Buka Puasa Buffet @ Bijan Bar and Restaurant

Selera Ibunda Buffet

Bijan Bar & Restaurant has garnered such a name for their fine Malay cuisine that many flocks to the restaurant for a taste of scrumptious Malay dishes cooked the authentic way and injected with a touch of modern touch through its ingredients and presentation. Set in beautiful ambiance of mixed Malay heritage as well as modern contemporary touches, the restaurant is located in the bustling area of Jalan Ceylon.

Every holy month of each year, Bijan has a tradition of serving up a kaleidoscope of authentic Malay dishes for Buka Puasa. This year, Bijan’s Sous Chef Mohd Shawal and his culinary team will be taking diners down the memory lane and stirring up fulfilling memories of some almost forgotten dishes of the yesteryear recipes handed down over the generations.

Food here is consistently delicious and besides their list of amazing dishes, one simply must remember to save some tummy space for their desserts. Previous year, I also had the most delicious Laksam at Bijan that I am still craving for today.

Themed Selera Ibunda Buffet, diners can expect a delicious buffet spread with daily rotation of 5 specially tailored menus. The buffet spread include grill stations and live-cooking stalls that serve the different ‘panggang’ items and many more of other old favourites. Here are some signature dishes to look out for during the Selera Ibunda Buffet…

Appetizers are plenty and one may even find it hard to stop going back for seconds. We had signatures of Cucur Udang, Ayam Bungkus Kelapa Manis, Daging Bungkus Kukus, Sata Trengganu and more.

The Cucur Udang is superb with crispy fluffy balls of tasty batter with prawn and vegetables. The Ayam Bungkus Kelapa Manis and Daging Bungkus Kukus are truly unique and has a soft and savory kuih texture with a delicious filling of beef or chicken. Savor this hot and it’s irresistible!

There is also Sata Terengganu or savory fish mousse, just like how it’s made back at the small kampungs in Terengganu.

There is this unusual Ubi Rebus Getuk dengan Jagung dan Kelapa that tasted pretty interesting with its sweet and savory flavour.

More treats of Ketupat and Nasi Impit to be savored with Sayur Lodeh and my all-time-favorite classic Roti Jala and Kari Ayam.

Moving on to mains, the dishes here are one of the best that I have tasted in Malay cuisine in the city.

Rendang Hitam Tok Wan looks exotically dark but rest assured, its jam-packed with well-balanced spice flavours. The beef is so tender and cuts easily with a fork. Cooked for hours till tender and tasty, there is also a good dose of creamy notes. Simply delicious!!

The Gulai Lemak Daging Salai Jantung Pisang looked really enticing at sight with its chargrilled beef cooked to medium pink. It is served on a very rich and creamy heart of banana curry.

Another crowd pleaser was the deletable Rusuk Kambing Masak Hitam. Lamb ribs cooked in dark sticky and unctuous spice sauce was so good that it was the first dish to be polished off among the buffet. So tender, moist and tasty, there is a delicious balance of savory and sweet flavours in the lamb ribs that makes it so ravishing on the palate.

Bijan has many curries and each one is very different in its own unique blend of ingredients. There is this very creamy Masak Lemak Udang Nenas that offers a harmonious blend of savory, sweet, spicy and tangy flavours. The prawns are cooked just right and has soaked up all the flavours of the curry too.

The most unique dish of the buffet was the Ikan Kurau Cili Padi Pisang Kapas. Thick cuts of Kurau fish is cooked in turmeric infused creamy curry sauce that is spicy and sweet. There are pieces of sliced banana that tasted almost like potato. The dish is very unique and only this special pisang kapas can be used to produce the flavour and texture of this curry.

There is also the classic Ketam Masak Cili where flower crabs are drenched in a sweet and spicy chili gravy.

Though the Sotong Sambal Hijau has squid that is slightly on the tougher end but the flavours are so good, one may not even mind the slight chewiness of the squid. I enjoyed how the squid has such a robust sweet and savory flavour that makes me want to eat more of it with rice.

Opor Ayam is great for those who enjoy spices but not the heat. Very creamy and luscious, the Opor Ayam may looked quite pale white but once you had a taste, you will enjoy how the flavours of the dish is so subtle and yet enticing.

Pucuk Paku Cendawan Sisir has a wild pucuk paku cooked ‘lemak’ style with a type of mushroom called Cendawan Sisir. It’s quite a well-known Malay dish and this version also has some prawns thrown in for luxe measure.

The vegetable dish that was the first to finish was the tasty Kailan Ikan Masin. Kailan cooked with the moreish salted fish and some chili was so good that you might just eat more rice just to eat more of this salty and piquant vegetable. I know I did…

Sayur Lodeh is also available to be savor on its own or with Nasi Impit or Ketupat.

Bijan offers few types of rice on their menu so diners are assured that there will be different types of rice to go with all the main dishes. There was the Nasi Minyak, a spiced fragrant rice that is usually served with acar and fruit relish.

Nasi Kerabu Biru is some sort of a salad rice dish that has lots of raw vegetables in the rice to give it a unique texture. The rice is great to go with all the heavy curries as there are plenty of raw crunch from the vegetables to balance up the meal.

Though there are many sambals in Malay cuisine, one of the most unique and delicious one is the Sambal Hitam. The sambal is famous in Pahang and can be quite expensive as it is made from small tart fruit called ‘Belimbing Buluh’ or small starfruit. Cooked till dark, the sambal is sublime in taste with a solid hit of tartness and sweetness. A little goes a long way and since this sambal is quite hard to find nowadays, make sure to taste this at this buffet. So shiok!

As mentioned earlier, Bijan has quite a few desserts that is truly worthy of an order. From its Aneka Kuih Muih and Aneka Pudding to Gula Melaka Cake or mini Sago Gula Melaka and fruits, the dessert spread is so worth every calorie.

Bijan’s most famous dessert has to be the unusual Chocolate Durian Cake! Many have tried and quickly converted into a fan of this dessert. Using the best of the durian, the cake is so moist, chocolatey and very pungent with durian flesh. Go ahead and make sure to fight for a few of these cakes if you are a huge durian fan!

Bijan Selera Ibunda Buffet

Available from 10 June to 3 July 2016 (6.45pm to 9.30pm)

Price @ RM 90++ per person

Early bird promotion at RM78++ per person for confirmed reservations before the 10 June 2016

*A la carte menu is available from 9pm onwards during this time.

For reservations and enquiries, please call 603 2031 3575 or email admin@bijanrestaurant.com

BIJAN BAR & RESTAURANT

No 3 Jalan Ceylon

50200 Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Tel + 603 2031 3575

Fax +603 2031 3576

Website: www.bijanrestaurant.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Bijanrestaurant