Eating in Kuala Lumpur - Dinner at Top Hat Restaurant

Top Hat Restaurant is one of the long standing food establishments in Kuala Lumpur. It has been a favourite of KL foodies for ages, and receives tons of great reviews. The restaurant used to be located in an old bungalow house on Jalan Kia Peng, but has since moved to No. 3 Jalan Stonor, just a little bit further down the road. It is still in an old bungalow house, but from my memory the previous venue was better. The ambiance is cozy and casual, a bit like dining in somebody's house.

Top Hat specializes in Nonya and Western Food. This may seem like an odd combination, but somehow they manage to pull it off. The service is friendly and unobtrusive.

As we were in a large group, most of us opted for the set menu. It starter with their signature top hats - crispy shells with a crunchy veggie filling.

For Entree I chose the Sweet Mango and Semi-Dried Tomato Salad. It was a bit disappointing - just cubes of mango, some greens and a slice of tomato. The dressing was too sour and did not have much flavour. Presentation was also a bit sloppy.

For Main Course I had the Chilled Tenderloin with mushroom sauce, grilled vegetables with basil pesto. The beef was tender and flavourful, and the sauce rich and earthy - complementing the beef really well.

Dessert was a trio of Sago Gula Melaka, Peach and Banana Crumble and "Sinful" Chocolate Delight. The best of the 3 was the Chocolate Cake, with the Peach and Banana Crumble coming a close second. The Gula Melaka was a bit lacklustre as there wasn't enough gula Melaka (palm sugar) to bring out the taste.

Having read all the rave reviews about Top Hat, I was frankly a bit disappointed with the food. I was expecting to be wowed, but it was merely good. Perhaps the fixed menu format didn't allow us to sample the best that the restaurant has to offer. I am planning to make another visit for the a la carte.