With some of the lockdown restrictions being slowly lifted as the community moves on to the next recovery phase, dining out is now allowed. To many F&B establishments and hotels, there must be collective sighs of relief as they see there’s likely to be light at the end of the tunnel.
I am selective when it comes to dining-out now, even as we move on to the pandemic recovery phase and resuming as normal a life as can be. I will only visit places which I know will strictly enforce all necessary SOPs and that they place the safety of their workers and customers in top priority. Hilton Kuala Lumpur, together with their F&B outlets fall into this category so it was a much anticipated visit to their Chynna recently.
In compliance to limited diners capacity, only a section of Chynna’s premise was serving customers. Tables and seating were placed far apart to adhere to the distance SOP. All serving staff have masks and face shields in place as well.
We settled in to savour some of Chynna’s signature appetisers prepared by Executive Chef Lam Hock Hin. Buttermilk Prawns, Honey-glazed Chicken with Crispy Ginger, Wok-fried Beef Tenderloin Cubes and Asparagus with Scallop in XO Sauce were all served in individual portions. Ingredients were fresh and succulent, seasonings spot-on – really, every item was impeccable.
Then came the soup – Assorted Seafood Soup with Blended Mint. I love mint and to have it blended into the thick soup filled with delightfully fresh seafood was close to magical. Sweet bouncy morsels of crabmeat, scallops, prawns and fishmaw were given that extra oomph by the refreshing mint. This is really one of Chef Lam’s most masterful creations.
Continuing with the light & refreshing theme, Chef Lam dished out a unique creation of Simmered Vegetables with Eggwhite & Watermelon. I’ve never had watermelon cooked with vegetables like this and it’s actually very appetising, blending well with the Green Dragon Chives and baby sawi! Golden globules of tobikko added a playful prettiness to the presentation.
Wok-seared Freshwater Prawn with Homemade Egg Drop Chilli Sauce over simple Egg Fried Rice was delicious and fulfilling. Perfumed delicately with daun kesom, the eggy sauce was lip-smacking good and actually would have gone down better with just some plain rice.
To round off the meal on a sweet note, we had a piece of Hilton Kuala Lumpur’s signature Royal Jade Mooncake paired with a cold Coral Weed Jelly… light & easy on the palate.
Indeed this well thought-out meal from Chef Lam has all the masterful strokes yet the dishes maintained a lovely simplicity that doesn’t overwhelm the natural flavours of the fresh ingredients.
So, beat some pandemic fatigue, go out and have a meal at a place that respects health safety by enforcing all the necessary SOPs – Chynna is a good choice.
CHYNNA | Hilton Kuala Lumpur | 3 Jalan Stesen Sentral | Kuala Lumpur |Tel: 03-2264 2264 | Business hours: Noon to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 10.30pm.