Mosaic – Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur – buffet & all day dining restaurant!

The last I dined at a buffet was during the crazy Ramadan period, where I sampled about 8 buffets, all in about 2 weeks. I missed 3, no thanks to a bout of UTI, and during that period I was stuck on hospital food for a week.

I was happy to go on a buffet binge again after so long, and I have just recommenced my buffet eating spree last Monday when I visited Mandarin Oriental’s spanking new all-day dining restaurant Mosaic.

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A lover of choices (though I may not necessaarily eat them all), buffets are to me a great opportunity to sample cross-cultural cuisine – Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Malay, etc all at once and also not having to order full portions for everything.

But the ultimate draw factor? That’s undeniably for the Unlimited DESSERTS! :P

Say ‘hi’ to Mosaic’s GIANT MACARON CAKE.

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Macarons. First they go mini, now they grow BIG.
I loved the dark chocolate filling and the crunchy macadamia nuts in this one. And no, of course I didn’t eat the whole thing! We cut out a slice, just as you would when you’re served with a whole cake.

Desserts at buffets are almost always an after-thought. Fortunately that wasn’t the case here. The desserts here were pretty good. All of it. And that won brownie points from me.

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The desserts station.

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I f I had to pick a favourite it would be the Pear Crumble. It has luscious buttery crumbs on top of a layer of eggy rich custard, with sweet slices of pears in between. Heavenly!

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Enough of the sweets. The savouries consisted of 4-5 live stations featuring a mix of local and international cuisine. These includes the grill, wok, noodle/pasta, Chinese and tandoor.

PASTA/NOODLES station.

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CHINESE.

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The GRILL – where you choose fresh seafood, lamb, beef, sausages to be cooked on the spot for you.

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Do grab some meaty and well-marinated chicken and beef satay while you’re at it too.

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Fans of pizzas (like me!) rejoice!
Pizzas with the beautifully singed and smoky thin crust comes out freshly baked from the ovens.

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The western selections includes cod fish, beef stragonoff, baked potatoes, etc. These may sound common, but it was the preparation method that stood out. The purple potatoes you see below has a different flavour from the common russet potatoes used. The cod fish was nicely moist & fatty, and thankfully wasn’t overpowered from the creamy sauce it was prepared in.

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Also, it’s worthy of note that food at Mosaic is presented in cast iron pans, woks, copper pots or served in individual portions. This means food is not cooked in mass proportions and served on the buffet line in big food warmers.
With the live stations, Mosaic aims to serve food as freshly prepared as possible, and make your buffet dining experience here like no other.

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Food aside, dining at Mosaic is also about comfort and surroundings.

I’m a huge nature lover, and chose to sit overlooking the serene KLCC park.

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But you can choose to sit within Mosaic’s warm, cosy interior. The whole area  boasts an elegant feel, reflected in the Peranakan culture with elaborate finishings.
Customized flooring, intricate hanging pewter lights, bespoke mosaic walls, new comfortable furniture and spacious area to navigate between tables and the buffet spread all added up to the making of a very pleasant dining experience here at Mosaic.

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Choose different seating arrangements to suit your mood; be it plush big cushion chairs for a more relaxing meal or the more serious tables, with upright chairs (but no less comfortable) for those business or entertainment lunches.

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And to end this post, here’s more pictures from the buffet!

The piping hot French Onion Soup with thick cheesy toast.

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Fresh Sashimi. My favourite.

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This is smoked salmon with beetroot. Interesting eh?

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There’s DUCK served too, as part of the cold appetisers. I love duck!

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Food at the Indian section were delicious; with tasty meat and fish curries as well as fragrant rice.

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Other than the French Onion Soup, Tom Yam is available as well for the “Asian-stomach” diners.

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CHEESES. Both soft and hard versions.

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Healthier options? Well, there’s the customary appetisers spread of salads, dips and fresh fruits.

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Another item that I’m sure to devour from any buffet, the seared tuna.

