AUDREY VIJAINDREN
While most Malaysians are cutting corners to save a few ringgit, others are queuing up at the Ramadan buka puasa buffet line. Hotels and restaurants tell AUDREY VIJAINDREN that it’s a full house every night, despite higher prices and the rising cost of living
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| A rojak dish among the buffet spread at Mandarin Oriental |
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| A great way to buka puasa is this tempting Mamak Tenggiri Curry |
Lucky for us, we don’t have to pack all the kids in the minivan and make that five-hour drive home, each time we have a craving.
All through Ramadan, fancy restaurants and upscale hotels are taking us on that journey.
Bracing themselves for a loss this Ramadan, due to the rising cost of living, hotels and restaurants are glad to report nothing less than a “full house” since the start of the fasting month.
As far as they’re concerned, it’s business as usual, whatever the cost.
Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur (MOKL) says although it’s only a week into the fasting month, there’s no indication of a slowdown in business this year.
“Our Ramadan buffets are usually fully booked from the second week of Ramadan onwards. The response and reservations so far have been more than encouraging.
“The majority of our Ramadan buffet patrons are corporate companies from the surrounding vicinity along with an influx of family gatherings on weekends.
“There’s no real trend indicative of a slowdown, as there are a myriad of factors that could affect the reservations,” said its spokesperson.
While the month of Ramadan is one of the busiest times for their restaurants, MOKL says there’s a slight decrease in banquet events during the fasting month.
“The volumes generated from the Ramadan buffets do contribute to the overall hotel food & beverage revenue. This helps as we have observed a slight decrease in banquet events.”
So, are people forking out cold hard cash for these lavish dinners? Not really.
MOKL says that payments are usually made by credit card, especially for group bookings.
Hilton Petaling Jaya’s assistant food & beverage manager Kamarul Zaman says they’re enjoying similar success with their buka puasa buffets.
“Needless to say, with the popularity of the restaurant, we have our loyal regulars who dine with us every year during Ramadan. It’s a must for them to dine here at least once during this month.
“As the yearly norm, for the first week, our Muslim friends prefer to break fast at home with their family.
“Nevertheless, the restaurant still performs above the average dinner crowd for the first week and it picks-up tremendously over the weeks until the end of Ramadan.”
He says being located in a business district populated by multinational companies, the hotel receives many corporate bookings, as many of them would take this opportunity to dine with their clients.
So, does the month of Ramadan greatly increase their yearly profits? He says that goes without saying.
While most hotels see a balance in walk-in guests and corporate customers, Renaissance Kuala Lumpur says they’re receiving many Prestige Card members (the hotel’s loyalty programme members).
“Our club members enjoy a variety of perks when dining at the hotel, so many come for such promotions.
“Corporate guests and companies are also big on our Ramadan buffets. Most of the customers during this month are between the ages of 30 to 55 years old,” says its assistant public relations manager Nor Aizan Abdul Hamid.
For business or pleasure, she says, both their coffee houses are full during the second and third week of Ramadan, but reservation is always slow at the beginning of Ramadan.
In fact, most restaurants and hotels offering buka puasa buffets have noticed a similar pattern and strategise accordingly.
Buka puasa buffets are usually RM10 less throughout the first and last week of the fasting month.
But while most eateries are raising their buffet prices to a minimum of 20 per cent this month, there’s one restaurant that has chosen not to burden their customers with an expensive meal.
The Seri Angkasa revolving restaurant at the KL Tower is sticking to their RM130++ dinner buffet price, even during the fasting month.
“We don’t need to raise our prices because we have agreements with our suppliers for a year. So, although there is a price hike, we’re not affected. Well, at least not yet. Who knows, next year may be different,” says the assistant marketing, advertising and promotion manager for Seri Melayu group of companies Noorulazwaliza Noh.
Although Seri Angkasa’s buka puasa buffet price is one of the highest around, she says, the restaurant is still receiving bookings three months in advance.
