Hotel Where Tunku Dined

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　　The historic Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

　　A young Nancy Huang with the hotel’s limousine.

　　(From left) Tan Sri Low Yat, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Justice Justice Tan Sri S.M. Yong at the grand opening of the Federal Hotel on Aug 28, 1957. Pic courtesy of Federal Kuala Lumpur

　　The Mandarin Palace restaurant is the most popular among the five eateries in the hotel. Pix by Salhani Ibrahim

　　Then world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali staying in Federal Hotel Kuala Lumpur in 1975 before his big fight with Joe Bugner.

　　1 / 5TIME seems to stand still in the interior of Mandarin Palace restaurant of the Federal Kuala Lumpur since the hotel's opening in 1957.

　　The interior decor of the restaurant has remained untouched, save for the removal of a stage in the 1970s. The stage was then used by guest artistes and during cabaret shows.

　　Despite the hotel having undergone refurbishments, most of the artefacts have been left alone in the restaurant.

　　Chinese antiques, carvings, pillars, paintings, furniture and fixtures handpicked and custom-ordered by hotel founder Tan Sri Low Yat have hardly moved from their original position where the business tycoon first placed them in 1957.

　　There are over 1,000 paintings and carvings of golden dragons in the restaurant, which adorn the walls, some spiralling to the top of the pillars. The restaurant is about one third the size of a football field.

　　A one-metre wide by 5.5m-long wood carving of twin golden dragons, chasing a flaming pearl, stands majestically where the stage once stood.

　　In the past, then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman used to dine in the Chinese restaurant.

　　Veteran employee Nancy Huang said the hotel and the restaurant tells much of Low bond's with Tunku, so much so that the owner Low Yat Group is very proud about this legacy.

　　Tunku had advised Low to have the hotel built quickly so that it could host the Merdeka celebration that year. The hotel, after much work, was completed on Aug 28, 1957.

　　Over the years, The Federal Kuala Lumpur has organised a few campaigns to honour the memory of its famous patron.

　　A collection of Tunku's pictures and his written compliments adorn the hotel's gallery.

　　To mark the hotel's 40th and 50th anniversary years ago, a set of postcards depicting, among them, Tunku, former prime minister Tun Abdul Razak and former deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman was published.

　　Huang said Tunku would visit the hotel almost every other day when he was prime minister between 1957 and 1971.

　　"For most employees, seeing Tunku walking into the hotel was a privilege. A staffer seeing Tunku on his first day of work was one thing. But seeing him again the very next day was a different thing altogether. It was a little bit of a thrill, especially for our receptionists, bellboys and waiters," she said.

　　"It took some time for them to realise that Tunku loved both the food and hotel," added the room division manager who started working in the hotel at the age of 16 in the 1960s.

　　The Mandarin Palace restaurant, she said, was known as Tunku's unofficial cabinet when he was prime minister.

　　"He used to hold meetings here as it was near parliament and the hotel was also among the few in town," she said, adding that Tunku also came when he was off-duty.

　　The hotel, until well into the 80s, was also the government's then favourite place to host events and entertain guests.

　　"Tunku continued to dine here after he resigned as prime minister and even when he moved back to Kedah. He used to visit the hotel every time he dropped by in KL," said Huang, adding she first met Tunku in the 80s when he dropped by for such a visit, but by then he was already wheelchair bound.

　　She said Tunku's patronage also attracted many to the restaurant. Besides ministers, government officers and businessmen, there were also families, tourists and executive diners.

　　"Tunku was reputed to be a connoisseur of food, so restaurants and shops that Tunku frequented were generally thought to be really good," she said, adding that a cookbook documenting his favourite recipes was published in the mid 2000s.

　　The book was named Favourite Dishes From Tunku's Kitchen and was published in English and Malay.

　　Today, the imposing Mandarin Palace restaurant is still the most popular eatery in the hotel.

　　Hotel manager Darren Tey said the restaurant has always attracted the most diners among the hotel's five eateries.

　　"On average, we receive some 5,000 customers a month as we also host wedding functions," said Tey, adding that their busiest time was during weekends.

　　He said while few knew about the restaurant's history, many nevertheless come for the sumptuous and authentic Cantonese cuisine served.

　　Tey and head chef Yip Boon Meng also research on Chinese culture to host interesting food fairs and promotions.

　　For the Confucian food promotion, centuries-old recipes almost lost to history were revived.

　　The unavailable ingredients in the 2,000-year-old recipes were substituted with things closest to the original.

　　He also said many patrons, including Japanese tourists and expatriates, were captivated by the restaurant's Imperial Chamber feel.

　　"The Japanese make up the most number of tourists who dine here. Some of them come again and again during their visits while others would recommend it to their friends. Japanese expatriates also often dine here," he added.

　　"The woodcarvings depicting the legends of China and good wishes in Chinese calligraphy in the chamber are considered very auspicious," he added.