Ramadhan Buffet at Hotel Double Tree Hilton

Ramadhan Buffet at Makan Kitchen

After 10 days of fasting, we decided to give ourselves a treat to a Hotel Ramadhan Bufet in KL.. the problem was.. which hotel restaurant is certified by JAKIM? hmm.. a quick search shows that Shang Ri La's  Ramadhan Buffet is halal certified and after our previous experience dining in another Shang Ri La Hotel quite some time back, we decided that yes.. we would give ourselves this one time treat. Unfortunately getting through the reservation was very tough.. no one seems to be answering except for front desk and operator.. hmm after 20 minutes of trying.. I gave up.. we decided to try Makan Kitchen Ramadhan Buffet by Double Tree Hilton instead. 

Makan Kitchen by Double Tree by Hilton

Lady answering my reservation was curt.. (I am fasting so I won't say more), upon reaching the hotel, you have to take the lift at the lobby to level 11 where Makan Kitchen Ramadhan Buffet is, the lift lobby is not designed for crowds. The restaurant though is spacious, with an air of grandeur.. smoke was billowing from the chinese kitchen and I can't help feeling a tad excited (so.. okay..it's been some time since we last treat ourselves to hotel dining :p ) I like the fact that they placed us at a quiet corner away from the action as we came with two small kids. My kids can sing and play without disturbing others and we can eat in peace and not worry they will bump into others accidentally :)

My 4 year old enjoying his plain water

Makan Kitchen offers chinese, malay and indian style cuisine, hubby went first for the Chinese, I headed straight for Indian and as usually my 4 year old is only interested in dessert. 

Chinese Style bee hoon, fried rice, beef, crab cakes and prawns

Food selection is varied enough, but falls flat on our tastebud.  Hubby tried the beef, prawns and crab patties from the Chinese kitchen and nothing was outstandingly nice. It all tasted ordinary...beef was even hard to chew.

Makan Kitchen's Satay and Roasted Lamb

Satay is not richly marinated but still chewable, the satay sauce sweet, but lacks chilli power, the roasted lamb bland.. ikan bakar selection was stingray, talapia and I think kembung, looks nice enough but disappointing when I opened the banana leaf.. the flesh is cooked but too soft for my liking, and the marinade is a bit weak.

The Ikan Bakar; Pari and Talapia

Walking past the Indian kitchen, the lamb bryani looks enticing, I added the lamb masala, squids and the chef recommended south indian style prawns. All fail to deliver except for the lamb masala which is the only  tender meat for that evening.

My Indian Pick: Lamb Bryani, Lamb Masala, Squids and South Indian Prawns ( i know everything looks mixed up) 

Dissatisfied, we did not opt for seconds. The dessert selection consists mainly of traditional kueh which my kids do not eat (Except for baulu) and I personally prefer brownies and mini tarts (which is not available) so the only dessert I tried was the cendol and a small strawberry cheesecake, the latter is nice and not too cheesy, while the chendol's coconut milk is too thin and missing the strong sweet taste of the palm syrup. 

Ramadhan Buffet : Cendol at Makan Kitchen

The only sweet delight that I enjoyed at Makan Kitchen, although the too sweet Teh Tarik and too bland Cendol already spoiled my sweet cravings 

Oh well.. that is what you get when you deviate from the real purpose of fasting and intend to stuff yourself silly during break fast. 

The Make-Shift Surau, room is a tad small but view is nice :)

We walked out of the Ramadhan Buffet at 8.15pm and asked for the surau. Double Tree by Hilton has made arrangements for a makeshift surau at Level 12 for their Ramadhan Buffet guests... and guess what? While the Ramadhan Buffet is bustling with crowds.. the surau is empty.. hmm.. makes one wonder doesn't it?