The Grand Hyatt in KL is already one of the city's favourite hotels. Offering luxurious surroundings and comfort to all its guests is part of its remit. Now, it is elevating its food offerings with an all-you-can-eat Seafood Sunday Brunch. Having already enjoyed the Petite Chef experience at the Hyatt, Ribhua and I set off in great anticipation and with hungry bellies.
Having taken the Willy Wonkaesque glass elevator from the Sky Lobby to the Thirty8 Restaurant, they escorted us to our table and began our culinary adventures.
Being a big fan of seafood, Ribhua was thrilled to indulge in a seafood platter with broth. The fresh clams, fish, prawns, and mussels with potatoes and onions were served in a plastic wrapping in a bowl. They kept the food hot thanks to the bowl having stones covered in hot water under the plastic wrapper. She followed up this seafood feast with some Lobster Bisque, a firm favourite of hers, and then moved on to an equally delicious, juicy and tender Beef Wellington served with an Espagnole sauce.
Wanting to return to the seafood, Ribhua sampled a mouthwatering grilled Barramundi, which she paired with a creamy spinach sauce.
Next, a big wooden box with a range of steamed oysters, mussels, clams and Prawns was brought to our table with four types of sauce: Thai sauce, Sriracha, garlic mayo and ketchup, which went really well with the fresh seafood. Despite being almost full to bursting, Ribhua tried some Dim Sum and Sushi from the Asian food selection.
As I do not eat meat or seafood, I focussed on the vegetable offerings, and the delightfully crispy Hassleback potatoes didn't fail to impress. I drizzled some homemade garlic mayonnaise on them, added some thickly battered onion rings and enjoyed every bite. The equally delicious homemade sourdough bread was another happy find, but the real star of my lunch was the fresh salad ingredients.
Big bowls of mixed salad leaves, cherry and plum tomatoes, and various other ingredients such as sliced radish, cucumber and crunchy croutons were laid out for my selection. A range of dressings, including my favourite, Tatziki, were available. The flavours were so fresh and you could taste the difference between these in-house-grown veggies and those you buy in the shops. Yes, almost everything is grown in-house using hydroponics and urban farming methods, ensuring they are absolutely fresh. In fact, the lettuce leaves grow beside the buffet and are replenished straight into the buffet as required! Talk about farm-to-table dining; it was in the same room!
I may not have been able to indulge in many elaborate main course items because of my dietary restrictions and food allergies, but for once, dessert was on the menu for me. I first indulged in a table-side crème brûlée preparation, and while there was a good crisp on the caramelised sugar, the brûlée itself was a little too eggy for my taste (but then I hate the taste of eggs!). They topped it with berries bursting with flavours. My sweet tooth was calling for more sugar, so I headed off to the waffle/croffle/churros bar, where I selected a waffle and drizzled it with salted caramel sauce and added berries from the nearby fruit selection. I also picked up a scoop of lemon sorbet, one of my favourite desserts. Ribhua also loved the sorbet but preferred the Chrysanthemum leaf and chocolate ice cream.
The waffle was thick, crunchy and sweet as it should be, but the scene-stealer for me was the sorbet. The tartness of the lemons was the perfect counterfoil to the sweetness of my waffle. It was divine.
Soft drinks, including some tasty fruit punches and kombuchas, are free flow, and alcohol drinks add-on packages with a selection of beers, wines and cocktails are available. Prosecco and Champagne have an additional charge. I enjoyed sipping a glass of Prosecco during my lunch and finished my meal with a refreshing lychee kombucha and an invigorating coffee.
For me, knowing how sustainability-focused and environmentally conscious the Grand Hyatt is in their dining makes me a big fan. Not only do they grow most of the vegetables used in their cooking, but they try to source all their ingredients locally. They make all their sauces from scratch, even the ketchup.
Buffets are often a site of much food wastage, but in Thirty8, there were only small amounts out on display at a time, and items such as sushi and waffles were only made when the supplies were low. They use a Lumatics Insight system to monitor their food waste, allowing the chefs to adjust the preparation of items. And, of course, some of the waste is composted and used for their vegetable growing.
The selection of food, its freshness and the sustainability efforts employed by the Grand Hyatt for the Seafood Sunday Brunch are almost as impressive as the views. Almost.
Enjoy this elite Seafood dining experience for MYR 268 nett per person every Sunday from 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM and get the stunning Petronas Tower views for free!
