Every time I pass by Crystal Jade Kitchen at The Gardens and Pavilion, it’s always crowded especially on weekends. I had the opportunity to try their dishes recently at the invitation of a very nice uncle. They have 3 set menus for Chinese New Year ranging from RM488++ for 6 pax to RM598++ & RM778++ for 10 pax.
Despite the restaurant being full on the day we ( a party of 7) were there, service was good and plates were changed every time we finished with a course. It was like being in a hotel’s Chinese restaurant but what about the dishes?
Prosperity Salmon Raw Fish
As you can see, their version is not as colourful as other Chinese restaurants, absent were the crunchy red and green ingredients which is not a bad thing since we didn’t have to consume artificial colouring. This dish was excellent with the addition of the fresh raw salmon.
Braised Shark’s Fin with Seafood & Bamboo Pith
Obviously Crystal Jade Kitchen has yet to take shark’s fin off its menu and I admit to feeling more than a twinge of guilt for consuming this but it was a high quality soup, not watered down. I could see every ingredient in the soup unlike at some places where everything seems to be mashed up.
Steamed Live Garoupa
One of the better dishes of the meal, the fish had a firm texture complemented by the soy sauce. This was one of the dishes I had a few helpings of, very good! Thumbs up for this dish.
Roasted B.B.Q. Meat Combination
The duck was a little tough whereas the chicken was tender and succulent. I have no idea what the yellow and green sauces are but the yellow sauce was the one I found myself dipping into every time I had a piece of chicken/duck.
Baked Prawns With Almond
I love prawns especially prawns this size, the bigger the better but this dish was probably the most disappointing of the entire meal as the flesh was dry. It’s as if they’d been overbaked and the taste was rather bland.
Braised Dried Oyster With Sea Cucumber & Black Moss
This is a very traditional Chinese New Year dish which my family had to have on the 1st day of Chinese New Year. Every ingredient in this dish is full of symbolism. I won’t go into this because I’m no expert but this dish was cooked up fantastically well.
Fried Glutinous Rice With Preserved Meat
The glutinous rice was moist and very sticky. There were plenty of egg strips on the dish which added to the colour. A very nice dish with which to round up the meal (before dessert). There were plenty of preserved meat and mushrooms within the rice.
Red Bean Cream With Glutinous Dumpling
Red Bean Cream was never one of my favourite desserts, this one gets served a lot at wedding and other dinners. I dislike the powdery texture of Red Bean Cream and have never acquired a taste for it despite so many opportunities.
