One of the best 𝘥𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘮 I’d had in recent memory was from 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗻 𝗫𝘂𝗮𝗻 in Avenue K yesterday:
Black truffled “har gao” prawn dumplings. These were some of the biggest, juiciest and tastiest har gao I’d had. A good start indeed.
Steamed spinach dumplings with assorted wild mushrooms. These dumplings closely approximate what we call “Teochew-style dumplings” in dim sum houses - dumplings with translucent, stretchier-textured skin, containing chopped vegetables. The ones here were beautiful to look at: like edible gems.
Steamed cod & prawn dumplings in pumpkin sauce. The dumplings here were utterly beautiful - delicately crafted to look like little carp fishes. The combination of cod and prawn didn’t quite hit the spot for me, though. I’d never had a fish-shellfish combination for dim sum and, even though Chef Dixon was being inventive here, I thought the tastes didn’t quite work for this case.
Even the addition of a pumpkin sauce did not quite work here at all. Taken separately, each component of this dim sum was fresh and of the best quality. But put together, they simply don’t work.
Deep-fried “ham sui kok” carrot dumplings filled with minced meat and mushrooms. Truly the best-tasting “ham sui kok” that one can find in KL - perfect balance of textures and flavours.
Baked “char siew bao” - bamboo charcoal buns filled with Cantonese-style caramelised BBQ pork. The black colour of these buns was a turn-off for me - not sure why they need to tint it, but the flavours more than made up for it: delicious, caramelly, savoury BBQ pork filling, amazing bread textures - taste-wise, it was a triumph. I probably need to eat these blindfolded.
"Char leung" - crispy rice rolls filled with assorted seafood. These were really good, and rivalled the ones at Elegant Inn and Le Sense to be the best in town.
Braised HK “Ee Fu” noodles with seafood and black truffles. Loved the texture of “ee fu” noodles - a childhood favourite of mine. Addition of black truffles seemed superfluous for a classic dish, but I’m not complaining. 
Dessert: Chilled avocado puree with chocolate sauce.
Standard of 𝘥𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘮 in KL has always been the highest in the country. But 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗻 𝗫𝘂𝗮𝗻’s Executive Chef, Dixon Lai, may have set a new benchmark here with its carefully-conceptualized offerings. Service led by manager, Chris Low, with careful attention to details, was exemplary.
Address
Ming Ren Xuan
Avenue K, L3-5, Level 3, 156, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +6013-288 1199
Operating hours: 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm daily
