CRIZ BON APPETITE

If you love the Texas Grill Promotion in June 2012, you would surely love the Wild Wild West Promotion at Swez Brasserie @ Eastin Hotel, Penang, for the whole month of November 2012 (1-30 November 2012). This promotion would be under the skillful hands of the Jr. Sous Chef, Chef Kelvin Cheong with the help of Chef Evon Chiang from the Cold Kitchen. In this promotion, you would have more options with a combination of Texan and Mexican cuisine. You can now eat as how the cowboys from the West would. Please note that there will be a 15% discount for all MAYBANKARD, VISA, CIMB and UOB card members. More details below.

We started with some appetizers namely some Nachos with Assorted Dipping Sauce (烤玉米片沾醬). The imported Tex-Mex tortilla chips came served with 3 types of dipping sauces such as Chili Con Carne, Guacamole and Ranch BBQ sauces. All of us preferred the ranch BBQ sauce over the others as the smoky flavor complemented the chips real well. The second was the Guacamole which basically consisted of blended avocado, garlic, and onions mixed with some finely brunoised tomatoes and capsicum plus a light touch of salt, pepper and lemon juice. The taste was quite equivalent to that of sour cream dip but creamier with the added avocado. The last was the Chili Con Carne. The rich tomato paste dip came with minced meat, corn kernels, kidney beans, etc. Taste wise, it was a bit spicy with some sourness and sweetness. It was not that the dip was not tasty but due to it being a bit too heavy as an appetizer.

Next was the Mexican Burrito Mustard Bites (芥末醬卷餅) which consisted of fresh wheat flour tortilla laced with a thinly spread of mustard, filled with lots of fresh greens, meat plus sauce and folded like our local “Poh Piah” aka Spring Rolls. The rolls had a wasabi after taste and would be best consumed when they are freshly prepared or the tortilla would get slightly dry after being exposed too long to air.

There would also be some cowboy bread available to be spread with some jam and butter or even to be dipped into the available soup of the day. Some of the types available might include Country Bread and grinded maize made Polenta Bread.

As for the main course, we had the Classic Beef Ribs Stew (美式牛肉炖排骨) served on a bed of Grilled Vegetables with Coyote Canyon Red Chili Sauce (香烤沾醬蔬菜). I immediately felt in love with the beef ribs stew as the meat was tender and the gravy was just right to my liking. The dish had almost a similar taste as those BBQ Ribs but without the strong hickory smoked flavors. Now you know what would be best with those country breads~ 😛 On the other hand, the grilled vegetables were just normal.

There was also the Grilled Raw Honey Chicken (香烤蜜糖雞腿). The flavor on the grilled chicken was quite subtle with a light touch of honey sweetness and rosemary. However, I personally felt that the meat needed a longer period of marinate as they were not flavored in balance. Chef Kelvin’s Grilled Chicken with Honey Mustard Glaze (蜂蜜芥末醬烤雞) tasted way better than this dish.

The Fish Tostadas with Veracruzana Salsa (墨西哥貝拉克魯斯沙司魚餅) was awesome as the dish was salty, acidic and sweet to my liking. The Mexican state of Veracruz along the Gulf of Mexico indeed had a high Spanish influence as can be seen quite obviously in the usage of their herbs and spices. The choice of using sea bass fillet was perfect as it was thick and had as a simple marinates of just dill, salt and pepper. What impressed me most was the Veracruzana Salsa. Instead of the normal raw based salsa, it had more complex flavors all combined into one. The rich tomato based sauce wasn’t spicy at all. It had hints on the usage of bay leaves, thyme and marjoram, other than garlic, onions, cilantro and chili pepper, plus with a light touch of capers and black olives. The salsa complemented the fish dish extremely well. The only confusing thing is the word “fish tostada” and “餅”, which would translate as crispy/crunchy biscuit in English. Is the fish dish supposed to be served on a tostada aka toasted corn tortilla as it would be in Mexico or it just meant toasted fish? Only the chef would be able to answer to this confusion.

There were also some Crispy Cheesy Potato Skins (香脆芝士馬鈴薯) to go with the dishes. I was just some crispy deep fried potatoes with cheesy sauce and a light sprinkle of paprika. I could have this side dish alone for the whole day~ Haha! 😛

Desserts were super nice. Everyone presence were praising the Texas Double Chocolate Mud Cake (濃郁巧克力泥蛋糕). The rich chocolate mousse between the fluffy light and moist cake plus a touch of oozing ganache on the cake, melted in the mouth heavenly. Can I have another piece please? 😛

Another great dessert would be the Cowboy Raspberry Cobbler (牛仔紅莓果餡餅). It had almost the same bite of the flaky crumbles but with added chocolate chips and walnut. A simple topping of ganache and fresh raspberries made this cobbler the perfect dessert to end a meal.

