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The Restaurant welcomes a new chef into its family and, along with him, a reinvented menu that is a clever play of Asian spice married with Western cooking techniques.
The Restaurant at Saujana Hotel & Resorts is proud to welcome a new Chef de Cuisine into its family and, along with him, a new reinvented menu that is bound to titillate your tastebuds.
Hailing from New Zealand, Chef Ryan Arboleda brings with him not only 14 years of experience in the culinary industry, but also fresh new Asian European flavours in his food that can be seen as well as tasted.
We had a taste and are thoroughly impressed by his clever play of Asian spice and layered dimensions married with sophisticated Western cooking techniques.
Chef’s Tapas Selection
Salmon Tostada, Thai Duck Larb ‘Tacos’, Crispy Soft Shell Crab
Raw minced salmon tops the tostada, providing creamy bites that are made additionally satisfying by the thin crunchy biscuit. Guacamole enhances the sweetness of the salmon fish while the chilli keeps things from becoming overly heavy with a nice tart kick. A spritz of burnt limejuice helps cut through the oiliness of the fish and guacamole while loosening up the flavours further.
The Thai duck larb ‘taco’ is a delightfully meaty affair. Shredded duck meat is given a fresh twist with mint dressing while the taco housing it lends a satisfying crunch to every mouthful.
The soft shell crab is crispy on the outside and beautifully fleshy on the inside. Had with a little peppercorn and garlic sauce, its natural sweetness gets buoyed to the forefronts of the tastebuds for a dish that showcases the best of beauty in simplicity.
Entrée
Chilled Angel Hair Pasta
Mud Crab, Nori, Seaweed Caviar, Fresh Herbs, Lobster Oil
The secret to truly enjoying this dish is to ensure you’ve thoroughly mixed all its dressing together. Alone, the pasta might come off as a little bland but when well-mixed, the saltiness from the seaweed caviar melds together with the savouriness of the mud crab and the fragrance of the lobster oil to provide mouthfuls that bloom with aromas.
From the Sea
Khoa Soi Goong
Roasted Lobster Tail, Northern Thai Style Curry, Crispy Egg Noodles in Tomato Concasse and Coconut Foam
This clever noodle dish might confuse you at first glance – is it a noodle soup dish or a curry dish? – but mix it all together and your confusion will immediately be put to rest. The curry starts to take on a more watery consistency once mixed with the coconut foam, letting you eat it with the noodles like how you would any regular noodle dish. The end product proves beautifully creamy with a hint of tartness that is reminiscent of tom yum, all laced with some serious spice, so those unaccustomed with spicy food might want to take caution. The lobster tail goes very well with noodle and gravy with its natural sea sweetness as well as springy bite.
From the Land
Steak, Chips & Eggs
Marinated Black Angus Beef, Duck Fried Chips, Acar Rampai Vegetables, Crumbed Quail Eggs
We’d never have guessed our local pickled acar can go with steak but Chef Ryan showed us the light. The Black Angus is done to the perfect medium-rare, so it holds up to our chewing with enough bite while still remaining incredibly tender. To add creaminess to its game, have it with a bite of the crumbed quail eggs. If things begin to feel too heavy, pop a bit of acar into the mix and you’ll have the perfect balance of meaty versus zesty, chewy versus crunchy.
Dessert
Dark Madagascar Chocolate Creameux
Coconut Panna Cotta, Kaffir Lime Cloud, Coconut Tuille, Coconut Sorbet
Chef Ryan turns dark Madagascar chocolate into a doubly indulgent affair by whipping it into a thick creameux. A spoonful reveals a bittersweet chocolate dessert with the consistency of fudge, laced with a citrusy aftertaste, perfect for those who aren’t a fan of anything too sweet. There is no mistaking the presence of coconut in the pannacotta and sorbet, with coconut fragrances that hit the nose even before both reach the lips. When they do, both are creamy and milky, adding just a touch of sweetness to the chocolate.
To keep things from becoming overly cloying, the kaffir lime cloud injects a shot of tanginess into the thick, sweet combination, balancing things out nicely towards the end.
To try more of Chef Ryan’s new menu, make your reservation now by calling 03 – 7843 1234 or email dine@thesaujana.com.
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