A taste of tradition at Cafe BLD

 

Café BLD at the Renaissance Johor Baru lives up to its reputation for serving a sumptuous spread in its popular dinner buffets by presenting a traditional Ramadan treat in their Sajian Tradisi Ramadan Iftar buffet for the breaking-of-fast.

 

Enter here for a Taste of Tradition or Sajian
Tradisi Ramadan Iftar buffet at Cafe BLD

This impressive breaking-of-fast spread invites diners to indulge in an array of mouth-watering dishes and delicacies served specially from March 23 to April 21.

 

Keeping to its traditions, the hotel aims to provide a dining experience that features local heritage that comes complete with traditional festive music presented by a live band and vocalists from Yayasan Warisan Johor or the Johor Heritage Foundation.

 

Diners familiar with Café BLD know that the layout of their buffet spread starts from within the café and opens into the outdoor section where live-cooking stations in the Street Barbecue section was a hive of activity.

 

A whole roasted lamb is among the items
served at the Street Barbecue section

The culinary team led by Executive Chef, Chef Yee Weng Ding and Chef De Cuisine, Chef Hamizi, have created a menu of traditional favourites to tempt the tastebuds of diners who may be homesick for familiar food during Ramadan.

 

I observed the chefs at their work stations for Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine and watched while the team at the grill fanned burning embers to barbecue skewers of the signature BLD Beef and Chicken satay for diners to savour with spicy peanut sauce and condiments of raw cucumber and onions.

 

One simply cannot miss the sight of a whole roasted lamb as well as a 40kg whole roasted leg of beef where diners will be served slivers of carved tender meat to savour with a drizzle of sauces of their choice.

 

The chef gives a thumb-up sign
for the whole roasted leg of beef
 

Another eye-catching choice must be the Giant Freshwater Prawns and juicy chicken pieces, prepared in the traditional South Indian deep-fried “65” recipe*.

 

The traditional dishes continue in a range of signature Gulai Kawah items presented in warming kawah or giant wok, and served on a rotation basis for Monday, Wednesday and Friday alternating with Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

 

Among the gravy items in the menu were Dendeng Daging (beef), Asam Pedas Berempah Ekor Sapi (oxtail), Udang Masak Lemak Nenas (prawns), Kambing Masak Kismis (lamb), Ikan Sambal Berlado Hijau (fish) and Sotong Sambal Petai Pati Santan (squid).

 

So even when diners decided to break their fast at Café BLD on consecutive days, they will have the pleasure to savour a choice of different dishes like Kambing Masak Kandar (lamb), Itik Bakar Masak Lemak Cili Padi (duck), Puyuk Goreng Daung Kemangi (quail), Rendang Daging Cili Api (beef), Udang Masak Lemak Tempoyak (prawn) and Ikan Goreng Tiga Rasa (fish).

 

Giant Freshwater Prawns and juicy chicken
served in the tasty South Indian "65" recipe

These delightful dishes may be enjoyed with Kabsa Rice, steamed White Rice or even freshly made breads prepared by the Indian kitchen.

 

The popular breads include Roti Canai, Roti Bom, Roti Telur, Roti Sardin and Vadai, that are typically savoured with South Indian Fish Curry, Chana Masala (chickpeas), Aloo Gobi Matar (cauliflower and potato) and Dhall Curry.

 

The traditional breaking-of-fast meal will not be complete without a taste of juicy dates along with comforting traditional Sup Ayam Berempah, a spiced chicken soup, and Bubur Lambuk the season’s rice porridge, from the Soup Station.

 

Skillfully pulling tea to serve Teh Tarik

Also in the alfresco section, a staff member was showing off his skills in pulling tea and presenting mugs of local favourite, Teh Tarik or pulled frothy milk tea.

 

To whet the appetite, there are fresh ingredients to create-your-own salad from the International Salad Station topped with a variety of sauces and varieties of ready-to-eat local salads or kerabu created with various ingredients like squid, beef lung, mixed seafood, barbecued chicken, mango as well as local greens, ulam-ulam fern leaves.

 

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.

 

Chef Hamizi proudly serves
a kawah of Dendeng Daging

Meanwhile, popular BLD staples like the Seafood-on-Ice that offers scallops, fresh-water prawns, New Zealand mussels, Green Lip mussels and Flower crabs, continue to please fans of seafood who will enjoy this seafood with a twist of fresh lime and a range of dip sauces.

 

Noodle lovers may taste various types of noodles served from the Noodles Station daily on rotation, that include Laksa Johor, Mee Jawa, Mee Rebus and Mee Bakso.

 

Diners at this Ramadan buffet will enjoy the various DIY sections to assemble their own Pasembor on Monday and Friday, Gado-Gado on Tuesday and Saturday, Fruit Rojak on Wednesday and Sunday or Nyonya Pai Tee on Thursdays.

 

At the Dessert Station, an action station serves freshly-made Kueh Ketayap while the deep-fried favourites from the outdoor section serves popular local snacks like deep-fried bananas and sweet potato slices and freshly fried durian cubes wrapped in crispy batter.

 

Don't miss Cafe BLD's signature Serawa Durian

The Sajian Tradisi Ramadan buffet comes with hot and cold drinks as well as a selection of fresh cut fruits and a range of traditional festive cookies, assorted pastries and cakes, traditional Malay kuih like their signature Serawa Durian and sweet porridge desserts like Bubur Cha Cha, Bubur Pulut Hitam, Pengat Pisang, and Bubur Gandum, just to name a few.

 

Finally, end this meal coolly by creating a traditional shaved-ice dessert specialty topped with a choice of ingredients, drizzled with syrup and palm sugar.

 

The Sajian Tradisi Ramadan Iftar Buffet will be served at Café BLD from March 23 to April 21, from 6.30pm to 10pm.

 

Priced at RM188 nett per adult and RM94 nett per child aged between six to 12 years old, while children below six years old will enjoy complimentary dining.

 

A taste of tradition: lemang, 
ketupat palas and ketupat nasi

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 21 for dining dates between March 23 and March 28, 2023, will receive three complimentary vouchers.

 

Every 10 vouchers bought from now to March 21 for dining dates up to April 21, 2023 will receive one complimentary voucher.

 

Diners who wish to host their own breaking-of-fast gatherings, Private Dining with a minimum of 30 guests is offered with a choice of two menus at prices starting from RM108 nett per person.

 

Alternatively, the hotel also offers two Chinese menu options, Blessed and Prosperity, for tables of six or 10 persons served at Wan Li Restaurant.

 

Café BLD and Wan Li Restaurant are located on the lobby level of Renaissance Johor Baru, at No. 2 Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, 81750 Johor Baru, Johor.

 

For enquiries, email to: rosliza.lazim@renaissancehotels.com or evelyn.soh@renaissancehotels.com. For reservations, Tel: +607 – 381 3322.

 

*Trivia Question: How did “Chicken 65” earn its name?

 

The most widely accepted reason is that “65” was the year it was first served in 1965 at the Buhari Hotel in Chennai, India.

 

[In India, restaurants may be called “hotels” and the Buhari Hotel was the first restaurant to introduce fine dining in Chennai, a city formerly known as Madras.]