The elegant & stately decor of West Lake Garden, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa greeted me as I entered the restaurant from the lobby.

Relaxing immediately from the after- work rush hour, I soothed my eyes on the pretty eye piece & breathed in the sweet-smelling scent in the air that is distinctive to this hotel.

West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant exudes modern oriental opulence. I was captivated with the traditional furnishings; the chests, the panels & the paintings on the walls.

But nothing prepared me for the sight of this.

A whopping 3kg dumpling!

Packed to its’ very leaves with dried scallops, dried oysters, barbecued chicken, lotus seed, chestnut, 20 salted egg yolks, mushroom, dried shrimps and yellow peas, this baby took 6 hours to cook!

Each of this goes for RM188++ each, a steal if you ask me, considering the amount of gourmet ingredients that goes into this Yuletide Log – like creation. And you know what? This is actually HALF (HALF!!!!!) of the actual size.

My recommendation? Buy one to feed the whole clan in the house since this easily feeds 10 – 12 pax.
(RM188++ = RM218.08, divided by 12 pax = RM18.00/pax)

No no no, don’t go shaking your head & cross this off your rice dumplings shopping list just yet. West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant actually sells this by slices, & by weight (price: RM28++ (appx. 400 gm) per slice). Here’s the less scarier version of it.

By reasonable estimates, a slice of this is equivalent to a medium sized dumpling. Which is totally manageable to digest. 

I love how all the dumplings here are non-overly oily & very well prepared. By well-prepared I meant perfectly steamed with every grain of rice soft yet firm, and all the stuffing that goes into their dumplings are not over or undercook. Thumbs-up to the chef!

While the massive dumpling is alike one big delicous loh-mai-kai, I’m more inclined with the Hong Kong Style Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumplings.
Priced at RM28++, this is an authentic & more traditional form of the rice dumpling with the usual “prosperity” fillings of dried scallops, salted egg yolk, black mushrooms, chestnut, dried shrimp, barbeque chicken & yellow peas.

I guess it’s due to the amount of the yellow peas in it. I just love the mushy taste & texture of the peas & also the “mellow” taste of this dumpling; which makes it lighter on the palate as well.

We sampled a total of 5 different varieties of rice dumplings that night. Another intriguing one is the new Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Yam & Lamb (RM23++ ), an addition that showcased the Chef’s inventiveness. He told us that he had wanted to create a new “flavour” that is uncommon and we concurred that lamb in a rice dumpling is certainly something new.

Taste-wise the lamb dumpling didn’t disappoint, with the flavour of the lamb permeated into the dumpling, lending a nice aroma to the overall package.

But if I have to choose my favourite of the night, the winner is surprisingly the humble Vegetarian Rice Dumpling (RM18++). Maybe I’m plebeian (LOL!) but the simple dumpling was a winner in my books with it’s chewy texture &  nutty aroma from the wild rice.

Combining 3 varieties of mushrooms; enoki, abalone & black mushroom, the meat element here is the mock meat/chinese ham & there’s a nice fat chestnut thrown in for good measure.

Last but not least, the “dessert” or sweet dumpling, made with alkaline – based rice dumpling (kee -chang as we call it in Hokkien) and filled with creamy red beans, RM12++.

The filling is perfect; none of that powdery-processed taste commonly detected in mass produced bakery shops packed ones. A little saucer of honey accompanied this, which surprisingly paired really well with the red bean dumpling.

We accompanied our rice dumpling feasting journey with some delightful desserts from the kitchen. I ordered my favourite; the almond soup with glutinous rice balls (RM12++). I didn’t care that much for the balls, but was pleased as a lark that the almond soup was freshly made in-house. Chinese almond soup is an acquired taste; and I absolutely adore it.

The word “durian” caught my eye immediately & this platter has the clever combination of chilled mango puree with vanilla ice cream, fresh fruits & a durian “puff” – (of which I would classify to be more of durian pulp encased in fine filigree casing than an actual puff).

No complains here at all, for the durian filling was of a reasonably good quality & the mango puree was obviously made fresh in-house too.

The aftermath.

More desserts: The Double Boiled Dried Longan with Almond & Apple (RM12++).

Double Boiled Fresh Ginseng with Sea Coconut. RM12++.

Homemade Cincao Homemade Jelly. RM12++.

I’m happy to report that all the desserts were good and so were the dumplings! These rice dumplings will be available for dine -in & take – away from 25th May – 6th June 2011. All dumplings are pork-free !
For further enquiries, call (6-03) 7495 1888.

About West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant:
Located on the Lobby Level of Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa with a stunning view of the lagoon….

……….has 8 private dining rooms that can accommodate between 10 – 20 guests respectively. (pic below: the private rooms are at the far end)

..boasts of an open & spacious dining area & my personal favourite – high ceilings!! I don’t think I’m claustrophobic but I love the feeling of space..

Lunch: Open daily 12.00pm – 2.30pm (Mondays to Saturdays)
10.00am – 2.30pm (Sundays & Public Holidays)
Dinner: 6.30pm to 10.30pm (Mondays to Sundays).
Pork-free.
For reservations, call (6-03) 7495 1888.

All pictures are: