Coliseum is legendary. It used to be THE place for steaks in Kuala Lumpur but I never got around to trying it. My other half has been pestering me to have dinner there and I finally did. Located along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, it’s best to dress down as the street gets a bit dodgy when the night falls.
Entering Coliseum is like a step into the past – old tile floors, starched linen, stained walls and aged furniture. Many of the patrons looked like old timers; rif and I were the odd ones. We weren’t attended to by an elderly waiter, but a young Malay girl who could use some brushing up on waitressing.
The food was downright old school and actually quite nice. The oxtail soup (RM12.90) packed flavour and came with two large pieces of oxtail. One was nice and tender, while the other piece was a tough as rubber. The soup was thick and rich, so if you’re a light eater, this might be too heavy for you to stomach.
I found the French Onion Soup (RM8.90) a tad diluted. That said, the broth was sweet from the generous amount of onions and (possibly) some sugar.
My Sizzling Australian Rib Eye Steak (RM43.90) came with a salad, wedges and broiled vegetables. I didn’t care much for the salad, which came with thick thousand island dressing. The wedges were crisply fried and fluffy at the centre.
I asked for my meat to be cooked medium rare; it was well seared and reasonably tender. I wasn’t asked for my sauce preference – my waitress assumed I wanted black pepper. Good thing she guessed right, for there were three sauce options. Black pepper, mushroom, and garlic brown sauce.
The Hainanese Chicken Chop (RM23.90) was pretty good and I enjoyed it better than the one at Yut Kee. Fried till golden brown and crispy, the batter itself was tasty and of just the right texture. The homemade sauce with onions, mushroom and peas was well balanced in flavour and complemented the chicken.
For dessert, we shared the Banana and Chocolate Spring Roll with Vanilla Ice Cream (RM9.90). Not fantastic, but it was a good end to a satisfying meal. I’ll be back.
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Food: 6.5/10 (halal)
Verdict: Love the old school factor and the food is pretty decent.
98-100 Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman
50100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2692 6270