Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

Follow me on Instagram (@ipohmotormouth) for continuous updates
  • rss
  • Home
  • About
    • Terms & Conditions
  • Ipoh Food
  • Perak Food
  • KL/Selangor Food
  • Penang Food
  • Travelogue
  • Featured
  • Links
    • Malaysian Food Blogs
    • Inspirational Food Blogs
    • Random Blogs
  • Contact Me

Nasi Padang with A Twist

July 28, 2011 | 3,885 views
Tweet

Ikan Bakar

The signature “Ikan Bakar” (Grilled Fish) section where you can pick your fish from a choice of tilapia, kembung (mackerel) or keli (catfish)

It’s that time of the year again, when smokers don’t smoke, sinners don’t sin, and angels reign supreme. Yup, soon to be the holy month of Ramadan and much akin to how you should never cross Santa prior to Christmas, the fasting season begins. Bear in mind that when Muslims fast, not only do they need to stay away from eating/drinking for >12 hours a day, but their thoughts must be pure, sincere and without the slightest hint of malice in their intentions.

However, most urbanites look forward to the time for breaking fast nowadays ….

Where traditionally, people cook at home in anticipation of ‘buka sahur’ sessions (breaking fast), time, technology and rapid development has evolved the city dwellers especially the working class professionals into different characters all together.

It’s not uncommon to see immense crowd at Ramadan bazaars (Pasar Ramadan) in the evenings buying truckloads (more or less) of food for dinner. And tradition takes a giant backflip when major hotels in the city cash in on the festive season by offering array of mouthwatering temptations in their respective buffet spread.

Mother & Son Duo @ Melting Pot Cafe

Time for a family portrait? The mother and son duo of Mak Deli & Irwan dishing up a storm at Melting Pot Cafe @ Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur this coming month of Ramadan.

Whilst most establishments settle for the safer routes of traditional Malay cuisine (lemang, ketupat, satay, rendang, etc) combined with a touch of international influences (sashimi, sushi, Western pies, lasagne etc), the management of Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur took matters into their own hands and diverted the attention back to good old Padang delights from Pariaman; a coastal city to the west of Sumatera.

Padang Specialties

Clockwise from top left : Keropok Kulit Lembu (cow’s skin crackers), Ayam Kampung Bumbu Bakar (roasted seasoned free-range chicken), Sambal Udang Petai (Spicy stinkbeans with prawn) & Terung Balado (Spicy eggplant)

Various Sambal Lado & Serunding Daging

For Nasi Padang, the condiments shine on a most complementary level – Delicious sambal (chili paste) in both red and green varieties, the daging serunding (meat floss) and the boiled stinkbeans in a spicy paste (petai rebus)

Daging Dendeng Balado

Daging Dendeng Balado (Beef Jerky in a spicy sambal paste)

Curry Fish Head

Curry Fish Head is but one of Melting Pot Cafe’s signatures that has already been fixed into the daily buffet staples.

Sup Gearbox

Sup Gearbox; aka Bone Marrow Soup served in a humongous chunk enough to feed 2-3 pax. So only ask for a portion if you’re sharing this.

Fresh Fish for the Grill

Don’t go creative and savour the raw flesh on the spot. Instead, pick up a slab and let the masters behind the grill perform their magic.

Fresh Seafood on a Roll

Fresh seafood on a bed of ice …. mussels, oysters and boiled prawns.

Stuffed Whole Lamb with Briyani Rice

Alongside the curry fish head and sup gearbox, this hefty marvel of a stuffed whole lamb with briyani rice begs to be devoured ….. and a sight to behold. Imagine they need more than a pair of hands to serve this ingenious combination; and you have a rough idea on how popular this is with the crowd.

Kebab for the Win

They have a counter for fresh prawn tempura, roti john (a street food combining meat, egg omelette sandwiched between a toasted/grilled bun), and this kebab station where he was happily slicing up some well-marinated meat for the masses.

Desserts

Naturally, you would want to go for the tried-and-tested, safer choices like tartlets, pastries and cakes. But why not give their pengat (sweet soup) a try? The “pangek pisang” (with mashed bananas) and “pulut hitam” (black glutinous rice gruel) are good stuff, though slightly sweet. Desserts ARE meant to be sweet, no?

Padang Special Desserts

Sala Bulek (bottom left), Kue Kelapong (upper right) and Lapek Maleh (bottom right)

Nasi Padang Pariaman Experience

For the month of Ramadan only, hence take this opportunity to enjoy the richness of Padang cuisine cooked by two very capable pair of hands; the mother and son duo from Pariaman themselves.

Nasi Padang has origins leading to the Minangkabau people from West Sumatra. Liberal use of coconut milk, chilies and spices dominate the Padang cuisine; largely characterized by robust flavours and usually an impressive range of dishes for any one meal. If you have been to some authentic eateries in Klang Valley serving Padang food, then you might be able to attest to the interesting presentation of plates after plates of dishes served up before you even prior to you making an order.

Notable dishes include the delightful ‘Paru Goreng’ (fried cow lungs with spicy sambal paste), Gulai Urat Lembu (cow’s tendons cooked to a gelatinous/jelly-like consistency, in a gravy redolent with spices), Ayam Kampung Bumbu Bakar (their signature roasted chicken) and Ikan Bakar (twice-grilled fishes basked in their secret marinade). For your snacking pleasure, go for the keropok malinjo (we call them ‘belinja’ here too) dipped in various condiments; from red/green chili sambal to one with petai (stinkbeans). Or if you’re adventurous and craving for something different, the keropok kulit lembu (cow’s skin crackers) is a definite must try.

