Chef J Kepong Dim Sum

There is always something a bit more exciting about a dim sum meal when the menu does not feel like a straight copy of every other place in town, and that was very much the case at Chef J Kepong. The selection here felt a little different from the usual KL dim sum circuit, which made the meal more interesting right from the start.

The design of this place looked like a street tavern from olden China.

Posters of canton pop culture from the early 90s accompanied us through our meal.

The item that stood out most for me was the century egg porridge. It was exceptionally smooth, the sort of texture that immediately makes you stop and pay attention. That silkiness gave the porridge a refined feel, and it ended up being one of the most memorable things on the table.

Another highlight was the Siew Mai Pork Liver Dumpling. Pork liver can be a divisive thing, but this one was delicious. It brought a richer, more distinct flavour that gave the dumpling more character than a standard siu mai. It felt like something worth ordering precisely because it was not trying to play safe.

The Truffle Har Gao also did well. Truffle can sometimes bully its way through a dish, but here it added just enough aroma to make the dumpling stand out without losing the prawn beneath it. It was one of the better modern-leaning dim sum items of the meal.

Har Gao Prawn Dumpling. The taste was there but the skin was a bit dry and it came undone when I was picking it up.

Siew Mai Prawn Dumpling was not too bad in terms of taste.

The meat however was bit more paste-like than I prefer.

Xiao Long Bao Soup Dumpling. The skin was a bit too thick.

Char Siu Bao Barbecued Pork Bun

G.Z Old Xiguan Pork Steamed Rice Roll was really big. This is a Guangzhou style cheeong fun. Not the Hong Kong style that many of us are accustomed to.

Steamed Chicken Feet in Signature Sauce

Altogether, this was a meal that felt a little more distinctive than the standard dim sum template, and that gave Chef J some added appeal.