Xip Wah Lau 華 — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

From the very beginning, we were very excited to try out the “Chinese style omakase” by chef Andy! Everyone is looking forward to this day as it was highly recommended. True enough, our high expectation led to deep disappointment. Taste aside as this is very dependable on individual, the whole event was ruined due to the dishes we were served and your behavior was not cordial and lack of patience and compassion.

At the 3rd dish, we have kindly asked your staff to double check if there was some sort of misunderstanding in the menu we ordered and repeatedly asked if we could speak to the chef who took our order and prepared the food. Our requests were not met and the food kept being served dishes after dishes. Point #1. Not matter how busy you are, you should at least attend to your customer who has made a complaint. This gives an impression that your restaurant does not value our time and satisfaction.

Almost to the end, you came to see us and instead of appearing professional and courteous, you started being defensive. I am sure you know what makes a good chef. Point #2: Cooking skills isn’t only the skills a good chef must have. Communication is equally important. I stand to be corrected but you can ask any professional chef around.

Point 3: No customer wants to simply complain without a reason. The least you could do is you listen and tone appropriately. This will go along way for any food biz. We were told by you that you were busy and impossible to entertain to every customer request and customer should hv called to confirm on the menu early prior to dining. This not a valid excuse for a distinguished restaurant like yours. We are not disputing you are busy and to us, we leave it to you how you manage your biz. We hv experienced other restaurant like yours - a courtesy call to confirm our appointment and menu and instead of customer calling to find out to avoid any miscommunication.

We can continue to talk about other dissatisfactions but I guess we just want to direct the focus on the above. The long and short of it, we left with utter disappointment and we hope you can understand our frustration. This hurts any customers' faith in your service and food. Lastly, to add more grief, the food served isn’t really matching the price tag, and coupled with the unwanted behavior, it has made the overall experience not good for value.

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As I sit down this morning to reflect on my previous evening’s sensory stimulation at Xip Wah Lau, I thought to check myself against other diners who had experienced something of the same. Interesting what I found was a spectrum of feedback, largely positive but some seemingly ambivalent or downright negative in some aspect of their experience. This led me to wonder about what made my night so enjoyable, no doubt the food and atmosphere, both of which I would consider constants in the dining experience for most. What then contributed additional x-factor that perhaps other diners who had less than positive experiences, to make the night one of unparalleled joy. Was it the company with me? Sure, we were celebrating a good friend’s birthday and a happy occasion. Was it the incredible selection of wine that was matched with our meal through the evening, the surprise of each new dish, or the effervescence of our pseudo-hostess who enthusiastically described each dish we sampled. I had no expectations as well when I came, having not read any reviews other than being told of a gastronomic experience (but then again you’ll get that for any restaurant recommendation). So I had nothing other than awe when I walked into such an atmospheric setting that is Xip Wah Lau, with dried and desiccated ingredients adorning the walls and shelves doubling up as both storage and display, such a feast for the eyes and senses, creating anticipation for the taste buds. Esoteric seating arrangements with eating nooks and artwork and furniture to match. So what I realised is this Omakse label is just that, a label which to some people comes with certain expectations. But it’s more than that, it’s an experience and how you choose to live it will be influenced by everything that’s happening to you in that moment. So while others have a right to give less than positive reviews, it’s not necessarily what you will experience when you try it for yourself. Especially if you transcend your inner critic and experience the food without judgment, moving past the checklist of flavours, textures, and plating to feel gratitude, connection, and meaning in the act of eating.

Our omakase menu

Brandy Drunken Roe Crab Morel · Cuttlefish Sesame-fed Chicken Sharksfin · Scallop · Crabmeat Soup Sweet & Sour Fish Maw Roast Duck Iberico Char Siew Wagyu Tomahawk · Horseradish Grik Parang Fish Ball Razor Clam · Kuey Chap Chenin Blanc Fig Steamed...

We had high expectations for this omakase experience, especially after hearing positive reviews. Unfortunately, our dinner last night fell short on multiple fronts; both in terms of food quality and service.

For RM350 per person, we were hoping for refined, memorable dishes, but most of what we were served felt average at best, and in some cases, underwhelming.

The meal began with fried seafood, which tasted like something you could easily find at a regular dai chow place, nothing elevated or special about it. The fish maw in the shark fin soup was still hard and chewy, clearly not cooked long enough to achieve the soft, jelly-like texture it should have had.

The steamed garoupa fish head was too oily, and the grilled soy sauce chicken lacked depth — just salty, without any of the fragrant, layered flavour you’d expect from good soy sauce. The Iberico pork char siew was acceptable only when paired with the grilled pineapple, which helped lift the otherwise flat flavours.

The baked crab, supposedly a house specialty, reminded us of a similar version at Copaa KL, but sadly, this one didn’t live up to the hype. The fried pea shoots felt like a filler dish — again, something you could get anywhere and not what you'd expect from an omakase menu at this price point.

The charcoal-cooked claypot rice had a nice aroma, but lacked the deep, comforting flavours that make this dish special. One small highlight was the beautifully done fried egg at the side.

The only dish we truly enjoyed was dessert — fried cempedak with nian gao filling — crisp, nostalgic, and well-executed.

As for the service, it was disappointing for what’s meant to be an omakase experience. The staff didn’t offer much insight into the dishes whereby no explanation of preparation methods, ingredients, or what to expect. Instead, we got generic lines like “this is our special” or “our signature dish, very good.” For this format, we expected more engagement and knowledge from the servers to enhance the experience.

All in all, the menu felt like a string of mediocre dishes without clear direction or finesse. At RM350 per person, it’s hard to justify the price when both execution and storytelling fall flat. This simply wasn’t at the level of other high-end Chinese restaurants in town. We left feeling disappointed and unlikely to return for the...