Ch’ng Cher Yee On Delighting All Of The Senses

What began almost serendipitously for Penangite Ch’ng Cher Yee, during a visit to London for the Mamma Mia! theatrical dining experience, sowed the seeds for one of Kuala Lumpur’s most innovative offerings—the 90-seater Xuyan, located at The Starhill, where guests can dress up in intricate hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) before taking a seat at the dining table.

The idea behind Xuyan is best described as an immersive dining show, blending on-stage dance performances, multimedia storytelling, and costume dress-up for the guests with a menu that syncs with unique and changing themes.

This concept began in 2024 as an offshoot business of the Jiahao Group, an international investment company diversified in fashion, photography, IT, real estate, finance, as well as bridal wear, and is among the city’s leading wedding planners. Ch’ng, who had served for eight years as marketing director of Jiahao Group, was involved with the start of the Xuyan Shanghai journey. Late last year, with the idea of returning to Malaysia, Ch’ng, in consultation with Jiahao’s top executives, offered to take up a stake within the Xuyan business, thereby becoming the owner of the first international Xuyan in Kuala Lumpur. The instant success has galvanised Ch’ng to continue expanding the concept, with Pakuwon Tower in Jakarta and Singapore this year and, in time to come, Los Angeles and New York City firmly within her sight.

“We were really encouraged when Xuyan in Shanghai began. It was booming and we began expanding to other cities. The key for us was always getting feedback and understanding what mattered to the guests. They came for the show, and ended up becoming part of the show with the dress-up component of our production—as well as learning something through our stories.

“When I returned to Malaysia, the key was in researching how the history of China bridged into Malaysia as well. We didn’t just want to repeat what we had in China, hence the Harmony Among Nations theme, which we introduced on 29 December last year, the first day of our operations. It takes people through imperial China and the colourful heritage of Malaysia, with its rich culture, in dress, dance, and song.

“It was nerve-wracking setting up Xuyan here, because we had to learn how to put everything together in a new environment. Xuyan relies on production, choreography, and plenty of training to ensure that even the waitresses are serving in a way that evokes a certain sensation and emotion.

“We’re really pleased to hear good feedback from the guests and, equally, we are aware that there’s so much more to do. We own many intellectual properties, such as Journey to the West, Nezha, and Shanghai Grand, which we hope we can introduce in due course here in Malaysia also.

“Most of all, we hope that guests will feel enriched from having experienced one of our theatrical dinners. Our shows have been attended by so many tourists travelling in from other countries and we’re happy to see that the business is successful. It also means that Xuyan is capable of being an international brand. Ultimately, I have come to realise that we can always improve, and who better than the customer, who gives us immediate and direct feedback, helping us gain new perspectives in our ongoing journey.”

Xuyan Malaysia

Photography by Anna Rina

This story is part of Robb Report Malaysia’s special series on Women in F&B.