Fiesta at The Puteri Pacific this Ramadan

The Puteri Pacific Johor Baru invites you to share the spirit of Ramadan with a veritable feast at their Fiesta Ramadan spread in The Puteri Café.

A range of juicy fresh fruits is part of Fiesta Ramadan
at The Puteri Cafe in The Puteri Pacific Johor Baru

Located on the lobby level of the hotel, The Puteri Café looks familiar even though the view through its floor-to-ceiling glass walls has new buildings in a new and different city landscape.

I’m at the hotel for a media preview of the Fiesta Ramadan at the invitation of Director of Sales, Joyce Yap.

I recently met Joyce again at an event held at the adjacent Persada Johor International Convention Centre and it’s good to renew my acquaintance with Johor Baru’s most central business hotel.

I join a large group of corporate guests who are also here for the preview and am delighted to be seated close to the buffet where I can watch guests helping themselves to their favourite dishes.

Carving the Lamb Kuzi to serve

As she shows me around the various sections of the buffet, Joyce tells me that this is the last time we will be dining in The Puteri Café in its current setting.

That’s because the hotel will be embarking on a major refurbishment project, not only to equip it with new facilities but also to upgrade it with modern elegance and luxury.

This is indeed a timely project and I cannot wait to experience the all-new Puteri Pacific Johor Baru in the near future!

Meanwhile, my nostrils are assailed by the enticing aroma of freshly cooked food from the live cooking stations.

I make a beeline for the Lamb Kuzi, a whole lamb roasted with the finest herbs and spices and stuffed with fragrant basmati rice. I watch as the chef is happily carving and serving delectable portions to diners.

I remind myself to take only two spoons of rice with the Lamb Kuzi and drizzle it with the Kuzi gravy, from a separate dish nearby.

Adding a duck's egg to the Char Kuay Teow makes
all the difference to its tempting taste

[I’m limiting myself to a little rice so as to save space to sample other items in the wide buffet spread!]

Executive Chef Azamuddin Ahmad and his culinary team has prepared a menu of more than 100 items for the Fiesta Ramadan, ranging from appetizers, soups, main course items and desserts in the best of Malaysian favourites with a blend of cuisines from around the world.

Nearby, the Chinese chef is stir-frying flat rice noodles, better known as Char Kuay Teow. I watch as he skillfully cracks two fresh eggs onto the pan – followed by an additional egg (which I recognize from its lighter coloured eggshell!) – a duck’s egg!

Freshly-made steamed dim sum in the buffet spread

As all connoisseurs of Char Kuay Teow know, it’s the duck’s egg in these stir-fried noodles that makes all the difference to its tempting taste!

Selections of Halal dim sum served at Kai Xuan Chinese Restaurant, is also presented in the Fiesta Ramadan menu. Savour the dim sum with a choice of dip sauces like chillie sauce to a mild sweet sauce.

More guests are arriving and while Joyce leaves me to welcome them into the café, I wander off to the barbecue section. 

Here the chefs are grilling meat and seafood at a work station which is separated by an opaque glass wall.

Chefs preparing grilled meat and seafood behind an
opaque wall to reduce the sizzle and smoke from diners

There is an opening for diners to pass their selections to the chefs but it’s wise to have this wall which helps to reduce the sizzle and smoke from the dining hall.

Nearby at the Pasta section, diners can pick their choice of pasta, ingredients and sauces for the chef to prepare, fresh for their enjoyment.

In the cooked food spread, there are choices of local Malay and Chinese favourites as well as Western items. 

Seated so close, I cannot help but notice how diners are helping themselves to the Lamb dish but by the time I reach it, I only manage to pick just a few tender morsels left on that stewed leg of lamb…

[Note to self: Check out the Lamb early to avoid disappointment.]

Bubur Lambuk with a drizzle of spicy dark sauce

An entire section is dedicated to serving dates and a range of preserved fruits.

Several jars with air-tight lids are filled with a variety of crisps. I just hope diners will be considerate to keep the lids fastened for the crisps to remain crispy!

Keeping to the tradition of breaking-of-fast with family at home, there is also a section that serves a range of appetizing sambal sauces to go with a selection of ulam-ulam or fresh kampung greens as well as a choice of tossed kerabu or Malaysian salads.

Then I discover another staple for the breaking-of-fast - Bubur Lambuk – and this comes with toppings like chopped spring onions and croutons as well as spicy dark sauce, like the type used for soto or chicken soup.

A section of the delectable desserts

I cannot resist drizzling my portion with a little spicy sauce. And when I taste it, I like how this rice porridge warms my belly, so tasty and chockful of cubes of tender beef.

It’s so deliciously comforting that I make a mental note to have a second helping. [Later, after I leave the hotel, I realize that I failed to do so!]

That’s because I’m distracted by the desserts… There is a range of local kueh, bubur and pengat or local sweet broths, plus cakes, pastries, jellies and puddings!

This year, diners can look forward to enjoying a ‘Daily Must-Try’ item in the buffet so keep an eye out for this special addition every day.

Diners at The Puteri Café also stand to win attractive prizes including return flight tickets to holiday destinations like Australia, Bali, Vietnam, Surabaya and Bangkok, in special lucky draws.

A section of the diners in The Puteri Cafe

Fiesta Ramadan is served at The Puteri Café from May 17 to June 14, daily from 6.30pm to 10pm.

Price at RM98+ for adult and RM55+ for children aged between six to 12 years.

Early Bird reservations made before May 6 will enjoy 15% discount while reservations made from May 6 to May 15 will still enjoy 10% discount.

The hotel also offers a special package price for those who wish to organise private group buka puasa events under their Corporate Social Responsibility Programmes.

For enquiries and reservations, Tel: +607 219 9999, Ext: 9399 or send email to: sales@puteripacific.com

The Puteri Pacific Johor Baru is linked to the Persada Johor International Convention Centre at Jalan Abdullah Ibrahim and also enjoys parking access from Jalan Trus. Website: www.puteripacific.com