SELERA DESA FOR BUKA PUASA AT HILTON GARDEN INN PUCHONG

Inspired by the spirit of giving and sharing for the holy month of Ramadan, Hilton Garden Inn Puchong invites everyone to Jom Makan – to dine together during the breaking of fast hour in companionable merriment.

Located in the Puchong suburb, Hilton Garden Inn Puchong stands tall; a stone’s throw away from a nearby lake and right above the Parkson M Square Mall. The bright and cheery hotel has all the modern amenities and facilities business and leisure travellers seek.

 

Onsite is Garden Grille — the all day dining restaurant with a shaded patio looking out to the hotel pool. This year, the culinary team from Garden Grille will be serving up kampung-inspired dishes for its Selera Desa buffet dinner. 

The compact selection laid out for the media preview proves ample enough. Laden with a good variety, from traditional Malay salads to time-tested treasures from far-flung kampung and towns, even the fussiest of diners will find something to suit their palate.

Snack on assorted local crisps to start or try the savoury Bubur Lambuk as a noteworthy buka puasa opener. Suffused with the warm nuances of spices such as star anise, cinnamon and cloves, the rice porridge is an evergreen speciality for breaking of fast.

 

A soupy alternative is Sup Kambing. Mildly spiced with little cubes of potato in the broth, it’s a comforting option to break one’s day-long fast with. Kacang Pul — a Johorean take on the Middle Eastern/Egyptian foul medames dish — is a distinctive conversation-starter. Somewhat reminiscent of American-style chilli albeit with heavier spice accents, the thick fava beans and minced beef stew topped with fried egg accompanied by thickly cut, buttered toast should leave you amply satisfied.

Goatmeat curry gives the restaurant’s adaptation of Mee Rebus Kambing added appeal. Although the noodle gravy isn’t as thick as the usual mee rebus, the meaty curry dials up the textural and taste quotient of the overall ensemble.

 

 

Fresh and local salads are aplenty to ensure wholesome balance to the meal. The array of Kerabu Ayam and Kerabu Ulam prove on-point as is the crispy Smoked Salmon Canapé.

 

 

 

Hot go-to mains to complement your rice platter range from a piquant and rich Gulai Daging Kawah to the perennial festive favourite of Ayam Masak Merah. The inclusion of zingy hot Teobokki and delightful Japchae is unexpected but most welcome in view of the omnipresent K-pop fever raging among Malaysians.  

No surprises in the sweet department as Malay kuih, fresh fruits and creamy sweet broth seem to tick the right boxes with the buka puasa crowd. It’s a winning formula so there’s hardly any point in reinventing the wheel.

 

Priced at RM80 nett per person, the Sajian Desa Buka Puasa Buffet Dinner (7pm - 9.30pm) will be available from 13 - 31 May 2019. Early book reservations made between now and 6 May diners only need to pay the early bird price of RM69 nett per person.     

 

 

 

For reservation, please call Garden Grille, Hilton Garden Inn Puchong, tel: 03-8084 1299 or email KULPU_FB@hilton.com Address: Jalan DM2, Taman Desa Millennia Selangor, Puchong, Selangor.

GREAT CNY FEASTS AT FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON PUCHONG

From 7 January to 28 February 2019, Chinese Sous Chef Alex Chin and the team at Four Points by Sheraton Puchong will work tirelessly to cook up great feasts to usher in the Chinese New Year for young and old alike.

Served at The Eatery and the Four Points function rooms and also available for takeaways, Eight Treasure Yee Sang featuring smoked salmon, jellyfish, scallop flesh, baby octopus, marinated clams, snow pear, fuji apple and persimmon, crispy fish skin, shredded vegetables, crispy crackers, pickles and fruity house dressing. 

During the preview, we had samplings of specialities culled from the three festive set menus composed to appeal to families for the celebration: Spring & Happiness Set (RM1,588+), Everlasting Prosperity Set (RM1,788+) and Wealth & Fortune Set (RM2,088+).

A good example is the soulful brew of Herbal Chicken Broth with Sun-dried Scallop in Whole Coconut. Amidst the pool of warm, sweet nectar I found a thick hunk of sea cucumber, slivers of conpoy, red goji berries and a meaty black chicken wing.

Admittedly, Baked Asparagus & Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Rolls in Tangy Torch Ginger infused Plum Sauce sounded ho-hum but the various components melded together agreeably. Hence it was a definitive crowd-pleaser.

Bright, citrusy accent mixed with a dash of piquant chilli heat ensured the Tiger Prawns with Vietnamese inspired Tangerine-Lemongrass Sauce disappeared in double quick time, leaving behind much happiness. Most appropriate since har har siew is a Chinese homonym prawns as often associated with during Chinese New Year.

Symbolic food is treasured during the festive celebration especially fish or yue in Chinese which denotes abundance and excess. While most restaurants traditionally prefer to serve whole fishes, modern chefs are opting for convenience and newer dining trends resulting in creations such as Pearl Grouper Fillets with Spicy Chilli Paste, Celery & Lily Bulbs in Basket. It was a nice change to savour succulent fish fillet without the messy business of dealing with bones.

The proverbial dish to guarantee prosperity is included as well. Young and old should enjoy partaking the delectable bundle of Sun-dried Oysters, Mexican Clams, Pacific Clams, Bamboo Piths & Shiitake Mushroom Wrapped in Beancurd Skin drizzled with Black Moss Sauce as the savoury platter ticked all the right boxes from the get-go in terms of flavour, texture and colour.

Hearty eaters who have leftover tummy space unfulfilled may allow Smoked Chicken & Dried Shrimp Fried Rice in Pumpkin to plug the gap. This familiar comfort food has been dialled up by the chefs to royal banquet level; a surprisingly nice combination of sweet-savouriness to please the palate.

Dessert options to chill over include a dual platter of Crispy Deep-fried Coconut Coated Chinese Glutinous Rice Cake (Nian Gao)-Mango Balls and Chilled Aloe Vera, Crystal Pear, Dried Longan & Red Dates in Rock Sugar Syrup. Nothing fanciful but evergreen favourites most celebrants will take to as a sweet conclusion to their family festive feasting. 

Chinese New Year Highlights

4 February

Reunion Dinner at The Eatery

RM148 nett per person

7 Jan-28 Feb

Fortune Buffet Dinner

RM128 nett per person

5 February

Hi-Tea Buffet

RM118 nett per person

For more information and reservations, please call Four Points by Sheraton Puchong, tel 03-5891 8855 or email: eatery.puchong@fourpoints.com