SETTING

The restaurant is located on the mezzanine floor of Life Centre, Jalan Sultan Ismail. You can smell the mouth-watering spices and aroma long before you spot the restaurant. The restaurant is decorated in a way that is majestic yet tasteful at the same time – chandeliers, cushy and large seats, long flowing curtains. Traditional Indian ambient music plays in the background, adding more character to the restaurant while accompanying the many wooden statues of elephants and Indian classical paintings adorning the walls. Typically, people come here in clusters – mostly tourists, or businessmen.

FOOD

An addictive starter without being overwhelming would be the palace platter – a non-vegetarian selection of juicy chicken lollipops, crisp murgh samosas, plump Shami kebabs and tangy murgh chat.

The mergh makhanwala is one of the chicken specialty dishes here and it tastes absolutely delicious. It’s the Indian version of butter chicken with the charbroiled boneless chicken tikka cooked in a rich creamy sauce of butter and mild spices. The lamb roganjosh, or lamb stew features cardamom, cloves and cumin flavouring the tender and aromatic braised lamb chunks.

A lovely tone-down to these robust dishes is the palak paneer, cubes of creamy cottage cheese and pureed fresh spinach sautéed with freshly ground mild spices and fragrant herbs. If you’re in a group and want an additional dish, the palace sizzler is an excellent choice. It’s a sizzling platter consisting of jumbo prawns, succulent fish tikka, plump tandoori chicken, delicate noorani kebab and juicy sheek kebab, served with a fragrant garlic naan.

There are varied carbs patrons can choose from to go with the dishes, ranging from bread, naan, pitas to rice, with the saffron rice being a popular choice.

If you’re inclined to end a spice-and-herb-heavy meal on a sweet note, the signature rose kulfi is an aromatic and refreshing option. For those preferring a nuttier and savoury note to end the meal, then the kesar pista kulfi is your answer.

DRINKS

Wine selections here of red and white wines from South Africa and Chile, with house wines of Santa Luz Merlot Gran Reserva and Sauvignon Blanc from Concha Y Toro. They also have champagnes, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Beaujolais & Rhone – which all complement the aromatic spice-heavy dishes that are served here. Also on offer are drinks often associate with traditional Indian dishes such as lassi, and guests looking for the more accessible juice and sodas can find them here too.

SERVICE

Service here is great –wait staff display an extensive knowledge of the menu and are able to formulate an ideal meal selection for diners at the top of their heads (without even glancing at the menu), based on preference (lamb, chicken, mutton, etc). They are also very polite and refined, which matches the regal ambience and the décor of the restaurant in general. Glasses were always filled, and staff were prompt in delivering orders, always with a polite smile.

PRICE

The bill amounted to RM350, for two people. Dishes that are filling and well done are not exorbitantly priced, so this is definitely a plus for those who seek a sharing platter of Indian food. It is good value for money, as the palace platter, the chicken and lamb all range between RM25 to RM35. Patrons looking for a more immersive Indian banquet experience, the Bombay Palace Feast – featuring 12 dishes compiled by the restaurant’s masterchefs –may possibly be a good to-try recommendation.