TAO CHINESE CUISINE InterContinental Kuala Lumpur - Star Dusted Cantonese Cuisine

While many luxury hotel’s signature Chinese restaurants in Malaysia are now serving halal cooking in order to capture a wider audience that admire the legacy of such a well-liked ancient years old cuisine, but it doesn’t mean that it has to curtail the quality measure of its authenticity and TAO Chinese Cuisine in InterContinental Kuala Lumpur retains the taste of its legacy by serving star quality Cantonese cuisine to satisfy your cravings. mylifestylenews writes.

Malaysia is a melting pot of so many delectable and mouthwatering foods from different heritage and cultural backgrounds. While Chinese cuisine may not be considered the country’s national delights, no doubt it still plays an essential role in the local dining culture of its ancient years old recipes and legacy among the best of Malay, Indian, Peranakan and many other adaptations of foreign cuisines. As there is something for everyone and the InterContinental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur ensures that if elevated Chinese cuisine is your craving, then TAO Chinese Cuisine can sate your appetite with plentiful delicious options with authentic flavours from its Cantonese culinary tradition.

Tucked away on level one of the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur hotel, TAO Chinese Cuisine is not your typical predicted Chinese restaurant fit-out. The illuminated restaurant sign in pink can be easily identified against the dark black wall and at the other end stands a solo gigantic Terracotta warrior that is presumably to signify as a power and protection or a “guarding angel” which fails to harmonize nor fit with the surrounding atmosphere.

But, the artisanal glossy dark tone wooden panels are strategically aligned at the entrance of the restaurant alongside with black pepper stone to create that exclusive hallway arrival experience. Dim mood lighting may seem a little too dark but the devil is in the detail, the illuminated peach blossom wallpaper at the back panels are clearly seen and creates that line tree effect with an awe-inspiring visual and only can be seen from the opposite direction. Simply mesmerizing!

You are then met with imposing wooden doors that are very striking in a hobnail design that remain open, and once you pass through these doors, the impressive multiple modular shelving creates an entrance walkway which extends into the restaurant proper, revealing the more elegant and intimate atmosphere.

The low ceiling and the setting did not create that claustrophobic intent even with the signature star lighting modern pendular chandelier and limited free seating to create a even more cosy atmosphere.

Tao means peach in Chinese and it symbolizes longevity, immortality, health and good fortune in Chinese culture and the restaurant is gracefully decorated with beautiful floral peach blossom wallpapers in numerous spring colour moods within the dining room to reflect the aesthetic of Chinese heritage. Visually stunning!

The peach blossom “jardine secret” interior design is accentuated by more shelving units which are decorated with many Oriental touches in the way of decorative objects such as ginger jars, teapots and a mix of modern and traditional styles which creates a harmony rather than an impersonal space.

The ambience is very inviting and feels wonderfully residential in a way that encourages conversations and the joy in sharing food. There are also six private rooms to enjoy if you wish to sequester yourselves away in a larger group, and all are aesthetically stunning and sophisticated.

Reinventing traditional recipes is all the go in the dining scene these days, as what is not to like about tradition that is then given a refresh using seasonal flavours to create a blend of traditional techniques with modern presentation, because this is the approach that Senior Executive Chinese Chef Wong takes to reinvigorate classic cuisine.

We needed some time to peruse the menu as there were so many tempting choices that we marvelled at. We wanted to savour some signature and classic Cantonese dishes and well supervised by Emily, who looked after us together with her dedicated and attentive team. We consciously also decided that we would only have Chinese tea to accompany our meal and chose the classic Pu-er tea and then the food started to arrive. We were not fussed about the appetizers and soups and went straight to the mains.

<Stir-Fried Premium Australian Angus Beef with Green Chilli>
With the generous amount of premium Australian Angus beef and capsicums stir-fried in high heat to remain the juiciness of the meat that is utterly tender and flavoursome, every mouthful was a joy. The capsicums well complimented the beef that gave a refined balance of richness of texture and palate. A delectable start for the evening!
 

<Claypot Giant Grouper “Long Dan” Fillet with Ginger & Spring Onion Sauce>
This tender deep sea grouper fillet that was slow simmered with fragrant ginger and spring onion sauce which preserved its natural sweetness and delicate texture and was pleasantly enjoyable. The fish fillet was soft and tender and so fresh that you could taste the sea. The aromatic ginger and spring onion was deliciously pungent on the palate and served on a claypot to get the light sizzling crust effect and texture garnished with cilantro.

