Chinoise

Special thanks to Thistle Port Dickson Resort for extending this food review invitation.

Thistle Port Dickson Resort has a Chinese restaurant called Chinoise. The culinary team here is led by veteran Chef Min, who has extensive experience in Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant does not serve pork.

On weekends from 12:30pm to 2:30pm, Chinoise offers Dim Sum Semi-Buffet Lunch to in-house guests and the general public. Customers can order unlimited servings of dim sum during the meal. In addition, there is also a buffet counter with supplemental dishes, soup and desserts.

The restaurant employs a unique serving method where dim sum is served from steam-heated carts, which is wheeled from table to table by the restaurant staff. This way, diners can savor steaming hot dim sum without having to leave their tables.

There are more than 20 types of dim sum available. Prominent ones include Chicken Dim Sum (烧卖), Loh Mai Kai (糯米鸡), Hong Kong BBQ Pau (港式叉烧包), Shanghai Dumpling (上海小笼包) and Teochew Style Dim Sum (潮州粉粿). The selection of dim sum may vary from week to week.

If you are blessed with an adventurous palate, Chef Min has several unconventional dim sum varieties up his sleeve. Shown here are Curry Flavour Deep-Fried Char Gui (香辣油条), Thai-Style Fried Wanton (泰式炸云吞), Braised Kucai Sui Gao (韭菜水饺) and Thai-Style Prawn Roll (泰式虾卷). I love the lemongrass aroma of these dishes!

Diners can also help themselves to hot dishes from the buffet counter. Today's Chicken Meat Ball Porridge comes with condiments like fried anchovies, spring onions, fried shallots and pickled radishes (菜脯).

Meanwhile, cold dishes include Marinated Soya Herb Chicken (豉油鸡) and Wok-Fried Assorted Vegetables With Preserved Radish & Peanuts (菜脯炒花生). The latter is particularly appetizing!

As for chafing dishes, today's menu features Chinese-Style Lo Han Vegetables (罗汉菜), Fried Egg With Onion & Cai Pu (菜脯葱蛋), Chinese Fried Rice (扬州炒饭) and more. Lotus Root Red Dates Soup (莲藕红枣汤) is prepared too.

Ingredients for Nyonya Curry Laksa are yellow noodles, green beans, bean sprouts, chili peppers, tofu and hard-boiled eggs. The curry contains lots of coconut milk, making it rich and creamy.

Bubur Kampiun is a sweet dessert of Minangkabau origin. It comprises of bubur sum-sum (coconut rice porridge), kolak pisang (banana compote), buah candil (glutinous rice nuggets), pulut hitam (black glutinous rice), coconut milk and gula melaka (palm sugar).

Other desserts at the buffet counter include Pulut Bunga Telang, Penjan Ubi Kayu and Deep-Fried Chinese Pancake. Cut fruits are available too.

Last but not least, cleanse your palate with a bowl of Laici Kang (五味汤). The sweet dessert contains snow fungus (雪耳) and longan (龙眼). Laici Kang is best consumed chilled.

The Dim Sum Semi-Buffet Lunch is priced at RM50.00 net per adult and RM28.00 net per child. The meal includes free flow of coffee and Chinese tea. On a side note, Thistle also serves Cita Rasa Gerai Buffet Dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Name: Chinoise
Address: Thistle Port Dickson Resort, KM16, Jalan Pantai, Teluk Kemang, 71050 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
Contact: 06-648-2907
Business hours: 12:30pm-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm
Website: https://www.thistle.com.my/portdickson/restaurants/chinoise
Coordinates: 2.43044 N, 101.85883 E
Directions: Thistle is approximately 16 kilometers south of Port Dickson town center. Turn right as soon as you see the resort's signboard and follow the winding road to the hotel lobby. Chinoise is located at Level 1. The resort provides complimentary parking.