Ramadan Buffet at Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru

Terrence of Mutiara Johor Bahru invited me to the hotel's Seri Mutiara Ramadan buffet.

The first thing that struck me about the Ramadan buffet at Seri Mutiara was the unmistakable local flavour and feel. We were greeted by staff in Baju Malayu and Baju Kurung. There was a huge variety of food to choose from and it felt like a kenduri (village feast) as the presence of local favourites was very strong. I liked the food and ambiance very much.



I guess quite a lot of people shared the same sentiments as it was full house at Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet. Service was cheerful and efficient as Mutiara has beefed up their staffing at the restaurant for the Ramadan.



Executive Chef Mohd Zaid, is the man who orchestrated Sri Mutiara's sumptuous and scrumptious Ramadan buffet. Mohd Zaid has 20 years of experience at various Marriott properties and joined Mutiara 4 years ago.




Malay Chef Raja Zabedah is the lady behind the traditional Malay touches that give Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet a homely, balik kampung feel. Indeed, it felt like a kenduri with a strong traditional Malay theme rather than the sometimes mish mash hotel buffets. Raja Zabedah has been the Malay Chef at Seri Mutiara for 15 years and was a lecturer at a culinary academy before joining Mutiara.

Follow me for a quick walk through of the food gallery at Seri Mutiara. I am not really doing justice to the full spread of food at the buffet, so you have to come down to see it for yourself. What you are seeing are just to whet your appetite :P



A large part of Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet consists of distinctive Malay flavours of hot spices and smooth, gentle coconut aroma. If you want to sample good quality Malay cuisine at a single place, I highly recommend Seri Ramadan's Ramadan buffet.





The familiar colours, tastes and aromas of home.





The cheerful chef at the popular Ramadan lamb station. Tender, moist, gently gamey, irresistible. I went two rounds at this station :P



Roti John, the ever popular simple street food found only in Malaysia and Singapore.



The nasi lemak station. Quintessentially Malay staple that many people eat everyday. Lily Tham's plate of nasi lemak (with a piece Roti John) is at the top right. For some of us, nasi lemak (and Roti John) comes first despite the lure of over 100 other delicious enticements.



The ikan bakar (grill fish) station.



The essential charcoal grill satay station at any Johor makan gathering.



Traditional kuih lovingly hand made piece by piece, one at a time, just like at home.





Lots of local traditional kuih and contemporary cakes to round up the feast on a sweet note.



The colourful choices at the cold drinks station.



We appreciate the charming touches such as the traditional hand washing station.



Seri Mutiara is a good choice to break fast. For food tourists, Seri Mutiara is a perfect one-stop introduction to traditional Malay fare, done beautifully.

Adult: RM80++
Child (4 - 12 years old): RM50++

Best to call for reservation as Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet is understandably, extremely popular. Tel: +607-330-0300 ext 0379 or 0381



Restaurant name: Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru
Address: Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Century, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1Pmxc
GPS: 1.488099,103.757924
Hours: Buka puasa till 10:30pm
Halal

Date visited: 25 July 2013

Terrence of Mutiara Johor Bahru invited me to the hotel's Seri Mutiara Ramadan buffet.

The first thing that struck me about the Ramadan buffet at Seri Mutiara was the unmistakable local flavour and feel. We were greeted by staff in Baju Malayu and Baju Kurung. There was a huge variety of food to choose from and it felt like a kenduri (village feast) as the presence of local favourites was very strong. I liked the food and ambiance very much.



I guess quite a lot of people shared the same sentiments as it was full house at Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet. Service was cheerful and efficient as Mutiara has beefed up their staffing at the restaurant for the Ramadan.



Executive Chef Mohd Zaid, is the man who orchestrated Sri Mutiara's sumptuous and scrumptious Ramadan buffet. Mohd Zaid has 20 years of experience at various Marriott properties and joined Mutiara 4 years ago.




Malay Chef Raja Zabedah is the lady behind the traditional Malay touches that give Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet a homely, balik kampung feel. Indeed, it felt like a kenduri with a strong traditional Malay theme rather than the sometimes mish mash hotel buffets. Raja Zabedah has been the Malay Chef at Seri Mutiara for 15 years and was a lecturer at a culinary academy before joining Mutiara.

