SEAFOOD lovers can look forward to an indulgent weekend buffet featuring a premium selection of delights.
The buffet at Latest Recipe offers diners seafood prepared in many different ways – grilled, deep fried, baked in puff pastry, whipped into mousse, cooked in curry and sliced into sashimi, said Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur executive chef Antoine Rodriguez.
“You’ll find lobster, prawns, crabs, clams, snails, and of course, fish.
“A lot of our seafood is sourced locally. For example, lobsters from Sabah, tiger prawns from Kuala Selangor and clams from Johor.
“We also have red tilapia sourced from a fish farm at a dam in Terengganu.
“We get them the day before to ensure everything is as fresh as possible.”
For an optimal experience, start at the cold cuts section where the fresh oysters, smoked salmon and crustacean terrine are found.
The chefs have also prepared small glasses of seafood tapas combining clam meat, octopus, prawns and lamb slices.
At the soup section, there is a hearty seafood bisque in a six-litre pot.
Two kilogrammes of prawn, lobster and crab shells, still containing much of their creamy orange roe, went into its making.
However, the main attraction is at the live station where Sabah lobster, clams and tiger prawns are cooked to order.
The crowd favourite is the lobster.
Its natural sweetness came through beautifully, complemented with just olive oil, garlic and a squeeze of lemon.
The same treatment is accorded to the clams and tiger prawns, both of which are lightly simmered in a tomato-based sauce with basil.
Lending a spicy touch is the grilled red tilapia in a fiery chilli and dried shrimp paste.
To enhance the fish flavour and lessen the sandy aftertaste, aromatic ginger is added to the sauce while banana leaf is used in the grilling.
To a question on why the tilapia is not deboned, executive sous chef Mohamed Budiman Bistari said it is vital for grilled fish to have its skeletal structure intact.
“This is where the sweetness comes from,” he said.
For those who prefer something less spicy, there is the steamed version of this fish in a light soy sauce.
We also liked the Salmon Wellington at the carvery station.
Encased in a flaky and buttery puff pastry, the salmon was covered in a layer of seafood mousse.
Lovers of mussels will also find a rendang version in the hot section, garnished with a generous sprinkling of roasted desiccated coconut.
Also at the hot section are Kerala Black Pepper Crab Curry and Tiger Prawns cooked in Coconut Milk.
Giving an interesting twist to the latter is the addition of pucuk ajinomoto (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius).
“The leaves look like the ones found on a papaya tree.
“Like its namesake, the leaves have an umami taste.
“I specially brought these leaves from my garden for this dish,” said Budiman.
At the dessert section, a dark chocolate cake with peanut butter cream catches the eye with its sugar fondant clownfish decoration.
However, the item Budiman is most proud of is the sweet salmon skin baked to a crisp and served with soft ice cream.
He said it is first cooked in a white sugar syrup, then placed in an oven for 24 hours at 80°C.
It is then flavoured with lemon and orange zest and sprinkled with black and white sesame seeds.
“I got the idea of crisping salmon skin and serving it with ice cream while looking at a Japanese cooking website two years ago,” he said.
“When I proposed the idea to the kitchen team everyone laughed except for Rodriguez who gave me his full support to introduce it at this seafood buffet.
“So far, we have received many good comments for the dried salmon skin which can also be enjoyed like a cracker.”
Durian lovers will also find comfort in a green bean durian coconut soup.
The Sea-to-Table Buffet Dinner is available every Friday and Saturday until Aug 29.
It is priced at RM258nett per adult and RM129nett per child. For reservations, WhatsApp 012-602 1367.
LATEST RECIPE, Le Meridien, Kuala Lumpur, 2, Jalan Stesen Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 03-2263 7888). Business hours: 6.30am to 10pm.
This is the writers’ personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
