HAI YAN @ The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi - A Delectable Feast For Every Taste

Perched at the edge of the sea, the signature Chinese Restaurant Hai Yan at The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi is nestled within the resort in its own pavilion and like everything else at this stunning resort the reveal is always hidden until you step inside. mylifestylenews writes.

The entrance door flags how impressive things will be with a dramatic huge door that is composed of intricately hand carved wooden tiles and is a statement piece in itself. Once the door opens another dazzling statement interior design immediately grabs your attention with a huge glass lantern chandelier and a further back wall behind the reception desk of another small glass lantern wall,  it is quite ethereal at night and all this before you have even seen the sea.

We were greeted by our expectant host Susana and were escorted to our table, at which point the water becomes evident, but the intimate main dining room itself is the showpiece and instantly you are immersed in an elevated and elegant Chinese fine dining atmosphere.

Dark woods are used throughout the entire restaurant with the main dining room having soaring ceilings anchored by an A-Frame structure sitting atop four huge round wooden columns from which hang large wooden lattice screens and long lanterns with red glass that create an attractive visual. Simply mesmerizing and there is a lot to take in from this attractive interior design and settings.

One whole side of the restaurant has a sea view and at the end of this standalone pavillion, a well laid and spacious deck is one of the most sought after locales in the resort to enjoy an uninterrupted sunset, weather permitting while sipping your favorite cocktails and bubbles to soak in the entire view of desire.

Although once dark nothing is discernible, yet you are in for a fine dining experience with all the designer elements and touches and you’ll then exhale by knowing that you are going to enjoy the evenings festivities.

At floor level there are statement dining chairs with red floral cushions, the odd red coloured rug here and there on the dark hardwood parquetry for effect. Additionally there are red embossed ceramic table lamps strategically placed for decoration to create a more residential ambience.

Tabletops are clothed in white fabric with a chic gold self-lighted table lamp and exquisite red Legle French porcelain show plates. Once seated,  Quayyum, the restaurant manager came to our table and he explained how our set menu worked for the evening and prompted us with the 1993 TWG Pu-Er tea from Yunnan that was sensational.

Aiylee looked after our table for the evening and a classic Amouse Bouche was presented to whet our appetite. A thin, crispy mouthful deep-fried modified version of Pie Tee (Top Hat) - a pastry cup filled with a savory mixture of scrumptious fungus mushroom, cucumber and vegetable that was delicate and very enjoyable.
 

<Crispy Prawn, Crab Meat & Cheese Beancurd Roll>
A deep-fried crispy thin beancurd roll was filled with substantial prawn meat, crab meat, cheese and coriander leaf and served with a garlic chilli dressing. The thin, light and crispy texture with a subtle flavour that was a good savoury of seafood combination that was soft and moist and subtlety highlighted by the cilantro was also a standout on the flavour profile index.

<Seared Scallops with Apple Sauce & Black Caviar>
This dish was served cold with the lightly seared scallops coming from Canada that was quite a savory taste but a little fishy to our liking. The apple was carefully cut to fit the size of the scallop to create that balanced presentation to the scallop and the touch of caviar added another savory of the sea for an enjoyable contrast of flavours and textures.
 

<Foie Gras Crispy Rice Balls>
A plum and red fresh lychee in visual but foie gras crispy rice balls on the palate filled with a small portion of foie gras, chicken and prawn meat and a dash of yuzu gel which helped to combine and form the rice balls. This was a statement presentation as the rice ball resembled a lychee in colour and texture with the natural colouring from extract of pomegranate juice. On first bite it was remarkably crispy on the outside and firm but moist tasty meat on the inside with the subtle foie gras flavour on the palate. This prawn ball elevation was a delight on the tongue and a definite hit on the execution front.
 

<Hai Yan Black Pepper Wagyu Striploin>
Large chunks of wok-fried Wagyu striploin in Chef Wang’s signature black pepper sauce, snowpeas, capsicum and onion. The premium beef was cooked with text book execution to ensure the meat was absolutely tender, coated with the unctuous black pepper sauce that piqued our taste buds without being dominating on the palate front. It was so good in flavour and texture that you wanted more even though it was a generous portion. It was definitely one of the highlights of the evening.

<Wok-Fried New Zealand Lamb Tenderloin in Traditional Oriental Brown Sauce with Seasonal Vegetables & Crushed Pistachio>
Move over, sweet and sour pork. This sensational creation was the elevation of the traditional sweet and sour pork redux . The sticky lamb was offered as an alternative that had made this the winner for the evening. The sweet and sticky sauce was delectable, but moreover the lamb was extremely tender and flavoursome. Every morsel was a joy to savour and made you want to linger over such rich and tasty meat!
 

<Valrhona Chocolate Lava “Chinese Pastry with Pistachio Custard>
What a rich and decadent dessert this was with the premium quality of Valrhona chocolate being the star performer. It was not too rich and sweet and the pistachio custard was a perfect foil for the richness of the chocolate. The presentation was whimsical as the chocolate and custard were encased in a Chinese pastry made to look like a mooncake and we were loving it!

 
<Crispy Fried Banana with Honey Served with Vanilla Ice-Cream & Sesame Seeds>
This was a dish that put a smile on your face and brought back old time memories and was very much comfort food that was done to perfection. Crispy and sticky on the outside with warm soft ripe banana on the inside and the smooth and creamy vanilla ice-cream gave that yin and yang balance to the crispiness of the banana.

