One such fascinating tourist spot is the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, the world’s biggest free-flight aviary that is home to over 3,000 birds.

It also houses the Hornbill Restaurant & Café, an impressive kampung house that serves delicious Malaysian and Western fare.

Standing in the middle of Hornbill Park, admiring the majestic Rhinoceros Hornbill happily gobbling up juicy papayas, you will notice a rustic-looking kampung house to the left with a huge signboard, Hornbill Restaurant and Café, the bird park’s main dining attraction.

Consider yourself lucky if there’s an empty table on the open-air verandah because this spot’s usually full-booked as tourists delight in having the occasional hornbill perch next to them as they tuck into their meals.

And keep an eye out for the hungry egrets, who are known to fly by and swipe a morsel of meat right off your plate.

“Hornbill Restaurant & Café was established in 2000. It was previously a fast-food restaurant. Before Covid-19, most of our visitors tended to be foreigners so we wanted to give them the Malaysian experience.

“That is why we have dishes such as Nasi Goreng Malaysia, Fried Mee Mamak, Sarawak Laksa, Pisang Goreng and Keropok Lekor,” says the park’s marketing and promotions executive Taufik Mohd Sharif.

But it is not necessary to visit the bird park to indulge in some truly good food as the restaurant is open to non-visitors as well. The menu offers a smorgasbord of options ranging from Malaysian delicacies to Western favourites like pasta.

While waiting for your order to arrive, why not enjoy a coconut shake, the restaurant’s signature drink? A tropical delight to the tastebuds, the combination of creamy vanilla ice cream and coconut water is the perfect way to cool down in the heat.

In the mood for something refreshing and light instead?

Quench your thirst with some fresh, sweet coconut water served in the coconut itself. Don’t stop there, scoop out the white, creamy flesh and eat to your heart’s content.

Proceed to the satay, one of the restaurant’s must-try dishes. Opt for the beautifully marinated beef or chicken, or have both, to satisfy the carnivore in you. This dish must be enjoyed with the spicy-sweet peanut sauce that perfectly complements all that meaty goodness.

One of Hornbill Restaurant & Café’s Western favourites is the perfectly grilled chicken chop served with a spicy black pepper gravy, crisp, fluffy potato wedges and tender vegetables.

The crisp chicken skin is to die-for and the juicy meat holds in lots of flavour that pairs well with the rich and bold black pepper gravy.

If you really must have a spicy treat, then the Sarawak Laksa is a must.

This bowl of piping hot coconut curry broth holds a generous portion of meehoon, shredded chicken, prawns, fresh coriander, bean sprouts and half a lime, with a side of homemade sambal belacan, perfect for those who enjoy an extra kick.

The rich flavours make this a comforting bowl of goodness, especially on a cold rainy day. According to Taufik, even Sarawakians have given this café’s version the thumbs-up.

Craving stir-fried noodles? Indulge in the Fried Mee Mamak which is cooked with generous helpings of prawns and fish cake. The dish comes with a side of cili padi for those who want to take it up a notch.

One of the dishes often recommended to foreign tourists is the Nasi Goreng Malaysia, which is fried rice served with two sticks of chicken satay, a juicy chicken wing, poppadom and, to top it all off, one egg fried sunny-side up.

This dish is perfect for those who are not fans of spice but still want a taste of comfort food.

Craving something sweet after all that savoury fare? Delight the senses with the restaurant’s special Pisang Goreng. FMT is told the chef does the marketing every day, and if he doesn’t find sweet bananas, the dish is struck off the menu.

For this dessert, whole bananas are coated with light-as-air batter, deep-fried to perfection and served with honey.

Dunk the Pisang Goreng into the honey and take a bite. The sensation is similar to the feeling of digging into a stack of warm and fluffy pancakes – utter bliss, in other words.

For a savoury tea-time snack, Keropok Lekor is the perfect option, and whether someone prefers it doused in chilli sauce or is a purist, either way this stuff is highly addictive.

So, for a great weekend treat, head on up to the Perdana Botanical Gardens and make a beeline for the Hornbill Restaurant & Café. If you’re lucky, some hungry egrets and maybe a hornbill or two will make your acquaintance.

While there, why not make a day of it and enjoy a walk in the bird park too.

Hornbill Restaurant & Café
KL Bird Park
920 Jalan Cenderawasih
Perdana Botanical Gardens
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Business hours
9am – 6pm