Christmas & New Year Buffet at Paya Serai, Hilton PJ

images by Veronica Ng, text Dave Avran

While every hotel worth its salt will have their own spread of scrumptious year end festive menus, Hilton Petaling Jaya never fails to impress with their creative fare. This year they have conjured an enticing buffet spread of Christmassy delights at their famed Paya Serai Restaurant.

We were fortunate enough to get a sneak taste of what’s in store for diners here.

The Appetizer of grilled vegetables with pesto sauce had eggplant, onions and red bell peppers tenderly seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil before being grilled to tenderness then topped with the pesto. We were glad they were not overcooked and remained crunchy to the bite, just the way we love our vegetables.

Next to appear before us was smoked duck with sliced pear topped with red berries. The smoked duck was moist and juicy, and it paired well with the pear slivers. The combination was indeed a great taste experience for our jaded palates.

The mainstay of all pizzas, tomato and Mozzarella were given an innovative twist here where Chef Carlos layered fresh succulent tomato with chewy gooey Mozarella to create another winner of an appetizer.

The Prawn Salad with peppers, celery and Spanish olives was fresh and refreshing, with well balanced textures and flavors.

Next, we had Pumpkin soup with truffle essence. A few spoonfuls of the  Soup will certainly not be enough if you are a Pumpkin  fan as it is deliciously aromatic, enhanced by the truffle essence and given a boost in creaminess with the sinfully rich topping. The flavors balanced each other well, resulting in a soup that’s slurp-worthy without being overwhelming.

The Oven Sage Turkey grilled with chestnut stuffing will set you well on your way into a Christmas mood. The star of every Christmas dinner worldwide is served here with giblet sauce which looks simple but tastes heavenly. Chef Carlos explained that the making it was a long and tedious process, taking almost 6 hours to come up with the perfect texture!

Of course there was the traditional cranberry sauce on the side as well for the purists.  They also have Baked Potatoes with sour cream and bacon bits. The potatoes are well baked and had a lovely naturally-sweet taste and texture.

The Lamb Shank is superbly combined with a mushroom casserole. The meat is fall off the bone tender and juicy while the mushrooms soaked up the gravy provided a generous crunch.

Our dessert was so impressively plated that it left us with a lasting impression, with all of so busy oohing and aahing that no one wanted to take the first bite!   We had a petite and very detailed sugarcraft Santa and Christmas tree, along with Christmas fruit cake, Yule log, Christmas pudding and mince pies to end our meal on a sweet note.

We have to say that the Christmas Buffet Hi-Tea priced at RM 120++ and the Christmas Buffet Dinner priced at RM 110++ is pretty good value for money as the portions are pretty generous.

To end the year with a bang, you’ll be able to countdown to 2013 with another extensive and delectable buffet spread at Paya Serai with the New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner priced at RM 125++. Or head on down to Uncle Chillies and party like there’s no tomorrow with the red hot show band MOF. For reservation, contact 03-7955 9122 ext 4060/56.

On New Year’s Day, treat your loved ones to a spanking new year with the Buffet Hi Tea priced of RM 99++

Check out the festivities at other outlets at Hilton Petaling Jaya.

Sushi With A Twist - Genji Japanese Restaurant, Hilton PJ

Sushi With A Twist - Genji Japanese Restaurant, Hilton PJ

1^st - 30^th April 2010

Genji is showcasing a range of extraordinary sushi to offer a new culinary experience to Japanese food lovers. Inspired by Southeast Asian and Western cuisine, the exclusive sushi promotion starts from 1^st till 30^th April 2010, for lunch (12noon – 2.30pm) and dinner (6.30pm – 10.30pm).

Having worked in traditional Japanese restaurants in Japan and being a Malaysian who is exposed to different cuisine, Genji’s Head Chef, Richard Teoh, and Chef Asyraf have developed the confidence to fuse the best of various cuisines to create something distinct and enticing.

This time round, Genji’s sushi team trained by Chef Richard has assimilated elements from Thai, Malaysian, Italian, Norwegian and more into Genji’s sushi menu to offer amazing sensations to the patrons. A delicately shaped wasabi paste and a refreshing dash of Japanese ginger pickle keep the well-pressed sushi company on each plate.

