GAB’s Oktoberfest Food Pairing @ Tai Zi Heen, Prince Hotel & Residence

October 8, 2012 Choi Yen 21 comments

If you think beer and fine Chinese dining doesn’t go hand-in-hand, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. This Oktoberfest, Guinness Anchor Berhad (GAB), the leading beer and stout company in Malaysia is celebrating the versatility of its stellar iconic range of beers by collaborating with Prince Hotel and Residence Kuala Lumpur’s signature Chinese restaurant, Tai Zi Heen in coming up with a 3 course beer pairing promotion to celebrate “For The Love of Beer” from October 1-31.

We were welcomed graciously by well dressed GAB Oktoberfest brand ambassadors with their Oktoberfest ceramic mugs 🙂

A special designed 3 course menu prepared by Chef Michael Wong, Ta Zi Heen’s Chinese Head Chef to be paired with a particular beer to bring out the unique taste profile of the different GAB beers as well as enhancing the taste of the food.

Keith Nair, the Guinness Anchor Berhad’s Beer Ambassador explaining the menu, according to him “Tiger, Guinness, Strongbow and Paulaner are uniquely different taste profiles being a lager, stout, cider and wheat beer respectively. While drinkers can already tell the differences when they savour the beers, the unique flavours of the beers truly come alive when they are paired with the right type of dish…this beer pairing menu with Tai Zi Heen is a great opportunity for diners and beer enthusiasts to sample GAB’s unique range of beers with decadent dishes.”

Chef Michael Wong

Embark on an exciting culinary adventure with the world’s No.1 stout Guinness to pair with the appetizer.

Wok Seared Five Spice Salt Dusted Foie Gras (中式煎鹅肝) &

Beijing Smoked Duck Wraps Drizzled with Passion Fruit Vinaigrette (烟熏鴨卷)

The luscious foie gras had a lovely crispy outer and creamy inner while the Beijing Smoked Duck Wraps was merely mediocre as I hardly taste the flavor of the tiny portion of the smoked duck. The passion fruit vinaigrette definitely performed a magic here to zest up the both dish, a brilliant touch! The sweet aftertaste of Guinness had well balance with the complex five spices and the sweetness of the passion fruit.

Hot and Sour Seafood Soup with Unagi-Parmesan Stick (四川酸辣汤伴芝士鳗鱼卷)

Coming up next was the lip-smacking Hot and Sour Seafood Soup with delicate and well balanced spicy and sour taste. The accompanied Unagi-Parmesan Stick to me was an incarnation of a fairy stick, crunchy and bursting smokey taste from the unagi; the impeccable match!

Paired with the gentle Strongbow with pleasant fruity taste, the slightly acidic and sweet aftertaste cut through the spiciness and sourness of the soup. This is a perfect example of a harmonious balance Chinese dish seek to achieve!

Moving on to Main Course~

Honey Soy Glazed Oysters on Asparagus and Toasted Sesame Seeds (豉油皇生蚝芦笋)

Cut out the beautifully glazed coating and revealed the sizable oyster, popped into my mouth and enjoyed the explosion flavor of the lusciousness.

The sweetness of the glaze and the heaviness of the oyster is perfectly balanced when pair with Paulaner, making the beer taste sweeter and fresher.

Baked Cod Fish with Garlic Crust (蒜油焗鳕鱼)

I always believe that steaming the best way to prepare Cod Fish but this garlic crusted Cod Fish was pretty impressive too as the crust skin scented with garlic was aromatic and the fish retained flaky and sweet. This was went well with the pairing beer of Paulaner.

Kong Poh Style Chicken with Dried Chillies and Cashew Nuts in Yam Ring (佛钵宫保爆鸡丁)

The petite size yam ring was simply adorable to the eyes, loaded with distinctive flavored Kong Poh style chicken. The yam ring was crispy but a tad too oily for my liking.

A chilled glass of Tiger beer to go with the dish, the hidden sweetness of the dish was enhanced and the whole dish is more balanced.

Purple Sweet Potato Garnish with Mango Ice Cream accompanied with Lotus Paste Chinese Pancake (紫番薯芒果雪糕拼莲蓉锅饼)

Smoke gets in your eyes~~

The visually stunning presentation attracted the eyes even before it is savored! The puree of purple sweet potato with moderate sweetness well matched with the mango ice-cream, indeed a sweet endnote to the sumptuous dinner.

Again the Strongbow cider was brought to our table to pair with the dessert, believe or not me as a non-beer-person has become a fan of this “sweet” beer and no more soft drink for my happy hour session!

Tai Zi Heen’s “For The Love of Beer” 3-course beer menu is available throughout GAB’s Oktoberfest Celebrations from October 1-31 at RM150++ per person. Each dish will be paired with Tiger, Guinness, Strongbow and Paulaner and each diner can take home a special limited edition GAB’s Oktoberfest 1L ceramic mug.