Buzz Cafe,
Level G,
Premiere Hotel Klang,
Bandar Bukit Tinggi 1/KS6,
Jalan Langat, Klang
Tel: 03-3325 6868
Business hours: All-day dining.
HOTELS in the Klang Valley take on a kampung-like ambience at their coffeehouse during Ramadan, as buffets get a head start on the coming Hari Raya’s balik kampung spirit.
But Premier Hotel Klang’s Buzz Cafe walks the talk to deliver an authentic buffet for its Kembara Desa themed Ramadan buffet.
Led by senior sous chef Mohd Rosnan Jaraih, the kitchen leverages off its geographically diverse cadre of chefs, having them dig into their hometown specials to bring the balik kampung flavour to Klang.
Mohd Rosnan, a Perak boy from Banjar, said it was a literal kembara desa (village adventure) as he had his chefs – who hailed from Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan – travel back home to research and refine their family recipes.
Himself a veteran with 19 years experience in the hospitality line – having cooked in various properties in Kuala Lumpur, Subang and Shah Alam – Mohd Rosnan has made Premier Hotel his kitchen for the last five years.
Other than his experience, the chef also brought his signature dish Sup Rusa Istimewa, that has become a mainstay on the Ramadan buffet.
Head Chef carving up the whole lamb, one of the nearly 100 items that make up the Kembara Desa Ramadan buffet, which will be ongoing for the Ramadan period at the Buzz Cafe in Premiere Hotel, Klang.
“I stew the deer, bones and all, gulai kawah style for three hours or until the meat is almost fall off the bone tender. The soup is a Perak recipe which I modified and it has five secret spices,” said Mohd Rosnan.
Diners go through buckets of the thick, hearty broth and the kitchen puts out 30l ofsup rusa daily, cooking eight deers over last year’s Ramadan month.
Coming in a deep orange-red hue derived from a blend of tomatoes, carrot and onions; the soup has only the slight sting of pepper while the other secret spices combine to match the meat’s gamey flavour.
The other chefs, too, deliver their own signature dishes like Ketam Goreng Berlada Tanjung Malim, Ikan Patin Masak Rendang Masam Banjar, Limpa Rendang Tok Wan Kuala Kurau, Udang Galah Percik Kelantan, Gulai Itik Meranti and a most peculiar Laksa Belut Kuala Kedah.
Mohd Rosnan said the laksa was based on a Kedah farmer’s recipe, where farmers used eels caught in paddy fields as they lived too far from the sea for truly fresh mackerel.
One of the more unusual items at the Kembara Desa Ramadan buffet is the Laksa Belut Kuala Kedah, which promises to make one’s skin smoother.
“Also, there’s a Chinese belief that the eel will make your skin smoother,” he revealed.
Despite the use of paddy eel, the laksa is not at all slimy, with the eel flaking in a similar way to mackerel while the stock itself was done in Penang fashion.
Mohd Rosnan also recommended the Ketam Goreng Berlada (pepper-sauce deep-fried crab) cooked with dried chillies and caramelised onions, using fresh crab sourced from Tanjung Malim, a fishing village famous for its crabs.
One of the must try items at the Kembara Desa Ramadan buffet is the Ketam Goreng Berlada Tanjung Malim. The buffet will be ongoing for the Ramadan period at the Buzz Cafe in Premiere Hotel, Klang.
While the laksa belut and sup rusa are always available, the other main dishes are rotated, with a different mix of 10 each night.
The huge 150 item menu also features food prepared upon order at live action hawker stalls, including lok lok dip, fried kway teow kerang, fresh popiah, satay, ABC and whole roasted lamb.
For those with a sweet tooth, there was a host of classic Malay kuih-muih, pengat pisang and Serawa Pulut Durian.
Unlike other cooked durian dishes, the serawa has a fairly thin soup made of durian boiled in santan and sugar. The magic was in the pairing of the still solid fibres of rich durian flesh with full-bodied mouth feel of pulut.
Proper durian fans can enjoy the unadulterated glory of durian fresh from its thorny treasure throve too – Premier Hotel’s buffet includes a road-side style durian stall, fruits brought straight from Pahang and served off the back off a truck.
Kuih-muih galore are available as part of the Kembara Desa Ramadan buffet at Premiere Hotel, Klang.
“Of course, it’s done outside the hotel, can’t have the smell wafting in. It’d be torture for the starving diners waiting to break fast,” said Mohd Rosnan, with a laugh.
Kembara Desa Ramadan buffet, served at the Buzz Cafe is priced at RM88 for adults (from June 6 to 12) and RM108 for adults (June 13 to July 3).
Prices for children aged six to 12 years old and senior citizen is RM78.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.
