Cafe Chef Wan takes you around the gastronomic globe this Ramadan with a culinary travelogue that brings together East and West in one mouthwatering meal.
This Ramadan semi-buffet showcases a medley of local and international recipes that Chef Wan has loved throughout his years of roaming the world - Malaysian cuisine is magnificently represented, but so are Middle Eastern and European fare.
The Ramadan Semi Buffet Menu comprises an all-you-can-eat sumptuous spread of starters and soups, followed by a cooked-to-order choice of main course, plus an assortment of desserts and cakes, and a free flow of hot and cold beverages, for only RM92 per adult and RM56 per child.
Cafe Chef Wan's setting is as splendid as its food - the space is comfortably beautiful, with intricate, elegant details, making this an evening to remember for your buka puasa feast with family or friends.
When we visited, dozens of hearty temptations beckoned on the semi-buffet counters, more than sufficient for a complete meal.
Kerabu jantung pisang, kerabu kacang botol and kerabu mangga showcased the bounty of Malaysian harvests. Other crowd-pleasing salads included the macaroni pasta salad, potato salad with beef bacon, and a lovely rojak buah with jambu, kedondong and cucumber in a special kuah rojak betis.
Don't miss the cucur udang, made with tiger prawns, paired with peanut sauce and sos Seri Mersing, Chef Wan’s own tangy chilli sauce speciality.
We dug deep into the variety of bread - charcoal buns, ciabatta, baguettes, soft rolls, rye bread and walnut bread - with Middle Eastern-inspired dips like tzatziki, muhammara, baba ghanoush and hummus.
Salmon and tuna canapés complemented chicken wings, beef soup, lamb moussaka and poutine.
We saved space for our main course, the Kerutup Lamb Shank (available with a surcharge of RM10), a Kelantan-inspired preparation for tender lamb in sweetish curry, well-balanced with fragrant Nasi Bukhari, pineapple chutney, papadom, plus Indian-inspired earthy dhal and tangy raita, and zesty Mediterranean-inflected fattoush.
We had a peek at several other main course choices, which take you to Malacca, Milan and beyond.
The Ayam Percik Spring Chicken (surcharge of RM10) is a char-grilled half spring chicken braised in Chef Wan’s rich, aromatic percik sauce.
The Nyonya Laksa looks luscious, with tiger prawns with a house-made chilli paste blended with fresh coconut milk, bolstered by a choice of yellow egg noodles or vermicelli.
The Homemade Beef Burger boasts a prime Australian beef patty, layered with crispy lettuce, tomato, caramelised onion slices, cheddar cheese and home-cured beef bacon in a cronut bun with side of fat fries.
The Seafood Aglio Olio is the seafood pasta lover's choice, with linguine tossed in extra virgin olive oil and garlic, topped with plenty of tiger prawns, squid, Venus white clams and baby blue mussels.
Other main course options range from Fish & Chips to Hokkien Mee. A Kids' Menu is also available.
After the main course, make sure there's still room for dessert - the fruit platter is a cheerful smorgasbord of kiwi fruit, strawberries, watermelon, berries and grapes.
You'll be spoiled for choice with indulgences galore - brownies, strawberry jelly, mango pudding, semolina pudding, pistachio creme, fruit tarts, banana cake, macarons, New York cheesecake, pistachio mousse and white chocolate mousse.
The local sweets section is also appealing - pengat pisang, bubur kacang hijau, kole kacang, sagu kelapa, and nona manis, washed down with air jagung, bandung, kopi, teh tarik and more.
All in all, we left stuffed and satisfied, giving our taste buds a workout with a trip across borders - many thanks to Cafe Chef Wan for having us.
Cafe Chef Wan
Unit 26 & 27, Level G2, KL East Mall, Jln Lingkaran Tengah 2, KL East, 53100 Kuala Lumpur.
Daily, 11am-10pm.
Ramadan semi-buffet reservations: https://www.tableapp.com/restaurant/cafe-chef-wan-kl-east-mall#/
This post first appeared on eatdrinkkl.com
