Breakfast @ The Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

I was invited to the Istana Hotel so that I could sample their daily breakfast, served at the Taman Sari Brasserie. As I mentioned in a previous post, there is nothing that I look forward to more, than a sumptuous buffet breakfast whenever I stay at hotels. Its the perfect thing to kick-start your day. Not to mention, I love my fair share of bacon and eggs.

Depending on the time of year, your stay at the Istana Hotel might be filled with many other people - as it was, during the end of December when I visited it. The Istana Hotel is located right beside the Jalan Raja Chulan and Jalan Sultan Ismail crossroads - as well as right beside Jalan Nagasari. Reading through the post, you'll begin to see the true size of my appetite.

I began my breakfast at the western section of the buffet, helping myself to Sausages, Beef Bacon, Baked Beans and Rosti-Style Potatoes. The sausages were succulent and flavourful, though the bacon remained tough to eat. The baked beans seemed like they were from a can, but the potatoes tasted fresh and had an element of 'originality' to it - not like the your usual hash browns.

I then adjourned to the Omelette Counter. The ingredients being used seemed fresh and were present in an abundance of variety. However, after having asked the gentleman to make myself an omelette with plenty of filling, he failed in having sealed the sides of it. In the end I received a deformed omelette, though it tasted great and I personally had no complaints.

I then adjourned to the Asian corner in order to add some spice to my morning. The highlight of the corner was the Fried Noodles and Nasi Lemak section with 4 different types of rendang - out of which, I settled for the lamb one. The Lamb Rendang was truly sensational and tender at every bite. The coconut rice and sambal was no different to your usual mamak stall one, though the noodles were rather dry.

I was also able to squeeze some cold-cuts and pastries into my stomach. Various Cold-Cuts were fresh and tasty, whilst the Gouda Cheese was a bit soft for my liking. The Danish Pastry on the other hand, was nice and flaky only when heated up. My entire breakfast was accompanied with English-Breakfast Tea, though long black coffee, juices and milk are available too.

To finish my breakfast at the Taman Sari, I had Waffles with Cream and Maple Syrup. My batch of waffles were slightly hard as they were presumably on the counter for quite some time after being made. I suggest you wait for a fresh batch before 'making your move'. There's nothing better than freshly made waffles in the morning.

On the whole, I would say that the breakfast here is nothing to complain about. If you are staying here, then I can say that you have a nice breakfast to wake up to, though bear in mind that it will have its ups and downs. They did compromise on quality when it came to some of their dishes - though still, nothing to complain excessively about.

Presentation: 6/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall Taste: 6/10

General Impression: 6/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic