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| Festival Dining at Lai Po Heen Posted: 12 Oct 2011 06:00 PM PDT  Chef Ricky Thein and I, we go back a long way. He used to be the Chinese Chef at Tai Zi Heen, where I had the opportunity to sample their Chinese New Year sets here and here. It’s no secret that I love his creations! Every meal was a satisfaction especially his signature Stir-fried prawns and Cod fish, both memorable and fantastic. So when I saw him at the MIGF Gala Launch recently, I was surprised to find that he’s now with Lai Po Heen, Mandarin Oriental KL. And his dishes were still as good, if not better! Therefore, I made a mental note to myself that I simply must visit Lai Po Heen to try out their MIGF menu this year, to show some support. And went there I did, sampling what must have been one of the best Chinese meals I’ve ever had.
The appetizers
Lai Po Heen MIGF 2011 Menu #1 Appetizers *** Chilled Vinaigrette Scented, Cucumber Roll, Roasted Duck, Yam Puff with Braised Whole Baby Abalone The first dish that greeted us was not only a feast for the eyes, but for the nose! The aroma of the yam puff was enough to make me salivate. And look at the little gem of a whole baby abalone! So precious that I took my own sweet time to savour every bite of it – firm, bouncy and juicy. Not to forget the cucumber roll with roasted duck, mango and dragonfruit that provided a burst of multitude flavours when eaten together. Sweet, savoury, warm and cold, they were all there. But if I had to choose a favourite, it would be the yam puff. It was so fluffy and crispy, without any hint of oiliness. Loved it!
Chilled Vinaigrette Scented, Cucumber Roll, Roasted Duck, Yam Puff with Braised Whole Baby Abalone #2 Soup *** Cantonese Style Braised Sea Treasure, Golden Melon in Supreme Broth When the second course arrived, I already had a great first impression since it was served in a whole pumpkin. Still scorching hot, the lifting of the pumpkin cover revealed a plethora of goodies within – scallop, shark’s fin and sea cucumber were just some of the sea treasures buried inside. That’s not all, the soup was just out of this world. It was exceptionally tasty, with the combination of all the precious seafood giving it a distinctive sweet and wholesome flavour that we just could not get enough of. It would be worth it to try out the MIGF menu just for this dish alone.
Cantonese Style Braised Sea Treasure, Golden Melon in Supreme Broth
Scallop and shark’s fin #3 Mains *** Dong Po Style Barbecue Scented Lamb Rib with Chinese Pear, Wok-fried Hong Kong Baby Siew Pak Choy The mains were separated into 2 dishes. The first was the Dong Po style BBQ lamb rib, which was grilled to a glistening finish and garnished with shreds of Chinese pear. If you’re observant enough, you would also spot the Chinese character written next to it, “羊 = yang” which meant lamb. It’s the little things like this that makes you feel special, knowing the chef put in special thoughts to the dish, isn’t it?
Dong Po Style Barbecue Scented Lamb Rib with Chinese Pear, Wok-fried Hong Kong Baby Siew Pak Choy #4 Mains *** Crispy Egg Noodles, Blue River Prawn, Prawn Roe and Egg Gravy The second main dish was similar to Sang Har Mee, crispy noodles topped with thick, egg-y gravy and completed with a huge half prawn filled with roe. Do a light poke on the prawn’s head and you’ll be welcomed with the oozing of bright orange prawn roe, a sight that would put a smile to your face indeed. The roe gave the gravy a semi-rich and smooth texture, a perfect match with the egg noodles. I could not stop myself from slurping away! This dish made the cholesterol gained worth it.
Crispy Egg Noodles, Blue River Prawn, Prawn Roe and Egg Gravy
The huge river prawn #5 Desserts *** Trio of Sweet Potato Purple Sweet Dumpling, Vanilla Sauce Chilled with Sago in Lemon Syrup & Sweetened Jelly with Osmanthus Last but not least, desserts came in a colourful platter of potato dumpling, osmanthus jelly and lemon syrup. The first to attract me was the purple dumpling, which was fried to a crispy brown finish but still had a velvety smooth interior, naturally sweet. Apparently the chef put a lot of effort in making this cute dumpling to be as soft and smooth as it was, and it was well-rewarded. It turned out to be my favourite on the platter. The jelly with osmanthus was quite an acquired taste, firm and sticky yet a little bland. It was good to neutralize the sweetness from the potato dumpling, I suppose. Finally, wash it all down with the chilled vanilla sauce in lemon syrup which was both refreshing and cooling. Such a splendid end to a wonderful dinner.
Trio of Sweet Potato Purple Sweet Dumpling, Vanilla Sauce Sweetened Jelly with Osmanthus Chilled with Sago in Lemon Syrup
Say Hi to Chef Ricky Thein The dinner was a pleasant experience, perhaps one that I would really recommend you to go to due to its good value. For RM228++, you get all of the above dishes plus a starter of pan-seared scallop (not shown in this post), which are all excellent with high quality ingredients, dish after dish. It’s a dining experience that I will remember for a long time to come.
Dining interior at Lai Po Heen Festival Dinner Menu: RM228++ per person without wine
Lai Po Heen at Mandarin Oriental KL Lai Po Heen Chinese Restaurant (Pork Free) |
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