I’VE been fascinated by zhong lai, which roughly translates to “colliding milk”, ever since I first had it in Macau several years ago.

Hot milk is poured into ginger juice, and seemingly by magic, the mixture turns into a soft, silky curd. The science is that ginger contains the protease enzyme, which reacts with the protein in milk to form curd.

I was overjoyed to encounter this again at Zhao Ji Chuan Cheng, a new dessert place at the 1 Utama shopping centre, and have returned for it several times.

The franchise has its sweet beginnings in Jiangmen, Guangzhou, with now more than 200 outlets across China.

The 1 Utama outlet, meanwhile, is striking for its modern Chinese decor. Here, I watched the Signature Ginger Milk Curd (RM9) being made: hot milk is poured from a kettle into a small well of ginger juice in a bowl. It’s covered with a plate, with an hourglass placed on top.

Don’t remove the plate until all of the sand trickles down, I was told.

Patience is rewarded with perfection – the dessert is creamy, smooth and softer than taufu fah, or soybean curd. It’s lightly sweet, hot and aromatic with ginger. Just heavenly!

A cold option I enjoy is the Taro Pearls with Grass Jelly, where ingredients of various textures, from sticky and springy mochi-like taro and pumpkin to ultra-smooth sheets of grass jelly, sit in gently sweetened milk.

The Peach Gum with Gum Tragacanth and Tramella (RM15) is not just yummy, but also good for you. I should’ve ordered this hot, though, as too much cold milk causes me discomfort.

There’s a generous amount of orangey peach gum; tragacanth, which is a whitish gum; tramella, or snow fungus; and, lotus seeds. Peach gum is rich in amino acids and collagen, while tragacanth helps with diarrhoea and constipation. Snow fungus is beneficial to the lungs and skin.

Zhao Ji Chuan Cheng also offers savoury snacks, like the Crispy Century Egg Roll, Siu Mai, Crispy Chicken Wings, Chicken Lobak and Crispy Dumplings.

Layered with salted egg yolk, the Crispy Century Egg Roll (RM6.90) is pretty good, but the Siu Mai (RM6.90) is disappointingly bland.

We had these to go along with the Signature Noodles with Prawn Roe and Ginger Milk Curd lunch set (RM13.80).

Deliciously spicy, the noodles get a boost from the Hot and Sour Cucumber (RM6.90), made perky with vinegar and dried chilli.

This pork-free eatery is worth repeat visits for its popular Mochi Mango Soup with Sago (RM15), Creamy Scrambled Egg Milk and Coconut Milk (RM10), Double-Layer Milk Custard (RM9) and Black Sesame Soup with Glutinous Rice Balls (RM11), among others.

Zhao Ji Chuan Cheng is located at G213, 1 Utama (old wing) in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya. It’s around the corner from Lavender bakery. – August 15, 2020.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.