Warung Nasi Padang Ibunda (Ramadan Buffet) @ Concorde Hotel KL

This time around the year is all about getting together with family especially after a long day of fasting. Pay a visit to Concorde Hotel from 10th July to 7th August to enjoy authentic Padang cuisine based on Ibu Dewi Marliana’s mum recipe. It will be great to give your mum a break from cooking at home and spend a quality time together at Concorde Ball Room where you will be entertained with Indonesian traditional dance. Padang is home to Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia. Be amazed by the entire ball room decorated with Rumah Gadang (Minangkabau ‘big house’) elements that will bring on your mood for a good feast later on.

Concorde Ball Room for the Padang Buffet Spread

So, I was there an hour earlier because I have event earlier somewhere nearby. So I thought why not work on my lappie while waiting for other to arrive. Politely ask the hotel staff for wifi connection, she inform that wifi is only applicable to patron or hotel guest. I hope they will be wifi connection be provided for walk in guest. Luckily, the staff offered me to go to business executive lounge where there will be desktop for you to connect to the internet.

Finally everyone arrived and I met with Jie Jing, the Marketing Executive for Concorde Hotel. It was really great talking to her…she also a travel addict like me…The chat can goes on and on… Beside talking about traveling, she share a little bit background of the Chef who cook the awesome Padang cuisines for us.

Ibu Dewi Marliana enjoy spending time in the kitchen with her mother preparing meals. Kitchen is the best place for her and her sisters. Dewi had resides in Kuala Lumpur for more than 18 years. Currently, she is helping her husband’s textile business in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman.

I have quite a few of friend in Indonesia and they actually tell me you can’t find padang food in padang…I wonder how true it is? That aside, the only different between Padang food and Malay food is the cooking method as well as some key ingredient used in the dish.

Some of the signature Padang dish are:

• Soto Padang
• Rendang Ayam/ Daging
• Minang
• Ayam Goreng Rempah
• Daging Dendeng Balado
• Paru Dendeng
• Ikan Goreng Lado Hikau
• Kelio Ayam Nangka
• Urat Kaki Lembu
• Ayam Gulai Pop
• Gulai Perut Lembu
• Gulai Kambing
• Sotong Tusuk
• Sambal Lado Jariang (Jering)
• Terung Balado
• Desserts: Godok Batinta, Serabi & Cenil

** Some basic word translation… Ayam (chicken), Ikan (Fish), Sotong (Squids)

Start my buffet with cold appetizer where huge and fresh seafood lay in front of my eyes that I couldn’t say no.. Screw it…I know I should not take seafood until my leg recover but it’s too tempting!!!

Huge Seafood…Which is your Favourite?

I think you can really see the juicy and succulent seafood in the picture that need no further explanation from me how tasty they are….

More cold appetizer but this time are mixture of Chinese and Western style…

Cold Appetizer.

From left clockwise : Grilled Tofu with Broccoli and Sesame dressing, Seared Tuna with White Bean, Thai Seafood Salad, Smoked Duck Breast with Mango, Roast Beef Spinach Salad and Roasted Tomato Pasta.

Grilled Tofu with Broccoli and Sesame dressing, an interesting combination of my favourite ingredient and flavour. Seriously I can’t see which part of the tofu is grilled….It look exactly like the fresh tofu out of the packaging. Nevertheless, the tofu is extremely smooth and soft and the accompanying broccoli is crunchy on the other hand which give a great contrast in texture. It’s great to bite on the broccoli with the sesame oil sandwich in the centre and the tofu layered on the bottom. It’s really tasty…yum yum..

The thick slab of Pink Seared Tuna with White Bean is my favourite for that night too…The edge is cooked while the centre is remained raw which give a flaky and soft mushy texture of the tuna all together in my mouth. Another different way to enjoy sashimi…

Honestly I don’t quite fancy Thai Seafood Salad, I’m more into western type of salad. BUT this one changed my mind. I want more of this salad. The savoury dressing tossed over the seafood with a right ratio so the dressing does not empower the seafood sweetness.. Especially in love with the flaky fish where the dressing blend really well with it.

The thick and pale pink succulent Smoked Duck Breast with Mango sure does makes one goes mmmmmmhhhhh all the way from laying the slice of duck breast onto tongue to chewing it where the smoked sweetness burst all over the mouth giving that satisfaction I look for!! Accompanying asparagus will be able to balance the strong wild taste of the smoked duck. If I have more capacity I don’t mind having few more slices.

