China House Brings Northern Chinese Cuisine to Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur
Up north, Chinese cuisine is known for its reliance on wheat instead of rice, as well as heartier meats and savoury flavours.
Kuala Lumpur may not know as much about Chinese cuisine as it thinks, as there can be marked regional variances. At Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur, its new restaurant, China House, has some fresh lessons to teach the city—looking specifically to Northern China.
The first stop is the tea pavilion, where the tradition of tea offering has been a symbol of respect and hospitality for centuries. Here, you can pick an option out of 50 fine teas sourced across various regions in China, from the revered longjing green tea of Zhejiang to the precious fermented pu-erh of Yunnan. The teas come with their own stories, and it’s not always about the rituals. Sometimes, you’ll uncover fascinating tales, like the origin of the finger-kowtow gesture, said to have come about when Emperor Qianlong was introduced to a unique tea-pouring technique called ‘Three Nods of the Phoenix’.
From the tea pavilion, the restaurant opens up like a Chinese courtyard garden, with latticework inspired by traditional Chinese architectural details and light fixtures that resemble lanterns hanging overhead. Its private rooms are named after different seasons, with changing atmospheres to match. Spring, for example, is awash in a cheerful yellow with peonies and hydrangeas blooming across the walls, while Autumn feels cosier, with a deeper and moodier palette adorned with sparrows and cotton roses.
Then, there’s Joyous Season, a grander VIP suite with a completely different feel. It’s not named after calendar seasons in the usual sense, but more after occasions that call for good company and a good time. With seating for up to 18, the suite also comes with its own lounge, powder room, and something you wouldn’t normally find—a private walk-in wardrobe to stow your coats and bags or to freshen up.
The kitchen is run by executive chef Alan Shao, who hails from Qingdao, China. On what differentiates China House from other Chinese restaurants in the city, he explains, “We specialise in Northern Chinese cuisine, whereas Chinese restaurants in Kuala Lumpur tend to focus on traditional Cantonese cuisine. We’re essentially playing in a completely different field from the local market.”
Regional dishes, such as the Spring Water Braised Qinghaitan Lamb and Guangdong-style Sunflower Chicken, are among the specialties found here. “We place a strong emphasis on the source and quality of our ingredients,” the chef says. The lamb dish is made with Tan sheep, a rare Chinese breed known for its fine texture and clean flavour, ideally served as a simple bowl of soup, letting its taste shine, rather than masking it with spices. Meanwhile, the name Sunflower Chicken comes from the bird’s diet of sunflower seeds, fresh corn, milk, and honey, which results in meat that is naturally silky and fragrant.
The Northern Chinese repertoire wouldn’t be complete without Peking duck, imported specially from Beijing. “You really notice the difference in the skin because it has a little more fat,” Shao claims. “Our duck surprises people the most because it is completely different from what you usually find elsewhere.” Elsewhere, Peking duck is served with pancakes, scallions, and cucumber for wrapping the duck. At China House, the crisp skin is first served with sugar to be enjoyed on its own, before the rest of the duck is served the classic way.
Preserving the authenticity of the cuisine, however, shouldn’t mean an absence of innovation. Even as a pork-free restaurant, the ‘char siu’ here is excellent, made with beef instead. “Pork is such an important ingredient in Chinese cuisine, but, in Malaysia, we learn to adapt because it isn’t suitable for everyone,” Shao states. He brings with him more than a decade of experience, including time spent in the Middle East’s halal dining scene.
He’s happy to adapt, as long as it doesn’t mean giving up salt, the one ingredient he must have in the kitchen. “We place a lot of importance on the element of ‘xian’, because, in Chinese cuisine, we focus on bringing out the natural essence of ingredients and, to do so, you need salt,” Shao shares. While Chinese cuisine tends towards a saltier flavour profile, the chef also notes that Malaysian cuisine leans more towards the sweeter side. “In Chinese cuisine, soy sauce is generally savoury and salty. Here, sweet soy sauce is quite common. Even local dishes like sambal or satay have a sweet element.”
For Shao, such nuances matter when cooking for diners from different backgrounds. “We can’t take a single Chinese culinary culture and apply it rigidly to everyone,” he says. “We need to understand and accommodate our diners’ eating habits, while encouraging them to experience Chinese cuisine.” Aside from China House’s regional focus, it is also this meticulous level of attentiveness that sets it apart from the rest of the Chinese dining scene—knowing when to stick to tradition and when to adapt.
Photography by Law Soo Phye
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