Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations, or any celebrations and festivals in Malaysia for that matter, are always centred around grand feasts. Reunion dinners are a big deal during CNY, and the practice to meet before and after the Lunar New Year over a big feast and the mandatory loh sang are also very popular.
In the past the important reunion dinner feast is masterminded by the matriarch of a family, who would toil away in the kitchen with the help of any willing parties to whip up a lavish feast for the entire family.
These days, more and more families are opting to eat out during CNY for convenience sake. Choices are aplenty, with the hotels and Chinese restaurants around town putting forward their best menus for one to choose.
Here are 18 restaurants in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate CNY 2020 with your entire family the best way possible, sans the tedious prep work and cleaning up. Book a table now and secure a spot for a good fellowship over a satisfying feast and usher in the Year of the Rat stress-free.
For a CNY feast that doesn’t point towards the traditional offerings of steamed fish, marinated prawns, or even the decadent poon choi, head towards YEN in W Kuala Lumpur hotel. Instead, what you’ll get there is classic dishes reinterpreted with a contemporary flair, true to YEN’s style.
There are four set menus and also a la carte specialties in case your family prefers ordering to their taste. To make things more exciting, the restaurant has also collaborated with the popular salted egg fish skin chips brand The Golden Duck for a crispier yee sang toss.
From RM188+ per adult
1 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
(Picture Credit: W Kuala Lumpur)
Start the lunar new year with an abundance of prosperity in the gastronomic sense at Five Sen5es in The Westin Kuala Lumpur. There are three menus to choose from, all artfully curated by Chef Ron. Think irresistible flavour combinations from steamed dragon grouper to traditional lotus leaf rice with chicken. All prices are for a table of 10, so be sure to invite your most favourite extended family members only.
From RM1,988 nett per set for a table of 10
6 January 2020 – 16 February 2020
(Picture Credit: The Westin Kuala Lumpur)
For one of the most luxurious CNY celebrations ever, head over to The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur where you can choose from two kinds of feasts. Try the Chinese New Year Brunch at The Brasserie, where the restaurant’s popular Sunday Jazz Brunch will take on a CNY iteration on 26 January and 2 February. If you prefer something a little more formal, try the Chinese New Year Set Menus curated by Chef de Cuisine Cheong Boon Fei. The menu will also include the hotel owner’s family recipes including handmade “jiao zhi” dumplings, braised bird’s nest soup with crab meat, pan-seared radish cake, and its signature fried nian gao.
From RM368 nett per set
26 January 2020 – 7 February 2020
(Picture credit: The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur)
Sometimes, all you need is a fuss-free CNY dinner with no bells and whistles, yet guarantees you good food and a good time. For that, you can count on Wan Chun Ting in Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara to deliver. Pick from three set menus of nine courses that feature your typically auspicious CNY dishes including Double Boiled Chicken Soup with Chinese Yam, Red Mushroom and Sea Cucumber, Lotus Leaf Fried rice with Waxed Meat, Deep-fried Chinese New Year Cake with Yam, and more.
From RM2,388 nett per table of 10 including a bottle of wine
26 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
(Picture credit: Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara)
Why limit yourself to just one restaurant in the hotel for CNY feasting? In Sheraton Petaling Jaya Hotel, all three outlets will be serving up its own rendition of CNY feasts. For something more casual, head to Feast and book yourself a CNY lunch buffet. To sit down with the family for a proper dinner, head to Yue restaurant and pick from three set menus that include abalone and Norwegian Salmon Yee Sang. Finally, for something that isn’t Chinese cuisine, head to the hotel’s Japanese restaurant Miyabi for a hotpot set and yee sang made with premium ingredients.
Feast (From RM 108 nett per adult)
11 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
Yue (From RM2388 nett per set for a table of 10)
8 January 2020 – 16 February 2020
Miyabi (From RM888 nett per set for 6 persons)
8 January 2020 – 15 February 2020
(Picture credit: Sheraton Petaling Jaya Hotel)
Got a big family? Then book yourself a table for 10 at Celestial Court in Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel. Feast on signature dishes including the Roasted Crispy Duck Marinated in Chinese Herbs, Crispy Roasted Chicken with Spicy Sichuan Sauce, Poached Pomfret with Shredded Chicken, and more. But before that, toss to prosperity with the Yee Sang with Crispy Soft-Shell Crab and Crystal Pear for a juicy crunch and umami flavour.
13 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
From RM1,688 nett per set for a table of 10
(Picture credit: Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel)
Whether you prefer a buffet or sit-down meal, Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur has you covered at both Lemon Garden and Shang Palace. The former will be serving up the Bountiful Lunar Buffet with Yee Sang, while the latter has four different set menus to choose from. There will also be a Pun Choi set created by Master Chef John Chu priced at RM1,988 per set for six to 10 people.
2 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
From RM238 nett per set
(Picture credit: Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur)
True to Atas restaurant standards at The RuMa Hotel and Residences, your CNY feast here won’t be of the traditional kind. Familiar flavours are refashioned into contemporary ways in an 8-course degustation menu by Executive Chef Tyson Gee. Think modern interpretations of dishes such as the Ten Day Whiskey Dry Aged Duck Breast, Typhoon Shelter Style Tiger Prawns with Salted Egg Sauce, and Frozen Mango Parfait with Evaporated Milk Ice Cream. Even the yee sang uses local ingredients including pucuk paku, betel leaf, and sweet plum tamarind dressing.
6 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
RM288 nett per set
(Picture credit: The RuMa Hotel and Residences)
CNY is set to be a ritzy affair over at Li Yen restaurant in The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur. Executive Chinese Chef Alex Au has flexed his chops and produced six set menus featuring The Reunion Stars, a collection of reunion star dishes that emphasise on tradition. We’re talking about perennial favourites including Hong Kong-Style Waxed Meat Clay Pot Rice, Steamed Tiger Grouper with Bamboo and Fungus in Fish Sauce, Three-Layered Nian Gao, to name a few.
