Rama V • Enthaicingly Thai — Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur

Recently we decided to visit Rama V after 10 years. Booked a table for 4 for the 28/2/2023. The visit was for food tasting as we were looking for a place to seat 40 guests.

PARKING The restaurant is a bungalow with ample parking area. We were there at 6pm and parked ourselves. However there is a RM5 parking fee which seems absurd since this is a private property.

GREET & SEAT The welcome was subtle. No warmth in part of the waiter. Seen more friendly ones elsewhere. We were shown to our table. Being fine dining it's expected for the guests to be seated by the staff. This was not the case. We have to drag the chairs and seat ourselves. We also noticed apart from forks and spoons, knives were not placed with the cutlery.

ATTIRE We noticed some customers had shorts, collarless t-shirts and slippers in the dining area. We expected the restaurant to have some form of dining etiquette which clearly Rama V didn't have, calling itself a fine dining experience.

MENU & ORDER Each was given a menu and since we already decided before arriving, we ordered the set meal for 4. Set meals gives a good indication what the food will be like since the price is average and yet the chef needs to provide a good food experience. Higher priced items will usually taste better but not always, as it depends on the palate of an individual.

When ordering there was no explanation by the waiter (though it's written in the menu) the food is about. The waiter didn't ask if we wanted the food spicy or variation of it. This is akin to a waiter not asking how well a steak should be made and served. In fine dining, this is a faux pas.

FOOD & DRINKS EXPERIENCE For average and above restaurants, drinking water is provided free of charge. Upon asking for water, the waiter mentioned there is only bottled water which is chargeable. Another blow to the evening and the fine dining experience now have become just words on the website. We ordered wine and in such a place, wine tasting is a norm before the glass is filled. Unfortunately this was totally ignored.

I have visited different restaurants in Thailand and in Malaysia. To say Rama V serve fine Thai cuisine doesn't cut it. The food we received was too spicy to be enjoyed in its fullest. The tom yum soup wasn't creamy. Pandan chicken had little pandan fragrance. The fish was excessively sour and spicy to our palate. The Kai Lan with salted fish was bland without any hint of the salted fish.

Another downfall was while we were still having the main meal, desserts were served. How idiotic can this be?! When the desserts were finally served, the table was not cleared properly of the main dishes.

FINALE Overall the dining at Rama V made us decide to book another place as we know our guests will not have a good time here as they have traveled extensively, tasted and experienced much better food and customer service elsewhere.

When paying the bill the staff didn't bother to thank us for coming to Rama V and just walked away. Truly arrogant. Rama V is one place which I will not recommend to my contacts to visit. There was no feel good factor between staff and customer. No connection and friendliness. They were there physically but their service shows otherwise. Just paid to do their job.

The owners and management of Rama V have lots to learn about being a fine dining restaurant. Fine dining is about the palate's experience, the atmosphere, staff, the ambiance, decor, music and cleanliness. All were just below average at Rama V.

The only consolation for the night was the washroom which I normally visit to benchmark the overall cleanliness of an establishment. It was clean and acceptable but since we left early, I wouldn't know the state after more guests used it. Rama V is a...

LOW-CLASS SERVICE

We considered this restaurant for our first-year wedding anniversary celebration after finding it in Google. The restaurant had great reviews and the place looked fantastic, fitting for a place of celebration for both my wife and I.

I gave them a call on Thursday, 26th May 2022 to inform them on my intentions to have a place booked for dinner on Sunday, 29th May 2022. I was informed that they will be having a private event that night and the place will only be available during lunch. As we were keen to experience the food and the ambience, I said yes to lunch and made a reservation for 1PM.

On Sunday itself, 29th of May 2022, we were running a little bit late and I decided to give them a call at about 12:45pm, to inform them that I would be about 15 minutes late. To our surprise, I was told that "today we have private event close at 2pm" by one of the staffs. This information was not provided when I first made the booking and it would definitely paint a different picture had we known that there was a 1-hour limit to our lunch.

However, as this was meant to be a day of celebration, we decided to let it slide and just move on and find another restaurant to celebrate at.

10 minutes later, at about 12:55pm, I decided to give them another call to ask if it would be ok instead if we were to stay a little bit past 2pm for our lunch as we were rather excited to still dine at Rama V. I called and introduced myself, gave my name, and also provided context that I was the one who called about 10 minutes ago who had the reservation made at 1pm. I was then immediately told:

"TODAY WE HAVE PRIVATE EVENT BOTH DINNER AND LUNCH NO DINE-IN".

I was taken aback as the information presented now is that there were no lunch serving provided anyways, which is again, a different information that what I was given. I pushed back and asked what was the point of the reservation then. At this point, the staff sounded a little bit confused and told me to wait as he passes the phone to another colleague of his.

After the first "Hello" by this new person,

...they hung up the phone.

I received the lousiest service, the most terrible impression, and the most rude encounter I've had in a while to warrant me to write this review, all because we wanted to celebrate an important day in our lives, support a local business, and join in the experience of dining here.

You have loss a customer in me and I hope you...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Amazing Experience – Exceptional Service, Incredible Food & Lovely Atmosphere!

We had an incredible dining experience at this place, and I can’t praise it enough! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Our fabulous server, Rubel, really made the experience stand out—he was friendly, attentive, and went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. His service was top-notch, making us feel right at home from start to finish.

Now, let’s talk about the food—it was absolutely amazing. The quality of the ingredients was clearly top-tier. Every dish felt authentic yet with a unique twist, showcasing a perfect balance of tradition and innovation. We started with some fresh seafood, and the fish and seafood were so fresh, it was clear they had been sourced with the utmost care. The flavors were vibrant and bold, yet delicate in all the right ways. The whole meal was a true testament to the skill and thoughtfulness of the chefs.

We also enjoyed some lovely cocktails that complemented the food perfectly. They were well-crafted, refreshing, and added a fun element to the evening. Whether you’re a cocktail lover or not, these are a must-try!

Another exciting feature we’re looking forward to is the private Thai rooms they offer. The next time we come back, we’ll definitely be booking one of those for a more intimate and unique experience. It seems like the perfect way to enjoy the delicious food in a private and cozy setting!

We live in the area, in the KL Central Embassy district, so this place is a fantastic find—just a short walk away! It’s great to have a spot where we can stroll to, enjoy amazing food, and then simply stagger home afterward. ❤️❤️🦋

We absolutely can’t wait to return and would highly recommend this place to anyone in the area. The combination of delicious food, wonderful service, and a beautiful setting makes it a perfect dining...