Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur has pulled out all the stops for this year’s Christmas celebrations, and MakanMama, and her teen applaud them, with two huge thumbs up. With the theme of ‘A Homecoming Celebration’, it’s all about reunions with your closest and dearest, feasting, and being merry.
As with most (if not all) festivities, it’s all about breaking bread together. A table full of good food along with even greater company, from near and far, does a celebration make.
At the THIRTY8, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, festive preview, we were presented with a small buffet line, showcasing the stars of the show. I was very much appreciative of this as the preview felt very much like dining in a loved one’s home (a loved one’s home with killer views that is), and felt truly intimate. With just a small set-up, the team still managed to wow all of us in terms of the food and beverage on offer. Not forgetting the décor – personalised place settings, a decked-out Christmas tree, all centered around the festive red colour.
Let’s talk food, food and more food
Before our meal started, we were served hors d’oeuvres and drinks to go along. I whole-heartedly embraced this by having eggnog (which might have been virgin or might not have – my lips are sealed) which was absolutely delish, and made to order, and sampling all the variety of hors d’oeuvres.
The teen went back for multiple rounds of Wagyu Beef Nigiri Sushi – he might have cleared an entire half tray on his own – it was that good.
There was also the Organic Dry Aged Pumpkin Mousse (vegetarian option), which was not only extremely artsy in looks, but also had the right amount of sweetness balanced off with the Sarawak pepper sablé (rich and crumbly).
Before I dive into the buffet line offerings at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, at each table, true to the theme of ‘A Homecoming Celebration’ there were sharing platters as well – a whole trayful of breads, and two nibbles. If you’ve been following me for a while, you will know how much I love communal dining. In my opinion, there’s no better way to feel kinship than by sharing a meal with others.
You would think that by this time, we would be stuffed by the hors d’oeuvres and the sharing platters but nope, we were only just beginning.
The buffet line
The buffet line offered up seafood on ice – a variety of oysters, mussels and king prawns, which were as fresh as fresh gets. There was also a salad station (think peaches, tomatoes and burrata) along with a Raclette station. The teen simply loved the Raclette and opted for the Air Dried Beef and Boiled Young Potato to go along with his Raclette.
For mains, we had Australian Lamb Noisette and Baked Beef Wellington (both were pink, tender, and flavourful. The pastry for the Beef Wellington was crisp and flaky).
The Salt-Crusted Black Cod with caviar and dill cream sauce was firm and flaky, and I dug in with gusto. There was Glazed Heirloom Carrots and Celeriac with Smoked Maple and Hazlenut for sides, and also a Mushroom & Leek Pie (this was creamy and rich – heaven in my books as I really do love pies and so rare in buffets!).
Trolley service
On top of all the food that we already had (it seemed as if Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s goal was to stuff us as much as humanly possible, which reminded me of how it used to be at my grandma’s – she’d feed and feed and feed us non-stop, showering us with love through her food), there was Mushroom and Chestnut Soup, which was served in a teacup and saucer set (very dainty looking and felt very refined).
Chef Izmin prepped the soup on his trolley – pouring the soup into the teacups, topping it with truffle foam (a nice surprise with the difference in temperature to the soup), and finally sprinkling a dash of lavender over it. This soup was something else – earthy, and the lavender gave it such fragrance!
There was also a trolley featuring Chinese cuisine, which we didn’t partake in as we decided to stick to the traditional Christmas food offerings. I will say though, that those who did partake in it were all giving nods of approval.
Then, there was also the Truffle Risotto which was served to us at the table. This unfortunately was slightly too “al dente” for me in terms of the texture but in terms of flavour, it was like a umami bomb.
Sweet endings with a side of choo-choo
The desserts on offer at THIRTY8, Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, were simply stunning – Igloo White Chocolate Cherry Cake, Red Velvet Jingle Bell, and Raspberry Chocolate Sable – to name a few. There was a toy train going round and round, which little ones will be entertained with and will definitely lap up.
There was also a Mont Blanc Station, where the chestnut puree was piped onto the meringue disc on order, with toppings aplenty to choose from after.
Or be like the teen, and have a cup of Hot Chocolate with toppings as your dessert. This has got to be a winner with the young ones as the options for toppings included marshmallows, jelly beans, chocolate buttons and chocolate syrup. The Hot Chocolate itself was a tad bitter, but with the right toppings, it would be balanced well.
A Homecoming Celebration
‘A Homecoming Celebration’ at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is truly a winner in terms of presentation and the variety of food on offer, décor and not forgetting the warm, attentive and service with big smiles by the wait staff. The team had set out to present simple, good, and honest food, just like food which you’d find back home, and to this end, I will say that they achieved their goal and even beyond.
To make this even more exclusive and a once in a lifetime experience, the festive buffet at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is only available on the eve, and day of Christmas as well as eve, and day of New Year’s.
The term that comes to mind here is “You snooze, you lose”. So book your tables now! Perhaps you’ll bump into me – just don’t ask if my eggnog is virgin or not.
For more options of Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s festive offering, check out their Festive eBrochure.
We were invited by Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. As always, our opinions are honest and our own.
