With over 35 years of service, Meisan Szechuan Restaurant is still the go-to place for Sichuan cuisine in JB
JOHOR BARU, Oct 24 — The platter is brought to our table already deconstructed.
No whole bird to wow an audience with poultry phobia; instead we have squares and shards of crispy duck skin. Sticks of pale cucumber; nests of green and white scallion; a bowl of thick, sweet plum sauce; a stack of soft, unevenly shaped crêpes.
We are enjoying Peking duck at Meisan Szechuan Restaurant in Johor Baru. Our server proceeds to roll up the Peking duck — crispy skin inside soft crêpes, scallions and cucumber, a flick of sauce.
Our friends tell us that they have not been back to Meisan since the venerable restaurant shuttered in its original location at Hotel Mutiara Johor Baru, which closed down some years prior.
But even with the vagaries of the post-pandemic economy, nothing can keep a good place down for long. Certainly not a JB stalwart with over 35 years of service and legions of long-time customers.
So when our friends heard that Meisan had reopened at the Berjaya Waterfront Hotel, they knew they only needed the right occasion to return to the rejuvenated restaurant. Visiting friends is the perfect excuse.
Which is how we find ourselves here, after navigating the spacious and quiet hotel lobby; the restaurant is one gleaming beacon in its otherwise dimly lit interior.
Rolled up Peking duck – crispy skin inside soft crêpes.
Red lanterns with golden tassels hanging from the ceiling. China bowls and gold ingots. The requisite red carpet, to soften any boisterous padding, and lemon yellow upholstery for the chairs, to match the tablecloths.
What you will be greeted with upon entering Meisan is ornate décor fit for a golden banquet. Which is the point, really, given the vast ballroom floor space and the numerous tables.
We arrive early to ostensibly avoid the dinner crowds that come later. There is only one other table where a couple is already enjoying their meal, whilst consulting with the head server for further suggestions.
There is an unhurried air to the restaurant, quite unlike the busier and noisier Chinese restaurants we are used to. Consider this calming to the nerves, though some might find the surprising silence somewhat unnerving.
Ornate décor fit for a golden banquet.
What this means is that we tell our servers — more than once — that we need more time to peruse the menu and to discuss our options. Such fortune to find eager waiters, untroubled with other diners!
When we finally decide and share our decisions with the head server, he nods with approval as though we had gleaned his thoughts and acceded with his recommendations.
(This is perhaps what young Bruce Wayne felt when he got complimented by Alfred the butler, complete with a stiff — but warm — upper lip.)
We begin with Meisan’s signature Sichuan hot and sour soup, a must-order for those who relish the vinegary tang. Honestly, a bowl of this would placate even the most strained of humours.
Sichuan hot and sour soup (left). Fried string beans with minced chicken (right).
Strewn throughout with lacy ribbons of egg and slivers of tender shiitake, this is what one could consider the platonic ideal of Sichuan style suān là tāng.
No Chinese meal is complete without some vegetables (leafy or otherwise; definitions of what constitutes vegetables can be generous and vary greatly with even greater appetites).
One cannot go wrong with the fried string beans with minced chicken (known as gān biān sìjì dòu or Sichuan style dry fried green beans). Tender and crunchy in equal measure, slick with savoury sauce, this dish is no stunner in the looks department but more than makes up for it in taste.
The leisurely pace with which our selections arrive at our table from the kitchen means we can take our time catching up, conversations veering easily from the recent week to the past couple of decades.
Braised bean curd and chicken served in a claypot.
Despite the restaurant’s name, there are plenty of other Chinese dishes apart from Sichuan classics such as their suān là tāng and gān biān sìjì dòu.
After all, not every diner can withstand the heat of hóng yóu chāoshǒu (chilli oil wontons), xiāng là yú piàn (fragrant and spicy fish slices) or málà huǒguō (Sichuan hotpot).
Clearly Meisan aims to please a wider spectrum of customers; Peking duck hails from Beijing, after all, not the Sichuan province.
Therefore, in lieu of spicy mápó dòufǔ, we enjoy a far less fiery braised bean curd and chicken served in a claypot. Absolutely comforting, though the chef could have used a heavier hand with the salt, and the gravy awaiting bowls of steamed rice to soak it all up.
Masterfully executed fried rice.
Rather than dàndàn miàn (dandan noodles), carb lovers can satisfy their cravings for starches with a plate of masterfully executed fried rice. With or without the housemade XO sauce, every grain is still perfumed with wok hei.
Which is to say, come for some traditional Sichuan delicacies but be heartened by other Chinese staples as well.
For my JB friends, our meal feels like returning to an old favourite and being reassured that not much has changed even after all these years. Which is a blessing indeed, in this day and age. A blessing indeed.
Meisan Szechuan Restaurant 眉山川菜馆
88, Level 5, Berjaya Waterfront Hotel, Jalan Ibrahim Sultan, Taman Stulang Laut, Johor Baru
Open daily 10:30am–2:30pm & 6–10:30pm Phone: 011-5877 6009
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