 
The dinner was perfection personified, with seamless service and each of the service team was well-informed and had great product knowledge and interacted efficiently with every diner - including us - in a very professional and friendly warm manner which made for a delightful dining experience. We felt totally relaxed and immersed in a culinary journey without worrying how the evening would play out. Quayyum is the prefect Ambassador for Hai Yan as he embodies the ability to relate to every guest and not take them for granted and he really made an impression on our evening that will be hard to forget.

We feasted on an exquisite array of well loved and honest Cantonese flavours with artistry and imagination and the menu has so much to offer the toughest of critics, but the essence of Chinese classics was distilled in a simple menu for us and left us wanting more because of the talented chefs and front of house service. You wouldn’t want to miss out on this gem!

Tried & Tested:

Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 5/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 5/5
Experience: 5/5

 

HAI YAN The Ritz-Carlton Langkawi

Jalan Pantai Kok,

Teluk Nibung

Langkawi, Malaysia

Tel: +6 04 9524 888

Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.

THE EXPANSION OF GIORGIO ARMANI 品牌的精神延續

THE EXPANSION OF GIORGIO ARMANI
品牌的精神延續

 

即使Giorgio Armani先生已离逝，但旗下品牌特别是Giorgio Armani 及Emporio Armani

的精神延续不但没有因此而怠慢或停下来，在目前全球经济环境不景气的状况底下，却有种越战越勇的感觉。

品牌在首要看准的城市陆续扩张及进行形象的改革和提升有增无减，逐步开设全新专门店和为现有的专门店进行提升改革；透过精致建筑概念展现品牌的当代精神，进一步巩固品牌在区内顶尖奢华购物地标的影响力，在纷乱世界中寻找坚定信念，以及对抗无力感的情怀。

同时间亦从未间断参与及冠名赞助不同形式的跨界活动，包括各项国际影展、时尚慈善活动、设计展览以至冬季奥运及国际比赛运动项目等的盛事，势必为品牌再续新篇章。

此外Armani 先生对剪裁精良，Giorgio Armani品牌质料上乘之奢华男装的Made to Measure量身订制服务在2006年推出后更成功吸纳一众职场男仕骨干精英及忠粉的青睐，更视之为男装穿着的终极之选。Armani先生对当时的时装工业进行反思，继而做出一些非凡之举。

「这是一个时装业集团化经营、全球化发展却又非个性化设计盛行的时代。但正是现在，我坚信，谨记时装设计的初衷至关重要，那就是为每一位个性不同的人制作舒适合穿的服饰。」Armani先生娓娓道出。

对于一个已在成衣领域功成名就的设计师来说，这是一个极为勇敢的决定。但在 Armani先生看来，现在正是一个重返创意本源的契机、精心选料，制作上乘服饰， 实际是对剪裁艺术的一种探寻，将品牌精神与订制工艺的至臻品质合二为一。透过珍贵的合身体验以及独有的布料、内衬、钮扣和各个细节，还有Giorgio Armani字样的签名，实现了传统与现代的结合，使得传统剪裁工艺与当代设计工作室的崭新创意融为一体，坚持守护重要事物的抉择，制作出独一无二的成品，完整体验品牌以当代简约为核心的美学理念。Giorgio Armani Made to Measure量身订制服务由此诞生，正正是因为对现代成衣理念的重新定义并开创了一个舒适而考究的男装全新时代而享有盛誉。

另外，为了迎接这个炎夏，Giorgio Armani Mare系列再度启航，恰逢第五届Giorgio Armani超级游艇帆船赛知名赛事，Giorgio Armani Mare定制帆船 “Sørvind by Giorgio Armani”号再度参赛，破浪竞逐，前往全球最迷人的Port of Cervo切尔沃港避暑胜地，开启Giorgio Armani夏日美学的沉浸式体验，并于翡翠海岸游艇会前的碧蓝广场上设立了快闪空间；在法国Cannes坎城的Armani/Caffè 露台亦变身为品牌专属展示空间；随后途经Castello di Miramare玛律米堡的Bagni Roberto海滩俱乐部；最终抵达希腊的Mykonos米科诺斯岛，并为当地首家 Giorgio Armani精品店正式揭幕。

是次的休闲航海系列以流动廓形与轻盈面料为核心，打造出一系列百搭单品，让您在假期和休憩的每一刻都能展现从容与优雅。系列的一大亮点是全新T恤系列，其灵感源于假日之旅中的往昔与当下的胜地，清新的夏季配色从浅蓝过渡至中性色调，融入了珊瑚粉色及自然色为主调，辅以薰衣草紫及绣球花蓝的点缀，呈现令人联想到沙滩与海之蔚蓝的优雅色调，形成鲜明对比。

系列广告大片在Ravelo拉韦洛的Villa Cimbrone辛波乃别墅取景，这座拥有深厚历史韵味的宅邸通过电影质感的真实影像，于轻盈雅致之间徐徐铺展系列的美学叙事，让这一独特的视觉标识成为假日之旅的代表性名片。 盛事一浪接一浪让忠粉及业界感到鼓舞，且看看未来的动向会否进入另一新纪元，由新一代的接棒人带领，能否再创新高峰，目前仍言之过早！