KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — Celebrate the Year of the Snake with a difference… by delving deep into Chinatown KL’s culture with the “Jom Celebrate Reunion Dinner, Chinatown KL 2025”.
The initiative is by Rakan City KL and Selangor, supported by Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun and co-organised by Seong Ying Chai.
Seong Ying Chai itself is an iconic Chinatown brand which started as a restaurant in 1935 and is today renowned for its traditional pastries.
The series of reunion dinners will feature dishes and snacks from 21 of Chinatown KL’s restaurants, bakeries, shops and even street food vendors.
“The reunion dinners are a great way for us to work together to proudly present the best that Chinatown KL has to offer. Many of us are multi-generational food businesses and we want to share our love of Chinese New Year delicacies with food-loving people, Malaysians and visitors alike,” said Seong Ying Chai Manager Leonard Lee.
The launch was attended by (from left) Malaysian Cousin Edison Ang, Seong Ying Chai Leonard Lee, Rakan City KL and Selangor Sanni Hoh, Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, Rakan City KL and Selangor Lau Ginn Bao and Chairman of Bukit Bintang Parliament Zone Fong Kok Seng. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Lee also elaborated that it took them six months to curate this first-time event as it involved numerous negotiations with many parties. With some restaurants, if it’s their day off, some dishes on the menu may be substituted.
The dinners will be held at Seong Ying Chai’s premises, located behind Kompleks Selangor along Jalan Sultan.
The event kicks off on January 25 and will run until February 16. During January 29 to 31, the dinners will be unavailable.
One table for 10 people is available for RM1,388. Any additional person will be charged an extra RM20.
With a limited space, there are just four tables available for booking each day.
The menu starts off with the traditional tossing of the Golden Pear Yu Sheng from Westlake Restaurant. It’s a refreshing combination with julienned vegetables and crunchies, where a majority of items are prepared in-house.
Hainanese Steamed Kampung Chicken from Restoran Nasi Ayam Kam Kee (left) is served with ginger and chilli sauces and the unique Signature Salted Duck from Sze Ngan Chye (right) that uses a salt marinade. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
A whole Hainanese Steamed Kampung Chicken from Restoran Nasi Ayam Kam Kee will be served next with their homemade ginger and chilli sauces.
The yellow skinned ma cao (horse grass) chicken is served without the head as tradition dictates that it’s bad luck if one sits opposite the head of the chicken… apparently it can lead to you being fired from your job!
Next it’s the famous Signature Salted Duck from Sze Ngan Chye, which has been trading in Chinatown KL for more than 50 years. The duck is marinated in salt, making the meat more flavourful.
It may look deceptively simple but the next dish — Fish Paste & Malabar Spinach Soup from Gerai Makanan Sai Kee — is a crowd favourite.
Fish Paste & Malabar Spinach Soup from Gerai Makanan Sai Kee (left) with its fish paste and the Steamed Fish from Restoran Han Kee (right) that is silky smooth. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Everyone at the lunch to launch the event was eyeing the chunky fish paste, fashioned from wolf herring fish by this 60-years-plus stall.
Fish lovers will relish the silky smooth Steamed Fish from Restoran Han Kee that offers “live” fresh fish from their tanks.
Prosperity Pork Trotters from Restaurant Hong Ngek offers good-for-you collagen with a sauce composed of auspicious ‘fatt choy’. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Next, indulge in the Prosperity Pork Trotters from Restaurant Hong Ngek that is popular for their Hokkien and Heng Hua dishes. The smooth and tender trotters packed with collagen are braised in a sauce using the auspicious fatt choy.
Joining in the muhibbah spirit, there’s The Lankan KL’s Vegetarian Kottu Roti, where flatbread is torn and stir fried with an assortment of vegetables.
The Lankan KL’s Vegetarian Kottu Roti (left) is a ‘muhibbah’ addition to the reunion dinner while Cured Meat Claypot Rice (right) from Restoran Kiew Yee Baru is an old school dish. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
And of course, a must is the Cured Meat Claypot Rice, a festive special from Restoran Kiew Yee Baru.
Balance it all out with Voila Meat-Free Restaurant’s Stir-fried Lotus Root & Celery that offers crunchy textures with its medley of vegetables and nuts.
Dessert is a unique combination from the famous Air Mata Kucing stall’s Luo Han Guo Longan Dessert paired with smooth Almond Tofu Pudding from Seong Ying Chai. There’s also a Cranberry Muffin from Aooo Melbourne Cafe.
Voila Meat-Free Restaurant’s Stir-fried Lotus Root & Celery (left) is a crunchy delight while dessert is a unique combination of Air Mata Kucing stall’s Luo Han Guo Longan Dessert with smooth Almond Tofu Pudding from Seong Ying Chai (right). — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Even the drinks are special, like the Liu Bao Aged Tea from Kean Gun Tea Merchants. Once a tin miners’ drink to fortify their bodies for hard labour, it’s now sought after by tea enthusiasts for its health benefits.
There’s also Cold Brew Tea by Montea for something refreshing.
After dinner, one can snack on the 8-Treasure Box filled with goodies and a cup of hot tea.
The 8-Treasure Box represents the various vendors around Chinatown, where they contributed different auspicious bites to herald the new year. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
There’s Seong Ying Chai’s Lion Head Gong Zai Bing, TK Lim’s Sliced Meat Jerky, Sweet Potato Ball Stall’s Fried Peanut Dumplings, Ho Yoke Kee’s Lucky Candy, Washington Bakery Golden Grill Sponge Cake, Chai Huat Hin’s Dried Persimmons. Madam Tang Machi Popo’s Black Sesame Puff and Fung Wong Biscuit’s Mini Walnut Cookies.
If you prefer, you can also buy just the 8-Treasure Box for RM188 to enjoy at home. Limited quantities are available.
Rakan City KL & Selangor’s Lau Ginn Bao hopes that this event will open people’s eyes to Chinatown KL’s rich culture, making it much more than just a place to snap pictures.
There’s also plans to introduce something similar in Klang in the future.
The dinners are reservation only. Snag your table by booking at least three days in advance by contacting Tel: 011-11799082 or 016-3810810.
