Handcrafted dim sum at Wan Li

A glance around the dining hall in Wan Li Chinese Restaurant showed me that almost all the tables were occupied during lunchtime.

Entrance to Wan Li at the lobby level
of Renaissance Johor Baru

Arranged further apart for physical distancing and with fewer diners per table, this restaurant which serves a Halal menu of quality dim sum and ala carte dishes, continues to be the preferred choice for business, family and social gatherings.

Over the years, Wan Li has earned an enviable reputation for their superior quality Halal dim sum and I was keen to discover if they have maintained the standard of their handcrafted dim sum consistently.

I am ushered to a table set for only four diners and introduced to the highlights of their handcrafted menu of dim sum, in an All-you-can-eat Dim Sum promotion.

A printed order sheet is provided
to let diners place orders more
conveniently

A printed order sheet that lists a choice of dim sum, with descriptions (thankfully!) provided in English, is a helpful guide for placing orders in portions of up to a maximum of three times per item.

As I scanned through the listed items, I noted that the icon of a Chef’s Hat indicated those which are the Chef’s Recommendations.

There are steamed, fried and baked dim sum with choices of rice and noodles, porridge and vegetables, all for one price that includes tie guan yin quality Chinese tea.

My eyes zeroed in on the Recommended items and decided that I must have a taste of the Superior Siew Mai, Superior Har Kau with Water-chestnuts, Deep-fried Prawn Dumplings and the Steamed Golden Custard Buns.

In the tradition of dim sum dining, the items would be served hot from the steamer/stove.

Three dip sauces [Left to Right] Spicy
Chilli Oil, Mayonnaise, Chilli Sauce

So while waiting, I looked closer at the three dip sauces provided for diners who wished to enhance the taste of their dim sum, and recognised the choices of Chilli Sauce, Mayonnaise and Spicy Chilli Oil.

If you are unfamiliar with dim sum dining, just remember that there are no particular rules to follow in eating dim sum.

The dim sum dishes are served in tapas portions so just follow your personal preference on which items you liked to eat first. As for me, I like to start with the savoury followed by the sweet.

A dim sum spread to savour!

I also prefer to savour the deep-fried items first to enjoy the fresh, crunchy flavours while the freshly steamed items stood for a while to cool down.

One thing is clear about dim sum dining, which is the pleasure of leisurely eating tiny morsels of a wide variety of items to your own satisfaction.

When the dim sum were served, they arrived in batches of deep-fried items followed by steamed and cooked items so that I could enjoy them visually before I took my time to savour them the way I preferred.

Clockwise from the Top: Steamed Sweet Taro Buns, Steamed Phoenix (chicken!) Feet in Black Pepper Sauce, Steamed Scallop Dumplings, Deep-fried Beancurd Skin Rolls stuffed with Prawns, Pan-fried Shanghai Dumplings, Superior Siew Mai, Pumpkin Porridge and Superior Har Kau with Water-chestnuts.

The warm and gooey salted egg puree
inside the Steamed Golden Custard Bun

Center Left, Deep-fried Taro Croquettes; Center Right, Deep-fried Prawn Dumplings to savour with a Mayonnaise dip.

When I finally put down my chopsticks, I was happy to commend the dim sum chefs at Wan Li for their commitment to carefully preserving the taste and quality of their handcrafted dim sum.

A special mention goes to the Steamed Golden Custard Buns for the skillful art of creating a light pastry filled with a generous dollop of salted egg puree that stayed delightfully warm and gooey… and tasted oh-so good!

The All-you-can-eat dim sum at Wan Li is priced at RM64.15 per person with free flow of tie guan yin quality Chinese tea.

Wan Li Chinese Restaurant (Halal) is on the lobby level of Renaissance Johor Baru, at No. 2 Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, 81750 Johor Baru, Johor.

For reservations, Tel: +607 – 381 3388 or email, henry.lee@renaissancehotels.com

Enquiries may also be sent by WhatsApp to Tel: +6018 – 7800787.