Westin KL does a dim sum brunch buffet every weekend from 11am to 2.30pm. It is an all you can eat buffet where you can order from a menu of various dim sum items which the chefs will deliver to your tables. While this method keeps the dim sum hot, I do like the old-school dim sum by the cart in traditional dim sum restaurants.

The dim sum buffet is in the Eest Restaurant – their Pan-Asian restaurant located on the 1st floor of the hotel. Eest is a uniquely decorated restaurant with touches of Chinese art pieces and Japanese water features. If you are dining in a large group, do try to make reservations for one of the 3 tables on a raised platform next to the windows. It offers a fantastic view of Pavilion KL and the surrounding KL roads. Read more for my review of Westin KL’s dim sum brunch buffet below.

eest by you.

I made reservations recently for the dim sum brunch buffet. Upon arrival, I was led to a table right in the middle of the room which I subsequently requested for a change as it made me feel a little “exposed” :P They were operating on a full house so it was quite nice of them to help us change the table. Previously, they used to serve a little amuse-bouche platter of light appetizers to whet your appetite before you start ordering the dim sum. To my surprise and disappointment, there wasn’t any this round, perhaps due to the economic downturn?!

The menu is presented in a little silver book that runs over 3 pages of various steamed and fried dim sum items, congee, noodles and dessert. There isn’t a wide variety offered with approximately 10 items for each dim sum and 5 options for the noodles, congee and dessert. A waiter will take your order and advise if you have ordered too much!

The menu sounds very impressive with names such as steamed grouper roll, chicken and black truffle dumplings with flying fish roe, black cod rice rolls and pomegranate dumplings with black truffle. However, when the dim sum appeared, it did not look very different from the dim sum you get in other restaurants! We found that the congee was also lacking in meat and ingredients which made it rather plain. The black cod chee cheong fun we ordered was mostly just rice roll skin which was disappointing. Complaints aside, the prawn dumplings and fried turnip cake was pretty good although the latter was a little oily.

The dessert menu has approximately 5 items comprising mango pudding with white chocolate and olives, bubur cha cha, double boiled pear in Vietnamese tea, mochi ice cream and sticky rice with mango and coconut ice cream. The portions of dessert served are tiny so you can opt to try as many as you want if you still have the stomach space! I found the mango pudding pretty good unfortunately the white chocolate sauce covering the top was really cloyingly sweet. I would recommend ordering it with the sauce on the side! My favourite dessert there was the double boiled pear in Vietnamese tea which was essentially cold sweetened tea with a slice of pear. It was cool and refreshing and a good way to end a rich and heavy meal.

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in the quality of their dim sum. I remember being served dim sum of much better taste and quality several years ago when I first tried it. Their standards seem to have dropped a little with their quality not being much better than that of an ordinary dim sum restaurant. The Westin Dim Sum Brunch retails for RM88++ per person for an all you can eat buffet. It is a little hefty to pay and is worthwhile only if you have some dining discounts there!