A Cultural Feast Through Traditions: Ramadan Buffet at Curate – Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur
Words: Jacob Weber
Photos: Han Sen Hau
This ain’t your average buka puasa.
Even if you’re not fasting through Ramadan, it’s worth going without food for several hours to really work up the appetite to appreciate the spectacular Ramadan buffet at Curate at the Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur.
This year’s edition celebrates local specialties, regional favourites, and international classics. Treasured traditional dishes like Nasi Hujan Panas (‘rainbow rice’) and Char Kway Teow get the five-star treatment. Fresh, succulent seafood glistens temptingly on beds of crushed ice. The tandoor oven is doing what it does best: It’s dazzling, diverse, and, of course, delicious.
We arrive early to check out the set-up, which really excites the appetite. Curate is a beautiful space any time of year, and the team at Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur have taken it up a level for this Ramadan buffet with royal blues and regal golds, creating a suitably sophisticated ambience for this special occasion.
Executive Chef Putri is doing the final checks at each station with a serious eye for detail, making sure the plating and the presentation is just perfect — and it certainly is. Dates and dried fruits, which play a significant cultural role in the breaking of the fast, are presented in pride of place in the foyer. (Make sure to take a closer look at those ‘palm trees’, too …)
It really is a feast for the eyes as much as the stomach. Vibrant, fragrant salads; premium proteins waiting patiently to be carved personally in front of you; patisserie treats lined up in perfect little rows. They’re so cute, I could eat them. So I do.
The “bazaar” area has a playful touch, which we love; different stations are set up like roadside stalls, and the view (over the heart of KLCC) is certainly the greatest I’ve ever seen from “the roadside.” Lamb shank, lontong masak, rotisserie chicken, yong tau foo, and’ sup daging berempah’ (a spicy beef soup) are the wares on offer here.
Of course, we suggest you try as many of them as you can, but if I had to pick a favourite … well, I’d still struggle. The lamb is magnificent: juicy, tender and with just the right texture on the crust. But the beef soup probably takes the top spot for me because of the extravagant variety of ingredients you can add to your bowl.
Stomach, liver, tongue, brisket, bone marrow, oxtail, and prime cuts are all on offer; I load up on brisket, bone marrow and tomahawk, which is then cooked together in one broth before being added to the second, ‘actual’ broth. And oh, is it good; deeply satisfying, rich and comforting, with incredible meaty umami.
The Lontong Masak is also an excellent choice, with large plump prawns and plenty of vegetables and seasoning to suit your preference. Whatever you choose first, just plan to make several trips to the bazaar. Get strategic with your table seating …
Talking of tables, one very welcome touch at this Ramadan buffet is the well-dressed servers bringing a selection of signature recipes straight to your seat. High marks for hospitality there. We try the Seabass Assam Pedas and are even more grateful to the waiter for bringing it to us. Flavourful sweet and sour sauce generously coats fresh, flaky fish, and there’s a lovely lingering heat after every bite.
The whole experience really is quite mesmerising. I’m paralysed by choice at one point, wandering aimlessly around the room, drawn to all sorts of different things. I find myself back at my table with a plate of soft pitta, delicious hummus, a cold beef salad … complete with some kuih and millionaire’s shortbread. I was so bewildered by how good everything looked that something short-circuited my brain. Never mind, everything was very tasty — and I can simply get up and go wandering around for more. This time, I’m slightly more consistent, picking up some biryani, beef rendang and lamb shank curry.
The proteins really shine here, expertly prepared in various roasted, curried, braised, baked and fried forms. And, of course, it’s all very high-quality stuff. For example, Chef Putri’s signature Nasi Ulam (a traditional steamed rice dish) is made with black truffle and minced wagyu beef. Everything is elevated to exactly the level you’d expect from this establishment, and it still exceeds expectations.
There’s a cendol station. An appam balik stall. Silver platters piled high with fresh fruit. Kuih for days. Macaroons and millefeuille. Everything, from the salads and starters to the Moroccan mezze and Malaysian street food, all the way through to the Arabic sweets and European desserts, is just beautifully done. My personal favourite pudding is the Teh Tarik Creme Caramel, with a crispy, crunchy caramelised sugar topping hiding a creamy, velvety teh tarik-infused mousse, which has a wonderful aftertaste.
Oh, and there’s a live band every night to set the mood with a soft, pleasant soundtrack to the evening. It’s another excellent touch that feels very suitable for the occasion.
All in all, the Ramadan buffet at Curate is well worth a visit whether you’re observing the fasting month or not. It’s a beautiful way to bring people together over something we can universally celebrate: delicious food.
Reasons to visit Curate’s Ramadan Buffet: pleasant atmosphere in a bright and airy space with great views over KLCC Park; a beautiful day-night scene as the sun goes down and the city lights come on; outstanding buffet with a huge variety of local and international dishes and in-house signatures, freshly prepared with quality ingredients; indulgent and interactive, with various stations allowing you to pick and choose your ideal ingredients; stunning presentation and live music adding to the sense of occasion.
Malam Cahaya Rembulan — A Cultural Feast Through Traditions
Ramadan Buffet – Curate, Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur
March 11- April 9, 2024
6:00 – 10:30 pm
MYR 318+ per adult, MYR 159+ per child
Curate, Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur
145, Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
+603 2382 8888
Find more Ramadan buffets in Kuala Lumpur here. Stay up to date with the latest food and beverage happenings in KL here and here.