In the previous episode of Hairy & Available, (in that deep narrator tone you get on TV Series), Hairy Crabs and their questionable sexuality....
Now here's a tail of the little pig, who built his house with straw.
I'm exhausted, he proclaims, from all that hard work......
Friends, Chinamen, Countrymen, lend me your ears...it's apparently the best part, after the tail.
Glorious glorious iberico suckling pig, crispy crackling, roasted over a spit for hours. This little pig, weighing 4.5kg, cost RM1,100-00. It may sound shocking, but don't forget, the Iberian Pig is the Wagyu equivalent of pigs.... they feed on gold lined acorns, from the Iberian Peninsula in Spain. How will we ever go back to eating the common pig after feasting on such porcine paradise. Melt in the mouth goodness.
Barbeque baby back ribs, from another Iberian pig. Now, at first sight, it might look bony and not much flesh, but boy, can looks deceive. The meat is sublimely tender, and just the right amount of fat, and with Chef Choi's (actually its Chef Thye Seng) amazing barbecue skills and seasoning, this is one of the nicest barbeque ribs I've ever sampled.
A luxurious take on a wholesome home made favourite, steamed mince pork. Everyone asked, "with ham yue ah?" (with salted fish?). But that would have been sacrilegous. The pure flavour of the pork, with a little added crunch from the water chestnuts, is simply beyond description. I could just eat this, with a bowl of good rice, and be in 7th heaven.
To break the piggy routine, Chef Thye Seng threw in some pigeon for us. I'm not sure if these were flown in (as in, after they were killed), or local, or flown in and then slaughtered here, but whatever its origins, it was delicious. Pigeon actually tastes more like tender duck than chicken, to me.
Braised pork with asparagus and XO Sauce. Simple, effective and gorgeous. You can't seem to go wrong with this pork, but I think the Chef's vision really amplifies the unique texture and taste of the Iberico black pig.
A few things sprang to mind, when we saw this:
Hey chicks, don't lose your heads
Let them eat cake, Marie says to Anne
When I first saw sweet and sour Iberico pork, my first thought was, ARGH, what a travesty! But I tell you, this is one bomb of a sweet and sour pork. Excellent, and I wish I could have more.
The most amazing tou miew. Cooked to perfection, and so plump. One excellent reason to dine here is the passion into which the owners pour into sourcing the best of ingredients. They themselves love food, so even down to the minutest detail, such as vegetables, the choicest pick of the crop.
And finally (bear in mind we also had the Hairy Crabs in the same meal, so I was really slipping into a food coma by now), red bean paste with 18 Yr old mandarin peel. What? 18 yr old? Apparently, people keep mandarin peel as old as 60 years, but those are for medicinal purposes. 18 years is still a long time, ours doesnt even last 18 days before its all gone. So take note, start keeping your mandarin peel from the next Chinese Year, and it'll be good to go in....2029. I will be 63. I hope I can sell off my stock for retirement.
So what exactly does the 18 Yr Old Mandarin Peel do? I am not quite sure really, but there is a very subtle, yet definitive taste of the peel, a bit bitterish, which complements the smooth sweet red bean paste. Definitely something for the connoiseurs to savour.
I cannot thank CS & TS enough for their kind invitation. The food at Chef Choi from the few times I've been has always been par excellence! What a privilege!
Chef Choi Restaurant
159 Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2163 5866
