193. Genting Highlands - Ming Ren

The Chinese decorations with coloured glass vases lined the entrance of the entrance. I was welcomed by the friendly manager. It was bright inside but it gave a warm feeling. It was like dining in an arts museum.

A Chinese restaurant with an unusual twist, Ming Ren offers a dynamic fusion of Cantonese culinary methods with Xinjiang’s traditional seasonings. It brought me back to the days I resided in Shanghai. The long cold winter days.....

It's not hard to find Xinjiang cuisine in Shanghai. The representative ingredient of the Xinjiang cuisine is none other than lamb meat. Very common seen on the streets of Shanghai is the lamb skewer. See not the appearance but the bite that tells you everything. Ming Ren is renowned for its lamb dishes and of course, half the menu consists of lamb meat. How good is it....the bite tells everything.....

Roasted peanuts was served with a lash of black vinegar. I didn't know it could be done this way. It was nice!

Yi Xian Tian @RM12 (SGD4.80)

Missus, cuppa hot tea please. It was wet and misty. In fact, it was raining. A type of rain that was so light that you can hardly see with naked eyes but in no less than 10 minutes, it got you wet. The outdoor temperature fall to a low 20 degrees. I bought the ticket to the theme park but was unfortunately barred from the rides as they were closed. So, this made time for lunch @Ming Ren.

Despite being a tea-lover, I have no idea what yi xian tian was. It was a floral tea. I was curious when the waitress told me that the flower will bloom when the water boils. Unbothered by the taste, I gave the nod.

It appeared on a candle warmer. As time progresses, the dark greenish flower which I thought was ugly blossomed; an extension strand of yellow floral stem. The water turned golden yellow in colour. The tea has a nice fragrance even though its flower is ugly. Inner beauty counts, huh? Like camomile but a tad lighter in taste. A very relaxing tea.....

Beancurd with mushrooms @RM14 (SGD 5.60)

This is one of their signature beancurd dishes. Said to braised with their secret sauce. It looked simple but it was hook-inducing! Must try! No doubt, credit goes to the sauce. It was with a hint of sweetness. It was a dish that could make one eat it with a few bowls of plain rice.

Yam and Papaya soup @RM14 (SGD 5.60)

It was a soothing soup which I felt was good for constipation and complexion. Consisted of vegetables and papaya fruit, it's a ladies soup!

Lamb cooked in 3 styles @RM62 (SGD24.80)

The waitress recommended this lamb dish cooked in 3 different ways. Fried lamb meat, lamb meat stew and stir-fried lamb meat. I loved the fried lamb meat the most. Marinated with spices and herbs, I felt it was a more authentic way to represent the Xinjiang style.

Dipping sauce was black vinegar with chili oil and chopped spring onions. The sour vinegar coupled with the fried lamb meat was a thumbs up. A small flaw was the lamb meat was a little dry. No fats. Slaughter the lamb in winter with the fats! Never mind me with the psychotic thought. A lighter version would be the stir-fried lamb meat with a handful of onions. Onions to get rid off the lamb stench. I thought it was rather plain.

Noodles in lamb soup @RM20.70 (SGD8.30)

Flat noodles, not the egg noodles type. Cooked in a soup base which I felt was like the soy bean. Appearance does looked like so. It was rather plain, not so well-flavoured. Chili powder and some spices such as cumin and fennel, the 2 most commonly used spice in Xinjiang cuisine was served to flavour our noodles.

Ice-cream @RM11.50

I felt it was rather cool to find ice-cream on their menu and the waitress told me something which made my jaws dropped. This ice-cream you are seeing above was made with lamb meat and pistachio ice-cream. COOL! Intrigued by the taste, it's a YES, please give me 1 plate.

It was quite unique. Sweet. Frankly speaking, I couldn't taste of any lamb meat or even the stench. However, the ice-cream had a coarse texture. It was like eating the moist and chilled version of the soft nougat. Topped with the toasted melon seeds and mango puree at the base, it was overall a new encounter.

Ginseng Aloe Vera Jelly @RM9.20 (SGD3.70)

It was the BEST! Must-try! It was like eating jelly with bird nest drink. Very soothing. The ginseng didn't make the dessert bitter. It's also so CHEAP! Where else can I get a dessert at this price and taste.

Overall bill was RM143.40 for 2 pax. The prices stated above were inclusive of taxes. Overall, I felt the food were above average. Other than the lamb dishes which were higher priced, the rest were pretty cheap. Service was very good. Waiters and waitresses poured our tea cups and refilled it when it was neared the bottom.