Two hot pots of lap mei farn

Shang Palace serves the 'lap mei' delicacy separate from the rice.

I HAVE had lap mei farn five times since the “season” started, and have yet to tire of it. I enjoyed it twice at the Shang Palace at the Shangri-La Hotel and twice at Elegant Inn at Menara Hap Seng, Kuala Lumpur – the two restaurants that many fans would vouch serve the best lap mei farn in town. In my mind, they are like two super bowls going head to head.

The traditional lap mei farn is a simple-to-cook dish that requires no other kitchen skills than boiling a pot of rice. It is the little tweaks and fine-tuning that a chef does that make all the difference.