[Halal]
Restoran Minmax came highly recommended by a few friends working in the area.
The restaurant, located right across from the famous Troika Sky Dining, is a short 4-minute walk from Ampang Park station. But if you're driving, there's also parking in the building itself.
We're promptly seated by the servers upon arrival. The interior feels like any ordinary Chinese banquet restaurant - patterned table cloth and chair covers, gold wallpaper, plain white tableware, etc.
They serve a variety of Chinese dishes; from Dim Sum for lunch to all-day course menus featuring classic Chinese dishes.
The lady who took our order was polite but the other servers seem slightly "casual" in their service. It feels as though we're at a food court or mamak - but hey, we weren't too bothered as long as we're getting served promptly.
While waiting, they serve us a plate of appetisers to snack on. Crunchy peanuts & anchovies coated in a sweet and spicy sauce and sesame seeds. A bit too spicy for my liking but I munched on since I was starting to get quite hungry.
The Dim Sum here is prepared to order and thankfully didn't take too long to arrive.
Let's makan!
Siew Mai (3/5)
I was slightly disappointed by their take on this classic Dim Sum dish. The wrapper was fine but the filling tasted slightly flat and lacked the meaty goodness you'd expect from a good Siu Mai.
Shrimp Dumpling/Har Gao (4/5)
This was much better than the Siew Mai. Wrapped in a bouncy translucent skin, each dumpling was generously filled with fresh prawns.
Xiao Long Bao (2/5)
Decided to take a gamble by ordering Xiang Long Bao but sadly, it didn't pay off. The filling was tasty with a good amount of soup, but the dumpling skin was far too thick.
Steamed Chicken Claws in Herbal Sauce (4/5)
The plump chicken feet were braised in a mildly sweet and aromatic sauce. Didn't taste herbal at all but I still enjoyed the sauce and the gelatinous texture of the chicken feet.
Sweet & Sour Bean Curd Rolls (3.5/5)
Pretty forgettable in my opinion. Both the sauce and the rolls were average tasting.
Whole Abalone - 16 head (4.5/5)
More of a banquet dish rather than Dim Sum, but we decided to try it out since it was on the menu. The abalone & mushroom were tender, and they nailed the sauce as well. Based on this dish alone, I'll be happy to come back one day to try their other classic Chinese dishes for dinner.
Porridge with Fish Paste & Salted Egg Yolk (4/5)
The thick & smooth porridge was served with generous bits of salted egg yolk and bouncy fish paste. Definitely a nice change from the usual century egg porridge.
Steamed BBQ Chicken Bun (1.5/5)
Yikes. I don't recall the last time I didn't finish my pau. The BBQ chicken filling was pretty average but the main kicker was the dough. It was so sticky that it was close to being a choking hazard. Not sure if they were having a bad day in the kitchen but it was bad.
Deep Fried Bean Curd Roll with Fresh Prawn (3.5/5)
Crispy and light, I thought the rolls could have used a bit more prawns.
Szechuan Soup (4/5)
Definitely not a Dim Sum dish but I couldn't resist ordering this since it's one of my favourites. Spicy, sour and thick, this soup will warm your soul! The addition of chilli flakes can be too much for some so don't mix it in if you prefer it mild.
Overall, it was an okay meal with some hits and misses. To clarify, I'm not comparing the taste to non-halal Dim Sum establishments. Rather, I personally feel that there are other tastier Halal Dim Sums out there. Ambiance-wise, the decor was slightly dated but it was comfortable and spacious enough to enjoy the meal. The speed of service was good but I think the professionalism of some of the servers could be improved. Pricing is fair and based on the taste of the Szechuan Soup & Abalone, I'd be open to coming back to sample their classic Chinese dishes.
Sabbylicious Makan Rating
Food : 3/5
Price : 4/5
Environment : 3.5/5
Service : 3.5/5
Must order : Har Gao, Porridge, Szechuan Soup, Braised Abalone
Operating Hours Open daily (11 am–4 pm; 5pm-10pm).
Location Restoran Minmax Lot 2.1, Level 2 at Darby Park Hotel, Lrg Binjai, Kuala Lumpur, 50450 Kuala Lumpur