Disclaimer: Opium KL does not deal nor supply Opium in any way, shape or form.

You need to get those somewhere else 😉

Right after its grand opening mid last year, I was invited to the latest establishment along the vibrant Changkat Bukit Bintang, Opium KL.

And no, as mentioned above, it doesn’t supply the illegal substance, contrary to its name.

Located at the corner of the bustling street, its brick walls boast a deep, crimson red hue

with framed modern portraiture of young Chinese maidens.

First impression: Opium KL’s oriental theme and relaxed al-fresco atmosphere

is a sure pull-factor for all patrons and party-goers of the city (especially Caucasian tourists!)

 Eat. Drink. Man. Woman.

Can’t wait to see what this new kid on the block has to offer!

Walking into Opium KL, I was spellbound by such authentic interior decor, perfectly capturing 17th century China within its four walls.

It was complete with the opium pipes, opium chests and other opium equipments, as well as the ‘lounge-bed’ chairs akin to those of opium dens!

 Whoa. No seriously, WHOA. And that’s not even all of it.

Beautiful. Really a work of art in its class! I felt like I was walking into the Forbidden City

or a museum of illegal artifacts.

They offer separate rooms too, for private dining!

 I was ushered to my table upon arriving.

 Beautifully-dressed waitresses began to serve us our soup & appetizers.

Boy, they really look the part too!

Peppery Lamb Soup

I loved this! Two of my favorite ingredients were made out of it – pepper and lamb!

Its combination of lamb cubes, carrots, potatos, spices, coriander and fried shallots worked well as a starter, to warm my tummy up for the courses ahead.

Not too peppery nor spicy too.

Vinegar was given for us to self-sprinkle onto our dish.

You really can’t go wrong with satay. Opium KL nailed it perfectly too.

Assembled with the standard fare of peanut sauce-cucumber-onion-rice cake combo, there was however, one VERY note-worthy thing.

Each skewer contained little to no fats! If you’re a fitness junkie like I am, you’d appreciate that fact just as much as I did. 😉

Check out how water was served here!

Like the way they traditionally drank rice wine back in ancient China,

it was served in a porcelain bowl too.

Took a stroll around the restaurant while waiting  for my drinks and main course to arrive.

Yes, I found the lavatory signs very amusing and creative.

When I got back to the table, voila! It was filled with Opium KL’s signature house cocktails and twisted classics. Let’s take a closer look at them one-by-one, shall we?

5 fragrance mojito

This refreshing concoction comprises rum, lime, mint, 5 spices & soda.

It’s not your average mojito, I’m tellin’ ya. 😉

50 years storm

A bit of an acquired taste, this consists of cognac, sweet vermouth, angostura bitters, peychauds bitters & sugar

 Shanghailander

For the bold whiskey lovers, enjoy this whiskey, smokey whiskey, honey water, ginger & lemon juice combo!

Silk road martini

A simple yet strong pair of Gin or vodka and Noilly Prat – now served with diced caviar too!

Teatrader

Turn up the heat with this frothy shake of rum, grand marnier,

lime juice, orange juice & 5 spiced syrup!

After the cocktail tasting, I stepped outside to take a breather before the main course.

Dusk slowly easing in.

With Sascha, the outlet manager of Opium KL!

P/S: To all single ladies out there, he’s newly single now 😉

Angus Beef Rendang paired with Lotus Leaf Buns

This Angus beef was tender to taste, simmered to perfection with spices, santan, tumeric leaves and kaffir lime leaves.

Tastey and relatively spicy (but bearable!) the beef rendang was definitely worth coming back for.

 

This Penang girl definitely approves!

We were full to the brim and adjourned to the al-fresco deck to have desserts and a few more drinks, we saw that the patio was booked out with Opium KL’s dinner crowd.

Moo and I just before dessert time.

(At that point, little did we know that we would end up officially together!)

Eat. Drink….. Man. Woman!

