Herb Crusted Sliced Smoked Duck with Fruit Salad
I may as well make hay while the sun shines by putting up another blog post before I accidentally slip into hibernation mode again. I have thousands of photographs in my archive, all waiting for their stories to be told, but this blog post must be written because it marks the reunion of a sisterhood that was formed several years back. Precious Pea, who had just come back from Melbourne, gave me, Boo and Paps a reason to get together again for one of our lengthy meals lit up not only by camera flashes but also by smiles and laughter all around. The stage was set at Regal House.
To match the fire within us, we started our meal with a cold appetiser – Marinated Black Wood Fungus. The szechuan peppercorn which it was marinated in, barely hot and pungent, succeeded in numbing our tongues and our lips momentarily, and it was only when we consumed our second appetiser, the Deep Fried Lion Fish, that the sensation disappeared. The fish, flavoured merely with salt and pepper, was soft and sweet, had lots of bones, and possessed a very delicate texture.
If I had to pick just one thing to eat at Regal House, it would definitely be the Herb Crusted Smoked Duck. The skin was crisp while the exterior was slightly charred like char siu. The meat was tender and moist, and the flavour was lightly caressed with a hint of wasabi. It was just wonderful. The fruit salad on the side seemed to be an afterthought and didn’t add any aesthetic value to the dish. It almost felt like a pity to wash everything down with the next dish, a Pig’s Stomach Soup, but upon drinking it, my body was immediately warmed by the peppery soup. The flavour wasn’t overly robust, though.
The Deep Fried Spare Ribs came coated with a rather sweet and salty black pepper sauce and fried garlic slices. I was surprised at how tender the ribs were. I don’t care much for leafy greens, but I enjoyed the Claypot Kailan which was sizzling hot and intensely flavoured with a salty prawn paste sauce. Our final dish was the Sang Har Meen, or rather, Regal House’s version of the Sang Har Meen. Don’t expect any egg gravy with this dish. Instead, what we got was a pan fried yee mee, served dry, with fat and juicy freshwater prawns.
Desserts consisted of an Avocado Cream that was not on the menu, and Chilled Minty Lemongrass Flavoured Fruit Jelly served in an elegant stemmed glass and designed to be drunk rather than eaten with a spoon. We didn’t care much for the Avocado Cream which seemed to have a disproportionate amount of coconut milk to avocado, but loved the lemongrass jelly which contained bits of water chestnut, barley and mint.
Regal House now occupies what used to be Hatyai Street, and the chef, who hails from Hong Kong, prepares a good selection of Cantonese cuisine. I like One Bangsar for the availability of parking spaces and its central location (halfway between my office and home!) so if anyone would like to dine with me, pick Bangsar. Prices are reasonable. The appetisers which we had were priced at RM13 each, while my favourite herb crusted smoked duck was RM16 (or 18?) for a single portion. The double boiled soup which served 5 of us easily was RM88. The spare ribs and claypot kailan were in the region of RM20-something each.
Thanks, husband of Precious Pea, for kindly footing the bill and for enduring our animated chatter throughout the meal! I suppose it’s one of the hazards of being married to such a popular girl.
Regal House
One Bangsar
63E Jalan Ara
Bangsar Baru 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2283 3116
Marinated Black Wood Fungus in Spicy Szechuan Spices
Regal Deep Fried Lion Fish with Salt and Pepper
Doubled Boiled Salted Mustard Cabbage with Pig’s Stomach
Deep Fried Spare Ribs with Garlic and Black Pepper Sauce
Claypot Kailan with Dried Shrimp and Seafood Sauce
Sang Har Meen
Lyrical Lemongrass with her Chilled Minty Lemongrass Dessert and Paprika with her Avocado Dessert
