pumpkin may sauce which tasted very much like cheese. This brought back fond memories of the time my folks used to take us to a seafood place in Penang called "End of the World" where we always had to order the Baked Cheese, Ham and Onion lobster. The flesh was so sweet and the sauce was so creamy and tasty. I would have had a second tail if I wasn't already bursting.
All in all, bravo chefs all around who come up with ingenious concepts and ideas for food pairings!
Club Chinois
#02-18 Orchard Parade Hotel,
1 Tanglin Road, Tel: 6834-0660
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