IF ONLY Restaurant — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

I had the good fortune of attending a blissful and heartwarming wedding at If Only in May 2025. Here's my review of that unforgettable event.

If I had to sum up my experience in just three words, they would be: completely bowled over!

It was my first-ever visit, and everything — from the ambience to the food — was top-notch and thoroughly delightful.

The Venue The event space is housed in a building with striking architecture, located in the prestigious diplomatic enclave next to the US Embassy. The setting feels exclusive yet welcoming. And with a name like Regal House to top it all off, it somehow adds an extra touch of charm. What more could one ask for?

Service and Staff Flawless execution. The team was efficient, attentive, and wonderfully responsive. Despite having to serve 60 guests with individual pre-orders, there wasn’t a single mix-up. Each guest received a personalised printed menu card, and every dish was served exactly as ordered. It takes an exceptional team and a remarkable level of coordination between the service and kitchen crew to pull that off so seamlessly. Kudos to the whole team!

Food & Beverage Outstanding in every aspect — quality, taste, and presentation. A specially curated wedding menu made the dining experience truly memorable. Each course felt thoughtfully prepared and artfully plated, with flavours that complemented the occasion and delighted the palate.

Cold Starter Truffle Cold Soba with Salmon — Sashimi or Torched

Main Dish — Choice of: Australian Beef Cheek Golden Snapper and Tiger Prawns Seaweed-Fed Chicken and Hokkaido Scallop

Dessert — Choice of: Walk in the Forest Citrus Blossom Delight Original Gangster Passionately Cheesy

Beverage Citrus Berry Iced Tea Spritz

Sound System Top-notch audio setup featuring a mixer, two cordless microphones, and speakers strategically placed for full 360° coverage. Keith, the owner, was on-site early in the morning to fine-tune everything personally. The result? Every speech, song, and performance came through crystal clear, adding to the magic of the day.

Atmosphere Great vibes throughout. The space struck a perfect balance — elegant yet relaxed, festive yet intimate. It set just the right mood for a wedding celebration, and everyone had a jolly good time sharing in the joy and happiness of the newlyweds.

Restrooms Clean, spacious, and tastefully appointed, with a level of comfort and design commonly seen in upscale restaurants or hotels.

Parking Ample parking available within the compound, which is a huge plus for events of this size. Just one note: the daytime rates are on the steeper side.

Final Thoughts A wonderful venue all around, with thoughtful service and impeccable standards. The gracious hosts — the radiant bride and her dashing groom — planned and executed a truly beautiful and memorable wedding, and If Only proved the perfect setting for it all.

This should be a top pick for anyone planning intimate special occasions for up...

Rating: 4.2 / 5 stars 🤩 : beautiful environment 🤧 : parking situation, no reservations

TDLR; come for the vibes, likely not a hit for the foodies

Located within what seems to be TRX’s showroom/showflat, this cafe/restaurant boasts a large floor area and has plenty of room for comfortable seating and restaurant furnishing. It has private parking on the ground level with fairly limited lots. Due to its location, it is almost impossible to simply park nearby and arrive on foot. A workaround for those visiting with friends would be, meeting at a rendezvous point and travelling there in a single car.

As reservations are not accepted, diners have to be onsite to get a table. There is a simple lobby area with benches to accommodate waiting guests. Inside, there are at least 30 tables that should in total, accommodate about 150 diners at any given time. There are alfresco seats that seem to be intended for guests with pets. The design and ambience is immaculate. I wish I lived here.

Menus are viewed through the QR code on each table, and orders are placed through the wait staff. My party of four ordered a mix of items - 4 mains, 4 drinks, a side and a dessert to share.

Highlights and lows: *Deep Fried Tebasaki: nice crunch, tasty and a little addictive due to the seaweed’s natural MSG *Citrus Salmon Benedict: well executed, but nothing more than ordinary in terms of flavours *Charsiew Noodles: beef charsiew was excellent, noodles had a good springy texture but lacked depth in flavour. *Yaki-Soba Chicken Katsu: fairly exciting flavours with the XO sauce in the mix. *Pan Fried Izumedai Don: feels like “pao fan” with fried fish. Frankly not a fan, and I don’t think anybody needs this. *Jasmine Pear Waffle (half waffle): a little overpriced for the portion, good but nothing too exciting *Iced matcha latte: fairly average *House blend latte: felt slightly over extracted, but generally possesses a good aroma *Jasmine Lychee Tea: light and fragrant, reminiscent of Chagee (a compliment!)

I personally wish for more complex and deeper flavours, but failed to get that here as the general theme leans a lot closer to Japanese-inspired flavours which is often flatter. The creativity behind certain dishes is...

Experience of anniversary dinner on 12/11/2024 On the morning of the day, I've called the restaurant to arrange a quiet seating area for 2 as we are celebrating our 1st year anniversary, and I've arranged flower to be sent to the restaurant. The person on the phone was friendly and noted the request. When we arrived at our reserved time of 7.30pm, we were escorted to the table right next to the host stand and was overlooking the KL traffic at 7.30pm. I was already wondering if this table which will probably have the highest traffic for customers to pass by, and the usual crazy traffic of KL would provide a quiet place which was requested (spoiler alert: it was car honk and motorcycling passing by less the whole dinner). (If Only there was really a quiet place for our special occasion) Once we were seated, I've noticed the table was with usual table setting and the flower I've arranged was not placed. I thought to myself either they might bring to the table along with a surprise, or they would have place it on the table upon our arrival which would have been a nice surprise. To my utter surprise, the service staff passed us the menu and at that time ask "Can I bring the flower and put on the table" with no expression. I was speechless and told the staff just bring the flower. He then came back with the flower and just left it on the table as if it was a request for an empty plate and walked away. (If Only the surprise was smoother) We then proceed to order 1) Cameron White Corn, 2) Claypot Rice, 3) Golden Snapper and 4) 350g Grilled Lamb Ribs which was my most excited dish! Cameron White Corn was not bad, Claypot Rice was leaning towards dry, Golden Snapper was grilled nicely with decent flavor however the dish which I had high hopes was the Grilled Lamb Ribs. If I remove the bone, what's left was 90% Fat. As much as I do believe fat does bring out the flavor, however after few bites, we couldn't finish as it was just fat after fat with barely any meat to enjoy. (If Only the Grilled Lamb Ribs was delicious, it would have made the meal valuable) We left with utmost disappointment for our anniversary celebration. If Only I have chosen somewhere else for...