Situated in Bangsar Shopping Centre and the first of its kind, RUYI & LYN opened its doors in June this year and excites guests with a hybrid entertainment hub, consisting of a speakeasy, restaurant, lounge and bar. With a rather bold concept, RUYI & LYN’s extensive space is seemingly accessible by only one escalator and features modern Chinese elegant décor.
Upon entering the venue, the indulgent playground begins at the lounge which resonates a cosy living room. Dig deeper and you’ll find a cigar speakeasy hidden away at an obscure corner, and a wine cellar. To access the restaurant, guests have to walk down a grand red carpet through automated sliding doors that reveal a vast dining space with a stylish interior.
The multi-faceted dining area, which is equipped with a DJ console and LCD screen, is turned into a club dancefloor after 11pm on certain days, whereby guests are entertained by a live DJ. Those who prefer a little bit more privacy can also reserve VIP tables or the private room concealed with one way glass panels, both located at the upper loft above the dining area.
Entertainment aspects aside, RUYI & LYN serves up contemporary pork-free pan-Asian cuisine that is thoughtfully curated by Chef James Ho, who has worked with several award-winning restaurants throughout Southeast Asia. RUYI & LYN has created quite a buzz on social media over its sumptuous and Instagram-worthy signature dishes, and we recently visited the new business for our own taste test.
Ruyi’s Sushi (RM43) – You’ve probably seen this exquisite platter all over social media. This platter consists of six sushi-sized local flavours including Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Mango Sticky Rice. Each bite of the sushi tastes similar to the original dishes and we were impressed with the intricacy of each sushi. The Hainanese Chicken Rice sushi came with Hainanese rice and the chilli plus ginger sauce, whereas the Nasi Lemak sushi had coconut rice, egg, peanuts, ikan bilis and sambal. We liked both the savoury sushi, but we had hoped for more intense flavours and spicier sambal. We thoroughly enjoyed the Mango Sticky Rice sushi, which was topped off with fragrant coconut milk.
Cupid’s Cigarillos (RM43) – These crispy fried spring rolls were generously filled with a creamy crabmeat and shiitake mushroom stuffing that was absolutely appetising and delightful to enjoy. Even with the rich filling, the crackly skin did not turn soggy. However, for the price, we really did expect a bigger portion of spring rolls.
Champagne Snow Fish Flower (RM148) – We were in awe of the presentation of this dish as it was just too pretty to be consumed. The deep fried snow fish, also known as sablefish or black cod, was soft and flaky, but tasted a little bland on its own. Having said that, the slightly sweet and tangy Moet champagne sauce complemented the fish very well. We reckon the sauce would pair amazingly well with any sort of seafood too.
Eagle’s Nest (RM43) – The ideal pairing with some ice cold beer or cocktails over a casual get together, these crispy fried white baits were absolutely delicious and addictive. Instead of having them plain like we’re used to, RUYI & LYN’s white bait dish is dressed with a zesty yuzu sauce that really elevated the taste of the fried white baits.
Smoked Little Duck Cones (RM33) – Encased in a crispy filo pastry is a potpourri of smoked duck meat, sweet corn, pine nuts and edamame. This was a great dish and we enjoyed the different textures that blended together in our mouths with every bite. Even with a myriad of ingredients, the smokiness of the duck meat really stood out.
R.F.C (RM58) – RUYI & LYN’s version of fried chicken was a savoury and flavoursome delight. The almond crusted fried chicken is laced with prawn paste for a strong and pungent taste, but the flavours are well balanced with the plum-chilli sauce which was slightly piquant.
Chef’s Ebiko Fried Rice (RM43) – Generously loaded with seafood and topped off with fish roe, this is one of the better tasting fried rice dishes we’ve tried. Even though we liked the peculiar mishmash of fish roe with the fried rice, it wasn’t mind-blowing considering the extravagant price for such a simple dish we can easily whip up at home.
Happy Ending (RM26) – Even though the serving is pretty small, we enjoyed every bit of this pistachio crème brulee. The dessert wasn’t sickly sweet, the tangy berries balanced out the decadent flavours, and it was really the perfect ending to our meal.
Evil Queen’s Apple (RM26) – On a bed of fluffy crepe, slices of apple are laced with caramel and topped off with a dollop of cream plus strawberries. This dessert was mediocre, and the sweetened apples made the crepe a little soggy. Taste wise, it was nothing worth shouting about.
From savoury appetisers to succulent meat dishes coupled with desserts in funky names, the creative and photogenic plating of RUYI & LYN’s dishes inevitably make their way to your social media platforms. However, is the food really worth the hype? We think that the dishes are mostly a hit-or-miss. Some of them were no doubt delicious, but then there were those that didn’t quite live up to our expectations.
RUYI & LYN is definitely a sophisticated and trendy playground to hang out at. Even though some of the food we sampled didn’t quite blow our socks off, we’d surely return to try out their other offerings, and perhaps sip on some of their cocktails, which we’ve heard great things about so far. Still, RUYI & LYN is definitely worth a visit because of its top notch and classy setting.
4th floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre,
5900, Kuala Lumpur.
RUYI & LYN is open Monday to Sunday, with the lounge open from 12.00pm to 2.00am. All Day Tapas are available at the lounge from 12:00pm onwards on Sundays to Wednesdays, and from 12:00pm onwards on Thursdays to Saturdays. The restaurant opens for lunch from 12:00pm to 3:00pm, and reopens for dinner from 6:00pm to 2:00am.
To make reservations, kindly call 03–2083 0288.
