CRIZ BON APPETITE

Sarkies @ E&O Hotel (Eastern & Oriental Hotel) would be having its “Selera Kampung” Buffet Dinner in conjunction to the holy month of Ramadhan this year from 6 June 2016 until 5 July 2016 from 7.00pm until 10.30pm daily. It would be priced at RM133.30nett (adult) and RM60.95nett (child from 6-12 years old & those below 6 years old get to eat free). You would get to savor not only kampung style Malay cuisine but also get to experience some international and local fares as well, both indoor and outdoor.

Before even checking on the outdoor dishes, the dishes within the restaurant itself would already be enough to amaze anyone. From the salads and appetizer sections, Japanese dishes section, cold buffet section, hot kitchen section, action stalls until the main dishes section, there would always be something for everyone. Of course, you should not miss out some of their signature dishes such as the herbal soups, roasted duck, grilled meat, sushi, sashimi and more. There would be too many dishes to write in detail here as Sarkies had always been known as the grandest of all buffets. Let the photos speak for themselves below.

There were abundance of Western and local fruits and desserts available for everyone, ranging from an assortment of fruit cuts, Malay kuih, sweet soup to cakes and finger pastries.

Let’s start exploring the al fresco area now where a lots of mouth watering dishes await your arrival. You would find food counters for your quenching local beverages such as air bandung, teh tarik, dishes such as som tam, gulai kawah (bubur lambuk & flower crab curry), roti canai & murtabak with curries, grilled whole lamb with condiments and satay with ketupat served with spicy peanut sauce.

Overall, Sarkies @ E&O Hotel has always impressed me with their international spread of dishes. It’s great to see that they have improved a lot over the past year with more innovative dishes. Even their appetizer section had some different flavors with some Japanese touches compared to the last time I was there.

You can click to enlarge and check out the menu on a rotation basis as below:

Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang (next to Penang Bowl) is located along Lebuh Farquhar. If you are coming from Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah towards Weld Quay, keep to your left immediately after passing by CitiBank. When you see the Penang Bowl building on your left (UMW Toyota opposite), please slow down. Turn left immediately after the Penang Bowl entrance. The E&O Hotel car park is situated just inside the Victory Annexe building. Parking charges would be a maximum of RM6 (weekdays: Monday-Thursday) and RM12 (weekends: Friday- Sunday)

Name: SARKIES @ EASTERN & ORIENTAL HOTEL
Address: 10 Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-222 2000
GPS: 5.423624, 100.334988

RATING:
Ambience: 8.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 9/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

From 2 April 2016 onwards, Starz Diner @ Hard Rock Hotel Penang would be promoting its all-new Seafood on the Rocks Buffet Dinner 2016 from 6.30pm until 10.30pm on every Saturdays. Priced at as low as RM99nett (Adult) and RM59nett (children 6-12 years old), you would get to savor a sumptuous arrays of seafood dishes in sashimi raw, chilled, grilled, stir fried and more. Please call +604-886 8057 or email fb.penang@hardrockhotels.net to book earlier to avoid disappointment.

From left to right: Rizal bin Hashim (Sous Chef), Abdul Rahim Bin Mohammad (Sous Chef), Zulkapli Hatim (Executive Chef), Mohd Nazir Bin Aziz (Chef De Cuisine) and Yoong Toy Heng (Chinese Sous Chef)

Here are the menus for your information. Please click on the photos for clearer views.

Week 1 & 3:

Week 2 & 4:

You would be expecting some lovely seafood dishes ranging from Appetizers, Sushi & Sashimi, Seafood on Ice, Soup, Main Dishes, Teppanyaki Station, Chinese Carving Station, desserts and more. Here are some of the highlights of the buffet spreads for the Seafood on the Rocks Buffet Dinner 2016.

For Appetizer, do watch out for the Smoked Salmon Salad with Avocado. Who could resist a salad packed with all the nutrients required for a healthy body? You could get lots of vitamins and minerals just from the fiber dietary packed vegetable. Moreover, the rich source of fat found in salmons would get your brain juice pumping well. On top of that, just like the salmons, avocados also contain omega-3 fatty acid and other beneficial properties for a healthier body.

