Signature yee sang featuring crispy soft-shell crab and succulent Norwegian salmon. — Photos: ONG SOON HIN/The Star
KL hotel’s Cantonese restaurant serves heritage meal roasted in traditional Hong Kong style
Reigning as a premier delicacy for centuries, the suckling pig is synonymous with grand Chinese celebrations such as weddings and the lunar new year.
As it symbolises auspiciousness and completeness, the Cantonese dish is traditionally served whole to represent a full and successful year.
Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur executive Chinese chef Thye Yoon Kong describes it as a heritage dish.
“The suckling pig is an iconic, celebratory dish that is a requisite, especially during festive occasions.
“As Lai Ching Yuen restaurant specialises in Hong Kong-style cuisine, our kitchen employs the traditional Hong Kong charcoal-grill method.
“The suckling pig is meticulously roasted for a minimum of three hours.
“This technique allows the meat to develop a distinctive smoky aroma while maintaining exceptional tenderness,” he said, adding that the dish is made according to his closely guarded recipe.
Steamed Soon Hock with light soy sauce.
Weighing approximately 3.5kg, the suckling pig is a sensorial delight, featuring glass-like crackling and succulent meat separated by a thin, flavourful layer of fat.
This is the centrepiece of the restaurant’s Golden Abundance Set Menu, where guests can also toss to a prosperous Year of the Fire Horse with signature yee sang featuring crispy soft-shell crab and succulent Norwegian salmon.
The buttery, velvet-smooth salmon slices pair perfectly with the golden-fried crunchy crab, all brought together in a refreshing medley of julienned vegetables and a zesty dressing.
Following this is the soul-warming, clear double-boiled abalone soup with morel mushrooms.
The broth, the result of hours of patient simmering, possesses an earthy depth from the premium mushrooms.
It beautifully complements the delicate, oceanic sweetness of the abalone.
The Steamed Soon Hock with Light Soy Sauce is the highlight of the nine-course meal.
The delicate, pearly white flesh of the prized marble goby is succulent and flaky – a testament to the chef’s mastery of heat and timing.
For a contemporary flair, there’s deep-fried slipper lobster with salt-and-pepper enoki mushrooms.
Thye notes that the dish is popular across South-East Asia.
It is prepared with a house-made sauce crafted from eight selected ingredients to enhance the locally sourced lobster’s natural sweetness.
The lobster is fried to springy perfection and tossed in punchy salt-and-pepper seasoning that delivers a satisfying crunch.
Chinese waxed meat claypot rice.
Guests can also savour braised stuffed sea cucumber with Japanese mushrooms and black moss, alongside the comforting, aromatic traditional Chinese waxed meat claypot rice.
For dessert, “Nian Gao” is presented in two ways.
The pan-fried version offers a soft, gooey pull, while the deep-fried style provides a crisp, golden exterior that yields to a warm, chewy centre.
A refreshing finale comes in the form of chilled Mango Puree with Sago, Pomelo and Vanilla Ice-Cream.
The three set menus for a table of 10 are Golden Abundance (RM3,888++), Seasons of Harmony (RM2,888++) and Bejewelled Prosperity (RM2,288++).
This year’s yee sang features premium sliced abalone, available in two sizes, RM268++ (half portion) and RM498++ (large).
Other yee sang options include Norwegian Salmon, crispy soft-shell crab, crispy fish skin, jellyfish, and snow pear, starting from RM88++ (half) and RM138++ (large). Available for dine in and takeaway.
Big Bowl Feast Poon Choy is also available at RM368++ for five persons or RM688++ for 10.
Ingredients include 12-head abalone, braised green-eye grouper fillet, king prawns, braised goose feet, braised pork belly, smoked duck breast, black moss, braised shiitake mushroom, white radish, braised yam and baby cabbage.
Available from Feb 3 until March 3. Advanced reservation and pre-payment required.
LAI CHING YUEN, Level 1, Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 03-2117 4888, WhatsApp: 012-204 6217). Business hours: Noon to 3pm, 6pm-10pm (Tuesday to Friday), 11am-3pm, 6pm-10pm (weekends and public holidays). Non-halal.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
