Coliseum Café - Longest Operating Western Colonial-Themed Restaurant

The Coliseum Café Kuala Lumpur has clinched the Malaysia Book of Records award for the ‘Longest Operating Western Colonial-Themed Restaurant’, having been in business since 1921.

Coliseum Café has been operating in the same premises at 98-100, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman for the past 92 years. During the British Colonial rule of then Malaya, the restaurant and its 10-room hotel were popular amongst the British Government servants, army personnel, tin-miners, planters and their families, besides travellers passing through Kuala Lumpur.

Post-Malaya era and in today’s 21st century setting, the restaurant continues to be a popular destination amongst locals and travelers.  Nothing much has changed within its old-fashion, colonial setting;  tables are set with side plates, napkins and cutlery on white tablecloths with attentive waiters on standby, ready to serve diners various mouth-watering signature dishes representative of its Western Colonial Hainanese Cuisine

Assistant Manager Chris Wang Meng Yang, who has been with the Coliseum for 38 years, informed “the ambiance of both the restaurant and bar has hardly changed although improvements have been carried out in the kitchen and backroom areas so as to continue to deliver guests’ dining comfort and satisfaction.

“People enjoy the unique dishes, particularly the sizzling steaks and the chicken chops, concocted by the old Hainanese chefs who learnt the traditional English dishes from the Colonial masters and ‘memsahibs’.

“Over the years, the chefs added their personal touches, herbs and spices.  Today, the menu has a good selection of 90 different food choices which is synonymous of our 1 Malaysia heritage,” added Mr Wang.

Sometime last year, the Malaysia Book of Records recognized Captain Ho Seng Fong, formerly a captain with the restaurant, as being the longest serving employee in Malaysia.   Captain Ho had worked some 50 years  with the historic icon before retiring at the age of 91-years-old due  to age and health reasons.

“The Coliseum brand is destined to grow beyond this humble restaurant and all of us are most excited with all these recent improvements and opportunities.  Soon to open would be the Petaling Jaya restaurant located at Plaza@Jaya 33, early next month.

“We look forward to great times ahead and for sure, this historic icon can withstand the competition of various international brands and some local ones too, and possibly become a strong Malaysian brand in international circles,” concluded Mr Wang.