24 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
From RM148 nett per set
(Picture credit: The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur)
If you can’t dine on the first and second day of CNY, worry not because the festivities will run for over two months at Lai Po Heen in Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur. Choose from three exquisite set menus aptly named Fortune, Prosperity, and Wealth. As for yee sang selection, there are a whopping six different kinds of variety comprising the quintessential salmon to butterfish and also jellyfish.
In addition to the regular set menus, Lai Po Heen will also be offering dim sum sets for the festivities. The Longevity Dim Sum and Happiness Dim Sum set menus will certainly delight the palate, a nice change from the usual CNY dishes.
1 January 2020 – 29 February 2020
From RM288 nett per set
(Picture credit: Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur)
For a taste of traditional CNY feasts with a touch of elegance and unique culinary concepts, Latest Recipe in Le Meridien KL is the place to go this CNY. Order a decadent yee sang – with lobster, sliced clam abalones, and more – to go with your Chinese New Year Buffet or Set Dinner Menu packages.
Just so you don’t go visiting relatives empty-handed, the hotel also offers festive goodies such as the 2-Tier Oriental Wooden Box with assorted CNY pralines, chocolate koi fish, and also takeaway yee sang. To top it all off, enjoy a Lion Dance performance in all hotel venues on the first day of Chinese New Year.
17 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
RM168 nett per adult (Monday to Thursday) | RM178 nett per adult (Friday to Sunday)
(Picture credit: Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur)
Feast on authentic Shanghainese cuisine at where else but Shanghai restaurant in JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, artfully prepared by Executive Chinese Chef Wong Wing Yeuk. With three intricate menus to choose from, you can rest assure that your feast won’t be complete without the likes of enduring favourites including Double-Boiled Superior Soup with Fish Maw, Dried Scallops, Cordyceps Flowers and Chicken, Steamed Spanish Pork Ribs with Rice Powder and Spices Wrapped in Lotus Leaves, and more.
22 December 2019 – 8 February 2020
From RM318 nett per person
(Picture credit: JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur)
Celebrate CNY with sweeping views of the KL city skyline at Thirty8 in the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur hotel. With menus curated by Executive Sous Chef Byron Zhang, he focuses on incorporating local flavours and ingredients into traditional CNY dishes from his hometown in Guangdong, China. Other than ordering a la carte CNY dishes from the menu, you can also go all out and feast on the six and eight-course sharing menu featuring items such as the Prosperity Abalone Treasure Pot, Szechuan style steamed grouper, traditional crispy chicken stuffed with fish paste, and more.
11 January 2019 – 9 February 2020
From RM368 nett per person
(Picture credit: Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur)
Not all family members will have the same favourites when it comes to CNY dishes. For situations like those, head over to TRACE Restaurant and Bar for a festive buffet comprising family favourites whilst overlooking the city. These include roasted whole duck with apple-hoisin sauce, salted egg cuttlefish, and more. Pick from the CNY Reunion Buffet Dinner from 24 to 26 January or the Chap Goh Mei Dinner buffet on 8 February. As for yee sang, pick from either the Healthy Yee Sang or Salmon Yee Sang.
8 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
From RM118 nett per adult
(Picture credit: Element Kuala Lumpur)
Celebrate CNY all month long the majestic way at The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur. From 10 January to 8 February, you can feast on CNY specialities at Contango for both lunch and dinner – yee sang will also be served at your table for that extra touch of festivity. Meanwhile, for reunion dinner itself on 24 January, make it a grand one with the Majestic Ballroom Reunion Dinner that not only comes with dinner but also a side of giveaways and a lion dance performance.
10 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
From RM118 nett per adult
(Picture credit: The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur)
Add some authenticity into your CNY reunion dinner with one of the set menus at Tao, InterContinental Kuala Lumpur. Chef Wong will be bringing to life a good blend of traditional dishes but with modern presentations in three nine-course set menus. Among the highlights, you can find within these menus are Tao’s Hong Kong-style Roasted Duck, Steamed White Sultan Fish, Double-Boiled Bird’s Nest, and more.
30 December 2019 – 8 February 2020
From RM1,988 nett per table of 10
(Picture credit: InterContinental Kuala Lumpur)
The Chinese New Year celebrations are all about celebrating togetherness – after all, it’s the only time of the year where families come together for a reunion dinner. “Chinese New Year is all about spending time with the people we love,” said Chef Jimmy Wong of Yun House in Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur. “This year, I’ve featured my personal favourites from the dishes I always make for my own family on Chinese New Year.”
Reaching into his family recipes, Chef Jimmy will present to the table specialities including Braised Money Bags filled with Ten Head Abalone, Fragrant Roasted Duck with Osmanthus Flower, and more. As for the yee sang, this year it’s going to be as decadent as ever with inclusions of salmon belly, tuna toro, Australian lobster, and more.
2 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
From RM388 nett per person
(Picture credit: Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur)
The Lunar New Year dishes are not just any ordinary plates of food served on the table. Each one has been artfully crafted with a symbolism behind it. Over at Red Chinese Cuisine in Pullman KLCC, the team behind the restaurant is celebrating that with a range of dishes representing prosperity, including the decadent poon choi. There will be three selections of a 7-course and 9-course set menu with delicacies such as Australian wagyu beef, edible gold yee sang, double-boiled fish maw soup with mushrooms, and more.
2 January 2020 – 8 February 2020
From RM2,088 nett per table of 10
(Picture credit: Pullman Kuala Lumpur City Centre Hotel And Residences)
