Hotel dining can be a bit of a hit or miss. At times, people go out of their way to dine at a hotel’s restaurant, while at others, people leave the hotels to find better, cheaper food elsewhere.
During our recent workcation at the new Hotel Indigo Kuala Lumpur on the Park (Hotel Indigo KL), we got to find out whether it fit in the former or latter category.
Dedicated to reflecting the neighbourhood it’s set in, Hotel Indigo KL is home to two dining establishments that feature a localised flair.
But are the hotel’s culinary offerings worth staying for? After all, set in the heart of the city, there are plenty of food options just a stone’s throw away from Hotel Indigo KL.
Here’s what we think.
Wok Star
Found on the sixth floor, Wok Star is the all-day dining option at Hotel Indigo KL.
Although its name brings forth visions of Chinese cuisine and stir fry, Wok Star is more of a purveyor of modern Malaysian flavours.
During our 3D2N stay, we familiarised ourselves with the buffet breakfast offerings here.
Admittedly, the selection was quite limited compared to some other hotels’ spreads. Yet, we were actually appreciative of that, as it felt more curated and less overwhelming. Plus, the options that were available were really solid.
Regular staples such as pastries, salads, and juices aside, there was an assortment of local dishes.
For one, at the Breakfast Table—which seems to be something found in Hotel Indigos across the globe—there was a colourful array of local kuih, from kuih koci to bubur ketan hitam.
Admittedly, we’ve had better kuih elsewhere, but it was still nice to see the hotel even offer these local treats as an everyday breakfast item in the first place.
Over at the live stations, the sizzling sound of chicken murtabak being prepared can be heard. Next to this, there’s the noodle station where we got a bowl of curry laksa, served with a juicy prawn. The soup was creamy with a mildly spicy kick, making for a hearty dish.
The buffet offered nasi lemak on the first day, which is common in a restaurant. What’s rarer in our experience, though, is nasi kerabu, which was served on the second day in all its blue pea flower glory.
The Silver Monkey
Open for lunch and dinner, The Silver Monkey serves up Western fare, with some dishes offering a local twist.
While waiting for our meals, we were served some toasted focaccia with kombu butter. It’s probably not the best idea to fill your stomach with bread if you want to try other dishes, but the umami-packed kombu butter was too delicious for us to stop.
For appetisers, we were presented a platter of three different items.
Of these, the Avocado Cannoli was particularly memorable. Featuring a crispy shell, the cannoli was filled with fresh guacamole with a citrusy zing. We also loved how soft and fresh the Signature Grilled Scallop was.
For the main course, we were served grilled T-bone steak, otherwise known as porterhouse. Charcoal-grilled, the dish had a smoky touch. What really elevated the meat, though, were the salts and sauces that it was served with.
The Signature Salt Master Lutong comprised rock salt chilies, rock salt black cardamom, and rock salt lemongrass. Meanwhile, the Signature Sauce Master Lutong featured chimichurri sauce, bearnaise sauce, and lemongrass pinks sauce, which incorporates the local bunga telang serai.
These kept the dish exciting as we were able to create various combinations to get different flavourful results.
For the chargrilled squid, it was served with a plate of “chicken rice chili”, which was gingery, garlicky, and fragrantly spicy. The squid was a bit overcooked, but the flavours paired with the chili were delicious.
Dessert was incredibly indulgent and oh-so good. Even though we were incredibly full, we couldn’t help but go in for more bites. Called the Banana “Abu” Cheesecake, it was presented to us with a chocolate dome covering it, which was torched at our table.
Topped with the melted chocolate, the layers of banana cake and cheesecake were something unique to us. It was a perfect (albeit filling) way to end our feast.
Painting a local picture
We were told that there would be a “storytelling” element to our dinner, but we didn’t quite get that. The restaurant staff did share a bit on the dishes, especially when introducing the salt and sauce offerings for the steak.
But there were some gaps in the “story”. For example, it would’ve been nice to hear about why the chefs paired the squid with the Hainanese chicken rice chili, and perhaps how it was prepared.
Later on, we learnt that the menu at The Silver Monkey does feature a one-liner for most of the small platters, particularly the ones with unique local connections.
For example, for the Crassostrea Virginica Oyster, the description was “umai is [a] raw fish that’s marinated with vinegar and famous in Sarawakian appetiser dishes”.
Meanwhile, the Latok dish came with the sentence “a species of green algae from coastal regions in the Malaysian country-Sabah”.
To complement these descriptions, we hope the staff is able to elaborate more about each dish to diners, especially when they incorporate local influences.
Was it worth it?
While we enjoyed our breakfasts at Wok Star, if you’re got time to spare in your mornings, it’s not a bad idea to consider exploring local options too.
That said, we didn’t really see a lot of authentic kopitiam options in walking distance from the hotel.
A dinner at The Silver Monkey shouldn’t be missed, especially for those who like grilled meats.
Although adding a local touch to higher-end cuisine isn’t new or unique, the way Silver Monkey’s chefs put their own spin on things is still something worth trying for yourself.
- Learn more about Hotel Indigo Kuala Lumpur on the Park here.
- Read other lifestyle articles we’ve written here.