A warm welcome to Jemput Makan

Renowned for serving a sumptuous spread in its popular dinner buffets, Café BLD at the Renaissance Johor Baru welcomes guests this Ramadan to help themselves to an impressive breaking-of-fast dinner buffet in the theme, Jemput Makan.

Festive favourites like lemang and ketupat
palas to savour with serunding and peanut sauce

Literally translated as Welcome to Eat, I can even feel the mouthwatering vibes from the spectacular sight of attractively displayed food stations – each vying for my attention – as I make a quick survey of the 400 types of dishes (Yes, you read it right!) served.

I may not be good with numbers, but I am quite sure that every type of salad and sauce, seafood, meat, poultry and condiments like pickles and crackers, are counted along with the range of local kuih and desserts, served in daily rotating menus throughout the month.

This much anticipated pre-Ramadan review is presented in full, complete with live traditional festive music provided by a band from Yayasan Warisan Johor, or the Johor Heritage Foundation.

Buffet Manners in the New Normal

In the New Normal, guests should only remove their masks to eat, keep their physical distance and must wear disposable gloves to hold the serving spoons at the buffet.

The generous spread is dotted with live-cooking stations, create-your-own stations and irresistibly interesting items that diners must-try from a range of traditional breaking-of-fast dishes to a variety of char-grilled meats and fresh seafood in an indulgent menu which also features a wide range of international dishes.

The breaking-of-fast meal may begin with a taste of juicy Safawi Dates along with comforting traditional Sup Ayam Berempah, a spiced chicken soup, and Bubur Lambuk the season’s rice porridge, from the Soup Station.

At the nearby tower of Seafood-on-Ice, I see fresh scallops, fresh-water prawns, New Zealand mussels, Green Lip mussels and Flower crabs, all chilled and ready to be savoured with a twist of fresh lime and a range of dip sauces.

To whet the appetite, there are fresh ingredients to create-your-own salad from the International Salad Station topped with a variety of sauces.

A range of kerabu, Ready-to-Eat Malay salads

There are also mouthwatering varieties of ready-to-eat traditional Malay salads or kerabu created with various ingredients like squid, beef lung, mixed seafood, barbecued chicken, mango as well as ulam-ulam fern leaves and cockles.

Fans of Middle Eastern fare will enjoy salads like Fattoush Salad, Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Mutabbal, Tabbouleh and Tzatziki, Greek-style cucumber yogurt salad.

For diners who prefer a more local flavour, fresh ingredients and vegetables are prepared for you to create-your-own Gado Gado and Penang Pasembur, an Indian-Muslim savoury snack, tossed with a spicy peanut sauce.

Festive favourites like Lemang, glutinous rice with coconut milk baked within bamboo sticks, and Ketupat Palas, glutinous rice cakes steamed in coconut leaves, are served with a choice of Serunding or meat floss made from beef and chicken, as well as traditional spicy peanut sauce.

Whole roasted lamb at the Briyani Station 
created by Chef Hamizi

Then I watch as diners zero-in at the Lamb Ribs Briyani Gam, flavoured rice served with condiments and tender cuts from the whole barbecued lamb from the Briyani Station proudly presented by Chef Hamizi.

Traditional Malay dishes in the hot buffet, each served in deep kwali or wok, include Lamb Rendang, Udang (prawn) masak Lemak Chilli Api, Ayam (chicken) masak Tiga-rasa, Daging (Beef) masak Kunyit, and Pajeri Nenas, a dish made with pineapple.

The Noodles Station offers three types of noodles daily on rotation and the choices include Laksa Johor, Penang Prawn Noodles, Muar Mee Bandung, Tok Mizi Mee Rebus, Lontong Johor, Ipoh Curry Laksa and Mee Soto Ayam.

In the nearby steamer, four types of Dim Sum each of the steamed and fried variety are served daily on a rotating menu.

 

The Japanese Station is a popular choice among diners for a selection of sashimi and sushi served with condiments and wasabi to add an extra zing to each bite.

Freshly grilled seafood to savour with a
range of traditional sauces

Meanwhile the Western hot buffet features exciting dishes like Mediterranean Seafood Rice, Chicken Corden Bleu, Spaghetti Beef Bolognese, Baked Spinach Cheese Oysters, as well as two types of Pizza daily.

