Lai Po Heen,
LevelL 1, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur,
Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2179 8885
Business hours: Noon to 2.30pm
(lunch from Monday to Friday),
10.30am to 2.30pm
(lunch on weekends and public holidays),
7.00pm to 10.30pm (dinner). Open daily.
WELCOME the Year of the Horse with a sumptuous family reunion dinner or celebrate with friends at Lai Po Heen, Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur’s award-winning Chinese restaurant.
From now till Feb 28, Chinese executive chef Ricky Thein and his team will be whipping up flavourful dishes specially designed for this Chinese New Year (CNY).
Choose from the restaurant’s three festive set menus – Fortune Set Menu, Prosperity Set Menu and Wealth Set Menu, priced from RM198++ onwards per person for a minimum of four diners, available for lunch and dinner.
As a starter, the Double Boiled Six Head Abalone Soup with Fish Maw and “Ming Mu” Fish was light but still redolent with seafood treasures.
Seafood such as fish maw, abalone, scallops, ming mu fish and cordyceps are sun-dried and boiled for four hours with bok choy and wolfberries. The end result is a hearty and satisfying soup, perfect to start off any meal.
Sticking to the seafood theme, the Steamed Cod Fish with Yellow Fungus, Morel Mushroom and Asparagus and Lai Pho Heen’s Chinese New Year Fatt Choy Sun Dried Seafood Pot were lovingly thought out.
Imported from Canada, the cod fish was very fresh and was complemented by a light soy-based sauce. The dish was topped off with French morel mushrooms which lent the dish a slightly woody taste.
The seafood pot showcased the best of premium seafood and was a treasure trove of fish maw, abalone, black mushrooms, beancurd skins and scallops.
For a more contemporary taste, the Wok Fried Prawns with Chinese Barbeque Sauce and Almond Flakes was a welcome departure from the heaviness of the traditional cuisine.
The Simmered Corn-fed Chicken with Chinese Herbs in Supreme Golden Broth and Baby Bok Choy was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious.
The Steamed Cod Fish with Yellow Fungus, Morel Mushroom and Asparagus is fresh with the added twist of the morel mushroom.
Of course, no CNY meal is complete without the tossing of yee sang for prosperity and good fortune.
This year, the restaurant is serving up five varieties of yee sang; Yee Sang with Duo Seafood, Yee Sang with Soft Shell Crab and Snow Pear, Yee Sang with Salmon, Assorted Vegetables and Condiments and Yee Sang with Assorted Vegetables and Shredded Fruits.
The yee sang platter is priced from RM88++ to RM338++ for half portion and full portion, respectively.
Diners who prefer picking ala carte options off the CNY specialties menu, will be able to sample six festive dishes priced from RM88++ onwards, for lunch and dinner.
Dim sum enthusiasts can opt for the Longevity Dim Sum and Happiness Dim Sum sets during lunch, priced at RM98++ and RM138++ per person respectively, with a minimum of four people dining.
Among the highlights of the Longevity Dim Sum set is the Steamed Prawn and Water Chestnut Dumpling with Gold Leaf, Crystal Jade Steamed Dumplings with Century Eggs and Fatt Choy, Steamed Fluffy Buns with Barbecue Chicken and Salted Egg, and Braised Money Bag Filled with Sea Treasures and Wok Fried Garden Green.
The Happiness Dim Sum set is decadent with the Crystal Dumpling Filled with Shrimps and Sea Cucumber, Steamed Siew Mai with Baby Abalone and Traditional Sea Treasure Soup with Dumpling Served in Coconut.
For dessert, the Chilled Pear with Bird’s Nest and Osmanthus Syrup served with Batter Fried Glutinous Rice Cakes with Cheese was a work of art.
The chilled syrup was a delight after the heavy meal while the rice cakes were lovingly molded into the shape of a fish and went well with the passion fruit sauce.
Other selections include Steamed Chinese Sweetened Glutinous Rice Cakes with Shredded Coconut, Chilled Durian Puree with Milk Pudding, Sago and Vanilla Ice-cream and Mandarin Orange Panna Cotta which are priced at RM9.80++ onwards.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
