The DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur has big plans for the month of December. And it revolves around you spending time with your loved ones, creating joyous memories together. What better way to get into that festive mood, than to sit down for a lovely meal sampling delectable dishes that have been created by the culinary teams for the Christmas season. The kids’ entertainment programme is set too! Think simulator racing games, balloon sculptures and clown performances on weekends or letting the kids access and enjoy the hotel’s outdoor pool.
Festive fare: what can we expect?
There will be 3 culinary venues to explore: to indulge your taste buds, yet enjoy the festive fare in the comfort of your home, the hotel offers the High Tea and Take Away options. Secondly, the option of dining in and sampling the exquisite High Tea and Dinner Buffet spreads at Makan Kitchen. Finally, their Italian restaurant Tosca will simultaneously present its own Christmas and New Year centred menus. Guests can enjoy complimentary access to the Axis Lounge as well after their sumptuous New Year’s Eve meals at either one of the restaurants. A lot to offer, multiple venues to enjoy!
What’s on the menu for Makan Kitchen?
Knowing Makan Kitchen’s team, there will be new twists and elevations to their festive offerings with some of the highlights being the Coconut Fish Curry, Hasselback Potato Gratin, the Molasses Jumbo Chicken, Prawn Cocktail Salad with Marinated Lemon and Tobiko Crème Fraiche and the Slow Baked Lamb Neck with Mirepoix and Naturel Jus.
Other impressions of the food
Surely, the huge Slow Roast Wagyu Beef Leg will catch your attention and tickle your curiosity. The leg (or shank), which includes initial brining then roasting for 4-5 hours, contains less of the marbling than wagyu prime rib cuts. The salmon was the crownpiece of the seafood section, beautifully presented with thinly sliced cucumber cuts placed all over its scales: it looked like it had swum straight out of a fairy tale! Moreover, it tasted delicious and very fresh. The crab legs, which I would normally happily get my hands dirty on, lacked some oomph.
A cold cuts section included various cured meats and a selection of cheeses. And while I enjoyed munching on the meats, the cheese section did not appeal to me very much with the more ordinary Gouda, Emmenthal, blue cheese and camembert offered and I had secretly hoped for more exotic selections.
There was a fresh oyster section, and for those liking them a bit more cooked a Rockefeller broiled version as well. The Indian station offered an enticing looking Mud Crab Dum Briyani, but it is the King Prawn Tandoori you should be here for! Some meat dishes were slightly on the salty side unfortunately. The live stations added quite a nice vibe to the whole dining experience and spread a nice aroma of grilled meats.
There was a beautiful selection of fresh breads too, which were oddly placed in a corner on the farther end of the buffet: the star breads, hot cross buns, fresh baguettes and mini fougasse looked extremely delicious but should have been paired up with the salads or cold cuts, I felt.
Desserts
What is Christmas without heaps of colourful, cinnamon-scented treats, sweets and gingerbread delicacies? Makan Kitchen has done its best again: the enormous gingerbread house that welcomes you when entering the restaurant serves as an obvious reminder to leave some space for dessert! A sizeable frosted Olaf cake figure towers over the (hard-to-get) Swiss specialty cookies such as Leckerli and Brunsli, the German Stollen and Italian Panettone and Panforte. He seems to beckon you to come try, one of each, if possible! And if just like me, you have overeaten on savoury items, Makan Kitchen’s team was so kind to provide a goodie bag with a cookie and gingerbread to go!
Ready to Launch…!
The rollout of these wonderful events and culinary experiences will start on the 18th November, with the kick-off of the Take Away campaign. Enjoy carefully selected bites and snacks at home while playing a family board game, or select and pre-order one of the three dinner menu options, ranging from a juicy 120-days aged Beef Wellington, the Slow-Braised Australian Lamb Shoulder or the Molasses-Brined Jumbo Chicken, all complete with condiments and traditional apple-pecan pie! No need to fuss over the holidays – DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur seems to have done that for you already!
For more information on these festive menus for the holiday season, you can call +60321727272, e-mail or visit EatDrinkHilton.com.
We were invited by DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur. As always, our opinions are honest and our own.
