Vasco’s @ Hilton Kuala Lumpur

Taste of Royal Cuisine 

April 15, 2019

Char Kway Teow a la minute

This Ramadan, the chefs at Hilton KL are dishing up a buffet “fit for royalty” at its all-day dining restaurant, Vasco’s. The break of fast buffet will be available daily from 6pm, starting May 5 to June 4.

Popular dishes, nostalgic dishes and mum’s cooking will take centrestage on the table alongside western cuisine, Indian specialties and Chinese fare.

Chilled drinks or hot tea/coffee to start your meal

Start with hot tea/coffee or a nice iced drink (there are 6-7 flavours to choose from). Then head for the seafood on ice to pick up mussel, prawn, lobster and clam. There’s also a variety of kerabu (salad), acar (pickle) salted fish, salted egg and salad greens.

Poached prawns

Cold mussels

Crayfish

I fill my plate with green mango kerabu, prawn with four-angled bean kerabu, salted fish acar, talang fish with fried onion kerabu and squid with glass noodle kerabu. I can be happy to just fill my belly with these but the other sections of the buffet spread are calling.

Kerabu prawn and four angle beans

Grilled Red Snapper

Chefs at the carving station offer grilled whole lamb and chicken

The Santapan DiRaja (Royal Meal) section is alluring. I love them all, parcels of marinated fish wrapped in banana leaf, stuffed squid in creamy gravy, whole grilled giant red snapper, chicken/beef satay, masak merah tiger prawn, stirfried spicy asparagus, chicken curry, chili padi chicken rendang and my Ramadan favourite, siput sedut which is cooked in a scrumptious masak lemak (turmeric-coconut milk) gravy.

Siput Sedut in creamy gravy

Chilli padi chicken rendang

Tiger Prawns masak merah

Chicken satay

Meanwhile, at the action station, the chef is stirring kway teow (flat rice noodles) in a huge wok as customers wait patiently and next to him, two chefs are busy carving a whole roasted lamb and spicy roasted chicken.

In the Indian corner, chefs are continuously baking skewers of chicken in the tandoori oven and making roti to go with the various curries.

The Chinese section has stirfried vegetables, roasted duck and steamed fish. For me, it’s always a pleasure to have a bowl of hot noodles prepared a la minute. 

Indian-style roti and tandoori chicken

Chinese-style roasted duck

Choose from 3 types of gravy at the Noodles Station

Customers choose vermicelli, yellow noodles or kway teow which the chef will blanch and then add condiments such as prawn, fish cake, egg, vegetables or beef and chicken. There’s always a choice of gravy. The mee rebus gravy is smooth and fragrant. A real treat!

At one end I spot a red snapper and barramundi which the chef will steam in small batches to ensure the fish fillet is not overcooked.

Pizza, loaded with cheese

If you want a bit of western fare, the pizza, with oozy, melted cheese is popular as are the two pasta choices.

But do keep space for dessert. Although I see chocolate cake, cheesecake, pandan cake and Swiss roll, I am more excited by the local kuih muih. 

Variety of Malay-style kuih muih

Kuih Cara with minced chicken filling

Tapai ubi and tapai pulut seem popular while I prefer the cendol jelly, kuih bakar, kuih ayu, kuih koci,  kuih ros, akok, cek mek molek, kuih keria, bahulu, kuih bangkit and serimuka. 

Kelantanese royal dessert, jala mas

I am intrigued by the Kelantanese royal sweetmeat of jala mas, looking like thickly spun golden thread. Not often seen or sold, it’s basically made of egg yolk and sugar, a delicacy when slowly savoured.

Cendol jelly

Marble cheesecake is popular

Badak berendam or soaking hippos

There are also hot dessert items, claypots filled with taufu fah (soya bean pudding), bubur kacang (sweet green bean porridge) and bubur pulut hitam (sweet black glutinous rice porridge). You can even catch badak berendam (soaking rhinos), a dessert comprising glutinous rice balls in a thick sauce made with coconut milk.

Or have fried banana/sweet potato and apam (I hope they put more peanut filling) and crullers as well as ais kacang (shaved ice with condiments).

Diners will also be treated to silat and gamelan performances during the Santapan DiRaja buffet.

 
Vasco’s @ Hilton Kuala Lumpur

3 Jalan Stesen Sentral

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Telephone

+603-2264 2264

Opening Hours

Buka Puasa Buffet

May 5 to June 4

6pm to 10.30pm

Promotion

RM188 nett; RM100 nett (child aged 6-11)