Resort Seafood Restaurant at Genting Highlands – Delicious Chinese Delicacies!

July 12th, 2014 by Evan | Tagged in: Genting Highlands, Malaysia, Seafood

As I write this article, I’m reminiscing about the wonderful dinner I had at Resort Seafood restaurant in Resort Hotel, Genting Highlands. One moment I’m marveling “Omg, this spicy seafood soup is delicious!” The next I’m whisper-arguing with Raevian (there were other people at our table) over who should take the last succulent crab claw. Our dinner here was definitely one of the highlights of our Genting Highlands trip!

“Resort Seafood” is a newly open Chinese restaurant at Resort Hotel in Genting Highlands (Malaysia). It serves a wide variety of Chinese delicacies, with an emphasis on live seafood dishes. Previously, it was located at Theme Park Hotel and was known as Happy Valley Seafood Restaurant. However, Theme Park Hotel was demolished to make way for construction of the upcoming outdoor theme park (to be completed in 2016). As a result, the restaurant was relocated to Resort Hotel and renamed as “Resort Seafood”.

As we stand outside the restaurant to look at the menu, one waitress approaches us. “Hi two persons?” She smiles at us and asks. We are still browsing through the menu so we politely smile and shake our heads (typical passive Asians). “Ok sure let me know” she smiles and steps back a little. I love that. Even though she knows we may not be eating at the restaurant, she is still courteous to us.

Ambience
After a short while, we enter the restaurant and are led to a table in the centre. The restaurant exudes a zen-like ambience with its soothing colours and smooth surfaces, complete with wide-open spaces between the tables. The spacious interior and minimalistic design create a nice space for patrons to dine comfortably.

Sauna Live Prawns with Genting Pu-erh Tea (Market Price – the prawns for our dinner cost RM 13/ 100 gm)

Sauna Live Prawns with Genting Pu-erh Tea
Our first course for the night is Resort Seafood’s signature dish: Sauna Live Prawns with Genting Pu-erh Tea (火山石温拿虾). The fresh prawns are placed over hot Japanese lava rocks, doused with fragrant pu-erh tea and Chinese wine, then covered with a lid to simmer for a few minutes before serving. The volcano rocks cook food more evenly because of their large surface areas, as compared to direct flames which concentrate intense heat on small areas. I tap my foot impatiently as I wait for the prawns to be cooked. Finally, the lid is removed, and the small puff of steam that emerges says it all. The prawns are revealed amidst the dissipating mist and they look extremely tantalizing with their translucent orange shells. I start feasting on them immediately once they are served to the table. The prawns taste fresh and succulent, and I eat one after another in quick succession. The pu-erh tea and Chinese wine do not dominate the overall flavour but instead offer a delicate fragrant undertone.

Spicy Seafood Soup served in Steamboat Pot (RM 48.00)

Spicy Seafood Soup served in Steamboat Pot
Ok, so far I have been impressed. Good service, comfortable ambience, prawns cooked over hot lava rocks. Next, we taste another of Resort Seafood’s signature dish: Spicy Seafood Soup served in Steamboat Pot (泰式海鲜汤锅). After taking my first sip, I realize this is basically the Tom Yam soup that Singaporeans love, served with a rich variety of seafood! This feisty pot of soup has the perfect balance of spicy and sour flavours and tasted absolutely delicious. I help myself to two bowls of the soup.

Jade Perch (Live) Steamed with Chili Padi (RM 13/ 100gm)

Jade Perch (Live) Steamed with Chili Padi
I like my fish steamed. I believe this cooking method retains the flavour of the fish best. Therefore, we are happy to eat Resort Seafood’s Jade Perch (Live) Steamed with Chili Padi (指天椒蒸翡翠班). I use my spoon to scoop out a generous piece of the fish’s soft flesh, douse it with the savoury light soy sauce, and slowly savour it in my mouth. The smooth and soft texture of the fish feels wonderful in my mouth. The chili padis are not overly spicy and provide a delicate feisty touch. I turn to Raevian and exclaim “Wow, this is really nice!”. The fish is kept live in the restaurant’s tanks, so it’s the next best thing to fishing it out of the water. A very light and refreshing dish, highly recommended!

Crispy Smoked Duck (RM 60.00, Medium)

Crispy Smoked Duck
It doesn’t have to be made of pork to be called bacon. Case in point, the Crispy Smoked Duck (脆皮烟鸭) at Resort Seafood. Personally, I am not a big fan of duck meat. I prefer chicken or pork, which seems softer and more palatable. However, when I take a bite of the smoked duck, I realize this is actually duck bacon and I am hooked. There are three layers of goodness: the duck skin, the thin later of fat beneath, and the thick meaty part. These three layers combine to give the bacon a savoury and fragrant taste. This is definitely one of my favourite dishes for the night.

Four Seasons Vegetables (RM 33.00, Medium)

Four Seasons Vegetables
It is important to have our greens too. Our veggy dish for the night is the simple but delectable Four Seasons Vegetables (四大天皇). It is composed of four types of vegetables: Lady Fingers, Petai (Stinky beans), Chinese Long Beans, and Brinjal (Eggplant). The vegetables come together seamlessly to give a delicious and healthy dish. I especially enjoy the petai but according to Raevian it has a peculiar smell and she asks me not to talk to her for a while. I guess there is a good reason why they are also known as “stinky beans”.

Claypot Live Crab with Glass Noodles (RM 12/ 100gm)

Claypot Live Crab with Glass Noodles
Raevian and I are huge fan of crabs, and we like eating glass noodles as well. Therefore, we are pleasantly surprised that Resort Seafood offers this combination with its signature Claypot Live Crab with Glass Noodles (冬粉螃蟹煲 ). The crabs used are live orange mud crabs kept in the restaurant’s tanks and they look really appealing with their bright orange shells. I go straight for my favourite part: the crab claw. The chef has helped to crack the shells so I can conveniently peel them off to expose the large chunks of tantalizing white meat beneath. The crab meat tastes fresh and succulent, and I finish my crab claw in about thirty seconds. Simply heavenly! Next, I help myself to the glass noodles which are soaked with the flavour of the savoury broth and compliment the crabs nicely.

Mango Pudding (RM 9.00)

Almond Pudding (RM 9.00)

Desserts
All good things have to come to an end. We end our sumptuous dinner at Resort Seafood with the Mango Pudding (芒果布丁) and Almond Pudding (杏仁果冻). The puddings have a really soft texture and are doused in ice-cream sauce (yummy!). What I like about the almond pudding is that the almond flavour does not dominate but instead offers a delicate fragrance. Combined with the sweet ice-cream sauce, the puddings make for sinful and satisfying desserts. Perfect way to end the dinner.

Conclusion: Comfortable Ambience, Good Service, Delicious and Fresh Seafood!
Our dinner experience here was surreal. All the dishes we tried were delicious, and we can’t wait to go back to Genting Highlands and patronize the restaurant again. If you are fan of seafood, you will love this place. The seafood here is extremely fresh because they are reared live in large water tanks within the restaurant. With its spacious interior and comfortable ambience, Resort Seafood is the perfect place for a family dinner, the place for a gathering with friends, the place for a homely dinner with your loved one – the place to go when you want to enjoy delicious seafood dishes with your favourite people. The next time you are in Genting Highlands, be sure to check out the wonderful Resort Seafood restaurant at Resort Hotel!