Imperial Garden, PJ

7th Floor, Intan Square,

No. 3, Lorong Utara C,

46200 Petaling Jaya

Tel: +603-7956 6868

It's funny how a year later, my sister decided that we should come here for a reunion dinner. Of course, I would have very much preferred a home cooked dinner at home but the parents are getting older and a full on meal would be too taxing for them. Well, my cooking is still very much limited to things that I would eat but not suitable for the masses' consumption.

To make things easier in the kitchen, restaurants usually offer the same set meals to everyone. Only difference would be how extravagant/expensive the ingredients are. I think this one is not that pricey, though the goalpost shifts significantly as the lunar new year draws closer every year.

Sliced raw salmon for a bountiful year ahead.
Yes, this is a Chinese new year reunion dinner if you can't tell already. Yes, it's now October. Yes, I need to be more punctual with my blogging.

Yee sang platter. Better than those open air restaurants with their artificial coloring but not exactly freshly made.

I think the best part about it is the crispy crunchy shells. Apart from the fish, that is.

Lo and tossed. Was it a good year? It wasn't bad. Got a promotion at work but starting to suffer for it now.

Yam mantao or steamed bun. They sell these frozen in supermarkets alongside tong yuen or glutinous rice balls. Quite nice on their own but not exactly healthy as it's all carbs.

"Wu xi" spare ribs were the main star that the buns were for. The ribs were cooked until just soft so the meat fell off the bones rather easily. Fleshy with some fat, it was succulent and you can taste the marinade deep inside.

Steamed estuary grouper with "Wan yee". For some reason, restaurants now help you to chop up the fish before it's even cooked. Good because it saves you the hassle of doing it yourself. Bad because half the fish is gone with the bones. Still, at least it was fresh.

Sea prawns with XO butter milk cream. This was one of the weaker dishes of the night. The shell clung onto the flesh for dear life that it was near impossible to make a clean cut. Taste wise, I think it would have been better to just steam the prawn with some Chinese cooking wine and let the freshness speak for itself. Or maybe that's why they didn't want you to know that them prawn ain't that fresh.

Abalone, fish maw, oyster and mushroom platter. Why do they always make this dish grander than it seems? Maybe it's the abalone and oyster. Either way, I don't know how anyone could finish this usually bland vegetarian dish on its own unless you have a lot of people to dig in. Is it because I'm not a fan of dried oyster and mushroom that's why I fail to see the appeal of it?

Assorted grain rice mix with waxed meat. Instead of giving you a huge bowl of glutinous rice, it's great that they finally understand that by the end of the meal, the last thing anyone want to eat is plain glutinous rice. This was a welcomed change when it comes to Chinese banquet dinners. You still get your carbs but at least slightly healthier. Also, it doesn't make you feel (very) bloated.

Nian gao with shredded coconut.

There was a point of time when I toyed with the idea of making nian gao at home. After reading the recipe, it felt more economical to just buy them if the desire arises. The effort is just not worth it for the sake of culinary adventure. These morsels of chewiness is enough to keep me satiated for a while.

Adzuki bean soup with ginkgo nuts. It's just a fancy name of red beans. At the end of the night, it was evident that the kitchen has run its toll and gave up to serve this diluted dessert.