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.

JOM MAKAN BUKA PUASA BUFFET AT GRAND MILLENNIUM KL

A delectable Xinjiang Roasted Whole Lamb along with fluffy spiced nang (the Chinese Muslim version of naan) emerged as the most compelling drawcard at The Mill, Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur for buka puasa this year.

Marinated with cumin, Szechuan peppercorn and chilli, the lamb speciality is a favourite with the Muslim community in Xinjiang, China. Once you taste the tender meat imbued with aromatic spices, you’d be asking for repeat helpings.

Executive Chef Rudy Junaidie and his team will prepare a combination of street food-style eats and traditional delights for The Mill’s Jom Makan buka puasa buffet throughout Ramadan.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Belanga Bakar section where claypot specialities are rustled up by the chefs on duty. With nine types of Belanga Bakar choices available, guests can select their choice of protein and have the ingredients cooked Malay, Chinese or Indian-style.

We recommend the Fish Asam Pedas with eggplant, okra and tomatoes. The tantalising spicy-tangy gravy coupled with the fresh fish went like a dream with plain rice. Other options on request include curry masala and kung pao.

In addition to the requisite Kerabu and Ulam selection, take the opportunity to relish traditional Malay delicacies such as Rendang Tok, Ayam Masak Madu, Telor Itik Masak Lemak dengan Belimbing Buluh, and Kambing Masak Hitam.

Each of the timeless dishes proved on-point and begged to be eaten with plain rice. The tart sourness of the little belimbing buluh (bamboo starfruit) lent nice acidity to the turmeric-flavoured duck egg curry; a must-try dish to whet the appetite.

Fans of Shawarma will be pleased to know the popular Middle-Eastern street food snack is served piping hot. The essential condiments are laid out for you to customise it to your liking.

Another eye-catching highlight to enhance the buffet dining experience is Jajan Pasar – the culinary team’s interpretation of an al fresco Asian market where women vendors sell snacks and sweets on raised platforms.

The international cornucopia also straddles tempting Japanese, Italian and Indian specialities; from appetisers and mains that leave diners spoiled for choice.

Top draws from this section proffered Malaysian desserts: Pulut Panggang, Steamed Ubi Kayu (tapioca) with Coconut and Sambal, Bubur Serawa Nangka (sweet jackfruit in coconut milk dessert broth), Bubur Pulut Hitam (black glutinous rice dessert broth) and Red Bean Soup with Glutinous Rice Balls.

Perennial Malay Kuih ranging from Pandan Layer Cake, Kuih Koci, Kuih Bingka Ubi and Kuih Talam among others also jostle for attention at the expansive dessert line-up.

 

The Mill’s Jom Makan Buffet (7pm to 10pm) will be available from 12 March to 9 April 2024 at RM168++ per adult and RM84++ per child (5 to 12 years old). 

Early-bird Offer: Purchase 10 vouchers at RM1,350++ (RM135++ per adult) from 4 February to 9 March 2024. Free parking (first 3 hours) applicable for dine-in guests.

For bookings and enquiries at The Mill, WhatsApp: +60 12 317 0120 or call tel: 03-2117 4163 or book online: https://bit.ly/3Saz5mk