We were invited to sample the Sunday Tiffin lunch menu at The Majestic Hotel KL (which is turning out to be one of my favorite hotels these days) last Sunday. It was a fun-filled (and food heavy) affair, but not as overwhelming and food-coma-inducing as July's Ramadan session. Nonetheless, the kindred spirits at Majestic KL always kept us well fed.

The tiffin has been one of the prime household item in my home growing up. I remember my grandmother packing 4 tiers of food-filled, stainless steel stacking cans into a stainless steel tiffin carrier – for my dad and uncles to bring to work (they operate their own medicine shops back then). The tiffin carrier began its roots in the 1800, in India, usually used to indulge in a light lunch. The Sunday Tiffin, however, was seen as an occasion to overindulge. It quickly developed it's own unique colonial traits in Borneo, Malaya and Singapore.

The Majestic Hotel KL are re-introducing The Sunday Tiffin, which was also available back then in the old Hotel Majestic, where the hotel became a favored venue for colonial elites and their families to indulge. With our modern palates, the team has refined the traditional offerings of the colonial indulgence to suit.






We started off with a unique salted lassi – which packed quite a punch, served in a shot glass. It was a little strong for me, but it was also a great way to perk up the palate. There were also servings of fresh pink guava and mango juices. While waiting for the rest to arrive, it gave me some time to go through the menu on offer. I was seated in the sunnier section of the Colonial Cafe, where there's a good amount of light from the high ceilings and skylight above. Perfect!

The waiter placed banana leaves on our plates and begin serving up the chutneys. Think of it as having Indian banana leaf rice, but more refined. On my plate, from left to right: fish puttu, toasted salted peanuts, banana slices, toasted coconut, pineapple slices, marinated cucumber, mango chutney and salted egg.



The mango chutney was yum! I also loved the fish puttu and the toasted coconut. The rest were a little more like standard, supporting elements on a plate. I like that they served salted egg though, because that's usually common fare for Chinese cuisine, but I never had it with curry or rice, other than congee.

I must apologize for the iPhone-quality photos, because I forgot my camera, off all things!





Our mains arrived then, and we have a selection of Hainanese chicken curry, mutton varuval, egg masala, fried masala fish and crispy bitter gourd. There's two bowls of each on our table. My, the Hainanese chicken curry was heavenly! It is my favorite of the lot. I also loved the flavorful mutton varuval, and the egg masala was quite lovely as well. I didn't favor the fried fish as much, as it is a little too dry and needed a spritz of lime over it. However, the overall offerings were fantastic (and I'm not saying this because it was a complimentary meal, but it truly was fantastic).

Dessert was a sago gula melaka, served in a cocktail glass, to go with a masala tea. I loved both! Gula melaka is one of my weaknesses, I'll devour anything with gula melaka in it. The masala tea tastes like a cross between teh tarik and spiced chai tea – it's got spices and cinnamon in it – a winning combination in my books! My grandmother used to make me hot milk with some cinnamon and spice in it, so I can see where I acquired the taste for this from.




We ate and talked and gossiped throughout the meal, with very attentive servers keeping our drinks and plates filled. One of the best ways to spend a Sunday! :)



Right after lunch, we dragged our full bellies over to Truefitt & Hill in Starhill Gallery, so that my boyfriend can get his complimentary Royal Cut. The cut costs RM95 and you are promised a professional barber cut delivered within 30-45 minutes. The master barbers of Truefitt & Hill are very well versed in all things related to grooming for men, and they are very dapper in their vests and elegant barber tools. They are after all, the oldest barbershop in the world.






That sums up our Sunday. Looking forward to another fun weekend ahead! :)