Pork Satay @ Kedai Satay Xiang Ji, Melaka

Pork satay was top on my list of food to try in Melaka and we headed to Xiang Ji without looking at the map. As it turned out, the shop was quite far from Jonker Walk and we did quite a bit of walking to reach there. Plus point was that it opened up our appetite for more yummy food =D

      

Shop front

 
There were a few recommendations for pork satay on the internet and I thought we should try out Xiang Ji. However, the shop did not look like the famous one I saw on TV.

     

Non-stop grilling

     

Condiments

      

Pork satay (RM 0.70 per stick)

   
The pork satay was quite good with lean meat and nicely seared bits where the fats were. We initially ordered 3 sticks per person as we were feeling quite stuffed but in the end, we couldn't resist topping up.
   
The peanut dip for pork satay is slightly different from the usual ones and here, it is mixed with a dash of chilli oil and pineapple shreds to lend it a sweet flavour. It went very well with the satay but it was quite tough to scoop up the sauce in the little bowl.
   
Not too sure if it's really the case but our friend thought the bamboo sticks looked recycled. Oh well, if you look past the hygiene factor which is usually a little dubious in coffee shops, the pork satay was quite good I must say. Next time though, I'll probably try out the other pork satay shops to see if their offerings are any different.
 
 
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Dough
     
Kedai Satay Xiang Ji
50 Jalan Portugis
Melaka
Tel: 019 667 8868

Maya Brasserie @ Maya Hotel, KL

I think many companies always hold corporate events at Maya Hotel so here's a quick overview of the dishes available for dinner buffet at the hotel's all-day cafe Maya Brasserie.

Love the look!

I love the dark colours employed in the decor of Maya Brasserie and the orchid arrangement in a gigantic cement-coloured vase looked absolutely elegant. Very zen-like and peaceful with several ponds in the restaurant. However the pools do not have any barriers around it so watch your step or you might just hear a splash =P

Oysters and Crabs

Raw oysters and crabs which I did not try as I didn't want to risk a diarrhea and I was too lazy to wrestle with the crabs =(

Salad Bar

The salad bar here is quite interesting with a variety of combinations and flavours. By the time I got to the salads, they were half gone and I only took two varieties which interested me =(

Satay and Otak-Otak

It's quite rare to find otak-otak in hotel buffets, no?

BBQ Station

There were tons of ingredients ready to be barbecued such as sausages, marinated chicken and lamb, and assorted vegetables. A variety of sauces and condiments were also available to go with the barbecued items. Not pictured here was a station for deep-fried items too.

Minuscule Japanese Section

Imagine tons of people queuing up for this plate of sashimi =.= Do they not realise Japanese food is popular with the masses? Anyway when you finally get your turn, you can forget all about the others and just zoom in on the rectangular, shiny orange blobs on the plate. I'll tell you why after you scroll down...

Sarawak Kolok Mee Station

I've always wanted to try Kolok Mee but I definitely wasn't about to waste my tummy space with this so I still don't know how it tastes like =(

Haagen Dazs Ice-Cream

There were 3 flavours of Haagen Dazs ice-cream, namely chocolate, strawberry and chocolate chip cookie dough. There were also ais potongs which I doubt anyone would take when there is Haagen Dazs?

Cakes and Local Dessert

Plenty of local kuihs and cakes to choose from =)

Chocolate Fountain

Chocolate Fountain is always a favourite with the patrons and they have the obligatory marshmallows and strawberries as well as preserved fruits.

Main Course

As always, I need some main course items to fill my tummy so clockwise from the rice are chicken and beef satay and the usual accompanying onions and cucumbers, kam heong bamboo clam, stir-fried squid, crab with spices, assam stingray and lamb provencal. I racked my brains for descriptive adjectives for each dish but they were all average and tasted exactly as you assume they would taste (hope that helps =.=). I quite like the satay as both the beef and chicken were well marinated and were adequately charred yet juicy.