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Gorgeous freshly made dips and dressings for breads or salads.

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Headed by Chef Raymond Abour Jeily, Chef de Cuisine and Ms Jenna Park, Restaurant Manager, Mosaic is open 24 hours and serves buffet breakfast from 6.00am to 10.30am, lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm and dinner, 6.30pm to 10.30pm. The restaurant seats up to 148 diners.

Prices:
Lunch: RM88++
Dinner : RM108++ ( Mon – Thurs )
(Fri – Sun ) – RM128++

For reservations, call +60 (3) 2179 8881 or email [email protected].

On a last note, RM88++ for the spread you see above, in MO Hotel, right in the heart of KLCC isn’t a bad deal at all isn’t it?

This Post Has 36 Comments

  1. Sean

    I see some glutinous rice and also salted egg yolk in the Chinese food section! Comfort food for me, heheh 😀

    1. rebeccasaw

      Food has improved since you 1st came here Sean! Time for a re-visit? Me thinks we can try the ala-carte menu this time . Yup, ala-carte avail 24 hours here! I saw some mean burgers on other patron’s table while I buffeting -away on my last visit!

  2. sjiehan

    wah… its look very nice… ist halal? if u get invitation for any advertiser… contact me to~

    1. rebeccasaw

      Of course will contact you!
      Yup, it’s HALAL! Go try 🙂

  3. Isaac Tan

    omg, that’s a lot of food photos..
    giant macarons eh, very interesting. Oh and I see my favourite satays XD

    1. rebeccasaw

      Hahaha.. the satay here is chunky, tender and lean meat. I think you’ll like it!

  4. ulric

    Looks like a superb spread…I will have to try this soon 😀

      1. ulric

        Ermmm…how did u know tat I m nearby? :scratch:

      2. rebeccasaw

        I read comments on Sean’s blog.

      3. ulric

        Haha…i c…good memory u have :mail:

      4. rebeccasaw

        Hahah, more like it’s cos your comments on his blog is an on-going conversation – cant miss it!

      5. ulric

        Exactly d same thing tat is happening here…hahaha :good:

  5. JoinMe

    Hi rebeccasaw,
    Kindly be informed that this post has been reprinted on JoinMe.com.my, thanks. ^^
    P/S: We have put your name and link credit back to this article.

    1. rebeccasaw

      A slice was ok. LOL. Can’t imagine eating that whole thing! 😛

  6. Amanda

    Ah, you did justice to our coffee house! Lovely pics..

    1. rebeccasaw

      Hi Amanda!! *waves* thanks for your support to my blog! Gonna check out yours too. So cute la the URL!
      Also, I must say, I enjoyed the food during the Acer launch! *thumbs up*.
      Stay tuned for my posts on MIGF at Lai Po Heen and Mandarin Grill yea!

  7. Fred

    Yes agree the buffet at Mandarin is quite nice. Through a combination of laziness and close proximity, ate there 3 times last week. Overall the food quality is good, selection broad and service better than the average in KL. I thought the salads were fantastic – fresh and crunchy, and they have rocket. Its a battle trying to find salad that isn’t half wilted in KL…. It is a buffet though, so doesn’t matter whether its a big hot plate/bain marie or a little one, its still being constantly heated. So the steamed fish was probably perfect when it first came out, but overcooked by the time i got to it. The centre table with a built in chiller is a nice touch though.
    On the other hand I was under whelmed by the desserts. yes there was a reasonable selection (don’t’ be fooled, it looks bigger than it is – its a large space, but the same desserts are placed in multiple locations), but not awe inspiring. Desserts are the one thing where a pastry chef can let their creativity run wild. There are less restrictions than the savoury dishes. There was nothing there that was out of the ordinary, and there were a few i tried that were just bland. They had oversized macarons at lunch (not your cake sized one..) , but it was average. The sweetness means its too large. Also didn’t rise enough, the pied was too small and didn’t have that slightly chewy consistency it should have. Either the batter was overworked or kitchen too humid. Oh well the search for a decent macaron in KL continues…

