If I have to choose a particular hotel restaurant for a good buffet meal, Latest Recipe in Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur invariably comes to my mind. Quality of food has always been consistent there and the selection is also commendable. I’ve never hesitated in recommending this place whenever someone asks me to name a nice place for a buffet.
If I had liked it before its renovation, I now like it even more. After a 3-month renovation exercise, Latest Recipe has reopened with a refreshed and breezier look. The restaurant still maintains it simplistic and contemporary theme with clean white tones. The concentric design, enhanced by the sweeping high ceiling, smacks you in the eyes with its vivid stained glass centerpiece.
More seating has been made available at the terrace area and that adds on to the spaciousness of the place. I love the floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end which give a fantastic view of the city below. In the daytime, the natural light sweeping in is so revitalizing and in the evenings, there’s almost a magical feel to the twinkling lights of the city beyond the glass windows.
The live cooking counters in Latest Recipe are its main attractions. The 5 distinct open kitchens are manned by their award-winning chefs dishing out the most scrumptious Indian, Chinese, Malay, Western and Japanese cuisines. Chaffing dishes holding other dishes are all lined up at the other side, tempting diners with hot dishes, salads, cold appetizers, soups, cheeses, just to name some.
My favourite is the Japanese station where sashimi and sushi are sliced and made on-the-spot. Then there’s also teppanyaki (beef, chicken, lamb, seafood), tempura and now they have also added udon and ramen. I love how this counter has now been expanded and serves almost the whole gamut of Japanese delicacies.
I can never resist the curries and breads at the Indian counter. It’s always busy with queues of diners waiting to savour the North and South Indian selections. The Hyderabad Kakadai Crab Curry, Chicken Murgh, Lamb Masala and tandoori specials are all delicious with the commendable selection of Indian breads freshly made. It’s easy to over-indulge here. Oh there’s also a fine selection of vegetarian items at this station.
The Chinese open kitchen has expanded its selection with wok-fries; steamed, fried and baked dumplings; and a variety of assorted dim sum and noodles to fuel the appetite. There’s quite a lot of things happening there and I found it rather difficult to choose – everything there looked so tempting.
The exotic aromas of lemongrass, pandan leaves, coconut milk and torch ginger wafted from the array of Malay specialities. The regional cuisines of Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan are the main inspiration for the Malay open kitchen and dishes are rotated on a daily basis.
Meat lovers will love the Western station as it serves a rotational carving menu of succulent Prime Rib, Lamb Leg, Roast Chicken or Duck with side condiments. Oh you can also order your pasta a la minute from the same counter.
Desserts are aplenty with candy dispensers, soft yoghurt ice cream, chocolate fountain, waffles, crepe and more. The desserts corner is constantly busy – kids and adults alike go crazy in that little wonderland of all that’s sweet and irresistible! Don’t miss out their waffles – the queue can be rather long for this though.
Latest Recipe is available for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, excluding Saturday buffet lunch. Prices are RM108++ for lunch (Monday to Friday) and RM118++ per person for dinner (Monday to Thursday). Buffet Dinner from Friday to Sunday is priced at RM 128++ per person. The Sunday Roast buffet lunch is available at RM 118++ per person.
Latest Recipe
Level 5
Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Stesen Sentral
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-2263-7888