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