28/06/2025

LYFE SATURDAY | JUNE 28, 2025

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Playful affair of omakase T O improve one’s taste buds, fusion cuisines are often encouraged as they offer unique and exciting culinary o Oriental Group experiments with Eastern, Western savouries with chef Joeri Timmermans Ű BY JOHN TAN known for presenting traditional dishes creatively. For four dates, the restaurant is inviting gourmands and gastronomes to an exclusive dinner affair where flavours from the East and West come together.

inspire and ignite the palate. theSun had a sneak peek at the East Meets West Omakase and here was what went down. Kick-starting the culinary journey, appetisers were served first. The Golden Sand Tofu, made from steamed tofu mixed with egg whites easily stands out. Its delicate texture made for a quick and easy bite, warming up the palate for the main courses. Doses of anticipation were satisfied with the menu’s first item of the evening – the Tomatina Crab. The Tomatina Crab borrows influence from European and Japanese cuisines. It is made up of ingredients such as creme fraiche , tomato, yuzu kosho, dashi and caviar. The dish was an intriguing spin on

seafood, presenting crab in the form of a tomato. Boundaries were further pushed with the menu’s second item, the Golden Silk Chawan Mushi. Contrary to popular chawanmushi, the Golden Silk Chawan Mushi did not come in a lidded cup with ingredients such as chicken, shrimp or vegetables. Instead, it was served in a petite bowl topped with freshwater prawn head and fin bursting with umami flavour. It maintains the savoury taste of a regular chawanmushi, but further adds a tinge of luxury to it. The dish also takes off the hassle of having to peel as not much undressing was required beforehand. Diners would be delighted to know that the prawn is cut into half. The third item on the menu, however, did not pose much exceptionally. Addressed as 2 Ways Prawn, the offering was a duet of cheese-baked delight and handcrafted prawn ball. Apart from its earthy aroma, the dish did not have much to boast about. But, the menu picked up with Transatlantic Cod. Timmermans prepared Atlantic cod fish, utilising taramasalata cream and seaweed butter. The choices resulted in a sweet and creamy dining escape, making it the focal point of the evening. Things came to an end as the menu’s finale Mangosteen reached the table. While it resembled the tropical fruit, Mangosteen was actually made out of shredded coconut cream. Its warmth texture became transparent when devouring, resembling the feeling of summer. Overall, Oriental Group succeeds in presenting the Asian dishes in a new light. Its Western influences complemented its Asian aspects for the most part. Those looking to indulge in the menu can head over to Ruyi restaurant (June 30), Oriental Treasure (July 1), Yu (July 2) and Oriental Sun (July 4) in the Klang Valley.

experiences. Eastern and Western dishes, for instance, go well together due to their shared ingredients and balanced flavours. Together, they create a symphony of flavours that captivate the taste buds, which makes them an ideal combination for omakase. One just has to head to The Oriental Group’s East Meets West Omakase to experience this. One of the more popular Malaysian Chinese restaurants, the Oriental Group of Restaurants are

Introducing East Meets West Omakase, a limited-time culinary collaboration between Oriental Group’s chefs and celebrated guest Dutch chef Joeri Timmermans, who has an extensive resume across Michelin-starred restaurants. At RM328++ per pax, guests will indulge in a specially curated seven-course menu that marries exquisite Asian flavours with refined Western techniques – each dish thoughtfully composed to intrigue,

The Tomatina Crab.

The Golden Silk Chawan Mushi.

Golden Sand Tofus are served as appetisers.

Atlantic Cod fish is served with taramasalata cream and seaweed butter. – PICS BY JOHN TAN/THESUN

Production of farmed fish, seaweed soars THE amount of farmed seafood we consume, as opposed to that taken wild from our waters, is soaring every year, making aquaculture an ever-more important source for diets, and a response to overfishing. France’s national institute for ocean science and technology Ifremer researcher Thierry Laugier said fish farmers choose species that grow quickly, which life cycle can be controlled with simple requirements. Atlantic salmon’s sales, which is

continent,” Laugier said. At the other end of the spectrum, sardines and herring are just fished in the oceans, mainly for profitability reasons as some fish grow very slowly. “It takes around two years to get an adult-sized sardine,” Laugier said. He said farming of some fish has not yet been started as “for a long time, we thought the ocean was an inexhaustible resource”. Seaweed Seaweed accounts for almost a third of world aquaculture production. Almost exclusively from Asia, seaweed production increased by nearly 200% in two decades, to 38 million tonnes. It is mainly used in industry, in jellies, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, the expert said. He added that seaweed also has the major advantage of absorbing not just carbon dioxide in the oceans, but also nitrogen and certain pollutants. – AFP

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, nearly 99 million tonnes of aquatic animals – fish, molluscs (oysters and mussels) and crustaceans (prawns) – were farmed around the world in 2023, five times more than three decades ago. Since 2022, the farming of aquatic animals has been steadily overtaking fishing around the world, but with large disparities from species to species. Fast-growing species The two biggest sellers on the market in 2023, carp and tilapia, mainly came from freshwater farming, while other widely-consumed fish, such as herring, came from deep sea fishing

the most widely farmed fish in Europe, came to 1.9 million tonnes in 2023, 99% of which were farmed. “We know how to control the ageing or how to launch a reproduction cycle, through injecting hormones,” Laugier said. Asia main producer Asia is by far the biggest producer of farmed fish, accounting for 92% of the 136 million tonnes, of both animal and plant species, produced under manmade conditions in 2023. “For carp, it comes down to tradition, it has been farmed for thousands of years on the Asian

Since 2022, the farming of aquatic animals has been steadily overtaking fishing around the world. – AFPPIC