Overall, the dishes served in this coming Wild Wild West Promotion were up to the standard required. Of course, you won’t expect to get fine dining dishes from the cowboys but you can feel that each and every dish served at Swez Brasserie during this coming had the hearts of the assigned chefs in it. It’s all about hard work and commitment to get the best dish to please the appetite of the diners. Way to go Chef Kelvin, Chef Franco and Chef Evon as it was another job well done! Keep it up!

Here’s the summary of the promotion.

WILD WILD WEST PROMOTION (1-30 NOVEMBER 2012)
Lunch (12.00 noon – 2.30pm): Monday – Friday
RM48++ (adult), RM24++ (child)
Hi-Tea (12.00 noon – 3.00pm): Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays
Normal weekend: RM55++ (adult), RM28++ (child)
Festive Occasion: RM68++ (adult), RM34++ (child)
Semi Buffet Dinner (6.30pm – 10.00pm): Monday – Thursday
RM48++ per pax

For MAYBANKARD, VISA, CIMB and UOB card members, you can enjoy 15% discount for the Wild Wild West Semi Buffet Dinner (Monday to Thursday) and Weekend Buffet Dinner (Friday to Sunday) from 6.30pm – 10.00pm.

The Swez Brasserie is located at the ring wing of Eastin Hotel, Penang (next to Queensbay Mall). If you are coming from Georgetown towards Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone via Bayan Lepas Expressway, do watch out for the Pulau Jerejak signboard (leading to Pulau Jerejak jetty). Ignore the turning and drive on to the next left junction. Turn left into Jalan Aziz Ibrahim and drive on until you a roundabout. Turn 3 o’ clock and drive on until you see a big Eastin Hotel signboard at the first right junction. Turn right and drive on. Park your car at the basement car park. Take a lift to the first floor lobby and you would see the restaurant there.

Name: SWEZ BRASSERIE @ EASTIN HOTEL
Address: 1 Solok Bayan Indah, Queens Bay, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-612 1128, 604-612 1138
Business Hours: 12.00pm-2.30pm (Lunch), 6.30pm-10.00pm (Dinner)
GPS: 5.33643, 100.306345

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

For those mushroom lovers, you are in luck today as I’m going to share a simple bean curd sheets dish with an assortment of the earthly flavored mushrooms. I call this dish DEEP FRIED BEAN CURD SHEETS WITH ASSORTED MUSHROOMS. The rich in antioxidant mushrooms are low in fat and carbohydrates plus zero cholesterol with high proteins, vitamins, minerals, water and fiber. They contain natural insulin and enzymes which break down the starch and sugar in food. So, it’s surely a healthy dish for all~ 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
10pcs fresh bean curd sheets (tao bor/yuba/腐皮卷 – Each piece cut into 3 pieces. Deep fry until golden brown)
1/2” young ginger (scrape off skin, julienne)
1 palm size wood ear fungus (soak, cut into bite size)
10 medium size Chinese mushrooms (soak, cut into halves)
20 straw mushrooms (cut into halves)
2 packs Shimeji mushrooms (50g x 2, cut off roots, wash well, drain dry)
1 small carrot (remove skin, cut into half and slice into 1/4” thick semi circle, blanch)
5-6 tbsp mushroom sauce/vegetarian oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1tbsp corn flour (dilute in some water)
1 cup vegetable stock
2tbsp vegetable oil
Salt & pepper to taste

OPTIONAL:
Enoki mushrooms
Button mushrooms
Shao Xing wine (1 tsp)
Spring onions (cut into 1” length)

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up the oil in a wok and sauté the julienned young ginger until fragrant.
• Add in the mushroom sauce and sesame oil. Stir evenly for about 1 minute.
• Add in the vegetable stock and bring to boil.
• Set fire to LOW and add in the wood ear fungus, Chinese mushrooms, straw mushrooms and Shimeji mushroom and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Add in salt and pepper to taste plus the diluted corn flour to thicken the gravy.
• Pour in the deep fried bean curd sheets and sliced carrots. Stir evenly for about 2-3 minutes.
• Scoop out and serve with hot steaming rice.
• You might want to garnish with some spring onions to bring out the colors.

