ROASTED MAY SIZZLES AT SUBSTANCE

‘Buy 1 Free 1’. Isn’t this music to your ears? Especially when the irresistible deal is for the All-You-Can-Eat Roasted Buffet this May at Substance all-day dining restaurant, Courtyard by Marriott KL South.

Expect a well-balanced, expansive buffet spread highlighting splendid roasts, meat and vegetables alike, to feed you well and succeed at it too. Headliners of Roast Lamb and Chicken are amply supported by roasted pumpkin, sweet potatoes, eggplant and capsicums, alongside crispy fried potato wedges.

We enjoyed savouring the rosemary-scented roast lamb and juicy chicken, made memorable by the house Peri-Peri sauce – it’s unapologetically fiery and perfect for those who like sauces with bite.

Get the dining party started with King Neptune’s ransom of Seafood Appetisers: freshly shucked oysters and a trio of sashimi along with poached prawns, flower crabs and mussels.

Salad days never look better than fresh options like Smoked Duck Salad with Orange (smoky, subtly briny duck breast slices mellowed by wedges of orangey brightness atop mixed greens), tuna-flecked Salad Nicoise, Pasta Salad, and DIY Gado-gado (blanched long beans, beansprouts, cabbage and diced fried beancurd dressed with peanut sauce) among others.

Smoked Salmon, Assorted Nigiri and Maki Sushi, and little bowls of Soba Noodles with hot and cold broth jazz up the spread with vibrant colours and textural variety.

 

Also flexing some serious muscle are notable hot dishes such as the deeply flavourful Asam Pedas Oxtail (think lip-smacking chunks of oxtail falling apart at the bone), Balitong Masak Lemak (little horn shells in tantalising chilli and turmeric-based gravy), Sweet & Spicy Prawns and a not-too-shabby Beef Rendang.

Don’t pass up on the Curry Mee either. Lemak-rich santan broth nuanced with aromatic, rounded rempah (spices) make this noodle dish sing.

Fluffy Green Peas Rice serves as the ideal canvas to embrace all those delicate, comforting flavours of Braised Lamb with Radish and Carrots, restorative Steamed Herbal Chicken with Minced Ginger and homey Braised Chicken in Sesame Oil.

Other gems worth the calories: Baked Oysters with Spinach and Cheese and Chinese Fried Rice with tiny silverfish for that subtle crunch. Over at the Indian corner, creamy-rich and well-spiced Chicken Makhani coupled with Idli and Samosa ensure a strong showing.

 

Sweet endings range from assorted Nyonya Kuih, Sweet Wheat Porridge, Fresh Fruits, dainty slices of Carrot, Red Velvet and Cheese Cake, Chocolate Eclairs and two types of Fruit Jelly.

Verdict? The Roasted May promotion is varied enough, locally grounded, and boldly cranks up the flavour when it counts whether it's a power lunch or a laid-back dinner.

Available for Saturday & Sunday Lunch from 12.30pm - 3pm at RM138 nett per Adult, RM98 nett per Senior Citizen and RM69 nett per Child and Thursday to Sunday Dinner from 6.30pm - 11pm at RM158 nett per Adult, RM108 nett per Senior Citizen and RM79 nett per Child.

For more information and reservations at Susbtance (Level 3), Courtyard by Marriott Kuala Lumpur South, please WhatsApp: +603 8682 8898.

Cheers to 137 Bar

Hidden gem of a bar is a compelling pitstop post-dinner. Tucked away up a flight of stairs just beyond the cosy setting of Courtyard Lounge, 137 Bar should be your port of call, for drinks and chill-out session.

 

Fronted by a contemporary bar with backlit drinks display, 137 Bar is tastefully furnished with mellow lighting, cushy armchairs and a secluded nook for small parties who desire some privacy. The décor is sleek bordering on minimalist.

Cocktails abound, imaginative with local twists cleverly included. The friendly mixologist rustles up a curated selection for our sampling, starting with KL South Sling.

It’s house-infused lemongrass syrup with Absolut Vodka, pineapple juice, lime juice, fresh pineapple slice, lychee fruit, grenadine, and a dash of Angostura bitters – a pleasantly bright and vibrant notes on the palate.

