WARM and comforting, hearty bone broth remains a favourite at buka puasa buffets.
Brazilian oxtail soup, for instance, took pride of place during last year’s break-of-fast buffet at Micasa All Suites Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
This year, the spot at Shisho Dining goes to a beef marrow-and-cartilage soup.
Rich and buttery in flavour and thickly collagenous in texture, the soup is one of those dishes that will leave a lasting impression.
Leg bones of Australian grain-fed cattle are roasted in an oven at 185°C before being slowly simmered with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and star anise for 2.5 hours to soften the cartilage.
Sous chef Muhammad Saffaat Dahlan said this dish is ideal to replenish one’s energy during the fasting month.
Another dish that stands out is a kerabu which uses instant noodles from Thailand.
Tossed with crabstick and squid, the Thai import is said to be more chewy and less likely to become mushy.
Other favourites are the Beef Pad Krao using minced Australian rump stir-fried with Thai basil leaf, and Thai lokcing which is similar to our local lok lok.
There’s also a chef who has come all the way from Chennai, India to make roti canai.
Chef de cuisine Adrian Lai said the distinctive flakiness of the roti canai comes from mixing condensed milk with sugar, wheat and rice flour.
The restaurant’s Briyani Rice with Chicken Drumstick also comes recommended.
In fact, the rice goes well with the Madras Lamb Curry.
Don’t miss the Kampung Chicken in Green Chillies.
Using bird’s eye and large chillies blended with kaffir lime leaves, garlic and shallots, this dish derives inspiration from the Indonesian ayam gepuk.
Its fire can only be matched by the Penang char kuey teow at the live cooking station.
Just watching the flames rising from the wok is pure entertainment!
The live station is also where diners will find Shisho’s signature roast lamb.
The chef who carves this is Niza Ali Burhanuddin.
For the past 30 years, the overnight marinade for this lamb dish has been made using Niza’s recipe, which sees the cut being rubbed with garlic, shallots, black pepper and mustard.
At the hot section are evergreen dishes like Lamb Ossobuco, Pan-fried Salmon with Leek Sauce and Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce Crab.
The Mango with Sticky Rice ends the meal on a sweet spot but do keep space for fried cempedak.
Thick with a sweet custard-like flesh, the fruity nuggets are best paired with a glass of icy sea coconut.
The Ramadan buffet at Shisho Dining is available from Feb 26 to March 17, 6.30pm to 10pm.
It is priced at RM148nett per adult and RM98nett per child or senior citizen.
SHISHO DINING,
Lobby, Micasa All Suites Hotel, 368-B,
Jalan Tun Razak, Taman U Thant, Kuala Lumpur.
(Tel: 017-219 6126). Business hours: 7am-11pm, daily.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
