I was recently invited to Spice Kitchen at the JW Marriott Hotel Pune to experience authentic Malaysian cuisine with visiting Chef Khairul Nizam from Putrajaya.
Rich in spices such as kaffir lime, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, coriander and lemongrass, Malaysian food is a hub of different cultures, each of which have brought in diverse flavors to create a distinct and vibrant cuisine making the gastronomy an exciting blend of spices, flavors and cooking techniques. The set up for this festival was colorful and vibrant; I noticed several live counters along with a buffet.
Chef Khairul’s signature dishes include Daging Dendeng, Ayam Ungkep, Kambing Kuzi and other dishes that were thoughtfully crafted especially for this festival.
Delighted to host visiting Chef Khairul, Executive Chef, Mayur Tiwari said, ” We are pleased to host Chef Khairul Nizam from Malaysia to give our guests an elevated culinary experience. At JW Marriott Pune, we believe in offering our guests unique opportunities to discover culinary delicacies from around the world.”
I started an authentic Malaysian dinner with the Long bean salad with chicken (Kerabu kacang panjang dengan ayam) and the Pecal Bonda ( Local Mixed Pickle) followed by the Prawn fritter with sweet peanut sauce (Cucur udang dengan kuah kacang).
The Malaysian chef created a Curry Laksa with condiments (Mee Kari) on request. For the main course I was served the Main Course Baked fish with spicy coconut (Pais Kelapa Ikan Bakar), Sauteed Cuttlefish with Percik sauce (Sotong Sos Percik) and the Eggplant cooked with creamy coconut sauce (Pajeri Terung).
I had an interesting interaction with the friendly Chef Khairul who is the Malaysian Sous Chef at Le Meridien Putrajaya. Utilizing his skills and talent as a dynamic leader and team builder at the Banquet Kitchen in Le Meridien Putrajaya, he has almost 18 years’ experience in Malay food and banqueting in several five star hotels around Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His career started when he entered the industry as a commi chef at Intekma Resort & Convention Centre.
His well-known “Daging Dendeng”,”Ayam ungkep”, kambing kuzi and other homemade preparations have been voted as the most outstanding dishes. Chef Khairul earned a Certificate in Culinary Arts from one of the most prestigious Universities in Malaysia.
Then he pursued his Diploma in Culinary Art at the same University and at the same time honed his core skills with specialist training programs at Marriott in a range of disciplines including Food and Beverage Management, Leadership and Strategic Planning.
Chef Khairul leads by his values such as honesty, passion and performance. To him, what’s most important is doing the right thing all the time. And it is his passion to make Malaysian cuisine popular all over the world.
