Nusantara Buffet Restaurant at Gedung Kuning

Situated right next to the Malay Heritage Center on Sultan gate, Permata at Gedung Kuning is an amazing new restaurant, beautifully renovated from a Malay Heritage mansion, offering Nusantara inspired dishes.

It is a perfect place for Asian heritage food lovers and adventurers who don’t know much about Indonesian & Malaysian food.  The varieties and specialties on offer come with an affordable price tag, surely something not to be missed!

I visited during Ramadan so there was special fare catered to Muslims breaking fast at sundown. They offered something special to start with called bubur lambuk - a traditional Ramadan porridge made with chickpeas and lentils, packed with wonderful spices like cardamom, turmeric and cumin.

It was a first for me and the porridge was seasoned to perfection, with a hint of spices and not over powering. The moment it went from my mouth down to my stomach, it warmed up my body and all my senses for food awakened.

I can understand why they use this porridge to break fast as it gets your body ready for a feast to come, after many hours of fasting. It’s the same concept for Cantonese dining which starts with a soup to warm up the tummy before the onslaught of food.

I must say this porridge really wowed me. I polished it and enjoyed every bit of it. What a golden bowl of treasure with pleasure!

After the heartwarming bubur, we were presented with all kinds of krupuk (deep fried crackers) and fresh steamed seafood from prawns, mussels, scallops, sea asparagus to gong gong (a unique sea snail in Malay).

There are over ten hand-blended sambals and homemade sauces on offer to be used as dipping or condiments for anything you like. I love Indonesian chilly paste and sambals, so this was absolutely heaven for me!

Thanks to Permata it was my first time trying Tempoyak (Assam durian) which was made with D24 durian. As a durian and chilly lover, you can imagine the smile it brought to my face when I stuffed this goodie in my mouth.

It was a perfect dipping for the crackers and I could eat it alone too without anything as the flavour was not too strong neither too salty.

The two different curry puffs, one with potato stuffing (vegetarian) and the other with sardine were so delicious I could not help but finish it. I’m normally not a big fan of curry puffs but I tell you what, I could not help but finish the whole sardine curry puff.

To those of you worried that it might taste fishy I can assure you it did not. The combination of curry spice with sardines in that fluffy crunchy pastry was just perfect. It’s certainly something new to me and I will have it again if I see it on the menu next time.

After all these yummy starters, I requested to try the homemade Calamansi juice as everyone had it except me. Even though I’m not a big fan of cold sugary drinks while eating, I must say the juice was made perfectly with just enough sweetness yet a hint of sourness from the fresh calamansi.

It’s super refreshing after all these palate stimulating sambals. It did bring back my childhood memory of similar juices in Taiwan and it has some resemblance to kumquat juice too.

In between the starters and mains I also tried an interesting green mango fruit salad which was a real good palate cleanser. It looked like Thai papaya salad however the flavour was very subtle and soothing, totally opposite to the Thai punchy and spicy flavours.

Like every hotel buffet, Permata had the all-time favourite live carving station for beef sirloin steak which was marinated and cooked to tender perfection. Served with a special homemade chilly sauce and grilled with a flame torch to bring out the caramelised flavor, accentuating a bit of charcoal flavour on the meat.

So many details in one single dish. Salute to Chef Firdauz! I polished all 5 slices without hesitation. As I toured around the food stations, the best show was to watch Chef make fresh Roti Jala.

The beautiful lace rolled up pancake made in three different colours - yellow (original), blue (blue pea) and green (pandan) were the perfect match with chicken curry. The fluffy strings of dough sucked up the curry sauce which went down so well with tender juicy chicken. It was one of the best chicken curries I have ever had.

The next was another signature which I have seen on TV but yet to try until I came to Permata - Penang Assam laksa. So flavourful, tangy with a hint of spice to it, the fresh garnish on top such as julienne pineapple, cucumber and onions gave the dish even more depth in flavour.

It tasted so much lighter than the Nyonya laksa which I usually have problem finishing as the coconut milk base is heavy unlike this which was made from a fish base.

Permata has a dedicated section for BBQ and grilled stuff ranging from satay, grilled prawns, chicken and lamb flap skewers to BBQ stingray. The chicken skewer was very juicy and tender while the lamb flap was a hit and I even ventured to have a second piece.

So well marinated with such perfect tender meat, I could imagine an icy cold beer with skewers of this alone. Stingray was grilled in banana leaf with special sambal sauce, which was another first for me. That sambal sauce would be a dream condiment for any BBQ lover!

The best is yet to come! Do we still have space? Yes absolutely! Chef Firdauz‘s signatures twist beef wagyu rendang, belimbing lamb (lamb stewed in young starfruit) and Ayam Binjai chicken (boneless chicken leg in sweet, spicy and mildly sour gravy).

All these signatures went superbly well with the Nasi Bunga Telang (blue pea rice). All sauces had their own unique flavours yet complement each other so well on the same plate.

Down the tube went my original “no carb” plan, the plate was polished off, with not even a grain of rice left. My favourite was the succulent lamb which fell off the bone in that fruity belimbing sauce. It’s just not something you can cook up at home.

Permata really caters for everyone even when it comes to desserts. Apart from Chef Firdauz’s special creation Buah Keluak Brownie which is a must try, the Kolak pisang (banana cooked in palm sugar and coconut milk) was silky and smooth, with a light touch of Gula Melaka. It was simply divine.

A beautiful display of naturally coloured agar (jelly) in cute mini jars offering original coconut flavour, brown sugar, blue pea and pandan were served. Light and not too sweet, just a perfect end to a scrumptious feast. There were also various Nyonya kueh choices in small bite sized pieces!

