The City List doesn’t always have the opportunity to cover charity and CSR events, but we couldn’t turn down an invitation by Ramada Suites in KL’s City Centre. The hotel held a special dinner for over 40 orphans and their carers from Rumah Bakti Cahaya Hati in Rawang, Selangor.
The evening started off in a warm and friendly manner; with staff mingling with the children and making them feel welcomed. Also present were Dato Indera Naresh Mohan, the owner of Trinidad Group who also owns Ramada Suites, as well as several of his relatives. Rajesh Daswani, the hotel manager, was also on hand to greet us and answer our questions.
Ramada Suites makes it a point to extend their hand of generosity each year, especially during the festive season. This time, the room was filled with the very well-behaved youngsters from Rumah Bakti Cahaya Hati.
As the breaking of fast moment had not arrived, a friendly clown was seen going around amusing the children by making cute little balloon animals and more. The atmosphere then turned solemn as the breaking of fast drew near and prayers were read.
The men in the crowd then withdrew to a side room to perform Maghrib prayers, and soon joined everyone to partake of the spread.
There was a special buffet prepared by the talented team in Ramada’s kitchen. Most of the food served was traditional cuisine reminiscent of days gone by. We particularly loved the fact that Nasi Hujan Panas was served. This dish is said to originate from Terengganu, and is difficult to find nowadays.
Nasi Hujan Panas is a tri-coloured flavoured rice dish that is usually served during special occasions like weddings. Kids love the multi-coloured effect of the rice, which is probably why Ramada’s team decided to prepare it. This version also has a generous sprinkling of raisins and cashew nuts, which really gave it that extra.
Other traditional kampong favourites that were served included Pucuk Paku masak lemak cili padi, which are fern shoots braised in spices and coconut milk. There was also Sotong Goreng Berlada ( spicy fried squid), Ayam Goreng Berempah ( fried chicken in grounded spices), Tenggiri fish curry and satay.
There was also a laksa station where guests could put together their own laksa bowl, with noodles, condiments and a tureen of warm and rich laksa gravy. This was paired with some traditional Malay salads, including Rojak Buah, Kerabu Ayam, Kerabu Kacang Botol and Ulam with Budu, Cencaluk and Sambal Belacan. For the children, there were some ‘fun’ foods like fries and chicken nuggets.
There was also a dessert table filled with kuih, like seri muka and kuih lapis, as well as cakes, puddings and dates.
We really appreciated the fact that the team took note of the younger guests and did their best to ensure that the food served was child-friendly and fun for them too.
After dinner, the event continued with the presentation of gifts for the children, as well as a special magic show by the friendly clown. It was no doubt a memorable night that will stay in the hearts and minds of the children from Rumah Bakti Cahaya Hati for a long time.
Ramada Suites Kuala Lumpur is located at 1, Lorong Ceylon, Bukit Ceylon, 50200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.
Note: Ramada has ongoing special offers at their in-house bar Hugo’s, including the very unique Serunding fries. Ladies can enjoy Ladies’ Night every Thursday before 9.30pm with up to 3 hours of free flow drinks. On Sundays, guests can get 10 mugs of Carlsberg for RM100
