Keen to find out how is the Ramadan Iftar Marriot Putrajaya is like?
I went to one recently, and here is my experience.
Pssst: Keen to discover more Iftar offerings from Atas places in Klang Valley? Check out our guide here.
| Nice! | Not So Nice |
| 👍 Excellent gulai kawahs 👍 Generous kambing goleks 👍 All-You-Can-Eat Durians 👍 Family & couple-friendly atmosphere | 👎 No free-flowing espresso-based coffee 👎 Booking through WhatsApp 👎 There are places with more food offerings, at a lower price. |
Booking
I was able to secure early bird pricing for Ramadan Iftar Marriot Putrajaya, which means I only pay RM168 per person. Regular price starts at RM208 per person, with children paying half-price.
I did my booking through WhatsApp, and was confirmed a place within 24 hours.
I however, never got a receipt for my booking, despite their promise of sending one within 2-3 working days after booking.
Parking
Parking is rather easy, with two major options:
- You can simply opt for the Valet, which I did. Pay RM23, and they’ll direct you to park direct at the lobby. A 2-3 minute walk, and you’re at the Iftar entrance.
- Underground parking. For Iftar visitors, a flat rate of RM12 applies. Regular rates are at RM4 for first hour, and RM3 for each subsequent hours. A bit more walking, but you’ll be eating anyway.
Going In
There’s only one counter, although there’s not much queue going on. I gave them my booking name, and was given the table number.
The hotel had the restaurant and the entire lower lobby ground set up with tables for the Iftar, which shows how popular it is:
I walked down the stairs, and was greeted by a wait staff, who brought me to my table. Off to check out the food offerings:
Dining Atmosphere
Iftar Marriot Putrajaya is a family-friendly experience, much akin to attending a kenduri.
The crowd is large, which means foot traffic can be high, and you may want to be a bit careful when walking around with your dishes.
As you dine, there are also cultural performances, meaning you’ll get to have your meal while enjoying Joget or Zapin beats.
The performers are also friendly with children, encouraging them to go up stage and dance along.
There are quite a number of children in the dining crowd, but at least at my area, they are well behaved.
There are also many dating couples, which means if you are looking for an Iftar place to take your special someone, this place will work very well.
Food Offerings / Menu
The easiest way to sum up the menu is this: Whatever you expected to be served at an Iftar Ramadan, is here.
Expect to see these at Iftar Marriot Putrajaya:
- Classic Malay Fares: Satay, Bihun Sup Utara, Roti Canai, Apambalik, Asam Pedas, etc.
- Gulai Kawahs: Marriot Putrajaya lists these kawah dishes as the ‘highlight’ from their Iftar buffet.
- Roasts: Chicken, Lamb, Fish, etc.
- Dessert: Kuih-Muihs, Cakes, Puddings, Ice creams, Fresh fruits, Cendol, Pulut Hitam, etc.
- Carbs: Briyani, rice, bihun sup utara, bread, pasta, etc.
- Seafood: Crabs, prawn, Shellfish, variety of fish dishes, etc.
- Drinks: soy milk, Bandung, Nescafe, teh tarik, etc.
- International Fares: Sushi, mushroom soups, etc.
- And many more.
Similar dishes were served in several locations, meaning you do not have to travel too far from your table to reach them.
To me, the must try include:
Daging Masak Hitam 👍👍
One of the kawah dishes, the beef is tender, and the spices are not excessive – it blends well with the savoriness and sweetness from the kicap manis used.
I would say the taste is toned down from your hardcore kampung-level Daging Masak Hitam, but hotels are known to do this – to ensure the taste is acceptable to many diners, including international visitors.
Kambing Golek/Bakar 👍👍
I have been to Iftars where the kambings are served in a ‘controlled manner’ – not here.
Iftar Marriot Putrajaya serves their lamb roasts generously, and does not seem to mind when some patrons technically ‘piled’ their plates with them.
The roasts are kept moist with the fats from other roasted lamb, and the mint sauce are excellent.
I just wish the sauce were kept warm, as when in room temperature, it takes away the warmth from the meat.
Kambing Kurma 👍
Another dish from their kawahs, the chefs were able to balance between preserving the flavor from natural fats of the lamb, while adding in the sweetness and savoriness from the kurma and the gulai.
The lamb was also cut into smaller, chopstick-friendly sizes, which helps with helping you to enjoy the lamb, without looking like a carnivore.
The kambing pieces were soft, and easy on the mouth and teeth. If you wear dentures. you’ll appreciate their Kambing Kurma.
Satay Ayam 👍
The Satay was well done, without the usual ‘cost-saving’ method of adding chicken skin. I had 7 of the chicken satay, and they are all meat.
Yet without the skin, the chicken meat still taste good, moist, and they remain tender. Excellent to my taste palate.
The kuah kacang is also well made, slightly on the sweet side, but it balances out the savoriness from the chicken well. The kuah is also thicker, and the peanuts chunkier, giving a more ‘satisfying’ texture.
Briyani 👍👍
The Briyani was served from a large steel pot, with a chef serving the rice to patrons.
The briyani was fluffy, not overly colored, and from the looks, closer to the Pakistani style. Works well with me, since I like my rice looking more like rice, and not some rainbow candy color.
Bits of lamb were added to the rice, but not so much for the meat, but perhaps just for the flavor. I paired my serving of Briyani with kambing bakar and satay, and they tasted superb to my taste buds.
All You Can Eat Durian 👍👍👍
This could easily be the highlight for many patrons. Marriot Putrajaya set up a booth outside at the garden to dole up free-flowing durians for those keen to enjoy some.
In fact, the cendol station about 10 steps away, meaning you can easily bring your durian over to the station, and assemble your own cendol durian. This is something I saw many patrons did.
The only thing is that you cannot bring the durians into the dining area – you must finish your durians around the booth. This makes sense. Imagine the entire Marriot Putrajaya’s lobby smelling like Durians!
No Complimentary Espresso-Based Coffee 👎
My only gripe with the entire Iftar experience is the lack of espresso-based coffee, and this technically left a dent in my Iftar experience here.
Walk around the you’ll notice the coffee machines were shut, and inoperable. I then walked to the drinks counter, and asked if I could get a cup of Americano to cap my dinner.
To my surprise I was told I’ll need to pay extra to get that, and a cup of Americano costs RM20.
Come on Marriot Putrajaya – if regular breakfast buffets can come with free flowing espresso-based coffee, why not a proper Iftar dinner?
Ramadan Iftar Marriot Putrajaya – Worth A Visit
There’s a reason why Iftar Marriot Putrajaya is popular with many, and seem to be the talk of the town everytime Ramadan comes by.
They are able to blend many things together to make a great Iftar experience:
- Good food, served generously,
- Family-friendly, couple-friendly atmosphere,
- Excellent hospitality and service from the staff, and
- A taste of Malay culture – from the music, dance and the well-dressed crowd
A couple more ways for Marriot Putrajaya to do better:
- Consider donning the staff in traditional Malay outfits for a more Malay experience.
- Have a better booking system – booking through WhatsApp just does not seem to fit ‘Marriot’ standard.
- Can you serve espresso coffee please? I don’t need a Barista to make it, just let me use the machine and make some myself.
So…. whats your call? Book now if you are keen to give the Ramadan Iftar Marriot Putrajaya a go.