Vegetarian Flavors & Cuisines @ Yishensu, 1 Utama
Recently, a few food bloggers and I were given a warm welcome into Yishensu Restaurant located in 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya. This restaurant with an inviting and pleasant ambiance serves many choices of wholesome and hearty vegetarian dishes, noodles and sweets. It is very popular with shoppers and also the residence living around the area.
Our meal makes up of several flavorful vegetarian dishes with taste ranging sweet, sour and spicy. Yishensu introduces the above Four Season Platter with a combination of Shark Fin Egg, Golden Prawn Mayo, Cuttlefish with Satay Sauce and Boneless Vege Spare Ribs with cola flavor (in the pineapple). The end result is a dish with four different textures and flavor. It was very delicious with all the right spices and ingredients in it and it’s unbelievable that they are actually vegetarian.
Very crispy & fresh prawns with mayo
Cuttlefish with satay sauce
Shark Fin Egg
Moving on to the meal beverage that I had. It was a glass of chilled Roselle Flower juice, definitely a nice intro of this refreshing thirst quencher by Yishensu and they did it with the correct sweetness. This is my first time tasting this juice and surprisingly I find the flavor very pleasant.
Unique & beautiful Rosella
The second dish was stir fired Mixed Vege with accompanying lotus roots, macadamia nuts and cashew nuts. This dish @RM18 has a right balance of colors and flavors. The added water chestnut also gives texture and sweetness to this dish.
Tofu being a staple item in vegetarian cooking is the main ingredient in this Emperor Tofu dish @RM16. Its steam with minced meat topped with Fatt Choy (hair moss) and decorated with Siew Pak Choy. The tofu was fresh with smooth texture and comes with a very flavorful gravy.
All of us gave their two thumbs-up for this plate of Dried Curry Fish @RM22, comprising tau-pok, lady fingers and brinjal, garnished with mint leaves. It was not as spicy but equally flavorful compare to its regular counterpart.
I really enjoyed this healthy and delicious Stir fried bean sprout. This real simple dish is cooked in the simplest stir-fried method with assorted mushroom, corn and carrots and capsicum.
Besides the above dish that comes with a substantial amount of different vegetable, this particular dish of Teriyaki Duck RM16 comes with steam Mantou. The meat was tasty, with the chef’s recreation of the duck meat perfectly authentic.
Vegetarian food is constantly evolving and Yishensu has this popular non-Chinese dish of Chicken Chop @ RM20. It has a similar appearance and color of the Western dish. The meat has a taste and texture that is very close to the real thing and comes in a big serving.
In Yishensu, Char Kuey Teow with mushroom and bean sprout tasted good even without the usual pieces of lard. The red hot sambal provided the spiciness to this noodle. Some of us even agreed that it is even more pungent.
Yishensu also whipped up some rice dishes. We had the Nasi Lemak and the Pineapple Fried Rice. The fried rice was done with high heat and has good wok hei. The natural tangy sweet taste of the pineapple enhances the flavor of this dish.
The Nasi Lemak @RM9 on the other hand has all the usual condiments of kacang, ikan bilis, half boiled egg and sambal. Do expect the rice and the Mutton Curry to be less lemak as this is a vegetarian version. A healthier option for some, without compromise of taste?
Pineapple Fried Rice
Nasi Lemak with Mutton Curry
The final dish for the night was the Vege Claypot Chicken Rice @RM15. This popular one meal dish is cooked with chicken and mushroom and garnished with plenty of celery leaves. The rice was properly done with each grain firm and easily separated from each other. The overall taste was slightly bland for me and I would prefer the rice to have a stronger flavor and a little bit of overcooked smell.
The meal ended with bowls of Pumpkin & Sweet Corn and Sea Coconut @RM4.80. I personally opted for the Sea Coconut which comes with red dates, white fungus and the right amount of sweetness. The fungus gives some texture to this delicious and nourishing dessert.
Creamy Pumpkin & Sweet Corn
Nourishing Sea Coconut
All of us enjoyed the dishes that were well prepared by the chef with the taste and look that are very similar to the original dish. Many thanks to proprietor Catherine and Jason Wong for hosting us and Ken Chan for the invite.
Yishensu has a few other outlets in different locations all over the Peninsula with its first restaurant opened way back in 1987 in Kampar, Perak. More information on their outlets and their menu can be viewed at their website.
Yishensu – A Vegetarian Connoisseur (1 Utama)
1 Utama Shopping Mall (Old Wing)
Lot G207 (Ground Floor)
No 1, Lebuh Bandar Utama
48700 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Telephone : 03 77294313