Dining Out @ Harrods, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur

english tea, madam???

Harrods has always been a little special for me. My first time visiting the huge Knightsbridge store was when I ventured into London as a teenager. To my innocent eyes, I was fascinated with the whole set-up from the elaborate Egyptian motifs, the never ending delicious treats in the food halls and the seemingly endless variety of items found in the different departments. Even after numerous visits there, it never loss that shiny sheen as it was where I splurged on summer sale bargains (my first designer shoes!) or enjoyed the gourmet treats, which I was always drawn too.


the gorgeous salted beef sandwich in its full glory

While the recently opened Harrods tucked in a corner of Suria KLCC (next to Godiva) is a shade of the grande dame, it still bears a slight resemblance and thankfully its reputation for good food is upheld. Initially, I must admit I was very skeptical. I dropped by once, in early March when I had to wait at Suria KLCC the whole afternoon for a certain someone who was called away for emergency work (the perils of dating someone who works in Suria KLCC!) and was fairly dissapointed with my afternoon tea experience. Even though they met my criteria of a typical English tea of scones and clotted cream, the scones were hard and not fluffy. Maybe that's the English trait, as I vaguely remember badly baked scones in Devon too but this can't do for Harrods. I suspect if I threw these scones at someone, I'll probably be sued for causing them damage!

little details matter here from the face-like green pea soup, the flower molded butter and art deco touches on the ceiling

I was a little upset with my afternoon tea, hence I decided they deserved a second chance and made it a point to revisit last weekend. We're so glad we made the effort (quite a huge one as it was packed and we waited for a table!) as food was great. When we walked in, we bumped into some friends who whispered to us, we must try the salted beef sandwich (RM35). I'm glad they dropped that little insider information as it was excellent stuff - thick but very easy-to-handle-without-looking-like-a-glutton portion sandwiches filled with melt in the mouth salted beef, generous portion of English mustard and horseradish sauce, capers, tomatoes and lettuce. Sides were these long chunky fries and a gherkin or pickle. While I enjoyed my sandwich tremendously, beware as the combination of English mustard and spicy horseradish sauce is not for everyone's tastebuds.


ye olde Harrods roast with yorkshire pudding and lashings of gravy

Splashie Boy had the Harrods Roast (RM45) - his all time favourite of fork tender roast beef slices (medium of course!), fluffy yorkshire puddings, new potatoes, brussel sprouts and asparagus. Excellent stuff that reminded me of Sunday lunches at my old halls of residence in England. I was very happy since he let me polish off the brussel sprouts. Working backwards, we also shared a tasty but bright green pea soup (RM24) that came with two grilled scallops and loads of cream.

Service was excellent - very attentive but still exudes a warmth. What you'll notice here are the tiny details everywhere that will fascinate you: the English rose motif on the mirrors, the art deco patterns decorating the ceiling borders, the white shutters you can peek out to see what's happening at the ponds downstairs, the butter pieces that are marked in a pretty flower motif and etc. Prices can be a little painful for the pocket but when it means you get great food and wonderful service, we reckon its all worth it. Do note that not everyone did think that though. We overheard one man complain about his Harrods roast even though our portion was excellent. I guess it is definitely a case of "one man's meat is another's poison." For more pictures, do view the Flickr set.

Harrods
Lot No. 137
First Floor
Suria KLCC
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 - 2166 6000

(Halal. Alcohol is served at the bar and the dining area is kinda small, so try and book ahead to avoid dissapointment especially during weekends. It is actually a tea salon inspired by the Georgian Restaurant in Harrods London. Open from 10am to 10pm. For the afternoons, a tea set is available with a selection of scones, sandwiches and etc. At the shop, you can also buy deli items like cheeses, cakes and etc. They also carry biscuits, wines, teas and some Harrods bags and etc in front.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Tagged with: Roast Beef + Harrods

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