F&B (FOOD & BEVERAGES)

This CNY, Return to the Magic of KL’s Iconic Golden Phoenix Restaurant

Beloved by countless diners for years, Golden Phoenix, in KL’s old Equatorial Hotel, was among the city’s most famed and beloved Chinese restaurants. Of course, the old Equatorial is no more, but just like its namesake phoenix, the beautiful EQ has arisen, and each year, they bring the legacy of the Golden Phoenix back to life, with dishes directly sourced from the cherished menu archives of the iconic restaurant.

Golden Phoenix restaurant has long held a reputation for culinary excellence since its inception in 1974. Much like its mythical namesake, the restaurant has gained legendary status for its celebrated Cantonese and Szechuan fare.

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

Of course, any restaurant is only as memorable as its chef, and it’s here that Golden Phoenix really shines! Chef Choy Sin Sang has been instrumental in continuing the Golden Phoenix legacy for many years. An alumnus of Selangor Ching Wu School, Chef Choy studied the art of dim sum making at the Taiping Tea House before working at his first hotel in 1957. He joined the original Equatorial Hotel in 1973 (the very year that it opened), where he has since ensured that the food from the Chinese kitchen is of the highest calibre and authenticity. It is with great pride that EQ recreates the Golden Phoenix in all its glory every Lunar New Year, and to have retained one chef for this long – this year marks 50 years for Chef Choy – is simply incredible.

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

We recently got to sample a delectable preview of the Happy Reunion Set dinner, and we can vouch for its superb quality and stunning presentation. Chef Choy and the entire culinary team have really outdone themselves with a marvellous array of set menus and a lovely selection of à la carte choices, as well. With the festive CNY holiday season already upon us, Golden Phoenix’s Year of the Rabbit incarnation is set to begin on January 5, 2023 and run through to February 15, 2023.

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

Here’s a complete rundown of what to expect!

Golden Phoenix Set Menu Offerings

There are four set dinner menus along with a lunch set, too, offering some of the very best celebratory fare. Priced at RM188+, RM238+, RM328+, RM488+, and RM688+ respectively per person, for a minimum of four persons.

Rich Fortune Set (RM188+ per person) (Available for lunch only)

Platinum smoked salmon Yee Sang
Braised lobster soup with sea cucumber, dried scallops and mushrooms
Braised sun-dried oyster with abalone, sea moss, flower mushroom and broccoli
Steamed giant grouper with marmalade sauce and glass noodles
Sakura prawn fried rice with smoked duck, taro and asparagus
Assortment of Chinese pastries – Rice cake and baked peony lotus seed paste

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

Great Prosperity Set (RM238+ per person)

Platinum smoked salmon Yee Sang
Braised lobster soup with sea cucumber, dried scallops and mushrooms
Braised sun-dried oyster with abalone, sea moss, flower mushroom and broccoli
Steamed giant grouper with marmalade sauce and glass noodles
Baked king prawn with sea salt and Mexican pepper
Traditional roasted chicken with fragrant onion sauce
Sakura prawn fried rice with smoked duck, taro and asparagus
Chilled sweetened rainbow pearls, panna cotta with avocado cream
Assortment of Chinese pastries – Rice cake and baked peony lotus seed paste

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

Happy Reunion Set (RM328+ per person)

Platinum Hokkaido scallop and salmon Yee Sang
Double-boiled fish maw soup with fish lips and conch meat
Baked cod fillet with sakura “melazhan” sauce with fragrant onions
Braised sun-dried oyster with abalone, sea moss, flower mushroom and broccoli
Stir-fried Hokkaido scallops and prawns with asparagus in supreme dried scallop sauce
Roasted chicken with fragrant shallots, garlic and Mexican spice
Golden Phoenix seafood fried noodles
Sweetened taro sago cream soup with black sesame glutinous dumplings
Assortment of Chinese pastries – Rice cake and baked peony lotus seed paste

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

Wealth Treasures Set (RM468+ per person)

