Makan Kitchen, Double Tree by Hilton, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Words: Craig J Selby Photos: Monica Tindall
With the haze outside nearly every day at the moment, it’s tough to get my fix of local Malaysian street favourites. Let alone having the opportunity to bring visiting friends to explore the fusion of cuisines that have placed Malaysia on the global culinary map.
One of the Seating Options
More Seating
Outdoor Seating Too
That is, until I stumbled across Makan Kitchen. Nestled high up in one of Kuala Lumpur’s landmark hotel properties, close to public transport and the major arterials of the city, Makan Kitchen brings together, at a very attractive and affordable price, a huge array of popular Malaysian dishes, that any Malaysian would be proud of. Better still, it does it in an air conditioned environment, so no need to brave the heat for all those fiery tastes and stunning aromas.
Choose Your Own Ingredients for Your Soupy Noodles
I am a huge street food fan, and its great to have the opportunity to bring freshly made dishes like these indoors into a more upmarket setting – perfect to bring visiting friends from back home, or hold business meetings without breaking the bank.
Fresh Seafood
Makan Kitchen is eclectic. With multiple kitchen stations potted around the huge restaurant space, each with its own especially designed cultural feel to it; it is like walking in to a mini United Nations of Cookery. Respresenting Chinese, Indian, and Malay cuisine, with a healthy smattering of Western dishes just to appease the die-hard tourists, chefs freshly whip up a concoction of popular local dishes in their awe-inspiring buffet.
Chinese Kitchen
Not only did I notice the well-considered restaurant environment as I walked in; the friendly staff also made an impression. Ok, so it’s a hotel and its expected, but the truth is, they left a welcoming impression which would bring me back. Seated at my table overlooking busy Jalan Ampang (the view was lovely, and so happy not to be in that traffic), chilled water was quickly served, and my hosts explained the concept and location of the various kitchen stations.
Bamboo Chicken – Favourite from Sarawak
I was seated right behind the Indian station – lovely wafting smells of tandoori and freshly made naan bread were making my tummy rumble. The Chinese kitchen was in the next room (they told me some people think it is a separate restaurant, so please wander and help myself), with the Malay and Western stations being relatively adjacent to where I was seated.
Tandoori
Wandering around, your senses are hit with the bright colours of fresh ingredients, the smells of all food Malaysian, and the visual intricacy of the unique restaurant setting.
Part of the Western Kitchen
I opted for Chinese first – I heard they had crispy roast duck. Yummy! Delicious slices of tender duck, with nice golden brown crispy skin went down a treat. So did their chicken char siu, and their vegetable dishes.
Crispy Roast Duck and Chicken Char Siu
I moved around the restaurant, and ordered an assortment of satay. Grilled to my order, the satay was accompanied by a lovely creamy peanut sauce – not the watery and oily kind you might find elsewhere, but a beautifully smooth blend which was nice enough to eat on its own. Fresh vegetables and salad offerings also tempted me to construct my own salad.
Satay
Make Your Own Salad
From the Indian section, I tried their Kashmiri naan – delightfully soft and fluffy naan bread interspersed with mixed fruit for added flavor. An assortment of tandoori also ended up on my plate – tasty!
Kashmiri Naan
Its pretty hard to try everything at Makan Kitchen – the selection is awesome and very extensive, but I did manage to get a few slices of Beef Wellington from the western side, along with some vegetables to boot.
BBQ prawns were also on the table – succulent juicy prawns cooked over the BBQ grill, and a selection of seafood and shellfish.
Butter Prawns
Local desserts also featured prominently, with a variety of cut fruit, and of course, Malaysian favourite, Cendol. Their drinks too were great, with a quirky selection of mixed juices and mocktails. I went for the Cute Kiwi (only because I am one), which was a refreshing blend of cucumber and kiwifruit juice. Makan Kitchen also has its signature the tarik, or pulled tea – a true taste of Malaysian culture that transcends all boundaries.
Cute Kiwi
Malaysian Desserts
Dessert Station
Certainly a place to entertain visiting friends and to hold business meetings, Makan Kitchen brings the flavours and aromas of Malaysia to you in one convenient (and air conditioned) environment. I will definitely be back for some more of their hospitality and good food.
Reason to visit: great place to take out of town guests; good value buffet; nice selection of a wide variety of local specialities.
Makan Kitchen
Doubletree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur
The Intermark
348 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
+6 03 2172 7272
KL.DoubleTreebyHilton.com
Love that corner in your first pic. Ooooo…Sarawak ethnic designs in the partition, 3rd pic. Wonder if the bamboo chciken tastes anything like the real thing. Ooooo…duck!!! I like!!!!! Slurpssss!!!!
Suituapui I've only had bamboo chicken a couple of times so don't know how to compare it with the 'real thing.' I liked this one though as it was flavourful and juicy, and seemed like a rather light dish compared to many Malaysian dishes.
Love that corner in your first pic. Ooooo…Sarawak ethnic designs in the partition, 3rd pic. Wonder if the bamboo chciken tastes anything like the real thing. Ooooo…duck!!! I like!!!!! Slurpssss!!!!
Suituapui I've only had bamboo chicken a couple of times so don't know how to compare it with the 'real thing.' I liked this one though as it was flavourful and juicy, and seemed like a rather light dish compared to many Malaysian dishes.
I wanna check out their ala-carte, could be convenient since I work in the same building 😀
Oh i want that chicken char siew badly, we hardly find some good ones here in Penang 🙁