We had a lovely stay at the Renaissance Johor Bahru, which is a fairly new five-star hotel popular with both business guests and families (see pics of the rooms and facilities here). One of the bonuses of staying there is having a fine-dining Chinese restaurant right on site. Wan Li serves Cantonese with modern touches and isn't afraid to borrow ingredients from other cuisines to give dishes a lift beyond the usual renditions.
The kitchen has been inspected and the food deemed suitable for Muslim consumption. They just can't have a halal license because they carry liquor. "Lots of Muslims actually like Chinese food," the restaurant told us.
We tried the Dong Zhi Set Menu RM188++ (min two pax). That's about S$73 per pax.
Wan Li Dong Zhi special dual combination
This is a tasty appetiser of soft shell crab with floss; mixed veg tempura dusted with shichimi seasoning. The tempura is light and not greasy at all. Good temperature control, obviously.
Miso broth with Shredded Squid, Sliced Fresh Abalone, Crab Meat, Tomato and Egg White
This is a hearty portion, and a fairly luxurious soup with abalone and crab meat pieces. The touch of miso gives it interesting character.
Prawn in Two Varieties
Wasabi prawn and cereal prawn - what's not to like?
Oven Baked Cod with Honey Sauce and Fresh Salad
Oh this was simply amazing. Beautiful rich cod drenched in a mouth-watering honey soy sauce, topped with garlic and scallions. The texture was just right - tender and delicate. It just melts in your mouth.
Stir Fried Italian Noodles with Seafood - Kong Po Style
We really liked this one as well. The subtle tomato in the sauce made it sweetly comforting. I want to do kung pao pasta at home now...
Handmade Tang Yuen in "Gula Melaka" Ginger Syrup
Chef Signature Golden Glutinous Rice Balls
It being the Dong Zhi (Winter Solstice) menu, you can't run away from having "tang yuan" or glutinous rice balls in soup. The chefs also did a deep-fried version with matcha, chocolate and red bean fillings.
Wan Li is also famous for their Mango Peking Duck. We tried this on our previous visit, and the mango slices added to the pancakes did go well with the duck.
WAN LI
Ground floor of Renaissance Johor Bahru
No. 2, Jalan Permas 11,
Bandar Baru Permas Jaya,
81750 Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Tel: +60 7-381 3333
Reservations recommended!
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