Special thanks to The Light Hotel for extending this food review invitation.
The Light Hotel is a 5-star hotel within walking distance from Sunway Carnival Mall. The 303-room hotel is geared towards corporate clientele and provides amenities such as swimming pool, fitness center and sauna.
Spice Brasserie is one of the two main eateries here; the other being Flavour@3. With ample space for indoor and al fresco dining, Spice Brasserie provides guests with relaxing ambience while they enjoy their meals.
Today’s event is the preview of the upcoming Ramadan buffet, themed “Nostalgia Sajian Desa Bufet Ramadan”. The buffet focuses on traditional Malay delicacies with elements from other regional cuisine. To lighten the atmosphere, The Light Hotel engages Rayyan Band to provide live music every evening.
Daytime fasting is customarily broken with several pieces of kurma (pitted palm dates). According to legend, Prophet Muhammad broke his fast by eating three dates.
Another must-have dish in any Ramadan buffet is Bubur Lambuk, where the rice porridge is cooked to soft consistency. Flavored with meat stock, the soup is tasty to the very last drop. As part the hotel’s corporate social responsibility, 1,500 bowls of Bubur Lambuk will be given out during Ramadan.
Sup Soto Ayam Mutiara is a rich broth derived from chicken. Flavorful on its own, guests can add a number ingredients such as nutmeg, fried onion and crispy rice noodles. Garlic bread is provided to go with the soup.
Rice is the staple crop in Malay cuisine, therefore it is no surprise that Nasi Briyani Kambing Panggang is one of the most popular dishes tonight. Using cashew nuts, raisins and a special mixture of aromatic spices like cumin (jintan putih) and star anise (bunga lawang), this rice dish is appetizing indeed. Meanwhile, mutton ribs are roasted separately and are presented over rice.
As for something with Middle Eastern touch, Kebab Ayam Shawarma is prepared for the convenience of guests. Instead of being roasted on a rotisserie, chicken is grilled on a griddle and then wrapped in pita bread.
Sotong Bakar (Grilled Squid) is coated with chili paste and then cut into pieces before grilling. This ensures that squid is cooked thoroughly.
Ikan Pari Bakar (Grilled Ray) is served in banana leaves to retain the fish’s natural juice. Ray is often featured in Malay curries due to its abundance and agreeable flesh texture.
As for noodles, Char Koay Teow is stir-fried with shrimps, eggs, bean sprouts, garlic chives and chili paste. I feel that there is room for improvement in terms of “fiery aroma”.
From the international arena, Sri Lankan Spring Roll is another special dish tonight. Between spiral layers of dough are tuna and tomato paste. The pastry is similar to Roti Canai but is notably softer and moister. No gravy is necessary as the fillings are savory enough.
Rendang Daging Tok is a beef recipe from Perak. Marinated with a special blend of flavorful spices, the beef is stewed for hours so that lovely flavors permeate the meat entirely. If you take beef, I strongly recommend that you try this dish.
Burung Puyuh Percik is made from roasted quails and is served with spicy gravy based on coconut milk. The overall taste is dominated by the gravy; quail meat only plays a minor role here.
Many Malaysians have an inexplicable affinity for petai (stink beans), which is why Sambal Udang Petai receives so much attention. While stink beans are almost tasteless on their own, they provide the distinctive aroma that many people find appealing.
Sayur Harissa comprises of a variety of cooked vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, yardlong beans and chili pepper. The spicy gravy itself is prepared from chili pepper sauce.
As for kerabu (Malay salad), Kerabu Taugeh Dengan Kerang consists of bean sprouts and cockles. These two main ingredients are also mixed with red chili peppers and bird’s eye chili (cili padi). Only the boldest tongues should attempt to challenge this spicy kerabu dish.
Tauhu Sumbat was a recent addition to Malay cuisine but has since gained widespread popularity. Blocks of bean curd are deep-fried, then stuffed with julienned carrot, cucumber and jicama. Peanut gravy is provided as well.
Ulam-Ulaman are a number of local vegetables that are often eaten raw by the Malay community, especially at rural areas. Pungent condiments such as Sambal Belacan and Air Asam are provided as dipping sauces.
Another interesting delicacy is Mango Chutney, which is cooked from unripe mangoes.
Pasembor is Penang’s very own “salad” dish. It consists of deep-fried fritters, bean curd, bean sprouts and jicama. Individual ingredients are tossed in sweet peanut sauce.
There are two versions of Pisang Goreng: with cheese and with chocolate. In my opinion, the latter suits my palate better.
Ramadan dinners will be incomplete without the large assortment of Malay kuih. These festive delicacies are often the highlight of Ramadan bazaars that mushroom across town. One traditional kuih is Lepat Pisang. Banana and glutinous rice are wrapped in banana leaf, then steamed until they are cooked.
Kuih Dadar are pandan-flavored crêpes filled with grated coconut and gula melaka (palm sugar). I like the soft texture of the crêpes.
As for deep-fried ones, Kuih Bom are rice balls that are filled with sweet bean paste. The balls are coated with sesame seeds to provide delightful crisp.
Cheese Brownies is an amalgam between cheesecake and chocolate brownies. I am not sure whether I prefer both ingredients together or separately.
Puding Karamel Oren (Orange Caramel Pudding) is a sweet custard that is prepared in a bowl. The custard is flipped upside down when it is set.
There are also a variety of sponge cakes and layered cakes. The cakes are cut into bite-size portions for the convenience of guests.
The meal concludes with a number of fruits such as lychee, longan, banana, pitaya (dragon fruit) and rose apple (jambu batu).
Nostalgia Sajian Desa Bufet Ramadan is available every evening from 8 June 2016 to 3 July 2016. The buffet is priced at RM79.00+ per adult, RM48.00+ per child, and RM60.00+ per senior citizen. Early birds enjoy special price of RM70.00 net per adult if they purchase vouchers before 31 May 2016. For large parties, enjoy 1 free seat for every 10 paying adults.
Name: Spice Brasserie
Address: The Light Hotel, Lebuh Tenggiri 2, Pusat Bandar Seberang Jaya, 13700 Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-382-1111
Business hours: 6:30am-11:00pm (Sunday-Thursday), 6:30am-1:00am (Friday-Saturday)
Website: http://www.thelighthotelpg.com/dine.html
Coordinates: 5.39428 N, 100.39844 E
Directions: From Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (North-South Expressway), take the Seberang Jaya exit and head west. Turn left just before the pedestrian bridge and drive all the way to the end. When the road splits, keep right. The Light Hotel is the first building on the left. Spice Brasserie is located next to the lobby. There are parking spaces within the hotel’s compound. The parking fee is RM4.00 per entry.