Looking for Muslim-friendly CNY makan? InterContinental KL’s award-winning Tao will float your dragon boat

If you’ve been cracking your head looking for a Muslim-friendly (pork free) venue to have a company or family dinner for Chinese New Year, you need to have Tao Chinese Cuisine at InterContinental KL on your radar. Actually, you’ll need to have them on your radar for good food in general.

With an award for Best Muslim-Friendly Chinese Restaurant from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and Tourism Malaysia, Tao set really high expectations, which was already partially met by the ambience and decor when we first entered. From tastefully decorated private rooms to an open dining area where you’ll be seated next to cherry blossoms on glass or under soft strands of light, it’s cozy with a touch of class.

Tao features authentic Chinese cuisine that’s Muslim-friendly and pork-free

Tao’s Head Chef Tommy Choong treated us to a preview of their CNY offerings; including a special signature Yee Sang dish to commemorate the Year of the Dragon – vegetarian Yee Sang is served with dragon fruit, star jelly, and chia seeds. The dragonfruit Yee Sang was tangy and refreshing, with the only downside being that we felt a bit bad ruining the work put into making the dragonfruit resemble a dragon. They also have more savory options such as Yee Sang with Soft Shell Crab & Salmon Skin and Yee Sang with Shredded Roasted London Duck.

Btw, did you know Yee Sang was invented in Seremban?

Tao are super proud of their London Duck. While ducks didn’t fly in themselves (we asked), they are air-flown in from London. Without the graininess or toughness that you’d usually get with duck meat, the London Duck is soft, succulent, and complimented with perfectly crispy skin. Compared to the other elaborate presentations on the table, this was the most unassuming dish. But once we tasted it, it was gone before anyone could say What the Duck?

Another one of our favorites is the braised sea cucumber, fried fish maw, and fortune money bag. The premium ingredients lend to a rich broth while still retaining the taste. The fortune money bag – made of bean curd and fish roe – is a cute addition which kids would love.

While white rice is the go-to carb to accompany these delicious dishes, you should definitely consider the steamed mini lotus leaf rice with yam, which brings glutinous rice goodness with a generous helping of shrimp. If that’s too rich, the lei cha fried rice is also a surprisingly delicious option… this is coming from someone who really doesn’t like lei cha.

We ended the meal with two desserts, the Nyonya Ninko with Shredded Coconut and the Chilled Bird’s Nest with Aloe Vera. The ninko had a nice chewy bite without being too sweet, but the crowd favorite was the bird’s nest which was both tangy and sweet thanks to the infusion of hawthorne and roselle. You cannot go wrong with either!

If these dishes float your dragon boat, Tao has 6 sets that’ll showcase the best of what they have to offer, for both lunch and dinner:

• Majestic Set – RM2,388+ per table of 10 persons
• Ethereal Set – RM2,888+ per table of 10 persons
• Legendary Set – RM3,688+ per table of 10 persons
• Renewal Set (wholesome nutritious dishes) – RM1,888+ per table of 10 persons
• Mystic Set – RM988+ per table of 4 persons
• Radiance Set – RM1,288+ per table of 6 persons

Click here to see what’s in each set, and to book a table!

To start the lunar year with abundance, InterContinental is also having two all-you-can-eat buffets at Serena Brasserie. The Reunion Dinner Buffet is available on Feb 9th from 6:30pm – 10:30pm, while the CNY Day 1 and Day 2 Long Lunch is on Feb 10th and 11th from 12:30pm – 4pm.