For Sushi & Sashimi, there would be quite good selections of sushi and maki with condiments for your palate.

As for Seafood in Ice, you would expect to find a number of succulent and fresh seafood such as boiled prawns, mussel, bamboo clams, scallops, oysters and more, served with a number of condiments.

If you are a lover of Seafood Soup plus an assortment of breads and buns, you should check out their Prawn & Shellfish Bisque which had a distinctive taste from the baked shells. This happened to be my favorite all the time.

For Main Dishes, you would expect to see at least 9 dishes on the spread. More notable ones would be their Ying Yang Fried Rice, Deep Fried Prawns with Nestum and Chawan Mushi Unagi.

I found the Teppanyaki Station to be quite extensive as they have most of my favorite choices cooked in different style. I quite like how the chefs prepared the slipper lobster by stir frying them in vegetables and stuffed back onto the shell.

As for the Chinese Carving Station, you would expect to get items such as Roasted Chicken, Chicken Char Siew or even the uniquely prepared Lamb Char Siew.

There would be at least 15 items served for Desserts. What caught my attention was the Soy Milk with Stuffed Glutinous Rice Balls & Ginkgo Nuts.

Overall, I quite like their Seafood on the Rocks Buffet Dinner 2016 spreads as they were simple, deliciously prepared and tasty. Moreover, I would like to compliment the chefs for putting in their hearts into serving the diners as you could see by the amount of condiments they had stormed out for their teppanyaki dishes.

The Starz Diner is located at the left wing of Hard Rock Hotel Penang. Upon entering, just head to the left side and you will see a little glass door leading to the eatery.

Name: STARZ DINER @ HARD ROCK HOTEL PENANG
Address: Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-881 1711
Business Hours: 6.30am-11.00am, 5.30pm-11.00pm
GPS: 5.467568, 100.241382

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

RESERVATIONS:

Starz Diner/Pizzeria: Call +604-886 6057 or email fb.penang@hardrockhotels.net.
Hard Rock Café Penang: Call +604-886 8050 or email hrc.admin@hardrockhotels.net.
More information: Hard Rock Hotel Penang’s F&B Promotions

Hard Rock International
With a total of 204 venues in 64 countries, including 157 cafes, 22 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include San Juan, Lagos and Gran Canaria, Spain. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Daytona Beach, Dubai, Los Cabos, Tenerife, Abu Dhabi, and Shenzhen and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

For dim sum lovers, you should check out the All-You-Can-Eat Halal Dim Sum Buffet Promotion, impressively prepared by the experienced Chinese Sous Chef, Chef H’ng Weng Kiang and his dedicated team, at Flavours@3 at the Light Hotel at Seberang Jaya, Penang. The promotion would run throughout March until May 2016 on every Sundays. The price is at RM48+ (adult) and RM29+ (child). It’s recommended to make prior reservation to avoid disappointments to indulge in the freshly made dim sum assortments.

The selection of your freshly made dim sum would be simple as you have an impressive selection of more than 15 mid-high range a la carte items to order from.

Just tick on the provided order chit then hand over to the waiters and you are on the way to feast on the dim sum buffet.

Here are some of the options from steamed buns, steamed dim sum to fried dim sum:

While waiting for your orders to be prepared by the kitchen, you can indulge in other delicacies from their main, action stalls and desserts sections.

Overall, I quite like the halal dim sum, especially the deep fried items as they were prepared fresh from the kitchen upon request. Moreover, the condiments served were far from the norm where you would get only the basic commercialized chili sauce. The concoction of their own made chili sauce may look dull on colors but was remarkably appetizing with some hints of chopped garlic and sweet potato sauce (thnee cheong/甜麵醬). Please also take note that there would be charges levied on every 100g of wastage.

You can check out more of their promotions at Spice Brasserie, Flavour@3, Garden Bar and Lumino Lounge below:

The Light Hotel is located along Lebuh Tenggiri 2 at Seberang Jaya, Penang. Upon entering the main entrance of the hotel, just drive around to find your parking space at the front of the premises. Walk into the lobby of the hotel and head straight towards the furthest end and you will see some elevators. Flavour@3 is located at Level 3 of the hotel. Go up to Level 3 and you can see the eatery just next to the swimming pool.

