20 July 2012 by Crave Malay Mail

Friday JULY 20, 2012 S AT I S F Y I N G

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Ramadan Goodies

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Your guide on Ramadan buffet spreads and street bazaars to feast away

24 Nostalgic times

Serene dining

Swez Brasserie Eastin Petaling jaya

Poolside JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur

Relive those old days with this tribute to the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee, a joint collaboration between National Archives of Malaysia and the hotel. Fans can walk down memory lane as tunes such as Getaran Jiwa, Anakku Sazali and iconic ﬁlms like Bujang Lapok are played. The late entertainer’s favourite dishes will be served such as kari ikan bawal berbendi, burung puyuh goreng, ikan kering masin, cokodok pisang and bubur kacang. Well known for his love for Nasi Kandar dishes, the chefs from Eastin Hotel worked hard to recreate the old tastes of these dishes. An exhibition of P. Ramlee’s life story, photography and artifacts will also be held throughout this period. Contests

will also be up during this promotion. In addition, enjoy more than 200 varieties daily including their signature roast lamb, lidah sapi panggang and dalcha rusuk kambing. Look for: The kari ikan bawal berbendi that is redolent with spices. Special promotion: For reservations made between July 21 to 29, get the buy-5-free-1 promotion. Groups more than 20 persons enjoy a 10 percent discount for reservations from July 30 to August 18. RM98++ per adult, half price for children below 12, 03-76287397

Potpourri of choices Latest Recipe Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur Expect a potpourri of Malay and international dishes here. The Malay dishes are creations of Chef Zubir Mohd Zain. Famous for his role as a Masterchef Malaysia judge, he cooks up 10 dishes rotated daily. The delicious fare includes chicken rendang with young tapioca leaves and siput balitong masak lemak cili padi. Roadside treats such as fritters using banana, yam, sweet potato, sukun and cempedak. You can also enjoy popiah basah, putu piring and mayam, ais kacang, cendol and various kerabu. Drop by the Japanese teppanyaki counter for tender beef. Fresh sashimi and sushi can also be relished here. The Indian counter is a plethora of richly spiced curries, pickles and chutneys, tender tandoori items, ﬂuffy naans and pilao rice to tempt you. Keep room for the divine dessert spread of cakes, tarts and local Malay kuih-muih. Or enjoy the selection of fresh fruits like pulasan, rambutan and salak. They also offer freshly prepared wafﬂes, an ice cream teppanyaki counter and a chocolate fountain. Look for: The roti jala with pengat durian, a Kedah specialty. Special promotion: Complimentary parking on Fridays to Sundays, Starts July 23 onwards, RM128++ per adult (Monday to Friday), RM118++ per adult (Saturday and Sunday), RM88++ per adult (for bookings after 9pm from Monday to Thursday), half price for children below 12, 03-22637434, Email: dining.lmkl@lemeridien.com

Calm down after ﬁghting through the trafﬁc to enjoy this poolside dining venue. The buffet spread is laid out in stalls around the pool and highlights about 108 traditional Malay items. This includes uncommon kampung dishes like the tongkeng ayam goreng bercili that uses chicken bishop’s nose, daging salai masak lemak dengan bachang or roast beef slices cooked with mango and kupang masak rampai or mussels cooked with vegetables. Look for various ulam, nasi dagang, tandoori chicken, roti canai and chicken rice. Get your satay hot from the coals and ikan bakar at the live action stations. Opt for the bubur lambuk and various kinds of soups, like sup kambing, tom yum and sup ekor for a liquid diet to

replenish your ﬂuids. kacang, fresh fruits a

Look for: The juic whole lamb on the served with mint, bla onion sauce. Equall rendang daging and i

Double venue: The the Starhill Confer RM60++ per perso pong ambience as t formed into a R

RM70++ per perso

BUFFET ROUND-UP Local tastes TEMPTations Renaissance Kuala Lumpur The bountiful “Iftar” spread has about 160 varieties of Malay, Indian, Western and Chinese items. Keeping things fresh, three different menus for the hot dishes and desserts rotate on a daily basis. The piece de resistance is the tender charcoal roasted whole lamb, served with percik sauce for a local twist. Lap up the finger-licking wok-fried hot and sour seafood. Ikan bakar, with five types of fish like tilapia, cencaru, kembung, pari and terubok can also be enjoyed with the various dips. For something comforting, reach out for the thick Bubur lambuk made with chicken or beef. Noodle heads can look for the live noodle station, that serves various laksas, on a rotational basis. Sweet lovers can enjoy a healthy twist with the steamed chocolate brownie and prune cake. An unusual item is the puding kelapa bakar. The cool smooth dessert was inspired by a Tuaran specialty that uses roasted coconuts for a smoky taste. Look for: Itik rendang kering, a dry aromatic rendang with tender duck meat. Enjoy tender lemang paired with serunding here too. RM95++ per adult, half price for children 11 and below, 03-21622233.

