The Armada sets sail

Chew Chew Teik Chye is one of the first chefs I met professionally. He was one of the first local chefs who was comfortable enough to sit and chat while I ate, and when I interviewed him, he mentioned his mother and how she taught him to make traditional Hainanese chicken rice.

I think it was when his eyes welled with tears in remembrance of what must have been a truly formidable lady, that I knew that I would keep coming back to this man.

It is rare for men to show emotion; rarer still if it was a tough, battle-scarred Hainanese Executive Chef. The Hainanese have always been known as the best cooks in the Chinese world. They were the few last of the Chinese clans to come to Malaya and when they arrived, they found all the ‘good’ jobs taken. Tin mining, rickshaw pulling were all already dominated by Chinese from other provinces.

And so the Hainanese took up employment with the British. They became house boys, servers, major domos and cooks. Chefs of Chew’s generation have seen squadrons of foreign air force and army personnel pass through their kitchens. In fact, Chef Chew once cooked for the Royal Australian Air Force’s Officers’ Mess in Penang.

Chef Chew with Kit and I at our wedding reception at the Eastin on October 29 2006.

When I got married, the wedding venue was chosen because of the chef. I could not trust any old banquet department with my big day. I was a foodie and how would it look to have abysmal food at a foodie’s wedding? That’s why Kit and I choose Eastin Hotel. Chef Chew was Executive Chef there at the time and he was very chuffed to be able to turn his imagination loose and deliver a Western set menu for 300, individually plated and served. By costumed waiters, no less. My Sales Executive at that time, Lore Yun Yee, confided that mine was the most expensive and expansive wedding she had taken care of since it was also a theme wedding – Arthurian, medieval. She learnt a new word right there.


Since that success (and it was a rousing success – people still remember the food and the event five years down the line), I have grown closer to Chef. I ask him silly questions, he gives me straight answers. I tell him when his buffet items are not up to par and he thanks me with a special dessert.

He has since moved to Hotel Armada Petaling Jaya. I have naturally moved with him. He has transformed the F&B offerings in this hotel. When I brought my friend Pat Pereira to dine there, she asked me why I was stooping so low. Hitherto, I used to frequent only One World Hotel if I was choosing a locally owned property in PJ.

After she sampled the new buffet offerings, she was sold. She and quite a few other friends whom I have treated to a meal at Utara Coffee House have returned, and with glowing praise.

Pan-seared salmon. Simple is exquisite!

Recently I spirited my staff writer out of office on the pretext of discussing pagination. The poor girl was swamped with work and I thought she needed a breather. I’d taken her to Utara before and she loved it. She was so happy to be there again.

Armada was running a salmon promotion and of course, I completely could not eat from the buffet. General Manager Hoon Tai Chee sat me down for lunch, with PR Manager Myza in tow. Chef rolled out his first salmon dish. It was the most perfect pan-seared salmon I have had ever! I suppose Norwegian salmon will always come up tops and this was proof of it. The beautiful flesh flaked off in moist, succulent chunks. You could feel the essential Omega 3 oils just rushing into your system.

Salmon and pesto spaghetti.

The skin was crisped to perfection, its silvery blue sheen heightened by its own oils and crackly to the bite. A few butter grilled vegetables and a potato roulade and you had a perfect dish in front of you.

Chuffed by my delight GM Hoon ordered more of the salmon selection rolled out. My writer raised her eyebrows. I shrugged. I was used to it. Up came the salmon and pesto spaghetti. Again, perfectly done salmon, with a good shave of Parmesan and a fresh breadstick. Good, except for a slight drying out of the pasta.

The salmon pudding was a souffle to swoon over.

The salmon pudding was a beauty. Perfectly turned out of a ramekin, it was a soufflé and mousse all in one, with perfect flavours complementing the fish.

Japanese cheesecake the only way I'll ever have it again.

We each were served a wedge of the cake of the month and debated about what it was. It looked like cheesecake but did not feel as heavy as cheesecake. What was it? It was a Japanese inspired cheesecake – the Hokkaido Cheese, made so light and fluffy that it could actually be polished off even after a huge meal.

The Salmon promotion is on until the end of November 2010. All the creations go at RM25++ and it is truly worth it! Say I sent you and I guarantee Chef Chew will at least throw a few fresh cookies your way!