A bounty of wholesome delights

To liven up the atmosphere, there are live cooking stalls serving pasta, barbecued items, yong tau foo and murtabak. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/The Star

THE secret to creating a buffet line that appeals at first sight simply boils down to one word – experience.

Having grown up watching his mother run her mee jawa stall in Taman Sri Andalas, Klang, plus his 22 years of experience in the hotel line, Element by Westin Kuala Lumpur executive chef Mohd Taib Ridhwan knows just how to tickle diners’ taste buds.

This explains the theme for this year’s Ramadan buffet at Trace Restaurant and Bar – Juadah Selera Kita, which loosely translates to “servings that will please one’s appetite”.

The highlights of this year’s spread are Sup Utara, Claypot Coconut and Chilli Gravy, Lamb Leg Briyani, Chicken Kapitan, Szechuan Fish and Murtabak Mamak. “This year’s buffet presentation includes the setting up of live cooking stations.

“This makes the atmosphere more lively, instead of simply serving everything on chafing dishes,” said Mohd Taib.

Malay chef Helmi Jantan is responsible for the recipes and preparation of most of these treats.

Like its namesake, the origin of Sup Utara is said to have come from the northern region. Veteran cooks have named Kedah as its birthplace imbued with Siamese influence.

The soup, made fragrant with herbs, spices and pickled radish, is served with beef tendon, lung, three types of meat – shredded chicken, cubed mutton and beef, and a macedoine of carrots and potatoes.

The beef tendon, boiled until jelly-soft, was the most delightful component of this dish.

Helmi said the key to achieving a melt-in-your-mouth texture is to allow the beef tendon to simmer unstirred.

“Stirring will break the delicate membrane coating the tendon,” he explained.

Another tip he shared was to omit onions when blending the ingredients for the soup.

“The onions are to be sliced and then browned along with the blended ingredients. This is to prevent excess juices from overpowering the rest of the herbs and spices,” added Helmi.

The Claypot Coconut and Chilli Gravy section offers diners a choice of smoked chicken, duck and beef.

The gravy was really rich. It was revealed that for every litre of coconut milk, only two scoops of water were used.

“When it comes to this type of gravy, water can only be used to determine consistency. The star here is the coconut milk and diners must be able to enjoy the sweet, floral and nutty flavours in all its richness,” said Helmi.

In the buffet, the meat is placed separately. A chef is on standby to ladle the coconut gravy and meat into a claypot upon request.

Smoke from cherry wood was diffused into the meat to achieve a smoky finish.

Chicken Kapitan is a dish that is closest to Mohd Taib’s favourite cooking style.

“I have an affinity for Nyonya dishes. In 2015 and 2017, I was awarded gold medals at the Food and Hotel Malaysia culinary competitions under this category,” he revealed.

To achieve that tender finish in the chicken pieces for this dish, Mohd Taib recommended that the meat be stir-fried with herbs and spices while still raw.

This way, the juices are able to permeate the dish. Pre-boiled chicken does not have the same effect.

To ensure authenticity, the kitchen team brought in an Indian chef from Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, to make Murtabak Mamak.

To give the murtabak a crisp but fluffy texture, chef Goklakannan Seenivasan adds condensed milk into the dough mixture. It is best eaten with dhal.

A whole leg of lamb entices diners at the briyani rice section. Here, the chef carves the meat for diners. Rosy in the middle and well-done at the crust, the lamb combined well with the flavourful Basmati rice.

Over at the barbecue section, a whole baked salmon deserves mention. Baked for 45 minutes at 160°C, the temperature is turned up to 200°C in the last 10 minutes, rendering the skin to a flavourful crisp.

Diners are highly recommended to request for portions of the crispy fish skin to be served with the meat.

Don’t forget to try the roasted pumpkin in this section too. Flavoured with olive oil, garlic and honey, it has a crackly outer skin.

For dessert, traditional favourites like Malay kuih and pengat beckon.

However, do keep keep space for the Lemon Meringue Tart, topped with torched meringue peaks. Its appeal lies in the absence of the tart, which is often associated with citrus-based fruits.

Instead, diners are introduced to the deeper, more delicious nuances of a slightly bitter but aromatic fragrance. To appreciate it fully, enjoy a slice of the tart on its own.

TRACE Restaurant and Bar, Element By Westin, Element Kuala Lumpur, Ilham Tower, 8, Jalan Binjai, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: [phone]) Business hours: 7am to 8pm (Sunday to Thursday), 7am to 9.30pm (Friday and Saturday).

Ramadan buffet is served from April 8 to 29 from 6pm to 10pm.

This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.