Ramadan Buffet in Johor Bahru, Renaissance Hotel (Preview)

Johor Kaki was invited by Renaissance Hotel to a media preview of their popular in-house cafe, Cafe BLD's Makan Makan Ramadan 2014.

Yes!

Ramadan and Hari Raya are just around the corner :D

Cafe BLD's Makan Makan Ramadan buffet is actually their popular international buffet dinner +plus i.e. on top of their usual sumptuous spread, Renaissance has added traditional Makan Makan Ramadan signatures like whole roast lamb as well as traditional sweets and desserts. 



The man behind Renaissance's Makan Makan Ramadan is Executive Chef Fadhill.

Walk with me through the buffet spread. These were just some of the food I sampled or that caught my eye. There was actually much more, so you have to come and see for yourself.



A basket full of fresh shrimps simply flashed boiled to retain all their natural sweetness, texture and juices.



Meaty mussels at the seafood section.



Thick slices of tuna from the Japanese section.



At the noodle section, we can pick our own ingredients and the friendly chef will prepare for us a steaming hot bowl of noodles choked full of ingredients of our choice.

We can opt for noodle in clear chicken broth or spicy curry laksa.



Beautifully done roast beef.



The lamb rendang was wonderful - the tender meat was savoury and saturated with spice and mutton flavours. 



Remember to try the popular teppanyaki station. We can choose from a wide variety of fresh ingredients like squid, fish, shrimp and various types of vegetables, and have it fried on the sizzling griddle on the spot for us.

I love the sight of steam raising from the sizzling hot plate and the fast tapping sound of the cooking trowel dancing on the griddle. 



Carving a huge baked ikan merah.



The tandoori section.



The roti naan from the tandoori section. 

The tandoori station makes many types of roti naan filled with choices of cheese, chicken, lamb and others. I requested for spicy naan filled with hot chili pepper :D 



I love the interesting freshly made naan at Renaissance. 



A selection of delicious tandoori meats all made with natural ingredients.



That luscious green on this piece of tandoori chicken was from a blend of butter and spinach.



The fiery and dramatic satay station.



With so much to choose from, it is easy to overlook the local, everyday staples. I am glad that at Renaissance, the familiar juicy satay and spicy peanut gravy were very well prepared and delicious.



The pizza hot from the flame brick oven.



The chocolate fountain is always a favourite with the young ones.




We rounded up our preview with both traditional and contemporary sweet desserts.



Droolingly irresistible eye candy that was also delicious.



The service staff at Renaissance were pleasant, warm, helpful and attentive.

Price:-

Adult: RM88++  Child 12 years old and below: 44++



Restaurant name: Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)
Address: 2, Jalan Permas 11. Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/w6A4u
GPS: 1.495097,103.812786
Hours: Buka puasa till 10:30pm
Halal

Date visited: 28 May 2013, 31 May 2013, 19 Jun 2014

Return to Johor Kaki homepage.

Ramadan Buffet at Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)

Ervina from Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel invited me to visit Cafe BLD's Ramadan buffet. Cafe BLD was full house during my visit. Extra tables were set in adjacent areas but every table was taken. We were fortunate that a small table was reserved for us. I suggest making a reservation if you plan to come to Renaissance to break fast. Here's the reservation number +607 381 3252.



Ramadan buffets are all Malaysian affairs - people of every community join in and I spotted quite a few people from overseas too. And, Cafe BLD's Ramadan buffet spread has something for every palate - there are popular international and favourite local fare.

Service is excellent at Cafe BLD. Even though the cafe is full, the food was topped up continuously and our used plates were constantly cleared by the cheerful staff.

There is much more choices than anyone could even taste test, so the following are just some that caught my fancy. You have to come here to try the many more choices that I didn't catch with my camera.



Tandoori chicken is a popular choice for breaking fast, so the action at the in-house tandoor doesn't stop.



Just like at Ramadan bazaars, there is a busy roti canai and murtabak station.



Grilled fish that make some of us longed for home cooked food and couldn't wait to balik kampung to home town flavours.



Everybody loves satay. I saw the cooks grilling satay in huge bundles over flaming charcoal non-stop.



Chef Yap at the popular pizza station. When I was leaving he was still making pizzas with the flaming oven.




When I am dazzled by bewildering range of choices, I often fall back on old familiar, comfort food like this curry bee hoon.



I like buffets that have sashimi and sushi :) Went two rounds on this one :P



We had a lot of fun making our own rojak at the rojak buah (fruit salad) station.



There is like every kind of colourful local sweet desserts and kuih.



