After all the lockdowns, it’s definitely time for friends and family to be together once again, what more during December, the festive month! December has got to be one of my favourite months, with Christmas carols, Christmas decorations, Christmas giftings and of course, a good Christmas buffet. A time for turkeys, cranberries, gingerbread and wine.
Christmas roasts
So when I was invited to check out the ‘Light of the Season’ Christmas buffet at Paya Serai, at the Hilton hotel in Petaling Jaya, I was definitely ready to bring on the feast-ivities. As soon as I entered, I knew I was in for a treat.
I headed straight to the Christmas section where I was greeted by an entire counter dedicated to roast meats! Of course there was the usual roasted turkey, but there was also a whole roasted lamb sitting on top of a pile of fluffy rice. Not only that, there was also beef roulade and a roasted prime rib which was beautifully charred, beef wellington and mini lamb and beef pies, with the usual roasted vegetables accompaniments (roasted potatoes, carrots, brussels sprouts) and plenty of sauces to choose from.
I sampled a bit of everything and I’m glad to say that none of the meat were overcooked, everything was tender, juicy and tasty. Even the pastry for the mini pies were flaky and delicious – a must try.
Seafood delight
If you are not a huge meat eater, fret not, as there was a lovely selection of fresh seafood on offer, with fresh prawns, mussels, oysters and crabs. If you prefer something cooked, there were cheese baked oysters, mussels and scallops. My favourite was the cheese baked scallops – creamy and flavourful!
Everything else you can imagine
There was a good selection of salads too and surprisingly, my meat eater of a husband actually proclaimed that the salads were good, so that definitely says something. What I really liked about this buffet was the huge variety of food on offer. If Western food is not your thing, you can also find a huge selection of Asian style dishes – from the noodle station serving curry laksa and assam laksa to the Indian section serving curries and biryani, and the Chinese section with an assortment of stir fries and stews. There’s definitely bound to be something to satisfy your tastebuds!
There’s also a pasta station and a grill station where you can get the chef to grill up some squid, lamb or sausages, just like fresh off a BBQ. The satays (chicken, beef and lamb) were also a crowd favourite.
Sweet ending
At this point, my tummy was already bursting from all the food, but as they say, there’s a separate stomach for dessert and boy was I ready to try all the cakes on offer! While my husband tried the more traditional Christmas desserts (mince pies, panettone and gingerbread cookies – all of which was given the thumbs up), I indulged in the bite sized cakes, choux puffs, mini plum tarts and the chocolate log cake.
Everything was equally desirable, but I thoroughly enjoyed the mini cakes. By now I couldn’t loosen my belt anymore, but I definitely went back with a happy tummy.
*The buffet dinner is available on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, from 7pm to 10.30 pm. It is priced at RM148 nett per adult and RM78 nett per child (5 to 11 years old). More info here. If you’re keen to check out more buffets in KL, have a look here at our listicle!
We were invited to the buffet. As always, our opinion is honest and our own.
