Did you know where you can get good Malaysian food in Manila? It's quite a shame that I haven't really exposed myself to the cuisine despite the fact that Malaysia is one of our closest neighbors. Well, good news! Berjaya Hotel in Makati is serving up some of the best dishes from Malaysia, but you have to hurry now, as it is only available until August 9, 2014 only.
Still, despite my lack of knowledge on the authenticity of true Malaysian cuisine, I know that it is a melting pot of Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines altogether, so somehow, I can say that I am a bit aware of what to expect during the time I went to the food festival.
The Berjaya Hotel is located along Makati Avenue and quite near A.Venue Mall. I've tried this recently a few weeks ago, after my work in the office, and I couldn't be more happier to relish myself into a cuisine I feel like a stranger to.
The menu is said to be changing on certain days, but during their launch, these are some of the dishes I have encountered. The ongoing promo, however, is only available during lunchtime (11:30AM-2:00PM) only.
Although I do a have bit of knowledge (a teeny bit, in all honesty) when it comes to the most popular of Malaysian food. It has come to us that most of the dishes in Malaysian cuisine is hot, most of the main ingredients are often made into different kinds of exotic curries, served up with rice (I believe it is also a staple like how we eat rice here in the Philippines) and a number of sidings, which are a mix of sour, sweet and salty.
Sides such as the Sambal --- one popular term that I always hear whenever I see Malaysian food being featured on some food shows in the Asian Food Channel, along with some boiled eggs, cucumber slices and salted peanuts. It's actually a spicy sauce that's served along with some of their main dishes.
And speaking of curries, this is what they call Kadai Vegetable, and as much as it looks hot, it is actually milder than the rest of the other curry dishes that you will see in this article.
The Sotong Masak Kunyit is a dish made with squid, carrots and chilis. A bit fiery but tolerable. And the dish was cooked nicely that it wasn't tough as when squid gets a bit overcooked.
Chicken Curry, anyone? The Chicken Jhal Fareji is something I cannot say whether it tastes good (chicken curry is like one of my kryptonites), so I'd rather pass this one for the others. Although it does look temptingly good.
And I wouldn't even imagine boiled eggs being made into a savory dish like curry! All I know is egg salad and plain boiled eggs. The Egg Curry is outstanding and hot (literally, it's a bit hot), but unless you don't have any problems with eggs (what were you thinking? I'm saying if you have a food allergy with eggs or something), you may cut back on the portions if you want to try this one.
On the other end of the table, there are a few more dishes, such as the Achar Ikan, or pickled salted fish.
The Cuchur Udang, on the other hand, are almost golf ball-sized fritters normally made from prawns and vegetables.
I've also seen some grilled eggplant, okra and beans, fried tofu squares, pickled mango and tomatoes.
Their Rose Juice is quite unique for me, and it's the first time I've tried it. And yes, it's made with actual roses. How fancy, isn't it? Anyway, it was too sweet for me, but it did balance out the mixed fiery flavors from all the curries that I've eaten on that night.
It may look a bit oily, but this happens to be made with lamb, along with some herbs and spices, which resulted to this rich broth. It's popularly known as Sup Kambing.
As inspiration to the great cuisine of Malaysia, along with my passion for food and a longing fight for hunger, I give to you, my first ever Malaysian food plate. I just wished they had actual banana leaves for better presentation.
And to top it all off, a small cup of Bubur Kacang Hijau, a sweet dessert which is much like a Malaysian/Indonesian version of Ginataang Munggo. It's a sweet porridge made of green mung beans, and served warm. After a few hot mouthfuls of all the kinds of curry I wished for, this dessert literally calmed my nerves back to its normal state again. Along with one macaroon and some buchi (rice balls with bean paste), I was full and happy while singing "...Malaysia truly aaaasiaaaa"! YEY!
Catch the Malaysian Food Festival from July 14 to August 9, 2014 from Mondays to Saturdays, lunch time (11:30AM-2:00PM) for only P499.00 nett per adult.
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*Disclaimer: This post is entirely made from the writer's own thoughts and views on the Malaysian Food Festival at the Berjaya Hotel in Makati.