Another Extravagant 8 @ Tai Zi Heen, Prince Hotel KL

A traditional CNY dinner prepared by a multiple award winning chef....

Hello!.... :)
Just to give you a head's up, this is an invited review:
(Here are my usual disclaimers)
1) I have not been paid to write this, but neither have I paid a cent for my meal,
2) I will still be as objective as possible re. the food/ restaurant, and
3) If I go back to the restaurant incognito and find that the food/service is horribly different from this experience, I will amend my ratings here...

Walking into Tai Zi Heen, I found the restaurant area cosy yet sophisticated, as the furnishings look fairly lush (without being OTT) and the tables were well spaced:
Classy ambience....
I was there to attend another of the Standard Chartered Extravagant 8 food tastings, and was really looking forward, as I had never dined at Prince Hotel before**....
(** Also, I was going to be in the company of some very lovely fellow bloggers, so that's always fun...)

- Of course, we started off the night with Salmon Yee Sang:
(The other 2 options are Tuna or Vegetarian Snow Pear)
Toss for good luck :)....
Overall it was a good mix of fresh fish slices, vegetable slices and crunchy bits. The dressing was also quite interesting - blackcurrent and plum sauce.

- Eight Treasure Broth with Sun Dried Seafood:
Yummy....
What I particularly liked about this was that it was yummy, thick (without being starchy) and tasted like the savoury, heartwarming soup base which usually comes with sharks fin soup.... BUT without any sharks fin inside. :)
(Guilt free dining! - Environmentalists and nature lovers can rejoice....)

- Pan fried Tiger Prawns with Chinese Herb Infused Superior Soya Sauce:
Sticky sweet prawns....
Overall, the prawns were fresh, and well coated with the sweet sauce. If you didn't already know: Prawns are another "must have" dish during CNY - with the Chinese word for prawn (harr) said to symbolise laughter and happiness (as in, it sounds like "Haha").
:)

- Crispy Deep Fried Sea Bass with Spring Onions and Ginger Sauce:
Fish....
The fish was fresh, with a nice textural mix from the slightly crisp exterior and moist flesh, complemented by the uncomplicated sauce.
(If I were to be really fussy, I'd say that the fish was ever so slightly overcooked but it could be because I like eating the meaty parts near the tail which are less fatty than the parts near the tummy)

- Cantonese style Roasted Chicken with Fragrant Salt and Prawn Crackers:
Classic recipe....
The chicken was prepared in the classic manner, with the accompanying plum sauce really adding an extra dimension to this dish.

- Braised sea whelk with fatt choy, bai ling, dried shiitake and straw mushroom:
Healthy greens and mushrooms....
LOL. A bit off topic: There we were wondering why this dish was inspired by a Hollywood "star" (Curious?) but it turns out that the bai ling in this case is a kind of rare Chinese mushroom valued for its springy consistency and nutritious properties.

Anyway, this was one of my favourite dishes that night, as I enjoyed the crunch of the broccoli against the textures of the various mushrooms, accentuated by the slightly thick, savoury sauce.
:)

- Golden Fried Rice with Crab Meat and Shrimp:
My bowl of carbs....
Again, a classic and simple execution of fried rice with ample cubes of seafood.

- Sweetened Red Bean Cream with Glutinous Rice Dumplings:
Thick red bean soup with delicious dumplings....
The dumplings were filled with fragrant black sesame, which I LOVE... but I didn't like the sweet red bean cream - not their fault actually, as red bean (like sweet corn) is one of those things I don't really like.
(I'm sure red bean lovers will enjoy this though)

- Crispy Fried Chinese Brown Sugar Cake:
Crispy Nian Go slices....
The sweet slices of nian go had a thin but crispy layer of batter, making for an interesting textural mix of crispy but sticky.

The menu was put together/ executed by the fairly young but accomplished Master Chef Ricky Thein Yiew Ming**, with his recipes being towards more of the traditional preparations - this will definitely appeal to those who want a straightforward, un-fusion CNY celebration.
(** Recipient of Gold Medallist at the 5th World Golden Chef Competition for Chinese Cuisine 2005 and was also awarded the Silver and Gold Awards for the Excellent Service Award by SPRING Singapore in 2005 and 2006 respectively)


DETAILS OF THIS SPECIAL FESTIVE MENU:
- Only for Standard Chartered credit card holders
- Available from 20 January 2011 till 17 February 2011
- Reservation required
- Price: RM 888++ per table of (maximum) 8 people


Last but not least - SHOUT OUT:
- Thanks to lovely organisers at Prince Hotel for hosting us that night,
- Thanks to Mr. Tim of Standard Charted for inviting us,
- Thanks to Meena for extending the invite,
- and to my dear fellow bloggers there that night *HUGS*: Having you around makes a good night great! :)

Summary Sheet:

Tai Zi Heen @ Prince Hotel KL

Level 2, Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Telephone No.: 03-2170 3259
Opening Hours:
Lunch, 12noon - 2.30pm,
Dinner, 6.30pm - 10.30pm.
Parking: OK

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Cumi Dan Ciki


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Restaurant, Chinese, Bukit Bintang, Prince Hotel and Residences, Reunion Dinner, CNY Set Menu, Chinese New Year