Dinner @ Menawan Restaurant

It was a family affair, but my friend invited us to join her family for dinner for the occasion of her husband's birthday. That was so sweet of her.

We had the dinner at the Menawan Restaurant, Imperial Palace Hotel Miri. There was no menu, so I did not know what I was eating.

Starter
It looked very pretty, but practically nothing on the plate was nice. On top were squares of unidentified object with an unidentified taste. I could not remember the taste of the shao mai on the right, but at least my friend liked it. The only thing I liked was probably the chicken roll next to it. At least I could make out succulent chicken thigh meat rolled tightly in beancurd skin and then coated with a sweet and sour sauce. Next to it was a pretty sushi-like roll. However, we were unanimous in our opinion that it tasted horrid. "Smelly," a small boy on our table said. I think he was referring to the salted egg yolk at the centre. Finally, there were crumbed balls wrapped with cheese. These also tasted forgettable.

The only yummy item on the plate.

"What soup is this?" someone asked.
"Sharks' fin," answered another person.
"Are you sure?" said another.
"Maybe it's fish lips soup," somebody added.
"What soup is this?" my friend finally asked the waitress.
"Sharks' fin soup," she replied politely.
There. Sharks' fin soup. I liked it though some of us thought it tasted too fishy. Salute to some at the table who refused to eat. Save sharks!

This roasted chicken was soft and tender, but it was served cold. It was served with seasoned salt and lime. The seasoned salt had a very strong taste. I would prefer a more delicate version.

The buttermilk prawns were not bad. Succulent prawns, lightly coated, rich and buttery flavour enhance by spices such as chilli and curry leaves.

 Duck in plum sauce, I think. No one liked this dish either. Some thought the sauce was too salty.


I liked this dish of braised sea cucumber and mushrooms served with blanched broccoli. The sea cucumber were thick and Q, the mushrooms tender and the veges were crispy.

For me, however, the best dish that night was the cod fish. It was too bad that I forgot to snap a shot of this dish. I MUST KICK MYSELF IN THE HEAD! The fish was lightly battered and then deep-fried, garnished with deep-fried ginger and doused with a sweet sauce. Although my friends thought that the sauce was too sweet, I liked it. ;p

Desserts were a platter of fruits - papaya and honey dew, and a sea coconut and snow fungus in ginseng sweet broth. I did not like the dessert. I liked however the birthday cake. My friend ordered cup cakes and assembled it into a tray for the birthday boy.

Chocolate cup cake
The cup cake was dense, rich, chocolatey, and rather moist. It was a satisfying end to the entire meal.
Y = YUMMMMMMMM ;p

Thanks to my friend and her family for inviting us to join them for dinner. Love you guys!