Follow me for a quick walk through of the food gallery at Seri Mutiara. I am not really doing justice to the full spread of food at the buffet, so you have to come down to see it for yourself. What you are seeing are just to whet your appetite :P



A large part of Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet consists of distinctive Malay flavours of hot spices and smooth, gentle coconut aroma. If you want to sample good quality Malay cuisine at a single place, I highly recommend Seri Ramadan's Ramadan buffet.





The familiar colours, tastes and aromas of home.





The cheerful chef at the popular Ramadan lamb station. Tender, moist, gently gamey, irresistible. I went two rounds at this station :P



Roti John, the ever popular simple street food found only in Malaysia and Singapore.



The nasi lemak station. Quintessentially Malay staple that many people eat everyday. Lily Tham's plate of nasi lemak (with a piece Roti John) is at the top right. For some of us, nasi lemak (and Roti John) comes first despite the lure of over 100 other delicious enticements.



The ikan bakar (grill fish) station.



The essential charcoal grill satay station at any Johor makan gathering.



Traditional kuih lovingly hand made piece by piece, one at a time, just like at home.





Lots of local traditional kuih and contemporary cakes to round up the feast on a sweet note.



The colourful choices at the cold drinks station.



We appreciate the charming touches such as the traditional hand washing station.



Seri Mutiara is a good choice to break fast. For food tourists, Seri Mutiara is a perfect one-stop introduction to traditional Malay fare, done beautifully.

Adult: RM80++
Child (4 - 12 years old): RM50++

Best to call for reservation as Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet is understandably, extremely popular. Tel: +607-330-0300 ext 0379 or 0381



Restaurant name: Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru
Address: Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Century, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1Pmxc
GPS: 1.488099,103.757924
Hours: Buka puasa till 10:30pm
Halal

Date visited: 25 July 2013

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Ramadan Buffet at Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)

Ervina from Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel invited me to visit Cafe BLD's Ramadan buffet. Cafe BLD was full house during my visit. Extra tables were set in adjacent areas but every table was taken. We were fortunate that a small table was reserved for us. I suggest making a reservation if you plan to come to Renaissance to break fast. Here's the reservation number +607 381 3252.



Ramadan buffets are all Malaysian affairs - people of every community join in and I spotted quite a few people from overseas too. And, Cafe BLD's Ramadan buffet spread has something for every palate - there are popular international and favourite local fare.

Service is excellent at Cafe BLD. Even though the cafe is full, the food was topped up continuously and our used plates were constantly cleared by the cheerful staff.

There is much more choices than anyone could even taste test, so the following are just some that caught my fancy. You have to come here to try the many more choices that I didn't catch with my camera.



Tandoori chicken is a popular choice for breaking fast, so the action at the in-house tandoor doesn't stop.



Just like at Ramadan bazaars, there is a busy roti canai and murtabak station.



Grilled fish that make some of us longed for home cooked food and couldn't wait to balik kampung to home town flavours.



Everybody loves satay. I saw the cooks grilling satay in huge bundles over flaming charcoal non-stop.



Chef Yap at the popular pizza station. When I was leaving he was still making pizzas with the flaming oven.




When I am dazzled by bewildering range of choices, I often fall back on old familiar, comfort food like this curry bee hoon.



I like buffets that have sashimi and sushi :) Went two rounds on this one :P



We had a lot of fun making our own rojak at the rojak buah (fruit salad) station.



There is like every kind of colourful local sweet desserts and kuih.



Side by side with the local kuih and is a good range of cakes too.



We can make our own ice kacang or ABC (Ais Batu Campur) with the help of the cook at the ABC station. There is a good range of colourful jellies and beans to lose ourselves in making our own icy cool creations. 

Adult: RM85.00++
Child (7-12 years old): 50% discount

Cafe BLD is a very popular break fast choice, so it is best to call +607 381 3252 for reservations.



Restaurant name: Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)
Address: 2, Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/w6A4u
GPS: 1.495097,103.812786
Hours: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 23 Jul 2013

Ervina from Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel invited me to visit Cafe BLD's Ramadan buffet. Cafe BLD was full house during my visit. Extra tables were set in adjacent areas but every table was taken. We were fortunate that a small table was reserved for us. I suggest making a reservation if you plan to come to Renaissance to break fast. Here's the reservation number +607 381 3252.



Ramadan buffets are all Malaysian affairs - people of every community join in and I spotted quite a few people from overseas too. And, Cafe BLD's Ramadan buffet spread has something for every palate - there are popular international and favourite local fare.

