Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre: 20 Years of Glory with Malaysians and International Guests!

Happy 20^th Anniversary to Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre!

Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre celebrated its 20th anniversary on October 24^th, penning down a history of excellence in hospitality and upholding of quality service. Recognized as a household brand who has been serving the locals and international business and individual travelers alike; its iconic name, till this date, symbolizes majesty, luxury and grandeur of a 5-star hotel.

The five-star Hotel Istana is strategically located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s prestigious Golden Triangle. Only a few minutes away from the city’s infamous shopping malls, the 23-storey hotel boast of 515 well-appointed guestrooms and suites are designed to suit every individual’s personal and corporate needs.

In honor of the anniversary, a dinner was held at Urban, its signature modern eclectic fusion restaurant, for staff and media. As the evening took off, the celebration kick-start off with a speech and  a moment to commemorate the long service associates of Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre who has been at service for as long as the hotel.

Hosting the night was Ms. Patricia, Marketing Manager

“This occasion set another milestone for us and it highlights our achievements throughout the years which have made us one of the best household brand hotels in Malaysia, said Praba G. Menon, Area General Manager. “We are proud to be a True Malaysian hotel, owned and managed by Malaysians and our service that embraces a Truly Malaysian Hospitality”, he added.

To commemorate the official opening year in 1992, which was launched by the former Prime Minister, Tun Dato’ Dr Mahathir Mohamad, this event recalls the great episodes of an equally prestigious past achievements. This glorious moment also exemplifies the dedication of 20 associates who have been with the hotel since its opening, namely with a few to mention, Letchumy Murugaian from Housekeeping, Mohd. Nazeri Nordin from Security, Maiyah Manaf of F&B, Yau Nek Hwa of Chinese Banquet and others in which each of these long-serving associates embody the Hotel Istana’s service vision: ‘To be recognized as the Preferred Hotel with true Malaysian Hospitality driven by our best assets, our associates.’

During the celebrative event, there were a line of gastronomic creations and the unveiling some of the new Malaysian hospitality that will further highlight the continuous upgrading projects that are in the pipeline such as the refurbishment of the rooms done floor-by-floor and its in-house amenities to be revealed later.

Mr. Praba and Management awarded the 20 associates with Long Service Appreciate Certification and a cake cutting ceremony followed.

Long Service Associates with Mr Praba G Menon, Area General Manager of Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Long Service Associates with the Management of Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Cake cutting ceremony – from left Mr Ghazali Idris, Ms Letchumy Murugaian, Ms Pathmah Sinnathamby, Ms Ong Lean Gnoh, Mr Zamri Redza, Ms Maiyah Manaf, Mr Nathan Vaithi and Mr Eugene Yeo.

Long Service Appreciate Certificate Presentation to Staff

We dined and wined as Chef Sharusmizal and team whipped up a luscious menu of canapés, a potpourri of roasts and desserts for the celebration. That evening, we dined on a fusion of hot and chilled canapés from local and international dishes while a gorgeous carving station held Tenderloin of Beef, Lamb Rack and Beef Roll for a carnivorous feast!

Prawn Cocktail with Rambutan & Mango Salsa

Love the simple and fruity rendition of prawn cocktail with its juicy bits of sweet rambutan and mango!

Chilled Gazpacho Shots with Scallop Lemongrass Skewer

This is a crowd favorite!! Juicy tender sweet scallops are nicely seared and served with a tangy tomato gazpacho shot.

Peking Duck Roll

It’s cute and minute with sliced duck, scallion and plum sauce. I would have love a bigger cut of duck but it’s just me being greedy.

Cold Water U.S Oysters on Half Shell with Mirin & Dashi Soy Sauce Reduction

This one is absolutely fabulous! Chilled sweet and briny, the succulent oysters were superbly refreshing with a savory sweet sauce. I lost count of how many I had that night!!

Miniature Buckwheat Blinis with Crème Fraiche, Smoked Marlin & Caviar

A Russian inspired canapé, this one is lux up with black pearls of caviar rounding up the salty flavors of the smoked marlin.

Wild Mushroom & Caramelized Onion Roasted Pepper Tart

Small tarts filled with egg custard, earthy mushroom pieces and sweet onions and peppers.

Salmon with Tandoori Spice & Mango Mint Chutney

Going Indian, this one has a nice twist with salmon. Cooked till medium, the salmon was really juicy and infused with spices and yoghurt.

Laksa Lemak with Soba Noodles

My favorite, Chef Sharusmizal’s rendition of creamy laksa with a twist of soba! The light and creamy laksa broth was full of spices mingling comfortably together with the noodles. Bits of bean curd and beansprout provided a little texture while the creamy coconut broth was sweet and spicy. Yum!

Char Siew BBQ Chicken with Hainanese Chicken Rice

Mini-sized chicken rice served with chargrilled BBQ chicken was comfort food in a bite!

Grilled Tenderloin of Beef with Horseradish Cream & Beef Roll

Perfectly medium pink roast tenderloin coupled with creamy tingling horseradish sauce was satiation in every bite. I would have loved some grilled vegetables to go with this!

Grilled Lamb Rack

This one was snapped up in a jiffy! Tender pink pieces of rack of lamb were flavorful with its bits of fat while the whole lamb shoulder was pink and tender. Simple rosemary gravy served was sufficient to make the lamb flavorful and aromatic.

Miniature Desserts

Desserts were mini-sized to provide more space for more samplings! Check out Chocolate Éclair, Crème Brulee, Lemon Curd Tart, Chocolate Fudge Brownies, Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries, Pavlova with mix fruit and Mint Chocolate Truffle. My personal favorites are Lemon Curd Tart for its refreshing citrus tang and Crème Brulee for its crispy burnt sugar top and wobbly smooth cream.

For more information, you may log on to www.hotelistana.com.my or call 03 2141 9988 for its ‘20 Years of Glory with Malaysians and International Guests’.

HOTEL ISTANA KUALA LUMPUR

Lobby Level, East Wing
73, Jalan Raja Chulan,

50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603 2141 9988

Email: urban@hotelistana.com.my

Website: http://www.hotelistana.com.my/index.php