Premium abalone Yee Sang with fish roe
Double-boiled fish maw soup with fish lips and conch meat
Blue sea prawn with chef’s signature sauce and basil
Braised abalone with dried oysters, flower mushrooms, sea cucumber and broccoli
Steamed cod fillet, Hokkaido scallops with preserved soy bean dregs and superior soya sauce
Tea-smoked chicken roll and crispy chicken with mango yuzu sauce
Garlic fried rice with seafood, fish roe, topped with crispy scallops
Sweetened taro sago cream soup with glutinous rice dumplings
Assortment of Chinese pastries – Rice cake and baked peony lotus seed paste

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

Prosperity Set (RM688+ per person)

Premium abalone Yee Sang with fish roe
Blue river prawn ball broth, fish maw with Alaskan crab meat and fresh lily bulbs
Baked stuffed lobster with dried scallops, mushrooms and cheese
Braised abalone with dried oysters, flower mushrooms, sea cucumber and broccoli
Steamed cod fillet, Hokkaido scallop with preserved soy bean dregs and superior soya sauce
Roasted duck with crispy bun and hoisin sauce
Garlic fried rice with seafood, fish roe, topped with crispy scallops
Sweetened bird’s nest, red dates, lotus seeds and ginkgo nuts
Assortment of Chinese pastries – Rice cake and baked peony lotus seed paste

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

Golden Phoenix à la carte Offerings

The crown jewel of the 2023 lunar new year menu is the premium abalone Chinese casserole, known as poon choy. This sumptuously layered dish is served to signify wealth and abundance, and the Golden Phoenix version ticks all the boxes for luxury and extravagance, with 10-head abalone, Japanese dried scallops, tiger prawns, smoked duck, steamed chicken, sea moss, dried oysters, sea moss, baby cabbage, mushrooms, white radish, gluten, oyster mushroom, yam, and ‘money bags’ compacted into one delicious, luxurious dish. Priced for dine-in at RM588+ and for takeaway at RM688+, the portion serves six.

Another Chinese New Year favourite, traditional roast duck, is also available this year. Priced at RM288+ per bird, the duck is served two ways, sliced crispy duck skin, wrapped in crepes, with
cucumber, spring onions, and sweet bean sauce, with the meat then served sautéed with spring onions and ginger, stir-fried with asparagus and fresh fungus, with supreme scallop sauce, sautéed with bell peppers, onions and black bean sauce, or fried with rice or noodles.

This year’s other offerings include baked pomfret with sakura ‘melazhan’ sauce and fragrant onions (medium portion RM348+, large, RM688+), steamed, sliced dragon tiger grouper with abalone and mushrooms (medium portion RM248+, large, RM488+), baked king prawns with sea salt and Mexican pepper (medium RM108+, large, RM208+), and stir-fried Hokkaido scallops with asparagus in supreme dried scallops paste (RM188+, medium; RM368+, large).

Also available will be the boneless farm chicken with sliced abalone, mushrooms and baby kailan (RM148+, medium, RM288+, large), and traditional roasted chicken with fragrant onion sauce priced at RM68+ for a half bird, and RM128+ for a whole.

Braised home-made tofu with dried turbot and mustard vegetable (RM48+, medium; RM88+, large), braised dried scallops with Chinese cabbage (RM58+, medium; RM108+, large), and chilled sweetened rainbow pearls with panna cotta and avocado cream for dessert, priced at RM18+ per person rounds out the Golden Phoenix selection.

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

Prosperity Toss

Yee Sang, the hallmark of Chinese New Year in Malaysia, will be available as an à la carte offering, as well, from January 5 to February 5, 2023. The most extravagant version is the premium abalone Yee Sang with fish roe (RM188+, portion serves four to six; RM368+, portion serves eight to ten), followed by the Hokkaido scallop Yee Sang with fish roe (RM188+, portion serves four to six; RM368+, portion serves eight to ten).

Courtesy of Golden Phoenix

For reservations and information:

T: +603.2789 7777

E: dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com