DELICIOUS WEIL OF A TIME (part 1)

 

Pomelo is a fruit that's associated with Perak especially in the town of Tambun. It's only befitting that the first dish to welcome us to Ipoh's WEIL Hotel is this palate-pleasing pomelo salad from TIFFIN All Day Dining Restaurant. Bursts of fruity sweetness mingled with umami savouriness and punchy sharpness of sliced shallots and spring onion in this Thai-inspired pomelo salad adorned with plump blanched prawns. 

Served at WEIL's stylishly designed Tiffin, diners will discover there's more to the outlet's substantial buffet. The a la carte boasts some hidden gems that should satisfy discerning foodies, ranging from a Balinese slanted satay lilit to its excellent Penang prawn noodles.

The secret lies in the capable hands of Tiffin's chef de cuisine Lee Choon Boon (pix below) and his team. Following several successful international hotel stints, this affable Ipoh guy aims to conquer his own home turf. His dishes have been great testaments thus far...you have to taste them to believe it.

 

The uber-delicious prawn mee stock comes in fiery red-masala hue; its full-bodied, savoury depth culled from a mixture of dried shrimp, prawn shells and heads that teases your palate with prawny sweetness amidst riffs of warm zingy chilli heat. Teamed with sizeable sea prawns, hard-boiled egg, kangkung (water convulvus), beansprouts and sliced fish cake (Tiffin is pork-free), the noodles can rival the best in Penang.

Weekdays see a mostly business and corporate crowd partaking Tiffin's Asian buffet (RM35++ per person) while weekend tunch (tea & lunch RM47++) lets you feast from 12 noon to 4 pm. From our experience, the buffet has ample choices that should leave you spoiled for choice with several notable offerings worth returning for.

Welcome drinks for guests are served at the cosy Tea Lounge one level up. A serene haven filled with cushy armchairs, comfy settees, modern pendant lights and linear streamlined touches, you can while away an afternoon here over tea and cakes or unwind over Happy Hours with your fave tipples and bar snacks.

We took our own sweet time to savour the refreshing lemongrass mocktail; a simple but meaningful welcome gesture that typifies the cordial charm of Ipoh. Soaking in the quiet atmosphere, this little nook is ideal for reading, business discussions or chilling out post-work.

Aesthetically pleasing interior decor inside the Tea Lounge

Personally I like the muted shades of gray, stone, wood and dusky blue of its soft furnishings - all neutral tones that aren't too feminine or masculine. Teamed with wood and some metal trimmings, it's contemporary decor with subtle retro slants should withstand the passage of time well without being dated too quickly.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...Highlights on The Deck Gastrobar and Yuk Sou Hin coming up. 

For reservations and more information, call tel: +6 05 - 2082 228. WEIL HOTEL IPOH is located at 292, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

RESTAURANT MAKEOVER FOR LATEST RECIPE

Breezier, brighter and brimming with fresh vitality…that’s the first impression that came to mind when we see the new and refreshed Latest Recipe. The restaurant makeover took three months and now, everything has a sparkling new shine to it. Especially the theatrical dining spread.

Freshness is emphasised here as are colours and variety – the lavish buffet beckons with tempting dishes of seasonal ingredients, the richness of Malaysia’s multi-racial cuisines and an international miasma.

Who can resist the draw of live, open kitchens manned by award-winning chefs? Or the resultant plethora of sights, smells, sounds and tastes evoked by Latest Recipe’s sublime five-cuisine offerings: Indian, Chinese, Malay, Japanese and Western coupled with modern upscale ‘hawker’ ambience?

 

The Japanese section is a major crowd-puller as is the teppan and grilled stations where diners get in line for their share of sushi, sashimi, teppan-cooked meat or seafood as well as carvery items. Local hot dishes are perennial delights as are the superb selection of appetisers and starters that range from seafood to salads.

Hot on the hit list is authentic North and South Indian selection. The fiery red Hyderabad Kakadai Crab Curry goes hand-in-hand with Briyani or grab some Tandoori specialities. Scoop up some Lamb Masala to savour with assorted Indian bread. Oh, remember to leave ample tummy room for Chicken Murgh, Eggplant with Masala Curry, Potato with Cumin and Masala Paste, Chick Peas Curry and Lady’s Finger Tomato Curry, just to name a few.

 

 

'Like kids in a candy store' is what we felt when we spied the cheery dessert spread. Again the 'no holds barred' concept leaves diners in sweet heaven. Kiss bye-bye to that diet if you love chocolate, cakes, puddings, pastries, kuihs, etc. Now there's even frozen yoghurt with assorted toppings.

I felt like Alice caught in a candy crush saga...spoiled for choice and debating with myself on what to pick. Some of the droolworthy pics here give you a fair idea of my personal faves - a mere 'scratch at the surface' variety that doesn't do justice to the actual array served.

Prices are RM108++ for lunch (Monday to Friday) and RM118++ per person for dinner (Monday to Thursday). Buffet Dinner from Friday to Sunday is priced at RM128++ per person. The Sunday Roast buffet lunch is available at RM 118++ per person.

For reservations at Latest Recipe, call Dining Reservations at +603 2263 7434 or visit dining.lemeridienkualalumpur.com or e-mail: dining.lmkl@lemeridien.com