Usher in the Year of the Rabbit @ Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant, One World Hotel

Chinese New Year 2011 is in less than 3 weeks !! Man, I’ve got to say this cliched statement “Time sure flies!“. 😉
We have now come to that time of the year again, where the ubiquitous Yee Sang makes it’s appearance during every dinner in every restaurant.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-1

I’m not complaining of course. On the contrary, I’m actually looking forward to some boisterous CNY dinners with my friends to usher in a new beginning in this year of the Rabbit.  :yes:
To start the ball rolling (or the tossing going ) I tossed my first Yee Sang at Zuan Yuan, One World Hotel just last week.

To the uninitiated, yee sang is not so much about eating the dish but more of the food-play as the key element of the “yee sang” involves tossing the ingredients as high as possible and mixing it all vigorously while shouting out loud all the positive vibes & wishes you desire for the coming year.
This is a very auspicious act as it portends to financial and personal success where future ventures will hopefully “rise and reach high levels”.

“For $! For better health! For better opportunities in life! Toss it all high, higher & higher!!”

(pic below frm one of my CNY dinners last year, & for illustration purpose, as I was too busy tossing that night at Zuan Yuan to take any pic of my own! )

loh yee sanG

Our yee sang that night was almost purely vegetarian, other than a serving of jellyfish. Everything on the plate makes for a winsome combination; sweet & slightly tart flavours from the pears & pamelos, crunchy & dry textures from the crackers & refreshing clean flavours from the freshly shredded vegetables.

Yee Sang with Seaweed and Assorted Fresh Fruits.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-1

Zuan Yuan CNY

Satiated momentarily with the yee sang, (but thankfully the wait wasn’t long for the other mains to make their appearance) I was looking forward to chomp down some MEAT hence the next dish was a sight for sore eyes (and rumbling tummies); a beautiful crisp -skinned duck, gorgeously tender & golden.
Roasted Duck with Unique Spicy Sauce.

duck

Wok-Fried Tiger Prawn Hong Kong Style. The prawns were amazingly fresh & delivered the most marvellous “crunch” when I bit into its flesh. De-shell & eat with the deep-fried dried shrimps toppings for maximum prawn-y satisfaction.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-2

The fish was a tad overcooked, but would have been perfect otherwise. The fish dish at any Chinese dinner is my favourite course & this was the only small set-back that night.
Steamed Coral Fish with Pickled Radish and Chilli.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-3

The “cleansing dish”; a vegetables course, had a delightful twist as the boring bean curd was given a miss, and instead replaced with these……..

zuan yuan CNY 2011-5

…….little pockets encasing a delicious mix of minced dried oysters, mushrooms & sea moss. A commended effort & my personal credits to the Chef Micheal Chew for giving old favourites new twists. I loved this.
Braised Diced Sea Treasure, Dried Oyster and Sea Moss in Golden Bag with Green Garden.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-6

Being picky of carbs, I normally avoid the rice course during Chinese dinners. Unless it is very good of course.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-7

And Zuan Yuan’s version had me making a total exception to my self-imposed “low-carbs during dinner rule”. Some food are just worthy to s***w that diet & this was one of them. 😉
A lover of liver sausages, I swooped down on them & was rewarded with the sublime textures of really good liver. The overall dish was very well prepared, without the oiliness that normally plagued such lotus rice preparations. Aromatic & littered with cubes of yummy mushrooms, yam & slices of waxed meat, all at the table agreed that this is as good as it gets minus the element of swine.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-8

Chef Micheal must have heard us singing praises, for he generously added a special soup to our dinner. LOL. The presentation may seem a bit stark, but the flavours sure aren’t!
Light, with lingering nauces of chrysanthemum, but not too much lest it spoils the soup & reminiscent too much of chrysanthemum tea, this soup retained its savoury flavours, but sweet & herbal-ish enough for easy digestion.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-9

Desserts! And with my favourite avocadoes incorporated too.
Deep-Fried Avocado Custard and Ninko with Katafi Fillo.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-10

I had expected avocado mash, sweeten and stuffed within these artful kalafi filigree and that’s all to it. But no, the chef managed to surprise us again with another trick up his culinary sleeve. We found sticky sweet nian gou inside!

zuan yuan CNY 2011-12

Last of the course, Double-Boiled Sea Coconut with Organic Bird Nest, Red Dates and White Fungus, providing a sweet ending to our overall splendid meal.

zuan yuan CNY 2011-11

I have the Chinese New Year Menu – (downloadable HERE) & The Appreciation Set Menus HERE & I would my readers (yes, you! 😉 ) to take a look at them. Zuan Yuan would be ideal for company dinners, expecially if you are seeking for a halal chinese dining option. The sets are reasonably priced for the ingredients and creative preparations of Chef Michael.

I had a good experience over lunch as well & you can read about the interesting Ginseng Panna Cotta HERE. Yup, Chef Michael Chew dares to experiment & I am pleased with his innovative creations so far!

Zuan Yuan remains open on the eve of Lunar New Year and throughout the fifteen days of the Lunar New Year. For reservations at Zuan Yuan, please call (603) 7681 1159.

Thank you to Florence & Crystal for the invite & lovely dinner & for starting my CNY mood for 2011!!

Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant @

One World Hotel

First Avenue
bandar utama city centre
47800 petaling jaya
selangor, malaysia

Phone +603 7681 1111
Fax +603 7681 1188
Business hours:
Monday to Friday:
Lunch 12.00 noon to 2.30 pm
Dinner 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm

Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday:
Lunch 11.00 am to 2.30 pm
Dinner 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm

This Post Has 19 Comments

  1. Crystal Koh

    Glad you enjoyed ;p

    1. rebeccasaw

      Of course! And in good company too 😉
      Catch up soon one of these days ya!

  2. Sean

    looks like there’s a creative twist in nearly every dish! although maybe except for the yee sang. wonder if there’ll be any interesting yee sang recipes offered anywhere this year.

    1. rebeccasaw

      Same here! What could they do I wonder? Hmm… oysters would be nice ;p

  3. nikel

    i like this very much..awesome

    1. rebeccasaw

      A good choice for your own family dinner too Nikel!

  4. Paranoidandroid

    Lovely pictures. New camera? Hope the rejuvenated spirit in the menu lasts.

    1. rebeccasaw

      Oh it is the Samsung NX100!
      Wil let you fondle it over lunch soon! 😉

  5. Michelle Chin

    I never thought of coming here at all despite passing by this restaurant god knows how many times. Not that I live near oneU. Just that my sis had a lot of exams here before. Music exams.

    1. rebeccasaw

      Haha..but I don’t think you will like halal chinese do you?

  6. the first dish is very colourful , I’ve been to Korea and I ate chicken in bowl like that , I love it
    How long for Chinese new year in Korea?
    I’ve read some restaurants they are closed on Chinese new year
    I’m going to Seoul on 7 feb , i hope everything open.

    1. rebeccasaw

      Hi hi!
      Thks for droppin a comment on my blog 😉
      The 1st dish is Yee Sang, and yes, it is purposely as colourful as all the colours has its symbolic meanings!
      I was in Korea last year and loved it – Esp the mud festival! http://tinyurl.com/5up7vfv
      I’m not sure abt hw many days CNY is celebrated in Korea, or if its even celebrated at all. But my guess is, if you’re at Chinatown you should be able to find chinese food but i cant vouch for yee sang.

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