In my last review of Youmiqi in May this year, I recommended their Kungfu Steamboat which was the highlight of my meal there. I didn’t really have a chance to check-out their regular menu items as that steamboat was really fulfilling! Read about that memorable meal here.
Recently I visited Youmiqi again and this time it was to savour some of their signature Shunde dishes. Shunde is a district in Guangdong province in China. The Shunde style of cooking has often been referred to as the backbone of exquisite Cantonese culinary staples. The essence of Shunde cuisine lies in using the freshest basic ingredients and executing great techniques skilfully hence turning out culinary masterpieces.
The dinner started with some Drunken Flaming Prawns where live prawns from the tanks were cooked at table-side. Some good lashings of Chinese wine poured over the prawns resulted in sweet bouncy textures soaked with intoxicating aromas.
The main course for the evening was Youmiqi’s signature Shunde Braised Live Seafood in Wok. A big copper wok filled with a darkish broth and portable stove were brought to the table. Into the broth went chunks of redtail catfish, clams and crab. I was delighted that sticks of fried beancurd were also added. Slowly, the flavoursome broth mixed with the simmering seafood released the most amazing aromas and we could barely contain our salivating food-craving appetites. The bowls of sweet seafood treasures were marvellous, to say the least. I took my time savouring every bit of it.
Steamed Eel came next, another typical Shunde dish. Yellow eel was used – for its fine silky texture and gelatinous slightly chewy skin. Slathered with a robust spiced sauce and sprinkled with chillies and scallions, the eel made a good dish to eat with some plain white rice.
Prices of the fresh seafood from the tanks are seasonal, so it’s best to check with the restaurant their daily prices for those items.
I’ve heard and seen so many photos of their popular Roasted Standing Chicken (RM88) so I thought it was high time I tried it. A whole roasted free-range chicken was impaled on a serving rod – hence the “standing” presentation. It was a fine and well-roasted fowl with gleaming golden skin and nicely marinated tender juicy meat beneath. But then, that’s exactly what I expected from any Shunde/Cantonese chef worth his salt.
Instead of the usual stir-fry greens, I decided to try something a bit different. So when I spotted Lotus Roots with Intestines (RM25), I just had to order it. It was such an unlikely pairing, I thought. As it turned out, it tasted mediocre as the pre-boiled intestines were actually bland on their own and did not contribute much flavour to the dish. It’s a good thing the young lotus roots were sweet and crunchy on their own, tossed in a tasty sauce.
I totally enjoyed Youmiqi’s Milk Custard Buns with Red Bean Paste (RM29) and the Red Bean Pan Cake (RM16/6pieces). The still-warm soft and fluffy milk custard buns were just to-die-for. The fine texture of the buns gave way to a not-too-sweet filling of aromatic red bean paste. These buns had to be eaten while still warm for maximum enjoyment!
I liked the sesame-seeds-encrusted Red Bean Pan Cake too. Those crunchy squares of delicate pastries were really good and well executed – a nice curtain-call to the Shunde dinner we had at Youmiqi.
There are many more traditional Shunde dishes on the menu and we’ll certainly be back there again for more gastronomic discoveries.
YOUMIQI CUISINE
57 Batu 3 Jalan Klang Lama
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7980-0855
Open: 11.00am-3.00pm; 6.00pm-11.00pm