Dondang Sayang Coffee House @ Corus Hotel

It was a celebration of some sort and we received an invite from my brother-in-law to a makan gathering on National Day at Dondang Sayang Coffee House @ Corus Hotel.  Our go-to dining venue at Corus Hotel is usually Ming Palace but they were closed on a public holiday.

So, we decided to meet at the hotel's coffee house instead.  It has been a while since we last ate at their coffee house...our previous visits here were always for their high-tea buffets.  Since there was no buffet offered on that day, my brother-in-law made orders from their a la carte menu...and everything was ordered by the time my family and I arrived.

He ordered 7 individual plates of food (mainly local dishes) for the seven of us...but all for sharing...and all the plates arrived almost simultaneously.  The Biryani Lamb @ RM58.62 came served with a flavourful tri-coloured biryani rice accompanied by a very refreshing vegetable pickle (of pineapples, cucumber, carrot, onions & chillies) and crispy prawn crackers.

The lamb shank was adequately tender and full of flavour from being cooked in all the rich and aromatic spices.  The tri-coloured biryani rice was delicious as hidden within the centre of the perfectly cooked basmati rice was some sauce (presumably from the lamb shank) which made the rice even tastier.

This was followed by a dish of greens, the Caesars Salad @ RM22.41 that was made up of really fresh, crunchy romaine lettuce, sliced onions, cherry tomatoes, olives, hard boiled eggs and sliced ham served with caesar dressing, of course.

There was this sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top but, luckily, this wasn't as pungent as some of the Parmesan cheese I've tasted before, so it ended up as a salad I enjoyed.  Only thing missing were some crispy croutons to bring that crunchy element to the dish.

Next was the Fried Mee Mamak @ RM24.13 garnished with a sunny side-up egg (that was executed well with a still oozy yolk), some crispy prawn crackers, some greens, a wedge of lime and a dip of bird's eye chillies in soy sauce.  I think there were some prawns in there too.

The mee mamak was fragrantly fried with egg bits and lots of vegetables (of choy sum, onions, tomatoes and taugeh).  The flavours turned out better than I expected and was really appetising with a squeeze of lime.  I'd even say loads better than many of the mee goreng I've had at mamak restaurants.  I really enjoyed this.

The spaghetti in the Seafood Aglio Olio @ RM24.13 was cooked al dente and tossed with ingredients of prawns, squid, green bell peppers, carrot, onions and served with a slice of buttered garlic baguette.

It was alright but probably my least favourite dish from here as it needed more chopped garlic and chilli flakes in the noodles for a punchier flavour.

Following after that was the Hainanese Chicken Rice @ RM28.44 which my brother-in-law said is a best seller here....and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.  For a more atas hotel version, the plating must be different lah! :D  The poached chicken was served with cucumber slices and tomato wedges, a soup that contained some silken tofu cubes with three dips of a fresh chilli paste, blended ginger and a not-so-common condiment of dark soy sauce.

Everything was respectably executed, the chicken tender and smooth, the rice sticky (I think there's some glutinous rice in there somewhere) and flavoured and both the chilli and ginger pastes were of very acceptable standards.  I was pleasantly surprised by the pretty commendable effort (for a hotel version) I've to say.

Next up was their rendition of Char Kuey Teow @ RM24.13, another highly popular hawker dish of kueh teow fried with prawns, egg, taugeh and chives served with a fried egg on top.

You'd find this plated up exactly like the earlier fried mee mamak with its prawn crackers, greens and fresh bird's eye chilli dip but minus the wedge of lime.

Our final dish was the Oxtail Rendang @ RM41.37 and it was super tender, flavourful and delicious.  I don't think I've had oxtail rendang before.  It's a little bit more unique that the more common beef rendang.

It was served with the same tasty tri-coloured rice, pickled vegetables and crispy prawn crackers...and the plating again was very similar to the earlier dish of biryani lamb).  The plating may seem a little old-school (and repetitive) but (hey) it evokes nostalgic moments in our past.  A bite of those three-coloured crackers with the yellow, green and red rims (which featured prominently in more than half the dishes here) brings back fond memories of eating it as a child.

For desserts, my sister-in-law picked some mooncakes @ RM36 each (since it was mooncake season!).....though we didn't eat them as desserts but as appetisers while waiting for our food to arrive...lol!

Of course I had to finish my meal with a Cafe Latte while others went with Teh Tarik, Fresh Orange Juice and a selection of ice cream.  The drinks here can be a little pricey (as would be expected in a hotel) but water is always available and refilled promptly as what you'd expect from a hotel's good service.

My Personal Opinion

This was the first time I've had eaten from their a la carte menu and I'd say I was pleasantly surprised at how successful they were at dishing up some hawker favourites.  Not only was I pleasantly surprised with the taste of the food, I was equally surprised that the prices weren't that upmarket (which I'm sure many, like me, will think they are seeing that it's a hotel coffee house).  I'd say the prices are within the range of some of the cafes and restaurants out there.  If I'm a guest at the hotel, I'd surely consider eating at the hotel coz the prices aren't that different from the nearby malls in the area.

If you're planning to hold a little celebration or get-together, this venue could possibly be a great choice since it's more quiet and not as hectic (as some overly popular cafes/restaurants)...but, most of all, you'll be eating in comfort amidst good service.  You can linger and chat for as long as you want (no-one's going to chase you off as there's plenty of space...lol....unlike some restaurants who would like to do so when they're packed). Less people also means less noise interference, so it's a place that encourages conversation with members of your dining party.

We stayed for more than 3 hours....food is always more enjoyable with good conversation.  If I had to pick a favourite, my top three would be the Fried Mee Mamak, Oxtail Rendang (with biryani) and Hainanese Chicken Rice.  Who knew that a hotel coffee house can be quite adapt at churning out good hawker fare.  If you're a tourist or hotel guest (or even a non-hotel guest), I think you'll be pretty pleased with their rendition of some hawker favourites! ^_~

Dondang Sayang Coffee House

Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Jalan Ampang

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2161 8888