Taste the Middle East at Turmeric

 

From now till June 25, resort guests and the local community will have the pleasure of tasting Arabian hospitality and gastronomy at the Turmeric restaurant, an award-winning fine dining destination in the Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas.

 

View of the swimming pools from the Turmeric
at Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas

This is made possible with the presence of specialty Chef Waed Norddin Qerqmaz who is here in Johor, visiting from the Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort.

 

At the entrance to the Turmeric, I paused to look closer at the poster which proudly announced details about the chef and his cuisine and eagerly anticipated meeting him and of course, tasting the Middle Eastern dishes.

 

It was a pleasure to be back at the Turmeric and be among the guests for a preview to experience the essence of the Middle East by tasting Chef Waed’s specially curated spread, served for both lunch and dinner but only for a limited time.

 

Chef Waed presents a specially
curated menu at the Turmeric

When Chef Waed emerged from the kitchen to introduce his cuisine, the soft-spoken chef proudly declared, “During my residency here, we will not only be revisiting the classics but will also be introducing innovative twists that merge the familiar with the novel.”

 

Diners who wish to pick from the ala carte menu, may enjoy time-honoured Middle Eastern recipes that are served with contemporary flair.

 

They may savour an array of traditional mezze like Hummus, Tabbouleh, Fattoush, the nutritious Falafel salad and the burrata cheese salad with dry zaatar.

 

The main dishes were both light and satisfying.

 

A serving of pan-fried Seabass with Tahini sauce

They included pan-fried Seabass with Tahini sauce, Lamb Ouzi, Moroccan Chicken Tajinen with tender vegetables and olives, and the Arabic Mixed Grill that featured meats like Chicken Shish Tauok, Lamb Kofta Khashkahash and Lamb Arrays.

 

To end the meal sweetly, Chef Waed created a choice of cold and warm desserts in a fusion of Eastern tradition with Western innovation: Turkish Labneh Panna Cotta was served cold while the Umm Ali puff pastry pudding was served warm.

 

Best of all, these specialty dishes are also featured in the buffet dinner spread priced at RM148+ per person, served at Turmeric restaurant on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

 

A choice of cold and warm desserts:
warm Umm Ali puff pastry pudding [Left] and
Turkish Labneh Panna Cotta [Right] served cold

Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas is the Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas group’s first luxury hotel in Malaysia, designed within lush tropical gardens on the exclusive Desaru Coast in Johor.

 

Located at Persiaran Pantai, Desaru Coast, 81930 Bandar Penawar, Johor, it is a smooth drive away from Johor Baru city via the Senai-Desaru Expressway.

 

For reservations, Tel: +607 – 8280 888 or email: fb.ades@anantara.com

 

For more information on Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, visit webpage: www.anantara.com/en/desaru-coast.