Lai Po Heen Lunch Review 2022 • Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur

Hi guys! Today I'll be sharing all about my recent visit to Lai Po Heen in Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, as well as my review of their 2022 menu and service.

I've visited Lai Po Heen almost every year since 2017 during Chinese New Year, and I just keep coming back because the food and service is just top notch. I previous posted about a past CNY experience (which you can read here), as well as their reopening last year (which you can read here).

This year was no different, and in this post, I'll be sharing all about the dishes we had.

Lai Po Heen is now open daily, and you can view their menu here.

LUNCH

12 – 2:30PM (MON - FRI)

10:30AM – 2:30PM (SAT & SUN)

DINNER

7 – 10:30PM

PHONE

+60 (3) 2179 8885

This year, Lai Po Heen’s signature Chinese New Year creations are available in individual portions along with communal yee sang, as well as delectable sets to kickstart the occasion. 

七彩三文魚生

Salmon yee sang with shredded treasures and black currant plum

Half Portion RM168 Full Portion RM336

From 15 January onwards, you can choose from a delectable selection of yee sang. Some options include sea urchin, tobiko, Australian abalone, soft shell crab and more. We settled for classic salmon that day and tossed to our wealth and prosperity.

I would say that the half portion would be enough for even a group of 4 people because the serving was quite generous. We opted for a lesser sweet option and only added half a bowl of plum sauce, and it was still quite good.

Here's a quick shot of some of the dishes we had that day:

桃子烏龍

Peach Oolong

RM15 per person

Though I initially thought to order my usual Puer, I was so glad we settled for this. You could really taste the peach, and I love how it was so fragrant and flavourful.

貢品佛跳牆

Buddha Jump Over The Wall, double boiled South Africa 5 head abalone, dried scallop, fish maw, sea cucumber and black mushrooms

RM480 (Ordered one day in advance)

Yes, you read that price tag right. RM480 per serving! We chose this dish because my friend said that it's a very traditional Cantonese dish, and I actually found out it has it's own Wikpedia page haha.

"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, also known as Buddha's Temptation or 佛跳牆 is a variety of shark fin soup in Fujian cuisine. Since its creation during the Qing dynasty the dish has been regarded as a Chinese delicacy known for its rich taste, and special manner of cooking.

The dish's name is an allusion to the dish's ability to entice the vegetarian Buddhist monks from their temples to partake in the meat-based dish, and implies that even the strictly vegetarian Gautama Buddha would try to jump over a wall to sample it. It is high in protein and calcium and it is one of China's state banquet dishes."

While shark-fin soup is quite controversial, Lai Po Heen's interpretation of the dish only contains abalone, dried scallop, fish maw, sea cucumber and black mushrooms. It also has to be ordered a day in advance, but we didn't know that so we were lucky to have been able to order it on the spot.

I would say the soup was really flavourful, and the small bowl is okay for 2 pax if you don't mind splitting the contents. It was quite filling, and everything was quite soft.

黑松露蝦餃

Prawn dumpling, steamed with black truffle(3pcs)

RM36

Not your common hargao, these prawn dumplings have been elevated with black truffle. The flavours weren't too overpowering and I think it was a good match.

蜜汁叉燒包

Steamed fluffy buns filled with barbecue chicken (3pcs)

RM20

I didn't even realize this was chicken as I was biting into it because it tasted like charsiew haha.

酥脆吞拿魚

Deep fried dumplings with minced tuna fish (3pcs)

RM28

This was quite a light and crispy delight, and the tuna was a nice variation from my usual dimsum selections. I rarely see tuna available in dimsum (or maybe I just don't see it because I don't look for it?), and I would definitely order this again.

蘿蔔絲鵝酥

Deep-fried white radish and roaster duck dumplings (3pcs)

RM26

Was quite pleased with the visual presentation of this dish! I totally didn't expect the swans, and I love how pretty the presentation looked.

It was my first time having white radish dumplings, and I was delighted with how nice it was. It wasn't too wet like I expected and the radish was warm and crunchy on the inside.

港式蘿蔔糕

Hong Kong style wok fried turnip cake

RM30

A must-have whenever I have dimsum, I actually always order their turnip cakes whenever I visit Lai Po Heen.

四海慶揚名 金湯瑤柱炒飯

Scallop fried rice Served with pumpkin puree

RM100

I don't remember seeing or even tasting the pumpkin puree, but I did enjoy this fried rice. It's not too oily and I think the flavours translated well/didn't get overpowered at all.

丽宝轩風味榴蓮班戟

Lai Po Heen Durian Pancakes Fresh durian with whipped cream, wrapped in thin crepes

RM58

Another classic that I always order in MO, their fresh durian pancakes are every durian lover's dream. You can even order this online on their website, and if you're craving for something during slow afternoons, I recommend ordering one to try out.

百年偕好合 凍牛油果巧克力露

Creamy avocados, chilled with chocolate

椰絲金箔鯉魚蒸年糕

Glutinous rice cake, steamed with gold leaves and shredded coconut

If you're looking for something new and seasonal to try for your dessert, you can try this dish out. Though it's not my fave, I think it's still a unique creation.

And that's it for this post! I hope you guys found it helpful and informative.

I also did a post about my CNY outfit from Brian KHOO this year, and you can click here to read all about it.

See y'all in my next post!