> Quick view: every Sunday lunch, Culina at Pullman Kuching runs a Carnivore Feast buffet at RM138+ per adult, and the price drops by 20% for a table of four adults, 30% for six and 40% for eight or more. On Saturdays in November the hotel's pool bar runs a BBQ night, and Nu Er Hong has a Sarawak pepper special until 31 December.

*Image: Pullman Kuching (Culina Sunday Carnivore Feast campaign photo)*

Pullman Kuching posted its "What's new in November" lineup on its Facebook page in late October, with posters for the Culina Sunday Carnivore Feast and the Liquid Pool Bar Smoke & Sizzle nights, and bookings through the hotel's F&B WhatsApp line. The prices below come from the hotel general manager's announcement as reported by the Sarawak Tribune on 29 October. The posters confirm the days, times and the "up to 40% off" group offer, but they do not print the RM figures, so confirm the rate when you book.

This replaces October's Pinktober hi-tea at Culina, and it is a step up in what goes on the table: the buffet is built around grilled and carved meat rather than cakes and finger food.

The Sunday Carnivore Feast at Culina

Culina, the hotel's all-day dining restaurant, sets out a lunch buffet every Sunday from 12pm to 3pm. The hotel lists slow-roasted beef, smoked beef brisket, herb-crusted lamb, BBQ ribs, roasted poultry and grilled seafood, with live carving and grilling stations. The campaign poster sums it up as premium grilled beef, chicken and seafood.

The list price is RM138+ per adult and RM69+ per child. No senior rate has been published this time.

How the group discount works

The discount scales with the number of adults at the table:

  • 4 adults: 20% off
  • 6 adults: 30% off
  • 8 or more adults: 40% off

You book the table in advance through the hotel's WhatsApp line (016-879 6105) or the main line (082-222 888) and tell them your headcount. The tiers are worded around adults, so a table of three adults and two children does not obviously reach the first tier. Ask before you rely on children to make up the numbers.

Worked examples

These use the published prices. The nett figures assume the usual hotel billing of a 10% service charge followed by 6% service tax on food, roughly 16.6% on top, and that the charge is worked out on the discounted amount. The hotel has not published nett prices.

  • Couple, no discount: 2 x RM138 = RM276+, about RM322 nett (about RM161 each).
  • Four adults (20% off): RM552 becomes RM441.60+, about RM515 nett, or roughly RM129 a head.
  • Six adults (30% off): RM828 becomes RM579.60+, about RM676 nett, or roughly RM113 a head.
  • Eight adults (40% off): RM1,104 becomes RM662.40+, about RM772 nett, or roughly RM97 a head.

Two quirks are worth spotting. A table of seven adults at 30% off pays RM676.20+, which is more than eight adults at 40% off (RM662.40+). If you have seven, bring an eighth person: the bill goes down. Similarly, five adults at 20% off pay RM552+, only RM27.60 less than six adults at 30% off.

At eight people, each adult is paying about RM82.80+ for a meat-heavy carvery buffet. That is cheaper per head than Culina's own Sunday hi-tea earlier this year at RM98+.

Who it suits, and who should skip it

It suits office lunches, birthday groups, church or alumni gatherings and extended families who can put together eight adults on a Sunday. Deepavali falls on Sunday 8 November, so that week's buffet is a natural fit for a holiday lunch, but expect it to fill up early.

Skip it if you are a couple or a solo diner who mostly eats vegetables or seafood: at about RM161 nett each with no discount, a meat-focused buffet is poor value unless you eat like it. Families with young children should also check the child age range when booking, which has not been published.

Saturday Smoke & Sizzle at Liquid Pool Bar

Every Saturday in November (7, 14, 21 and 28 November), from 6pm to 10pm, the poolside bar turns into a BBQ venue. The hotel names honey-butter glazed chicken wings, salted dabai tiger prawns and grilled seabass on the menu. Dabai, the Sarawak "black olive", is a nice local touch you will not find on a KL pool bar menu.

There are two ways in:

  • Smoke & Social sharing set: RM295+ for three to four diners, about RM344 nett. Split four ways that is roughly RM86 a head.
  • Cabana Premium BBQ Dinner: RM2,700+ for ten people in a private cabana, with lobster, Australian Black Angus tomahawk and New Zealand wagyu striploin. That comes to about RM3,148 nett, or around RM315 each. It is a celebration booking, not a casual dinner.

It is an outdoor venue, and November is wet in Kuching. Ask what happens to your booking if it rains.

Nu Er Hong pepper special, until 31 December

The hotel's Chinese restaurant is keeping its smoked chicken with fish maw in Sarawak black and white pepper (first launched in October) on the menu until 31 December, at RM168+ for a table of four to ten (about RM196 nett). It is a single dish, not a set, so budget for the rest of the meal on top.

The fine print that trips people up

  • All prices carry a plus. Service charge and government tax are added, and the hotel has not published nett prices.
  • The group tiers count adults. Confirm how children are treated and whether the discount applies to the whole table.
  • The posters say "up to 40% off". The 40% tier needs eight or more adults, not any table.
  • Book in advance through WhatsApp 016-879 6105 or 082-222 888. Walk-ins may not get the group rate.
  • Smoke & Sizzle runs only on the four Saturdays in November. The Carnivore Feast is listed as "every Sunday", but this lineup is presented as November's, so confirm the rate if you are booking for December.

For updates, follow Pullman Kuching on Facebook or visit pullmankuching.com.