Tiong Nam Hospitality hosts Appreciation event

 

It was my pleasure to, once again, accept the invitation to a pre-Chinese New Year celebration in a joint Media and Corporate Appreciation event hosted by Tiong Nam Hospitality.

 

Chefs in a row [Left to Right] Chef Daniel Lowe,
Chef Tock Huey Hock and Chef Koh Chee Chai

Renowned as a logistics leader, Tiong Nam started as a small-scale cargo business in 1975 to handle consolidated cargo for distribution throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

 

Headquartered in Kempas Baru, Johor Baru, Tiong Nam embarked on its expansion plan in 1978 and was incorporated as an enterprise. Their transport business expanded across the borders to Singapore since 1984 and then to Thailand in 1992.

 

After its public listing on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, Tiong Nam Logistics Holdings expanded further into a regional network to provide integrated logistics services in seven countries, customised solutions, property development and then into the hospitality industry.

 

Menu on our table with a
place card for My Johor Stories

The six brands under Tiong Nam Hospitality came together at this event to honour partnerships, celebrate milestones and to showcase the Chinese New Year banquet menu served at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour this festive season.

 

These brands included Fraser Place Puteri Harbour, Pinetree Marina Resort, Brix KLIA by Pinetree, 1975 Avenue & Hotel, Hard Rock Café Puteri Harbour and Hard Rock Café Ipoh.

 

Once again, this event was held at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour, hosted in a banquet hall, lit up by glass chandeliers designed and arranged as schools of swimming fish.

 

In keeping with the spirit of Chinese New Year, the auspicious colour Red, was evident in the charming costumes worn by team members and guests alike at this appreciation event to honour media partners and corporate contributors.

 

A friendly 'Lion' dancing around the banquet hall

It was good to see Chef Daniel Lowe again as he moved around the banquet hall to meet guests and stopped by at our table for a chat.

 

The affable Chef Daniel, who leads the culinary team at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour, was quick to credit Chinese chefs, Chef Tock Huey Hock and Chef Koh Chee Chai, who prepared the Chinese banquet which we would enjoy for dinner that evening.

 

When Chef Daniel shared juicy “insider information” about the culinary skills of the Chinese chefs, my anticipation (and expectations!) of the dishes in the banquet menu, simply went up a few notches.

 

Enjoying a traditional lo-hei or prosperity toss
of Salmon Yee Sang as the first dish on our menu

As Chef Daniel discreetly mentioned that Chef Tock, a member of the original culinary team at Meisan, was handpicked by the Owners to join their team at Fraser Place, my interest was piqued.

 

Many Johoreans like me, fondly recalled the taste of renowned Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine served at the Meisan Chinese restaurant, then opened in the now defunct Mutiara Hotel Johor Bahru, so we could hardly wait for the dinner to start.

 

During the Chinese New Year season from January 19 to February 29, the hotel presents three festive banquet menus for tables of ten diners, dubbed the “Pure Blossom” menu [RM1,588++], the “Birth of Spring” menu [RM1,888++] and the “Joyous Empire” menu [RM2,388++].

 

Prosperity Poon Choy that serves eight diners

The Chinese culinary team has also curated attractive festive menus for a Steamboat Buffet Reunion Dinner, a Chinese New Year High Tea as well as Yee Sang salads and Poon Choi, a celebratory banquet traditionally served in a basin.

 

The evening’s programme kicked off with music entertainment by Feedback from the Philippines, the resident band rocking out at the Hard Rock Café Puteri Harbour.

 

Then thunderous beats of Chinese drums and crashing cymbals signaled the arrival of a pair of prancing, auspicious Lions to usher in the Lunar Year of the Dragon.

 

Bowls of warm Braised Crab Meat and
Fish Lips soup

After Johnny Lau, General Manager of Fraser Place Puteri Harbour received the traditional auspicious wishes from the Lions, the lion dancers went around the banquet hall to let guests capture we-fie photos and have a close-up experience.

 

In the Chinese New Year tradition, our dinner started with Yee Sang, a salad topped with slivers of Salmon for the traditional lo-hei or prosperity toss for good fortune.

 

Whole Roasted Chicken with a side of
Mongolian sauce

After enjoying a rich, warm bowl of soup filled with Braised Crab Meat and Fish Lips, the next dish, Roasted Chicken with Mongolian sauce, was served.

 

The flavour of this Roasted Chicken was reminiscent of Meisan and while it tasted so good – I could eat it on its own – a drizzle of the Mongolian sauce simply took its taste up to the next level.

 

The appetizing Mango Thai sauce that topped the crispy whole Red Snapper had a generous portion of fresh mango sticks heaped on the fish, enough to encourage us to do justice to this dish … which was ultimately left in a pile of bones.

 

A trio of drummers performed the dramatic
Art of the 24 Festive Drums, on stage

Then our attention was riveted to the stage where a trio of drummers performed the dramatic Art of the 24 Festive Drums, a proudly Johor-born art of drumming.

 

[I am familiar with this art of drumming because I had featured the co-founder of the 24 Festive Drums, Tan Chai Puan, as an exclusive story in my 2017 MPH Non-Fiction Bestseller, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage, and the Art of the 24 Festive Drums as a proudly Johor brand, established here and exported abroad, published in My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, in 2022.]

 

Carved vegetables in the presentation of this
Stir-fried Garlic Soya King Prawns

When the platter of Stir-fried Garlic Soya King Prawns was served, I could not help but notice the effort put into its presentation. These whole prawns in their shells, prepared in a traditional harlok (Cantonese) recipe, were fresh and tasty.

 

After enjoying the satisfying tastes of the poultry, fish and prawns, I was looking forward to the vegetable dish and was not disappointed with the familiar flavour of Broccoli florets topped with Shitake Mushrooms arranged within a ring of Fortune Bags.

 

Broccoli florets topped by Shitake Mushrooms
within a ring of Fortune Bags

The banquet meal ended with portions of Steamed Supreme Rice with Salted Egg individually wrapped in lotus leaves. This dish may not be “photogenic” but after the first bite, my fellow diners agreed with me that it tasted, oh so good!

 

Finally, the savoury flavours we enjoyed in this menu was aptly washed down with a chilled dessert of Ice-Jelly Longan and Sea Coconut.

 

After the Chinese chefs joined Chef Daniel on the stage to take a bow for serving the evening’s banquet, Chef Daniel came by again for our comments about the dishes served.

 

He also mentioned that banquet reservations for Chinese New Year’s Eve was already closed but diners should not hesitate to make their reservations for dates before the eve of Chinese New Year and during the Chinese New Year season.

 

For more information on the menu and for reservations, Tel: +6013 778 6821 or email to fnb.fpph@frasershospitality.com

 

Fraser Place Puteri Harbour is located at Jalan Persiaran Tanjung, Pengkalan Puteri, 79100 Iskandar Puteri, Johor.