Puteri Cafe Weekend Hi Tea Buffet. Puteri Pacific Johor Bahru is CLOSED

So many good memories here at Puteri Pacific Hotel in the heart of downtown Johor Bahru. The iconic hotel is closed effective from 30 Aug 2020. There was no official word on the reason for the closure but it followed suspension of operations since Mar 2020 with the shutting of Malaysia's borders due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Many people in Singapore and Johor Bahru are sad to see it go as we have spent much good times here with friends and family. Thanks to all staff for the memories.

"Always and Forever in our Hearts, 1991 - 2020." 

Oasis Restaurant at Thistle Hotel Friday Night Italian Buffet JK1147

Restaurant name: Oasis Restaurant at Thistle Hotel
Address:  Jalan Sungai Chat, 80100 Johor, Malaysia
GPS: 1.462046, 103.743922
Hours: Italian buffet on Fridays 6:30pm to 10:30pm. RM88 nett for adults. Children 7 - 12 years old 50% discount (i.e. RM44). Free for children 6 years old and below.
Tel: +607 222 9234
No pork, no lard, no Halal cert


Aerial day time view of Oasis Restaurant by the pool

I was invited to taste the Friday night Italian buffet at Oasis Restaurant in Thistle Hotel Johor Bahru.



We can enjoy poolside dinning on cool breezy nights.

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Or, we can opt for the Oasis' well appointed interior.



The appetisers, mains and desserts are presented buffet style. In addition, we can also have make-to-order pasta and pizza a la carte style.



Appetisers and sides include cheese platters, grilled zucchini, smoked salmon and more. Condiments include various pickles, dressings, comfit and oils.



Chef at the roasted lamb station.



The juicy, aromatic roasted lamb shoulder looking seductive under the warm glow of the orangey lamp ;-D



The tender, juicy and richly flavoursome slice of lamb shoulder was served with a choice of Rosemary, garlic and mint sauce. I like this delicious lamb.



Herbs Crust Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce.



Roasted Tenderloin Beef with Shallot Reduction.



I like this Chicken Picata with Tomato Salsa. The meaty chunks of tender flavoursome chicken thigh were wrapped in eggy batter and mildly savoury Parmesan cheese. Pan seared and baked. Yums!



Aglio Olio pasta which I ate with Arabiatta Prawn Sauce.



Chef Adnan making my pizza order with the wood fired oven.



The freshly baked Hawaiian pizza.



The meat lovers' pizza.



The fruit and dessert station.



There's a lot to choose from but my tummy only had space left for a few sweet nibbles. I am jealous of those petite ladies who have dessert stomachs.



Lim kopi (drink coffee) in my room at Thistle Hotel in Johor Bahru and enjoying the view of Dataran Merdeka JB and Straits of Johor.

Acknowledgement: My thanks to Thistle Hotel Johor Bahru for your hospitality. As this is an invited tasting, the food is not reviewed.

Date visited: 5 Jun 2015

Return to Johor Kaki homepage.

Ramadan Buffet at Seri Mutiara Restaurant at Mutiara Johor Bahru

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

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