(Serves: 5-6)

You might wonder what fresh bean curd sheets are? Here’s a photo on this wonderful ingredient.

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

Have you ever got tired of having rice with your dishes? Maybe you could try cooking a vegetarian curry dish that would go very well with bread of any type or even wrap it in those pre-packed spring roll skins and deep fry for some great snacks. Let me share with you my simple CHICKPEAS AND SWEET POTATOES CURRY recipe today. It’s up to your own creativity whether you would love to have it as stuffed pita, vegetarian curry spring rolls, curry puff, samosa or simply dip your chapati, naan, roti canai (roti paratha) or bread in it. The options are endless.

INGREDIENTS:
500g sweet potatoes (remove skin & dice into 20mm cubes)
300-400g of chickpeas (steam until cooked or canned ones)
1 small carrot (remove skin & dice into 15mm cubes, blanch until cook)
2 tomatoes (remove seeds and dice)
2 stalks of curry leaves (replaceable with 3 basil leaves)
2 tsp ginger powder (replaceable with grated ones)
1 tsp chili powder (add more for a spicier version)
1 tsp turmeric powder (kunyit)
2 tsp ground cumin (jintan putih)
3 tsp ground coriander (ketumbar)
1.5 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL:
1 big onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
Mustard seeds
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Long beans
Coconut milk
Evaporated milk

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up about 2 tablespoon of oil and sauté the ginger powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin and ground coriander until fragrant.
• Add in the curry leaves and sweet potatoes and stir fry thoroughly.
• Add in the vegetable stock and bring to boil. Once boils, switch your fire to LOW and let the potatoes simmer until tender. It would take about 20-25 minutes.
• Add in the steamed chickpeas and carrot. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
• Add salt, sugar, pepper to taste.
• Scoop out and serve with your choice of starch (rice, bread, etc).

(Serves: 4-5)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

Many Asians love to have some stir fried rice vermicelli as not only would the dish be cheap and good but also quite filling. It has been known as the “Poor Man’s Sharks Fin” to many. However, what I’m going to share today would be something out of this world as this dish would not be available for sale anywhere on the streets. It’s FRIED VERMICELLI WITH FERMENTED SOY BEANS AND BEAN CURDS. This dish would taste nice either hot from the wok or even cold from your chiller.

INGREDIENTS:
250g rice vermicelli/bee hoon (soak in water until 70% soft)
1 small carrot (remove skin & julienne)
1/2 cabbage (slice thinly)
10 Chinese mushrooms (soak & slice thinly. Retain juice. Marinated with some soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and pepper)
Oil

Frying sauce:
2 tbsp grounded fermented black bean paste (tao cheong)
2pcs fermented red bean curd (tao joo/nam joo)
2pcs fermented bean curd in chili & sesame oil
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water

Note: Smash the fermented bean curds into paste and mix the rest of ingredients above thoroughly. Lastly, add the water to make it into a sauce for frying later.

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up about 2 tablespoon of oil and sauté the sliced mushrooms until fragrant. Scoop and leave aside.
• Add in another 3 tablespoons of oil and pour in the “frying sauce” combination and sauté for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
• Add in one cup of the retained mushroom juice. If not enough, you can add in some hot water to make it up to a cup. Once boils, switch your fire to LOW.
• Add in the julienned carrot and sliced cabbage and let it cook about 2 minutes.
• Add in the soaked rice vermicelli and sauteed mushrooms.
• Stir evenly until the rice vermicelli softened to the texture you prefer.
• Scoop out and serve with some vegetarian sambal belacan. If you can’t buy it, you can make some with my vegetarian sambal belacan recipe here.

Note: You can chill any remaining of the dish in your chiller. It tastes great being chilled too.

(Serves: 3-4)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

Many Chinese restaurants would serve this ingredient in the menu but not many diners are aware of its versatility as it can be used in many ways depending on how it’s been prepared. Some would just deep fry it as a snack and serve with chili sauce. Some would use it as another ingredient in their vegetarian dishes which would consist of mainly of vegetables and mushroom. This special ingredient is fresh bean curd sheet and sometimes known as yuba. Today, I’m going to share with you how to cook VEGETARIAN SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH GINGER IN SESAME OIL. It’s so simple that you can just stir it up within minutes without any skills.

