Saturday, April 20, 2019

SELERA DESA FOR BUKA PUASA AT HILTON GARDEN INN PUCHONG


Inspired by the spirit of giving and sharing for the holy month of Ramadan, Hilton Garden Inn Puchong invites everyone to Jom Makan – to dine together during the breaking of fast hour in companionable merriment.

Located in the Puchong suburb, Hilton Garden Inn Puchong stands tall; a stone’s throw away from a nearby lake and right above the Parkson M Square Mall. The bright and cheery hotel has all the modern amenities and facilities business and leisure travellers seek.
 

Onsite is Garden Grille — the all day dining restaurant with a shaded patio looking out to the hotel pool. This year, the culinary team from Garden Grille will be serving up kampung-inspired dishes for its Selera Desa buffet dinner. 
The compact selection laid out for the media preview proves ample enough. Laden with a good variety, from traditional Malay salads to time-tested treasures from far-flung kampung and towns, even the fussiest of diners will find something to suit their palate.
Snack on assorted local crisps to start or try the savoury Bubur Lambuk as a noteworthy buka puasa opener. Suffused with the warm nuances of spices such as star anise, cinnamon and cloves, the rice porridge is an evergreen speciality for breaking of fast.
 
A soupy alternative is Sup Kambing. Mildly spiced with little cubes of potato in the broth, it’s a comforting option to break one’s day-long fast with. Kacang Pul — a Johorean take on the Middle Eastern/Egyptian foul medames dish — is a distinctive conversation-starter. Somewhat reminiscent of American-style chilli albeit with heavier spice accents, the thick fava beans and minced beef stew topped with fried egg accompanied by thickly cut, buttered toast should leave you amply satisfied.
Goatmeat curry gives the restaurant’s adaptation of Mee Rebus Kambing added appeal. Although the noodle gravy isn’t as thick as the usual mee rebus, the meaty curry dials up the textural and taste quotient of the overall ensemble.
 
 
Fresh and local salads are aplenty to ensure wholesome balance to the meal. The array of Kerabu Ayam and Kerabu Ulam prove on-point as is the crispy Smoked Salmon Canapé.
 
 
 
Hot go-to mains to complement your rice platter range from a piquant and rich Gulai Daging Kawah to the perennial festive favourite of Ayam Masak Merah. The inclusion of zingy hot Teobokki and delightful Japchae is unexpected but most welcome in view of the omnipresent K-pop fever raging among Malaysians.  


No surprises in the sweet department as Malay kuih, fresh fruits and creamy sweet broth seem to tick the right boxes with the buka puasa crowd. It’s a winning formula so there’s hardly any point in reinventing the wheel.


 
Priced at RM80 nett per person, the Sajian Desa Buka Puasa Buffet Dinner (7pm - 9.30pm) will be available from 13 - 31 May 2019. Early book reservations made between now and 6 May diners only need to pay the early bird price of RM69 nett per person.     
 
 
 
For reservation, please call Garden Grille, Hilton Garden Inn Puchong, tel: 03-8084 1299 or email KULPU_FB@hilton.com Address: Jalan DM2, Taman Desa Millennia Selangor, Puchong, Selangor.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

FRESHWATER PRAWNS RULE AT PRAWN DYNASTY


Fresh waterprawns, udang galah or tai thau har in Chinese take centrestage at Prawn Dynasty, a simple, air-conditioned restaurant in Taman Shamelin Perkasa, Cheras.
Chef Kok Wah Bah or Ah Wah as he’s known to regular customers, whips up a plethora of raveworthy fresh waterprawn dishes that hit the spot for lunch and dinner. For now, the prawn dishes are priced at RM39.90 each — quite a steal as the crustaceans are sizeable and can be prepared in about 20 different enticing sauces.
Zingy hot, voluptuous buttery-rich flavours and aromatic curry leaves underscore the Kam Hiong Prawns with Buttermilk. Granted, the presentation is nothing to shout about but nobody is going to quibble as the natural prawny sweetness remains discernible amidst the onslaught on appetite-whetting flavours. 
The subsequent offering features salted egg sauce giving credence to its tongue-in-cheek name of Ham Sap Prawns. In Cantonese, ham sap means lascivious but there’s nothing lewd about this speciality. Just scrumptious prawn stars worth lusting after.
 
IMHO, the Black Pepper Prawns are rather ho-hum although Prawn Dynasty patrons may beg to differ as the crustaceans in sticky, peppery sauce will surely win them over. Go ahead and decide for yourself before bypassing this option.
There’s more to Prawn Dynasty than meets the eye as the menu includes numerous familiar go-to dishes of chicken, fish, clams and beancurd as well.
Mindful of the Chinese crowd who love fresh seafood and fish, Prawn Dynasty is bound to hit paydirt with its signature Ginger & Spring Onion Steamed Orange Roughy (RM8.80/100g).
A prized deep-sea catch from New Zealand, the highly nutritious fish is deftly prepared; its on-point doneness and delicate sweet flesh enhanced by the light, Shaoxing wine-laced soy sauce. A scattering of ginger strips and fresh coriander complete this splendid fish.
Another house speciality to get excited over is Excited Clams (RM25-small, RM40-large) — a claypot of la la clams doused in milky-buttery sauce spiked with chopped bird’s eye chilli and Chinese wine. The unexpected addition of belly pork slices lends extra appeal in terms of taste and texture.
 
Now, Saliva Chicken (RM40-S, RM78-L) may sound gross but the golden yellow skinned free-range chicken is eminently droolworthy. Smothered under fragrant fried minced garlic and shallot, the juicy, tender chicken is a gastronomic treat.
Ham Yue Fah Lam Pou

Popular palate-pleasing choices with mass appeal such as Ham Yue Fah Lam Pou (RM25-small, RM38-large) or sliced belly pork with salted fish in claypot and Three Cup Chicken (RM20-S, RM38-L) are up to scratch and best enjoyed with plain rice.

Despite their simplicity, both the Beancurd with Crabmeat & Enoki Mushroom (RM18-S, RM35-L) and Stir-fried French Beans with Seaweed (RM18-S, RM30-L) manage to hold their own in terms of textural and flavour context. Notable accompaniments to round up a decent, satisfying Chinese meal that won’t break the bank.
For reservations, please call Prawn Dynasty, tel: 03-2856 0765. Address: 26, Jalan  6/91, Taman Shamelin Perkasa, Kuala Lumpur. Biz hours: Daily 10.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm

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