SUMMER SOJOURN IN CHENGDU WITH DORSETT GRAND & AIRASIA

Our maiden visit to Chengdu was an immersive experience courtesy of AirAsia X and Dorsett Grand Chengdu. The five days/four nights' sojourn began with us enjoying the peaceful quiet zone, one of the perks accorded under AAX Premium Flex.

Silence is golden at AAX Quiet Zone (photo courtest of Wilsurn Lim)

For the uninitiated, AAX flies seven times weekly from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu - the capital of Sichuan province.  Guests from Singapore can travel seamlessly all the way using the Fly-Thru service - a convenience which enables them to connect to flights via AirAsia’s multiple transit hubs; their baggage checked through to the final destination without  having to physically go through immigration. The Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu flight takes four hours and fifteen minutes, touching down at Shuangliu International Airport.

 

It also pays to pre-book your meal prior to boarding your flights. Besides rice meals, there are easy-to-eat options such as Stuffed Chicken with Cranberry Sauce or Onigiri (triangular Japanese rice balls) with Chicken Teriyaki & Egg-Sausage fillings.

Once touched down, it took another 30 minutes to reach Dorsett Grand Chengdu from the airport. The upscale 42-storey property belonging to Dorsett Hospitality International located in Chengdu’s Central Business District (CBD).

 

The marble-clad lobby with its soaring high ceiling left us awestruck and drove us into immediate photo-taking frenzy. Decor motifs inspired by lotus and gingko leaves are sprinkled throughout, evoking a sense of serenity in the lobby.

Our room is reflective of the 556 rooms and suites; comfortably furnished and outfitted with modern essentials: WiFi access, iPhone radio docking station, in-room coffee/tea and Chinese tea making facilities and other essential creature comforts. 

 

If you want greater luxury, Dorsett Grand's plush suites are spacious and tastefully furnished. Separate work, living, dining and sleeping areas bear understated elegant touches such as custom-designed chandeliers, wallpaper and luxe extras like massage room, jacuzzi and walk-in wardrobes.

For VIPs and travellers with deep pockets, the Chairman Suite with all the modern trappings of luxury should be up to discerning expectations.

Breakfast buffet is served daily at Yue Rong Café where hand-pulled noodles and dumplings are prepared fresh at the ‘live’ show kitchen. We were spoiled for choice with the wide range of local and international specialties jostling for attention.

 

Choice picks include 'dan dan mien' (noodles with spiced minced pork topping), boiled pork & vegetable dumplings, mixed beef offal, bacon and luncheon meat in zingy hot Sichuan chilli broth and noodles in a piquant chilli broth laden with chopped leek & spring onion.

 

Spacious with plenty of seating ensures ample privacy for business and leisure travellers. Besides breakfast buffet, a la carte and regular promotional menus give diners additional choice.

Corporate events can easily be organised at the Ballroom and function rooms. Exquisite Sichuan and regional Chinese specialities rule at the Fu Yue Xuan Chinese restaurant (full review to follow).

For reservations, call tel: +86 28 8332 8666. DORSETT GRAND CHENGDU, 168 Xi Yulong Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu, Sichuan. 

COMING SOON: TOP SPOTS TO EAT, PLAY & SHOP IN CHENGDU

AT LIMAPULO...BABA CAN COOK

Only 70 servings of Nyonya laksa are produced daily by Limapulo executive chef Tan Kim Chye, fondly known as Uncle John. Voted as the Best Curry Laksa in the Klang Valley in The Star People’s Food Awards, the 73-year old veteran cook reveals the laksa recipe was his mother’s legacy.

 

The bright orange-yellow gravy redolent with complex spice flavours sets the tastebuds alight; the rich rempah paste made from scratch – a meticulous blend of dried chillies, shallots, galangal, turmeric, candlenuts and lemongrass – forms the vital basis of the creamy coconut milk-enriched laksa broth. That is why the Nyonya laksa is served on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in limited servings.

At RM9.90 a bowl, the noodles come laden with finely shredded cucumber and chicken, tofu puffs, beansprouts, hard-boiled egg, fish ball, fish cake and a dollop of sambal. Squeeze some kalamansi lime juice over the ensemble and you’re good to go. The broth is so tasty, you’d be induced to lap up every drop.

Limapulo is the atmospheric domain where Baba Uncle John can cook - dishing up his much lauded Melakan Baba-Nyonya specialities. The interior is a nostalgic haven of repurposed furniture, old-school knick-knacks and vintage stuff which would have old fogeys like us and our parents reminiscing about our childhood days.

Since men and women can't live on memories alone, Limapulo takes everyone down the culinary lane of yesteryear with a simple selection of timeless fare. The evergreen fave of Nasi Lemak (RM9.90) comes with pandan-scented rice, stained pastel green from the inclusion of pandan juice alongside the usual condiments of sambal, peanuts & fried anchovies, cucumber slices, hard-boiled egg and a bowl of Nyonya curry chicken.

For groups of three or more, it's better to order some dishes for sharing accompanied by white rice. Piquant curries such as Gerang Asam Fish (RM25 onwards), Pineapple Prawn Curry (market price) and Chicken Berempah (RM17) are some of the tempting options served. Of the three, our vote goes to the appetite-whetting fish.

Jaded palates can easily be revived with Limopulo's rare but heavenly treat of Mango Patcheeri (RM2 per piece). The tantalisingly tangy-sweet-spicy curried young mango don't look very fancy but the symphony of robust, zesty flavours serenading the tastebuds will leave you asking for more.

Other precursors you may wish to savour range from Pie Tee (RM10 for 4 pcs) and Cucur Udang (RM9.90, served for lunch only). While the little crispy 'top hats' passed muster, it was my first encounter with fried prawn fritters served coarsely chopped up amidst chunks of cucumber, fried tempeh, fish cake and hard-boiled egg. Laced with chilli sauce, it reminds of an inventive 'rojak' of sorts. (Note: The portions depicted here are larger, to cater to our dining party.)

Also recommended is Sambal Terung (RM15) - tender finger-thick cut brinjal stir-fried with piquant, zingy sambal. The alternative is Bendi Kukus (RM15) - steamed ladyfingers/okra complemented by a side dish of fried sambal dip. 

Scorching hot weather these days call for sweet solutions and Limopulo has some perennial faves to cool you down. Take your pick from Cendol (RM3.50), ABC (ais batu campur RM4.50) or Sago Gula Melaka (RM3.50).

 For reservations, call LIMAPULO tel: 03-2698 3268. Address: 26, Jalan Doraisamy, KL. (easiest landmark: beside Sheraton Imperial KL, along the Asian Heritage Row)