THE original Hotel Equatorial opened in 1973 and gained a solid reputation as a premier five-star property. In its day, the Equatorial also attained an enviable position as a leader in gastronomy with Golden Phoenix, regarded as one of the city's leading Chinese restaurants.
Hotel Equatorial closed in 2012 for an impressive redevelopment, and reopened in 2019. The new EQ is a magnificent 52-storey tower that now adds colour to the city's skyline.
Sadly, two of the Hotel's Equatorial restaurants didn't reappear when the reimaged hotel opened. However, Chalet and Golden Phoenix occasionally resurface as pop-up restaurants.
Golden Phoenix now reappears until Feb 4 and many older residents have already made early reservations to secure their table so they can introduce their younger family members to many dishes that have universal appeal. Since its inception in 1974, Golden Phoenix has long held a reputation for culinary excellence.
As it has become tradition at EQ Kuala Lumpur, the lunar New Year, will see the revival of the Golden Phoenix. It is planned that each year, EQ will bring back the legacy of Golden Phoenix with dishes sourced from its archives and directly from Chef Choy Sin Sang, who cooked in the restaurant for 25 years and is still regularly consulted.
Chef Choy joined the Equatorial in 1973, and he still generously contributes to ensure the Golden Phoenix memory is preserved and introduced to younger diners.
The 'Rich Fortune Set' (RM188+/person and only available for lunch) includes - smoked salmon yee sang, braised lobster soup with sea cucumber, dried scallops and mushrooms, braised sun-dried oyster with abalone, sea moss, flower mushroom and broccoli, steamed giant grouper fish with marmalade sauce and glass noodles, sakura prawn fried rice with smoked duck, taro and asparagus, and an artistic assortment of Chinese pastries such as rice cake and baked peony lotus seed paste.
PROPERITY TOSS
Yee sang, the hallmark of Chinese New Year festivities in Malaysia, is served with many variations at Golden Phoenix. The most extravagant versions (serving between four and six diners) are the abalone yee sang with fish roe (RM188+), and Hokkaido scallop with fish roe (RM188+).
Other options include crispy whitebait and fish skin (RM118+), smoked salmon with soft shell crab (RM168+), and Korean snow pear (RM108+). Fussy diners can opt for extras like crispy fritters (RM8+), jellyfish (RM28+), crispy fish skin (RM38+), salmon (RM58+), whitebait (RM78+) and soft-shelled crab (RM68+).
FROM THE MENU
Diners can also choose from an à la carte menu with dishes like roast duck served two ways - sliced crispy duck skin, wrapped in crêpes, with cucumber, spring onions and sweet bean sauce, or sautéed with spring onions and ginger.
Boneless chicken with sliced abalone, mushrooms and baby kalian (RM148+) and traditional roasted chicken with fragrant onion sauce (from RM68+) are two of the most flavoursome poultry offerings.
For a dessert with a lunar New Year twist, we recommend the chilled sweetened rainbow pearls with panna cotta and avocado cream (RM18+).
Relive a golden era of Kuala Lumpur gastronomy this lunar New Year at Golden Phoenix.
FAST FACTS
Golden Phoenix (pop-up)
EQ, Equatorial Plaza
Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur
WEBSITE www.eqkualalumpur.equatorial.com
TEL 03 2789-7777
HOURS Times and days vary, so check with the hotel. However, expect lunch (noon to 3pm, daily until Feb 4) and dinner (6pm to 11pm, Jan 16 to Feb 4).