After we sampled Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s Poolhouse Fun and Flames BBQ buffet, I truly didn’t want to write about it. For in writing about it, I would be putting it out there for public knowledge about one of the best buffets in town that we’ve come across. But to withhold the information would be wrong as it so deserves to be known! So naturally, I did the right thing – sharing is caring right?
Poolhouse Fun and Flames BBQ buffet: how it works
Poolhouse Fun and Flames BBQ buffet is a different kind of a buffet in the sense that appetisers and mains are served to the table. Only desserts are on the buffet line. Once you’re seated, beverages are offered. There are various juices, soft drinks, and coolers on offer. Our favourite was the Lychee Iced Tea, which was refreshing, not too sweet and had a lychee in it – need I say more?!
To kick off the buffet, one portion of each of the appetiser that’s on the menu is served to the table. After this first round, you can reorder whichever appetisers you like, and for however many portions you want.
Let’s dig in
From the appetisers, the standouts for us were the Mint Labneh (where the Kalamata olives and fire roasted tomatoes worked a treat alongside the creaminess of the labneh), Beef Brisket Bitterballen (the smokiness of the brisket really came through) and Seabass Ceviche (super fresh and so tangy). Alongside these, there were also Smokey Eggplant Baba Ghanoush, Seasonal Vegetable Crudité and Poolhouse Green Leaf Salad with passion fruit dressing on offer.
For the mains, we had Slow Cooked Whole Lamb Leg (the spicy rub added a kick to it) and Beef Sirloin (for an additional RM50 nett) – both done just right, Shell-on Prawns which were fresh, whilst the charred lime and coriander butter made them really yummy, Salmon Steak, Black Mussels in tomato sambal, lemongrass and Kafir lime – which the big man devoured, Tofu and Korean Grilled Chicken.
Accompanying the mains are sides of Garlic Fried Rice (smoky and had an extra layer of texture with dried shrimps on top), Stir Fried Barley and Buckwheat with a local twist with tomato sambal (texture wise was interesting but it worked), Grilled Cherry Tomatoes (extremely moreish with garlic crumbs on top) and Gochujang Spicy Baby Potatoes.
From the mains and sides, we only didn’t take to the two Korean items on the menu. This was not a comparison between KL and Seoul food scene, but due to the fact that we like our mains savoury and not sweet. Plus, we’ve overloaded on Gochujang sauce from our time in Seoul!
Just like the appetisers, you can reorder as many portions of whichever mains you so wish and the kitchen cooks them à la minute. This ensures you get the freshest portions, which gets two thumbs up from us.
As for desserts, there’s everything from local fruits, to a variety of dried nuts, fruits and seeds, to cakes and to my favourite of all – Granny Smith Apple Crumble. There is also an ice-cream stand with various healthy options, which are made in house and are sugar free. The big man had to point out that the Keto Coconut was like no other coconut ice-cream he’s ever had – he loved it.
Two thumbs up
I simply loved that the Poolhouse Fun and Flames BBQ buffet offered up a balance of healthy options (greens and nuts, alongside flavourful meats and seafood, to indulgent desserts and sugar free and keto ice-creams and sorbets). I also liked the fact that they included local ingredients and spices into the menu.
The portioning was also just enough so that food didn’t go to waste, and most importantly, it was a communal eating affair. It was akin to eating at home, except that I didn’t need to cook and was instead served on hand and foot – total win for me!!
As the style of the buffet is à la minute, it felt like a very mindful eating experience. We didn’t overeat (as one is wont to do at a traditional buffet) and it was nice having freshly cooked food served to you. Honestly, we didn’t reorder many portions but still left feeling full and satisfied with our meal.
Chef of the hour
Credit for the Poolhouse Fun and Flames BBQ buffet menu and the tastiness of the items goes to Chef Izmin. He truly has come up with a menu that caters to every member of the family, from the youngest to the oldest. Chef Izmin focuses on sustainability and healthy options, plus he opts for homegrown greens and incorporates local spices into the menu.
The venue itself is not large and thus feels like an intimate dining affair. Chef Izmin comes out of the kitchen after the initial rush is over to speak to diners at each table, introducing himself, and the concept of the restaurant. This gives you a good indication of how much he loves his restaurant and the care he pours into curating the menu to get the balance right. It was like we were visiting an old friend at home who had invited us over for a meal.
The details
The icing on the cake? Priced at just RM128 nett per pax (below 12 dine for free), the Poolhouse Fun and Flames BBQ buffet is a real steal! Yes, the menu is small compared to a full blown buffet, but it was more than sufficient.
Poolhouse Fun and Flames BBQ buffet takes place every Friday and Saturday, from 6pm – 9pm. If you’d like to imbibe, there’s a Free-Flow Beverage Package, featuring Prosecco, Champagne, and house red or white wine, priced from RM118 to RM158 per person. You can make your reservations here.
If you have a Barbie fan or two in your family, you can even make it a weekend getaway with Barbie Ultimate Staycation.
We were invited by Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. As always, our opinions are honest and our own.
