The Bunga Raya at Lake Club

In conjunction with my grandmother’s 76^th birthday, the entire family had a grand Chinese dinner at the Bunga Raya. Bunga Raya is a halal restaurant at the Royal Lake Club, known for their Chinese cuisine. Do bear in mind however, that only members of the club are allowed to eat there, so it is not possible for anyone, to stroll into the restaurant and order your food.


Everyone who eats there is greeted with peanuts, steamed in a sweet sauce until they become soft. These peanuts had a consistency similar to that of baked beans – though not as saucy. They had a sweetish tinge to them and were quite addictive, despite the fact that they would have tasted even better if served warm.


Our first course was the ‘Four Seasons’, consisting of sautéed seafood, capsicum and onions in a curry-based sauce; sweet and sour fish; tofu strips topped with mayonnaise; and fish cake coated with a batter and deep-fried, stuffed with crab sticks, spinach and seaweed.

The seafood was a bit overcooked and not large in quantity whilst the prawns were not de-veined, but the curry sauce tasted nice – not too overwhelming. The tofu strips were nice and crispy and the mayonnaise complemented it well. The fish-cakes were good, with a crispy outer layer and subtle flavour of the vegetables which were stuffed inside (though, the crab-sticks seemed a cheap addition to the dish).


Our next course was Chinese Broccoli stir-fried with oyster sauce and topped with dried shallots. The Chinese broccoli tasted crisp and fresh; however the lack of sauce made it taste rather dry and a little bitter for my liking.


We then had the roast chicken served with fish crackers on the side. Some parts of the chicken meat were a bit dry and tasteless. This contrasted with the skin which was amazingly flavourful and crisp. When eaten together the two tasted nice, however there was a lack of skin compared to the meat. The crackers were soft and old - nothing to look forward to.


We were then given steamed fish as our next course. This was probably the best dish of the night, with the sauce and fish in the right amounts. The sauce did not override the taste of the fish but was sufficient enough to bring out its natural sweetness. The fish was succulent and the spring onions and coriander added a fresh taste to it.


Our second last dish was tofu in simmering sauce, served in a clay pot with seafood and vegetables. Prawns were not an ideal addition to the dish as it tasted old and overcooked. Furthermore, the pieces of tofu were large and few (which meant not everyone could have a piece – including myself). The sauce tasted average, though nothing to be excited about.


The fried rice was well cooked, but a bit on the dry side. The one thing I liked about it was that they were rather generous with the contents, which meant that it was not just a plate of rice. The disappointing bit was that the contents seemed to be of low quality. On the whole, the bill came up to around RM310. The Bunga Raya is average but has been dropping in quality. If you are a member, I suggest you try the place for curiosity’s sake, but don’t bother visiting again. If you are in the mood for Chinese cuisine, there are plenty of better (and cheaper) places to eat in Kuala Lumpur.


Presentation: 4/10

Ambiance: 5/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 4/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic