Hilton Kuala Lumpur is a swanky abode with an urban park design – inspired by the nearby Lake Gardens – fabulous eateries and a cool claim to fame: the Jungle Bird. Created at the Aviary Bar of the original KL Hilton (KL’s first five-star hotel) along Jalan Sultan Ismail back in 1978, this decadent cocktail has been making its rounds in trendy bars in New York and other stylish watering holes worldwide.
Words: Beverly Rodrigues
Interestingly, at Hilton Kuala Lumpur – the chic reincarnation of the old establishment, just opposite the city’s main transportation hub, KL Sentral – the Jungle Bird is not actually on the menu. You have to ask for it, making this cocktail a tipple for those in the know. Sipping this tropical treat – a blend of fresh pineapple and lime juice, premium Ron Zacapa rum and Campari – in the place it calls home, was the perfect way to begin my stay at one of KL’s most sophisticated city hotels.
For me, Hilton Kuala Lumpur’s dedication to keeping guests happy was most evident in its 10 eclectic F&B venues where creative concepts combine with playful artistry for an exceptional dining experience, every time.
At The Lounge, Executive Pastry Chef Paul Gardin has introduced the High Fashion High Tea affair for trendy tea lovers, and its dramatic entrance is sure to blow you away. Vapour from dry ice swirls around a glass bowl in the centre of the platter, enveloping everything in a white cloud, which clears to reveal a single pink orchid surrounded by cute fashion-themed treats. A set for two showcases chocolate mud cake handbags, ruby-red lipsticks made from white chocolate, and necklace-inspired macarons with a chocolaty cherry filling, served alongside creamy panna cotta with mango jelly, strawberry vanilla tarts with pretty edible daisies, and caramelised profiteroles with gold leaf, as well as a tray of English scones and savoury delights like mini brioche with truffle egg mayo and charcoal toast topped with salmon. If you’re visiting in July, you’ll be treated to a special Moon Cake high tea with prawn and mango rolls, moon cakes with lotus and screw pine paste, as well as homemade Musang King durian cream scones (for the adventurous) to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival.
A theatrical dining experience may also be had at the award-winning Chynna, a modern Cantonese restaurant that’s famed for its Tang dynasty décor, herbal apothecary and long spout teapot-wielding tea masters who perform kung fu stunts while pouring aromatic Eight Treasure tea! But the main draw here is definitely its dim sum, with bestsellers like deep-fried bean curd rolls with cheddar cheese and shrimp; plump crystal shrimp and water chestnut dumplings; and Canadian cod steamed with ginger in a bamboo basket. And then, there’s the Peking duck, which has an eating ritual of its own. First, the crispy skin is served by itself, glazed sheets of ducky decadence that act as teasers for the next course: pancakes bursting with fragrant duck meat, dipped in a sweet bean sauce and enjoyed with crunchy cucumber. Finally, the balance meat is sautéed with water chestnuts, cooked up into fried rice or even served in a soup.
The Oriental odyssey continues at Iketeru, an award-winning modern teppanyaki restaurant with pretty waterfalls, teppan (hot plate) theatrics and a passion for serving authentic Japanese fare. Here, the emphasis is on natural flavours, with meats and seafood often cooked in their own stock. Highly recommended is the seafood platter, where you can select four different varieties including scallops and oysters from Hokkaido, local tiger prawns and US blackcod, which is sautéed with crispy ginger and sake. If you’re a meat lover, the juicy grain-fed Wagyu beef from Australia, drizzled in a special fish sauce, is a must. For dessert, there’s the Japanese Trio: ice cream-filled mochi (glutinous rice cake), Pino ice cream encased in chocolate shells and cheddar sticks in white chocolate.
Meat lovers should also visit Chambers Bar & Grill, which specialises in grilling premium cuts of dry-aged meat and seafood on its charcoal and lava stone grills, and using the Japanese robatayaki method, where skewers are arranged in a pit around an extremely high flame. Try the Black Angus fillet mignon, dry aged in a Himalayan salt cabinet for 14 days for intense flavour and served with chunky mushroom and Hennessy XO sauce, and plump Hokkaido Bay scallops seared to perfection on the robatayaki-style grill. Other F&B options include Graze, a brasserie serving European classics, Oro Café barista bar, all-day dining Vasco’s and stylish Zeta Bar.
Hilton Kuala Lumpur also offers the best views in town; its guest rooms come with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lovely Lake Gardens and sprawling city. The Executive Room – a great choice for work and play – is designed with a maze of sliding frosted doors with mirrors, allowing for an open setting with a view of the shower and tub, or the conventional closed bathroom for privacy. The spacious marble bathroom comes with an inset TV screen and ample storage space, with dual wardrobe doors opening onto the bedroom, which boasts contemporary fittings, including a work desk and 42-inch plasma TV. If you’re staying in an Executive Room, you’ll also enjoy access to the Executive Lounge where complimentary buffet breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails are served.
At Hilton, a spa spree is a must, and highly recommended is The Spa’s Sea Regeneration treatment, which begins with an exfoliating massage using a wild rosella pink dessert salt scrub that leaves the skin satiny smooth. After a warm bubble bath in a circular tub overlooking the city, you’ll be treated to a soothing lavender oil massage for complete relaxation.
One of the best things about the hotel is its location; besides being situated just walking distance from the NU Sentral shopping centre, it offers easy connectivity to other hotspots in the city via KL Sentral’s efficient transportation network. And if you’re done with all KL has to offer, you can always come back and ride Hilton’s wet slide that twists and turns, plunging into a gorgeous free form pool. That experience alone is well worth a repeat visit!
HILTON KUALA LUMPUR
Address: 3, Jalan Stesen Sentral, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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