Cheesy Banana Fritters

Talk about a strong banana boost! Boyfie and I loved this heaps – we almost went for seconds but unfortunately we couldn’t stomach any more food. Who can resist fried banana and aged cheddar, topped with banana ice-cream?

Unless you aren’t a banana fan, but that’s besides the point.

Last but not least – Melon Ice to wash everything down. 😀

Honeydew melon, sago pearls & coconut milk combo was a great end to a fantastic oriental meal

Thank you so much, Sascha and Opium KL for having me tonight – I had a superb feast!

 Click here to check out KLGCC’s new healthy menu or CHIN’s Stylish Chinese Cuisine, here.

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For more info on Opium KL, get in touch with them!

Log on to their official website: www.OpiumKL.com

LIKE them on Facebook: fb.com/opiumkl

Join them on Instagram: instagram.com/opiumkualalumpur

For reservations/dine-in:

Call them at this contact number: 03-2142 5670

Drop by at this address: 50 Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

I know it’s pretty early for Chinese New Year wishes but hey, Guinness Malaysia kick-started the festivities as early as mid-January – and so will I! Talk about being excited, eh? Woots!

 Awesome festive decor that greeted me inside.

Tonight, we welcome the Year of the Goat in a bold and auspicious manner this festive season with GUINNESS®, Malaysia’s favourite stout.

Bringing the tradition back this year, brands and media (We are, after all like family & friends in the industry, right?) gather together  and partake in a ‘reunion dinner’ feast signifying longevity, harmony, peace, happiness, and prosperity for the year ahead.

In marking this auspicious time of year, GUINNESS® has teamed up with the Grand Imperial Group of restaurants to create a special GUINNESS® banquet menu, available at all 6 Grand Imperial restaurants across Malaysia.

I’ve personally been to a Grand Imperial restaurant before, for a friend’s wedding.

The food there? Top-notch, if I do say so myself.

 Festive decor fills the air in Grand Imperial, Bangsar Shopping Centre

Love all things festive!

Guinness’ media & VIP Chinese New Year dinner began with a speed Chinese calligraphy performance by a dear friend Haze.

So proud of her! Keep doing the artsy things you do, girl.

I had no idea you could write in Chinese! Okay, now I feel a tad inadequate. LOL

 Can anybody tell me what this means? 🙁

I assume it says Happy Chinese New Year?

 Guinness directors stamping a traditional Chinese seal, to complete the work of art.

 Official picture. Fantastic how everyone is dressed so aptly to suit the occasion!

Of course, I made sure I looked the part too.

Wore a Cheongsam top with a high waisted skirt and bright pink heels.

If you’re wondering why my Cheongsam top doesn’t look like a Cheongsam top, it was because my Mandarin collar’s button decided to snap a mere 3 hours before the event. 🙁 Drats.

 Let the Guinness festivities begin!

 With my mates, ready to celebrate CNY – Guinness style!

 But first let me take a selfie 😉 Bryna & I.

A brew rich, full, and flavoursome, GUINNESS® is the perfect beer to savour throughout the holiday period, accompanying good food and good times with friends and family.

Typically, Chinese New Year feasts are synonymous with a round table x red cloth combination. Here are my round table mates with fellow bloggers & media!

For our dining pleasure, 8 sumptuous courses are paired with GUINNESS® stout served in different ways to complement and bring out the full flavours of each dish, providing a tantalising sensation for the tastebuds befitting the spirit of prosperity and celebration of the New Year festivities.

With no surprise, let me introduce the starter of every Chinese New Year dinner!

 Yee Sang with Silver Fish!

 Toss it as high as you can for prosperity, longeivity & auspiciousness!

 Us ravaging the Yee Sang. Louuuu ahhhhh!!! 😀

Next up – Braised Bird’s Nest with Fresh Crab Meat.

I was so glad it wasn’t Shark Fin’s Soup!

It’s great that more and more restaurants are supporting the cause of shark-saving.

The soup was delicious and hearty! I finished it in a jiffy.