    1. rebeccasaw

      Wow you ate there often! Actually, the prev buffet wasn’t so good prior to Mosaic right? Most of my friends who worked around KL area – they entertain their clients here.. always complain abt Mandarin Grill being subpar. Which I agree (from my prev post long time back ) but my most recent visit was for MIGF. Hence I wanted to go back and try, since there’s a new chef.
      Same goes for Lai Poh Heen.
      Haha.. the salads does looked good but I was saving my tummy space for the rest of the spread so I didn’t touch the salad at all 😛
      And I was there early to take pics etc so yes, I got everything fresh and I guess constantly reheated food.. we’ll have to live with that when it comes to buffets? Or avoid those on bain marie and order from the live stations! 😛
      Yup, I love buffets for their desserts but most buffets’ desserts are crap. Here’s it’s decent – like you said selection is limited. Ohh.. wait, have you tried their Mandarin Cake shop desserts and macarons??

      1. Fred

        yes i did eat there often last week… like i said, a combination of laziness and being close by hahaha. At buffets i tend to gravitate towards the salads and cold dishes for that reason… constantly heated stuff gets overcooked. For the same price you could go to a restaurant and have it freshly cooked if you want. The Grill is one restaurant i haven’t tried yet. I’m sure I’ll get to it though…

        Dunno how it was before I never tried lunch or dinner. I stayed there for a few weeks in 2009, and had the breakfast buffet every day, and I thought that was pretty good.

        If your friends think is subpar, then they should stop going!! People need to vote with their feet. Just coz its a 5 star hotel, doesn’t necessarily mean its always going to be good.

        Didn’t try the Cake shop, but I assume it came from the same kitchen? So would be the same? Is it good?
        Suggest you try Frangipani or Senses desserts then….

      2. rebeccasaw

        Sense and Frangipani – yes, esp Frangipani. Heard so much abt the desserts!
        Hmm.. i think the cakes from the Cake Shop is from the same pastry chef, but selection is definitely different from what’s avail on the buffet spread.
        Haha.. my friends are those working nearby.. esp clients which are from Petronas. So MO is like the norm.. else they don’t have any other wehre to treat their clients already.

  8. Fred

    yeah i think frang is great overall. a level of creativity not seen so much in KL. One time we were walking past it, and just decided to duck in for desserts only.
    Yeah its tough I think in general to find nice places. I also work nearby and quality food is also an issue. everyday is a challenge hahaha
    i’ll have a look at the MO cake shop when i next go past…. which I’m sure wont be far away.

    1. rebeccasaw

      I got a friend who stay ard Bukit Bintang too & he’s always lamenting about the lack of good food around the area.
      Hhmm.. have you tried the Deli at Micasa? G Tower, Intermark. Even Terrace at Hock Choon..

      1. Fred

        G tower i’ve tried that italian restaurant at the top – food was ok, but nothing i’d rave about. And not good enough to go back.
        But the service was atrocious. Servers had no idea about the menu, was slow, would bring some glasses and plates but not for everyone. I actually stood up several times to call someone over. And even then it took awhile for someone to come over.

        Had lunch last week at Hanare at Intermark. Had the set lunch, and it was quite good. We were the only table for the whole service, so service was quite good too hahaha. Then tried a macaron and coffee at the T42 cafe in the foyer. That i wouldn’t go back for.

        Deli looks interesting…maybe will try that next week. Thanks!!!

      2. rebeccasaw

        Hehe..The Tanzini is so-so..but I havent been back for ages.
        You haven’t tried The Upper Deck? Also G Hotel.

        Yup, I’m been wanting to try Hanare too. You can go Tatsu at Intercontinental – consistent good feedback ever since it opened.

        Ahh.. t42 is Ben’s – same la like Plan B, etc. Uuder the Big Group. All their desserts – well if you dont like it, then you wont like most of their desserts .

