On our last day in Kuala Lumpur and we decided to while our time away in The Exchange TRX, one of the newest malls in Malaysia. We walked around for quite a bit to select a dinner venue and browsed through their menu offerings.
Was browsing through Tai Er‘s menu outside and the Sichuan dishes look really appetising. We previously tried their sauerkraut fish (酸菜鱼) at their Changi Jewel outlet when they first opened to much fanfare and that was the only dish we had as it was only the two of us. That was probably 2 to 3 years ago so it was a opportune time to revisit.
The restaurant was full but we managed to get a table within 10 minutes. We decided to skip the sauerkraut fish for the mala dishes. We ordered four dishes – century egg doused in chili oil, garlic prawn with glass noodles, la zi ji and mapo tofu.
First dish to arrive was the century egg in chili oil. The cucumbers was a refreshing contrast when paired with the spicy chili oil. However we felt that the century egg was of a subpar quality as the yolk was quite dry, it would be good if they can replace that with more gooey yolks.
The garlic prawn with glass noodles was loaded with garlic and it was filled with flavour and garlicky goodness. The prawns were succulent and had a nice bite to it.
The la zi ji came in bite size chicken pieces without skin and bones, stir fried with red and green chilis and Sichuan peppercorns. Wow, this was addictive and it was really next level. Combine the chicken pieces with the chilis and peppercorns in one bite to enjoy the spiciness and numbness. The chicken wasn’t dry and every piece was coated with the chili oil.
Mapo tofu is a dish that has gone international but it is difficult to find a good one. However we were in luck today as Tai Er’s mapo tofu turned out to be a standout dish. The small cubes of silken tofu were mostly intact, glistening in the sauce and coated with savoury, spicy and numbing sauce. Scoop it over your rice and you will be in mapo tofu heaven.
This meal at Tai Er was unexpectedly exceptional, probably we went in without much expectations. We weren’t blown away by its sauerkraut fish, but it was the la zi ji and mapo tofu that hit the spot for us.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
TAI ER 太二酸菜鱼 (The Exchange TRX)
Lot C.40, Level Concourse, The Exchange TRX, Persiaran TRX
Imbi, 55188 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Google Maps Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UDWg4CVw1Mv3uVhm7
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