Harbour Cafe's Ramadan spread

Harbour Cafe's buffet spread includes Roast Lamb Kuzi
and Nasi Pelangi that go well with an array of traditional
condiments and sauce dips
 

Break your fast this Ramadan at Harbour Café, Traders Hotel Puteri Harbour with family and friends over a sumptuous meal that’s reminiscent of home.  The chefs and their culinary teams at the Café have put together a buffet spread of 60 delectable dishes daily in 6 different menus that will be rotated throughout the month of Ramadan.  The breaking-of-fast buffets here will feature traditional favourites and home-style cooking designed in the tradition of family get-togethers. 

Break your fast traditionally with a selection of juicy dates and thirst-quenching drinks and then warm your stomach with the wholesome richness of Bubur Lambuk or rice porridge.  Then choose from a range of traditional appetizers like Sotong Kerabu (squid salad), Rojak Buah (fruit salad), Jeruk Mangga (pickled mango) and Chef Alan’s Special Vegetable Achar.  Executive Chef Alan said this vegetable pickle recipe, made with cucumber, turnip, carrot and cabbage tossed in crushed peanuts and sesame seeds, was inspired by his grandmother who used to make this delicious dish.

Vegetable Achar inspired by Chef Alan's grandmother
 

Fresh garden salad and cold cuts are among the range of western appetizers you can enjoy before moving to the main course items.  Chef Alan is making use of local strawberries from Cameron Highlands to create a light fruity sambal which he will use to bake with fresh whole salmon.  He has prepared up to three whole fish for each serving, so there will be enough for everyone to choose their favourite parts and savour this uniquely flavoured fish to your satisfaction.

“Just as in family-style dining, our lamb shanks are served whole for diners to share among family and friends,” said Chef Alan about the Singapore style Sup Gearbox which is braised for up to 4 hours in tomato-based thick gravy.  “These tender lamb shanks will be served warm from a giant kwali or wok and the best way to enjoy them is to eat with your fingers and dig in for its bone marrow,” he added. 

Chef Alan carves his signature salmon
baked with Cameron Highlands
strawberry sambal
 

More main course dishes like roasted whole Lamb Kuzi, Udang Gulai Nenas (prawns), Siput Lemak (shellfish), Ikan Bakar (grilled fish) and Ayam Percik Utara (chicken) go well with a choice of Nasi Pelangi (Rainbow Rice) and piping hot steamed white rice.  While Ayam Percik Utara is popular in the East Coast, Harbour Cafe is serving it here to meet the tastes of diners from the North who want a taste of home.  These are created with skewers of chicken marinated in a creamy sauce and grilled to perfection in the tandoor oven.

A taste of home is not complete without traditional condiments like a range of ulam (local salad), serunding (dried meat floss), tempoyak (fermented durian) and sambal belacan (spicy shrimp dip).  Live-cooking stations will be serving perennial local Malaysian favourites including roti canai and murtabak, dim sum and chee cheong fun, as well as sticks of grilled beef and chicken satay served with spicy peanut sauce and its condiments.  If you prefer some noodles, there are also choices of chicken noodle soup, Mee Bandung and Curry Laksa in the daily spread.

Sous Chef Mohd Anuar Abdullah [Left] and
Chef Neow Kok Meng presents a platter of
Nasi Pelangi with skewers of Ayam
Percik Utara
 

End your meal sweetly by watching the serving staff skillfully pull Teh Tarik or pulled tea and serve it with a frothy head.  Pick a choice of hot beverages and savour it with sweet treats like cubes of Supreme Durian Tempura that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  You can look forward to an assortment of local kueh (cakes) and desserts like Bubur Cha-Cha as well as jellies, tarts, cakes, crumbles, mousses and ice-creams for a sweet ending.

Harbour Café continues in their tradition of good food quality and an incredible choice in dinner buffet spreads this Ramadan daily from June 28 to July 29, priced at RM108++ (adult) and RM54++ (child below age 12).  Live traditional Ghazal music performances start from July 2.  For reservations, Tel: 607 – 560 8888 or email: restaurantreservations.thph@tradershotel.com

 

Singapore style Sup Gearbox
 

Indulge in delectable cubes of Supreme Durian Tempura that are crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside!

A version of this article was published in The New Straits Times, Streets Johor on 23 July 2014