food
Dining in KL’s majestic and historic Federal Hotel
The Malaysia Nasi Lemak from the Flavours of Malaysia menu at Federal Hotel’s Kontiki. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 1, 2015.Merdeka may have just passed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look back on the good ol’ days. The Federal hotel is an iconic part of Kuala Lumpur’s history, and its quaint eateries are our top picks along with The Coliseum Café and Yut Kee, to celebrate this season of Merdeka.
You can feel the nostalgic vibes of Merdeka in the lobby of the Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur. A life-size picture of the proclamation of independence by Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman stands there, and Favourite Dishes from the Tunku’s Kitchen, a cookbook, is also on display nearby on a table of spices and herbs.
The hotel was purposely built for the first Merdeka Day, and it opened just three days before, on 28 August 1957. It was the first international hotel to open in the city and hosted foreign dignitaries who came for the celebration.
Restaurants in the hotel include Kontiki, Mandarin Palace, Bintang Revolving Restaurant and The Verandah. The last two are being refurbished. I hope those glorious red pillars intertwined with gold dragons and phoenixes stay at the Mandarin Palace.
The Bintang Revolving Restaurant, on the 18th floor of the hotel, was added on in 1968, a first in the city. It moves slowly on its axis, covering one revolution in about an hour. The city lights and iconic buildings come into view while diners have drinks and dinner.
The restaurant is open from 5pm to midnight every day, offering a Western menu. The mood at the restaurant is enough to transport you back in time, with music from the 50’s to 80’s playing softly in the background. The food is always satisfactory, and the ambience charming!
A life-size picture of the proclamation of independence by our first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman stands at Federal Hotel’s lobby. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 1, 2015.But on our recent visit to The Federal Hotel, we decided to try out the Kontiki Restaurant which reopened just last year after renovations. It’s for all-day dining, with buffet lunch and dinner, as well as an a-la carte menu to consider as well. The décor of the restaurant still has a nostalgic feel from the carved giant tiki and row of yellow totem poles at the entrance, and the lovely rattan furniture inside.
We had lunch here, sharing a Malaysia Nasi Lemak (RM24) from the Flavours of Malaysia menu, and the Ika Rimurimu (RM41), which is a poached red snapper with seaweed sauce served with sweet potato mash. The Nasi Lemak was satisfying, with the requisite ikan bilis sambal, sambal sotong, chicken rendang and condiments.
Favourite Dishes from the Tunku’s Kitchen, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, on display on a table of spices and herbs on display at Federal Hotel’s lobby. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 1, 2015.The poached snapper in the Ika Rimurimu (in keeping with the Polynesian theme of the restaurant) was bland and stodgy with the creamy sauce and sweet potato mash. We'd suggest you give it a skip, and stick to their local favourites such as the nasi lemak, Nyonya Laksa (RM22), Hokkien Mee (RM23) and Toechew Porridge (RM20).
The menu also has a reasonable variety of pizza, pasta and burgers if you're up for a Western fill.
In spite of the fishy let down, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal which had us feeling nostalgic to be dining in a standing part of history! We will likely go back to try out their buffet lunch at RM98 nett per person. There is also a weekend hi-tea from 12.30pm to 4pm at RM78 nett each. – September 1, 2015.
Kontiki is open for all-day dining, with buffet lunch and dinner, as well as an a-la carte menu to consider as well. – The Malaysian Insider pic, September 1, 2015.Kontiki at Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur |35 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur | Tel: 03-03-2148 9166 | Opening hours: 12pm to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 10pm daily | GPS Coordinates: GPS 3.14.45, 101.708.72 | Halal
*All of The Malaysian Insider food reviews are incognito and represent the personal opinions of our merry band of foodies. If you know of any restaurant serving awesome grub and you’d like to share it with the rest of the world, drop us a line with details at [email protected].
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