So we heard of this newbie at Plaza Damansara which opened just over a month ago. And yes, the market is already bursting with Canton cuisine so what's one more? Fear not, there's more than meets the eye. True, at first glance, their menu isn't that different. But I beg to differ when it comes to its quality and variety.
Take for instance the roasted section – charsiew, siew yok and roast duck. It's been done to death and the mere mention would probably have me rolling my eyes – AGAIN??!! But here, it's an art that's been mastered to perfection. The roast pork is crisp yet succulent, the charsiew has the right combo of sweetness, crunch and fat but the real winner is the duck. It's flawless to say the least and I dare say it's one of the best in KL, or even the country. I can vouch that the only other place that serves roast duck this good is across the globe at Bayswater London at 10X the price! The owner prides in the 10 hours preparation combined with the 3 hours of slow grilling to achieve this sinful pleasure. If you give one day prior notice, the chef can make to order roast goose too and I heard this is THE prize dish. Judging by what I've sampled, this goose warrants a follow up.
The rest that followed impressed us too. The deep fried prawns with sa zhi sauce is akin to salad prawns but the freshness makes the prawns exquisite with each bite. We wonder how the prawns could be so succulently fresh. Kudos to the stirfried egg white with crabmeat too. It's simple yet so tasty and the sauce has just the right consistency. The seafood wan tan hor deserves applause. I can taste the 'wok hei' due to the chef's expertise in wok frying with high heat, thus little oil is used. The sauce is so yummy, thanks to the richness from runny eggs poured over the dish.
"The char siew is like eating savoury pork candy"
The siakap steamed with ginger and garlic is fresh and succulent, only requiring simple preparation to enhance the natural flavour. As for the butter prawns with oatmeal, it's surprisingly not oily and once again, super fresh. This one is simply addictive. You can spend all night just picking on the oatmeal crunch. The claypot lamb brisket is fragrant with spices and aroma without the unpleasant 'lamb' smell which makes it popular for non-lamb fans like me.
As for desserts, the range is impressive. My favourite is the tong yuen soup with kwai fah. Its refreshing floral taste clears the palate and leaves a lingering fragrance on my breath. The yam paste with pumpkin and gingko and the smoothly sweet mango pudding are a perfect finale to such a grand feast. (Note from Editor: this mango pudding actually tastes of fresh mangoes and is absolutely a stunner of a pudding- coming from a person who does not necessarily count mango pudding top of her dessert list)
My verdict? Everything here is fresh and the selection is commendable. Considering all the dishes were delicious without MSG, I have to say kudos to the chef and their food consultant Alex for a job well done. Canton Fare is far from run-off-the-mill. If standards can be maintained for the long run, it should be the toast of the town in no time. It's a thumbs up with a simple holler, "Mo Tak Teng!"
More Photos To Drool On
The siew yoke is crispy with enough fat in between
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Foodster's Verdict
Canton Fare
Address:
Plaza Damansara, 36 Medan Setia 2, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur Tel: 03 2093 5279
Open:
Mon - Sun: 11:30 am - 3:00 pm 6:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Pros:
Excellents roasts and all round great quality Cantonese food
Cons:
Space issues, on busy nights book to avoid disappointment
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