Speciality dishes and delicacies from 18 of Kuala
Lumpur’s Chinatown famed restaurants, bakeries and street food vendors take centrestage at the ‘Jom Celebrate Reunion Dinner, Chinatown KL 2025’
initiative this year.
Only four tables of 10 persons will be available from
25 January to 16 February (except 29-31 January), to cater for the customary
family reunion meal, and subsequently for Chinese New Year dinner from 7 pm
onwards nightly.
Scheduled to be held at the original premise of Seong
Ying Chai, a ‘lou chiu pai’– an established bakery since 1935 – behind Jalan
Sultan, KL, the *festive dinner commences with Golden Pear Yu Sheng from
Westlake restaurant as the auspicious curtain-raiser.
Assorted ingredients: fried yam strips, colourful pickles,
freshly shredded pear and vegetables, pomelo sacs, candied peel, toasted sesame
seeds and ground nuts evoked that cherished nostalgic taste, pulled together by
a tart-sweetish plum sauce.
Leonard Lee, manager of Seong Ying Chai, informed us
‘ma chao’ chicken is the poultry of choice for Kam Kee’s Hainanese Steamed
Kampung Chicken. Served with house concocted chilli and ginger sauces, the
scrumptious offering enticed us to return for additional helpings thanks to its
bright yellow skin and splendidly tender texture.
Prosperity Pork Trotters with Seamoss (fatt choi) from
Hong Ngek drew gasps of delight as we eagerly relished the juicy,
fall-of-the-bone tender meat smothered in viscous collagen-rich,
seamoss-threaded sauce.
Two vegetarian dishes, Stir-fried Lotus Root with
Celery from Voila and Vegetarian Kottu Roti from The Lankan brought a balance
spin to the meat-centric menu.
The former comprised lightly sauteed lotus root slices
with sweet peas, celery, cashews, red and green capsicums; beguiling for its delicately
clear flavours.
True to our Malaysian Muhibbah spirit, aromatically
spiced kottu roti – a popular Sri Lankan street food staple of chopped roti,
vegetables, and spices – lent an unexpectedly welcome contrast
to the proceedings.
Kiew Yee Baru stepped up to the plate with the
perennial Cured Meat Claypot Rice: a huge serving of chunky liver and pork waxed
sausages, waxed duck atop rice sprinkled with chopped spring onion. Finished
with a drizzle of the house mixture of soya sauce, this speciality will surely
leave everyone replete.
Finishing the meal on a pleasantly sweet note will be Seong
Ying Chai’s classic Almond Tofu Pudding in the famed Air Mata Kuching from Luo
Han Guo Longan Dessert. We love how the combo refreshed our palate after the
intense riot of flavours.
Guests can also purchase a special 8-Treasure Box
(RM188 each) consisting of Seong Ying Chai’s Lion Head Gong Zai Bing (baked
pastry with pandas lotus paste), TK Lim’s Sliced Meat Jerky, Sweet Potato
Ball’s Fried Peanut Dumpling, Ho Yoke Kee’s Lucky Candy, Washington’s Golden
Grill Sponge Cake Rusk, Chai Huat Hin’s Dried Persimmon, Machi Popo’s Black
Sesame Puff and Fung Wong’s Mini Walnut Cookies.
*Kindly take note necessary changes to the set menu
are anticipated with substitutions offered by the 21 participating vendors.