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.

HOT HITS OF CILI KAMPUNG

Cili Kampung’s show-stealing Gulai Nangka with Pucuk Manis (RM35) won us over at first bite. The chunks of tender young jackfruit and leafy Sabah vegetable (sauropus androgynus) in coconut milk had such well-balanced flavours, we instantly went for repeat helpings.

From the legendary isle of Langkawi comes Cili Kampung’s range of traditional Malay family recipes to tempt Klang Valley folks.

To evoke laidback kampung vibes at the Suria KLCC outlet, fish traps double up as pendant lights, clusters of potted palms and greenery along with paintings of kampung life and little replicas of kampung houses are artfully incorporated into the resto’s décor. There is even a cosy, well-designed private dining room with rustic touches.

The hot and spicy level of its classic kampung fare remain true to local expectations, and our recent lunch was proof of that. Sampling the Sambal Cili Api Chicken (RM40) left us hot and sweaty: the tongue-searing blend of green and red chillies, garlic and red onion was punchy and nice. 

To douse the 'fire', we sought cool comfort in house drinks such as Lychee Lime & Rose (RM16), Bunga Telang Selasih (butterfly pea flower drink with basil seeds RM14), Sirap Pandan Kenduri (RM8) and Rambutan Lengkong (a mildly sweet concoction of diced grass jelly, goji berries and red dates, RM14).

Feasting on the rich and aromatic Beef Masak Lomak (RM48) – sliced beef in a blend of ground chillies, turmeric, coconut milk, lemongrass and turmeric leaves was sublime. Best eaten with rice, the yellow curry can also be prepared with fish, chicken, squid, prawns or hornshell (siput balitong).

Spicy-hot with a tinge of sourness, the signature Asam Pedas Tenggiri (RM65) included aromatic daun kesum (polygonum minus), kaffir lime leaves, torch ginger flower and lemongrass to bestow it with depth and complexity. Okra lent textural interest to the dish.

We found several sizeable prawns in the Sambal Petai Prawns (RM65). TBH, this dish could do with less oil and more petai (stink beans) though you can request for extra petai for extra RM10.

 

A colourful ensemble of palm sugar ice cubes, green cendol jelly, red beans, sweet corn, buttered crumbs, fresh jackfruit strips, fresh milk and coconut ice cream making up Mama Cendol (RM22) hit our sweet spot for the finale.

Richer on the palate was Onde Onde Puding Bakar (RM25), a nice take of kuih bakar, a rich coconut milk-based cake baked over hot coals. Made of buttered bread with pandan and coconut milk, the dessert with layers of palm sugar and grated roasted coconut, came with homemade vanilla sauce.

Conceived to showcase local produce, Bukit Kelapa (RM25) enticed us with triple scoops of coconut ice cream with gula melaka syrup, crushed cookie crumbs, honeycomb, and mixed nuts.

Next time you’re in the mood for some kampung-style fare, trek home to Cili Kampung for your share of comforting Malay food in the city.

For reservations at Cili Kampung, call tel: 014-965 6124. Address: Lot 432 - 433 & OS401, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. Business hours: 11 am – 10 pm daily

 

KOPITIAM EXPERIENCE AT DORSETT GRAND SUBANG

Hankering for some good old kopitiam fare such as Nasi Lemak, Roti Bakar with Butter & Kaya or Soft-boiled Kampung Eggs with your fave cuppa? Foreign and local guests of Dorsett Grand Subang can now enjoy a first-hand experience of eating in a local kopitiam Mon-Fri, 10.30 am to 5 pm without stepping out of the hotel.

Priced at RM12.80 nett per order inclusive of a cup of Milo, Teh Tarik, Kopi Lokal or Nescafe Tarik, you can select Roti Bakar (toast) with Butter & Kaya (local egg jam), Soft-boiled Kampung Eggs, Nasi Lemak Bungkus, Cucur Udang (2 pcs), Giant Chicken Curry Puffs, Popiah Goreng (2 pcs) or Portuguese Egg Tart.

We gave thumbs up to the delicious Nasi Lemak. Wrapped in banana leaf lined paper, the coconut cream-enriched rice was fragrant and went like a dream with the sambal which had a hint of sweetness to it. Ubiquitous accompaniments: a slice of omelette, sliced cucumber, and fried peanuts with ikan bilis (anchovies) lent textural interest.

Unlike Cucur Udang (prawn fritters) sold elsewhere where the prawns are non-existent, we are pleased to find several small prawns atop the crispy pieces. Served with a chilli dip, the fritters were so delectable we couldn’t resist a second helping.

Another on-point offering was Popiah Goreng. The generous filling of shredded jicama, carrot and mushroom inside the fried spring rolls was reminiscent of Penang Nyonya-style chun piah.

As a fan of local curry puff, I was delighted to find the Giant Chicken Curry Puff came up to scratch. Besides diced potato and chicken, it included a wedge of hardboiled egg.

 

If you’re slanted towards Continental fare, individual portions of Big Breakfast (RM48 nett) are served from 11am to 3pm daily. A hearty plate big enough to two light eaters to share, it consisted of fluffy scrambled egg, chicken sausages, crisp beef bacon strips, baked beans, sautéed mushrooms, hash browns, cherry tomatoes, salad, and slices of buttered toast.

MOONLIT SERENITIY

Celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival with Halal mooncakes from Dorsett Grand Subang, available now until 29 September.

Perennial best sellers: Premium Musang King Durian Snowskin Mooncake (top right, RM63) and Dorsett Signature Blue Mooncake (bottom right, RM43) comprising white lotus paste single yolk encased in organic blue pea flower snowskin continue to be the top draw among Dorsett guests.

The sweetness of the Signature Blue mooncake is just nice, with the salted egg yolk giving the lotus paste filling balance. We also like the inclusion of kuaci (melon seeds) in it.

A standout in our book this year is the Honey Purple Potato Paste with Single Yolk in Lemongrass Snowskin (RM43). The delicious sweet potato paste melds harmoniously with the fresh herbaceous-lemony imbued snowskin.

A touch of bright sweetness from yuzu honey citron lends distinct edge to the baked variant of Pandan Lotus Paste Single Yolk in Yuzu Honey Citron (RM43). Although it's an unlikely combo, the flavours work like a charm.

Made from pure Musang King pulp, you'd realise why it remains such a hit with mooncake fans of the Premium Musang King Durian Snowskin. The luscious taste is incomparable and as good as eating the actual fruit.

Dorsett Mooncake Gift Set (RM128 nett) makes gifting easier for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. It comprises a set of 4 baked mooncakes and a box of 10 sachets Rhymba Hills sampler. 

For more information, call Dorsett Grand Subang, tel: 03 5031 6060.