INGREDIENTS:
10pcs fresh bean curd sheets (tao bor/yuba/腐皮卷 – Cut into 5mm length)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sesame oil
200g young ginger (scrap off skin, fine julienne)
Pinch of salt and sugar
Some pepper
Soy sauce to taste

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up both the vegetable and sesame oil in a wok and sauté the julienned young ginger until fragrant.
• Add in just a light pinch of salt and sugar. Stir evenly.
• Add in the sliced fresh bean curd sheets and stir thoroughly.
• Sprinkle some grounded pepper and soy sauce to taste.
• Scoop out while straining out all the remaining oil and serve with hot steaming rice.

(Serves: 5-6)

You might wonder what fresh bean curd sheets are? Here’s a photo on this wonderful ingredient.

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

From a Nyonya dish yesterday, let’s head on for something Indonesian today with the use of tempeh (pronounced as tem-pay). Tempeh which uses soybeans would undergo a fermentation process. The fermented soybeans would form a cake like block and normally would be wrapped in banana leaves to be sold at the wet market. Though bland in taste in raw form, this delicious staple food of the Indonesian, either as snack or used in cooking, had become the alternative ingredient for vegans as meat substitution. The best part is that you would have no cholesterol worries at all. This nutty rich flavored, chunky textured and chewy consistency tempeh has a high source of protein, dietary fiber and vitamins. So for today, it’s just a simple SPICY STIR FRY YARDLONG BEANS WITH TEMPEH recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
300g yardlong beans (cut into 1.5”/4cm length, blanch semi cook, drain)
20-30 pc tempeh (bite sizes)
4 tbsp olive oil/vegetable oil
2-3 tbsp vegan sambal belacan (cultured soy beans, sea salt & chili paste)
1/2 cup vegetable stock/1tbsp Vegeta with 1/2 cup hot water
Salt & sugar to taste

Note: If you can’t get vegan sambal belacan at your local vegan grocery store, you can use my recipe below.

Vegan Sambal Belacan Recipe:
12 red chilies (remove seeds)
5 bird’s eye chilies (cili padi)
2” galangal
3” lemongrass stalk (slice thinly)
2-3 Kaffir lime leaves
1 small tomato (remove skin and seeds)
1 tbsp ginger flower (bunga kantan, thinly slice)
2 tbsp miso paste/blended fermented black beans
3 tbsp toasted mushroom stems (coarsely blended/pounded)
A bit of water (for easier blending)

Preparations: Just blend all the ingredients above in a food processor. Add a light pinch of organic sugar and some sea salt to taste. Heat up 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the above until semi dry. Add in some lime juice when needed to serve with fried items.

OPTIONAL:
A handful of toasted cashew nuts/peanuts
French beans (substitute)
Four angled beans (substitute)

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up the olive oil in a wok and sauté the vegan sambal belacan until fragrant.
• Add in the tempeh and stir evenly.
• Add in 1/2 cup of vegetable stock and let it simmer until the gravy thickens under LOW FIRE.
• Add salt and sugar to taste.
• Add in the blanched yardlong beans (sometimes known as snake beans with a rougher surface) and stir evenly until cooked.
• Scoop out and serve with hot steaming rice.

(Serves: 3-4)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

Who does not like curry dishes, especially with the frequent chilly weather? As the Indian Ayurvedic medicine records had mentioned that a bit of spices in your diet occasionally would strengthen your body even more. All the spices used here have at least some medicinal properties against some ailments. Well, the statement would be quite true unless you are a person with a weak stomach issue. Since it’s still the vegetarian food period for most Chinese Buddhist, two main ingredients such as shallots and garlic have been removed from the recipe due to their beliefs. Alternatively, salted fish bones had been replaced with deep fried bean curd sticks and other seafood had been omitted. As for today, I’ll be sharing my VEGETARIAN SALTED FISH BONE CURRY recipe, a Nyonya style cuisine which we had loved for generations. As some of my friends who had tasted this dish had said, “You can’t get enough of it even though it was cooked to suit vegans.”

