#80 : Lai Ching Yuen - MIGF 2011

Courtesy of MIGF, I managed to take this opportunity to bring my cousin sister (for a belated birthday treat) to a fine dining lunch experience over at Lai Ching Yuen, (荔晶园) Grand Millennium KL. Located just next to Pavillion, this place is easily accessible, aside from being stuck in the jam on a Saturday afternoon.

Cousin Janice

Lai Ching Yuen has an oriental motive interior and it's clad in lavish looking furniture. The service is perhaps not to their best, as it was almost 2pm which is why the servings seems to be rushed.

Interior of Lai Ching Yuen

However, putting the food into the spotlight, we were pampered with a 6-course meal, which totally emphasized why under the helm of Chef Leong Weng Heng, Lai Ching Yuen deserves a coveted spot in MIGF 2011.

Chef Leong. Image courtesy of MIGF

The appetizer displayed fresh scallops cooked to perfection dressed with mayonnaise sauce and assorted fruits (strawberries and melons, if memory serves) and seafood spring rolls. I personally liked my scallops to be served cold as per scallop salad is concerned, but having said that the meal is likely better off with hot since we're talking about cooked scallop. The spring roll lifts the dish, crispy and sumptuous right to the last bite.

Crispy Seafood Spring Roll & Scallop Salad with Assorted Fruit Served in Golden Cup

The soup is truly a treasure, richly double boiled with chicken, fish maw, sea cucumber, & scallops. Though I don't exactly taste the coconut's contribution to the dish, the sweetness and flavor of the soup leaves you crave for more.

Double-boiled Sea Treasures in Whole Coconut

I personally liked the next dish, which was a baked filo wrapped sea perch with mushrooms and broccoli. The filo crumbles as the knife cuts through the moist sea perch. The plating of this dish is not that impressive, but the sea perch saved the dish overall.

Baked Fillet of Sea Perch with Wild Mushrooms Wrapped with Crispy Filo

The vegetable portion of this six course is vibrant in presentation, and pleasing to the eye. Spinach infused tofu, with crab meat and chicken broth brings the home cooking feel into an avant garde fine dining experience.

Steamed Home-made Spinach Bean Curd with Chinese Wine Topped with Fresh Crab Meat

The fried rice dish is sinful. It screams 大炒 (fried dishes with big fire, 'big fry' if literally translated) all over and the dish is elevated with the cubed goose livers for the special flavor and pine nuts for the crunchy texture with the rice. I would return here again anytime just for this dish.

Fried Rice with Minced Goose Liver and Pine Nuts

The course ended with a dessert of avocado puree and durian custard shaped into a rabbit. The puree has that raw flavor which was a little put off, not to its full potential I must say for this dish. The custard though is so eye pleasing I felt guilty eating the poor fella.

Combination of Avocado Purée with Durian Custard Rabbit Dumpling

We may get a better dining experience had we gone there a bit earlier (nearing to opening hour if possible). But nevertheless, it speaks to its true credential in MIGF, kudos to the kitchen crew and the Chef! I may return Lai Ching Yuen in the near future, would love to have a dimsum experience here.

Additional Information

Full Festival Menu:
RM 268 ++ per person with wine
RM 158++ per person without wine

Lai Ching Yuen
Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur
Level 1, 160, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603 2117 4180

29/10/2011