Terrence of Mutiara Johor Bahru invited me to the hotel's Seri Mutiara Ramadan buffet.
The first thing that struck me about the Ramadan buffet at Seri Mutiara was the unmistakable local flavour and feel. We were greeted by staff in Baju Malayu and Baju Kurung. There was a huge variety of food to choose from and it felt like a kenduri (village feast) as the presence of local favourites was very strong. I liked the food and ambiance very much.
I guess quite a lot of people shared the same sentiments as it was full house at Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet. Service was cheerful and efficient as Mutiara has beefed up their staffing at the restaurant for the Ramadan.
Executive Chef Mohd Zaid, is the man who orchestrated Sri Mutiara's sumptuous and scrumptious Ramadan buffet. Mohd Zaid has 20 years of experience at various Marriott properties and joined Mutiara 4 years ago.
Malay Chef Raja Zabedah is the lady behind the traditional Malay touches that give Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet a homely, balik kampung feel. Indeed, it felt like a kenduri with a strong traditional Malay theme rather than the sometimes mish mash hotel buffets. Raja Zabedah has been the Malay Chef at Seri Mutiara for 15 years and was a lecturer at a culinary academy before joining Mutiara.
Follow me for a quick walk through of the food gallery at Seri Mutiara. I am not really doing justice to the full spread of food at the buffet, so you have to come down to see it for yourself. What you are seeing are just to whet your appetite :P
A large part of Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet consists of distinctive Malay flavours of hot spices and smooth, gentle coconut aroma. If you want to sample good quality Malay cuisine at a single place, I highly recommend Seri Ramadan's Ramadan buffet.
The familiar colours, tastes and aromas of home.
The cheerful chef at the popular Ramadan lamb station. Tender, moist, gently gamey, irresistible. I went two rounds at this station :P
Roti John, the ever popular simple street food found only in Malaysia and Singapore.
The nasi lemak station. Quintessentially Malay staple that many people eat everyday. Lily Tham's plate of nasi lemak (with a piece Roti John) is at the top right. For some of us, nasi lemak (and Roti John) comes first despite the lure of over 100 other delicious enticements.
The ikan bakar (grill fish) station.
The essential charcoal grill satay station at any Johor makan gathering.
Traditional kuih lovingly hand made piece by piece, one at a time, just like at home.
Lots of local traditional kuih and contemporary cakes to round up the feast on a sweet note.
The colourful choices at the cold drinks station.
We appreciate the charming touches such as the traditional hand washing station.
Seri Mutiara is a good choice to break fast. For food tourists, Seri Mutiara is a perfect one-stop introduction to traditional Malay fare, done beautifully.
Adult: RM80++
Child (4 - 12 years old): RM50++
Best to call for reservation as Seri Mutiara's Ramadan buffet is understandably, extremely popular. Tel: +607-330-0300 ext 0379 or 0381
Restaurant name: Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru
Address: Jalan Dato Sulaiman, Taman Century, Johor Bahru
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/1Pmxc
GPS: 1.488099,103.757924
Hours: Buka puasa till 10:30pm
Halal
Date visited: 25 July 2013
Pardon me if I say this blog is becoming increasingly advertorial
ReplyDeleteYes, I am getting more and more restaurant invites, and they are beginning to crowd out the hawker posts. I am limiting the acceptance of invites so that hawkers and small shops remain the core of this blog. I assure you that there are no paid food reviews and no advertorials at all on this blog. Thanks for your feedback.
ReplyDelete