INGREDIENTS:
300g bean curd stick (cut into 1” length and deep fry)
20-30 tofu puff (cut in diagonal halves)
1 stalk lemongrass (wash, cut into two, roughly smashed)
20 long beans (wash, cut into 1.5”/4cm length)
100g cabbage (wash, cut into 2cm x 5cm wedges)
1 carrot (remove skin & diagonally cut into 10mm thickness)
2 tbsp chili paste (add more for extra spiciness)
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1.5” young ginger (grated)
2 cups vegetables stock/1-2 tbsp Vegeta with 2 cups of hot water
1/2 cup thick coconut milk (you can add another 1/4 cup for a creamier version)
Oil
Salt & sugar to taste

OPTIONAL:
1 long eggplant
Some mustard seeds
Some curry leaves
Pineapple slices
10 shallots and 4 cloves garlic (blended – for non-vegetarian)
Salted threadfin fish bones (tan au kiam hoo kut – cut into chunks, soak, drain & deep fry – for non-vegetarian)
Prawns and/or cockles

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up about 3 tablespoons of oil and add in the grated young ginger, chili paste, curry powder, turmeric powder, smashed lemongrass and saute until fragrant.
• Add in the vegetable stock and bring to boil under MEDIUM FIRE.
• Add in 1/4 cup of coconut milk, sliced carrots, long beans and cabbage and let them simmer under LOW FIRE for about 10 minutes or until the carrots are cooked.
• Add the deep fried bean curd sticks, tofu puff, salt and sugar to taste. Let them simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
• Add in the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Bring to a quick boil and off the stove.
• Dispose the lemongrass.
• Let the cooked dish sit in the wok for 10-15 minutes to absorb more flavors before serving with hot steaming rice.

(Serves: 5-6)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

Here’s another simple and healthy vegetarian recipe for this season. My STIR FRY LOTUS ROOTS WITH CEREAL would surely keep you filling up that plate of rice. Lotus root is said to melt mucus accumulation in the body, especially in the respiratory system. On the other hand, cereal is a great food source for energy. As for vegan butter/margarine for this dish, it might not be easily available in some countries. Alternatively, you can replace this ingredient with olive oil or tahini but the taste might differ extensively.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lotus root (about a foot/30cm, remove skin and cut into 5mm thickness)
10 cili padi/5 green chilies (bird’s eye chilies – cut into small slices)
3 stalks curry leaves (wash well and pluck all the leaves)
5 tbsp vegan butter/margarine
40g/8 tbsp Cereal (Using Nestum brand here)
Salt & sugar to taste

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up some oil in a wok and deep fry the cut lotus roots until cook. Scoop and drain excess oil on kitchen towel.
• Empty the wok and heat up the vegan butter/margarine under LOW FIRE until melted.
• Add in the cereal, cili padi, curry leaves and stir fry until fragrant.
• Add the deep fried lotus roots and stir thoroughly.
• Add in salt and sugar to taste.
• Serve immediately with hot steaming rice.

(Serves: 5-6)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

At times, I would love to have some simple stir fry greens to go with my meal. Let me share with you my STIR FRY BABY SPINACH WITH GINGER AND WOLFBERRIES recipe which is ideal for a meatless meal as well as for kids. Garlic won’t be added in as it would also suit those undergoing vegetarian diet during these few days of meatless retreat. Spinach has many healing properties and is rich in minerals and vitamins. Regular consumption would be great for the maintenance of healthy eyes, cardiovascular system and nervous system. Wolfberries on the other hand are nutrient-dense superfood which has high antioxidant contents. They are believed to enhance the immune system, improve eyesight, protect the liver and improve the blood circulation. The usage of the powerful antioxidant ginger here would also benefit the body as it enhances the body’s internal production of antioxidants. Thus, less diseases and slower aging process for the consumers.

INGREDIENTS:
1kg baby spinach (pluck leaves & young stems, clean & drain)
1 thumb size young ginger (finely julienne)
150g dried Chinese wolfberries/Goji berries (wash & drain)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

OPTIONAL:
100g baby anchovies (deep fried)
Some sliced Shitake mushrooms
Garlic

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up some olive oil in a wok.
• Add in the julienned young ginger and sauté until fragrant.
• Add in the baby spinach and stir fry until almost cook.
• Add the wolfberries and stir thoroughly until the baby spinach leaves are cooked.
• Add in salt to taste.
• Serve immediately with hot steaming rice.

Note: No water is added as the baby spinach would release some juice in the process of cooking.

(Serves: 4-5)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

FOLDING DIAGRAM

PICKLE RECIPE
500gms radish
100gms carrot
1 thumb size young ginger
4 Porcelain spoon fine sugar
3 Porcelain spoon lime juice (about 4-5 lime)
1 teaspoon salt

LAZY MAN SAUCE
Some tomato ketchup
Some pounded peanut candy (khong th’ng / kacang tumbuk)
Some roasted sesame seed

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.