Roast Beef rolled over Spinach Salad with julienne capsicum in it’s core gives that crunch and crisp, It does taste refreshingly crunchy but the hoeradish sauce layer on the top just killed the taste. It’s just me not liking hoeradish sauce.. Not a fan of something too pungent. If you love pungent taste like hoeradish sauce or mustard this maybe your favourite dish. 

Roasted Tomato Pasta was rather bland and the combination just don’t attract me.

A varieties of Kerabu & Chip to choose from….

The banana chips are one of the famous product in Indonesia and many will buy as souvenir when travel to Indonesia. Sadly is not crunchy at all…

Then we move to ala-Chinese style for those who don’t take spicy food this will be perfect choice for you.

From top left clockwise : Mix Vegetables, Thai Style Chicken, Fried Glass Noodle and Sweet & Sour Fish

Tasted the Fried Glass Noodle and Sweet & Sour Fish, kinda bland for me though…

Then we move to the main highlight of the night, the authentic Padang food!

From top left clockwise : Rendang Daging, Kebu  Ayam Nangka, Daging Dengdeng Baladu, Bubur Lambuk, Ikan Pangang Berempah and Ayam Goreng Rempah

Nasi Briyani (Rice) is so awesome!! Even I’m not a fan but I’m sold this round… Each rice grain is separated and envelope with the spices aroma!!

Fried Kailan was over cooked and taste kinda bland too…

Tofu in Black Bean Sauce, surprisingly moist but the fish meat is not that springy and I prefer more fish taste in it.

Ayam (Chicken) Rendang Minang, taste quite good.. but I still prefer the malay style ayam rendang which is richer in taste. This one though has a very strong lemon grass taste. Chicken wasn’t too hard..

Ayam (Chicken) Goreng Rempah, just too dry and tough.

Ikan (Fish) Goreng Lada Hijau, fish is flaky and fresh not dry at all. Unfortunately, the lada hijau (green capsicum) only able to coat the outer layer with taste.. Internal taste like any fried fish you could find outside.

Kebu Ayam (Chicken) Nangka, taste very similar to the Rendang chicken just milder spiciness.

From top left clockwise: Nasi Briyani, Fried Kailan, Tofu in Black Bean Sauce, Ayam Rendang Minang,Ayam Rempah, Ikan Goreng Lado Hijau and centre Kebu Ayam Nangka

Mee Rebus is my favourite of the night!! I finish the entire bowl…The yellow noodle was soaked in a thick sweet with minor spiciness gravy. The condiments is so crunchy and the fried onion flavour is so good!

I thought the Roast Lamb will not be a good choice!! So I did not take a lot!! But it was so flavourful and tender.. Regretted for not taking more as when I went back it was all gone!

While we were eating halfway, dancer come by each table to sang us a few song…It was really entertaining.

I’m done with the mains and it’s time to treat my tummy with some sweet treats!!

Dessert is always so colourful!

Dessert is divided to two category, the western (most commonly seen) and local kuih (Padang as well as Malaysian type of desserts)

Love the rich cheesy flavour of the Baked Cheesecake…. Other was just okay…

From left clockwise: Baked Cheesecake, Black Forest Cake, Strawberry Mousse and Fruit Tart.

I have high expectation on these kuih (local dessert) but mostly are tasteless…. Texture was alright just lack of flavour. The chips again is not crunchy at all…

With that, we end our night at Concorde Hotel. Special thanks to Nuffnang and Concorde Hotel for extending the invitation to me.

The buffet spread is available at two are with two different environment. At ballroom you will be able to experience Padang inspired decoration with dancer entertaining you whole night. While at Melting Pot Cafe you do not have that kind of luxury but you pay at a lower price.

Melting Pot Cafe (July 10th – August 7th 2013)

RM 108++ per pax

Concorde Hotel Ballroom (July 16th – August 4th 2013)

RM 90++ nett with the purchase of voucher

RM 114++ nett per pax

15% discount for Card members

Alliance Bank, CIMB, Citibank, Hong Leong, Maybank, Public Bank and RHB.

For Booking or Queries please contact:

Melting Pot Cafe

2, Jalan Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: 0321442200 ext 2337

Email: [email protected]