Side by side with the local kuih and is a good range of cakes too.



We can make our own ice kacang or ABC (Ais Batu Campur) with the help of the cook at the ABC station. There is a good range of colourful jellies and beans to lose ourselves in making our own icy cool creations. 

Adult: RM85.00++
Child (7-12 years old): 50% discount

Cafe BLD is a very popular break fast choice, so it is best to call +607 381 3252 for reservations.



Restaurant name: Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)
Address: 2, Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/w6A4u
GPS: 1.495097,103.812786
Hours: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 23 Jul 2013

Johor Buffet - Cafe BLD in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel in Permas Jaya

 

With the Grand Opening of Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel by YAM Tunku Idris Iskandar on 28 May 2013, Johor Bahru now has more exciting dining choices.

 

 

Cafe BLD is the cafe at the newly opened Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel. I am fortunate to visit this exciting new dining option in Johor Bahru twice recently, once at Renaissance JB's Grand Opening and again today during lunch at the invitation of Ervina. Two days, and yet not enough stomach space to try everything. All I could do was to eat to my heart's content, and the rest, I can only take photos and feast with my eyes only.

 

 

Inside Cafe BLD, everything is spanking new, squeaky clean, yet the decor is warm and has rich welcoming tones. Seating is comfortable and spacious at Cafe BLD.

 

 

The food is prepared on order in a central island, open concept kitchen - the first and only such kitchen in Johor Bahru at the moment. We can enjoy watching the chefs prepare our food :)

 

 

I went round and round the four sides and corners of this kitchen, hunting for the best food and photo opportunities. I seemed to discover new, interesting things with every round.

 

 

This is the friendly Executive Chef Foong making cotton candy for us :) Chef Foong who hails from Ipoh has a wealth of experience in international cuisine having worked in restaurants and hotels in London, Osaka, Shanghai, Perth, Jakarta and Singapore.

 

In case you wonder, and some of you might have already guessed it, Cafe BLD stands for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

 

Follow me and let me take you around Cafe BLD.

 

 

There are lots of Western and local appetisers - this is the succulent smoked duck, my personal favourite :)

 

 

The seafood station during the Grand Opening - I tried only the oysters and they were plump and fresh. I could literally taste the sea - went two rounds on this one :P

 

 

Chef Foong is very proud of his signature Nasi Goreng Kampung. The prawns and scallops were fresh and well executed. The fried rice was savoury. That sunny side up quail egg was a interesting touch and the fried keropok were crispy and tasty. The nasi goreng kampung is served with a couple of sticks of satay. Available from the a la carte menu.

 

 

I didn't take the satay - saving it for another day but from the looks, charred bits at the edges and the meat grilled to golden brown, they must be delicious.

 

 

The chef was frying thick chunks of fish with a spicy looking sauce.

 

 

Sushi from the Japanese station.

 

 

Roast duck lovers - look out for this roast duck, it is one of the best that I've tried. This roast duck is one of the signature dishes at Renaissance's own Cantonese restaurant, Wan Li.

 

 

The roti canai station - everything is freshly made.

 

 

Shaolin pizza by Chef Yap at the pizza station.

 

 

Crispy, thin crust pizza.

 

 

Fire works at the pasta station.

 

 

I can't help myself catching another flambe at the pasta station - this spectacular one by Sous Chef Thana who was visiting from Marriott Singapore, helping out at the Grand Opening.

 

 

The Briyani station during the Grand Opening. The lamb was gamey, tender, succulent and infused with spice fragrance. I had two helpings :P

 

 

 

The spicy tom yam noodle soup from the noodle station.

 

 

We were spoilt for choice for dessert, both Western and local.

 

 

For cake lovers, the Western desserts are made at Renaissance's own Chocolate Cake Company. 

 

Cafe BLD changes its menu regularly, so you can expect to see something different during different visits.

 

Here are the prices for the international buffet at Cafe BLD.

 

Breakfast Buffet : RM 42.00++ (Monday – Sunday)
Lunch Buffet : RM 55.00++ (Mon- Thurs)/ RM 60.00++ (Fri – Sun)

Dinner Buffet : RM68.00++ (Mon- Thurs)/ RM80.00++ (Fri – Sun)

 

· 50% for children below 12 year old – 7 year old

· FOC  for children below 6 years old

 

 

 

Restaurant name: Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)

Address: 2, Jalan Permas 11. Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/w6A4u

GPS: 1.495097,103.812786

Hours: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

 

Date visited: 28 May 2013, 31 May 2013