Sides

My favourites =D Clockwise from the soy sauce saucer are sashimi, futomaki, california maki, potato souffle, kerabu and strawberry chicken salad. The kerabu packed quite a punch in the sour department while the strawberry chicken salad tasted a little odd as the strawberry was sweet and my brain keeps telling me that chicken doesn't go well with sugary sweet stuff =.=

The potato souffle was very comforting and fluffy - I'd have taken more if I wanted to risk looking like a glutton but I was quite full from all the waiting for VIPs so we could start the meal. Both the futomaki and california maki were bite-sized and good...too bad there wasn't enough space in my tummy.

The sashimi were not too bad but the clear winner is that little blob of criss-crossed orange next to the saucer =D It was salmon belly sashimi and it was soooo juicy and fatty and slippery and melt-in-your mouth-y!! It was such a small piece but it certainly beat every single dish on the menu. Be warned though that it is quite tough to get more than one piece as they only display a few pieces of sashimi at any one time and I thought it'd be rude if I scooped up every piece of salmon belly from the display plate (scroll up for picture) =P

Dessert

Last but not least, I had chocolate-covered strawberries, marshmallow and rock melon, a small square of chocolate cake and strawberry and chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream.

I hope you found the pictures (at least) informative. The buffet items were not too bad but I definitely wouldn't pay to eat these at a hotel.

PawPoints: 2 Paws
Pawket: Salami

Maya Brasserie

Level 1, Maya Hotel
138 Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 2711 8866

Daily: 6.30am - 12am

TEMPTationS @ Renaissance Hotel, KL

At Renaissance Hotel, TEMPTationS is the Asian brother of Vogue Cafe =P It largely serves local fare with lots of curries, salad station, a small dim sum station, congee, Indian vegetarian dishes, local desserts, ice-cream and Western cakes. If you ever see a lunch deal for buffet at this hotel, make sure you go for the one at Vogue Cafe. That's not to say that the food here isn't nice, just that it is not too...worth it =P However I recently found out that the dinner menu for TEMPTationS looks quite different than the lunch one so have a look at the menu and decide for yourself =P

      

Reception

     
Buffet breakfast goes for RM 45, buffet lunch RM 79 and buffet dinner RM 109.

I was there for a training course and since lunch was only for 45 minutes, I did not take pictures of all the dishes...just the general ones and ones that I like.

       

Cold Cuts

      

Salad Bar

      

My 1st round =P

       
As you can see (in a clockwise direction), there's Biryani rice, chicken and beef satay, grilled prawns, salmon cooked in cream sauce, deep-fried calamari and assam fish. The salmon tasted a little odd with a very rich cream sauce - not my favourite. The assam fish was good but not spectacular. The Biryani rice was fluffy and aromatic. You can probably see my favourites in the next picture...

    

My 2nd round O.O

       
I spied Yong Chow fried rice!! And as you can probably tell by now, I'm a sucker for carbs =D So here are all my favourites - chicken and beef satay, grilled prawns and deep-fried calamari. I also took a cold seafood salad which was not too nice in my opinion.

The fried rice was really good with lots of wok hei, fluffy egg, french beans and mini shrimps. Do take the chicken and beef satay if you're there as they were so succulent and flavourful with the rich peanut sauce. Each piece detaches easily when you pull on it and the meat is never tough. The grilled prawns were average but fresh and big so I took seconds =D The deep-fried calamari with curry leaves were crispy and fresh and not chewy...very addictive.

      

There were a lot of other curries such as chicken, beef, mutton, and lentil as well as a variety of chutneys. I did not take those as I already had my fill, lunching at a mamak shack adjacent to my office EVERY SINGLE DAY =.= But I'm sure the curries at TEMPTationS taste nice =)

     

Mini cakes and pastries

      
I did not take too many pictures of the cakes as I was late in getting to the dessert section and most of the cakes were already smashed or overturned and did not look appetising at all =.=
      

Cake slices and buns

     

Cendol and Ais Kacang Station

                

So anyway, do give it a try if you plan to let a foreigner sample local delicacies at a hotel buffet and if you absolutely love local food =)
 

PawPoints: 3 Paws

Pawket: Salami

    
TEMPTationS @ Renaissance Hotel

Corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03 2162 2233
Daily: 6am - 11am, 12pm - 2.30pm, 6.30pm - 10.30pm