This Ramadan, treat those near and dear to you to a lavish buka puasa at the newly opened Bunga Emas, a Malay fine-dining restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.
Traditional Malay cuisine doesn’t boast rare and costly ingredients like truffles, caviar, ginseng, bird’s nest or abalone, so some people are taken aback at the asking price of RM100, RM120 and RM150++ for the tasting menu charged by The Royale Chulan’s Bunga Emas.
Designed to resemble a classical Malay manor, the restaurant boasts lavish details and sumptuous furnishings. It is more a nobleman’s home than an istana (palace) but the grand entrance with its central floral display and a pair of green marble water features resembling mini streams is worthy of a Balai Rong Seri (Audience Hall).
Bunga Emas' Bilik Bersila On each side are dining “enclaves”, though privacy is limited since incoming and outgoing guests have to pass through the main portals. However, at the far end are three enclosed private rooms and two Bilik Bersila (reception rooms) that allow you to commune with your fellow diners in splendid style, if you so wish. All have dimmers to control the lighting, and the last two let you sit on the floor in utmost comfort with your feet tucked under the table, much like in a modern Japanese tatami room.
“Bunga Emas is Malaysia’s finest example of innovative Malay cuisine, not just in delicious food but exemplary service, décor and atmosphere. Bunga Emas is also very conveniently located, as it is the first and only Malay fine dining restaurant in the Golden Triangle located within a five-star hotel,” explains Leo Kuscher, general manager of The Royale Chulan hotel.
“Each dish uses the finest ingredients, though some are not what you might expect. The food is more than mere palate-pleasers; they embody Malay culture. Your sense of aesthetics will be as satiated as your taste buds,” he promises.
Bunga emas literally means “golden flower”, and harks back to the olden days when the King of Siam used to compel the independent vassal states of Kelantan, Kedah and Trengganu to send such golden offerings as a form of tribute. The Bunga Emas was also an esteemed gift exchanged between Malay rulers or presented by a sultan to favoured courtiers, diplomats and friends.
“The Bunga Emas is a profound symbol of excellence and a most fitting name for a restaurant of this ilk,” beams Kuscher.
Chef de Cuisine Khairusshahri Ghazali, aka Chef Khairu, concurs. “The presentation of the food pleases both eye and palate.
Assortment: There is a wide selection of traditional cuisine at Bunga Emas. He describes his style as “nouvelle Malay cuisine”.
“I include fine, quirky touches like using lemon grass as skewers for satay instead of the usual bamboo. I also add western elements like slices of truffles and Japanese edamame beans in grilled fish and Portabello mushroom pieces in stir-fried sweet local spinach, which is a fun twist. Some guests expect the whole mushroom but I only wish to give a hint and not overwhelm the main ingredients.”
Chef Khairu learned cooking from his mother and grandmother when growing up in Sungai Patani, Kedah.
“I am mostly self-taught from experiments and through experiences gleaned from the various hotels I have worked with.”
Chef Khairu started cooking when he was a teenager, and his talent quickly propelled him into the upper echelon. He was assistant Chef de Cuisine at Gulai House at The Andaman and restaurant manager at Ikan Ikan at The Four Seasons, two of Malaysia’s most acclaimed hotels and both in Langkawi. Now at just 31, Chef Khairu is holding court at Bunga Emas.
The RM100++ Ramadan Set Menu he presides over offers four courses and comprises Otak Otak, chicken soup, cashew nut rice, beef, chicken, crab, vegetable and dessert. The RM120++ set offers five courses. The RM150++ menu is over six courses and includes lemang, popiah, soup, sorbet, biryani rice, chicken, beef, prawn, fish, vegetable and dessert. Most come with separate condiments exotically prepared and presented and fit for a sultan. All three menus are accompanied by sweet dates, assorted Malay kueh, sirap bandung and cincau drinks. They are valid only for Ramadan.
There are separate ala carte menus as well for lunch and dinner, with prices averaging at about RM50 per person. Recommended items include Wok-fried Wild Fern Leaves with sambal chilli paste (RM16), Tiger Prawn Percik-style with beet root mee and bread fruit fritter (RM58), Red Grouper with Edamame Curry (RM58), Green Curry Chicken (RM32), Bunga Emas Braised Beef Tenderloin (RM58) and Bunga Emas Quail Breast (RM28).
The Lunch Menu also offers Charcoal Grill and Tandoor dishes.
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