Makan Kitchen — Restaurant in Johor

First visit to DoubleTree by Hilton's Makan Kitchen for the RM399 for both Valentines' day dinner buffet, turned out to be one of our worst dining experience ever.

Very Poor food quality. Only the blanched tiger prawns taste are acceptable. Raw oysters are bland without taste, suspect oysters are shucked and flushed with water? All the seafood, including clams, mussels, crabs, fish sashimi are not fresh, little to no taste, with a slight stench. Special mention mussels and crab meat are mushy too. Cooked food such as chicken, beef, fish and mutton are stale and dry, very difficult to chew and swallow. The cooked bamboo clams smells too, my partner took a bite and puke out immediately.

Tried drinking the chicken rice soup, turned out to be extremely salty, my partner and I drank it and almost puke on the spot. We also tried the dessert, the cakes were dried and overly sweet as well, with a weird tasting powdery icing on top. Our memorable moment for the food was the juicy and sweet pineapply slices.

To comment on the services, as the dinner buffet comes with a welcome drink and a gift, I asked the waiter about the choices of welcome drinks and gift, and to my surprise the response was "I don't know what is the welcome drink choice and gift, you need to ask him." Proceed to point at another waiter. The other waiter came and say we will prepare for you but still did not specify what is the welcome drink and what exactly is the gift. Anyway, welcome drinks were served and it is one of the most awful mocktail in my life. Bland with no taste.

Later part of dining session, two mascot that resembles Mickey and Minnie and a lady came to us and offered a bouquet of flowers to me, and gestured me to give it to my partner and suggested me to say something to my partner. I do not enjoy such treatment as we came to the dinner buffet for the food, and enjoy our time with each other, and not to be treated like celebrating a Children's day. The dining experiene is supposed to be a relaxed and romantic experience. If I needed a mascot to interact with me, I would have gone to Disneyland for it.

All in all, this is my first and last visit to Makan's kitchen as the dining experience is awful and gave us a very bad image about DoubleTree by Hilton's...

My first time coming to a Hilton buffet and I must say the food was very average, the seafood on ice was not fresh and the oysters was shucked very badly it's the first time I have to reclean an oyster to eat it. The sashimi was very disappointing, only the salmon was edible the rest were overly fishy and whoever was slicing it must have been either using only one hand or that person has never cut fish in his/her life as it was completely mutilated. The naan from the Indian food section was very doughy and undercooked, the Dahl, fish curry and chicken tikka was very average nothing to shout about but the Kerala roast chicken was just awful felt like I was eating spiced cardboard. The beef stroganoff was not bad, seasoned well the veggies and mushrooms were flavorful and the beef was tender most of the time; I had one piece that was hard like rubber. Next is the satay which was good except for the fact that half of the time they were three quarter burnt and looked more like coal with a hint of chicken but the worst was the otah which I can only describe it as spicy fish congelated vomit. The beef tenderloin was under seasoned and not tender which was very surprising as it looked medium rare to medium. The boiled seafood at the treasure pot should have been left buried with the exception of the slipper lobster, the three clams had so much sand I thought it would have been fresh but I was sorely mistaken. The saving dish for me was the grilled lobster that was served as complimentary even thought it was overcooked. Lastly the dessert was not any better only the macaroons was good and balanced the rest was so average you can go to any bakery and find better cakes, the ice cream taste like your nestle ice cream from the supermarket. Overall there was nothing in this buffet that would make me want to come back and for the hefty price of RM 188 per pax you can easily find better restaurants across JB that are...

We recently organized a surprise birthday dinner for our sister at Makan Kitchen, located at Doubletree Johor Bahru. With meticulous planning for about a month, all 40 of us managed to keep the surprise intact, much to her delight.

Now, let's dive into the food review. Makan Kitchen at Doubletree Johor Bahru boasts an impressive seating capacity, comfortably accommodating around 200 diners. Private rooms are also available upon request, providing a more intimate dining experience.

The buffet spread offers a wide selection of culinary delights, thoughtfully categorized into various sections featuring Chinese, Indian, Italian, Malay, seafood, roasts, and cold selections. The presentation of the dishes is undoubtedly impressive, showcasing attention to detail and aesthetic appeal.

However, upon closer examination, it became evident that the taste and flavors were lacking the originality and distinctiveness that would set them apart from other buffet offerings. It would be beneficial for the chef to draw inspiration from establishments like Roselle Coffee House at Nexus Hotel in Port Dickson, which excels in delivering bold tastes and flavors that leave a lasting impression.

Despite this setback, I would consider revisiting Makan Kitchen if they are able to elevate their focus on taste and flavor. The potential is certainly there, given the restaurant's favorable aspects and well-rounded offerings.

In conclusion, Makan Kitchen at Doubletree Johor Bahru possesses all the necessary elements to be a 5-star establishment, yet the letdown lies in the taste department. With improvements in this area, it has the potential to become a truly exceptional dining destination. Regrettably, I am compelled to rate this...