Name: Flavour@3, The Light Hotel
Address: Lebuh Tenggiri 2, Bandar Seberang Jaya, 13700 Seberang Jaya, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-382 1111
Business Hours: 7.30am-11.00am (Breakfast), 12.00pm-2.30pm (Set Lunch), 7.00pm – 10.30pm (Set Dinner)
GPS: 5.394646, 100.397951

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

The Lone Pine Hotel at Batu Ferringhi, Penang, has provided wonderful buffet spreads for decades, even during my childhood days. For those who had missed those great years indulging in their luxurious lines of great delicacies, you could check out their coming Chinese New Year promotions under the skillful charge of the newly appointed Executive Chef, Chef Henry Ang Chye Hoe. The promotions would be available only on 8 and 9 February 2016. The Prosperity Buffet Lunch (12.30pm-3.30pm) is priced at RM98nett (adult) and RM49nett (child aged 6-12) and the Prosperity Buffet Dinner (7.00pm-10.30pm) is priced at RM168nett (adult) and RM88nett (child). Buffet Dinner diners would get free flow of wine, beer and refreshing beverages while those Buffet Lunch diners can also get the same privilege by topping up another RM60nett per person. For reservations and more information, contact +604-886 8566 or email to fb.coordinator@lonepinehotel.com.

Here are summary of the promotions. You can also order Ala Carte Yee Sang from 5-15 February 2016 as shown in the poster below.

To start off, we had a fun time tossing the Salmon Yee Sang which resembled the face of a monkey, the Chinese zodiac for 2016.

You can also visit the Salad, Soup, Bread, Fried Items & Cold Dishes Sections for Iceberg Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, Radicchio, Frisee Lollo Rossa, Mixed Salad with Assorted Dressings and Condiments, Pineapple Salad, Calamari Salad, Kerabu Chicken Salad, Glass Noodle Salad, Tuna Nicoise Salad, Japanese Baby Octopus Salad, Popiah, DIY Kuih Pie Tee with Crab Meat, Seafood Pumpkin Soup, Assorted Bread, Chicken Lobak, Calamari Ring, Spring Roll, Money Bag, Prawn Cracker, Assorted Sushi & Sashimi, Fresh Seafood and more.

As for the Hot Dishes Section, you can expect a mix & match of Chinese & Nyonya cuisine such as Chicken Curry Kapitan, Deep Fried Red Lion Fish with Spicy Sauce, Braised Duck with Vegetables, Deep Fried Golden Prawns, Yam & Dried Shrimps Fried Rice Wrapped with Lotus Leaf, Braised Mixed Mushrooms with Sea Moss and Dried Oyster in Bean Curd Skin and more.

The Action Counter and Grill Sections could be quite interesting as could expect some of their signature dishes such as Roasted Duck, BBQ Chicken Wings, Lamb Char Siew, Chicken Char Siew, Lamb Chops, Chicken Satay, Chicken Sausages, Grilled Salmon Steaks, Tiger Prawns, Scallops, Mussels and more.

The Dessert Section would be filled with some specially concocted goodies such as Mandarin Orange Tarts, Cream Caramel Pudding, Warm Chocolate Pudding and an assortment of Chinese New Year festive cookies, Ice Cream and more.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the buffet spread especially the roasted meat section where the kitchen had put in some fusion ideas into the dishes of yesteryears. You might have tasted Chicken Char Siew elsewhere but the idea of Lamb Char Siew was something way out from the world.

The Bungalow @ Lone Pine Hotel is located at the beach front of the hotel. After passing Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa on your right, you would reach a cross junction with traffic lights. After the traffic lights slow down, keep to your right and you would a small sign leading to Lone Pine Hotel just right after the Golden Sands Resort. Find a parking space within and just walk into the entrance of the hotel. You would see the Batubar on your right. Just keep to your right walk until the end where you can see the entrance to a bungalow. You won’t miss the restaurant.