“We house 250 people at one time, with two dinner sessions every night. Obviously, people are still eating out as much as before despite the increase in prices worldwide.
“In fact, during this month, we offer a special lunch buffet for non-Muslims at RM40 per person. Even that is fully booked everyday.”
Yes, but being the only revolving restaurant at the KL Tower, could their business be coming from tourists?
She says, not at all. The majority of their patrons are locals and not tourists.
“More and more Malaysians are dining here, most are here to impress clients and business partners.
“With our new online booking feature, more companies are reserving their tables months ahead.”
While that may be true for the revolving restaurant, Carcosa Seri Negara’s buka puasa buffet attracts many foreigners.
“Oh yes. Our stay-in guests, many being Europeans, Americans and Japanese, never fail to make it part of their experience at Carcosa to attend the Ramadan buffet.
“Foreign executives also participate with great enthusiasm, not wanting to miss out on a Malaysian experience.
“We attract many expatriates, business groups and families, due to our lush garden environment, “ says its general manager Carla Petzold-Beck.
But unlike other hotels, Ramadan is not a huge profit-making month for this boutique hotel.
“Large-scale events are greatly reduced during the day, so no, the fasting month does not contribute significantly to profits.
“It’s also not the busiest time of the year for us. It’s simply the perception of busy-ness because most of the dining takes place within a shorter window of time, which is at the break of fast,” she says.
The price of their buka puasa buffet? RM119++ per person.
So, who are these big spenders?
Director of construction company Greenfield Buildtec Raymond Selvaraj is one of many.
Because he has a lot of Muslim and Indonesian sub-contractors, Raymond says the fasting month is a good time to foster business ties.
“It’s a great opportunity to entertain business partners. Who’s going to turn down a free meal? And because other contractors are taking their business partners out, you can’t afford not to.”
Even for an overpriced plate of kerabu pucuk paku?
Why not, he says, Ramadan only comes around once a year.
Raymond says when you take into account the business opportunity, the price of a Ramadan dinner is peanuts.
“These Ramadan dinners used to cost much less, but now it’s steadily increasing. But when you are talking about million ringgit projects, this is a small price to pay.
“Especially in the construction line, people expect to receive little perks like this. It’s all part of business.”
Raymond is not the only one who’s taking advantage of the Ramadan month to boost sales and seal deals.
IT consultant Francis Lim says he too doesn’t hesitate to give his clients and prospective clients a treat.
“It’s no surprise that Malaysians love food. So, when an opportunity like this comes along, we have to grab it. In fact, it’s much better to take your clients out for dinner than to a karaoke lounge.
“It’s all done in good faith and people like to be appreciated. Unfortunately, there are some who take advantage of the situation by carting their whole family along. But what can we do? We can’t say no. The customer is always right.”
Raymond and Lim are part of the vast majority who are willing to spend lavishly, in hopes of a bigger “fish".
But there are business people who don’t think showering clients with pricey buffets is the way to go.
Financial planner Clarence Chua says he doesn’t mind entertaining his Muslim clients at home. But expensive Ramadan dinners defeat the purpose of fasting.
“I don’t think my clients would expect it of me. Buka puasa is a great time for family and friends to get together. But why must it be at an expensive place, with 300 dishes? That’s so impersonal!
“Wouldn’t the experience be better in the comfort of your own home? I think my clients would appreciate the extra effort I put into preparing a dinner for them in my own house.”
Most of time, Chua says, talking business in a restaurant full of people is not conducive.
“It’s usually a ’full house’ at the restaurants during this time and it’s impossible to talk about serious stuff. People just eat and go, with little mingling.”
But for business, pleasure of leisure, buka puasa buffet dinners will still be a tool to foster better relationships for some and build a bigger client base for others.
And if you look at it that way, a plate of fresh kampung ulam-ulaman is truly priceless.
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