IT’S hard to believe that Hard Rock Cafe Kuala Lumpur has been around for 28 years!

My first visit here was in 1992, and I remember the Famous Fajitas, Fish & Chips and Hot Fudge Brownie we had.

The portions were huge – as you would expect of an American restaurant – and luckily, we had friends with big appetites to help polish off the plates.

Not much has changed at Hard Rock Cafe. The rock ‘n’ roll vibes are still strong. Rock legends’ memorabilia adorn the walls. In the evenings, a live band entertains.

The menu has been tweaked a little, though. It now includes local favourites, like Seafood Char Kway Teow and Curry Laksa.

Sharing is a given here, where hearty portions still rule.

Our lunch began with the Jumbo Combo, a selection of popular appetisers, namely the Signature Wings, Onion Rings, Tupelo Chicken Tenders, Southwest Spring Rolls and Crispy Potato Skins, served with honey mustard, hickory barbecue, sour cream and blue cheese dips.

The slow-roasted chicken wings were smoky and juicy. Though meant to be paired with the blue cheese dip, they were good all on their own.

The Southwest Spring Rolls were stuffed with spinach, black beans, corn, jalapeno and mixed cheese, and came with a guacamole-chipotle ranch dressing. Every bite was a textural surprise, not to mention very flavourful.

It was hard to find fault with the Crispy Potato Skins, which were filled with a creamy cheese sauce, smoked turkey bacon and spring onion. I went for a second helping.

However, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Onion Rings and Tupelo Chicken Tenders, which were breaded and deep-fried. Nonetheless, the chicken tenderloin went well with the honey mustard dip.

A tall glass of chilled beer would go hand in hand with this combo of appetisers.

The Famous Fajitas are still awesome – but only the grilled beef variety. I should have resisted ordering the Duo Combo option, which also came with grilled chicken breast.

I filled up the warm tortilla with beef, pico de gallo (tomato salsa with onion and cilantro), some Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, and dollops of guacamole and sour cream. All yummy and good, just as how I remember it from years back.

The Legendary Burger is unmissable. Every 8oz (226g) patty is made using premium-grade beef, grilled medium-well.

The Java Lava Burger is new on the menu, and that was what we had.

The meat, “awakened” with an espresso rub and a house-made lava sauce, came layered with onions, melted cheddar, smoked turkey bacon, lettuce and tomato. A fried jalapeno garnish topped it all off.

It was indeed a luscious burger, with a hint of coffee in the juicy patty.

Then, it was time for our palate to be roused Malaysian style with the Seafood Char Kway Teow. The noodles were full of wok hei, spicy and packed big flavours with prawns, squid, fishcake, egg and beansprouts mixed in.

The Fresh Apple Cobbler was a thick chunk of layered apples, dusted with cinnamon and baked. It was topped with roasted walnuts, drizzled with caramel sauce and served with vanilla ice cream.

Fruity, nutty and, surprisingly, not too sweet, it was just the dessert to end lunch on a high note.

The Apple Cobbler is RM45, Seafood Char Kway Teow (RM35), Famous Fajitas (RM82), Java Lava Burger (RM66) and Jumbo Combo (RM92). The food was ample for four people.

Hard Rock Cafe is located at Wisma Concorde in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. It can be reached at 03-2715-5555. – August 17, 2019.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.