CHRISTMAS. Thoughts of the festival never fail to conjure images of big, fat roasted turkeys, mince pies and log cakes.
It’s even better if you don’t have to thaw that turkey, stuff it and roast it, so the Big Apple Restaurant at Berjaya Hotels & Resorts is worth considering for its Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day dinner or Christmas high tea.
It offers over 200 dishes on the buffet spread and you also stand a chance to win prizes, including a customised bracelet from 97Bros and personalised cushions with your name printed on it. You may even win hotel stay and dining vouchers from Berjaya Hotels & Resorts.
BON APPETIT
I spend minutes looking at the row of appetisers, trying to decide. Grilled vegetables, oven baked tomato, asparagus mimosa, baked pumpkin with maple syrup and almond flakes, chicken liver parfait, pate, cold cuts, salmon, tuna, cold cuts and the seafood on ice, including shucked oysters, mussels and poached prawns. The Alaskan crab legs are so sweet and juicy too.
For salads, I love the new potato salad with gherkin, sauteed mushrooms with mustard dressing and seared tuna Nicoise.
Mini pizza makes great nibbles too, with choices of Hawaiian and de la casa (house specialty).
For something local, try stuffed tofu, rojak buah and kerabu daging pedas.
HOT TEMPTATIONS
At the action stations, chefs are carving the turkey, with its glistening golden skin and served with carrot, radish and beetroot as well as giblet sauce and cranberry jelly.
The slow roasted prime beef rib comes with onion quiche and roasted potato. The tender boneless leg of lamb is perfectly pink centred and juicy. Just add mint juice or mustard.
You will also find chefs deepfrying seafood tempura and rolling quesadilla with sour cream, guacamole and pico de galo (Mexican salsa).
Pasta is cooked with your favourite ingredients (including ham, mushroom, tomato, seafood, peppers) while you wait.
Don’t forget the braised beef with Provencal herbs, wok-tossed prawn Sichuan style with chili and salt, crispy fried chicken with Marmite sauce, stir-fried mixed snow peas and lotus root and macadamia nuts. Rice is a must with dendeng daging, Malay-style oxtail assam pedas and lamb vindaloo.
I love the roasted quail with raisin juice, beetroot and braised cabbage. The meat is so tender and infused with the sweetness of the raisin juice. And while salmon on the buffet table is usually an exercise in disaster, the panfried salmon fillet a la meuniere on couscous is pleasantly palatable.
SWEET NIGHT
I can almost hear the dessert table is groaning under the weight of sweets and cakes. There is a mind-boggling range of cakes, from fruit cake and spiced cake to chocolate walnut and vanilla yule log cakes.
Or have some Christmas pudding with anglaise before you nibble on chocolate mud pie, pecan pie and mince pies. Don’t miss the stolen, pannetone and Christmas cookies either.
Regular cakes also have their place, including fruit flan and tiramisu while kids will love the chocolate fountain with choices of biscotti, marshmallows and dried fruit for dipping.
Big Apple Restaurant
WHERE
Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, 1 Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur
TEL
03-2117 8000
OPENING HOURS
Hi-tea: 12.30pm to 4pm
Dinner: 6.30pm to 10.30pm
GETTING THERE
Adjoining Berjaya Times Square
WHAT’S COOKING
Festive buffet, with touch of local favourites
MUST TRY
Roasted quail and roasted boneless lamb
YOU’LL PAY
Christmas Eve dinner: RM148 (adult), RM68 (children), RM78 (senior citizen)
Christmas Day hi-tea: RM95 (adult), RM38 (children), RM58 (senior citizen)
New Year’s Eve dinner: RM148 (adult), RM68 (children), RM78 (senior citizen)
All prices nett and inclusive of 1 glass house wine or house cocktail.
ATMOSPHERE
Festive ambience
THE LOO
OK
OVERALL VERDICT
OK, why not?