I’ve been wanting to try Yi Ding U Cuisine after hearing good things about the food, notably the suckling pig and roast goose. So I gathered a few like-minded foodie friends for dinner and ordered a variety of dishes to try.
Yi Ding U Cuisine is located along the main road so parking in front isn’t an option – you’ll need to park behind the restaurant and walk in from the back. The shortest way to enter the restaurant will be from the back, through the kitchen.
If that’s not your thing, your best option is to get a driver to stop you at the front of the restaurant instead. There are two private rooms available, and both rooms fit 10-12pax. A minimum spend applies if you’re looking to get a room – best to call them to confirm.
Char siew
Char siew (RM40 – medium) has a good sticky-sweet glaze but remember to specify for half lean and half fat. The meat cut on my first visit was quite lean so I found it dry. Second visit was better as I made sure they served me a good meat cut so the char siew melts as you chew.
Siew yuk was too lean, so the meat was dry
I’m not a fan of the siew yuk (RM75 – large) as the meat was dry and seasoning didn’t impress. The five-spice powder aroma was too strong for my liking and it dominated the overall flavour profile of the siew yuk.
Roast goose
Roast goose (half), which I ordered on my second visit and it was just as good.
Yi Ding U Cuisine specialises in HK style roast goose (RM198 – whole) and I found it to be quite good. The goose (pre-order required) is well-seasoned and roasted until the skin is thin and crisp, and the meat is moist and adequately tender. There wasn’t much gaminess in the goose and I reckon the gravy and scallion did their part in off-setting the strong odour.
Suckling pig
We also enjoyed the suckling pig (RM298 – whole) as the meat had just the right ratio of fat on top. Skin is nice and crispy, and I liked that there wasn’t too strong of an odour which you often get in suckling pig. That said, it does get cloying if one were to eat more than 2-3 slices so only order this if you’re dining with more people.
Sang har mee
Prawns weren’t fresh and the noodles were dry and powdery. Skip this.
The captain recommended the sang har mee (RM552 for 4 prawns) and it was possibly the worst sang har mee I’ve had in a while. Prawns weren’t fresh so some parts of the flesh had lost firmness. I was really disappointed with the egg noodles as the noodles were dry and shrivelled with a powdery texture. Do yourself (and wallet) a favour and skip this altogether.
Mapo tofu
I didn’t care for the mapo tofu (RM50 – large) as it didn’t hit the spot for me. This one isn’t as spicy or deeply flavoured as I’d like it to be, so unless you’re into fusion dishes, I wouldn’t recommend trying it.
Claypot kangkung
Claypot kangkung (RM48 – large) is well-executed and aromatic upon serving. The vegetables had a deep flavour from the salted fish and pork lard, and they charred it long enough for the wok hei to seep in.
Crab claypot rice
I went back a few weeks later with my cousin and tried the claypot crab rice (RM168 – two crabs) and it was much better than the sang har mee. It’s not the super decadent kind where they pour a whole bowl of roe in, but one that has a balance of flavour from the crab, crispy rice and seasoning.
Chinese pancake with lotus paste filling
Service seems to be better if you’re dining at the common area compared to the private room as you’ll need to call for attention at the latter. Prices are quite reasonable for the goose and suckling pig so I wouldn’t mind going back for those.
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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6.5/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Try the roast goose, crab rice and suckling pig.
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Yi Ding U Cuisine
Lot 241, Jalan Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 013-499 6638
Business hours: 11am – 2.45pm, 5.30pm – 10pm