Lai Po Heen at Mandarin Oriental Welcomes Chef Thomas Fong from Doha
April 24th, 2024
Eight is enough at this new dining destination in Bandar Sunway, which brings together eight eateries in a single space.
Grab a table anywhere in this hall & order from the eight options; not all were open when we visited earlier this month, but they will be really soon. There’s Hakka Crab for Chinese hawker fare, Hook & Cook for seafood, Malt Berry Ape for wine & whisky, Chiyo Sushi for Japanese cuisine.
Yi for vegetarian fine-dining (hmmm), Nibbles (a salad, soup & sandwich bar), Confessions of Lady Laura for desserts & Caffeinees – the final name is a clue to the origins of Eight Gourmets Gala. This place is run by the folks who operate various other restaurants, including Caffeinees, Black Market & Niu Taste in the city centre.
Our orders came from Hakka Crab, Caffeinees & Malt Berry Ape – we stuck to seafood, starting with the moreish crispy-fried squid heads (one piece isn’t enough once you begin munching; heck, five isn’t enough) with salad & sesame dressing (RM22).
Hakka Crab’s mud crabs were a bit out of our budget (RM168 for a 1.1-kilogram serving, cooked with salted egg, curry, egg white, dry curry, kam heong garlic or sweet-&-sour sauce), so we settled for a cheaper but still satisfactory big bowl of mee sua with crab meat (RM38 for a portion that three can share).
Fried mee hoon with clams & petai? We knew we’d be ordering this when we spotted it on the menu. RM28.
Hakka signature stir-fried prawns (RM46), a solid recommendation with vibrant, complexly briny flavours. No complaints about most of EGG’s food; everything tastes reasonably fresh & well-executed – kudos to the kitchen.
Wrapping up with Japanese-inspired salmon skewers, tender & topped with plenty of roe & mayo (RM18).
Italian-influenced pizza with dory fish & a light mint sauce, a decent bet for RM22.
No lack of coffee here, though the Gigacino (RM13; a super-sized cappuccino) seems somewhat gimmicky.
The bartender was missing when we visited, so we couldn’t try the cocktails (one with vodka, passion fruit & chia seeds sounds cool); wine is available from RM66 per bottle, but note that’s a retail price that doesn’t include a RM30 dine-in corkage fee. Alternatively, liquor lovers can sample a Royale Iced Coffee laced with a little bit of Cognac (RM13).
EGG: Eight Gourmets Gala
Ground Floor, The Pinnacle Annexe, Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway, Selangor
Somewhere behind Sunway Lagoon Resort. Park at The Pinnacle office building basement.
Open Daily, 11am-11pm
Find: Contact details and map for EGG: Eight Gourmets Gala here.