Nestled in a cozy corner of OneWorld hotel, Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant needs no introduction as the giant specialist of Chinese cuisine. Decadent red wallpaper greets customers the moment you walk through its wooden doors, which match the rest of its tables and chairs. The whole place drips of tasteful Oriental opulence, a setting that foretells the quality of what it has on its menu.

Beginning November 2013, Zuan Yuan will be introducing an all-new revamped dim sum menu, the brainchild of its head chef, Chef Jordan Chin. Expect your old favourites like siew mais and har gaos but with Chef Jordan’s very own twist infused into the mouth-watering, bite-sized delights. The changes will be subtle but comes with just enough kick to set this spread apart from all your other dim sum places.

Get your palate whet with the Pan Fried Minced Chicken Pau with Spring Onion “Shanghai” Style as appetiser. The buns come steaming with a golden brown crown. Don’t let the exterior fool you, however – the inside is soft and fluffy, enveloping a thick, hearty minced chicken stew that is sweet with the taste of spring onion.

If dumplings are what you most look forward to when it comes to dim sum, the Steamed Crystal Prawn Dumpling with Chives certainly won’t disappoint. It comes in a beautiful translucent jade-green skin, tinted so by the chive leaves which heavily flavour the dumpling itself. Another one worth taking note of is the Steamed “Phoenix Eye” Dumpling with Prawn Meat and Goose Liver; the extra cube of goose liver to go with what is otherwise just your typical prawn dumpling, adds a fragrant punch of an ending note that is immensely satisfying.

 

Steamed Siew Mai, Steamed "Phoenix Eye" Dumpling with Prawn Meat and Goose Liver, Steamed Crystal Prawn Dumpling with Chives

Chef Jordan himself recommends the Deep Fried Crispy Puff stuffed with Chilli Crab, which he says is a personal favourite. It looks like a curry puff at first sight but that’s about all the similarities it has with the humble tea-time regular. The crumbly puff that melts upon contact with your tongue provides a nice bite before you are introduced to the juicy chilli crab meat that is generously stuffed within.

The crowd favourite is the wu kok-style Taro Scallop Dumpling with Chef Special Garlic Sauce. The skin is light and crispy on the outside, but the taro is smooth and well-mashed on the inside. The surprise comes in the form of a scallop buried in its centre – a chewy delight that balances out the pulpy texture of the taro perfectly. The garlic sauce accompanying everything adds just enough flavour to keep the yam and scallop from tasting too flat.

Zuan Yuan’s bestseller remains its Steamed Chee Cheong Fun with Scallop and Cordycep Flower. Silky smooth rice rolls comes served steaming hot and drizzled in fragrant soy sauce. The only reason you’ll find yourself chewing is to get to the fragrant flavours of the scallop nestled within its fold – otherwise it is slippery enough to be swallowed whole.

 

Steamed Chee Cheong Fun with Scallops and Cordycep Flower

 

End a hearty meal with the must-have Oven Baked Egg Tart – Zuan Yuan's signature pastry that is always the first to sell out. The pastry is light and crumbly (the real way egg tart pastries are supposed to be) and the egg custard in the centre tastes of real egg, none of those artificially sweetened gelatin-like stuff. For the more health-conscious, Zuan Yuan also offers Double Boiled Quail Eggs with Dried Longan and Snow Fungus to provide a light sweet ending to your meal.

 

Order to your heart's content from the ala carte menu, or drop by for an all-you-can-eat feast fit for a king only for RM70 per adult/RM35+ per child aged 4-12 years. This promo is valid only on weekends and public holidays from 11am to 2.30pm. Zuan Yuan is certified fully halal.

Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant, One World Hotel; +603 7681 1159; www.oneworldhotel.com.my

More bite-sized food places worth checking out:

• Our pick of the best places to have afternoon tea in Kuala Lumpur
• Bite-sized wagyu and lamb on sticks at Chambers in Hilton KL