DESTINASI RASA AT LE MERIDIEN PUTRAJAYA

 

Variety is the spice of life at Le Meridien Putrajaya’s Destinasi Rasa for buka puasa (breaking of fast) come 1-29 March. Highlighting traditional specialities alongside contemporary dishes from different corners of the world, the Hotel’s culinary team showcases our rich culinary tapestry through familiar favourites curated from the Peninsular and East Malaysia.

Buka puasa staples such as Bubur Lambuk, Assorted Dates, Kerabu Sotong Jantung Pisang, Kerabu Betik Muda, Umai Sarawak, Kerabu Mangga Sotong, Ulam-ulaman, Sup Kambing Mamak and Sup Tulang Rusuk among others are ideal choices to break your day-long fast.

More substantial fare will focus on perennial bazaar Ramadan favourites such as Murtabak, Kambing Carik with Biryani Rice, Satay Chicken and Tripe, Satar and Otak-otak, Gulai Kawah, Ayam Masak Hijau, Kambing Masak Jintan, Portuguese Style Ikan Bakar, and Ayam Percik.

 

Crowd-pullers from different corners of the world will include Roast Duck and Sesame Chicken, Sushi, Sashimi and Tempura Selection, Black Pepper Lamb Fillets, Fish Curry, Oyster Omelette, Indian Lamb Curry, Fried Yong Tau Foo, Gado Gado, Continental salads, and a Chilled Seafood Bar heaving with flower crabs, prawns, oysters, mussels and slipper lobsters.

Pre-Hari Raya vibes can be savoured through servings of Ketupat, Lemang, Serunding, Rendang and Kuah Kacang.

 

Conclude your buka puasa meal with a cornucopia of luscious dessert: Malay Kuih, Sago Gula Melaka, Serawa Durian, Mango Mousse, Red Velvet Cake, and Walnut Banana Cake with Cream Cheese just to mention a few.

 

Early Bird Offer: Reserve before 1 March to enjoy special rate of RM178 nett per adult and RM89 per child (5-12 years old). Normal price is RM208 nett per adult and RM104 nett per child.

For reservations, please call Le Meridien Putrajaya, tel: 03 8689 6888/6862 or WhatsApp: +6012 4073101 or email dining.lmputrajaya@lemeridien.com

 

TIME TO RASA LOKAL AT EQ KUALA LUMPUR

 

To mark the Merdeka and Malaysia Day celebration, EQ’s Rasa Lokal promotion will take centrestage until 30 September at Nipah restaurant. Traditional flavours of Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast, and the East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak will share the culinary stage at the Rasa Lokal lunch and dinner buffet.

Take your pick from 18 Chef’s Specials in addition to an expansive plethora of local salads, appetisers, grilled seafood and meat, rice and noodle dishes, assorted curries, drinks and dessert. The kaleidoscope of tempting specialities will leave diners spoiled for choice but selective food choices will ensure you’d derive maximum enjoyment out of the dining experience.

Right off the bat, we zoomed in on healthy, flavourful local salads such as Kerabu Betik, Kerabu Pegaga, Banana Flower Salad and Rojak Buah. We love the profusion of salty, tangy, spicy, savoury and mildly sweet accents from the various herb-laden salads.

Nipah is famous for its Satay and the delectable, well-marinated Beef and Chicken Satay with chunky peanut sauce were on-point. At the chef’s urging, we also sampled Sambal Kelapa Satay Perut, chewy-tender cow’s stomach with coconut sambal. It gave our jaw a good workout; try this if you’re partial to innards. 

The crowd-pleasing Ayam Golek was superbly tender; the juicy spice-rubbed roast chicken dialled up with a bright, bracing sauce blending turmeric and a myriad of spices. Equally notable were the nicely marinated Sotong Bakar Berempah (grilled spiced squid) and Pari Bakar (grilled stingray).

Slipper lobsters added a bougie spin to the speciality of Kari Laksa Udang Galah. IMHO, the rich and aromatic rempah gravy should be hotter as lukewarm broth for noodles just put a dampener on the dish’s appeal.

From the Indian section, Ketam 65 – fried spiced flower crabs – stood out for its satisfying spice profile. We highly recommend the salubrious Ekor Asam Pedas (sour-spicy oxtail) complemented by fluffy Biryani. Another worthy contender was Kari Kambing, mutton in fiery-red, tomato-infused curry gravy.

The Chinese-style Steamed Red Tilapia with soy sauce, garlic flakes, coriander and fragrant garlic oil was served table-side. It came too overdone for our liking, possibly due to its small size. There was no doubting the fish’s freshness though.

One of my favourites has to be Roti John which was prepped a la minute. The sandwich with omelette and minced beef or chicken had lashings of tomato and chilli sauce, and mayo in it. However, I only ate a small portion of it hence the pillow-soft sandwich was acceptable.

To finish, I sampled some local Kuih (a hit and miss affair) and Nipah’s classic Bread and Butter Pudding (sedap). You’d be spoiled for choice with Ais Kacang, freshly sliced fruits, dainty cakes (think Kek Batik and Lapis Sarawak), puddings, jellies and fruit pickles among others.

The Rasa Lokal buffet lunch is priced at RM148+ per adult, and RM74+ per child (6–12 years old). Buffet dinner is RM168+ per adult, and RM84+ per child from 6– 12 years.

Reservations for Rasa Lokal at Nipah can be made via email: dineateqkl@kul.equatorial.com or WhatsApp +60 12 278 9239.

A Legacy of EQ-cellence

Celebrating its fifth decade in the hospitality industry, EQ has retained its #1 City Hotel in Malaysia spot at Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific three years in a row since 2022. It is ranked #5 Travel + Leisure Readers' 15 Favourite City Hotels in Asia and #35 Travel + Leisure Readers' 100 Favourite Hotels in the World for 2023. EQ is also TripAdvisor’s #1 ranked hotel in Kuala Lumpur since 2019.