E s k t r a t r f

FRIDAY 20 JULY 2012

Q&A

Cool off with the ais and various pengat.

CHEF ZUBIR MOHD ZAIN Executive Sous Chef Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur

BORN in Kedah, Chef Zubir cut his teeth in the hotel line for more than 20 years. Last year, he was selected as a judge for the ﬁrst season of the reality television show, MasterChef Malaysia.

cy succulent roast grill is carved and ack pepper and an ly delicious is the ikan keli goreng cili.

Are you still involved in MasterChef Malaysia? We just started shooting the second season. We start with a boot camp to pare down 40 participants to 24 contestants. During Hari Raya, I will also be busy shooting the show.

buffet is also at rence Centre for on. Expect a kamthe space is transRamadan bazaar.

on, 03-27198666.

Expect marvellous spreads of all kinds of food from the hotels and restaurants. From all kinds of Malay treats, here’s a rundown of places for consideration

THE MALAY MAIL

The royal experience

Entertaining times

Essence Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur

Checkers Café Dorsett Regency Kuala Lumpur

Break fast like a royalty with Essense’s palace specialties. Tuck into nasi briyani and roasted whole lamb, daging masak hitam, ayam madu, nasi kandar, kuih bengkang, and pais ikan. Learn also a little on the history of each dish, as the chefs will be there to tell the story behind it. Street favourites like chicken and beef satay, satar, otak-otak can also be found. You also get to customise your own asam pedas. Just pick crabs, prawns, ikan pari, ikan tilapia from the buffet counter. Mix it with your choice of vegetables and the chef will cook it up for you to enjoy. International selections like the sushi bar, Indian corner and steamboat counter can also be enjoyed. Finish with the tempting spread of traditional local desserts such as dodol, sago gula Melaka, kuih lapis and Western pastries. You can even recreate childhood memories as ais krim potong is also available. Look for: Tongue tingling asam pedas, a family recipe of Chef Zamsari. Zoom in also on tapai pulut daun getah. Special Promotion: From July 23 to 29 and August 13 to 17, complimentary seat for every ninth paying diner and 30% discount. Diners also receive a golden chocolate egg in an organza bag. Starts July 23, RM108++ per person, 03-27179933, Email: restaurants.imperial@sheraton.com

Exotic Middle East Al-Diafah Restaurant Well hidden within the unlikely suburbs of Seri Petaling is this sixyear old Middle Eastern restaurant. Their buffet spread comprises of around 40 items including classic appetizers like hummus, tabbouleh and baba ghanoush. Fresh pita breads are also available. The must-eat is their whole Mendy lamb with rice. The ﬂuffy fragrant rice is absolutely addictive with the tender meat. Other good eats include the juicy BBQ chicken, mixed grill items and the creamy lentil soup. Also available is a selection of six drinks like kurma juice and the rarely seen Vimto, the chosen thirst quencher for the Arabs during fasting month. The sweet drink contains the juice from grapes, raspberries and blackcurrant. End the meal with crème caramel. Look for: The tender Mendy lamb and ﬂuffy rice. RM75++ per person, 45, Jalan Radin Anum, Seri Petaling, KL, 03-90596237/9

Any favourite food? I like very simple food. Dishes like the labu masak lemak and grilled ﬁsh with asam sauce. I also love to cook pasta dishes at home. How do you usually celebrate the Raya festivities? On the ﬁrst day of Hari Raya, we would sit down for a meal before we head to the mosque. When my late mother was still alive, she would cook daging masak hitam kicap, and we will eat it with nasi tomato, ketupat and rendang.

Enjoy your Ramadan buffets with a little song and wit from veteran entertainer Jaafar Onn and popular dangdut singer Haiza. You will be spoiled for choice with traditional delicacies like mee rebus Sungai Dua Utara, daging dendeng, sup rusa and rendang tok Kuala Kangsar. Various selections of Japanese sashimi and maki, kerabu and sambals can also be enjoyed. Expect a daily rotation of dishes for more varieties. Unique to the hotel is Chef Badrol Hisham Mohd Ali’s creation, the Kek Budaya Dorsett. The cake comprises of layers of vanilla sponge, tapai pulut and custard. Best eaten chilled, the cake is also tinged with the blue clitoria ﬂower. Look for: The robust tasting sup rusa. RM80++ per person, half price for senior citizens 55 years above and children below 12, 03-27161000, ext 188.

