IT’S that time of year again to start eating for prosperity, with yee sang the star dish for auspicious Chinese New Year dining.

At Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur’s Yun House, Chef Jimmy Wong has created a yee sang that stands apart from the rest.

A fine noodle “nest” fans out over his version of the dish, with crispy salmon skin, fresh carrot, radish and ginger strips, pomelo, fresh pak hap (lily bulbs), crunchy yam, walnuts, candied melon, peanuts and sesame seeds, flour crispies, jellyfish and salmon belly among its 18 ingredients.

A light dressing blended with apple jam, white vinegar, plum paste and salt is poured over the yee sang, which is then tossed vigorously by all at the table. Never mind the ingredients spilling all over – it just means overflowing abundance!

The yee sang is fresh with a good crunch, the “nest” breaking up during the lively tossing.

I liked the nicely balanced dressing, which is a far cry from the sickly sweet plum sauce kind you would get elsewhere. Besides the salmon belly, you can opt to have the yee sang with lobster or toro (fatty tuna).

The Chef’s Special Dim Sum Platter offers a mushroom-and-truffle-oil dumpling, steamed radish cake with dried scallop, and spring roll with foie gras and seafood.

The crunch of water chestnut and touch of truffle oil uplift the mushroom dumpling. The smooth, creamy radish cake explodes with flavour, while the spring roll crumbles at the bite, exposing its filling of sweet prawn and luxurious foie gras.

More luck awaits in the Braised Money Bag with abalone.

Out of the “bag” tumbles fatt choy (black moss) and dried oyster, with an abalone resting on asparagus spears. A flavourful braising sauce ties all the elements together.

As the saying goes, appearances can be deceiving, and such is the case with the Braised Rice Vermicelli, which comes with crabmeat and caviar.

It may not look like much, but it sure does taste heavenly. The noodles are drenched in a fish-bone stock, with knobs of fresh crabmeat, dried scallop threads and shimeji mushrooms lending more sweetness.

The dessert duo of Double-boiled Superior Bird’s Nest with Almond Cream, and Chef’s Special Fried Rice Cake are outstanding.

The velvety bird’s nest in the aromatic, creamy almond “soup” sings to the palate. It is exquisite.

The rice cake, or ninko, is sandwiched between thin slices of purple sweet potato and yam. The whole thing is then dipped in a tempura batter and deep-fried. I loved the sticky ninko in this “sandwich” bound together in a light, crispy batter.

The curated CNY menus are priced at RM388 to RM688 nett per person. The yee sang starts at RM148 nett, and the dim sum selection from RM10 to RM48 nett per portion. They are available from now till February 8. Dim sum can also be ordered from the lunch a la carte menu.

Alternatively, diners can opt for Four Seasons’ Curate, where a yee sang master will help put together the salad. You get to choose from four varieties of salmon gravlax – kafir lime, black tea, tom yam and beetroot – for this.

Peking duck, steamed seafood and wok-fried dishes are part of the buffet, which costs RM158 nett for weekday lunch and RM188 nett for dinner. – January 4, 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.