This labour-intensive dish requires delicate culinary skills to produce a beautifully roasted
chicken which dates back to the Qing Dynasty.
From 1 to 31 August, diners at Si Chuan Dou Hua at PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur will relish their dining experience with the ‘Beggar’s Chicken’, a Chinese roasted chicken cooked with traditional Chinese herbs rich in health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, improving immunity and eyesight.
To prepare this wholesome dish, ingredients such as Yu Zhu (Solomon’s Seal Rhizome), Codonopsis Root, Red Dates, Wolfberry, Dong Quai (Angelica Sinensis), Hui San (Wild Yam) and Bai Qi (Ginseng) are boiled for about one and a half hours to extract the flavours.
Subsequently, a whole chicken is saturated in soya sauce and deep-fried until golden brown. The boiled ingredients and chicken are then enveloped in a combination of lotus leaves which is then wrapped in a thin layer of non-toxic clay and steamed for three hours before this special creation is served.
According to Chinese Chef Foong Koon Sang, “This recipe dates back many generations. However, as time evolved, a contemporary touch in preparation has been added by using a steamer instead of wood-fire while still appreciating its traditional ingredients.”
The ‘Beggar’s Chicken’ is available at RM48 nett for 1 to 3 persons and RM88 nett for 4 to 8 persons. Diners are advised to place their orders in advance of their reservations to ensure sufficient time for preparation.
The dining experience at Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant is made memorable by the Tea Connoisseur who presents the humble act of tea art. With a metre-long nose bronze tea kettle, he demonstrates Tai Chi moves to perform elegant tea-pouring skills.
Dining hours:
Lunch – 12:00 noon to 2:30pm
Dinner – 6:30pm to 10:30pm
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