Name: The Bungalow @ Lone Pine Hotel
Address: 97 Batu Ferringhi, 11100Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-886 8686
Business Hours: 12.30pm until 3.30pm (lunch), 7.00pm until 10.30pm (dinner)
GPS: 5.476144, 100.250041

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Lone Pine Hotel: Lone Pine Hotel is the first hotel along Penang’s picturesque Batu Ferringhi coastline and since 1948 and is known to this day for its unpretentious accommodation and genuine hospitality. It was given a new lease of life after undergoing extensive refurbishment and expansion in 2009/2010. It reopened in 2010 with an additional 40 rooms (bringing the total to 90) and an upgraded swimming pool, wellness spa, shop and gym, business centre and meeting rooms. Guests, especially loyal long time followers of Lone Pine, were relieved to see that the hotel has not lost its quintessential charm and character, including its signature casuarina trees and lawn. The successful refurbishment and expansion of Lone Pine was recognised by the architect fraternity when it won the PAM Gold Award (commercial category) at the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) bi-annual awards for architectural design excellence. Lone Pine’s recent accolades include the TripAdvisor® Top 10 Boutique Beach Resorts in the World 2011, Top 25 Trendiest Hotels in Malaysia (TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice® 2012) and TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence for the fifth consecutive year from 2011 till 2015

The E&O Group: The E&O Group (Eastern & Oriental Berhad) is a listed company on Bursa Malaysia that has established a reputation as the premier lifestyle property developer of exclusive addresses for the discerning. In Kuala Lumpur, E&O’s landmark properties include The Mews, St Mary Residences, Dua Residency, Idamansara and Seventy Damansara, all located in the most prime and prestigious neighborhoods of the capital city. In Penang, Seri Tanjung Pinang is the island’s first masterplanned seafront development that is now a highly sought-after and thriving community to locals as well as expatriates from over 20 nationalities. In Johor’s southern development corridor of Iskandar Malaysia, E&O has embarked on Avira, a 207-acre wellness-themed development within Medini that has easy accessibility to the Second Link connection to Singapore. In its expansion overseas, E&O’s international foray into real estate investment and development is focused within prime locations in London, including Princes House along Kingsway, ESCA House in Bayswater, and a commercial property in Hammersmith. E&O’s leading position as a lifestyle developer is anchored by its niche in luxury hospitality derived from its namesake, the iconic Eastern & Oriental Hotel, a cherished heritage landmark in George Town established in 1885. Along the popular beachfront, Lone Pine Hotel stands as the only boutique resort on Batu Ferringhi and the Group has further leveraged on its experience and expertise in hospitality management with the opening of E&O Residences serviced apartments in Kuala Lumpur.

Sarkies @ E&O Hotel (Eastern & Oriental Hotel) would be promoting their Gong Xi Fa Chai Buffet Dinner 2016 from 7.00pm until 10.30pm on 7-13 February 2016. Priced at RM133.30nett (adult) and RM60.95nett (child from 6-12 years old), diners would get to savor a mix and match of both international and local cuisines. For adults, free flow of wines and beers would be available with an additional RM66nett per pax. Of course, on top of the great selections of salads, sushi, sashimi, grills, roasts, mains, local fares, desserts and more as you would expect from their festive promotion, you would be getting some specially prepared Chinese cuisine to mood up the auspicious occasion.

To start of the Chinese New Year with symbolic greetings of abundance, prosperity, vigor, good luck and more, Prosperity Yee Sang would also be available at the buffet spread. For 6 pax and above, you could request for a specially prepared set for your table upon booking. Baby abalones would be available too as an add-on but would be charged separately.

Special highlight for the buffet would be the Sea Treasures Seafood Soup. One sip and you would know that it had gone through many hours of simmering to get such a good broth. The whole concoction was filled with generous amount of sea cucumbers, fish maws and crab meat.

The next dish to savor would be their Individual Steamed Herbal Soup. For herbal soup lovers, you should not miss out this soup as it was really delicious and filled with nutrients.

Ever since I tried the Steamed Fish with Nyonya Sauce some time back, I still could not forget that complex and yet distinctive flavors from the dish. It could be real addictive too. Obviously the concoction of blended lemongrass, chilies, ginger flower, sugar, salt, pepper with a light squeeze of fish sauce and lime juice indeed made the dish real appetizing.

