by Angain Kumar
Ipoh Echo took the liberty to go about town to see how Ipohites celebrate Christmas and welcome the New Year. A royal decree by HRH Sultan Nazrin Shah to tone down festivities in view of the floods this New Year resulted in a subdued affair compared to previous years. Nevertheless, some form of merriment did take place but on a much-reduced scale.
Angain Kumar visited some of the premier hotels in Ipoh and filed this report:
Weil Hotel
In the spirit of the festivities, Weil Hotel offered a lovely dinner set at RM100 which featured international cuisine prepared in Ipoh’s first open-kitchen concept restaurant. Guests were accompanied by carolers who belted out Christmas carols effortlessly. There was a plethora of tempting delights from their signature restaurants, Tiffin and Yuk Sou Hin. As the year drew to a close, the hotel’s countdown party drew the most attention. The hotel gastro bar, The Deck, officially opened with performances by popular deejays, Skeletor and Virus. The Deck offers a bird’s eye view of Ipoh’s charming night lights. The evening featured hip upbeat music that was melodious enough to tempt the crowd to usher in the New Year.
Ibis Styles Hotel
sTreats, Ibis Hotel’s in-house restaurant offered a special weekend BBQ buffet brunch. The promotion featured BBQ styled chicken, beef and seafood varieties. The pay-3-free-1 promotion was priced at a reasonable RM45 (adult) and RM22.50 (children). For the New Year’s Eve countdown, the hotel hosted an exclusive Countdown Party at its resident Mu Bar. The RM70 price tag was inclusive of one drink and a party pack. The bar offered a selection of cocktails at affordable prices with other drinks and finger foods. Guests welcomed the New Year with the deejay playing a mixture of retro and contemporary music.
Kinta Riverfront Hotel and Suites
Palong Coffee House at Kinta Riverfront celebrated Christmas with a sumptuous high-tea buffet. The buffet featured appetisers ranging from waldorf salads and assorted canapé. Guests also feasted from an elaborate food station which had roasted lamb leg and rib-eye accompanied with béarnaise and black pepper sauce. There was also a dinner buffet, priced at RM48 with an even larger spread. Guests had a variety of soups and salads to choose from and an assortment of lamb and chicken on display. They welcomed the New Year at the Tin Ore Bistro and Lounge. The countdown was the least of the worries for the attendees, as the atmosphere was most conducive for the occasion.
Symphony Suites
Symphony Suites hosted around 75 guests for its Christmas Eve dinner and held an equally eloquent Christmas Day buffet. The Christmas Eve dinner was fully subscribed with guests celebrating the auspicious day with loved ones. The Christmas buffet featured delicious Western delights such as roasted lamb leg with mint sauce, Tagliatelle carbonara and roasted turkey with cranberry sauce. Guests could choose to dine inside the hotel or outside on its beautifully floral-decked terrace. The mix of international and local dishes was priced at RM60 per person.
Casuarina Meru
The celebration mood was in the air at Casuarina Meru from Christmas till the New Year. It started with a splendid Christmas Eve buffet dinner at the coffee house featuring a western spread with a touch of local flavor. Diners were serenaded with songs by a live band as they feasted on a variety of barbequed chicken and lamb. This was followed by a scrumptious Christmas Day Tunch (Tea-Lunch) and buffet dinner. The New Year was celebrated in style amidst a cheerful crowd at the podium. Guests were spoilt for choice from a spread of western and eastern cuisines with a good choice of desserts to end it all. A live band playing old and new songs entertained guests as they ushered in the New Year.
MH Hotel
MH Hotel celebrated Christmas in style with a delightful set dinner at Sky Lounge, under the starry Ipoh night sky. Set dinner began with creamy white asparagus soup as starter and a mix-grill main course fit for a king. Christmas was heralded with a majestic fireworks display. The party did not stop there as Sky Lounge enjoyed another full house for its New Year’s Eve countdown party. The event was filled with an energetic crowd who welcomed the New Year with drinks and good company. A blend of upbeat music played under a moonlit night overlooking the city, set the mood for the guests to count the last few seconds of 2014 and welcomed 2015 with a loud cheer, minus the fireworks.