Service is excellent at Cafe BLD. Even though the cafe is full, the food was topped up continuously and our used plates were constantly cleared by the cheerful staff.

There is much more choices than anyone could even taste test, so the following are just some that caught my fancy. You have to come here to try the many more choices that I didn't catch with my camera.



Tandoori chicken is a popular choice for breaking fast, so the action at the in-house tandoor doesn't stop.



Just like at Ramadan bazaars, there is a busy roti canai and murtabak station.



Grilled fish that make some of us longed for home cooked food and couldn't wait to balik kampung to home town flavours.



Everybody loves satay. I saw the cooks grilling satay in huge bundles over flaming charcoal non-stop.



Chef Yap at the popular pizza station. When I was leaving he was still making pizzas with the flaming oven.




When I am dazzled by bewildering range of choices, I often fall back on old familiar, comfort food like this curry bee hoon.



I like buffets that have sashimi and sushi :) Went two rounds on this one :P



We had a lot of fun making our own rojak at the rojak buah (fruit salad) station.



There is like every kind of colourful local sweet desserts and kuih.



Side by side with the local kuih and is a good range of cakes too.



We can make our own ice kacang or ABC (Ais Batu Campur) with the help of the cook at the ABC station. There is a good range of colourful jellies and beans to lose ourselves in making our own icy cool creations. 

Adult: RM85.00++
Child (7-12 years old): 50% discount

Cafe BLD is a very popular break fast choice, so it is best to call +607 381 3252 for reservations.



Restaurant name: Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)
Address: 2, Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/w6A4u
GPS: 1.495097,103.812786
Hours: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 23 Jul 2013

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Ramadan Buffet at Thistle Johor Bahru Hotel

First and foremost, I wish all Muslim friends Selamat Berpuasa. My first buka puasa this year was at the classy Glass Restaurant at the invitation of Bobby of Thistle Johor Bahru Hotel.



This Ramadan, Thistle Johor Bahru's Executive Chef Imran is presenting two buffets; the Warisan Johor Buffet (self serve) and the Hidang Style (a la carte) buffet. Executive Chef Imran hails from Kedah and had worked in Thistle and Hyatt hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan and the United Kingdom.

We had the hidang style buffet which is served at Thistle's elegant Glass Restaurant. It's a "semi buffet". Customers can choose a la carte from a menu of vegetable, fish, chicken, meat, seafood and rice main courses. There is a self serve buffet spread of appetisers, soups, cakes, kuihs, ice creams, and hot and cold beverages.

Needless to say, there was way more food than we can eat :P  So, here are just the dishes we managed to try till there was no more space in our "not small" tummies - which is just a small fraction of what is on offer at Hidang Style Glass Restaurant.



There was an extensive array of familiar local appetisers to whet our appetites for the big feast.


Steamed Cod Fish in Ginger Soy Sauce

Our first buka puasa meal took off with these thick pieces of steamed cod fish. They tasted fresh and were quite tender. The soupy and light tasting sauce was made mainly with soya sauce flavoured with slivers of ginger and black mushrooms, and garnished with parsley.


Red Snapper Asam Pedas

The red snapper asam pedas was very pleasing. The fresh and thick red snapper flesh was tender. The well balanced asam pedas gravy was soupy, tangy and spicy with sweet notes. I bathed my plate of plain steamed white rice with the flavourful asam pedas and enjoyed it very much.


Prawns in Coconut Milk Gravy

The sea prawns in curry were fresh and succulent. The curry was loaded with creamy, fragrant, sweet santan spiced with hot spices such as fiery chili.


Daging Salai Masak Lemak Cili Padi

I like the curry in the beef curry as it was a well balanced blend of rich santan, spicy hot chilies, and tanginess with sweet notes from tomatoes and onions. The slices of beef needed a bit of chewing work.


Burung Puyuh Goreng Ranggup

The deep fried quails were fried till the birds were crispy dry. The fried quail was just the right flavour - it's neither overly salty nor greasy. This dish is best enjoyed eating with our fingers.


Shank Kambing Masak Beriyani

The lamb shank beriyani was nicely flavoured with aromatic spices that complemented the lamb's gaminess well.



The meat was firm and dense.



The crunchy kang kong stir fried with belacan was sweet, spicy and savoury.



