Pampered by Ploy’s Special Selections

Chef Daniel Yong of Ploy tells me how he often has to go through meticulous food testings and tastings before finalizing a dish on their menu.  Thanks to the sterling food benchmark set by Datuk Jared Lim, owner of Ploy, you can be sure that every item listed on the menu has gone through much refinement before it is allowed to be served.

There is a section in the menu which lists several special dishes which are designed for a pampered meal.  With ingredients like abalones, truffle dressing and lobsters, discerning diners can be sure they are in for some premium dining.  We checked out some of their new menu items not too long ago and we were back just recently to see what their Special Selections are all about.

Our dinner started with the Spicy Miso Soup (RM30) which is served piping hot in a cute cast iron bowl.  There are chunks of lobster meat in the Japanese inaka miso soup with white radish, mirin and bonita flakes.  We happily slurp up every umami drop.

The Truffled Hamachi (RM55) makes its pretty entrance next. It is a bit on the pricier side but then fresh Hamachi is expensive.  The smooth slivers of sweet translucent Hamachi are drizzled with Yuzu truffle sauce, its aroma so sublime that we wish there are more than 5 pieces on the plate.

We love the Abalone Somen (RM55)… two whirly mounds of cold somen drenched in a delicate truffle and tempura sauce and capped with a slice of Australian abalone on top.  The light and refreshing presentation, totally oil-less, makes this an excellent choice for health-conscious diners … even though the somen is carbs, you can enjoy this almost guilt-free.

The Crispy Fish Basket (RM35) consists of a whole sole fish, filleted and deep-fried.  The cubes of fish fillet are seasoned with kaffir lime leaves and Thai dried chillies, giving this dish that tantalizing spicy lift.  The bones and the rest of the fish are fried to a crisp (forming the basket) and because it’s so crispy, everything can be eaten!  Perfect with some beer, I’d say.

I am generally not a fan of burgers but the Emperor Burger (RM25) here is something else.  The patty is made from Australian minced sirloin and it’s sandwiched between crisp mantou buns.  Adding flavor and depth to the whole ensemble is Japanese tiugan sauce and shiso leaves.  Apparently the inspiration for this burger came from a similar one that Datuk Jared Lim had eaten in Spain and Chef Daniel Yong was commissioned to replicate that in Ploy.  If you ask Chef Daniel what “tiugan” sauce is, he’ll just tell you that it’s a mish-mash of “some teriyaki and tonkatsu” elements.

If you love corn beef, then you’ll adore the Spaghetti Spicy Corn Beef (RM21).  It is such a comforting dish – it makes me think of the times we used to eat corn beef out of the can (with almost anything!) when we were too lazy to cook.  Lightly flavoured with olive oil and chilli, the pasta dish is presented aglio olio style, the chunks of Brazilian corn beef clinging to the strands of spaghetti.

The Torched Sunrise Tuna (RM35) is by far the prettiest dish of the evening and it’s presented with great aplomb too.  The service crew sears the slices of akami tuna with a blow torch at our table, rendering a thin opaque layer on the pink tuna.  The tuna pieces are arranged like petals on sushi rice speckled with flying fish roe.  Seaweed sheets, wasabi and a signature sauce are served together.  What we do is: put a portion of the sushi rice on a seaweed sheet, dot it with some wasabi, place a piece of the seared akami tuna on top, then roll up the sheet and pop it into our mouths, “popiah”-style!

So, if there’s something to celebrate or you simply just want to pamper your taste buds, Ploy’s Special Selections would perhaps tempt you over.

Chef Daniel Yong

PLOY
G-2 Work@Clearwater
Changkat Semantan
Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2095 0999

Business hours: Noon to 3.00pm,
6.00pm to 10.00pm (Monday to Friday),
6.00pm to midnight (Saturday)
Closed on Sunday