I remember there was a point in time, a few years ago, when steamboats were a big hit in Klang Valley. Steamboat restaurants mushroomed with various concepts - buffet, grilled chicken wings,various soups or based including porridge even! - and I found myself having steamboat quite frequently with family or friends. Since the trend faded, there hasn't been much innovation to the steamboat scene - or that's what I thought until I heard about Yezi.


If you are familiar with the Chinese pinyin, Yezi, as the name of the restaurant suggests, refers to "coconut". Inspired by a famous restaurant in Shenzhen, China, Yezi takes pride in its signature broth, The Original Yezi Broth that is made up for coconut water and water chestnut to give you a taste of clear, fresh, and natural sweetness.

I had the opportunity to try this unique taste and was accompanied by Sean that night. Comments by Sean are bolded.



If you like - add on organic kampung chicken into the broth.

Besides The Original Yezi Broth, patrons can also try out the other 4 types of broth offered here including: Imperial Canton Broth (Fragrant, hearty goodness with aromatic sweetness cabbage and bacon); Aromatic Taiwanese Beef Spice Broth (Robust and fragrant with plethora of mixed spices); Fragrant "Shao Xing" Wine Seafood Broth (Aromatic bouquet of rice wine with delectable ocean palette); Wild Forest Truffle Mushroom Broth (Vegetarian broth with strong flavours and a bouquet of truffles) at additional costs.

 Sean: When we talk about steamboat, it is the broth that makes all the difference. Used to the usual tomyam, chicken, herbal, and whatever broths you can find anywhere, this unique coconut concoction proved to be a refreshing new taste in town.



Another Yezi specialty is the Yezi Special Homemade Dipping Sauce. Three ingredients - lime, chilli padi, chopped sand ginger and garlic - mixed together in the homemade soy sauce give you the extra oomph to your steamboat experience.



Yezi Special Homemade Dipping Sauce



For the appetizer. I got to try the fried mushroom, which were really tasty. 



Century Eggs with Ginger. I'm not really a century egg fan but I the century eggs were really creamy and it goes well with the ginger. 





Clockwise from top left: tiger prawns, Australian lamb, mushrooms, coconut dumplings, fish noodles, prawn paste, black truffle balls, lobster salad ball, beef ball, chicken mushroom ball.



Perhaps one of the most fascinating things I've seen here is finding a syringe inside a restaurant. What are the odds? And a bamboo beside it. How does it work? Confused? Look below:







The syringe works. 





The cut for pork neck meat was great but I find that the Australian lamb was a little thicker. Although it took a little longer to cook the lamb, it was surprisingly good and easy to eat. 



Getting the prawn paste into the pot of goodness.
Sean: There was prawn paste that comes in bamboo/sugarcane box? which was really cool. I suppose the paste absorbs the sweetness from the thing, which in turns lends a fragrance to it.


One of my favourites for the night. The black truffle balls.



Another favourite. The lobster salad ball explodes in goodness.



Minced pork with coconut dumpling. 

The coconut gives a kind of sweetness that complements with the pork. Admittedly, some may not fancy the combination. 

Sean: If there is something bad about Ye Zi, is that the coconut dumpling is really rich. So rich that it cloyed the appetite. I don't know how to put this into words but it's like a Justin Bieber song, catchy at the first bite, but you want no more subsequently. 



Tiger prawns





Really, really fresh tiger prawns. You can taste the sweetness of the prawn right away as you eat it like this without dipping any sauce.






If you're the type of person who cannot survive two days without having rice, here's a good news. Yezi is offering fried rice in its supper menu. And take a look at the juicy prawns!



Yezi is strategically located at the heart of Bandar Utama, at The Roof, First Avenue. This means that you can find yourself enjoying steamboat and nightview at the same time. Fear not, if you are afraid of sweating outside, stay cool indoors and go out to take pictures after you enjoyed your dinner.








One thing I noticed and loved about Yezi is that they have various types of seating - rounded tables, long tables and smaller tables that gives you enough privacy to enjoy your steamboat. Also, I love it that we won't sweat while having steamboat here because the place has got good air ventilation and strong air-conditioning.





End your night with an excellent dessert - the homemade coconut ice cream. I like the texture - smooth and natural. Some may argue that it may be too sweet but I like it just the way it is but perhaps I could be wrong because I have a sweet tooth.

Overall, Yezi offers a premium steamboat experience with its specialty menu. The coconut broth is definitely one of its kind. I was able to taste each ingredient and its flavour without the interference from the coconut broth but at the same time, the sweetness from the soup complements its original taste. Price is a little steep here but I guess you're paying for not just food but ambiance as well.

Rating:
Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 5.5/10
Atmosphere: 9/10

Yezi
The Roof, First Avenue, Bandar Utama,
47800 Petaling Jaya
FB: Yezi
Call: 012 323 5841