I found the fried bean sprouts with salted fish highly likable. Glass Restaurant executed this classic staple well - the juicy bean sprouts were just done and crunchy. The kitchen did well, going the extra mile to pinch the roots off the bean sprouts leaving just the white and juicy stalks. Nice home cooked feel.



There were four types of soup served. We picked the chicken and ox tail soups.



Plenty of cakes, kuih and ice creams at the dessert table. psst :) don't miss the Hagen Daz ice cream near the coffee machine :)) 



Hidang Style "all you can eat" a la carte Ramadan buffet costs RM120++ per adult. Children 7 to 12 years get a 25% discount. 



Restaurant name: Glass Restaurant (at Thistle Johor Bahru Hotel)
Address: Jalan Sungai Chat, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/jRBGn
GPS: 1.461763,103.743188
Hours: Buka puasa till 10:30pm
Halal

Date visited: 10 Jul 2013

First and foremost, I wish all Muslim friends Selamat Berpuasa. My first buka puasa this year was at the classy Glass Restaurant at the invitation of Bobby of Thistle Johor Bahru Hotel.



This Ramadan, Thistle Johor Bahru's Executive Chef Imran is presenting two buffets; the Warisan Johor Buffet (self serve) and the Hidang Style (a la carte) buffet. Executive Chef Imran hails from Kedah and had worked in Thistle and Hyatt hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan and the United Kingdom.

We had the hidang style buffet which is served at Thistle's elegant Glass Restaurant. It's a "semi buffet". Customers can choose a la carte from a menu of vegetable, fish, chicken, meat, seafood and rice main courses. There is a self serve buffet spread of appetisers, soups, cakes, kuihs, ice creams, and hot and cold beverages.

Needless to say, there was way more food than we can eat :P  So, here are just the dishes we managed to try till there was no more space in our "not small" tummies - which is just a small fraction of what is on offer at Hidang Style Glass Restaurant.



There was an extensive array of familiar local appetisers to whet our appetites for the big feast.


Steamed Cod Fish in Ginger Soy Sauce

Our first buka puasa meal took off with these thick pieces of steamed cod fish. They tasted fresh and were quite tender. The soupy and light tasting sauce was made mainly with soya sauce flavoured with slivers of ginger and black mushrooms, and garnished with parsley.


Red Snapper Asam Pedas

The red snapper asam pedas was very pleasing. The fresh and thick red snapper flesh was tender. The well balanced asam pedas gravy was soupy, tangy and spicy with sweet notes. I bathed my plate of plain steamed white rice with the flavourful asam pedas and enjoyed it very much.


Prawns in Coconut Milk Gravy

The sea prawns in curry were fresh and succulent. The curry was loaded with creamy, fragrant, sweet santan spiced with hot spices such as fiery chili.


Daging Salai Masak Lemak Cili Padi

I like the curry in the beef curry as it was a well balanced blend of rich santan, spicy hot chilies, and tanginess with sweet notes from tomatoes and onions. The slices of beef needed a bit of chewing work.


Burung Puyuh Goreng Ranggup

The deep fried quails were fried till the birds were crispy dry. The fried quail was just the right flavour - it's neither overly salty nor greasy. This dish is best enjoyed eating with our fingers.


Shank Kambing Masak Beriyani

The lamb shank beriyani was nicely flavoured with aromatic spices that complemented the lamb's gaminess well.



The meat was firm and dense.



The crunchy kang kong stir fried with belacan was sweet, spicy and savoury.



I found the fried bean sprouts with salted fish highly likable. Glass Restaurant executed this classic staple well - the juicy bean sprouts were just done and crunchy. The kitchen did well, going the extra mile to pinch the roots off the bean sprouts leaving just the white and juicy stalks. Nice home cooked feel.



There were four types of soup served. We picked the chicken and ox tail soups.



Plenty of cakes, kuih and ice creams at the dessert table. psst :) don't miss the Hagen Daz ice cream near the coffee machine :)) 



Hidang Style "all you can eat" a la carte Ramadan buffet costs RM120++ per adult. Children 7 to 12 years get a 25% discount. 



Restaurant name: Glass Restaurant (at Thistle Johor Bahru Hotel)
Address: Jalan Sungai Chat, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/jRBGn
GPS: 1.461763,103.743188
Hours: Buka puasa till 10:30pm
Halal

Date visited: 10 Jul 2013

reade more... Résuméabuiyad