There is more in the outdoor alfresco section where the Indian Station presents local favourite, Teh Tarik or pulled frothy milk tea, and a choice of authentic Indian breads to savour with a range of gravies.

The Street Barbecue section is abuzz with activity as the culinary team busy themselves at the grill to prepare freshly grilled skewers of Beef and Chicken satay and seafood like prawns, squid and marinated whole fish are grilled, wrapped in sheets of banana leaves for an added fragrance.

While satay should be savoured with spicy peanut sauce and condiments of raw cucumber and onions, the grilled seafood is more tasty with a drizzle of delicious local sauces like Cincalok, Mango Sambal, Sambal Belacan, Sambal Tempoyak (fermented durian), Garlic Chili Sauce, Ayer Assam and Budu, a traditional fish sauce.

Executive Chef Fredrick Kho [Left] speaking
while a video was being recorded

I was checking out the Wok Specials of wok-fried dishes of carrot cake and oyster omelet when I spotted Executive Chef Frederick Kho who was chatting with a media friend while being recorded on video.

It was interesting to hear Chef Fredrick speaking about serving a range of street food items from live-cooking stations, a tradition of eating which is embraced by our multi-cultural community.

When the video recording ended, the media guy turned to say “Hello” to me and it took a moment for me to recognise the masked man and his distinct accent.

A happy trio [Left to Right]
Sonny, Chef Fredrick and me!

“Sonny?” I asked hesitantly because I could not be sure about the man behind the mask. When he spoke again, I was sure that he was Sonny whom I first met in April 2017.

What ensued was a lively catch-up with him as we returned indoors, escorted by Chef Fredrick, to learn more about the Renaissance tradition of serving such a sumptuous spread for the breaking-of-fast dinner at Café BLD again this Ramadan.

At the Desserts Station, an action station serves on daily rotation, street-popular snacks like Apam Balik, Kueh Ketayap, Belgian Wafer with Banana, Crepe Suzette as well as fried fritters like Cucur Pisang (banana) and Keropok Lekor.

A section of the Dessert Station with a mix of
local kuih, cookies, puddings and creme brulee

Then the Chef reminded us not to miss a taste of freshly fried durian cubes wrapped in crispy batter, along with popular local snacks like fried bananas and sweet potato slices.

The Jemput Makan dinner buffet comes with hot and cold drinks as well as a range of traditional festive cookies, assorted pastries and cakes, traditional Malay kuih and sweet porridge desserts like Bubur Cha Cha, Bubur Pulut Hitam, Pengat Pisang, and Bubur Gandum, just to name a few from their rotating menu.

There is also a selection of fresh cut fruits and inside a freezer, I spy sticks of Ice-Cream Potong. But I prefer to end this meal with a create-my-own shaved ice specialty topped with my choice of ingredients, drizzled only with palm sugar.

The Ramadan Jemput Makan Dinner Buffet will be served from April 13 to May 13 from 6.30pm to 10pm at Café BLD.

Deep-fried Durian, a delicacy for
connoisseurs of durian

Priced at RM158 nett per adult and RM78 nett per child aged between six to 12 years old, while children below six years old will enjoy complimentary dining.

Club Renaissance Johor Baru members are entitled to 15% discount.

Take advantage of the Early Bird Promotion by buying your dining vouchers without delay.

Every 10 vouchers bought from now to March 31 will receive three complimentary vouchers.

Every 10 vouchers bought between March 31 and April 12 will receive two complimentary vouchers.

Every 10 vouchers bought between April 13 to May 13 will received one complimentary voucher.

My create-your-own shaved ice dessert!

The hotel also offers Jemput Makan in Takeaway packages to savour in the comfort of your own home. Orders should be made 24 hours in advance or no later than 12pm on the same day to ensure that takeaways are prepared, ready for collection between 3pm and 6pm.

Café BLD is on the lobby level of Renaissance Johor Baru, at No. 2 Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, 81750 Johor Baru, Johor.

To host Private Dining breaking-of-fast with a minimum of 30 guests, select from two menus at prices starting from RM98 nett per person. For enquiries, send emails to: rosliza.lazim@renaissancehotels.com or evelyn.soh@renaissancehotels.com

For reservations and enquiries, Tel: +607 – 381 3322 or +6017 – 771 3327 or place your orders online at https://bit.ly/CafeBLDTakeaway. Check out the full menu at https://bit.ly/MBCafeBLD.