Review : Yen @ W Hotel KL

Adding its name to the list of globally renowned hotels in Kuala Lumpur is the newly opened W Hotel. Commencing operations in August this year, this is W's first ever hotel in Malaysia. Being a fan of this hotel chain, we naturally had to check out their food offerings, beginning with its dim sum cuisine at Yen, a modern Cantonese restaurant which twists the usual menu offerings into something you can only get at the W. This is a pork free restaurant. 

What's this : Shanghainese chicken dumpling with hokkaido snow crab meat in crab roe sauce.

Chubsquared thoughts : Yen's take on Xiao Long Bao. The dumpling skin was perfect; not too thick or too thin. It came away easily to reveal the chicken filling which was tasty and cooked well. However, I felt there was insufficient sauce within the dumpling. I usually like my Xiao Long Bao to be bursting with soup upon first bite but this did not happen here. Still, I would overlook this matter since the dumpling as a whole is delicious.

What's this : Baked omega egg white tart.

Chubsquared thoughts : This is actually listed in the dessert section of the menu which surprised us as egg tart is typically part of savory dim sum. There are few items that are on our must-order list wherever we have dim sum and egg tart is one of them. This was delicious; it was baked perfectly with buttery pastry housing lightly sweet melt-in-your-mouth egg white filling. Not everybody can get this supposedly simple dish done right but Yen does. 

What's this : Steamed emerald rice noodle with crispy unagi.

Chubsquared thoughts : This was my favorite dish and a cheong fun I have not seen served anywhere else. It was soft cheong fun filled with deep fried unagi pieces and vegetables inside. It was so tasty we finished this first before anything else. 

What's this : Red yeast rice honey barbeque chicken buns with preserved vegetables.

Chubsquared thoughts : The typical version of this dish is just honey barbeque chicken/pork buns. Yen switched it up by adding red yeast rice and preserved vegetables. This gave it a distinct fragrant taste with chicken that was neither over or under cooked with the right balance between fatty and lean meat. 

What's this : Wok fried yam cake cube with chicken sausage and bean sprouts in black truffle sauce.

Chubsquared thoughts : Another staple in my must-order list - either carrot or yam cake. The presence of truffle usually comes with a strong taste but that was not the case here which meant only a very minimal amount was used. To me, the difference this wok fried yam cake dish had over other similar ones in other restaurants was the use of truffle sauce which I like strong, hence I was disappointed. Fortunately, redemption was made; it was crispy on the outside while delicate on the inside. 

What's this : Cod fillet with chili padi cheese wrapped with kataifi pastry

Chubsquared thoughts : The presence of chili padi in its name gives this dish a spicy impression, but to those who are unable to tolerate chili, rest assured this dish is totally not spicy at all! The filling was generously stuffed with cod which tasted delicious with cheese and crunch from the kataifi. Dim sum is typically prawn-filled hence it was wonderful to see Yen doing things that differ from the norm.

What's this : Lemongrass infused Ai-Yu jelly soaking in natural peach resin and topped with Yuzu pearls

Chubsquared thoughts : Theres always space for dessert no matter how much food I've stuffed myself with. I tend to favor lighter, refreshing desserts, especially after such a heavy oil-filled meal. This jelly was perfect to end such a good meal; it was not too sweet and went really well with the peach gum sauce and those divine yuzu pearls. Would not hesitate to order this again!

Overall Chubsquared-tified : 3/3 Food was absolutely fantastic!! Definitely returning and recommending to everyone!