The restaurant has undergone a slight facelift but much of its original mid-20th century charm prevails. — HALLEY
Ensconced on the second floor of storied hotel The Federal Kuala Lumpur is Halley at Mandarin Palace. The restaurant is the brainchild of owners Ng Su-San and her husband Lai Chee Hoe, who manage the Wondermama brand.
The two opened Halley at Mandarin Palace in February this year, bringing their particular brand of old-meets-new pork-free dim sum as well as a range of contemporary and classical Chinese fare to a space that has been in existence for well over 65 years.
The original Mandarin Palace in The Federal was opened just before Malaysia’s independence in 1957 and was the first Chinese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur to serve foreign dignitaries. Ng and Lai have maintained the façade of the place, including the ornate 1,118 dragon and phoenix carvings moulded into the walls and beams around the space.
Ng and her husband are determined to serve up delicious pork-free dim sum and good Chinese food while still preserving the heritage and history of the space they are occupying.
As a result – the revived Mandarin Palace – retains much of its halcyon old world charm, although it is evident new life has been breathed into it. It is also a stark reminder of what is in store for the hotel itself, which is currently closed and undergoing extensive refurbishment.
“This opportunity came up so we took it because we had another restaurant named Halley in Damansara Heights and the lease expired, so we decided to close that and open this. We spent some time doing some refurbishment here, but otherwise everything is as per the original design,” says Ng.
The eatery serves a range of dim sum that alludes to its pork-free roots and builds on Ng and Lai’s desire to offer something a little modern to diners used to all the de rigeur dim sum staples. To begin with, you could opt to have a little of everything in the form of the Halley Dim Sum Platter (RM66.80) which is designed for sharing between two to three people (or even four small eaters).
Ng also says that if diners let them know what their favourite dim sum variants are, the eatery can also mix and match and build special platters for them.
On this platter, you will discover a gorgeous swan-shaped taro puff encased with chilli crab. “We wanted something a little different, so this is perfect for people looking for a kick in their dim sum,” says Ng.
The taro puff is very, very good. A light, perfectly crisp outer carapace reveals soft, cloudy taro that merges with the spicy chilli crab which proves to be a good sidekick that elevates the dish further.
A range of pork-free dim sum forms the bedrock of the restaurant’s offerings. — Photos: Halley
The stir-fried radish cake with spicy seafood sauce and dried shrimp is a very good rendition of the classic radish cake, with its fiery connotations and textural balance achieved by the radish, bean sprouts, spring onions and dried shrimp in the mixture, which all combine to give it a hugely addictive quality.
Then there is the charcoal crystal shrimp dumpling with truffle oil. Basically a more elevated take on the classic shrimp dumpling, this is a wonderfully plump dumpling with soft skin and fat, voluptuous prawns inside.
If you’re after individual dim sum options, definitely look at trying the Steamed Traditional BBQ Chicken Bao (RM12.80). Ng says the team worked hard to replicate the flavours and sensations that diners of the porcine equivalent are familiar with. The result is honestly indiscernible from the original version i.e. it more than lives up to expectation.
Duck slices interspersed with slick noodles make for a very filling, hugely satisfying meal. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
From the fried options, definitely look at trying the Avocado Roll with Crispy Silk Wrap (RM16.80). Here, you will discover a paper-thin crispy lattice encasing smooth, slightly sweet creamy avocado mousse in what proves to be a riotous explosion of flavours and textures.
If you’re at Halley for dinner, there’s plenty to whet the appetite in the form of a range of Chinese dishes that utilise technique, tradition and a dash of contemporary inventiveness. The Imperial Peking Duck (RM215 for a large portion) for instance, sees an entire duck put to good use and repackaged into three entirely different courses.
The first course makes use of the crispy, beautifully burnished roast duck skin, which is sandwiched between thin pancake wrappers. The result is a light meal that highlights the crunch and juiciness of the duck skin.
The next duck course sees thin slices of duck meat ribboned around noodles and bak choy in what proves to be an intensely slick, satisfying meal where the duck and the noodles co-mingle like an old married couple that know exactly how to bring out the best in each other.
The stir-fried duck with black pepper sauce is not bad, but doesn’t leave as much of an impression as some of the other dishes. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
The final duck course makes use of the rest of the duck meat – bones and all – and sees it reconfigured into a black pepper sauce infused stir-fry. This is a pleasant enough dish, although not quite as memorable as the other courses in this series of duck tales.
For something from the vegetarian persuasion, Ng recommends the Stir Fried Truffle Mixed Mushrooms (RM65 for a medium portion).
“I don’t like truffles at all, but the chef uses a truffle paste in this dish and I really like it,” confesses Ng.
The dish is alive with snow peas, asparagus, celery, carrots, black fungus and macadamia nuts tossed with a good dose of black truffle paste. The truffle has an understated quality and doesn’t detract from the freshness of the vegetables which offer plenty of crunch and an overall wholesome quality.
From swan-shaped taro puffs imbued with chilli crab to pan-fried buns, there is something for all dim sum fans here. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star
Moving forward, Ng says she is working hard to get the word out about Halley as many people don’t seem to realise that the restaurant is in operation despite the hotel being closed.
“Yeah, we have to work on getting more visibility, especially on the Internet and social media channels. We really want more people to come here and experience the old-fashioned charm of the place and enjoy the food too,” says Ng.
Halley at Mandarin Palace
Level 2, The Federal Kuala Lumpur
35, Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 011 1228 8121
Open daily: 11am to 3pm; 6pm to 10pm
