Life

The Holy Month of Ramadhan is upon us once again, and while that means abstinence from food, among other things, during the day, at night it also means various Ramadhan buffets serving a range of ‘buka puasa’ dishes and delicacies.

With restaurants now able to take in crowds and organise large scale buffets once again, the excitement is high after the depressing pandemic of the last 2 years. Residents in the Klang Valley, especially KL and PJ, can choose from a multitude of premium restaurants and hotels organising their much anticipated line-up of culinary delights. Here are three reviews to whet your appetite…

ATAS, The Ruma Hotel & Residences, Kuala Lumpur

Hidangan Tradisi: Edisi Nyonya

ATAS has been among KL’s top food spots since its inception and this year’s buffet did not disappoint. A little disclaimer though as the experience was the preview, I did not get to try the full menu but E-V-E-R-Y dish that day tasted amazing. From the Red Curry Chicken with Buah Keluak to the Lamb Kabsa and even the succulent Oxtail Soup were all to die for. Did I also mention that some of the dishes were Nyonya based. Having said that they still lacked the sheer number of dishes other hotels were dishing-out but quantity can’t beat quality. Also missing was the lack of hot drink options because after a day of fasting I would like to end the night with an unsweetened hot coffee but let me refer you to my disclaimer, this was not the full menu that is currently running till the end of Ramadhan. For those working in downtown KL, a great place to wait off the evening gridlock.

Verdict: Quality Over Quantity

+ Small area so no long walks and queues at the buffet line

− Very limited seating, highly recommended to book in advance. Limited variety of dishes

RM218 nett per adult

https://theruma.com/en/kuala-lumpur-luxury-hotel-dining/atas/

FEAST, Sheraton, Petaling Jaya

Citarasa Rantau

The unimposing exterior houses many great dining options and FEAST opened my eyes to what this underrated hotel has to offer. When you get to the lobby you need to get a wristband before you can start your gastronomic journey. Worth mentioning is the extremely tasty baklava of which I would advise to get first before anything else; I was unlucky to not get seconds, that’s just how good it was. Also being my first full buffet since Ramadhan started, I could not eat all the good food on display, but whatever I managed to sample were all pretty good. Must tries are the Chicken Briyani, Seafood Tempura, Pita Bread Shawerma and of course the Baklava. Too bad I was not able to try the waffles and murtabak but they looked and smelled delicious. A key feature here too was their seafood on ice that included Udang Galah.

Verdict: Feast Surprises

+ Good selection of food and not too spread out and YES a decent coffee machine

− They should have made more baklava!

RM158 nett per adult

https://www.sheratonpjstore.com/web/restaurants-and-bars.aspx

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The Resort Café, Sunway Resort,  Petaling Jaya

Jemput Makan at TRC

You would be forgiven if you drive pass the lobby the first time and miss it. But it’s business as usual as they decked out the all-day dining restaurant to reflect not only the holy month but also new norms in dining out. With so many food stations to choose from, it can be tiring to walk from one end of the restaurant to the other in search of your favourite dish but it’s worth the walk. Tip: choose the table overlooking Sunway Lagoon, it has an amazing sunset view.

Sunway Resort pulled no punches as they dared to serve dishes that I have not seen at other buffets in town. Dishes such as Linut or as my wife calls it, ‘starch pudding’, served with Bambangan, an exotic fruit native to Borneo and then another Bornean dish Hinava, a kind of ceviche of Barramundi. All in all the whole buffet was almost faultless and with the huge space it only encouraged the back to normal vibe we all clamour for. Their twist on the humble ‘Bubur Lambuk’, they added shortribs!

Verdict: Great Line-up of Dishes

+ Wide selection of food (do challenge yourself to try every dish), great coffee, overly large dining area

− Overly large dining area also means walking from table to buffet line can be a chore. Parking for first timers might be confusing too.

RM198 nett per adult

https://www.sunwayhotels.com/sunway-resort/offers/jemput-makan