Mandarin Grill at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, KL.
The name Mandarin Grill conjures images of expensive bills & perfect steaks.
‘Why‘, you ask?
Well, that’s the impression that any reader of any of the reviews on Mandarin Grill posted on the net would get.
Once upon a time, beverages at Chinese dinners meant only chinese tea/beers. Sarsi/Orange would be the default for the underaged. And as dinner progressed, bottles of Stout may appear. Next to follow were likely to be brandy or whisky.
The scenario is certainly different now. Most Chinese restaurants now serves wine with their dishes; or at the very least, there are wine options available in their menu. Fruit juices & Coke replaced Sarsi & orange.
Celestial Court at Sheraton Imperial is one of the grand old dame of Cantonese fine dining restaurants in KL. I have heard tales of “how good it was last time” & til now, I’m still hearing the same positive reviews from these 30- 40 y/old friends who had dined there back then.
A recommended feat indeed, to have stood against the test of time & also the proliferation of millions of (Ok, I’m exaggerating here) Chinese restaurants in town.
Cilantro Restaurant & Wine Bar @ Micasa All Suite Hotel; a name revered by many food connoisseurs to be the epitome of fine dining here in the heart of KL.
Set Lunch – at RM150 nett. A weekly rotating menu, only available on Fridays.
No. 8 of The Miele Guide 2010/2011. Yes, even at No.8, Cilantro is the first Malaysian restaurant to make it into the Top 10 of the Miele Guide.
Work travels are hardly fun, but the right accomodation does somewhat lessens the pain.
Business travellers to Kuala Lumpur has just been spoilt with the addition of a new swanky but practical hotel right smack in the city, mere mins from KLCC, Petronas Twin Towers, embassies & the commercial business district.
GTower Hotel on Jalan Tun Razak redefines business travelling. The astute combination of work and leisure is reflected in the design of its rooms (video HERE), the ambience of The Club floor at Level 28 which comprises of a stunning private bridge bar and lounge as well as the impressive gym (video HERE) on the facilities floor.
I’m always appreciative of budget hotels; simply cos they provide, what else.. the most cost effective method for lodging while I splurge my hard earned cash on shopping! 😉
Though I do not have high criteria for budget hotels, knowing that it is budget and all, I do expect at the very least, SAFETY & CLEANLINESS.
My accommodation in Singapore was pretty cool – Prince of Wales Backpackers’ Hostel was clean, conveniently located & affordable.
And I was most pleased to say the same for Leisure Inn, after I viewed their rooms during the launch just days ago.
The monstrous Matterhorn Burger at RM88++. The burger measures 22.9cm X 15.2cm - (9"X6") and consisted of 11 slices of Swiss cheese together with generous slices of tomatoes, gherkins, bacon,…
Prince Hotel KL Chinese Restaurant Tai Zi Heen offers a pretty value for money HALAL dim sum buffet at RM55++ (RM63.00 nett) on weekends. Starting from 1130am to 2pm, order & staple as much you could from its moderately extensive menu.
As with all buffets, there are hit & misses. Naturally, we hoped for more of the former than the latter.
Even with our expectations in check since we are all aware that this is halal fare, the general consensus among the 4 of us was “Ok“, “you get what you pay for“, “decent“; with some dishes bordering on inedible (our personal opinions ok) & some “good“.
Let’s begin with the GOOD:
Egg tarts were flaky & light with sweet centres. The Crispy corn flake-crusted tuna rolls were my fav. Crusty cornflakes encasing flaky tuna with chilli & chopped corn/carrots is hard to beat 😉 .
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