Restaurants

Five Sen5es

Chinese   |   $ $ $ $   |   Bukit Bintang

Stimulate all five senses here, as its name implies, with an incomparable Cantonese dining experience.

 

SETTING

Housed on the first floor of the centrally located luxe 5-star Westin hotel in the city’s golden triangle, Five Sen5es boasts of a unique dining experience that combines all the elements to satisfy the five senses, as its namesake implies.

Step into the premises, and one may notice the restaurant’s use of the Chinese five elements (wu xing) consisting of metal, wood, fire, water and earth, blending them into its interiors. The water feature and a row of fish tanks greeting the left and right side of the entrance; the earth tone granite floor tiles leading up to the wooden platform; the metal ceiling cladding gelling with the wood ceiling boards; the gigantic Chinese metal urn on one end and the dynasty-inspired vases on the other end strategically positioned; open kitchen concept with fire breathing from the stove and the sounds and inviting aromas emanating from the wok; relaxing soft lighting; all these interplay harmoniously to heighten the senses.

FOOD

The menu is diverse and for some dishes, it comes with the freedom to choose how it is prepared. Begin with one of their double-boiled soups. The double-boiled chicken and abalone soup with dried scallop is chef recommended and it’s easy to know why. Steamed for hours till the essence of chicken and abalone is diffused into the soup, it tastes deliciously nutritious. Less heavy on the price tag is the double-boiled chicken and wonton soup which is just as tasty.

Tantalise the taste buds with the chef recommended honey glazed baked black cod. The outer skin is caramelised with just the right amount of sweetness while its fresh, flaky chunk sits on a layer of healthy fatty fish oil, steamed asparagus and shimeiji mushrooms. Next, savour the incredibly tender free-range chicken which is delicious with its black spicy sauce infused with shallots and garlic bulbs.

The fragrant crispy vegetables features lotus root, celery, French beans, black fungus, baby corns and a generous sprinkling of crunchy pine nuts. Resembling a perfect stir-fried mess, it sits on a net of deep-fried noodles that can be eaten as it melts with the aromatic sauce. A homemade bean curd dish in ‘pi pa’ style is scrumptious, having pieces of chicken meat and prawns moulded together with the curd and served with accompanying vegetables in a hot pot.

Coming with options of either red bean or lotus, the crispy Shanghainese pancake makes for a crackling and delightful way to end the meal. It’s best taken together with a chilled silken mango cream pearl sago with crushed Thai pomelo.

DRINKS

Diners will be spoilt for choice here with the extensive range of wine labels from important wine producing regions. Best to make a selection based on the intensity, type of food you’re pairing with, age and region. For the adventurous, the restaurant’s signature drinks with fancy names are there for the taking.

SERVICE

In Five Sen5es, it looks like specific staff has specific duty assigned, instead of being trained to be an all-rounder. One will take the food order while others would carry out the mundane basic tasks. For information on the wine list, the manager would be called. Throughout the ordering process, communication was smooth and staff maintained a level of professionalism with a smile for the entire meal.

PRICE

Being a restaurant in a 5-star hotel, paying top dollar for dinner is expected. Overall, a good meal with a fairly expensive price tag in a posh setting. RM460 for three pax. Five Sen5es is also popular for its good value for money dim sum lunch buffet that serves a variety of delectable dim sum morsels.

Must Try


  • Honey glazed baked black cod
  • Fragrant crispy vegetables with roasted pine nuts
  • List of double-boiled soups