Giant Estuary Grouper @ Makan Kitchen, DoubleTree by Hilton KL

From 4 November until 30 December 2016, Makan Kitchen in DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur will be featuring the Giant Estuary Grouper, also known as the Goliath of the Sea. Makan Kitchen is well-known for its heritage Malaysian dining, so for this promotion, Chef Eric Siew and his kitchen team will transform the fish into five distinctive Malaysian dishes for guests to enjoy.

The giant estuary grouper is well-known for its monstrous size. Chef Eric Siew tells us that the grouper that they get in are approximately 25kg each, and it takes about 2 years for the fish to reach this size. He sources them from a local fish farm in Penang, whereby they are bred in the sea and fed with small fishes, and not pellets. The fish is brought in its freshest form as it is harvested on the same day it is served. Here, you will find the "nose-to-tail" dining philosophy whereby every part is used to create a different, yet exquisite dish.

A popular fish in Chinese cuisine, it is loved for its firm texture and gelatinous skin (which is high in collagen) once cooked. Hence, you will find it prepared in three Chinese styles - steamed, stir fried and congee. My favorite dishes of the evening was the Steamed giant estuary grouper with blended soy sauce - simple and good! You can truly enjoy the natural sweetness of the fish this way.

We also enjoyed the next dish, whereby the fish fillets are first deep fried, then stir fried with ginger and scallions. The fish is crispy yet juicy, coated in a delicious sauce.

Stir fried giant estuary grouper with ginger and scallions

We were impressed with the Giant estuary grouper congee with dried oyster too. Despite living in Malaysia for over 8 years, this is Hubby's first time trying congee and he liked it! The congee was smooth and the flavours were accentuated by the dried oyster. The fish is added just before served. 

Even the fish bones do not go to waste, as it is used to make the Fish bone soup with giant estuary grouper carpaccio. The soup which has been boiled for 4 hours with peppercorns and ginger, is poured tableside over thin slices of fish and the hot soup cooks the fish. The soup is full-bodied and robust, great for a rainy evening.

The Giant estuary grouper in "asam pedas" kawah style was absolutely tantalising - the fish is stewed in a tangy and spicy sauce, which was very appetizing. The fish chunks was flavorful and juicy, and the skin is wonderfully gelatinous.

That evening, there was another bonus dish at the Indian counter - Giant estuary grouper fish head curry, mamak-style. The curry sauce was both spicy and sourish, excellent with some naan bread.

Guests can also enjoy over 80 dishes from the buffet spread, encompassing Chinese, Indian, Malay, Peranakan, Kristang, and Iban delights. A must-try is the signature roasted duck, with its succulent meat and crispy skin. It's so good, you'll be going back for seconds.

Indian corner

Satay

Malay specialties - ketam masak lemak 

Sambal Tumis Udang

Desserts

Local kuih-muih

This promotion is available on Fridays and Saturdays (dinner only), until 30 December 2016 and is priced at RM145 nett per person. Special promotion - RM1 for every 5th diner, when reservations are made online at http://www.FlavoursbyDoubleTreeKL.com.




Opening times: Dinner 6:30pm to 10:30pm.

Location: Makan Kitchen, Level 11, DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, The Intermark, 348 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2172 7272

GPS Coordinates: 3.161620, 101.719670

Website: http://www.makan-kitchen.com

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