My Maxims Genting Premium Experience (Part I)

arrive genting

I’ve been to Genting quite a few times and when I was told we’re going to be staying at Maxims for an overnight experience I immediately set my alarm clock to 5 am so I could arrive early the next day for the trip up. Heh.

transport

The luxury treatment started when we met up at Wisma Genting in KL. There was a Toyota Alphard complete with a driver waiting for us. The vehicle was equipped with water, candy, and everything you’ll need for the 45 minute drive up.

lobby

…so this is what being a high roller feels like. πŸ™‚

imperial rama

We were whisked away to lunch at Imperial Rama the moment we arrived in Genting. We had a private room with a dining table, couch, and karaoke system. Imperial Rama is a fine dining restaurant specializing in authentic Thai-Chinese cuisine.

regal room

Imperial Rama is one of the most awarded restaurants – it’s one of the prestigious winners of the 2011 Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (MIGF). They also use organic food where they can – they own vegetable farms and source their chickens from Ipoh. I hear the free range chickens sells for RM 30 per drumstick…and that’s in stalls in Ipoh!

lily bulb salad

Lily Bulb with Emperor Sprout Orange Salad
This is the appetizer and I like the usage of lily bulbs in this dish. It’s an unusual twist and the tangy citrus flavors from the orange works very well with the emperor sprouts. It even had flowers inside it, and I ate some of them. Delicious!

shaggy mushrooms

Shaggy Mushroom with Truffle Oil Salad
The second appetizer to come out of the kitchen, I was mesmerized by the intensity of flavors absorbed by the mushroom. It’s practically bursting with truffle oil. Very nicely done.

thai fish crackers

Thai Fish Crackers
The third appetizer was an interesting interplay of textures with fresh fish crackers and a peanut based dipping sauce.

chicken broth

Stewed Chicken Essence Soup
I’m not a huge fan of soup but this had me scraping the bottom of the bowl. The chicken is made into a mousse like consistency. It’s one of their signature dishes and I highly recommend it just so you can taste the chicken mousse.

steamed goby fish

Steamed Marble Goby Fish with Crispy Ginger and Garlic
I’m sold. The steamed fish is my favorite dish in Chinese buffets and I love the freshness of the marble goby fish.

goby fish

The topping of crispy ginger and garlic adds a different texture to the dish and it’s good to see that they keep the traditional spring onions on top – it goes very well with the soy sauce base.

curry abalone

Australian Abalone Braised in Curry Sauce
This is one of the Thai-Chinese dishes that Imperial Rama is so famous for. The curry is rich and full-bodied and almost overwhelms the palate…

abalone

…until you eat it with the bread stick and side dish. This is one of their flagship dishes as well and I can see why – it’s challenging and different.

twin flavor prawns

Twin Flavored King Prawns
This is king prawns done two ways – one of them is deep fried with a salted egg batter that tastes awesome but the one that steals the limelight is the cheese king prawn. It’s dipped in a melting cheese batter that enhances the natural sweetness of the prawn and seals all the crustaceans juices inside. Totally recommended.

pork ribs blackcurrent

Pork Ribs topped with Black Current Sauce
Now this is something that I can really appreciate. Pork ribs with a twist on the sauce. The black current sauce adds a wholesome sweetness to the pork ribs and the lightly fried rice served on a crab goes well with the pork ribs.

crab fried rice

I was very full at this point but I couldn’t help finishing all the rice. It’s really good – not too heavy, with judicious use of premium ingredients.

lemongrass jelly

Durian Tempura with Lemongrass Jelly
Now this is a dish that you’ll either love or hate – it all depends on whether you like durian. I love durian and the durian tempura is a relatively new creation using D24 durian. The batter coating the durian cracks open and piping hot durian oozes out. I could eat it all day long!

I ate Lee Ming’s portion as well. It’s just that good. Check out this video, the host agrees! πŸ™‚

durian tempura

The lemongrass jelly is sipped from a straw and the consistency and palate cleansing properties makes it an ideal finish after the decadent durian experience. Do not miss this if you love durian! Best. Dessert. Ever.

lunch

Anyway, after that huge lunch, we went down to Goh Tong Jaya to walk off all those calories. We used the Genting Skyway cable car.

chloe

Chloe got us into the RWGenting WorldCard line. You can skip the queue if you have a Silver WorldCard and above.

cable car

I have a lot of fond memories of the cable car ride from when I was a little kid and my parents brought me up to Genting.

genting skyways

I felt like a little kid again, being on that cable car. πŸ™‚

strawberry truck

There was a red vehicle waiting for us – it’s the Genting Strawberry Leisure Farm transport! The shuttle bus departs every 20 minutes and you can catch it at the Genting Skyway exit.

genting strawberry farm

Genting has a Strawberry Farm in Goh Tong Jaya.

strawberry rows

There are rows and rows of strawberries covering the wide expanse.

strawberry park

You can go in with a basket for a small fee to pick your own strawberries.

strawberry

It tastes really good too.

eating strawberry

I had a couple and they are practically bursting with juices when you bite into it.

lee ming

This is Lee Ming at the area where they were planting flowers. Yes, it’s the very same flowers that was in our salad at Imperial Rama for lunch. Now that’s low food miles for you – they grow it themselves!

strawberry cafe

There’s also a place where you can sit down and browse the strawberry related merchandize or eat and drink strawberry flavored food (strawberry coffee anyone?) right before the exit.

strawberries

Mmm…strawberries…

genting strawberry park

We basically spent the better part of the hour at Genting Strawberry Leisure Farm before heading back up the cable car to check into Maxims Genting. I couldn’t wait!

room

Maxims Genting is the newly revamped Genting Hotel. It’s the first hotel ever built and houses the main casino. Maxims commands a rate of at least RM 550++ for a Maxims Premier Room. There’s even a dedicated floor for high rollers which is by invitation only. It is the most exclusive hotel in Genting.

