Enchanting spread of 1,001 flavours
Malay dishes and Middle Eastern cuisine dominate buffet in PJ

A COOL and refreshing drink such as chilled coconut water is a good way to break fast.

Cinnamon Coffee House at One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya, is serving its own brand of fresh, young coconuts alongside an extensive lineup of dishes as part of its Ramadan spread themed “Seribu Satu Rasa”.

“The idea is to offer a wide variety of traditional dishes that offer diners a taste of home, as Ramadan is a time when they are likely to miss the flavours of their kampung,” said the hotel’s Malay chef Sharifah Noraini Syed Zainudin, better known as Sherry.

“Most of the 10-odd live action stations at the restaurant’s terrace area offer Malay food, but we also have a few with Middle Eastern influences,” said Sherry, who is from Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

Her special dishes are rendang, of which four types are served – beef, chicken, paru and mutton.

“The rendang dishes are all made from a base paste featuring six types of chillies and gula melaka. “The beef version is cooked with curry paste, while the chicken version has fresh turmeric,” said Sherry, who also makes her own kerisik which is toasted and ground coconut used in the rendang.“The rendang is best enjoyed with ketupat palas and lemang.

Sherry (left) and One World Hotel Petaling Jaya sous chef Mohamad Firdaus Abd Rani carving up the Whole Roasted Lamb Stuffed with Briyani.

“We also have nasi impit that is best paired with peanut sauce,” she recommended.

For soups, there are Sup Gearbox, a robust and flavourful broth featuring beef cartilage, stomach, lung and tongue, Sup Ayam Serai Ala Thai and Sup Kambing Berempah Ala Mamak.

“Sup Gearbox is a dish requiring a lot of patience to prepare as it is slow-cooked for over four hours and uses a lot of herbs, chief of which are the empat sekawan (four spices that are commonly used in Malay cuisine) – star anise, clove, cinnamon and cardamom.

“There is also generous use of lemongrass and ginger to tone down the beefy taste,” she said, adding that Sup Gearbox should be enjoyed with roti bengali to “mop up” every drop.

The Whole Roasted Lamb Stuffed with Briyani, and Chicken Makluba Rice with Condiments are the Middle Eastern-inspired dishes on the menu.

“The roast lamb has a fusion of Middle Eastern and Western influences, as the meat is marinated with spices such as black pepper, Cajun, paprika, oregano and rosemary, but stuffed with briyani rice and cooked Middle Eastern style,” said Sherry.

The roast lamb goes with dips such as Dalca Tulang Kambing, Danok Sauce or Black Pepper Sauce.

“Chicken Makluba Rice was a dish I picked up from my colleagues during a stint in Maldives.

“Makluba is a dish comprising meat, rice and vegetables such as tomato, cauliflower, potato, eggplant and onion.

Chicken Makluba Rice with Condiments is one of the Middle Eastern-inspired dishes on the menu.

“It is typically flipped upside down onto a serving dish just before being served (thus resembling a layer cake), but I couldn’t find a big enough pot,” said Sherry, adding that the chicken would be best enjoyed with an accompanying salsa dip made from coriander, tomato, onion, red chilli and lime juice.

For hot dishes, look out for the kawah (large wok) and claypots containing Gulai Kawah Kambing, Siput Sedut Masak Lemak, Gulai Tempoyak Ikan Patin, Asam Pedas Ikan Pari, Pajeri Nenas, Sotong Goreng Berlada, Udang Goreng Kunyit, Ketam Masak Kari Utara, Daging Masak Merah and Ikan Tenggiri Goreng Berempah.

There is also a goreng-goreng stall offering deep-fried snacks such as pisang goreng, keropok lekor, keledek goreng and sardine curry puff.

Other options include Hainan Chicken Rice, Stir-fried Lamb with Capsicum and Cantonese Fried Noodles at the Chinese station, assorted sashimi, sushi and tempura at the Japanese section, seafood in either grilled or chilled-on-ice versions, assorted roasted meat at the carvery station and pasta cooked a la minute.

End the meal on a sweet note with a spread of desserts such as assorted local kuih, ice-cream and jelly, ais kacang, cendol, baklava and apam balik.

Some of the cakes in the dessert lineup are Chilled Cheese Mousse, Earl Grey Mousse, Pandan Layer, Blue Velvet and Cendol Pudding.

The “Seribu Satu Rasa” buffet is available until April 9, from 6.30pm to 10.30pm, priced at RM238nett per adult and RM119nett per child.

CINNAMON COFFEE HOUSE, Concourse Level, One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya, First Avenue, Bandar Utama City Centre, Petaling Jaya. (Tel: 03-7681 1113. WhatsApp 016-210 9521). Business hours: 6am-1am, daily.

This is the writer’s observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
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A COOL and refreshing drink such as chilled coconut water is a good way to break fast.