I always tell new travellers to Malaysia that the best way to experience Malaysian food in all its glorious iterations and in air conditioned-comfort, is via the in-house restaurant buffets at international hotels. The variety is mind-boggling and the quality is usually top-notch.
I had the chance to visit Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s Kontiki Restaurant on my most recent trip to Malaysia, and was really impressed that its buffet not only ticked all the boxes where popular food favourites are concerned, it also consisted of more exotic items that would impress even the most well-informed Malaysian foodie.
I’d been meaning to write about it but before I had the chance to do so, one of my team members, Haanusree, took some fantastic photos of the Kontiki Restaurant food and sent them through a few days ago.
Haanusree’s photos are actually from Kontiki’s a la carte menu, but they put mine (of the buffet) to shame, so I’ve decided to share them here instead.
Next time you’re in Kuala Lumpur and are looking to savour iconic Malaysian dishes such as Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice or Har Meen, or you just crave some Chicken Chop or Club Sandwiches, this is what you can expect if you drop in at The Federal Hotel.
If buffets are more your thing, keep an eye out when you’re at Kontiki’s, for sauces and dips like budu (a fermented fish sauce I would only expect to find in places like Kelantan in the north of the Malaysian peninsula), cencalok (fermented prawns), tempoyak (fermented durian) and an assortment of kerabu (Malaysian herb and salad mixes).
The restaurant buffet has an ice kacang station where you can build your own shaved ice dessert, a rojak station to assemble your own fruit and vegetable salad with prawn paste sauce, plus lots of different kuihs (sweet & savoury snacks), a sushi station, and a fish ball noodle bar.
For the Western palate, I spotted an outdoor barbecue serving hamburgers on regular as well as charcoal buns, and there’s also a carvery and pizza slices.
Kontiki has a large modern dining space with both indoor and leafy outdoor sections. The food is pork-free, which is perfect for a non-pork eater like yours truly.
The Federal Hotel is conveniently located in Bukit Bintang which is right at the heart of Kuala Lumpur and close to everything (if I’m not staying at the hotel, I can usually still walk there from wherever else I’m based in the city).
More about Kontiki Restaurant can be found here –
http://www.kontiki.com.my/
To book a room at Federal Hotel, visit their website directly for the best rates –
https://www.fhihotels.com/federal
