Food Review - Mandarin Palace (Federal Hotel)

Name

Mandarin Palace (Federal Hotel)

Food

Chinese, Buffet, Non-Halal, Dim Sum

Getting there

Located within the historical landmark of Federal Hotel right smack in the heart of the Golden Triangle (not THAT Golden Triangle). 

Public transport is easily accessible.

Carpark

There are lots of parking at the hotel itself or if you prefer, you may park at any of the malls along the famed Bukit Bintang/Imbi areas.

Service

The wait staff's average age was probably 54, I'm serious! It looked like this place was run entirely by hiring retirees. Sadly, their customer service skills need some polishing up. 

As there was tong sui (dessert soups) as part of the buffet, we had not ordered any Chinese Tea (plus any friend of mine will know I'm not a fan of Chinese Tea). But despite telling the wait staff 3x that we had not ordered any Chinese Tea, it appeared in our bill! Seriously,what kind of service is this? We told them THREE TIMES!!!

Presentation

Another sad note here. The way the food was served made it look like a cheap Pasar Malam (Night Street Market) food stall. It really didn't do anything for the whole dining experience.

The 2 types of steamed Dim Sum (Yes, that's ALL THEY HAD) were served in large steaming trays that contained dozens of pieces all stuck together - hence my Pasar Malam reference.
Ambience

Sad to say, the place had not been well maintained and diners can see how badly kept and run down the place is.

I can imagine if it was maintained better, the place would really look like the interiors of a grand Mandarin Palace like its namesake. This is because the walls are decorated by intricate Wood-Carved Chinese Art and ornate lighting & Dragon-clad columns.

Food/Taste

To be fair, the food was not THAT BAD. However, I've had lots of Dim Sum that were lots better also.

1 of the tong sui (dessert soups) - Longan Dessert was also sour. It wasn't that it wasn't fresh. It was, but it was sour! So I guess it was meant to taste like that? But then, I'm a Chinese, and I've never had sour tong sui before.

Value For Money

Sadly, I have nothing good to report. They actually resorted to false ads because what attracted me to the place was their ad which claimed to have 20 types of Dim Sum + 6 types of meats such as Char Siew, Roast Chicken, Roasted Duck, etc)

I had taken pictures of all the food available there that day and even double-counting, I couldn't find 20 types of Dim Sum nor were there 6 types of meat (there were 3 only).

Totally cheated!

Variety

There were not many different items available and at RM28++ a pop, you may say it's not expensive but I have better uses for my hard-earned $$$$.

Overall

A totally disappointing experience which made me decide to NEVER go back there again unless there is a total revamp of the restaurant or management.

Initially, I was pretty excited about coming here as I had not had Dim Sum in quite a while. Moreover, they had all the awards placed at the entrance of the restaurant, which made me all the more anxious to dig into the food. Sadly, it was the complete opposite.

Yes, it was THAT BAD! False advertising, bad service, average food, badly maintained dining hall...just too many negatives.

So guess what my verdict will be?... >(

Food Review - Celestial Court (Sheraton Imperial)

Name

Celestial Court Chinese Restaurant

Food

Chinese Cuisine (Lunch & Dinner) & Dim Sum (Lunch only)
Location

Sheraton Imperial, KL

View Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel in a larger map

Getting there

Located on the 3^rd floor inside the iconic Sheraton Imperial along Jalan Sultan Ismail (and across from the famous Asian Heritage Row for the hip and happening crowds) or a stone’s throw away from the Dang Wangi LRT Station.

Parking

There are lots of parking inside the hotel and outside the hotel for the club-goers

Ambience

It is a multiple award-winning fine dining restaurant, hence, the place exudes an air of elegance with professional & friendly staff members who would make your dining experience memorable.

Presentation

I must say that it has one of the best Chinese Food presentations I have ever come across (the other that comes to mind would be Zuan Yuan @ One World).

Taste

The taste is exquisite (except for the pan fried cod dish which we thought was a little too salty.However, they quickly replaced it with another one which was done just right!). Regardless whether you decide to go for the Dim Sum or Non Dim Sum items, it is evident that they take pride in their food preparation where they not only look good but tastegreat.

Variety

There are enough items on the menu ranging from Meat dishes, poultry, seafood to non-meat/vegetable dishes to keep diners coming back for more. They also have a separate section for Dim Sum where it is further sub-divided into Steamed or Fried varieties and sweets/desserts.

Value For Money

Now, the Non-dim sum items are a little pricey. A single item can range from RM35-55 and the portions are rather dainty (well, it is fine dining after all!). The dim sum however, are a different story altogether! Ranging from RM12-38 per item, they come in really huge portions. For instance, the Siew Mai/Har Gou are at least 35% larger per piece than what one would get in a typical dim sum place. So, for 2 persons, ordering 5-7 items would be more than enough! Yeah, they are that big!

Overall

This is a great place for some top notch Chinese Cuisine – especially if you want to bring your Muslim friends for a good Chinese dining experience. However, be prepared to be set back by quite a bit if you are going for the Non-Dim Sum items.