We also tried out their Sautéed Seasonal Vegetables with Two Treasure Mushrooms. It was just a simple dish. If only they could add in some deep fried wet bean curd sheet (Tao Bor), then it would add in a new dimension to the flavor of the oyster sauce.

The Wok Fried Prawns with Oat and Butter had everyone yearning for more as it was filled with the fragrance from the butter with the crisp from the oats.

Who could resist the Signature E&O Roasted Duck? If you have yet to try this dish before, you would be in a lost. The chef sure knows well about his product as the duck meat was always tender plus its aromatic and fragrant skin would always be my favorite.

The Lotus Rice with Chicken Meat and Mushroom was nicely pepped up with flavors, especially from the unique flavor emitted by the steamed lotus leaves. However, it would be great if some Chinese sausage be added in for that special taste and texture, the halal version of course.

The Braised Chicken in Soy Sauce with Black Mushrooms was something quite common in any household. I don’t mind if the kitchen pepped up the flavors more with some usages of ginger and sesame oil. The dish tends to be a bit flat to my liking.

For desserts, other than the usual vast varieties of delightful sweet temptations, you would get more treats such as Red Bean Soup with Glutinous Rice Ball and Chinese Pancake.

Overall, I like Sarkies @ E&O Hotel as it has lots of options for international and local cuisine. With their signature dishes and more add-ons for this coming Chinese New Year 2016, I can assure that it would be a great venue to celebrate the auspicious Red Fire Monkey year with family and friends.

Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang (next to Penang Bowl) is located along Lebuh Farquhar. If you are coming from Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah towards Weld Quay, keep to your left immediately after passing by CitiBank. When you see the Penang Bowl building on your left (UMW Toyota opposite), please slow down. Turn left immediately after the Penang Bowl entrance. The E&O Hotel car park is situated just inside the Victory Annexe building. Parking charges would be a maximum of RM6 (weekdays: Monday-Thursday) and RM12 (weekends: Friday- Sunday)

Name: SARKIES @ EASTERN & ORIENTAL HOTEL
Address: 10 Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-222 2000
Business Hours: 7.00pm until 10.30pm
GPS: 5.423624, 100.334988

RATING:
Ambience: 8.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8.5/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Of all the Delicious Group eateries, only Delicious @ St. Mary Place serves buffet breakfast as early as 7.00am until 10.30am daily. Basically, the breakfast caters to the needs of the occupants at St. Mary Residences and the guests at E&O Residences. It would be at RM37.50/pax for walk-ins as well.

The selections could quite international with spreads ranging from noodles soup, porridge with condiments, egg of your choice, grilled sausages, juices, cereal, waffles with sauce, grilled tomatoes with cheese, hash brown, baked beans, sauteed mushrooms, fried noodles, nasi lemak with condiments, various bread with spreads, croissants, Danish pastries, muffins, yoghurt and fresh fruit cuts.

Here are some of items I had tried out during my stay at E&O Residences earlier this month.

Overall, for the price paid, I would consider the spreads to be quite adequate for my breakfast. However, it would be great if the eatery could serve at least one salad dish to cater to those who are healthy conscious.

Delicious @ St. Mary Place is located right outside the St. Mary Residences and E&O Residences along Jalan Tengah (off Jalan Sultan Ismail). If you are driving from Imbi towards KL Ciry Park via Jalan Sultan Ismail, slow down as you reach Wisma Genting. Do watch out for a small hidden lane on your left. Turn left into Jalan Tengah and you would see Delicious @ St. Mary Place on your right just after the entrance to the residences. If you are unsure, just key in the GPS (3.151752, 101.707942) into your WAZE app and you should have no problem at all to find the venue.

Name: DELICIOUS @ ST. MARY PLACE
Address: G-7 & G-8 Tower A, St Mary Place, No. 1, Jalan Tengah, Off Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Contact: +603-2022 1983
Business Hours: 7.00am-9.30pm / 7.00am-10.30am (Breakfast)
GPS: 3.151752, 101.707942

RATING:
Ambience: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 7/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About The Delicious Group: Named after the signature Delicious Cafe, the Delicious Group now consists of nine F&B outlets operating under three separate F&B entities. The six Delicious Cafes are located in prime spots across the Klang Valley (St Mary Place, 1 Utama, Bangsar Village II, Mid Valley, Sunway Pyramid and Setia City Mall), Simplyd (The fast casual café concept has three outlets located in Nu Sentral Mall, The Curve and Avenue K) as well as a strong catering division for all types of events, weddings and parties. The Delicious Group is 100% owned by the Eastern & Oriental Group.