For those who are not a big fan of Asian desserts, mini-sized red velvet cakes and a huge chocolate fountain would tempt all with a sweet tooth!

While signature dishes are a regular feature, other dishes are changed frequently depending on the fresh produce available, to ensure quality and freshness. During this sensitive Covid time, like hotels, the buffet is served to your table which is a much safer hygienic practice in place compared with the old school buffet.

It is unbelievable that with so many amazing unlimited dishes to choose from with such delicate quality, you’ll be surprised you actually pay as much as (or even less than) going to a cafe for a drink, a main plus a dessert.

From Monday to Thursday, lunch is at $42++ and dinner $52++ per person whereas Friday to Sunday lunch is a $48++ and dinner $58++ per person, all inclusive with non-alcoholic hot and cold beverages.

Another interesting part of the restaurant is the book cafe. Hidden behind a heavy door, the quiet little space offers a perfect peaceful environment for those who want to have a quick bite while working on their laptop, have a cozy chat with friends or simply a solo relaxing meal.

The cafe menu starts from $9 with starters and $19 for mains which is priced reasonably. But if you do have time and space in your tummy, do go for the buffet deal as it’s really great value for money with all the choices on offer!

While reading through some journals about the restaurant I also learnt that Permata is very well in sync with modern healthy eating concept. They offer Asian heritage food that are great in flavours, cooked with less sugar and salt, and even without MSG which is a big plus.

That explains why after such a big feast for lunch, I did not have a food coma kind of feeling. So, what are you waiting for? Reserve a seat and go try it yourself. You’ll fall  in love with it and want to come back for more!

What a wow experience, to walk into the newly renovated Permata Restaurant. Housed in Gedung Kuning (yellow palace), Kampong Gelam, it was the perfect lunch spot during Ramadan – quiet and surreal.

Previously home to the Sultan of Johor’s son, this beautiful traditional double-story Malay mansion is now part of Malay Heritage land. Adorned with old artefacts which came with a story, these were coupled with new pieces too.

Executive Chef Firdauz Nasir was on hand to explain every dish as it was served to the table. Starters of keropok (crisps – fish, prawn and emping) were naturals placed beside at least six chilly sauces.

Loads of other condiments with ulam (traditional salads) and kerabu (salads) were available. I had to make a mental note to skip some and perhaps try dishes I had never had before.

Not at all a porridge fan, the bubur lambok made with chick peas and lentils was delicious. I didn’t finish it as I knew I would then be unable to try the vast variety of dishes coming my way.

Made specifically in the Ramadan month I could imagine how it would be a hearty and warming dish to break-fast with. The star of the entire food lineup, which boasted more than 60 dishes including sauces, was the roti jala with chicken curry.

A not to-be-missed highlight was watching how the roti jala was made. Served in a rolled up net, this accompaniment to chicken curry was made of pancake-like batter. With blue and green variations from blue pea and pandan flavours respectively, this was a pretty dish when served up.

The live carving station also had roast beef cooked in a rendang sauce, thinly sliced and topped with a spiced gravy. It was then torched to caramelize the brown sugar in the sauce. This was another favourite!

Permata has many rooms all of which seat 104 pax indoor and 64 outdoor. On a pleasant day or night I could just envision the cool breeze on my face while enjoying the delights served.

So perfect in setting for a wedding or event this would show to be something like a set on Crazy Rich Asians! With a beautiful lawn and stunning mansion in the background, what else would you ask for? 

Parading its Nusantara cuisine, a combo of Indonesian, Peranakan and Malaysian cuisine, the Penang Assam laksa hit the spot. While I did say to Chef Firdauz that I would not eat the whole bowl, I reneged on my declaration.  It was too good!

We were still tasting starters. I had to keep some space for mains. Skewers of lamb flap and chicken arrived. So well marinated in different spices, the lamb flap was amazing! That’s my third shout out of a must-do!

Permata’s signature dish of Wagyu beef rendang was served with blue pea rice. Accompanied with another signature dish of lamb with belimbing, a fruit in the starfruit family.

Lending a sour taste to the dish it made it light and easy on the palette. More dishes - tamarind fish, chicken cooked with binjai chilly, sayur lodeh (vegetables cooked in coconut milk) streamed in. I surrendered!

Thank goodness desserts were light. Brown sugar jelly in glass cups topped with light coconut milk lent a beautiful end to a rich meal. Chef Firdauz even had a buah keluak chocolate brownie creation.

Permata is indeed the place for big eaters. With such great value buffets of $48++ and $58++ per person, it is seriously bang for your every buck spent.

Great for a family outing this indeed was a trip down memory lane. So glad to witness historic buildings preserved and laughter pervading through it’s halls. I could just imagine the fun times that were had in this stunning home….

Nusantara is the Indonesian/Malay name of Maritime Southeast Asia (or parts of it). It is an Old Javanese term which literally means"outer islands". In Indonesia, it is generally taken to mean the Indonesian Archipelago, while in Malaysia, the term has been adopted to mean the Malay Archipelago.

​The dictionary meaning of ‘Nusantara’ is ‘Indonesia’ (in Indonesia) and ‘Malay World’ (in Malaysia), but different meanings have been attached to the concept throughout Southeast Asian history. It appears in fourteenth-century Javanese texts but largely disappeared from written materials for a time, and surfaced again when its almost magical qualities were (re)discovered in the late twentieth century.

The meaning of the term has changed over time. In 1334, Gadjah Mada, the chief minister of the Majapahit Empire, used it to refer to the maritime fringes (the nusantara) of the Majapahit Empire.