Geng Wak Long @ Dorsett Grand Subang’s Ramadhan promotion again in 2017

By Laura Lee

 

The main reason I accepted Tourism Selangor’s Ramadhan buffet promotion invitation @ Dorsett Grand Subang was when I discovered that Geng Wak Long would be performing here. I had first come across this local band from Kelantan at the Borneo World Music Exposition and Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak a few years ago.

I heard their performance received encouraging response from the hotel’s patrons who came for its Kampung Selera themed Ramadhan buffet at Melati last year. Glad I caught them this year here. I arrived a bit late and was thus seated in the front row quite close to them but with my back facing them most of the time.

 

Despite my close proximity to the live band, their music was not too loud. I could still enjoy my buka puasa meal with the other invited bloggers and guests who had earlier made a beeline for the buffet spread. Some of them had already dug into the five-star hotel’s signature spicy rich stew-like Gearbox soup made using cattle’s bone marrow.

 

For its Enak-enak Ramadhan and Wonders of Iftar theme this year, an array of local kampung dishes as well as Middle Eastern food and desserts were served.

During our meal, we were informed that model turned actress Mazlina Hasan Nordin, more popularly known as Lana Nordin was dining here with her husband David McKienzie and daughter Gia, who is a year and five months old.

We were granted photo opportunities with her.

Lana Nordin poses for a group pix with Zaimi Shari from Tourism Selangor (far left) and two hotel staff on the far right

This was when I discovered another food section where a huge tent has been set up to accommodate more guests. This was also where the Gearbox soup station and other live action stations were located.

I headed for the Asam Pedas station after the photo shoot. You can choose mackerel, stingray or beef to go with its spicy sauce. I never knew about the beef version before. I tried it but still prefer it cooked with fish. Found the asam sauce too salty for my comfort.

On my way out from Terazza Brasserie, I stopped by the Turkish ice cream corner and asked for two scoops of its thick and chewy dondurma in strawberry and chocolate flavours. This made up for the letdown I had with my Asam Pedas dish. 

The hotel had advanced purchase vouchers at 25% discount from as early as 17 April until 5 June. It can arrange exclusive deals for larger groups for its Ramadhan promotion.  

 

Another thing is children aged between 6 and 12 years old and senior citizens get 50% off its buffer promotion during this holy month.

 

 

 

Buka Puasa & CSR programmes

By Laura Lee

The holy month of Ramadhan encourages charity, giving and sharing. It is thus not uncommon for companies or organisations to take advantage of this occasion to do their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

The young and old, including the less fortunate and underprivileged lot, are often treated to a majlis buka puasa or breaking of fast meal. Under Tourism Selangor Ramadhan Buffet Promotion with various hoteliers, I had the opportunity to witness some of these CSR programmes.

At Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) Selangor Chapter’s Majlis Buka Puasa, about 20 elderly folks from Rumah Jagaan dan Rawatan Orang Tua Al-Ikhlas and 30 children from ages four to 15 from Rumah Nur Sakinah in Subang, Selangor were invited o 29 May 2017.

The kids did a performance later in the evening after they had their meals. The hotel and the MAH team not only donated in cash but also groceries such as cooking oil, rice and other daily necessities to them.

While here I bumped into 10-year-old chef Danish Harraz with his parents whom I recently met at the Eat Travel Write Selangor International Culinary Adventure from 15-18 May 2017. Sharing the same table, we compared notes on what are some of the sumptuous spread not to be missed like this gearbox dish.

I still missed a number of them, especially those located near Swez Brasserie’s entrance, which I saw when we were departing. When I went back later for the freshly fried bawal fish in the later part of the night, what’s left are the fish heads.

This biryani lamb and the fresh bawal were highly recommended by my colleague

The restaurant’s theme this year for its buffet spread featured a number of dishes mainly from the northern states such as Kedah, Penang and Kelantan.

 

With the rising cost of living, I wouldn’t be surprised that a number of people would be tightening their belts and are more conscious about eating out to break out, especially at hotels and restaurants. You can still do that by taking advantage of some of the early bird offers.

For instance, Eastin Hotel KL priced their buffet lower at RM100 nett for adults and RM50 nett per child during the early part of Ramadhan, the last few days of the fasting month (22-23 June) and during its weekend specials on 10-11 and 17-18 June. Other times, it’s RM145 nett (adult) and RM72 (child). So, the strategy is to take advantage of these early bird and special offers.

We had selected Eastin Hotel from about a dozen hotels and restaurants that Tourism Selangor was working as we had attended its Ramadhan preview a few years ago and recalled how good its offerings were at the live action stations where various types of food are freshly prepared.

On the way out, I was attracted by the wayang kulit or shadow puppet stage, where I took some pictures with our young chef Danish Harraz Abd Hafiz. The traditional form story telling using shadow puppets are a popular form of entertainment with the states of Kedah and Kelantan, which I had the opportunity to witness on a number of occasions.