Buka Puasa @ Rama V, KL

Buka Puasa Series 2010! - Part 3...

Wow. Another invited review? :)
(3 in a week! That's a record breaker for me. LOL)

Anyway, here are my usual disclaimers:
1) I have not been paid to write this, but neither have I paid a cent for my meal,
2) I will still be as objective as possible re. the food/ restaurant, and
3) If I go back to the restaurant incognito and find that the food/service is horribly different from this experience, I will amend my ratings here...

Set!

Some would consider Rama V (one of) the crowning glories of Thai cuisine in Kuala Lumpur, if not Malaysia:
(So I just had to go sample their Ramadhan Buka Puasa)
Looking up at Rama V....
Looking at it, the buffet line might seem limited as compared to the insane amount of variety offered at most hotel buffets, but their selling point is not so much based around quantity :)
Part of the buffet line....
First of all, whilst hotel buffets can be packed and a bit frantic, it was nice that Rama V maintained that calm, resort-like ambience (that I have come to love):
Beautiful setting....
Of course it's not just the ambience that sells this place, it's also the quality of food.

The salads served that day were everything that you can ask for from a Thai salad - piquant and spicy (but not too spicy) mix of fruits/ vegetables and some tender meat... Very appetising! :)
The heavenly Angel Hair pasta....
The soup they were serving that day was the soothing yet spicy Tom Kar Kai... and man, did it hit all the right spots!
(Good stuff!)

It was just so wonderfully balanced - spicy, sour and creamy from the coconut milk yet not cloying:
Tom Kar Kai - Thai Chicken Soup for the soul....
The prawn otak-otak they served that day were awesome.
(AWESOME!)

I don't know how they do it but Rama V always nails any kind of otak-otak they make - the perfect texture of moist and soft yet still firm but not too hard/ "bouncey", with a wonderful fragrance of herbs and spices that only accentuates, not overpowers :D
Delicious little parcels of otak-otak....
Also served were another of the specialities, the pretty blue Chor Ladda (flower shaped dumplings):
Blissful blue....
There were also some HUGE fresh oysters served that day, which you can top with their secret recipe Special Rama V spicy sauce :)
Besarnyaaaaa....
The curries served were also really good, my favourite being the Beef Mussaman curry - tender chunks of beef in a savoury red curry.
(This, of course, went way too well with rice... *sigh*... Yeah, I ate too much yet again! LOL)

- Serene buddha watching over the sambal belacan:
Ommmmm....
Oh, and if you were wondering - yes, they also serve (imported) dates during the buffet, for those of you who like to start off your buka puasa with it:
Healthy start....
There wasn't anything chocolatey for dessert that night, but I didn't mind. I went straight for the Mango with Sticky Rice - perfectly ripe, sweet yet firm pieces of mango that matched so well with the glutinous rice:
Sweet ending....

Price-wise, I think it's pretty reasonable:
- RM 75++ (adults)
- RM 36++ (kids under 12)

(NOTE: If you have a Standard Charted or Citibank Credit Card, do bring it along - discounts range from 15% to 30% when you use it!)

The food items I highlighted above were some of the stand out items for me, but of course the menu at the buffet was much more extensive:
Buffet menu from that night:
(Actually it's quite a lot of stuff!)
(Oh, and don't worry, apparently they change the menu items everyday)

Appetizers
Chả Giò - Spring Roll,
Tod Mun Pla Krai - Fish Cake,
Chor Ladda - Flower shaped dumplings stuffed with minced chicken and peanut,
Thung Ngen Young - Deep fried minced chicken and shrimp wrapped in bean curd,
Fresh Oysters - Imported Fresh Oyster with Thai Sauce,
Fresh Green Mussels - New Zealand Steamed Mussel,
Kurma - Imported Turkish Dates,

Salads
Som Tam - Spicy papaya salad with peanuts,
Yam Nue - Egg Plant beef salad,
Yam Yai - Mixed vegetable salad served with shrimp and chicken,
Ulam-ulam - Fresh Green Vegetables

Soup
Tom Kar Kai - Spicy chicken soup with coconut milk

Main Courses
Kao Ob Sab Pa Rod - Stir-fried pineapple rice with shrimp coral,
Pad Thai Kai - Thai fried noodles with shrimps,
Steamed Rice - Pra Chon Pad Prik King,
Crispy fried fish with Rama V sweet dried chili sauce,
Kai Pad Mamuam - Chicken fried with cashewnut & dry chili,
Gaeng Ka Ree Kai - Yellow chicken curry with sweet potato,
Hor Mok Kung - Otak-otak prawns,
Mussaman Nue - Mussaman style beef,
Ka Na Pra Kem - Stir-fried Four Angel Beans with Belacan,
Pra Meong Tod Krathiam - Kailan fried with salted fish,
Deep fried squid with garlic.

Desserts
Assorted Mixed Fruits, Jelly, Mango Sticky Rice.

PS/
Thanks (and *HUGS*) to the gorgeous Ciki for extending the invite and of course, to the ever so charming Andre Shum of Rama V for being such a good host.
(Also to everyone who was there that night *waves excitedly*: What a fun night! Thanks for being such excellent company! *HUGS*)


So, it's: Smaller selection than the hotels but at a more affordable price, beautiful resort-like ambience, delicious Thai food BUT nothing bad to say really, if you like Thai food, you'll LOVE Rama V....

Summary Information:
Buka Puasa @ Rama V, KL

Opening Hours: For the Buka Puasa - 6pm onwards
Phone: 603-2143 2428
Address: 5, Jalan U-Thant, Kuala Lumpur

NO PORK SERVED

OTHER REVIEWS:
- Cumi Dan Ciki
- Pillow Talk with Bangsar-bAbE
- aly's wonderland
- Have Your Cake And Eat It Too
- chaokar smokes
- a whiff of lemongrass


TAGS: Food, Blog, Weblog, Malaysia, Restaurant Review, Restaurant Reviews, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan U-Thant, Rama V Fine Thai Cuisine, Buka Puasa Buffet