<Sweet & Sour Chicken>
This alternate version of the traditional Sweet & Sour Pork reinvented with the choice of chicken for its halal consumption. The  crispy golden chicken had been first deep-fried and then glazed in a tangy hawthorn and pineapple sauce, offering a refreshing balance of sweet and sourish flavours. This chicken version was just as good and so unctuous on the palate, it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and the sticky sauce was not watery and each bite was full of flavour and textural pleasure. Simply satisfying!

<Stir-Fried Celtuce, Fresh Lilly Bulbs, Celery, Carrot & Black Fungus with Macadamia Nut>
This four treasures of vegetarian dish falls under the menu’s healthy cuisine section that delivered a wonderful melange of al dente cooked vegetables with crunchy textures and delicious at the same time. This harmonious dish is imply sensational and is a light palate change in between the meat dishes.

<Sliced Venison with Sichuan Pepper and Bell Peppers>
 The presentation was neat and intact, garnished with a deep-fried edible vermicelli net on a white chinaware highlighting the colour combinations of this sensational dish. Venison meat may seem exotic to some but its is commonly served in many local Chinese restaurants for its light gamey taste and tender texture. There are many cooking methods to bring out the best flavour of this high protein lean meat and stir-fried with different condiments and ingredients is one of the most highly recommended cooking styles and we opted for the Sichuan pepper for its distinctive flavour brilliantly executed and we were craving more before we had even finished.

<TAO’s Seafood Fried Rice with Crispy Dried Scallop & Fish Roe>
When it comes to Chinese fried-rice, everyone has their own favorite version and liking. For TAO’s version of “Millionaires Fried Rice” on the menu in Chinese translation, it is a total hands down. This has become one of the best fried rice dishes that we have ever had the pleasure of enjoying as the rice was superbly cooked with shiny grains and was not bland or sticky with every grain individual, stir-fried in extreme high heat for its smokey flavour with crispy premium dried scallop and shrimps; over-turned and presented on a round curved plate, topped with slices of bright yellow omelet, spring onions and lastly garnished with a huge bed of fish roe descending from the mountain full of delicious fried-rice not only its vibrant colour but the vividness texture with all ingredients combined. We felt so rich after enjoying this premium dish and could not fault the cooking method nor the quality of the premium ingredients used.

<Salted Egg Lava Swan Pastry>
&
<House-made Ice Cream with 20-year Aged Xinhui Tangerine Peel>
Another sensation and pampering treat to round up the evening dining experience. This was truly fine dining in presentation and execution that piqued our taste buds at the highest level. The swan-shaped deep-fried taro pastry was an exquisite, highly detailed dim sum masterpiece featuring delicate, thousand-layer flaky “feathers” piped and shaped into an elegant swan, with a final touch on its black feather head which exuded the meticulous culinary skill. The pastry was made of taro and salted egg and the texture was extremely light, airy and shatteringly-crisp on the outside for a rich, savory running lava filling on the inside. The house-made ice cream was crafted with 20-year aged Xinhui tangerine peel from China and locally sourced Bentong ginger that is renown for its aromatic pungent flavour, delivering a rich citrus aroma and silky texture with a delicately lingering sweetness. Such a refreshing and delicious dessert that was absolutely divine!

Admittedly it was a quiet night for the restaurant during our visit on a school night, but the service from Emily and her team members was genuinely warm and friendly. We could not fault one dish as the food delivery was uniformly excellent and each dish spoke to us with its individuality and sinfully flavoursome taste. Very satisfying!

We felt like we were in foodie heaven and Chef Wong introduced himself and enquired about our experience. With a deep homage for his established menu and a commitment to innovation surely has crafted a new chapter in its enduring heritage for this star dusted Cantonese cuisine and we did not hesitate to proffer our congratulations. The restaurant ambience and intimacy was the ‘icing on the cake’ and TAO Chinese Cuisine will now be a restaurant that we judge all other Cantonese cuisine by, as this restaurant aspires to be the best Chinese-Cantonese restaurant in town in all regards and in our eyes it was.

Tried & Tested:
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 5/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 5/5
Experience: 5/5
 
TAO CHINESE CUISINE InterContinental Kuala Lumpur
 165, Jalan Ampang,
Wilayah Persekutuan,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +6 03 2782 6128

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.