While waiting for the next dish to arrive, my fellow blogger buddies took the chance to catch up and of course, take selfies. 😉

The next dish that arrived was another popular dish in Chinese dinner banquets.

I apologize in advance to all my Muslim readers, as this is a non-halal dish.

Roasted Whole Suckling Pig.

Admittedly, while I’m not much of a pork-fan myself, my mates at the table loved it to bits. It’s crispy skin was much talked about.

Less man more share, eh? It’s a good thing I’m not eating it – more for you guys to savour! 😀 😀

Random selfie while everyone else gobbles down the piglet.

Accessories by The Wild Things. I’m also wearing their inspired Pandora charm bracelet.

You can’t see it in this picture but let’s see if you can spot it in the rest of my pictures!

P/S: Look them up for beautiful handmade fashion pieces.

The next dish made me a very happy girl.

Yup – Jessicat loves her fish!

Traditional Style Steamed Golden Pomfret

This is absolute love! I devoured this like a starved cat. LOL

As usual, pair everything with a glass of Guinness!

What came as the next meal certainly made an impression.

You may not notice it now but…

 Fresh Water King Prawn in Casserole

What’s so special and impressive about this dish, you ask?

Well… let’s just say, size DOES MATTER. 😉

 It was a big as my head… and mind you, I don’t have a tiny head.

Everyone was amazed at how sizable these King Prawns were.

What have they been feeding on? WOW. Two thumbs up!

The next dish looks vegetarian but it’s actually not.  Enter:

 Braised Sliced Abalone with Black Moss and Dried Oyster

I enjoy the way Grand Imperial finds ways to surprise us with their menu.

When this dish first arrived, only the meats & vegetable portion came. We were wondering what dish this is supposed to be? As most restaurants, if not all, served their claypot rice in one giant bowl with the the rest of the ingredients.

A minute later, the claypot rice came! All in individual bowls, portioned perfectly.

 Claypot Rice with Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong) & Dried Meat – Hong Kong Style

Like we did tonight, diners will experience GUINNESS® in ways in which they may not have tried before, unlocking the complex flavour profiles of the bold beer.

Surprisingly refreshing when served at sub-zero temperatures, moving to full and rich when served warm, the GUINNESS® Master Brewers and team of Grand Imperial chefs have painstakingly matched each course and serving style to create the perfect pairing.

My cute little bowl.

Hopped over to the next table to have a Guinness toast with my fellow blogger pals!

 I was really stuffed but hey, don’t we all have an extra stomach for dessert? 😉

We were served not one, but two desserts!

 Chilled Fresh Mango Puree with Sago & Pomelo.

 This was such a refreshing dessert!

It was smooth, sweet and bursting with the prominent taste of fresh mangoes!

Please sir, may I have some more? 😛

Deep Fried Nian Gao & Sweet Potato Pastries

I enjoyed the sweet potato pastries so much!

The pastry melted in my mouth upon contact and the aroma of sweet potato was an absolute delight.

Gong Xi Fa Chai to all!

You’ve made us extra happy (and extra prosperous LOL) & beyond satisfied tonight.

Tonight’s CNY dinner was definitely crafted to perfection.

As you can clearly see, each dish has been designed not only to match and enhance the accompanying GUINNESS®, but is imbued with meaning and tradition, symbolising longevity, harmony, peace, prosperity, and happiness in the coming year.

Thank you for having me, dear Guinness Malaysia & Grand Imperial!

You’ve set the bar high and made the first of many CNY feasts to come a pleasurable one.

Click on here where I visited the House of Guinness, the Phat Barrels in Publika KL.

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For more information on Guinness Malaysia & Grand Imperial Group of Restaurants:

Look them up on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/guinnessmalaysia

If you’re keen to celebrate your Chinese New Year reunion dinner with your friends, family or even with your colleagues for a company dinner, my CNY dinner tonight is called the Special Guinness New Year Banquet Menu and is priced at RM1888 nett.

Enjoy! And Gong Hei Fatt Choi to you and you and you! 😀