food
Delicious pork-free dim sum at Sheraton Imperial
Juicy, tender minced chicken encased in a thin and delicate dumpling skin, the siew mai was absolutely top-notch. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 12, 2015.When we heard about the excellent dim sum at Celestial Court, we knew we had to make a visit and we weren't disappointed with their pork-free offerings.
Sheraton Imperial's Chinese restaurant, Celestial Court, is instantly recognisable as it is fronted by an elegant Chinese-style gazebo.
Dim sum wouldn't be complete without staples like siew mai (RM22) or chee cheong fun (RM25 with shrimp and water chestnut) and Celestial Court makes fantastic renditions of these firm favourites.
Each morsel of siew mai was sizeable and chock-full of juicy, springy prawns while the chee cheong fun was doused in a thick salty soy sauce with a hint of sweetness. We slurped up the silky-soft rice noodles easily while fresh prawns and water chestnuts provided bite and a little crunchiness.
Aside from the usual fare, the restaurant also offers a range of special creations. One of them was the Shanghainese dumpling in chicken herbal soup (RM23). In a twist to the classic dish, Celestial Court gave us what we always wanted in a xiao long bao – more soup!
The sizeable dumpling, with a tender and juicy chicken filling, was served in a soup bowl filled to the brim with a fragrant herbal bak kut teh broth. The dumpling skin was delicate and silky smooth, and we loved that there was so much broth to go around.
Next up was the grilled stuffed honey glaze dried chicken meat served with mantou (RM35). Reminiscent of bakwa (grilled dried pork), the chicken pieces were absolutely finger-lickingly good!
The prawn and banana rolls (RM22) sounded like a strange combination at first but the sweet-savoury flavours worked surprisingly well together. The natural sweetness of the prawns was complemented by a thin layer of banana paste enveloping it. Served with wasabi mayo, it added a slight spicy kick to the rolls.
Another highlight was the cod fish and prawn dumplings with ginger and spring onion puree (RM26). A juicy prawn dumpling was topped off with a snow white slice of cod. Each bite was a burst of savoury juices from the prawn with a hint of sweetness from the silky-smooth fish.
Once you've had a taste of the dried chicken meat, you'll want to keep it all for yourself. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 12, 2015.Even a simple fried rice is given special treatment at Celestial Court with its special fried rice (RM41 small, RM62 medium, RM82 large), a mix of five grains – glutinous, black glutinous, brown, white and barley.
The result was a steaming hot bowl of perfectly seasoned rice with different textures coming from the varied grains. It was a generous serving of rice too, as the smallest size could easily feed two people. 
After a heavy meal, dessert needn't be too rich with the avocado puree and walnut ice cream. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 12, 2015.
While the roasted duck marinated with five spices (RM88) looked incredibly appetising with a glossy sheen, the meat itself turned out too dry and tough for our liking.
We ended our luxurious and hearty meal with the avocado puree and walnut ice cream (RM16), a refreshing and delightful dessert reminiscent of a rich mousse. Together with the ice cream studded with bits of walnut, it was a fitting end to a satisfying meal.
With anything from firm favourites to the restaurant's signature and special creations, we think Celestial Court joins the ranks of one of the best dim sums in town.
While it may be on the pricey side, its fantastic dishes in an elegant setting make it worth your while. They also have a Sunday and public holiday eat-all-you-can buffet. – September 12, 2015.
Celestial Court | Address: Sheraton Imperial, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur | Tel: 03-27179988 | Opening hours: 12pm-2.30pm from Monday to Friday, 11.30am-2.30pm on Saturday, 10am-2.30pm on Sunday and public holidays; 6.30pm-11.30pm daily | GPS coordinates: 3.158921, 101.699910 | Pork-free
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