Tatler Dining Guide 2023: The best Chinese restaurants in Malaysia

When dining at the award-winning Ee Chinese Cuisine, the Peking duck is a must-have. You may get the chef to prepare it sautéed and minced, and served in lettuce leaves or to go with the egg white fried rice. Here’s a tip: The Shiraz goes really well with the duck.

Having celebrated its 14th anniversary in 2022, Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine is known for its consistently high quality of ingredients, dishes and ambience which come together beautifully for a soul-warming yet sophisticated dining experience.

Set menus here help make the dim sum fare and other signature Cantonese dishes more accessible, while large dinner groups can expect to be impressed with creations like the Golden Boneless Stuffed Chicken. 

Located in Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Jade Pavilion is a great choice for those who want to revel in dim sum and other Chinese favourites. Here are two good reasons to visit Jade Pavilion—its tea-smoked chicken and cubed beef tenderloin with mushroom. And if you’re a fan of abalone and fish maw, there are 11 items on the menu that incorporate one or both of these ingredients.

The other thematic highlights are the bird’s nest and sea cucumber. Meanwhile, the crispy skin duck is a plate of indulgence as it is served with fine Kaluga caviar. 

If you’re looking for classic-yet-elevated, authentic Cantonese dishes in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Lai Po Heen is not a restaurant to miss. Their dishes, especially the seafood, are splendidly prepared with flavours that are well-balanced.

Popular signature dishes are not always available due to seasonal ingredients used but the staff are quick to recommend equally satisfying alternatives. Don’t forget to try the dim sum as well. The siew mai, in particular, is an absolute must-try—springy, succulent and flavourful with every bite.

Li Yen, which means “beautiful garden”, has been presenting diners with authentic Chinese classics for more than 20 years. The Ritz-Carlton’s award-winning Chinese restaurant excels at pairing bite-sized snacks with loose leaf teas, elevating and refining traditional dim sum with fine ingredients.

While the dim sum selection is not as extensive as its Cantonese menu, dishes are still exquisite in taste and handcrafted with fine ingredients. Definitely order the Peking duck with aromatic crispy skin wrapped in a soft Chinese crêpe and served with side toppings.

Ming Ren Xuan is not shy about experimenting with classic Chinese cuisine, taking an adventurous approach with the selections on its menu. While some dishes are hits and others misses, its classic Chinese fare exceeds expectations.

Dishes are generally made-to-order and are well-executed. Shark cartilage is slowly cooked for hours in the hearty and soul-warming shark cartilage soup, giving the broth a silky, creamy texture. Not to be missed is also the roast pork, which is roasted to perfection resulting in crispy skin, rendered fat, and tender meat.

From food to decor, Shang Palace transports you back to the golden era when hotel cuisine was top of the ranks in Malaysia’s food scene, offering a taste of nostalgia. Its traditional Peking duck is phenomenal, with a tenderness that has been perfected over decades. Same can be said for its beautifully cooked cod fish.

With an extensive wine list, you can find the perfect pairing for each of Shang Palace’s dishes. Its service can also be said to stick to old tradition as a little patience is needed to get the attention of staff to settle the bill. This aside, Shang Palace is strongly recommended for lunches and dinners.

Chef Wong’s menu celebrating traditional Shanghainese cuisine is unpretentious. The steamed Shanghainese dumplings are served at the right temperature. The dumpling skin has the right texture, and contains a satisfying mixture of broth and minced meat.

The drunken chicken cooked with Chinese rice wine is generous and hearty, while the stir-fried flat glass noodles with shredded pork, preserved vegetable, and eggs is simple but comforting. There is also a good selection for vegetarians. A meal is best paired with premium Chinese tea—the oolong or pu’er is ideal.

Located in a prime position at the entrance of Plaza Mont Kiara, The Regent Chinese Cuisine offers authentic Chinese dishes—elevated to suit the tastes of its discerning clientele in the affluent neighbourhood of Mont Kiara. More importantly, it serves up quality consistently.

Whether it’s signature dishes like Wagyu beef and double-boiled soups or under-the-radar favourites, each dish is impeccably prepared and cooked to perfection every single time. 

While Yen’s luxe, avant-garde environment certainly sets an elevated tone for one’s expectations, those will no doubt be met when ordering its signature dishes— namely, the Golden Duck. Though not a Cantonese dish, Yen does its version of the Peking Duck extremely well; crispy, paper-thin skin with just enough chew and flavourful meat. It bears mentioning that the rest of its menu has an array of well-known classics.

Yun House is an elegant and contemporary venue for a pork-free Chinese meal. The dishes are well-executed with great care taken into securing the premium ingredients and elevating the recipes with a twist.

The signature duck two ways, for instance, is essentially duck cooked differently: wok-fried with spring onion and ginger, and wok-fried with black pepper sauce. Do try the MB6 wok-seared Wagyu beef with truffle salt and the two-head wild Mexican abalone decadently infused with truffle.