Malaysian-Indonesian spread

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THE health benefits of Indonesian herbs have inspired Hotel Vistana KL chef de partie Hamdan Harun to cook up a Malaysian-Indonesian buffet for Ramadan.

“Indonesian herbs are very good as they are rich in nutrients, and after fasting for an entire day, it is good to have these nutrients in the body,” Hamdan said.

He added that the herbs had to be fresh in order for have effect.

Chef’s favourite: Rendang Tok is a must-try.

“We can’t always get Indonesian herbs but we can substitute them with our own, which are just as good,” Hamdan added.

With more than 60 dishes, the buffet has a variety of soups, appetisers, main courses and desserts to satisfy hungry diners.

For appetisers, the buffet counter offers Malaysian favourites like Fruit Rojak, Kerabu Pucuk Paku and Kerabu Kerang dengan Taugeh. For soups, there are the Seafood Tom Yam, which is mildly spicy, and local favourite Spicy Mutton Soup.

“We also have international appetisers like Thai Beef Salad, Pasta Salad with Sausages, Mixed Garden Salad and Roasted Chicken Salad,” chef Hamdan said.

Among the main dishes, Hamdan recommends the Rendang Padang, a mirror of the original recipe from Padang, Indonesia.

He added that Dendeng Berlada, which is made from beef, and the Briyani rice were worth trying, too.

“We also have our famous Roasted Whole Lamb, which is marinated with bay leaves, rosemary and thyme for two whole days,” Hamdan said.

Spicy seafood: Paprik Sotong is ideal for those who enjoy seafood and spicy cuisine.

Hamdan loves experimenting and conjuring up his own recipes and firmly believes each dish should be made with fresh ingredients.

Many diners enjoy his Masak Lemak Padang Ayam, which is flavoured with a number of herbs and spices, among which are ginger, serai (lemon grass), lengkuas, turmeric leaves and fresh cardamom seeds.

He also refrains from using packeted coconut milk as the taste differs from the freshly squeezed coconutt milk.

The restaurant also has stalls serving Chicken Tandoori, Roti Jala, Beef or Chicken Murtabak, Roast Black Pepper Chicken, Chicken and Beef Satay as well as a variety of noodles.

For dessert, there are the puasa staples like Bubur Lambuk, dates, ice kacang and cendol mamak.

Those are also Malay and Nyonya kuih, Creme Caramel, Fruit Pudding and Bubur Pulut Hitam. Assorted cakes, French pastries, and Bread and Butter Pudding are also served.

The Ramadan Buffet is available until Sept 19 and is priced at RM39++ for adults and RM28++ for children aged between four and 12 years.