My fave has to be Assam-boi Mojito – an invigorating blend of Bacardi Rum with salted prune infused syrup, lime, mint leaves, and soda. Superbly refreshing and cleansing.

Tea fans will love Teh Tarik Twist – a grown-up version of brewed local black tea laced with spice-infused rum, condensed milk, cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Irresistibly potent so go easy on this.

Blending classic cocktail with local coffee gives rise to Kopi O – White Russian; mixing Absolut Vodka and Kahlúa with condensed milk, strong local black coffee, and coffee beans.

It’s only befitting local fresh coconut takes centrestage, to create a beach-worthy Coco-Mojito. Here, fresh coconut is married with Nusa Caña Rum, lime syrup, mint leaves, and fresh coconut water. Panacea for our sweltering weather yo.

Ginger loving drinkers will enjoy Twice As Nice at 137: an ingenious concoction of ginger-infused rum, sliced ginger, lemongrass, calamansi lime and orange curaçao, with a dash of Angostura bitters.

Bar 137 should be your port of call when visiting Courtyard by Marriott KL South, be it for personal or corporate entertaining purpose. The cool laidback vibes is perfect for date nights, convivial gatherings and casual way to welcome the weekend. 

 

MALAY FLAVOURS LEND SHINE AT MADAM LEE

Chef de Cuisine Rizal Sobry has joined hands with Executive Chef Irwan Sutan Chairul to extend the Peranakan palette at Madam Lee Nyonya Private Dining — incorporating timeless Malay recipes with depth, fire and fragrance intact.

The introduction of Malay culinary classics feels more like a homecoming, bringing quiet comfort to the menu. Nestled amidst the grounds of Palm Garden Hotel Putrajaya, the restaurant's recessed shelves decked with Peranakan ceramics segue to a soaring high ceiling space and a grand staircase leading to an airy dining space.

Warm and welcoming, we dip and sip on Singgang Seafood Soup (RM30), a coconut milk-based broth cradling prawns, squid, clams, fish and tender vegetables. Modest in appearance but rich in spirit, the creamy and subtly tangy soup leans in with whispers of lemongrass and sweet brine of the sea.

 

Pie Tie (RM28), those crisp little top hats of jicama, mushroom, egg and prawn; Loh Bak (RM25), deep-fried beancurd sheet rolls of meat, vegetables and spices; and Otak-otak (RM25), spiced fish mousse served chilled are ubiquitous mainstays to tickle the tastebuds.

Soft and yielding smoked beef in a golden pool of turmeric and coconut milk—thick, perfumed and almost pastoral in its richness makes the Daging Salai Masak Lemak (RM48) notable. You taste the smokiness first, then the heat of chilli and spices followed by the grassy-citrusy scent of turmeric leaf. It clings to the beef, then lingers long after you’ve set your spoon down.

If that was a murmur, the Paru Sambal Cili Api (RM45) was a roar. Slightly chewy beef lung slices, swimming in a biting-hot bird’s eye chilli sambal, is not a dish for the faint-hearted. But die-hard fans will love it for its fierce honesty.

Take the edge off with Ikan Masak Kicap (RM58), trad fried red snapper doused in a bewitchingly dark sweet-savoury soy glaze. You’d delight in the mellow, gently spiced sauce; sweet at the edges—perfect to go with plain white rice.

 
More amicable options, easy on the tastebuds include golden-skinned Ayam Goreng Berempah (RM32), its spice coating adding appeal to the chook; Chap Chye (RM28), the homey mixed vegetable milieu that tastes like something your Nyonya grandmother might dish up; and a robust, deeply comforting Nyonya Fried Rice.

 
Dessert is whimsical and tropical—Sago Cha Cha with Taro Ice Cream (RM18), creamy and cool on the tongue; and rich yet sticky Pineapple Pulut Hitam Crème Brûlée (RM26), with just the right crackle of burnt sugar on top.

 

At Madam Lee, the spices may flare, the sauces may cling, but there’s always grace in the telling and old flavours bloom anew.
 
For reservations, call Madam Lee Nyonya Private Dining, tel:03-8943 2233 or visit https://www.madamleenyonya.com/
Address: Palm Garden Hotel, Putrajaya, IOI Resort City, Putrajaya