Pork-Free Dim Sum @ Oriental, Pullman Bangsar

Pullman Hotel's Oriental Chinese Cuisine restaurant serves up classic dim sum dishes with a twist.

The dim sum "classics" such as rice rolls, glutinous rice, buns and dumplings are somehow escalated here at Oriental.

Oriental has added a breath of fresh air into their new dim sum menu with up to 50 fine crafted dim sum delicacies joining their ala carte menu.

Dim sum chef Ng Meng Loong is able to showcase his creativity and originality by transforming the dishes into delicious works of art.

Ng transform the favourite glutinous rice dish (lou mai kai) into a vibrant blue, with the colouring from butterfly pea flowers that is commonly used in Nyonya dishes. The dish is topped with succulent chicken, mushrooms and sun-dried scallop.

I also really loved Oriental's take on their rice rolls (chee cheong fun) with their Crispy Duck Skin Rice Rolls. I love how the crispy and flavourful duck skin in enveloped in a the silky smooth rice rolls with a delicious soy sauce.

One of the most unique dishes was the Japanese Unagi Cheese Roll which sounds a bit unusual but tastes amazing! I love the crunch from the seaweed, lettuce and deep fried roll. The roll also had a creamy sauce that added to the surprise.

A must try is the absolutely adorable Eggplant Shaped Glutinous Rice Ball with Purple Sweet Potato. The crispy ball is shaped into an eggplant and has a creamy sweet potato filling. I love the differing textures that adds some depth to the dish.

The Charcoal Bun Stuffed with Salted Egg Yolk Custard is one of my dim sum favourites, and I was not let down by Oriental's version. The bun is light and fluffy, while the custard oozes deliciously out as you take a bite!

The dumplings at Oriental are also succulent and delicious. I tried their Chicken and Prawn Dumplings with Scallop and Fish Roe, Chicken And Prawn Dumpling With Cordyceps Flower And Black Garlic, Australian Scallop And Shrimps Dumplings, and the Cuttlefish Dumpling With Black Truffle.

You can tell that each dumpling is painstakingly handcrafted with the uniformity in its shape. All of them are also delicately garnished, which adds up to their excellent plating skills.

The skins of each dumpling were thin and smooth, and the filling was generous and fresh. It is everything I look for in dumplings!

The Yam Croquettes Filled With Minced Chicken And Sun-Dried Scallop is a typical dim sum offering, but here at Oriental they have plated it slightly differently. Instead of a bite-sized croquette, it is shaped in a ring and filled with minced chicken and scallop. It is a perfect dish to share!

I am a huge fan of Oriental's buns, and one of my favourite was the unique Matcha Buns With Pumpkin Paste. I loved how the bun is fluffy and soft, with the matcha flavour really coming through. The matcha pairs perfectly with the smooth and light pumpkin paste, that is not overly sweet.

Another delectable sweet bun is the Red Bean Paste With Coconut Milk Bun. If you are a red bean lover, you would salivate for this delicious dish. The bun is soft and pillowy, with the filling is smooth and creamy. It is a match made in heaven!

Lastly, the Rice Ball With Lotus Paste was another sweet way to end the dim sum tasting. It had a lovely crunchy exterior, which was very light, with a generous filling of velvety sweet lotus paste.

For dessert, I indulged in the delicious Musang King Pancake. It was rich, creamy, with the aromatic Musang King flavour coming through. Any durian lover should end on this sweet note!

All the ala carte dim sum are priced between RM17 and RM28, which I feel is reasonable considering the quality of ingredients used and the lovely presentation.

The dim sum options are available from noon to 2.30pm daily, which is perfect for an afternoon meal with friends or family.

With Mid-Autumn Festival coming around the corner, Oriental is also serving a variety of mooncakes till September 24.

This year's variety of flavours comes with a modern twist.

There are eight baked mooncake flavours: Pure Lotus Single Yolk, Black Sesame Gold, Red Bean, Pandan Delight, Scarlett Snow (Honey, Lotus and Pomegranate), Hana Kisses (Apricot, Baked Taro and Mung Bean), Violet Harmony (Taro, Sweet Potato and Mung Bean) and Green Tea Apricot.

The snow skin variety comes in White Lotus Bird's Nest and Musang King Durian.

The mooncake sets can be purchased in beautiful "treasure chests", which are perfect for gifts. Prices for the mooncake sets range from RM128 to RM198 a box.

If you're making a visit to Oriental Chinese Restaurant for lunch, do make sure to snap a picture of yourself or group while you're there to stand a chance of winning a foodie trip to Hong Kong!

A lucky diner will stand to win a 3D2N stay in Hong Kong, inclusive of flight tickets. All you need to do is to take a selfie and tag five friends. Contest period is till Aug 31.

For more details, visit www.pullmankualalumpur.com/specialoffers/foodie-travel-to-hong-kong/

Oriental Chinese Restaurant

Address: Pullman Hotel, No 1 Jalan Pantai Jaya Tower 3, 59200 Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 12noon-2.30pm / 6pm-10.30pm

Phone: 03-2298 1888

#dimsum #PullmanBangsar #orientalchineserestaurant #porkfree #porkfreedimsum #porkfreechinesefood #durianmooncakes #mooncake