OAKWOOD'S BUKA PUASA FEAST WITH THE UNDERPRIVILEGED

Forty-five underprivileged children and 10 single mums from Pertubuhan Kebajikan Al-Firdausi in Cheras were treated to buka puasa by the Oakwood Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur team recently. Held at trEat Restaurant & Bar, General Manager Bennet Chang who played host said, “the CSR event was part of Oakwood Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur’s tradition to invite different worthy organisations in the community to share the festive joy with us.”

Besides having their fill of delicious Malay dishes from the buffet spread, the children played several games with cheery gaiety before Mr Chang handed out duit raya to every child.

Diners who wish to buka puasa at Oakwood Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur can look forward to savouring a good variety of local specialities. Themed “Citarasa Desa”, the selection highlights Head Chef Syaiful Alwi’s expertise in local cuisine.

 

A basket of fresh Ulam serves as the ideal, healthy opener before proceeding to sample local salad offerings of Kerabu Sotong and Kerabu Daging. Both the dishes’ tangy and spice-laden piquancy will prime the tastebuds for stronger flavoured mains.

 

The warm spice accents of star anise, cinnamon and cloves are noticeable when you relish the mildly hot, santan-rich Gulai Daging. Another familiar fave is Daging Masak Hitam, sliced beef in full-bodied dark soya sauce and mixed spice gravy.

 

 

It is tricky to minimise on the amount of rice when the spread features delectable specialities with irresistible gravy in different hues and flavours. Who can resist loading up on the subtly gristly Ekor Lembu Asam Pedas or dousing the pungent, saucy Gulai Tempoyak Ikan Patin over plates of fluffy rice?

 

There’s also highly popular Siput Masak Lemak to savour alongside robust Gulai Kari Kepala Ikan with lots of tender okra and eggplant chunks, and sublime Opor Ayam.

Six food stalls serving Noodles, Roast Lamb, Satay and Fruit Rojak add to the bountiful feast. Ice cream, local kuih and freshly cut tropical fruits ensure you walk away from the dining experience with a sweet smile.

Priced at RM98 nett per adult and RM50 nett per child below 12 years old and senior citizens, the Citarasa Desa will be available till 10 June.

For reservations or enquiries, please call trEat Restaurant, tel: 03-2720 3827. Oakwood Hotel & Residence is located at Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

BIR-NANA RAMA AT FIERCE

There's a new dish in town and it's Fierce! Enterprising restaurateur Herukh T.Jethwani's latest brainwave inspired him to combine his restaurant's famed Hyderabadi dum biryani with banana leaf thali to create the hybrid speciality of Bir-Nana.

Diners can choose either South Indian or North Indian Bir-Nana Set (RM20-RM26 each) comprising their choice of Biryani (vegetable, mutton or chicken; fish only on Fri), 5 vegetables of the day, rasam (spiced tamarind-based broth), chicken curry or vathal kulambu (spicy, tangy veggie stew), raita, achar, pappadam and kesari (South Indian sweetmeat made from semolina).

 

We highly recommend the Mutton Bir-Nana (RM26) as the biryani comes sealed with dough around the metal dum rim, to ensure all the enticing flavours of Fierce's trademark biryani remain intact. Once the lid is lifted, a whiff of the spices, meat and rice should leave you drooling. Trust me, the first spoonful of this sublime speciality will have you wanting more.

Fierce also serves both South and North Indian Thali (RM10 each) - a fab value-for-money rice set presented in stainless steel compartmentalised tray. Depending on whether you're going with South Indian (SI) or North Indian (NI), every thali features white rice or par-boiled rice or chapati, 5 veggies of the day (including fried bittergourd chips), chapati, sambar (SI) or dhal (NI), vathal kulambu (SI) or veg curry (NI), rasam, pappadam, salted fried chilli and kesari.

Fierce has also introduced a selection of North Indian delicacies for dinner. While we waited for the culinary team to rustle some of the house specials for our sampling, we munched on crispy Onion Pakoras (RM8). Crisp on the outside, the sweet tender rings - cooked to order from 3pm daily - helped us to work up an appetite.

From the tandoor comes one of KL's best Chicken Tandoori (RM14 for 1/4 chicken). Suffice to say our dining party had nothing but praises for the chicken which was suitably charred on the outside yet irresistibly juicy inside.

If you prefer boneless chunks of meat, the Kebab Palette (RM22) is a godsend with four different variants: Tandoori, Malai, Haryali & Kalmi to tempt you. The Malai Tikka tasted seductively rich and creamy due to its cream, cheese and cashew marinade while we relished the invigorating mint, garlic, ginger, yoghurt and spice accents of the Haryali Tikka. 

Gram flour, ginger, garlic, cashew and spices form the basis for the Kalmi Kebab, rendering the delectable meat with a profusion of palate-pleasing nuances. Similar options of prawn, fish and paneer are also available priced at RM22-RM32.

Pouffy naans pockmarked with slightly charred surfaces are deftly prepared here too. Grab a basket of Mixed Naan (RM12) to share. Besides the plain version, the assortment includes garlic, butter and coriander naans which go superbly with gravy-laden dishes.

Perfect examples of those include Orange Prawns (RM30) and the fail-safe Palak Paneer (RM20). The first has springy crustaceans bathed in lightly creamy and subtly sweet gravy but such inventiveness was eclipsed by the spinach and cottage cheese purée's bright lushness.

 

No less decadent was Butter Chicken (RM22) brimming with distinctly smoky tomato and spice overtones. Other notable specialities to consider range from skewers of tandoor-cooked Mutton Rogan Josh (RM25) and Aloo Bhindi (RM14), delightful spiced potatoes with chopped ladyfingers.

Want to wrap the meal up with something sweet? We thought the Roti Nutella worth nibbling on as one serving shared meant the calories were spread among friends. ;D

For reservations at Fierce Curry House, please call tel: 03-2202 3456 or 019-3830 945. The restaurant is located at 16, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.