Chinese New Year @ Li Yen, Ritz-Carlton & Shanghai, JW Marriott

Double your Chinese New Year luck, with two menus, from Li Yen at The Ritz-Carlton KL and then, Shanghai at JW Marriott..

I really cannot believe that Chinese New Year is almost upon us once more. Everything files at the speed of light when you’re busy I suppose. Having just come back from a 2 week press trip in Scotland, I was definitely looking forward to some local cuisine.

When I got the invitation to dine at Li Yen at The Ritz Carlton, as well as Shanghai at the JW Marriott KL, I could not give up the chance to partake in a Chinese spread, that I knew, would be good. My mouth watered at the thought of Abalone laced Yee Sang and Braised pork dishes.

Yee Sang with fresh abalone

As we all know, this is the year of the Snake. The Chinese take the Zodiac pretty seriously and many like to calculate what fortune the year has in store for them. My family does not particularly adhere to these superstitions and tends to take each year as it comes. Every year is a good year, if you ask me.

The Cantonese cuisine served at Li Yen, has always been a favorite of mine. The food is great and the ambiance at the Ritz KL is hard to top. This year, my first yee sang was the Abalone Yee Sang – we sat at the table and toss the Yee Sang real high, bidding good health, good fortune and good everything basically to come our way.

a generous serving for you… a generous serving for me!

The variety of accompaniments were fresh and not too sweet – just the way I like it. They included yee sang with choices of either abalone, salmon, Chinese carp, jellyfish or a vegetarian version. The Yee Sang promotion is available on January 9, 2013 and ends on February 24, 2013. Prices range from RM88++ to RM238++ and is available in two sizes.

double boiled chicken soup with dried scallops

stir-fried prawns in supreme soya sauce

Other Set Menus include dishes such as barbecued crispy suckling pig, steamed clay pot rice with Chinese waxed meat, braised duck webs with dried fish maw, double- boiled almond tea with glutinous rice dumplings and much more. It’s great that Li Yen serves Pork! The set menus are available from January 9 to February 24, 2013 and prices range from RM1388++ to RM4288++ for a table of 10 persons.

Dim Sum is served from 12.00 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and 10.30 a.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Sunday and public holidays. Dinner is available from 6.30 p.m. until 10.30 p.m. daily.

Then it was time to take a stroll form the Ritz Carlton, across to JW Marriott KL. At Shanghai, the specialty is of course Shanghainese cuisine. The Chef (Master chef Wong Wing) hails from Shanghai and has been with the restaurant 14 years, since day one, when the hotel opened.

xiao long bao

Here, the Chinese New Year Prosperity Menu is priced at RM 188++ per person and includes my favorite dish – the steamed, braised Shanghainese pork with fresh bamboo shoot and vegetables, and also the famed Shanghainese meat dumplings!

braised Shanghainese pork with mantau (dumplings)

The set menus are available from January 9 to February 24, 2013 and prices range from RM 1988++ to RM 2888++ for a table of 10 persons onwards.

I’ve always loved Shanghai for the fact that you can dine on more than 100 authentic dishes originated from the Northern and Southern region of Shanghai. The restaurant serves a sumptuous selection of Shanghainese Dim Sum and dishes for lunch and dinner.

Located on Level 1 at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai is open from Monday to Saturday for lunch from 12.00 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. and for dinner from 6.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. On Sundays and Public Holidays, it is open for lunch from 10.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.