This is where all the celebrities stay when they perform in Resorts World Genting. More about that and the wonderful award winning fine dining restaurant The Olive in the next post! πŸ™‚

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34 thoughts on “My Maxims Genting Premium Experience (Part I)”

  1. New hotel there? Have not been to Genting for years and years, dunno what it’s like up there now. Ooooo…who’s this? Lee Ming? Brings to mind Zee, or Fauziah Latif…if you know who I’m taking about. Very pretty. Ah!!! I see Eiling was there too! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Maxims Genting is the newly refurbished and renovated Genting Hotel. πŸ™‚

      They’ve done such a good job that I didn’t recognize the rooms at all even though I’ve stayed there while vacationing as a kid. πŸ™‚

      Lee Ming was in MDG, she’s a part time model.

      Yeah, Eiling was there too! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  2. seriously, we commoners who don’t gamble can never gain access to maxim! each time my mom asks for the room, they keep telling her it is booked out or something like that .

    Reply
    • Maxims is open to everyone! πŸ™‚

      There’s rooms and suites, did you go at a high peak season? It might have been fully booked out coz it’s quite popular with the people who want a more luxurious hotel to stay in. πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • Yeah, it’s fun to drive up for the cool weather or to spend some time lepaking at the theme park. I did that once with a friend. Heh. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. I was amazed on how creative chef plays with the combination of aromatic herbs such as lemongrass and the pungent durian…Durian Tempura with Lemongrass Jelly? COOLLLL~ i feel like eating this ..

    Reply
    • Yup, it was a relatively recent renovation, refurbishment and rebranding effort. Maxims Genting is now better than ever. The rooms and suites are opulent! πŸ™‚

      …and the food is great too! There’s two fine dining restaurants there – one dishing out Asian food (Imperial Rama) and one serving great Continental cuisine (The Olive). πŸ˜€

      Reply
  4. Food looks special. Like the flower salad. How much for a meal there?
    Genting got strawberry farm??? Wah I never know also.

    Reply
    • Yup, the lily bulb salad is delicious! I love how they add flowers into it. πŸ™‚

      Dining at Imperial Rama would be about the same price as a similar Chinese restaurant. The food is awesome!

      Yup, they have a strawberry farm. I didn’t know until this trip too. πŸ˜€

      Reply
  5. Think I am the first to congratulate you on your 10th aniversary. Wonder why no mention of it or maybe you’ve forgotten about it. Should have some celebration at your side cause not many blogger can claim this Decade milestone. Congrats!

    Reply
    • Thank you, my friend!

      I totally forgot, which is totally unforgivable. A friend of mine texted me from Australia wishing me the same.

      I’ve been writing it since…it takes about a week for me to prepare that since it’s a recap of the year. Coming up soon! πŸ˜€

      Thanks for reading CLK! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  6. For an insane moment I thought that “genting” was some kind of verb. Like, to go out about the town in a top hat, arrow collar, and wingtips.

    “Shaggy Mushroom” there’s a phrase that needs more exposure. (I’m sure that the dish is lovely too)

    As always you deliver an engaging perspective to your wildly varied experiences. : )

    Reply
    • Heh. It’s the biggest highland resort and favorite close getaway trip if you want cold weather.

      Haha! Indeed. I’m sure there’s another name for it, but shaggy mushroom works for me too. πŸ˜‰

      Thanks for the kind comments Rene! πŸ™‚

      Reply
  7. you didn’t say i had a couple of stolen strawberries! Hey i missed the chicken soup so much… It’s one of the best dishes together with the beautiful salad.

    Reply
      • There’s always a next time bro.

        Okay, now I have your number and my cousin’s number too. I lost her number as well when my phone broke in Phuket. 😑

        I’ll call both of you and Eiling next time I’m in Genting. Haven’t seen Michelle in ages. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    • Haha! I had to cut out some bits since it’s soooo long.

      My two posts combined have over 2,000 words. I missed the pork leg with the crab shell fried rice more…

      …and the durian tempura! πŸ˜€

      Reply
  8. cibai. . . u didnt call moi! I could have the chance to meet Eiling and have a good cigar with her. . . .and maybe a fine wine. . .diu!

    Reply
    • Eh bro I lost your number and all my contacts when my phone broke in Phuket.

      Text me again with your number? Cheers! πŸ™‚

      Reply
    • You go up once a month? Work or leisure? πŸ™‚

      Yeah, the strawberry farm is on the way up – Goh Tong Jaya, you won’t miss it.

      It’ll be easier to drop by before heading up the casino and pick a couple of strawberries. πŸ˜€

      Reply
  9. Hi HB,

    Prob it is not important to you but to avoid others get poisoning, the flowers u ate were pansies not the ones behind LM which are not edible =D

    Reply
    • Hey thanks for the correction! πŸ™‚

      …though I doubt anyone would actually go and eat a flower from the strawberry park when there are so many strawberries to pick there. Haha!

      I have eaten morning glory before, have always thought it was edible…or maybe it’s something else. πŸ˜€

      Thanks again Tina!

      Reply
  10. not stayed in Genting for quite some years. Its always been a drive up to yumcha and chill before we head home since its a short half hour drive or so home. But this looks like a good reason to get holed up in Genting for a change:D

    Food looks good…yummeh…*drool*

    Reply
    • Yeah, it’s been a while since I went up to Genting too! πŸ™‚

      It is a good place to just chill (literally) since the weather is so much cooler up there.

      Yup, the food was delectable! I loved the great food that was dished up for lunch.

      It’s a good reason to stay a while, Maxims Genting is so much more luxurious than I remember the original Genting Hotel to be. πŸ˜€

      Reply

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