Dim Sum Breakfast @ Jin Xuan Hong Kong, Petaling Jaya

If you are a fan of dim sum, and you live in the Klang Valley, chances are you may have eaten here before. But if not, let me introduce to you a fine establishment that has been a staple checkpoint for many dim sum lovers.

Front of the house

Jin Xuan Hong Kong serves up authentic Hong Kong style dim sum morsels and its branch in PJ is one of the more popular ones. So popular in fact that if you arrive a bit too late, you would have to wait in line for a table. However, if in the event the weather is good, or rather you cannot be asked to wait for a table, the restaurant already has some table propped up by the outer side of the restaurant. II personally recommend (if you have the time of course) to wait inside as it will be easier to prompt the waiting staff and to get hot water, if you need to refill your tea pot. 

A crowded dining area. Note this is just one of three dining areas!

The premise here is very simple. Like most dim sum places, there will be staff carrying around dishes and you can just pick them up off the tray. If you have a special request, you can call for a waiting staff to get something for you. Need to get something that is only available on the menu? No problem, just press the buzzer and someone will attend to you in no time. Hence, a good reason to have you meal inside the premises instead.

Look how it glistens...

The first dishes that came to us were not dim sum, but rather Marmite spare ribs. You can judge me all you want, but you have not lived until you had ribs for breakfast. Succulent and juicy, it was a great set of ribs. But a good meal is not built on ribs alone. Although I will be very happy if I just have the ribs with a bowl of rice. A great start.

Let the much begin!

Next on the agenda were the baked and fried goodies. And there is a wide array to choose from. From seafood to pastries, you can be spoil for choice. As such, we just took what came to our sights first. It was yam spring rolls.

Deceptively good

It is a bit peculiar as it is fried spring rolls stuffed with mashed taro and flavoured with pork fat. A combo if sweet and salty, along with different textures of crunchy and mushy. The sliced almonds provided another dimension of texture and gave it an edge in the crunchiness. A clash of styles. Still, something that I can easily recommend.

My father's personal favourite.

My father's favourite in any dim sum spot is the yam cake. Stuffed with meat and a sweet sauce, the balls of yam were deep fried to give it a golden and crunchy exterior. The meat was flaky and melts in your mouth. Great texture and great aromas. My personal favourite was the daikon cake, or white carrot cake for most of us out there. Well fried with crispy edges, it has a slightly gummy texture but still has good bite and a well balanced flavour profile. I can have this for days and probably not get bored. With a little chilli sauce and it was fantastic.

The main player.

Of course the dumplings came not long after and the usual siew mai and har gao prawn dumplings  followed suit. The siew mai is the backbone of any dim sum outlet and it was good. Balanced seasoning and encased with a chewy wrapper, this is another dish that is worth ordering. The pork filling was juicy and full of flavour. Yet, I preferred the prawn dumplings more as it was loaded with prawns.

My personal favourite for the morning. 

 Each dumpling felt like it just hit the ocean, with around 3 or 4 full prawns in each dumpling. The translucent skin of the dumpling was treated with care and pleated properly. The technical requirement of a har gao is usually misjudged or over looked, but technique is just as important as the ingredients.  

Hey pretty lady, ready for your close up? 

A skin too thick? it will then be a chore to eat. A skin too thin? Then the prawns may overcook or the dumpling just falls apart. A tricky meddle ground needs to be obtained. And it was found in this bamboo case right here. 

Look at the size difference!

The paos came soon after. We ordered the house specialty dai pao, or the big steamed bun for the uninitiated and some lou sar pao, which is the salted egg custard buns.  And the difference is more than just their ingredients. The dai pao really lived up to its name as it was a behemoth to begin with! It is so big, that I believe having one will fill you up already. And it was so big in fact that a pair of scissors was needed to cut into it so we can actually eat that monstrosity. 

Loaded is an understatement. 

And once the incisions were made, the juices in the bun just flows out like a river. Loaded with chicken, cured chinese sausages and mushrooms, it was filled with ingredients and provided a different array of flavours and texture. Flavour-wise, it was akin to a lou mai kai. However, the outer pao skin provided a cake-like experience. 

The size of this badboy should not be understated also. 

The custard steamed bun is not to be trifled with also and is no second place. The bun was fluffy and smooth. And the size is also something worth noting. It is not as big as the chicken filled giant that was the dai bao, but it was the same size as my palm. A generous portion, seeing that salted egg is not a cheap ingredient. 

Golden lava

How about its flavour? The custard was sweet and salty, with that slightly grainy texture due to the nature of a salted egg. And the golden custard just flows out like lava. Salted caramel it is not, but its more superior cousin. Awesome.

Flaky and tasty. 

The sweets do not just end there, as the egg tarts are just as delectable. With a croissant like crust, it has a good mix of flaky and chewy all together. The custard filling was like tofu, with a silky and slightly gelatinous texture. If the lou sar pao was not enough to satiate your sweet tooth, this follow up will take the cake. 

The finishing blow. 

However, as we were about to wrap things up, another tempting morsel crossed over to our table, which was pot stickers. Flavourful and crispy, a sweet finish it was not. It was a good exclamation point to our breakfast nonetheless. 

More buns into the steamer. A testament on how fresh the food here is. 

Overall, Jin Xuan provides a great experience and at a reasonable price. The food is prepared fresh and everything just seem to taste just right. The steamed items are not overcooked, which is a usual pet peeve for me for dim sum shops. And the fried morsels are well cooked and not soaked in oil. 

If you need to wait for a bit, why not plan your meal by checking out the menu placed outside? 

How about the price? Dim sum dishes are at a price range of RM5 to RM7, with specialty dishes like the ribs racking up a more meaty price tag of RM13. It is because it is so fresh and reasonably priced, it is no wonder that this place is a popular eating spot. The staff members are patient and attentive as well. If mornings are not your thing and you feel like having dim sum during other parts of the day, no worries as Jin Xuan opens till 11 pm. 

There are other branches elsewhere like Puchong. So if you would like to try Jin Xuan out, maybe do a Google search to find a branch closer to you. If you are in the PJ area however, do drop by and have a blast. It is easily spotted and located near the Atria shopping mall. The specific address is as follows:

 59, 61 & 63, Jalan SS 22/19, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor