Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge: A Great Place to Relax Before a Flight
At the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, I spent a few hours in the Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge before my flight (FYI, there are also other lounges here in KLIA like the Malaysia Airlines Platinum Lounge and the KLIA 2 Plaza Premium Lounge). There was a buffet spread in the lounge.
The place was really quite fancy looking, with dim lighting and lots of big glass windows. There were a few other guests standing around in front of the lounge and checking in when I went inside.
People flying on airlines like Qantas and Cathay Pacific could all visit the Golden Lounge.
As soon as I entered, I was astonished by how large the dining area was. There were so many counters and so many different options for food.
There was an Indian section with dishes like potato masala. The potatoes were served in a thick, creamy gravy and it smelled amazing.
A salad with carrots and black gram was a refreshing appetizer.
And the rainbow pulao had many vegetables. It looked just as good as it tasted and smelled.
Then I went on to the bakery section. The cakes and pastries were all beautifully displayed in glass bakery cases. They had mushroom pie and raisin scones.
If someone wanted something sweet, then the pandan cake with layers of cream and cake looked really good.
The coffee machine could be used to make an Americano, espresso or cappuccino.
There were also a variety of breads and rolls, including a wholewheat roll. They could be eaten fresh or toasted.
The porridge condiments section had items like fried shallots and hardboiled eggs. The eggs looked a little sad but everything else looked amazing. Sesame oil and soy sauce could be added for more flavour.
As for the warm dishes, there was something called marmite chicken. These items were kept in warming dishes so that they wouldn’t get cold.
Those who preferred beef to chicken could try the black pepper beef instead. The gravy looked dark and flavorful but I was sure it would be quite spicy.
The fried noodles were thin and delicate and prepared with vegetables and chilies.
For those who were vegetarians, they could opt for dishes like the Chinese cabbage or the eggplant. I liked how many different kinds of vegetables they had.
They also served a ratatouille that looked quite herby. The zucchini and eggplant seemed to have been cooked till they were perfectly soft.
The cakes had been sliced into small pieces so that they wouldn’t be too heavy. They were also quite unique flavors, like green tea cake, banana peanut cake and coffee butter cream chocolate cake.
The bread options were sourdough and multigrain. And they had been put right next to the toaster, along with bowls of butter and jam.
The buffet had a cheese platter along with cheese crackers. Dried fruits like dried mango, dried kiwi, dried apricot and dried prunes were kept in jars. Guests could serve themselves on a plate if they wanted some.
The cheese platter held some fresh fruits like grapes in addition to the cheese.
I could choose from assorted cut fruits like pears and watermelon. Matcha pudding was served in small glasses.
The salad section was full of fresh vegetables and greens. And olives and pickles could be added for greater taste and depth of flavor. There was even a prepared salad, along with a variety of dressings.
Fresh fruits like oranges and apples were available in fruit bowls. Guests could just pick up one.
I liked the look of the readymade sandwiches too. They were wrapped in plastic film to keep them fresh.
Simple water wasn’t enough for the Malaysia Golden Lounge. No, they had to serve infused water flavored with either lemongrass and mint leaves or cucumber and lemon.
Malaysia’s famous laksa could be made to order. But so could other noodle soups like miso udon noodles or prawn noodle soup.
I took a look around the lounge. There were enough people sitting at the tables without it being too crowded. The chairs all looked very comfortable and perfect for lounging about in.
On one side were grouped seating areas with large sofas and coffee tables. A thick carpet lay on the floor and there were outlets to charge phones and laptops.
The food was separate from the seating areas.
The lounge had large refrigerators stuffed with cans of soda and water bottles.
I saw both regular Pepsi and diet Pepsi.
A board showed the departure times of the flights so guests wouldn’t miss their flights.
There was an advertisement for Mercedes-Benz and their cards (you can read my experience about my Malaysia Airlines Mercedes Benz private transfer to KLIA Satellite Terminal here).
The surroundings were all really clean and there were potted plants on one side.
The Golden Lounge was quite spacious and large. There were different seating areas and a bar off to one side.
A coffee shop sort of area with colorful chairs looked quite cozy.
There were even booths for some privacy on the left.
A few people had gathered at the bar and were being served drinks.
