Weekend Barbeque at The Village, Pullman Putrajaya

Of late, many restaurants fancy using the word “barbeque” in their menu – barbeque ribs, barbeque fish, barbeque squid…and so on. Unless the food is prepared on a charcoal pit, I do not consider the end results from an electric broiler or oven, a barbeque. Not even if they are marinated and slathered with the sweet-sour barbeque sauce.

Seafood platter

Don’t get me wrong: I think these broiled and roasted imposters are delicious, but they are still not considered a barbeque. The Weekend Barbeque at The Village in Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside is however, a proper barbeque, overlooking the Putrajaya lake. Stunning view!

Fresh oysters and scallops

The Weekend Barbeque (RM89++ per person) features a selection of homemade soups, pizzas, pastas, grilled seafood, fresh meats and desserts. There was also an oyster and scallop promotion; the oysters were sourced from Sabah. It was too briny for my liking.

Salads

While I’m one who likes to skip the salads and go for the mains straight, the salads (a mix of Asian and Western) from The Village were not bad. I enjoyed the kerabu salad, an amalgam of spicy, tangy and sweet flavours and crunchy texture. The spread comprised a variety of tapas, Asian and Mediterranean specialties with a lot of thought given to the comfort of diners – there’s an option of hot and cold soup. The latter was prepared to cool the body down from the humid weather.

Chilled gazpacho

I enjoyed the cold soup that night – chilled gazpacho, but found the cream of corn a tad too sweet for my liking. Chef Firdaus, Chef De Cuisine of The Village spices up the barbeque with 6 types of sauces (3 Asian, 3 Western). Nyonya, Percik, Minang, Portugese, Black Pepper and Mushroom, all were tasty in their own way. My favourites were the Portugese and Nyonya.

Assorted sauces

The food isn’t fine dining; what you’re getting is fresh, good quality items expertly grilled and served with minimal fuss. Exactly what a barbeque should be. Best part is, I’m not the one doing the grilling. The grilled salmon was the highlight of my dinner. I enjoyed it more than the slipper lobster, crab and prawns.

Roast chicken, potato wedges & murtabak

So much that I sampled the salmon in three different marinades – Percik, Portugese and Minang. All were good, with my favourite being the percik. I ate almost 500gm of fish! The roast chicken was also quite good but do help yourself to some early, as it gets drier towards the end. I had a whole thigh and a chicken breast to myself. The latter was surprisingly juicy and flavourful.

Fettuccine Aglio Olio

Char Kuay Teow

rif and I shared a plate of spinach fettuccine cooked aglio olio style and a plate of char kuay teow. These were just alright, but I liked how the kuay teow was evenly seasoned and came with plenty of prawns. The chicken wings from the barbeque were good stuff. Lightly marinated and grilled to juicy perfection, I couldn’t stop eating them, despite feeling full!

Roti Paratha

Tasty lamb chops

Delicious chicken wings

Grilled beef

The beef was quite tough, so I suggest you skip it and go for the lamb. Alternatively, you can ask the chef manning the barbeque pit to choose a nice, fatty piece and cook it medium well. I think I shall do that next round.

Ais Kacang to quench my thirst

Dessert was the molten chocolate lava cake, an a la carte order. Not bad, but I thought the exterior was a tad crusty. That said, the molten centre was of just the right gooeyness.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

I enjoyed my dinner, especially the barbequed seafood. The selection may be simple, but the food is fresh and the 6 types of sauces are a must-try. While some say Putrajaya is a bit far to go for dinner, I didn’t find it an issue. Heck, for someone who drives to Ipoh/Malacca just for lunch, Putrajaya is nothing!

Pineapple Juice

The Weekend Barbeque is priced at RM89++ per person every Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm.

• Like my Facebook page here.

Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 5.5/10
Food: 7/10
Verdict: Good barbeque selection and tasty sauces.

The Village (halal)
Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside
No.2, Jalan P5/5, Presint 5,
62200 Putrajaya,
Malaysia.
Website: www.pullmanputrajaya.com