Celestial Court’s New Dim Sum

I always find that the Dim Sum portions served in Celestial Court, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur are more than generous. Their “har-kow” and “siew mai” are pretty huge… bigger than what most other dim sum restaurants serve. Not only are they bigger in size, the pork-free ingredients used are always fresh. I have yet to taste any less-than-satisfactory dim sum in Celestial Court. The fact that no pork is used does not hamper the taste of the dim sum in any way. In fact, Executive Chef Ho Boon and Dim Sum Chef Ken are all geared up to create new recipes for the dim sum, sans pork.

Crispy-fried Dragon Beard Codfish

The new dim sum items in Celestial Court, while classic in nature, also incorporate fusion and modernistic elements. The chefs’ play of intermingling various ingredients with different pastry types have resulted in some delightful concoctions. Take the Crispy-fried Dragon Beard Codfish (RM18), for example. There’s codfish encased in this stringy crunchy dragon beard puff, served on a bed of creamy fruit salad and decorated with tobiko. A rather unusual fusion of Sino-Western-Japanese elements there, but definitely delicious.

Fish Maw stuffed with Shrimp Mousse with Eggwhite Sauce

The Scallop Dumplings with Shrimps & Spinach (RM15), topped with salmon roe is another exquisite Sino-Japanese example. I like how they have come up with this audacious idea for a filling of chilli crab meat inside little fluffy pastry buns (RM15). The filling really does taste like the regular chilli crabs you eat in seafood restaurants (minus the shells, of course!) The 3 fluffy pastry buns were dainty… and if they had been any bigger, it would really feel like I was having a chilli crab dish!

Crabmeat Dumplings with Asparagus

I like fish maw generally so when I saw Fish Maw stuffed with Shrimp Mousse in Eggwhite Sauce (RM16), I couldn’t resist having that. Faultless execution – bouncy minced shrimps topped with spongy fish maw in a light eggy sauce… eat this when it’s piping hot. Another item to be eaten piping hot is the Siew Loong Bao (RM13) – the soup encased in them is distinctively herbal, almost like the Bak Kut Teh soup. For a more filling bite, try the Pan-fried Sticky Rice Parcel with Egg Butter served with “Kung Po” Chicken Cubes (RM15). This is like a one-meal item… eating glutinuous rice accompanied by kung-po chicken. It’s delicious but the drawback is that you will be quite full after consuming this!

Siew Mai topped with Mini Abalones

Fluffy Pastry with Chilli Crabmeat

Siew Loong Bao

Pan-fried Sticky Rice Parcel with Egg Butter served with Kung Po Chicken Cubes

Firm favourites on the dim sum menu…. oldies but goldies like their Siew Mai topped with mini braised abalones (RM13) and Charcoal Soft Bun with Salted Eggyolk Custard (RM12) remain on the popular list. I also had their crowd pleasers’ desserts: Pumpkin Puree with Black Glutinuous Rice & Coconut Gelato (RM13) and Pandan Paste Sesame Balls served with Teochew Yam Paste (RM11). The latter, served in shot glasses, is my favourite dessert but I wished that glob of yam paste at the bottom of the glass could have been much bigger!

Charcoal Soft Buns with Salted Eggyolk Custard

Deep-fried Buns with Foei Gras & Roasted Duckmeat

I love the presentation of the Deep-fried Buns with Foei Gras & Roasted Duck Meat (RM16) but I felt they were a bit lacking in the quantity of the filling. I could hardly taste any foei gras in it or perhaps the duck meat overwhelmed it.

Scallops Dumplings with Shrimps and Spinach topped with Salmon Roe

Pandan Paste Sesame Balls

Pumpkin Puree with Black Glutinuous Rice & Coconut Gelato

Celestial Court serves dim sum, ala carte and set menus for lunch from 12.00 noon till 2.30pm Mondays to Saturdays and from 10.00am till 2.30pm on Sundays & Public Holidays. For dinner, Celestial Court is open from 6.30pm till 10.30pm, 7 days a week.

For reservations, please call 603-2717-9900 ext.6988 or
email: [email protected]

Celestial Court
Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur