The month of Ramadan will soon be upon us and Malaysians everywhere will be salivating for the delicious Malay food on offer by various outlets. One such outlet is Hilton Petaling Jaya which promises an extravaganza like no other, their slogan; “Merentasi Tradisi: Sajian Dulu dan Kini”. (pre-emptive apologies to all the non-Malay speakers – you may have to google some of the names below!).
Largest and most diverse buffet!
Hilton Petaling Jaya’s Ramadan buffet is quite possibly the largest, most diverse buffet I have ever been to and during Ramadan they promise to have double the amount of stalls, and more live cooking stations by more than 10 chefs! Paya Serai, located just adjacent to the hotel entrance, has long been the hang out of local movers & shakers (I remember coming here 30 years ago!), and since the front lobby renovation, it’s looking quite swanky indeed. Diving into the multitude of dishes on offer (so many Western and Malaysian dishes, as well as the obligatory Japanese and Korean carts), we gave it our best shot and came rolling out, with bellies distended.
Dishes bursting with flavours at Hilton Petaling Jaya
The many, varied local dishes were all bursting with flavour and touted by Executive Chef Ridzuan (a celebrity in his own right, he cooks for many royalty) to be from all over Malaysia. There was chicken & beef satay (so delicious with no fatty bits and of course the so creamy satay sauce, how can anyone not love this!), 3 flavoured ikan siakap, 3 types of tasty, creamy rendang, pucuk paku masak lemak with ubi kayu, kari ketam, terung berlada (so flavourful with a mild green chilli sauce that even I can eat), lamb achari (like a super yum curry), fish tikka skewers, Singapore style rojak pasembor (imagine a salad but so fresh and crunchy with a large variety of flavours and textures and the perfect peanut sauce).
Honey roasted chicken wings were such a crowd pleaser and did not disappoint. Murtabak (stuffed pancake) with red onions was so soft and delicious and the ketam lemak with lala so creamy. Assam pedas ikan pari was an explosion of taste, kantan kesum was yum but maybe too spicy for some, satar is fish wrapped in banana leaf, was a slightly sweet and spicy coconut milk packet and balmiah had a delicate taste of tomato, coriander, nuts and vegetable.
Moving onto the varied (but no less delicious) Western food choices – they included a perfectly grilled mayo salmon, baked fish on pepper lemon butter sauce accompanied by a kind of onion sauce (by far my favourite!), roast beef with reduced onion gravy (soooo good), delectable roast lamb, chicken roulade with mushroom gravy juicy and teriyaki chicken with sweet juicy notes.
Finally onto the desserts! There was a multitude of Western style cakes (cheesecake, bread and butter pudding), jellies (caramel) and of course the standard delicious chocolate fountain but also so many Malaysian favourites like ice kacang, pineapple tarts, all kinds of Malay kuih and bubur (sweet soupy concoctions) and a variety of local fruits.
For all you expats out there, you MUST try a roti bomb! Full of sugary goodness and a Malaysian favourite. Interestingly they also had traditional fermented foods like tapai pulut (kind of fizzy fermented rice) and tapai ubi (fermented tapioca). But the pièce de résistance was the perfect warm bubur – serawa nangka madu dengan sago.
Highly recommended, whether you’re local or a visitor – bring your empty stomachs and enjoy!
The Ramadan campaign, running from March 12 to April 9 2024, offers dine-ins from 7 – 10pm. Priced at RM208 nett for adults and RM118 nett for children (ages 6-12). Enjoy exclusive discounts of up to 25% for online pre-bookings and pre-payments via the EatDrinkHilton.com booking channel. Take advantage of this special offer on selected dates; March 12 to March 17; and April 6 to April 9.
For reservations and takeaways, contact +603 7955 9122 or WA +6016 216 0414.
If you’re in Bukit Bintang and looking for a Ramadan buffet, why not try Hotel Royal Signature?
We were invited by Hilton Petaling Jaya. As always, our opinions are honest and our own.