Taste the Golden Prawn Roll or Kuruma Ebi Ura-maki to trigger off your food sensational adventure. Garnished with gold leaves, the shiny reversed roll sushi looks appealing even at the first sight. Tempura prawn and crumbs fill your mouth and break into loud crunchy noise the moment you bite into the sushi.

Sashimi lovers would also instantly fall in love with the Genji Jyo California Roll or Genji Jyo Maki. Instead of seaweed, the avocado and vegetable-stuffed sushi is draped with raw fresh salmon and tuna slices to create a colorful, tempting visual.

The delightful journey continues with the Norwegian roll or Norwegian Chu-maki. Wrapped inside the vinegar rice are generous spread of deep-fried crispy salmon skin from the Norwegian salmon and vegetables. To augment the flavour, Paprika herb is sprinkled around the sushi roll with flying fish roe or tobiko as topping.

The Stuffed Calamari Sushi or Ika Isobe Maki, contrary to the ordinary stuffed sushi in which sushi rice is put inside a sweet fried–tofu pouch, here the sushi rice is stuffed inside a calamari. Nicely arranged on a layer of ladyfingers, the lightly pan-fried calamari is glazed with homemade spicy teriyaki sauce to add a feel of Malaysian spiciness to the Japanese cuisine.

Then, turn your attention to another strange combination, Sushi Pizza. Replacing the usual dough, the crust is a layer of seaweed with sushi rice laid neatly on it, topped with Genji’s special puree sauce, diced seafood, bell pepper, oregano and mozzarella cheese. The ingredient combination provides a more delicate variation in flavour especially with the slightest hint of vinegar from the sushi rice.

Finally, end your adventure with the Genji Lobster Roll or Ise Ebi Maki, which promises you a different perception of sweet Thai mango. Covered with thick juicy mango slices, the reversed sushi roll wraps the deep-fried lobster with spicy mayonnaise and vegetable. The refreshing sweet Thai mango not only gives the luxury sushi a flavour burst but also serves as a treat for the eyes. You will be surprised to find what an excellent pair the sweet Thai mango and deep-fried lobster can make.

Enjoy the “Sushi with a Twist” under the Japanese countryside ambience at Genji! The interior design and interesting collection of Japanese art creates a warm and inviting environment to dine in. The price of promoted sushi ranged from RM45++ to RM120++. For reservations, please call (03) 7955 9122 extn. 4071/2 or visit www.ZestPJ.com

Punjabi North Indian Cuisine at Paya Serai, Hilton PJ

images by Veronica Ng

Punjabi North Indian Cuisine at Paya Serai, Hilton PJ

Starting 7^th July till 20^th July 2008, Guest Chef Mohd Firoz Khan originally from Mumbai and now fresh off the plane after a cooking tour of Africa, United Kingdom and UAE will be holding court at Paya Serai where he will whip up delectable Moghul dishes which were strictly reserved for the pampered palates of emperors and maharajas of olde India.

Featuring both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian cuisine, Chef Firoz prepares a healthy rotating daily menu with emphasis on health by using less oil and sugar while promoting the use of yoghurt to impart a luxurious silky texture in his creations.

The various spices, some 12 to 15 of which are featured in every dish, ensures that his cuisine is bursting with flavours, and are famous for imparting medicinal properties while the yoghurt adds a touch of creaminess without being cloying.

For our review, we had Briyani rice, Mushroom Masala, Chicken Pashnda and Purwon Lashune washed down with piping hot spiced tea and Indian sweets and fresh local fruit for dessert.

The Briyani rice was aromatic with the presence of bay leaves and coloured and scented with saffron. I for one was glad that there were no raisins to detract from the taste, and Veronica, who was helping me with the photography, concurred with this as well.

The Mushroom dish featured a spinach base in a spicy mélange graced with black mushrooms. The mushrooms added a lovely crunchy element while absorbing the spices and flavours nicely.

The Chicken Pashnda is cooked in a claypot, which imparts an earthy flavour to the yoghurt based cream sauce. This dish is mild, not spicy, and is suitable for children.

The Purwon Lashune is a dish of fresh prawns cooked with spices in dry gravy and again featured the expensive ingredient saffron.

Our verdict after stuffing ourselves? Two thumbs up. Call +603 7955 9122 ext 4060 and go grab it before Chef Firoz returns home to indulge in his favourite pastime – playing cricket.