The Award-Winning Emperor

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There was once an Emperor, who prides himself by serving the best Dim Sum and Chinese food, so much so that he won the Malaysia’s Best Restaurant Award from the Malaysia Tatler. No I’m not talking about any Emperor in history but The Emperor, the one and only in Grand Dorsett Subang. This multi-award winning restaurant serves pork-free Cantonese cuisine that is traditional with a contemporary twist.

“Siew Mai” or Steam meat dumplings

A few of us were privileged to sample some of the finest offerings from The Emperor one evening, starting with several selections of Dim Sum to whet the appetite.

Multi-award winning restaurant

Traditional bridge entrance to the restaurant

The “Har Kow” and “Siew Mai” were sizable and generously filled with fresh shrimps but none of them compared with the exceptional Charcoal Custard Bun. The soft and fluffy bun was made from charcoal, a tell-tale sign from the black exterior, while the filling inside was bursting with a rich and velvety salted egg yolk and custard combination, oozing out in all its glorious golden hue. Be careful when eating this to avoid the burning of your tongue or, in my case, fingers. Superbly smooth and delicious!

“Har Kow” or Prawn dumplings

Charcoal Custard bun

With that, our dinner started with a bowl of soup each, with the men getting red dates and chicken soup while the ladies getting soup made from Dong Guai, believed to improve blood circulation.

Red dates and Chicken soup

The Chicken Salami and Lobster Salad came next in all its lobster glory. The giant bright orange lobster head was enough to fascinate all of us for a few minutes before we finally sunk our chopsticks into the lobster salad. To our delight, the lobster meat was chunky and succulent, evidently a fresh catch. I just thought it to be a little wasted to be prepared with so much mayonnaise on top. If I had it my way, it would have been served bare and fresh, perhaps with a squeeze of lemon on top. The chicken salami on the side was surprisingly tasty and good. It was cold and savoury, creating a nice match to the fruit slices on the side.

Chicken Salami and Lobster Salad

One of my all-time favourite dishes - Butter Prawns. As sinful as these may sound, I have developed a weakness towards them and find them irresistible. The huge and succulent prawns were deep-fried such that the outer layer was crispy, and then generously coated with rich and savoury butter. The blend of flavours and texture of this dish was simply amazing and addictive. If cholesterol was not in the question, I would have eaten more of them!

Butter Prawns

When the next dish of Bean curd with Asparagus came, I couldn’t help but noticed that the top layer of the bean curd was darker in colour. It was soon found that the chef painstakingly added a layer of spinach on top of these home-made bean curd, giving it a different texture as well as a unique green top that is healthy and attractive. The bean curd was soft, smooth and went very well with the juicy mushrooms on top. Together with the asparagus on the side, this dish itself was a balanced meal.

Bean curd with Asparagus

When we were done with the bean curd, I caught a whiff of the pungent aroma of the  ‘kam heong’ recipe from afar, usually made from curry powder, dried shrimps, curry leaves and chilli. True enough, the huge platter of Kam Heong Crabs were served next, with four pieces of meaty crabs nicely coated with the aromatic Kam Heong gravy. The crabs were fresh and the meat juicy, but most importantly, the gravy was hot and spicy, just the way kam heong should be.

Kam Heong Crabs

Last but not least, a hot and cold dessert of Black Glutinous Rice and Coconut Ice-Cream for that sweet and satisfying finish.

Coconut ice-cream on Black Glutinous Rice

Dining table at The Emperor

Chef Michael Wong

Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience at The Emperor with most of the dishes deserving above average ratings. The dining ambience was comfortable, spacious and traditional, perfect for a family gathering or that 10-year reunion with long-lost friends.

The Emperor Chinese Restaurant

The Emperor
Grand Dorsett Subang Hotel
Jalan SS12/1,
Subang Jaya,
47500 Malaysia.
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat (12.00pm – 3.00pm), Sun (10.00am – 3.00pm), Daily (6.00pm – 10.30pm)
Website: www.granddorsett.com/kualalumpur/
GPS Coordinates : N03 04.755′ E101 35.808′