A bountiful Chinese New Year celebration

To usher in the Chinese New Year, Trove Johor Baru celebrates with delicious feasts and festive treats served at Lada & Clove restaurant, presented in three delectable set menus.

Salmon Yee Sang with rolls of raw fish topped with tobiko

In the tradition of Chinese New Year, the Chinese names for these delectable dishes, which are made with high-value ingredients, have been elevated to lovely names with auspicious meanings.

Chinese Chef Wong Chee Fong and his culinary team have created three different options that feature auspicious dishes that are served from now till February 19.

I learnt that in addition to enjoying a lavish banquet, dining on the Fortune Set Menu this Chinese New Year Eve, will give diners the opportunity to participate in a Lucky Draw to win a complimentary room stay and food vouchers!

The banquet menus designed for 10 diners each are the Fortune Set (RM1,388 nett), the Longevity Set (RM1,288 nett) and the Prosperity Set (RM1,088 nett).

Braised Dried Seafood soup with slices of HongKong Kai Lan

Chinese New Year is all about traditions and to start the meal, an elaborate serving of Salmon Yee Sang, raw fish salad which features generous rolls of raw salmon, is presented.

Chef Wong comes to serve, and he makes it even more meaningful when he chants the auspicious phrases and well-wishes with each ingredient added to the salad.

The raw salmon looks fresh and pink, and by looking closer, I discover that it is topped with salmon roe or tobiko!

This added ingredient in the Salmon Yee Sang gives it an extra kick particularly when the tobiko makes tiny explosions in my mouth!

Deep-Fried Tiger Prawns with Salad Sauce

As the piping hot soup is being served into individual bowls, I can see ingredients like dried seafood, fresh scallops and crab meat in the soup.

When my bowl is placed in front of me, I spot another ingredient in this superior soup – an added pop of colour (Green!) – and discover they are slices of HongKong Kai Lan or kale.

Whole fish, whole prawns, poultry and high-value ingredients like abalone are popular items in Chinese New Year banquet menus and the next dish served is HongKong style Steamed Garoupa, swimming in superior soya sauce.

Tender and tasty Angelica Roast Duck

This is followed by a dish of Deep-fried Tiger Prawns drizzled with Salad Sauce, so tasty that the crispy shells can also be eaten…

The name for the poultry dish, Angelica Roast Duck, sounded so intriguing and exotic that I’m compelled to find out its Chinese translation.

A quick online search tells me that Angelica is the shortform for Angelica Sinensis, the scientific name for the herb known as dang gui, tang kway or t’ang guei.

I must say that this serving of tender and tasty Angelica Roast Duck topped with braised giant peanuts, is a hit among all of us at the table.

Braised Broccoli with Abalone and Shimeij Mushrooms

And as the Lazy Susan turns round and around, the platter is gradually being polished clean!

The vegetable dish, Braised Broccoli with Abalone and Shimeiji Mushrooms, is a creative combination served in a rich gravy.

The Shimeiji mushrooms are coated in a light batter and deep-fried.

The meal continues with the rice dish and the fragrant steamed glutinous rice is served in individual portions, wrapped in lotus leaves.

Double desserts of Chilled Longan
{Background] and two-flavoured Mochi

I like how the banquet ends with double desserts of chilled longan with sea bird’s nest, gui hua and red dates in a syrupy soup, and two-flavoured Mochi – Chocolate and Red Bean – topped with shredded coconut.

The chilled dessert goes down very well after a full meal but I’m wondering what gui hua is.

So another online search confirms that it is Osmanthus.

The Chinese New Year Eve dinner on Jan 24 will be served from 7pm and to allow time for the elaborate preparation of the festive banquets, reservations should be made at least three (3) days in advance.

Lada & Clove restaurant is on Level 5 of Trove Johor Baru, situated at the corner where Jalan Abdullah Tahir meets with Jalan Tebrau, 80300 Johor Baru, Johor. Tel: +607 – 272 8888.

For reservations, Tel: +6012 881 8413 or +6017 818 8036.