Don’t know where to break-fast this coming Ramadhan month? Looking for a good place to have traditional Malaysian delicacies for buka puasa with your family? Well, I have a recommendation for you. Why not head over to JW Marriot Kuala Lumpur this Ramadhan month and enjoy some of the famous local delicacies, all in one place!
I had the opportunity to sample some of their dishes last week for a Ramadhan preview and I have to say, some of those local dishes are not easy to find nowadays especially when you’re living in the city.
Although the dishes that I sampled were only about 50% of what they will serve in total, it was a good spread with large varieties of kampung styled food. The kind that you can only get in kampung areas far outside the city. But some of the popular dishes are pretty common such as roti canai, asam laksa and satay. Oh, one extra bonus…the kambing golek or roast lamb. That was the main attraction for me. Overall, they will have a total of more than 130 types of dishes.
Here’s a little info from JW Marriot
Ushering in the holy month of Ramadhan, the city’s Happening Hotel has prepared a wide variety of traditional Malaysian delicacies for guests to experience. Staying traditional with a heritage theme, the Ramadhan Buffet will feature 138 of the most popular and classic Malay dishes customarily served during Ramadhan.
The Poolside (Level 6) and the Starhill Conference Center (Level 4) at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur will be transformed into a Ramadhan bazaar, replicating a kampung ambience. Aside from the spectacular set up and displays to reminisce the nostalgia of breaking fast in a traditional village setting, the main highlight of the evening is the scrumptious menu. For those who yearn for the traditional kampung experience, the Gerai Makanan Tradisi dan Selera Kampung highlights unique and special Malay dishes from different states. Dishes include Tongkeng Ayam Goreng Bercili, Daging Salai Masak Lemak Bachang and Kupang Masak Rampai. The extensive spread of authentic Malay cuisine includes the ever popular Malay Ulam or salad selection such as Petai, Kacang Botol, and Ulam Raja complemented by local dressings such as Sambal Belacan, Cincaluk, Budu and Tempoyak. Local appetizers that are sure to whet the appetite are Acar Buah and Acar Jelateh. Some of the local favorites featured at the stalls are Nasi Dagang, Satay, Ikan Bakar, Ayam Tandoori, Roti Canai, Chicken Rice, Ais Kacang and many more.
As for me, I can’t get enough of the roast lamb (obviously). It was cooked to perfection and soft and tender and…ok I’ll stop. Just look at the picture below. Sedap tak? Yesss.
And for dessert, I had (a few) of the sago gula melaka served in a martini glass. Good thing I didn’t get high on the sweet dessert. I wasn’t the only one who had a few servings of sago gula melaka. A few of other bloggers were at it too.
But I also have to give an honest comment about one or two of their dishes.
First of all, the asam laksa. To me, it tasted a little bit salty when it should be sour. I was asking about the shrimp paste (petis udang) to add together in the asam laksa, the chef told me they already added it in the soup beforehand. Nope. I did not taste any shrimp paste in it and it tasted weird kind of salty. I don’t know whether it was deliberate or that they made a mistake in the recipe. I can assure you that I wasn’t the only one who had the same comment about the asam laksa.
Another dish that I feel off was the asam tenggiri fish. I wondered why they fried the fish. That’s it. They fried the fish before mixing it in the kuah asam. Why I said it was off? Because the fish was kinda hard to chew and the flavour of the kuah asam wasn’t absorbed in the fish entirely.
So those are my only negative comments for the dishes. Nothing bad nor nothing that they can’t fix. I’m sure they will read this and have it done better for the actual Ramadhan dinner.
Nevertheless, I can vouch for them that their Ramadhan spread will be absolutely awesome. Especially if they have the roast lamb again.
What they offer
Guests are invited to experience yet another beautiful Malaysian custom with family and friends from 7.00 pm to 10.30 pm, from June 6 to July 5, 2016.
Guests who book with full payment made before June 1, 2016 will enjoy the early bird promotion where the buffet is priced at MYR75 nett per person at the Conference Center and MYR85 nett per person at the Poolside. Bookings made from June 1, 2016 are priced at MYR88 nett per person at the Conference Center and MYR98 nett per person at the Poolside.
For reservations, please contact the hotel at +60 3 2719 8666 or email festivebuffetpromotion@ytlhotels.com.my for an authentic kampung dining experience this Ramadhan.
More photos from the Ramadhan preview dinner:
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