PETALING JAYA, Jan 16 – In just a couple of weeks from now, we will be ringing in the Year of the Snake. So where will you be having your Chinese New Year feast?
For something creatively nostalgic, head to Fifty Tales located in PJ Sea Park, for their CNY 2025 menu.
Run by chef-owner Aaron Phua and his co-founders, Bimmy Soi and Aaron Khor, Fifty Tales began as a noodle bar in 2019 before growing into an innovative Malaysian Chinese restaurant.
Phua shares, “Our CNY menu was created with the sole idea to pay tribute to our Malaysian Chinese cuisine and nostalgic flavours both Aaron (Khor) and Bimmy enjoy. That being said it is also reimagined with a modern twist.”
The first menu, which is for two to three people, features Fifty Tales’ Yee Sang (3 pieces of Chilean abalone); Truffle Hokkien Char; Corn-fed Chicken (roasted or terrine); a choice between two vegetable dishes, Claypot Eggplant & Pork or the Nai Pak & Dried Scallops; and a slice of their Pineapple & White Chocolate Puff (layered pastry, white chocolate kesum ganache and pineapple jam).
For a larger group of four to six people, Phua recommends their expanded menu: Fifty Tales’ Yee Sang (8 pieces of Chilean abalone); Truffle Hokkien Char; Corn-fed Chicken Two Ways (roasted chicken leg and chicken terrine with Shaoxing wine sauce); a whole Steamed Silver Pomfret; either the Claypot Eggplant & Pork or the Nai Pak & Dried Scallops; and two slices of their Pineapple & White Chocolate Puff.
These dishes can also be ordered from their à la carte menu, which has other festive dishes such as Drunken XL Tiger Prawns (with Hakka rice wine and chives oil) and Squid with Spiced Vinegar (topped with shaved strawberries, Sichuan chilli oil and cashew nuts).
Phua says, “We hope every dish we create will somehow evoke cherished memories and hope it will bring new memories. We pay tribute to the past while we embrace the future.”
Fan favourites including their Ren Li Mian (handmade noodles, pork lard and soy sauce) and Pork Lard Rice (steamed rice with crispy pork lard and soy sauce) will still be available for those who must have their starchy staples.
For Phua, a must-order has to be their Truffle Hokkien Char, a dish that reflects his heritage.
He explains, “A fun fact – all three partners are Hokkien and we really love a good Hokkien char. We thought it would be nice to have our version on the menu; it is made with our Ren Li Mian noodles.”
The noodles are lightly stir fried for the requisite wok hei before being lightly braised in a chicken wing superior stock and truffle paste. Finally the dish is finished with more fresh truffle shavings over the top.
Phua adds, “What is more important in a Hokkien char is the sambal that goes with it, so we decided to make a truffle sambal to go with it. Do not miss this!”
Another CNY menu highlight is their Steamed Silver Pomfret. A whole fish is steamed with Fifty Tales’ signature coriander herb paste, salted calamansi, cili padi and braised radish.
Phua says, “We at Fifty Tales really love textures and we really love the idea of ginger paste. But we felt that it may just overpower the delicate taste of the fish. So we came up with our coriander herb paste which is still flavourful but light enough to preserve the flavour of the fish while still having a contrasting texture to its soft flesh.”
Which isn’t to say the team is adverse to spicing things up. Phua shares, “As Malaysians we love our food with a little kick hence the salted calamansi that we aged ourselves and also some cili padi. For additional flavour and textural experience, we included the radish braised in a fish stock made from sole to accompany the steamed pomfret.”
The aforementioned vegetable dishes aren’t lacking in flavour either as each has a deep layer of umami. The Claypot Eggplant & Pork features smoked cured pork, Chu Hou sauce, dried chillies and perilla leaves whilst the Nai Pak & Dried Scallops, which is braised with superior stock, has added texture from squid and fried dragon chives.
No Chinese New Year feast is complete without everyone’s favourite yee sang, of course. How does Fifty Tales’ Yee Sang differ from other versions?
In recent years, updated versions of yee sang have become fancier with more luxurious (some say unorthodox) ingredients such as jamón serrano (dry-cured Spanish ham) and deep fried Sri Lankan crab.
Phua hopes to bring it closer to home by adding more local flavours to this auspicious dish.
He explains, “Our Yee Sang is made with all fresh ingredients, from the vegetables all the way to the sauce. What is really unique is our sauce because it is made with guava which represents our homeland and the mix of the aged salted calamansi that we aged ourselves which is our Fifty Tales signature.”
Fifty Tales’ Chinese New Year menu will run from now until February 16, except for January 28 – February 1 when the restaurant will be closed.
That five-day time off period will be a much needed and well deserved break for the hardworking team. Time for celebrating Chinese New Year, as Phua puts it: “I’m just looking forward to spending time with my family and feasting.”
Fifty Tales
No. 19, Jalan 21/11B, Sea Park, PJ
Open Thu-Mon for lunch 12-3:30pm & dinner 5:30-10pm (Tue & Wed closed)
** CNY Menu available now till Feb 16 (except Jan 28-Feb 1 closed)
Phone: 012-249 2697
