THE appetiser platter teases and captivates at any lunch or dinner at Elegant Inn HK Cuisine.

This time, it was the whole abalone siu mai trio platter, with a lovely shrimp toast, an abalone sitting on a siu mai, and hand-chopped pork with cucumber in spicy Szechuan sauce.

We are at a tasting session, ahead of the celebration of the 16th anniversary of Elegant Inn HK Cuisine. 

It speaks well of a restaurant with such longevity, amidst a highly competitive environment.

Nonetheless it’s celebrated for six weeks, from July 15, with the gift of a generous discount to diners as well as special deals and luxury treats.

So, we are on the four-course Executive Lunch Set at RM118 per person (minimum two pax). 

I’m super happy with the soup after the appetiser platter – double-boiled black garlic, white jade fungus, dried conch and spare ribs soup. 

The deep aroma of black garlic wafts up with each spoonful of this sweet and complex soup with the crunchy flying saucer-like white jade fungus.

I also had some braised seafood soup with Japanese dried scallops, fried fish maw, shrimps and crabmeat, the other option on this menu. 

It’s a flavourful old-fashioned soup without shark fin, that leaves a gummy goodness on your lips.

The main courses offer two options – first, the fried Szechuan peppercorn free range baby chicken, and braised vermicelli with crystal prawn and shredded pork in a claypot. 

The second is the eggy rice and steamed hand chopped pork with salted fish, cuttlefish & Chinese mushrooms.

The baby chicken (half a fairly sizeable chicken) was tasty to the bone, with a tingling heat from Szechuan peppercorns. The tangy and spicy cucumber pickles matched it well.

Braised vermicelli with crystal prawn & shredded pork is served with this chicken. This was so good: the vermicelli carried the sweet juices and aroma of the prawns.

The other main course option of eggy rice & steamed hand chopped pork with salted fish, cuttlefish and Chinese mushrooms reminded me of a very delicious home favourite.

Dessert was chilled organic egg pudding with bird’s nest, springy homemade jujube cake rolled in coconut and the nutty, crispy sesame ball that makes you go “wow” at the bite.

Two other skilfully curated menus include the six course anniversary deal at RM268 per pax, and best deal of the year at RM488. 

The RM488 set includes the soup Buddha jumps over the wall (usually priced at RM300+ per portion), braised bird’s nest, fish maw chicken curd with organic greens. Jumbo wild tiger prawns and Spanish iberico pork with French goose liver, among other dishes.

There are weekly luxurious treats to order (buy 1, free 1), such as the braised whole stuffed yellow jade sea cucumber in abalone sauce with pan seared goose liver & Spanish iberico pork.

Now’s the time to indulge in the fine, gorgeous dim sum here, with 33% off the usual prices. The celebration ends on August 25.

Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine is at 2.01 2nd Floor, Podium Block, Menara Hap Seng, Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur, tel: 03 2070 9399. – July 13, 2024.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.