Soaring on the 27th-floor rooftop of Dorsett Hartamas, Chakri Raintree Skybar promises a spectacularly panoramic view to pair with a flavourful feast of Thai and Western favourites.
True to the nearly 25-year-old Chakri Palace brand, Chakri Raintree Skybar strives to serve up an experience fit for royalty in a sprawling space.
The Muslim-friendly main restaurant promises terrific Thai fare by a team of award-winning Thai professionals, with a head chef who previously cooked in Thailand's royal palace. It also comprises private VIP rooms and a karaoke room.
The kitchen harnesses fresh organic produce wherever possible, with low-cholesterol cooking oil, with no added MSG or artificial preservatives. It takes inspiration from its consultant chef, Thai food expert Chef McDang, and his book, The Principles of Thai Cookery.
Customers can cross-order from the alfresco bar that specialises in Western staples and beverages, while savouring the skyline that stretches from Istana Negara to the Petronas Twin Towers and beyond.
By day, Chakri Raintree Skybar is cheerful with sunshine streaming through the tall, wide windows - a sumptuous setting for an early dinner with family or friends. Relish your meal in air-conditioned comfort or take a table outdoors for an unobscured bird's-eye perspective.
As the sun sets, the space is increasingly sleek and stylish, lit by a gentle glow.
Start with punchy appetisers like Thai Mango Salad, the traditional classic that's tangy and lively with crisp, juicy textures (RM22.90), and Chakri Homemade Fish Cakes, charmingly chunky and dense with a spicy kick, complete with sweet Thai chilli sauce (RM25.90).
Try the tom yam too: Chakri's Tom Yam in Coconut with Seafood (RM39.90) is influenced by Bangkok-style clear soups, reputedly the preference of Thailand's royal household. It's amazingly aromatic - you can smell the fragrance even before uncovering the coconut shell. Inside, the soup is the ideal balance of sour and spicy, brimming with shrimp and squid.
The Steamed Sea Bass with Lime & Chilli (RM99) is exemplary - a standout of confident simplicity, shining the spotlight on super-fresh, large and succulent fish. A potently zesty lime sauce yields to a lovely spicy heat that lingers at the finish - a stellar sea bass preparation.
The Chakri Crispy Soft Shell Crab (RM29.90) is rounded out with a rich egg curry sauce that's creamy and comforting, complementing the crunch of the crab with a medley of eggy flavour with turmeric and pepper. This can also be served with salted garlic sauce or sweet-sour sauce.
Keep the crustaceans coming: Chakri's Signature Deep Fried King Prawns (RM41.90) deserves to be a flagship temptation, with a thick butter egg sauce that bolsters the prawns' natural sweetness with a savoury coat. Also available with black pepper or red curry sauce.
Dessert ensures a captivating conclusion: Order the Chakri Red Ruby Water Chestnuts, a hearty treat that showcases house-made red rubies with water chestnuts, sago, jackfruit and vanilla ice cream, cooling and fruity with icy coconut milk in a coconut (RM20.90), and the ever-popular Mango Sticky Rice, not overly sugary, sweetened lightly with coconut milk and blessed with beautifully ripe Thai mango slices (RM21.90).
From the bar kitchen comes crowd-pleasers like Grilled Boneless Chicken, tender and meaty, with fries, salad and onion gravy (RM28.90), and Italian-inflected choices like Seafood Aglio Olio for pasta pleasure, generously loaded with shrimp, squid and mussels (RM37.90), and the fusion Green Curry Pizza, bringing together Bangkok and Bologna with a choice of chicken or seafood layered with addictively tasty green curry paste on a thin, crackly crust (RM38.90).
Beverages span the soothing Milky Thai Ice Tea (RM15; with Thai tea lined with milk and brown sugar) to colourful cocktails like the Cosmopolitan (RM40; vodka with triple sec and cranberry juice) and Blue Hawaii (RM40; rum with curacao, pineapple and coconut milk).
Multiple VIP rooms are also available, catering to between 8 to 18 guests. A big karaoke room can also be booked with a view of the city. Corporate functions are welcome too.
Chakri Raintree Skybar
Plaza Damas, Dorsett Hotel Hartamas @ ROOFTOP 27th Floor, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Daily, 4pm-12am.
Plaza Damas, Dorsett Hotel Hartamas @ ROOFTOP 27th Floor, Jalan Sri Hartamas 1, Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur.
Daily, 4pm-12am.
Tel: 016-227-7190