  9. Fred

    No didn’t try the upper deck yet, but I know its there. Yes i heard T42 was owned by the same person as Ben’s etc., who everyone tells me owns (or has owned) half the restaurant scene in KL :). I don’t mind Ben’s though, as the food is reasonable and its so close to where i live. Its relaxed, although the service is slower than slow. I just get menus cutlery etc myself nowadays. I generally stick to salads or western stuff though. Yeah the desserts there don’t do it for me.
    Thanks for the Tatsu tip – will try it. I thought Zipangu at Shangri-la was quite good too. There were some interesting things in the menu, with the maguro tartar being a highlight last time i was there. Shang have also been quite successful at maintaining good service standards at their properties across the region – and here was no exception. Although the last time i ate there, it was the most expensive meal i’ve had, without alcohol hahaha.
    Might try Deli today, so let you know how it goes…

    1. Fred

      Well i did try Deli that day, and have to say it was average. I had the tartare sandwich, and it wasn’t bad as such, but then again its raw meat. We also tried the fried calamari and that was not good. The batter was some parts thick, some pats thin and some parts empty!! The service though was atrocious. It was slow and very inattentive. The food was extremely slow to come out as well.

      Had the buffet again this week at MO. 3 times actually hahaha. And add to that trying the hairy crab as well. Yes just a combination of laziness and close proximity. Last Wednesday they had coffin bay oysters, which is the only time i’ve seen them in all the times i’ve been there. They were fantastic, full of flavour and quite fresh, much better than the normal ones they have, which tend to lack oyster flavour. Also they had rocket a couple of times, which is rarely see in KL. It was a bit old, but its my favourite salad leaf, so nice to see. The cold section in the middle does rotate, with different dishes on different days. so that was good to see. The dips get changed for other cold pastas and meats.
      I enjoyed the hairy crab. It has an almost nutty flavour, and wasn’t over steamed. The crab roe was devine. Almost buttery. Also had the Peking duck as well and was pleasantly surprised. The meat was a little dry, and they didn’t exactly slice it the traditional way, but the skin was crispy and there was enough fat to give it a full flavour.

  10. Chua Liew Jung

    I went to Mosaic in Mandrin oriental hotel in Kl in “25 May 2012” just beside twin tower for lunch buffet. After that, I had serious stomachache around 16:00. It continued until I vomited 4 times. Staying in the toilet for hours and hoping that I won’t vomit. So much, I called to the hotel reservation to direct me to the executive chef. But then after a while, it cut off. So I called to the reservation again to di…rect me to the executive manager on duty. Again, what happened like the first time. I called again for the thirt time to direct me to executive chef, assistance, executive managers, executive manager assistance or executive managers on duty.I waited for few minutes and finally someone picked up. He said who are you, so I said my name. He said you called the wrong number I quickly say no. I’m looking for ‘the management listed above’. so he ask why I called and I said I had food poison. He asked what I had. I try to explain what I had and said you ate too much and sweet foods. I asked what can be done, he keep saying you had too much of sweet foods. That’s all. After a while, I said otherwise I will make a news paper report on the poisonous food. He said go forward and good for you in an improper well pissed manner. What kind of customer services they had. Rated as 5 star but the customer services are really bad. He just want to put back the blame on me. He carries no responsibility in this case. my friend who went with me had dierea and vomit more than 6times. He called to complain as well, the manager said he will call back and do further investigation on the food. He said my friend was the one who complain about food poisoning. I complained but they don’t even recognize me as their customer. such an unbearable and unforgetable experience with such pain physically and mentally.

    1. rebeccasaw

      Hey Gary.
      I’m most shocked to hear about this. Obviously I had no problms, but I think your case should be given due consideration.
      Anyhow, I will see if I can feedback to anyone in M & O for this .

    2. rebeccasaw

      Hi Gary,
      I dropped you an email. Hope to hear from you!

  11. edmunds

    Hello There. I discovered your blog using msn.
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