PAYA SERAI,
Hilton Petaling Jaya,
No 2, Jalan Barat, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7955 9122 ext 4060
Opening hours: 12noon-3pm (lunch)
and 7.00pm-10.30pm
Website: www.ZestPJ.com
and www.petaling-jaya.hilton.com
YOU need not book a flight to Sarawak to sample what the state has to offer in terms of cuisine as you can find it in Hilton Petaling Jaya’s Paya Serai from now till Feb 28.
Guest chef Jamilah Raduan, who hails from Lundu, Sarawak, has 16 years of experience and has often been invited as a guest chef for various cooking demonstrations.
Delightful: Jamilah with the various flavours of Sarawak.“Sarawak cuisine is not too spicy and some dishes are slightly tangy. Common ingredients are turmeric, lemongrass, lime and ginger.
“For this promo, I have prepared about 50 dishes,” she said.
Sarawak’s multi-ethnic population of Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Penan, Kayan, and other indigenous people are reflected in the dishes.
Staple wonder: Try the red Bario rice, analternative from your usual rice.The Pansoh Ayam, is an Iban dish in which the chicken is baked in bamboo while the Chicken Rice in Bamboo is a Bidayuh dish.
An appetising dish is the Umai, a raw fish or prawn salad, flavoured with chilli paste. The tangy appetiser can be enjoyed on its own or paired with rice.
According to chef Jamilah, the Penan and Kayan cook with Bario red or white rice, which is planted in Miri. The rice is special as it contains less starch, hence suitable for diabetics.
Appetising: The Umai is a tangy dish witha hint of spiciness.My personal favourite was the Kek Lapis Sarawak (Sarawak Layer Cake), which had me going for seconds. There are four types of layer cakes listed in the menu namely Kek Lapis Evergreen, Horlick, Masam Manis (Sour and Sweet), and Pertemuan, which means “meeting” in English, so named due to the way the cake is made when the layers meet.
Jamilah, who makes the layer cakes, said the cakes each come with different tastes and designs. Other dishes include Sarawak Laksa, Bubur Pedas Sarawak, Assam Pedas Terung Dayak, Sup Ayam Berlada, Terubok Panggang and Kuih Kering Sarawak.
You can also learn more about Sarawak culture from the handicraft exhibition in front of the restaurant.
The buffet spread is available for lunch at RM68++ for adults and RM45++ for children below 12 years old; dinner is priced at RM75++ for adults and RM45++ for children below 12 years.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
