Jun 1, 2015

Hotel Perdana, a foodie's heaven....


 "There is no sincerer love than the love of food" - George Bernard Shaw 

I think most of us Malaysians are very fortunate as almost all of us in one way or another will
get the chance to enjoy a great variety of food in our lovely little country... Every different state in Malaysia have their own speciality and great selection of food, and some have amazing fusion of different food.... So when in Kelantan, we should try out Kelantan's specialities...


For years and even centuries,  the originality of the taste of Kelantanese food made by their  ancestors is not changed. So for those visiting Kelantan, you really have to try their  traditional food. It will definitely be an unforgettable memory....


Now, if you are staying in the lovely Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu, you can choose to enjoy a lavish authentic Kelantanese breakfast as well as Western’s delights in this pretty and laid back Cerana Coffee House every morning. 


I would advise you to take the opportunity to come down early and enjoy your breakfast at the poolside, and for those of you who like to take food pictures or so, it is an amazing place to do so, or you can just catch some early morning sun which is actually very good for your skin...

Benefits of soaking up some sun:

- Improves bone health
- Helps strengthen your immune system
- Prevents cancer
- Helps reduce fat
- Helps heal minor hormonal problems

Not many realize that the early morning sun — the one between 7 am to 9 am — helps generate Vitamin D. After 10 am, exposure to sunlight is not so good for the body.



Ok, ok, enough of sun benefits.. LOL... I am trying to talk about food here, not the sun....


Anyway , Cerana Coffee House definitely have a good spread and variety of all sort of dishes,as well as live action omelette counter where you can request for your favourite kind of omelette cooked with capsicum/peppers, onions, cheese, chicken ham and mushrooms...


The Nasi Dagang is made from glutinous rice which is cooked with coconut milk (santan), blended onions and garlic and some spices such as fenugreek seeds.The Nasi Dagang is one of the tastiest dishes in Kelantan and goes well with fish curry, sour salad, hard boiled eggs and curried chicken.Tuna is the standard choice of fish but other fish can be used as well, such as tenggiri. It is a well-known breakfast food in the states on the East Coast of Peninsular malaysia, such as Kelantan and Terengganu.Nasi Dagang can also be considered as a festive dish in Kelantan because it is prepared at home for the morning of Hari Raya.

I know I was tempted with the local delicacies that was changed everyday... I especially loved the nasi dagang and sambal kelapa as well as the nasi kerabu in a vibrant blue colour... also served with yummy sambal kelapa and a healthy helping of kerabu /local salad... There are also other local kueh and delights you should take the opportunity to try out like nasi tumpang, roti jala and chicken curry , stir fried noodles and so on...

The nasi kerabu is mix of herbs, the rice is cooked with many types of herbs.There are also finely sliced "daun kesom" a strong, minty, and peppery flavor laksa leaf, sliced "bunga kantan" torch ginger flower, sliced small onions, slice cucumber, beansprout, fish floss and fish crackers.This rice dish is a regional specialty from Kelantan and sometimes the rice is tinted blue from petals of flowers called bunga telang (clitoria). These herbal rice and those vege is good for detoxification


Cerana Coffee House is an all-day dining restaurant serving western and local favourites. It is opened daily 6am - 12pm


When we were staying at the Hotel Perdana, we also had a chance to have tea, enjoy local kueh as well as watch LIVE cooking demonstration of making Laksam as well as Jala Emas by the chefs there..


Boiled taro /keladi and ubi keling/ kemili  look a bit strange and tasted somewhat odd to my palate... so I did not like it too much....as it tasted of the soil as well...


Tahi Itik might sound odd as translated it means Duck Poo, but well, is quite sweet, it is delicious to eat. The ingredients are egg white , coconut milk and sugar. It has varieties of shapes according to the chef. Next to it is the Jala Emas


Kueh Koci with Red Beans....The texture if soft and chewy on the outside and with red beans paste inside it..very much like the Japanese  mochi...


 Akok Kelantan is well known for its sweet aroma. The ingredient are eggs and ‘ gula melaka ’ and the taste is naturally like a sweet pancake....

 


Laksam is flat rice noodles and served with coconut milk gravy with finely-blended fish (ikan selayang) ,shrimp paste/ belacan and garnish with raw vegetables like shredded cucumber, long beans, bean sprout and cabbage. They usually have it for breakfast but you still can have it anytime during the day. 

It was surely interesting seeing the Laksam made in front of our eyes by the Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu's chefs...




We also got to see how Jala Mas was made... This is supposedly a  very popular  kueh in Kelantan. It is made with the duck's egg yolk in a thick sugar syrup.  It is known as a Royal delicacy which can  only be found in Kelantan
  

These are three of the key personnel in Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu, Chef Ismail, En Amir, the Food and Beverage Manager and En Taha, the General Manager ....


Above is the Nasi Kapit with Satay which was packed in small packets on the buffet counter as well as the Nasi Minyak with Ayam Masak Merah, both which are very yummy and not to be missed...


For dinner, we were indulged with the Yeolhana Steamboat and Grill at the Eleven restaurant as well. Yeolhana means eleven as well in Korean. It is available for dinner at certain nights and ideal for those who enjoy eating a healthy meal.... There were just so much to choose from....


I love my steamboat and grill , and I was certainly impressed with the wide range of meat, fish, seafood and vegetables offered...



Here at Eleven, you can enjoy your dinner with an amazing  view of Kelantan at the first and only roof top restaurant in Kota Bharu  serving fusion & Mediterranean fare.


 

The soup for the steamboat consist of two different flavours Tom Yam and Chicken, both which are yummy when already cooked with the available  ingredients and the seasoned meat is just succulently well flavoured...



When you have finished your dinner, a delectable and tempting desserts table awaits all guests with
a sweet tooth like me...It was sheer bliss looking at the brightly coloured and delicious looking confections begging to be eaten... oh how can I resist...... huhuhu


I had as much as my stomach could handle and I can assure you that when my dinner was over, I was as stuffed as a cobra who has probably just swallowed a whole goat.... hehehe


Just for your information, Eleven is opened daily between 4pm to  12pm


It wasn't until the last day when we only got to try out the delicious Chinese and Thai dishes at this lovely halal Jade Restaurant . The dishes are all lovingly prepared by the chefs from Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu. 


The restaurant is all decorated in shade of warm orange and white which were warm colours and pleasing to the eyes... and the set up, the normal elegant 10 seats per table of any Chinese restaurant....


You can choose to dine in a quiet and private room (if you have a meeting or family event like an anniversary or birthday celebration) or with other guests..



I did so love the Chinese art work on the wall... they were just exquisite.... 


We had one of the lovely set meals Jade Restaurant offered...Jade Restaurant offers 3 Express Sets to choose from. We had the Express Set C consisting of
 7 main dishes (stir fried squid, fried fish, tom yam seafood, omelette, vegetables, chicken and prawns) and served with  white rice. There was also peanut soup, fried Chinese pancake and 
 mixed fruits.

Truly very fulfilling and delicious lunch....one that many of us could not get enough of....



Jade Restaurant offers Chinese & Thai cuisine in an elegant setting. It is opened at certain hours:  11.30am - 3.00pm,   6.00pm - 11.00pm and closed on Wednesday

Thank you to both Hotel Perdana Kota Bharu as well as Destination Malaysia for this amazing and eye opening trip....

Instagram : @hotelperdana_kotabharu

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