FESTIVE VARIETY FEASTS AT THE MAJESTIC HOTEL KL

Suffused with aromatic spices, the deep-fried quail should be one of the first items to savour from the tantalising spread laid out for the Majestic Festive Banquet Dinner (13 June - 2 July). The meat simply bursts with mouth-watering flavours at first bite.

Other delectable options include crispy fried chicken, fried prawns, fried fish and fried bitter gourd, all well-seasoned with local spices, turmeric and shallots. 

Chef Zaidi and his team will be pulling out the stops, dishing up the best of Malaysia’s nine Royal states. Keep your eyes peeled for Perak’s highly sought-after udang galah sambal (fresh river prawns cooked with sweet and spicy chilli paste).

 

Few diners can resist the showpiece of a whole roast lamb. Not big on red meat? Grilled fish will reel you in. There's also a dedicated nasi kandar section with assorted mains: sotong kari, spiced flower crabs, rendang itik from Kedah, curried freshwater prawns and dalcha to complement fragrant, fluffy briyani rice.

 

It's a good idea to load up on greens for such a lavish dinner. Local ulam and assorted kerabu salads (shredded mango and beef tripe variants top the list) are both healthy and can easily be perked up with zingy sambal.

 

Held at the comfortably set-up Function Rooms on level 3, diners will find themselves spoiled for choice as the buffet also features several live action cooking stalls. Murtabak and roti canai are prepared on the spot as is laksa Penang to tease the tastebuds.

Soup up with a hearty beef broth (sup daging) perfumed with star anise, cloves and myriad other spices and chopped coriander. A perennial comfort food to satisfy those hankering for rustic kampung fare.

For that early Raya mood, nothing beats some hot-off-the-grill satay. Again these meaty skewers are raveworthy complemented by chunky peanut sauce, fresh cucumber pieces and cubes of nasi impit.

The dessert wonderland proffers plenty of familiar faves, ranging from bubur kacang hijau with durian, tapai ubi, serawa durian, kuih peneram, seri muka, buah Melaka, tapai pulut and assorted deep-fried fritters (banana, sweet potato, etc).

 

The Majestic Festive Banquet Dinner is priced at RM125 nett per person. For reservations, please call tel: 03-2785 8000.

Over at Contango, expect a feast of Festive Variety (4 June to 5 July). The luxurious, contemporary restaurant features an interactive dining concept with two open kitchens proffering a sheer variety of local and international cuisine; freshly prepared to order, including a special focus on local Malay cuisine.

Priced at RM145 nett per person, call Contango, tel: 03-2785 8062 for reservations.

GRANNY'S BEST AT BAAN KUN YA

After reading on Flipboard on the impending trend of rainbow sprinkles gaining traction, the forecast came to pass when we encountered the colourful dessert selection at Baan Kun Ya Thai restaurant.

 

Grandmother’s house proves an apt name for this newbie Thai resto as the chefs imbued not quite 50 shades but enough from the wide colour palette into the slew of sweets we tried.

 

Ambiance-wise, the resto premise offers plenty of Instagrammable elements from the get-go. Rattan baskets and homely props from a typical village abode are placed at nooks and corners whilst mellow ambient lighting casts a golden glow on long banquette seats and clusters of vintage-inspired dining furniture.

 

Like my fave Bejewelled Blitz game, the five colour ‘rubies’ or khanom tab tim krop har see (RM12) is as addictive as the online puzzle game. Served in a rotund glass, every spoonful of the crunchy diced waterchestnuts coated in translucent tapioca flour with palm and jackfruit strips and coconut cream was palate-pleasing.  

Similarly, the serving of bua loi tub tim (RM8) - purple floating yam ‘lotus’ coated with tapioca flour proffers smooth, slightly chewier texture, swimming in a sweet, light creamy santan.

I salute the patient chef who painstakingly form the rainbow layers of coconut jelly or woon jet see (RM12 for 3 pcs) to tempt diners. The jelly toothsome texture is memorably enhanced by spot-on sweetness and santan richness.

 

 

Earlier, the Thai showcase got off to an appetising start with miang kham (RM26), the classic DIY starter of wild betel leaves (Piper sarmentosum, cha phlu in Thai or daun kadok in Malay) filled with little dices of lime, ginger, shallot, cashewnuts, bird’s eye chilli, dried shrimps and the zingy house made dip. It’s such a nice way of loading up on greens.

This was followed by a droolworthy yum woon sen (RM28) - seafood vermicelli salad with all the requisite sour, salty, sweet and spicy flavours. Springy squid and prawns with glass vermicelli, dried shrimps, cherry tomato halves and cashewnuts on a bed of lettuce made it a surefire crowd-pleaser.

Every Thai meal calls for a hearty soup and the tom yam nam khon (RM28 – RM48 depending on choice of ingredient and portion size) fitted the bill with flying colours.

Hell hath no fury like our tastebuds scorched but we still loved every drop of the bright orange-hued, zesty soup. The addition of milk gave it a subtle creamy finishing whilst assorted seafood racked up its depth of sweetness. Vegetable, chicken or prawn versions are also available.

Panang phet (RM42) erroneously listed as roast duck curry - one of the house specialities – was a delectable revelation, made with tender slices of smoked duck breast to seduce and titillate discerning palates. Mandarin orange segments lent bursts of fruity juiciness, lifting the assertive red curry gravy to sublime heights.

Despite its minimalist preso, the fluffy soft crab meat omelette or khai jiao poo (RM32)  left us smitten. Drizzled with grandma’s special sauce and crowned with crunchy ebikko, it proved a welcome counterpoint to the spice and chilli-laden plethora we had sampled.

The inherent sweetness of the steamed seabass held its own in pla neung ma now (RM46); its basic clarity undiminished by the attendant trinity of garlic, chilli and onion. Fresh coriander, sliced chilli and lime help to bestow fresh, assertive nuances to the equation.

Chunks of tender eggplant and long beans brought additional textural interest in the classic Thai green curry or gaeng kiao wan (RM36). Available in vegetarian tofu, chicken or beef versions, the aromatic, sumptuous gravy tottered on the brink of lush indulgence.

 

Fans of sai koo sai gai (RM13 for 5 pcs), big marble-sized tapioca balls filled with savoury minced chicken should be delighted to know the evergreen street food snack in the Land of Smiles is served. Thanks to its sweet-savoury nuances, the appetiser can be a curtain-raiser or meal ender.

 

Otherwise, you can always bank on khaw niew ma muang (RM15) - mango sticky rice or tar kho (RM10 for 3 pcs), dainty squares of sago, corn and chestnut pudding topped with coconut cream in pandan casings to wrap up proceedings.

 

We also gave thumbs up to new dessert treats such as khanom thuay (RM8), steamed pandan and coconut pudding in tiny tea cups decorated with foi thong (tendrils of sweetened egg yolk) and khanom leum kluen (RM10 for 6pcs), colourful mini mung bean flour pudding with pandan juice and syrup adorned with coconut cream. Their petite servings are enough to satisfy one’s sweet tooth minus the guilt.

For reservations, call Baan Kun Ya, tel: 03-7733 3337. Address: 1^st Floor, Centrepoint Bandar Utama, 3 Lebuh Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.