December is the month of many celebrations with Christmas just weeks from now and New Year being just around the corner. The newly reopened Café Laurel @ Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang won’t be left out from all the thrills of celebrating the festive occasions with spreads of goodies to pamper its guests and diners. You can call in +604-226 9988 Ext. 2819/2820 to make your reservation today.

Firstly, let’s celebrate with their Reopened Promotions of BUY ONE FREE ONE (Buffet Lunch) and BUY TWO FREE ONE (Buffet Dinner). The promotions are valid until 31 December 2015, excluding festive days. Do check out the poster below.

On the other hand, festive promotions would be as below. For the eve of Christmas and New Year, you would have the BUY ONE FREE ONE (Buffet Lunch) and BUY TWO FREE ONE (Buffet Dinner) promotions, whether of the actual day of Christmas 2015 and New Year 2016, you would get to enjoy their BUY ONE FREE ONE (Buffet Lunch) and BUY THREE FREE ONE (Buffet Dinner). These offers are only applicable for paying adults.

Let’s have a look at their extensive spreads for their International Buffet Dinner on a Sunday night.

At the Salad & Cold Selection Sections, you would expect to savor Thai Chicken Salad, Thai Papaya Salad, Dry Cuttlefish Salad, 8 types of Plain Salad, Assorted Cold Cuts, Seafood on Ice, Smoked Fish, Beef Pastrami and Marinated Baby Octopus.

At the Soup Section, you might get Seafood Tom Yam Soup, Chicken Cream Soup with some Crispy Bread Rolls & Butter.

The eatery has many Action Stalls with delicious dishes such as Sashimi/Sushi with Condiments, Ikan Panggang (Portuguese Style), Char Koay Teow, Roasted Duck, Mix Grill (Jumbo Sausage, Lamb Chop), Pasta Station, Laksa with Condiments and Assorted Dim Sum

Some of the dishes at the Main Dish Section could be real delectable such as Roasted Lamb Leg, Pan Fried Fish in Cream Sauce, Chicken Roll with Thyme Sauce, Stir Fried Prawn, Mix Vegetables, Sambal Ikan Bawal, Gulai Kambing, Mee Goreng Mamak, Rendang Ayam, Paceri Nenas, Nasi Hujan Panas and Steamed White Rice.

For dessert lovers, you could head up to their Dessert Section for some sweet treats such as Assorted Mini French Pastries, Freshly Cut Tropical Fruits, Cream Caramel, Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce, Bread & Butter Pudding, Crème Brulee, Chocolate Mousse, Fruit Cocktail, Ice Cream with Condiments and end your meal with some Coffee & Tea.

Overall, I quite like the spreads especially at the sushi section where all the cuts were extremely fresh and palatable to my liking. However, there are still rooms for improvement especially at some specific action counters where I would at least expect a staff in attendance to cater to the needs of diners.

Café Laurel is located at the right wing of Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang. Upon entering the lobby, just head to the right side and you will see the entrance to the eatery.

Name: CAFÉ LAUREL @ EVERGREEN LAUREL HOTEL PENANG
Address: 53 Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-226 9988 Ext 2819/2820
Business Hours:
Buffet Lunch: 12.00noon-2.30pm (Mondays – Fridays)
Hi-Tea: 12.00noon-3.00pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
International Buffet Dinner: 7.00pm-10.00pm (Sundays – Thursdays)
Seafood & Japanese Buffet Dinner: 6.30pm-10.00pm (Fridays & Saturdays)
GPS: 5.4311774, 100.3180416

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 7.5/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

With the festive seasons of Christmas and New Year just around the corner, Hard Rock Hotel Penang will be having a few promotions to pamper its guests and diners with an extensive spread of delectable dishes under the expertise of the hotel’s kitchen team [From left to right: Rizal bin Hashim (Sous Chef), Abdul Rahim Bin Mohammad (Sous Chef), Mohd Nazir Bin Aziz (Chef De Cuisine), Zulkanai Bin Md Elias (Kitchen Manager) and Wan Mohd Shahrul Bin Wan Mohd Saad (Sous Chef)]. Do enjoy the delightful holiday treats this Christmas & New Year eves at Starz Diner @ Hard Rock Hotel Penang from 6.30pm until 10.30pm. Please call +604-886 8057 or email fb.penang@hardrockhotels.net to book earlier to avoid disappointment.

