Durbar at FMS — Restaurant in Perak

As someone who considers myself a regular at Durbar at FMS, I recently revisited the restaurant after quite some time and was met with a few surprises—some pleasant, some less so.

First, the menu has been revamped with more food and drink selections, which is great to see. However, I did notice that prices have gone up significantly. While that’s understandable with current market conditions, it naturally raises expectations when it comes to quality and portion sizes.

We ordered: • Three Hainanese Chicken Chops – Still one of their signatures and thankfully, it did not disappoint. The portion matched the price, and the chicken was tender, flavorful, and satisfying. That said, I personally found the chicken and the fries a bit too salty for my taste—though I do appreciate that the fries were not your typical commercial type, which was a nice touch. • One Chicken Maryland “la Hainanese” – A creative twist. The chicken was a bit dry as it came without sauce, but a staff member, Susan, helpfully offered black pepper sauce which made a big difference. It was also nice to see a banana fritter served on the side, giving the dish a unique and local touch. • One Traditional Grilled Chicken – Flavour-wise it was good and balanced, but portion-wise, noticeably smaller compared to the Hainanese Chicken Chop and Chicken Maryland.

For appetizers, due to not much vegetarian options,he had Mac & Cheese and Mushroom Soup—both were decent, but honestly, the pricing felt steep for what was served.

As for drinks: • We were introduced to an off-menu drink: Orange Juice with Ginger. It was refreshing and unique, with a gentle ginger kick that lingered pleasantly after each sip. • The Lemon Tea was a standout for its smoothness and aroma, thanks to the use of Ceylonese tea. It wasn’t overly sweet, which we appreciated.

However, there are a couple of drawbacks that stood out: The paper straws used weren’t of good quality—they became soggy quickly and were essentially unusable halfway through. The service felt a little rushed. While the staff were polite, they cleared our dishes and glasses a bit too eagerly, even when there was still some drink left and we were still chatting. It made us feel slightly pressured to leave, which dampened an otherwise enjoyable meal.

Our total bill came to over RM300, inclusive of taxes. Given the setting, quality of food, and experience, it’s a fair price if you’re coming for the ambiance and a full-course meal, but still on the premium end, especially with the...

This small restaurant located just right beside Ipoh padang. Durbar opened its doors back in 1906, making it THE oldest bar and restaurant in Ipoh, Perak.

Durbar blends a style of both colonial and heritage, when stepping in, causes you to feel a sense that brings you back memory lane when Ipoh was a small thriving tin mining town. This humble restaurant opens till this day to serve a mix of both Asian and Western food, for me, making it one of the best places in Ipoh for special occasions.

Today, my family decided to go with a few of their signature dishes such as the Grilled Chicken Chop, Fish n Chips and Classic Chicken Mornay, a cheese baked style chicken dish. We also ordered the Truffle Mushroom soup. All the dishes we ordered today were more than satisfactory for us and we all enjoyed it.

The Grilled Chicken Chop served with black pepper sauce gave it a very smoky taste. With the chicken being so tender, its hard not to order this amazing dish. The Hainanese Chicken Chop was served with a side of fries which gave it a very appetizing taste when mixed with the special Hainanese sauce. The Fish and Chips was fine and enjoyable, along with fresh Dory meat served alongside with mushy peas added an amazing hint of sweetness to it. Lastly, the truffle mushroom soup was an amazing craft of both the creamy mushroom soup and small bits of toasted cheese breadcrumbs which added the cheesy approach to it.

Overall, Western food has not gotten any better besides Durbar, probably serving THE BEST Western food in the whole of Ipoh. Considering the grandeur of the bar, I'm sure Durbar will be an unforgettable experience for you and...

Our family had a lovely dining experience at this historic restaurant! It was a nice change of pace to have Western food. The decor in the restaurant is absolutely stunning like taking a step back in time. There's no shortage of memorabilia for your eyes to feast on. It's like dining inside a Malaysian time capsule!

The nostalgic menu has many traditional dishes that have stood the test time! We enjoyed a truffle mushroom soup and their famous ox tail soup. The legendary Hainanese chicken chop and thick potato wedges were especially delicious when drenched in the luscious gravy. The chicken mornay was rich and flavourful. The fish and chips was near perfection! The light and crispy fish was fresh, moist and just perfectly done. Salade niçoise was light and refreshing and the little lamb chop was grilled to delicious crispy perfection and scrumptious when glazed with the sweet mint sauce. To round out the meal, a decadent poached pear with vanilla ice cream was the perfect end to a unforgettable meal! Thank you for the memories and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Our server Susan took such good care us for the entire meal! She was friendly, courteous and so attentive that made our dining experience absolutely flawless! She even took time to share history about this beautifully restored and legendary restaurant and point out many of the historical artifacts. Congratulations to her and the entire staff for this wonderful birthday meal for my...