TRADITIONAL flavours will always hold special appeal during the fasting month.

One establishment that understands how to cater to such palates is Shisho Dining at Micasa All Suites Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

Some will recall that the hotel was a “happening place” in the early 1990s due to the many celebrities who frequented it.

Hotel general manager Estee Tan, who started working at Micasa 30 years ago, recalled that the hotel’s surroundings were devoid of buildings, except for a colonial structure housing a North Indian restaurant.

Tan, who set operational procedures for the hotel when she first started in the business development department, said even then, Micasa was regarded as a hidden gem for the well known.

For this year’s Ramadan buffet, chef de cuisine Adrian Lai, 50, and sous chef Muhammad Saffaat Dahlan, 32, have brought out recipes from their combined 30 years’ experience to present a spread of authentic delicacies which have become well known as the establishment’s signature dishes.

Many of these recipes have been honed and perfected over the years.

Smoked Duck in Spicy Coconut Gravy a highlight for the fasting month.

Among the highlights are Cucumber Skin Kerabu, Smoked Duck in Spicy Coconut Gravy, oxtail soup, nasi hujan panas (basmati rainbow rice) and fish head curry.

A whole roasted New Zealand lamb also takes pride of place in the buffet spread.

Muhammad Saffaat shared a story about the Cucumber Skin Kerabu, which is enhanced with toasted coconut and pounded dried shrimp.

“The salad is believed to have originated from the Indian settlement in Melaka.

“Because times were hard during the early years, people were careful not to waste food, hence the use of cucumber skin,” he said.

The Brazilian oxtail soup is one of the restaurant’s signature items.

The oxtail swims in a soup spiced with black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and coriander seeds, and is best savoured with buttered dinner rolls.

No Ramadan buffet would be complete without bubur lambuk, and the young chef suggested diners enhance their congee with several spoonfuls of oxtail soup, topped with peanuts, fried anchovies and freshly chopped coriander.

Briyani rainbow rice can be paired with roasted lamb alongside other great options.

The rainbow rice can be paired with Red Snapper Fish Head Curry, Smoked Duck in Spicy Coconut Gravy and roasted lamb.

The decision to use red snapper for the fish head curry lies in the gelatinous qualities of the fish, so that guests may enjoy sucking the gummy skin from its jaws and the jelly around its eyes.

The best way to enjoy the rich coconut and turmeric gravy that comes with the smoked duck is to flood the rainbow rice with it.

Lai and Muhammad Saffaat said the recipe for the lamb marinade has been preserved for over three decades.

Garlic bulbs are stuffed inside the meat before roasting to give it added flavour.

Lai said the meat is tender because the lamb is no older than three months and no heavier than 16kg.

It is marinated for two days with an Asian mix of spices and herbs, steam-baked for an hour at 180°C, then roasted over a medium charcoal fire to achieve a crispy outer layer.

Red snapper used for curry thanks to the gelatinous quality of the fish head.

The lamb comes with a rosemary gravy, made with jus derived from browned beef and lamb bones and using fresh herbs from the hotel’s in-house garden.

Do look out for the laksa, delightfully soured with tamarind and pineapple and thickened with mackerel scad and tinned sardines.

For dessert, look out for the silky pengat pisang, a warm banana in coconut milk concoction sweetened with gula melaka and uses only ripe pisang tanduk (horn banana).

According to Muhammad Saffaat, green or unripened bananas will turn the dish bitter.

The Ramadan buffet at Shisho Dining is available from March 7 to March 23.

It is priced at RM139nett per adult andRM95nett per child/ senior citizen.

SHISHO DINING, Lobby, Micasa All Suites Hotel, 368-B, Jalan Tun Razak, Taman U Thant, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 017-219 6126). Business hours: 7am-11pm, daily.

This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.