Desserts may vary from day to day; but the Godok Batinta (close resemblance to our cekodok pisang made of mashed bananas) warrants a try … though first impression might be misleading. So much for mistakenly thinking they were buffalo wings!

They have 3 Ramadan menus on a daily rotation basis to avoid complacency, disdain for a mundane/predictable array of dishes, and to offer repeat diners something different on subsequent visit.

Price : RM89.00++ per person. Additional 20% discount during the 1st and 4th week of Ramadan.

*This was an invited review courtesy of Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Melting Pot Cafe. Thanks to Miss Julini for extending the invitation.

MELTING POT CAFE (HALAL)
Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur
2, Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Telephone : +603-2144 2200, ext : 2337 for reservations.

The other reviews for your reading pleasure : Bisous a Toi, J The Chocoholic & Lionel Ong

Blog Widget by LinkWithin
Share
Categories
Kuala Lumpur/Selangor Food
Tags
Concorde Hotel, Halal Food, Kuala Lumpur/Selangor Food, Malay Food, Melting Pot Cafe, Nasi Padang, Ramadan Buffet
Comments rss
Comments rss
Trackback
Trackback

« Of All Things Hakka, Delicious & Obscure @ Kedai Kopi Chong Chew, Kanthan Baru, Chemor Hong Hin; The Hakka Mee Wonder @ Ipoh’s Old Town »

3 Responses to “Nasi Padang with A Twist”

  1. Wen Ching says:
    July 29, 2011 at 3:21 am

    Very nice photos, I’m so impressed! The food looks good, haven’t heard of most of it before though. And sadly I don’t take beef, think I’m missing out quite a lot. The ikan bakar and the terung balado caught my attention!

    [Reply]

    J2Kfm Reply:
    July 29th, 2011 at 9:30 am

    Yeah …. nasi padang is a delight to the senses. If you’re having them at the usual nasi padang outlets then more often that not ….
    you will tend to over-order.

    I know I always did.

    [Reply]

  2. jason says:
    July 29, 2011 at 1:47 pm

    For RM89, that’s LOADS of food to choose from!

    [Reply]

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Click to cancel reply
Load More...
Follow me on Instagram

Why not start from here?

Motormouth's Ultimate List of Ipoh Food Motormouth EATS in the Klang Valley!!! Travel Stories from All Over the World Motormouth's eating up Perak!

Recent Stories

  • Hungry? Head your way to Merindy Restaurant in Kampung Simee
  • Not a Houdini’s Act, but almost … in this blanket of haze
  • Keep calm and take a break: Three cafes to do just that in Ipoh
  • Guangdong cuisine at its best from this unassuming Hong Kong eatery
  • Have An “Oddies” Saturday!
  • The Coffee Academics @ Wan Chai, Hong Kong
  • Grab a quiet breakfast of curry mee and yong tau foo at Foo Kwai, Bercham
  • Motormouth’s Life in Hong Kong
  • Heart still beating, but the energy fizzled out …
  • Beach Road Scissor-Cut Curry Rice – More than a Mess

Archives

Discover All About Ipoh on Facebook

All About Ipoh on Facebook

Most Viewed Posts

  • Ultimate Ipoh Food List by J2Kfm - 1,493,844 views
  • KL/Selangor Food - 245,681 views
  • Best of 2012 – Motormouth’s Top 12 Ipoh Food Finds - 168,416 views
  • Perak Food - 117,986 views
  • Ipoh Famous Yong Tau Foo @ Pasir Pinji Big Tree Foot (Dai Shu Geok) - 111,362 views
  • Bentong @ Pahang – Small Town, Big Heart, Even Bigger Appetite! - 109,608 views
  • Penang Food - 107,465 views
  • A Closing Chapter in Life @ Felda Residence Hot Springs, Sungai Klah - 106,769 views
  • Medan Muara Ikan Bakar @ Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang - 97,625 views
  • Sitiawan Food For Dummies – Half A Day’s Worth of Food Hunt - 89,386 views
  • Ready for A Culinary Safari in Taiping? - 88,505 views
  • Teluk Intan in A Whirlwind – Of Street Food, Leaning Tower & BIG Cinemas - 85,335 views
  • Motormouth’s Travel Ideas – Eating Up Sitiawan! - 82,725 views
  • Village Park @ Damansara Uptown – Is This The BEST Nasi Lemak in Klang Valley? - 72,635 views
  • It’s Perfectly Alright for Girls to “Burp” & Guys to “Giggle” … - 71,562 views
  • Bukit Tinggi – Eat. Shoot. Breathe. Bliss. - 67,765 views
  • Perak Food Guide by J2Kfm - 65,800 views
  • All About Ipoh’s Dim Sum Restaurants – 10 of the Best - 64,459 views
  • All About Ipoh’s Curry Noodles – 15 of the Best - 63,124 views
  • Sin Eng Heong’s Famous Kaya Puff, Ipoh - 62,733 views

Categories

Stats

Admin

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org
rss Comments rss