Lai Ching Yuen Restaurant @ Grand Millenium Hotel, Bukit Bintang - CNY Dinner Review

Guess what? Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur invited us to join them for a Chinese New Year review at their restaurant, Lai Ching Yuen. Yay! Our first invite for the year 2018. Naturally, the normal thing to do was to send our Chinese contributors/friends over, as they would know best how to describe the dishes and everything else related to CNY. However, this time around though, all 3 of them were travelling. So, I – an Indian, went in their place. Imagine that,lol. The only Indian among all the Chinese that were present at the event. I sure did stand out like a sore thumb. It was awkward for about 5 minutes and then once the whole mingling started, it all turned into a pleasant experience. The hotel staff were more than friendly and accommodating. The bloggers and photographers that were present were pretty approachable and welcoming. I even made a couple of friends.

The atmosphere was filled with excitement and joy. I do not about the rest but my excitement was mainly on the rotation of yummy food that I was going to indulge in, lol. Yea yeaaaa, I am a PIG. I totally agree. Being stuck in traffic that lasted 45 minutes in addition to the rainy weather – it is bound to put you in a hungry mode, no? With the dim lighting they had going on, that just gave us all a cozy, welcoming feel that just made everything a whole lot more pleasant. I liked it all, lots.

This was my first time at Lai Ching Yuen. Having done some research on it told me that they are well known for their dim sums. Perhaps I will pay them another visit soon, since I do loveee em dim sums and they did inform me that they were having some CNY special promotions. Why not, right?

Anyways, as for their CNY Dinner, there are 3 options available – Rm 1988, Rm 3988 and RM 5988. I’ve attached a LINK below that will allow you to view the Menu for each option, just in case you guys are interested in comparing them.

LCY – 2018 Yee Sang & Chinese New Year Set Menus

For tonight though, I had the opportunity to try out their first option – RM1988. It is a 9 course dinner and it literally cover everything -starter, main meal, dessert. So, rest assured – you will be satisfied one way or another. Plenty of food to meet everybody’s demand.

Yee Sang with white fish bait

Double-boiled shark fin soup with crabmeat and assorted seafood

Wok-fried prawns with spicy sauce

Now this dish, was a crowd favorite. If you were sitting at the table like I did, you’d notice every other occupant at that table trying to refrain from overeating, myself included, because we there were many dishes that were going to come our way. So, to make sure we savor them all, naturally we had to eat in bits but I cannot say the same when this dish arrived, lol. Let me start with those prawns. Yummyyyyyyy! The sauce was delicious, some sweetness and some spiciness and the prawns were cooked well. There also was a round-like thing that resembled a biscuit? I do not know what that was but once it got the prawn sauce on it , it had a crunchy exterior with a soggy sauce filled interior – Yummmmm!! This was a really delicious dish.

Steamed catfish with minced ginger

Another awesome dish. The catfish was steamed to perfection, it literally fell of the bones, not much effort needed to extricate it. The ginger provided a pleasant but distinct taste that elevated the dish from something usual to something delicious. Each element on the plate complemented each other well the gravy, catfish, minced ginger.

Roasted ‘pi pa’ style crispy chicken with prawn crackers

Looks good, ey? It sure was. Juicy and tender. I was busy gobbling down the chicken that I kindda overlooked the prawn crackers, lol. Oh well, I do not feel the loss though. This was my first time hearing the word ‘Pi Pa’ as a reference to a cooking style, which basically meant ‘roasted’? The chicken skin was think and crisp, whereas the meat was tender – what more do you need, right? Delicious.

Stir-fried Hong Kong kalian, topped with Enoki mushrooms.

Fried rice with assorted Chinese waxed meat, wrapped in lotus leaf

Nian Gao & Double boiled white fungus with longan and sea coconut

This was my first time indulging in Nian Gao and boy, was it delicious. From the sounds around the table, I can bet the people around me felt exactly the same as I did. It was sweet, sticky, with a crunchy exterior. It is said that this dessert bring good luck in the form of progress and growth. Does this mean that if I eat loads of it, my luck with get better and better for 2018? Hmmmm I wonder…. I could eat this everyday, regardless. Loved it.

I have always been a fan of Lin Chee Kang. However, I do not have the luxury of having it whenever I please. So, naturally I was excited to see it served here. It was delicious, light, not too sweet, crunchy from the sea coconuts and lets not forget those juicy longans, yummm. If it wasnt for the fact that I was overwhelmingly full, I would have finished everything till the last drop. Oh well, at least I got a taste.

I had an awesome time here. Indulging in all those delicious food was heaven. People were warm and friendly. I’ve realized one thing though, watching these folks in their elements, in their culture. In this day and age, preety much every one is out there seeking something, trying to make their mark in this world. It is easy to forget and overlook essential things like the importance of family. Hence why it is vital for these sort of traditions to be maintained because it is during times like these that you would find individuals, no matter which end of the planet they are at, traveling back home to be with family. Often overlooked, but always remembered.

Thank you Grand Millennium for having me. Had an awesome experience.

Happy (Advance) Chinese New Year, peeps. Have an great year ahead.