Making an impression

VIPS and fine food connoisseurs will be putting their taste buds to the test tomorrow and sampling a rich array of Asian culinary delights with a dash of fusion fare at the newly-opened Tian restaurant.

Situated adjacent to the Adliya dining district and neighbouring the NYIT campus, the restaurant - formerly Ken Lo's Memories of China - is now called Tian, which means 'heaven' in Chinese.

Its soft opening took place two months ago and the restaurant has been quickly making an impression with dining out enthusiasts thanks to its impressive makeover and new menu.

Hassan Al Sharif, director of Ali Al Sharif Establishment, the company which owns the restaurant, said: 'We wanted to start up our own venture and add fusion Asian cuisine - and not simply stick to typical Chinese food. We wanted to introduce a menu that was much more appealing.'

The restaurant invited a former chef from London's celebrated Hakkasan restaurant to help set up the kitchen and prepare the new menu in March.

The restaurant's team say the new selection has been welcomed by customers and among the most popular dishes are deep fried prawns with wasabi sauce - Japanese horseradish, Black Angus beef tenderloin in black pepper sauce as well as deep fried crispy duck spring roll ... which can be modified to suit the taste of each diner as it is comes rich with green chillies.

Head Chef Riyono Soepangat has taken charge of the kitchen team after moving to the island from his home in West Java, Indonesia. He boasts 15 years of culinary experience and has worked with well-known names in the industry including Hyatt Regency, Novotel Bandung and Holiday Inn.

He is no stranger to the Middle East, having previously worked in the region during 2002 when he was with the Marina Restaurant in Saudi Arabia.

Chef Riyono, 38, who is now living in Umm Al Hassam, embarked on a culinary career by following in his father's footsteps, a respected chef in his own country. He said: 'From a young age I really enjoyed watching people cook and so taking up a hotel catering course came as a natural choice to me.

'I specialise in Chinese cuisine but have also worked in Western and Indonesian kitchens too.'

Chef Riyono shares one of his favourite recipes with GulfWeekly readers.

Deep Fried Prawns with Wasabi Sauce

Ingredients:

Marinated prawns 7

Potato starch 20gm

Oil 1 litre

Wasabi powder 20gm

Mayonnaise 30gm

Mayonnaise sauce 10gm

Fresh lemon juice 1/4 piece

Sweet condensed milk 12gm

Freeze lettuce 3 pcs

Fresh sakura 2gm

Tobiko 2gm

Black caviar 2.5gm

Method:

Mix the wasabi powder, mayonnaise, sweet milk and fresh lemon juice together.

Roll the prawns on potato starch and fry until crispy.

Mix the prawns with the wasabi sauce.

Garnish with lettuce, sakura, tobiko and black caviar.