JW Marriott "Preserving Heritage" Ramadhan Buffet, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

JW Marriott "Preserving Heritage" Ramadhan Buffet

The holy month of Ramadhan is quickly approaching, a special time for Muslims to reflect, renew and reunite.  Sunrise to sunset marks a period of fasting, cleansing the mind and body, atoning for sins and bringing one closer to Allah.

Even for non-Muslims in Malaysia, Ramadhan is an exciting time.  Festivities and cultural activities are on offer at malls, and hotels and restaurants offer promotions and extravagant evening buffets.  These aren't only for our Muslim brothers and sisters to "berbuka puasa" (break fast). They are also unmatched opportunities for foodies of every faith to feast on the Malaysian delicacies of the season.  

The posh JW Marriott recently hosted a sneak preview of its “preserving heritage” Ramadhan Buffet, running 28 June through 27 July, and I can assure you there is a reason is has the reputation of being one of the best Ramadhan spreads in town. This expansive buffet boasts the promise of 130 dishes to sample – the best dishes traditionally served during Ramadhan throughout the various states of Malaysia.

The Poolside area on the 6^th floor and the Starhill Conference Centre on the 4^th floor will be transformed into a setting reminiscent of a “kampong” (traditional village) with spectacular displays, beautiful batik table coverings and thatched- roofed food stations. The dinner is tremendous value at only RM75++ for the Conference Centre and RM85++ to sit in the Poolside area.

Our tasting took place Poolside during a balmy afternoon and represented about half of the foods that will be on offer during the actual promotion, but that was certainly much more than enough! I had planned to only take a small helping of select foods, hoping to maximize the number of dishes I could try. This proved futile – I was stuffed before I was even half done! And I’ll admit, I took seconds of a few of my early favorites, which was my undoing. 

Among those favorites were the Ayam Masak Merah (chicken in red sauce) which was simply divine. Tender chicken in spicy sauce had my taste buds dancing. The Rendang Daging is always a seasonal favorite; its complex mix of spices and coconut milk slow cooked with the meat is one of the delights of living in South East Asia. The Daging Salai Masak Lemak Cili Padi (smoked sliced beef in spicy coconut sauce) was a dish new to my palate, one which I hope to revisit very soon.  

The fresh salad station was a delight to behold, a festival of colors bursting off the table. Acar Jelatah (pineapple and cucumber salad), Gado Gado, (mixed veggies with peanut sauce) and a host of others all served as exciting explorations in textures and flavors. 

The Sambal Sambal Melayu (Malaysian salsa) station will delight those with tastes that lean toward such dishes – there will be no fewer than six included in the buffet!

The grill outside was alive with the glorious smell of roasting meat and fish. Satay was an obvious tasty choice here, and the grilled tilapia was outstanding. The standout, though, was the Kambing Panggang (rosted lamb) with black pepper sauce. Yum!