BREAK your fast this Ramadan at Harbour Cafe, Traders Hotel Puteri Harbour, here, with family and friends over a sumptuous meal that is reminiscent of home.
The chefs and their culinary teams have put together a buffet spread of 60 dishes daily in six different menus which are rotated throughout Ramadan.
The buffet features home-style cooking designed in the tradition of family get-togethers.
For starters, there is a selection of juicy dates and thirst-quenching drinks, and the wholesome richness of Bubur Lambuk.
Then choose from a range of appetisers such as Sotong Kerabu (squid salad), Rojak Buah (fruit salad), Jeruk Mangga (pickled mango) and executive chef Alan Wong’s Special Vegetable Achar.
Wong said the pickle recipe, made with cucumber, turnip, carrot and cabbage tossed in crushed peanuts and sesame seeds, was inspired by his grandmother who used to make the achar.
Fresh garden salad and cold cuts are in the range of western appetisers you can enjoy before moving to the main course items.
Wong uses local strawberries from Cameron Highlands to create a light fruity sambal which he uses to bake fresh salmon.
He has prepared up to three whole fish for each serving, so there is enough for everyone to choose their favourite parts and savour this uniquely flavoured fish to their satisfaction.
“Just as in family-style dining, our lamb shanks are served whole for diners to share among family and friends,” said Wong, referring to the Singapore-style Sup Gearbox. The lamb is braised for up to 4 hours in tomato-based thick gravy.
“These tender lamb shanks are served warm from a giant kuali or wok and the best way to enjoy them is to eat with your fingers and dig in for its bone marrow,” he said.
More main course dishes like roasted whole Lamb Kuzi, Udang Gulai Nenas (prawns), Siput Lemak (shellfish), Ikan Bakar (grilled fish) and Ayam Percik Utara (chicken) go well with a choice of Nasi Pelangi (Rainbow Rice) and piping hot steamed white rice.
While Ayam Percik Utara is popular in the East Coast, the cafe is serving it here to meet the tastes of diners from the North who want a taste of home.
These are prepared with skewers of chicken marinated in a creamy sauce and grilled to perfection in the tandoor oven.
A taste of home is not complete without traditional condiments like a range of ulam (local salad), serunding (dried meat floss), tempoyak (fermented durian) and sambal belacan (spicy shrimp dip).
Live-cooking stations will be serving perennial local favourites such as roti canai and murtabak, dim sum and chee cheong fun, as well as sticks of grilled beef and chicken satay served with spicy peanut sauce.
If you prefer noodles, there are chicken noodle soup, Mee Bandung and Curry Laksa in the daily spread.
End your meal sweetly by watching the serving staff skillfully pull teh tarik and serve it with a frothy head. Pick a choice of hot beverages and savour it with treats like cubes of Supreme Durian Tempura that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
You can look forward to an assortment of local kuih and desserts like Bubur Cha-Cha and jellies, tarts, cakes, crumbles, mousses and ice-creams for a sweet ending.
Harbour Cafe’s Ramadan dinner buffet is served daily until July 29, priced at RM108++ (adult) and RM54++ (child below 12 years old).
There is also live traditional Ghazal music performances. For reservations, call 07-560 8888 or email restaurantreservations.thph@tradershotel.com