The Square
Novotel Kuala Lumpur City Centre,
2 Jalan Kia Peng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-21470888 ext 7660
IT IS all about local cuisine this December at the Novotel Kuala Lumpur City Centre as the hotel’s Square restaurant dishes out some of Malaysia’s gourmet best.
Themed “Truly Malaysian Truly Tasty” the buffet dinner is an amalgamation of Malay-sia’s finest dishes.
Wide variety: Diners can choose from an array of dishes, including Malay, Chinese and Indian favourites.Square chef Zamrul Azlin Md Akhir said the thematic buffet dinner was a concious effort by the hotel to bring forth the many hidden treasures that can be found in homes throughout the country.
The hotel has a number of European guests who may find the food too different for their taste but Zamrul said they have received encouraging feedback since the promotion started after Raya.
“We let them know about the promotion and educate them about the local cuisine. We have also adjusted the taste of the food to appeal to them,” he added.
He also said that there are descriptions of the level of spiciness in the dish to allow the guests to choose the dishes that suited to them.
Zamrul, who has 13 years of experience under his belt, said he and his team sat down to discuss the menu and had tried to bring dishes from all the states as well as unusual and uncommon dishes to the buffet line.
There are 17 dishes with 12 main dishes rotated each day.
Among the must-tries are the Sayur Buncis Goreng Hati Berlada, a mildly spicy dish that originates from the east coast state of Terengganu.
In this dish, fresh beans are sliced and stir-fried with chilli paste and chicken liver.
Next is a local favourite, the aromatic Ayam Masak Merah Seri Menanti made from a special paste of chillies, tomatoes with ginger, lemon grass and Galangal (lengkuas).
The dish is a combination of sweet, spicy and sour which opens up the palate for the rest of the dishes.
From Kelantan, there is the Ayam Percik, which is chicken marinated with turmeric and lemon grass before being roasted and simmered with coconut milk. The chicken is marinated for an hour-and-a-half to infuse it with the flavours from the marinade.
Another dish is a Deepavali favourite, the Lamb Varuval, which is lamb that is slowly cooked with a spicy paste.
“The thing with lamb is that it sometimes emits a pungent smell and to avoid that, I usually marinate the lamb in tamarind juice for half-an-hour” Zamrul said.
There is also a common Penang Chinese dish called Mah Poh Tauhu which is deep-fried beancurd that is stir-fried with black bean sauce.
For Aloo Ghobi lovers, the restaurant serves one of the best in town.
The dish is a common North Indian dish made from potato cubes and cauliflower with turmeric, cumin and garam masala (a combination of Indian spices).
To reduce the heat in the dish, a dash of yogurt is included.
The desserts counter is also filled with local kuih and sweet porridges like Bubur Cha Cha, Bubur Jagung (Corn Porridge) and during the peak season they also serve Bubur Kacang Hijau with Durian.
The Eat All You Can “Truly Malaysian Truly Tasty” buffet is priced at RM38++ per person and is available from 6.30pm till 10pm until Dec 31.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
