HOME-COOKED favourites with kampong flavours are the top draw in this buka puasa spread at Citarasa Nipah, EQ Kuala Lumpur for a whole month from April 3.

For me, the gulai lemak cili padi daging salai, daging rusuk gulai kawah, kambing golek or roast lamb and nasi beriani gam Johor were irresistible.

It was early evening at our preview and low charcoal flames were licking the whole lamb on a spit. The lamb was juicy, succulent and flavourful and did not need any of the dipping sauces available.

It’s usually the draw card in such a buffet and you would see a long line of diners queuing up for it.

Other stalls were in this open area outside the main dining hall, so we could help ourselves to Nipah’s signature satay and nasi beriani (beriani gam Johor) which I have a weakness for.

The rice was fragrant, with grains infused with spices and yummy marinade from the lamb buried in it. It’s Chef Ali’s speciality at Citarasa Nipah, among other Malay heritage dishes.

It’s a diverse spread in the main dining hall, beginning with desserts such as the Durian Choux, pineapple tart tatin, ciku cheesecake and passionfruit mango pavlova.

The various Malay kuih show their colours too, together with tapai pulut and tapai ubi kayu, sago gula Melaka, ais kacang and the various sweet bubur’s.

What caught my eye on the appetiser table were the perky salads, urap pucuk manis, kerabu jantung pisang, kerabu betik muda, terung bakar and kerabu pucuk paku. I had a bit of everything but was especially fond of the urap pucuk manis and the terung bakar

You could lose focus with the wide array of hot dishes presented, and as the four us were sharing, we asked for a dish each to be brought to the table. They were, daging salai lemak cili padi, siakap tiga rasa, daging rusuk gulai kawah and ayam goreng mamu.

This was specially prepared for us and made for a leisurely and delightful sampling of the dishes. Outstanding was the smoked beef curry (gulai lemak cili padi daging salai) and the daging rusuk gulai kawah which was a hot spicy curry with fresh, crunchy bamboo shoots and tender beef ribs.

If those you are dining with are agreeable, you could always bring a bigger portion of the food you fancy for sharing at your table. Other hot dishes include sambal tumis udang harimau, kari kepala ikan, mushroom mutton masala and fried spicy crabs.

Of course, serunding ayam and serunding daging are a must, paired with ketupat palas, nasi daun kelapa or ubi kayu rebus. Rendang daging and rendang ayam minang go well with the rice and steamed tapioca too. At the soup station, there was sup ekor, kambing and ayam, as well as bubur lambuk.

The iced section of oysters, tiger prawns, mussels, baby scallops and other seafoods added variety to this sumptuous buffet.

As for desserts, the durian Choux is heavenly, with the delish durian cream filling spurting out at the bite.  The ciku cheesecake is unusual but good and how I wish the cempedak financier had cempedak instead of nangka on it. Understandably the fruit is not in season.

Early Bird Vouchers at RM168++ per adult are available on 2 April, for dining from 3 to 7 April, and from 29 April to 1 May. You can buy Group Vouchers (for minimum 20 diners) at RM188+ per adult, valid for 2 April to 1 May, otherwise it’s RM208+ for adults and RM68+ for children aged 6 to 12.

Guests may email [email protected], WhatsApp +60122789239 or book via TableApp.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.