STeam power
On it’s own, the garlic fried rice was bland, almost insipid. But spoon in some soup from the Sauna Layer Pot and a miraculous change occurs. Infused with the essence of deep-fried salmon and grouper bone stock, and the cooking of a dozen or so marine ingredients, the makeshift rice soup is fragrant, delicious and addictive.
The liquid that makes this magic happen is the Sauna Layer Pot at Resort World Genting’s Resort Seafood Steamboat. Specialising in warming meals of the dip-and-boil type (accompanied by the restaurant’s wide range of sauces, from hoison to fiery chilli, best mixed together), Seafood Chef Lai and Head Chef Tan Heng’s new addition to the menu utilises the power of steam. Above a roiling pot of salmon and grouper stock, three layers of metal steam racks are stacked, progressively layered with aquatic delicacies. These include: salmon fish head, Indonesian mud crabs, grouper slices, script venus clams, scallops in half shells, sea cucumber, grass prawns, green mussels, enokitake and shitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage and a hearty amount of King’s noodles. Chunks of sweet corn are also present, an oddity at first glance, but its presence sweetens the soup.
And what a soup it is. Tempting though the fresh seafood may be, save some room for the soup. The sweat of steamed seafood drips down the racks, mixing together with the stock, creating a heavenly broth. The bouncy King’s noodles are the default option to go with the soup, but Chef Tan Heng highly recommends an a la carte serving of the aforementioned garlic fried rice, product of an evening of experimentation with an enthusiastic Thai dining group.
The Sauna Layer Pot comfortably serves 8-10 people (RM688 for Resorts World Genting members). For those that prefer a more traditional steamboat experience, the restaurant is currently offer two set menus – a base menu at RM1,000 for members with grouper slices, lamb, beef striploin, grass prawns, crispy smoked duck, chicken drumstuck, sea cucumber and more, and a RM1,500 option that enhanced the menu with Boston lobster. Alongside the seating in the expansive main hall, there are also four private dining rooms that seat up to 20, with two having individual soup tanks for each guest.
