This article is part of my Ramadan 2019 compilation.
Special thanks to Iconic Hotel for extending this food review invitation.
Iconic Hotel is a 4-star hotel at Icon City. In conjunction with Ramadan, the hotel is serving Citi Rasa Warisan Buffet Dinner throughout the holy month. As part of the hotel’s corporate social responsibility initiative, Iconic Hotel is treating a local retirement home this evening.
Dining events in Iconic Hotel are usually held in Mezza9. But for this month-long buffet, dinner is served at Level 6 instead. Converted from a parking garage, the new venue provides greater seating capacity than Mezza9. Air conditioning is installed to make the place more presentable.
Iconic Hotel is placing more emphasis on Middle Eastern cuisine this year. This fact is reflected by Nasi Kabsa, a popular dish in Saudi Arabia. Long-grain basmati rice is cooked with meat and spices, and then garnished with raisins.
As for Sambal Telur, hard-boiled eggs are cooked with spicy chili paste. The outer layer of eggs has a chewy texture. This dish is heavily flavored, so it is best enjoyed with rice.
If you have an affinity for offal, Paru Goreng should be your cup of tea. Stir-fried cattle lungs have similar texture to beef jerky.
There are several types of soup to keep one’s appetite up. Sup Tom Yam Masakan Laut (seafood tom yum), Sup Daging Utara (Northern beef soup) and Soto Ayam Madura (Madurese chicken soup) are prepared today. In general, the soups are heavily flavored in order to appeal to the local palate.
Iconic Hotel provides an assortment of Malay salads such as Kerabu Daging (beef salad), Kerabu Sotong (squid salad), Kerabu Betik (papaya salad), Kerabu Mangga Muda (young mango salad) and Kerabu Taugeh (bean sprout salad). In addition, Tauhu Sumbat (stuffed tofu) and Acar Jelatah Timun Nenas (pickled cucumber & pineapple) are available too.
As for crackers, Keropok Udang (prawn crackers), Keropok Sayur-Sayuran (vegetable crackers), Keropok Ikan (fish crackers), Keropok Bawang (onion crackers), Papadom (black gram crackers) and Keropok Belinjau (belinjo nut crackers) are presented in airtight containers.
The buffet spread includes 8 live action stalls that serve Char Kuey Teow, Asam Laksa, Kambing Bakar, Ikan Goreng, Goreng-Goreng, Satay, Shawarma and Ais Kacang. Most of these stalls are located at the “outdoor” section of this floor.
Should you enjoy sweet desserts, feel free to indulge in Bubur Kacang Dengan Durian (mung bean & durian porridge), Bubur Pulut Hitam (black glutinous rice porridge) and Laici Kang (Chinese sweet soup). My personal favorite is Pulut & Santan Durian, where sticky glutinous rice is eaten with durian-infused coconut milk. The taste of durian is simply gratifying!
Of course, an iftar meal would be incomplete without the colorful display of Malay kuih. Delighting one’s sweet tooth this evening are kuih ketayap, kuih lapis, kuih lopis pulut, kuih talam bakar, kuih seri muka, tepung pelita, tepung gomak, lepat liat and more.
Meanwhile, Western pastries are represented by red velvet cake, marble cheesecake, banana chocolate cake, pandan sponge cake, orange sponge cake, pineapple tartlets, chocolate tartlets, chocolate brownies and cream puffs.
Throughout the evening, diners are entertained by live gamelan performance on the stage. The musical ensemble comprises of bonang, gendang, saron and gong. Gamelan originated in the royal courts of the Malay states.
Iconic Hotel’s Ramadan buffet dinner is served daily from 6 May 2019 to 3 June 2019. The price is RM78.00+ per adult. Children and senior citizens enjoy 50% discount. In the spirit of giving, Iconic Hotel donates RM1.00 to charity for every adult who dines here.
Name: Iconic Hotel
Address: 71, Jalan Icon City, 14000 Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-505-9988
Business hours: 7:00pm-10:00pm
Website: https://www.iconichotel.com.my/dining
Coordinates: 5.34226 N, 100.43302 E
Directions: From the North-South Expressway, take the Bukit Mertajam exit and head east. Turn left just before Petron gas station, then turn right to the front entrance of the 15-floor Iconic Hotel. The Ramadan dinner is located on Level 6. The hotel provides multistorey parking.
