Buka Puasa at Serena Brasserie, Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur

Buffets have always been my kind of thing. I love the myriad of colours, flavours and aromas most buffet spreads offer. The ambiance of Serena Brasserie was as colourful as the buffet spread itself. Everything was nicely laid out – grilled stations at the al-fresco area and the ready cooked dishes inside the café.

Lemang & Ketupat

Food was aplenty, but I found that the selections skewed towards Malay kampung cooking. It made sense, since this was after all, a Ramadhan Buffet. I started my meal with some spicy curries and beef rendang. The beef rendang was slightly creamy, with a firm yet tender texture. Good stuff. Beef ribs done lemak-style was also pretty good. Don’t be fooled by its pale colour – this dish was quite fiery.

Tender mutton chunks…which went very well with murtabak

The roast lamb was reduced to its carcass by the time I reached the grill station. I nicked a piece from rif, and immediately understood why. Between the crispy skin and flaky meat, was a thin layer of delicious fat.Chicken satay was a tad too lean for my liking. I like my satay with a bit of fat. I found the kebab very dry, but the others liked it. I reckon it’s because the guy didn’t make it properly for me.

Assorted sushis

I could have eaten 4 bowls of sotong kangkung!

The sotong kangkung was quite good. I really enjoyed the peanut sauce — it was spicy and rich with a lovely coarse texture from the ground peanuts. A pity I only got a tiny bowl. Curry laksa was my least favourite dish at the buffet. It wasn’t lemak or fragrant enough, and had hardly any kick. Desserts were good, especially the cheesecake. I couldn’t get enough of the bread pudding, which was very moist and egg-y. The assorted Malay kuihs were also decent, but the pulut varieties were dry (they were left outside for too long). rif had a field time at the coconut station. I think he had 3-4 coconuts. I had 2, and a couple of glasses of corn drink.

Coconut, anyone? 😉

I wouldn’t recommend the apam. It was too thick and chewy at the centre. Instead, help yourself to some ice kacang and ice cream at the dessert station.
The ice cream selection was nothing to shout about, but it provided a sweet ending to the buffet. I was tempted to go for a second helping, but refrained because I didn’t want to end up rolling down the carpark. =P

Complimentary mooncakes from Hotel Nikko

Red bean or Durian? Both were equally delish!

On a whole, the buffet was decent, but they need to work on the service. The restaurant was short-handed that night. There were only two staff were manning the noodle station, coconut station, steamboat station and drinks station.

Call me demanding (rif thinks I am, slightly), but I feel that good service is necessary to ensure a more pleasant dining experience. That said, this is a good place to go to if you want to enjoy a good range of Malay spread. And a little tip: GO TO THE LAMB STATION FIRST!

Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 5/10
Food: 6/10 (halal)
Verdict: A few misses, but overall a decent dining experience.

Serena Brasserie
Hotel Nikko Kuala Lumpur
165, Jalan Ampang, 50450
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia