I have been complaining for quite a few years now that i am no longer impressed with food in general from Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Singapore's nearest neighbour; Malaysia.
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That opinion changed slightly in my most recent visit. There were actually two occasions but i would touch on each restaurant separately so as to give my utmost concentration; Dragon-i restaurant at mid valley city.
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Why we were seated in dragon-i can be attributed to one mystical force; fate. Okay, there was another force in play; bowel force! I needed a clean toilet badly after lunch and asked Alex to wait for me at the lobby of cititel hotel. That bloody ass decided to take refuge at dragon-i instead! And we had lunch less than twenty minutes ago!
He explained later that he was attracted by the signature dish of the restaurant; the Shanghainese Steamed Meat Dumplings or xiaolongbao (XLB) as we like to call them.
Xiao Long Bao
(上海小籠包)
Boy did we not regret ordering them! The XLBs were incredibly fantastic and i could even say, at the risk of receiving brickbats from many, that they were better than Crystal Jade or Imperial Treasure in Singapore!
The thin doughskin for the XLBs at dragon-i were surprisingly not tasteless (usually the case for other XLBs where the filling seems to take the position as the only flavour spot). Of course, i can't deny that the filling continues to be part of the dining experience; a delicious ball of minced pork shank, ginger and gelatin half submerged in a pool of flavourful meat broth!
Steamed Egg Yolk Custard Buns
(奶皇流沙包)
I always made it a point to have a basket of these on my table whenever i see it on the menu of a new restaurant i patronised as the flavour of the savoury sweet filling is very addictive!
Hmmm...... Buttery with a strong salty egg yolk intensity that would not sit well with lovers of liu shao bao who would likely seek a perfect balance. Another issue encountered; the dough was a bit too thick for my liking.
Winter Melon and Longan
with Sea Coconut
Refreshing for the throat and i thought it was quite a steal at only 5 RM for a pretty luxurious concoction of winter melon, red dates, longan and sea coconut in a restaurant!
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Location
Cititel Hotel, Main Lobby,
Ground Floor, Mid Valley City,
Kuala Lumpur
Price
Xiao Long Bao - RM 9.80
Egg Yolk Custard Buns - RM 8.00
The Drink - RM 5.00
[Subject to GST and Govt Tax]
Additional Information
Too troublesome to travel all the way up to Kuala Lumpur from Singapore? There is actually a branch at Johore Bahru (not sure if quality would be consistent though). You can find it at City Square Mall, Level 3, Lot J3-36.