LIGHT & FLUFFY RICE For heavenly briyani rice, visit this low-key Pakistani Restoran 786 along the busy Jalan Dang Wangi. Expect super long Basmati rice grains, well separated and puffed to a pillow-soft texture. Even the chicken is tender with no traces of oil. The rice is cooked using the Dum method whereby the metal pot is sealed with dough. This cooking technique keeps the steam within the pot, hence the rice and meat is delicately infused with the spices. For Ramadan, they will be premiering a Buka Puasa package for RM12.50 nett from 4pm onwards. This offer includes a choice of special chicken briyani or special mutton pulao rice. Break your fast with free kurma dates and drinks. Complimentary dessert cames in the form of a chilled rice pudding known as kheer, similar to the Indian payasam. The refreshing sweet is made with cardamom infused milk and topped with chopped almonds. Restoran 786, Lot 63, 65 & 67 Jalan Dang Wangi, 03-26020061 or their new outlet at No. 19, Jalan Sarikei (opposite Tawakal Hospital), Off Jalan Pahang, 011-11700305.

EDITORIAL NOTE

by Lee Khang Yi

Crave Editor

Happy Ramadan to all our Muslim readers. Front cover credit: Assorted Malay kuih from Latest Recipe, Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur.

ADVERTISING SALES Rajan Gopal Senior Manager, Direct & Classiﬁeds

Direct line: 03 74951282 rajan@mmail.com.my

FRIDAY 20, July 2012

Top bazaars

THE MALAY MAIL

Kampung Sg Penchala In the carpark, near the mosque and off the Penchala Link

Throughout Ramadan, expect a month-long food carnival at the street bazaars. This yearly street-side phenomenon has many traders selling endless choices of food and drinks to buka puasa. In addition, these stalls sometimes sell traditional Malay delicacies only available during this season. From afar, you can always spot a bazaar from its telltale smoke and tantalising aromas emitting from the ayam golek panggang and ikan bakar stalls. Expect the bazaars to start as early as 4pm onwards. The crowds pick up after 5pm onwards until buka puasa time. Good bazaars are often a combination of a few things. Firstly and most importantly, it is the right mix of stalls with good food. A bonus is those with a home-cooked taste. Sometimes, the draw is a famous stall like the ikan bakar stall from Jalan Bellamy. In addition, the layout of the stalls is also important for people to walk around in comfort. Ample parking is also a must so you can make a quick dash in and out to get your goodies.

Trumping Taman Tun Dr Ismail’s bazaar is this compact offering in a small carpark. Expect to find home cooked tastes such as kuih and curries from traders who hail from the nearby village. Zoom in on the famous Ikan Bakar Seri Menanti stall from Jalan Bellamy who will offer all kinds of fish and clams cooked on the hot grill. Or look for the comforting sup tulang from Warung Cherry.

SS18 Subang Jaya Jalan SS18/6 Voted by food portal, FriedChillies.com as their top bazaar pick last year, we expect good things this year from this stalwart favourite. The draw here is a good combination of stalls offering Ramadan must-eats such as Azmi murtabak and nasi briyani gam. The queue at the murtabak stall may be daunting but bite into the murtabak filled to the brim with eggy meat mixture and you will be hooked for life. No wonder regulars nickname it the “murtabak lasagna”. A popular pick is the nasi briyani gam stall, cooked the traditional way in tall steamers lined with muslin cloth. Another enticing item is the crispy roast duck from Sabri Hoi. And one of the best reasons to drop by is the ample parking nearby.

Kelana Jaya Jalan 6/1, near the Giant supermarket Mammoth choices from about 250 traders, the biggest in the Petaling Jaya Municipality. Zoom in on the stuffed cencaru with the killer sambal. Look for the friendly satar stall man, and enjoy the East Coast delicacy made with flaked fish and grated coconut. Other must-haves is the popiah basah FAM, buah melaka and ayam percik. Try the numerous Kelantan food stalls for their delicious nasi kerabu, nasi dagang or the coconut milk-rich laksam.

Bandar Tun Razak Carpark Taman Tasik Permaisuri along Jalan Yaacob Latif Ample space to walk around and park makes this one of the better organised places. Popular choices are akok, the creamy eggy Kelantan delicacy sweetened with fragrant gula Melaka. Don’t leave without a packet of nasi ayam dara: fluffy steamed rice with hot-from-the-oil deep-fried chicken and lashings of super spicy sambal. Hungry tummies can opt for the whole grilled chickens glistening from a honey marinade. Refresh with the sweet fruit puddings, topped with brightly coloured pink dragonfruits, grapes or even green kiwi. Otherwise, go for the soft polkadot kuih apam, a modern creation.

Q&A

ADLY RIZAL Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FriedChillies media

The champion of local food is always on the lookout for the best of the streets especially during Ramadan. He shares with us his top choices: Ramadan buffet picks Paya Serai at Hilton Petaling Jaya for their authentic Malay fare and Sime Darby Convention Centre who has a good spread including the unusual laksa belut. Ramadan bazaar picks His mum’s nasi briyani may be his all-time favourite but his next best bet is the briyani gam at Subang Jaya’s SS18 Ramadan bazaar.