There are certain meals that instantly feel like home in Malaysia.
A rich curry laksa on a rainy afternoon. Kaya toast with melting butter and strong kopi before work. Nasi lemak wrapped warm and fragrant, sambal staining the paper just slightly by the time you open it.
They are flavours most Malaysians grow up with — familiar, emotional, deeply personal. This June you’ll be able to experience some Malaysian favourites at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur thanks to a limited-time collaboration with Oriental Kopi.
And after spending an afternoon at the hotel’s Lobby Lounge tasting the menu firsthand, I can confidently say this isn’t simply a hotel “reinterpretation” of local food. It feels like a thoughtful celebration of Malaysian dining culture — nostalgic at heart, but polished enough for the setting it’s served in.
A Heritage-Inspired Collaboration for Visit Malaysia Year 2026
Running from 3 – 17 June 2026, the culinary showcase brings together two distinctly Malaysian names: Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, officially recognised in 2025 as the country’s first heritage-certified luxury hotel for championing authentic Malaysian Heritage Cuisine, and Oriental Kopi, the beloved kopitiam-inspired café brand founded by Dato’ Calvin Chan Jian Chern.
The collaboration was created in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026, with the idea of presenting local comfort food to both Malaysians and international visitors through the warmth of kopi culture and refined hospitality.
The Lobster Curry Laksa Is the Dish Everyone Will Talk About
The menu’s undeniable star is the Signature Curry Laksa Noodle with Lobster, created exclusively for the collaboration by Oriental Kopi founder Dato’ Calvin Chan Jian Chern and Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur Executive Chef Eric Fettke.
The broth arrives deeply aromatic, rich with coconut milk and layered spice, without becoming overwhelmingly heavy. Handmade noodles sit beneath generous pieces of lobster alongside tofu puffs, fish cakes, and egg — all the classic laksa accompaniments elevated just slightly in texture and presentation.
What impressed me most was that the dish never loses its comforting identity. Beneath the lobster and refinement, it still tastes unmistakably Malaysian: spicy, creamy, savoury, and deeply warming.
The Signature Nasi Lemak with Ayam Berempah comes with serious credentials. Oriental Kopi’s nasi lemak famously earned a Guinness World Record for the “Most Servings of Nasi Lemak Sold in 8 Hours,” with 11,446 packs sold.
After tasting it, that popularity makes complete sense.
The pandan rice is fragrant without being overpowering, fluffy enough to stay light, while the sambal carries a slow-building heat balanced by sweetness and depth. The ayam berempah — marinated in a blend of eight spices — arrives crisp outside, tender inside, with the kind of seasoning that lingers pleasantly long after the meal ends.
It’s the sort of nasi lemak that reminds you why the dish became a national obsession in the first place.
The Mee Siam and Kaya Toast
If the laksa is the headline-maker, the Signature Mee Siam quietly becomes the comfort order you’d happily return for.
The stir-fried vermicelli carries a subtle smokiness from dried shrimp, garlic, and chilli, balanced with just enough tang to keep every bite lively. It tastes deeply home-style — the kind of dish that feels tied to memory more than trend.
Then there’s the Butter Kaya Toast, arguably the emotional centrepiece of the entire menu.
Golden toast layered with house-made kaya and thick slices of cold butter arrives looking deceptively simple. But one bite in, it delivers exactly what great kopitiam food should: warmth, familiarity, and a strange ability to slow time down for a moment.
Paired with Oriental Kopi’s signature coffee blend — brewed from Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica beans roasted at high temperatures for a bold, almost caramelised depth — it becomes the kind of breakfast combination Malaysians could probably survive on forever.
Don’t Leave Without Ordering the Egg Tart
The Egg Tart deserves its own mention.
Made with 128 layers of flaky pastry wrapped around a silky caramelised filling, it’s delicate, buttery, and surprisingly light despite its richness. The pastry shatters softly with each bite, while the custard remains smooth and barely sweet.
It’s also one of those desserts that disappear alarmingly fast at the table.
Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur could easily have overcomplicated these dishes in the name of luxury dining. Instead, the menu respects what people already love about Malaysian comfort food while gently refining the experience through ingredients, presentation, and atmosphere.
For visitors discovering Malaysia for the first time, it’s a polished introduction to local favourites. For locals, it feels more personal: a reminder that the food we grew up eating can still surprise us when done exceptionally well.
The limited-time menu will be available daily at the Lobby Lounge from 12 pm to 3 pm between 3-17 June 2026, with prices starting from RM8 nett.
Frankly, it may be one of the most interesting local dining collaborations Kuala Lumpur has seen this year.
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