Ramadhan Buffet, Kites Restaurant, Holiday Inn, Glenmarie, Shah Alam, Malaysia

Guest writer, Polly Szantor, tells of her pre Ramadhan experience at Kites Restaurant, Holiday Inn, Shah Alam…

Arriving at the Holiday Inn in Glenmarie was like a
dream.  I instantly forgot the stress of
driving round and around Subang Jaya trying to find the place, and focused on
the beautiful entrance and the huge, open-plan lobby and café.  High ceilings added to the sense of airiness,
and the backdrop of palm fronds evoked a tropical beach somewhere totally exotic.

I had been invited to preview the Ramadhan Buffet at
Kites Restaurant, planned for July 18 to August 18, 2012. Kites features
all-day dining, with buffets for breakfast and dinner along with a la carte
options. The concept for the Ramadhan Buffet is intriguing and promises to
offer diners a cornucopia of dishes. Three guest chefs have been invited to
prepare food that is close to their hearts. Until their arrival next month,
Executive Chef Francis will be trying out recipes they have sent to him, and it
is these dishes that I was lucky enough to sample.

With 25 years of experience in preparing Arabic
delicacies, Syrian Chef Ebrahim Mohd will create several of his specialties, including
Laham Mandi, tender chunks of lamb, marinated in nutmeg, cloves, ginger, black
pepper and lemon and served with special fragrant rice. The Hummus made to his
recipe was brimming with garlic and lemon, while the Tabouli was heavy on the
parsley, light on the bulgar and all the more delicious for it. The velvety
Arabic Chicken Curry, spiced more delicately than the Indian or Malaysian
varieties, was also mouth-watering, with a subtle difference that made it
rather intriguing. Chef Ebrahim will also be preparing a variety of grilled
meats, kebabs and koftas throughout the Buka Puasa celebration.

Chef Santosh Kumar Chaniyal from India is a master
in Mughlai cuisine, a fusion of Persian, Turkish and Indian cooking traditions
with a strong Muslim influence. This cuisine favours the use of exotic spices,
chili, nuts, raisins, cream, yogurt and milk. 
Chef Francis executed beautifully the Moglai Mahi Mahi in a rich, sweet,
sour and spicy tomato sauce. It had the perfect amount of heat to complement
but not overwhelm the fish. He could not quite be persuaded to part with the
recipe but hinted that along with chili and cumin, he used a variety of herbs.
The Curried Vegetables were slightly al dente and lightly spiced but not at all
oily, very tasty indeed. Other dishes not to be missed will be Chicken Biryani
and Kashmiri Rogan Josh. Rogan means oil and Josh refers to the passionate
crimson depth of the mild chilies used in this recipe. The addition of cream,
tender morsels of lamb and cashew nuts make this a fitting dish for a Mogul
emperor.

It will be thrilling to watch the third guest, Chef Charles Huang from Zhenzhou, China who
will bring his special talent of transforming plain dough into exquisitely fine
noodles. Pulled noodles are made by twisting, pulling, untwisting and folding the
dough to double the strands. This is done over and over to produce one
super-long noodle. Chef Huang will pair his noodles with chicken and mushrooms
and with mutton. He will also create several Chinese Muslim specialties,
including homemade mutton soup, pan-fried egg dumplings and steamed buns. 

The buffet will feature all the Malaysian Buka Puasa
favourites along with several vegetarian options and a wide selection of
desserts. The dining area will be extended to the poolside with special
decorations to create a contemporary backdrop. The
Ramadhan Buffet Dinner at Kites is priced at RM 94++ for adults while for
children and senior citizens it is RM 55++. There is a special price from 18th
– 24th July when the buffet dinner is RM 84++ for adults and RM 45++
for children and senior citizens.

The
hotel also accepts group or company bookings for Buka Puasa. Surau facilities
with an Imam for Sembahyang are available at the hotel.

Book early before 10 July for substantial discounts –
terms and conditions apply. For booking
and reservations please call 03- 7802 5240 (9am – 5pm) and 03- 7802 5200 (after
5 pm) or email  [email protected]

Previous posts on Holiday Inn:  25 March 2012, 6 March 2012

Kites Restaurant 

Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur Glenmarie
1 Jalan Usahawan U1/8
Seksyen U1
40250 Shah Alam
Selangor D.E. Malaysia
+603 7802 5200 Ext 2400
www.holidayinn.com/glenmarie