For both Christmas and New Eve dinners, you would get to indulge in their maki platters (Abuni Salmon Maki, Cheese Maki, Unagi Maki, Rainbow Maki, etc) plus bread and rolls (Grissini, Olive Bread, Multi Grains, Baguette, etc). Their Grissini (breadsticks) were one of the best I’ve tasted.

On the eve of Christmas, Starz Diner will be offering a Christmas Eve Rock ‘n’ Roll Buffet Dinner at RM186nett/pax, inclusive of a complimentary party pack and lucky draw.

Some of the dishes to look out for would be their Prawn Tikka with Mango Melon Salsa, Asparagus with Crab Meat Salad, Shellfish Bisque, Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy & Cranberries Citrus Sauce, Cajun Spice Red Snapper with Shrimp and Mussel Salsa, Miniature Berry Gingerbread Cakes and Chocolate and Cherry Yule Logs.

The highlight of any Christmas meal would be their Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy & Cranberries Citrus Sauce, Glazed Nuts Stuffing, Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables. It was the perfect dish to start off the festive season. Ooo.. I always enjoyed my turkey with their sauces. Those condiments were some of the best ones around.

Their Chocolate & Cherry Yule Logs was one of the good ones around, considering that the cake was moist and fluffy without being too sweet.

Of course, there would be the English Fruit Cake with Glazed Fruits. Sweet as it is, it’s a great dessert to end the dinner over a cup of hot tea.

For those who would fancy a set dinner instead of a buffet dinner may opt for Hard Rock Café Penang’s 4-course Christmas Eve Dinner at RM185nett/pax. The dinner offers a starter – Mini Citrus Salad and a Cream of Lobster and Crab soup. For the choice of mains, the café will be serving a choice of Roasted Five Spiced Lamb Rack, Roasted Turkey Breast and Pan-fried Atlantic Salmon. For dessert, diners will feast on a delicious Strawberry Meringue with Berry Compote and Wild Berry Macadamia Gelato. Dinner would include two selected drinks and a complimentary party pack.

If you are not into set or buffet dinners but wanted something fulfilling to celebrate with a group of family members or friends, you could always try out their December promotion at Pizzeria with Chef Joe’s specially concocted Santarina Turkey Pizza (RM40nett), from 11.30am until 10.30pm daily. This pizza is oven-baked to perfection with grilled turkey breast with mushroom glaze, tomato salsa, spinach and cranberry sauce.

At the Hard Rock Café Penang, satisfy your taste buds with a Holiday Rock Platter, available for 2 persons at RM160nett or 3 persons at RM240nett. Serving until 23 December 2015, this platter is big enough to share and guaranteed to rock your palate. This platter comes with a choice of starter – House Salad or Soup of the Day. For the main course, diners will indulge in a sharing platter consisting of Potato Skins, Onion Rings, BBQ Beef Ribs, Spaghetti with Prawn Paste, Mini Beef Burgers with Satay Sauce, Chicken Wings with Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Ferringhi Ikan Bakar with Portuguese Sauce and Pulled Lamb Sandwich with Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce. Homemade Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream would be served for dessert.

On New Year’s Eve, Starz Diner will be serving a New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner at RM199nett/pax inclusive of a complimentary party pack and lucky draw.

Some of the highlights to look out for are the Homemade Salmon Gravlax and Marinated Prawn with Condiments, Chilled Shooters (pumpkin, beetroot, green pea & basil tomato), Roasted Chicken served glazed baby carrot and citrus tapenade, Coffee Crusted Beef Fillet with Pumpkin Puree and Shallots Gravy, Mix Berries Financier with Mascarpone Cream and Mango Crème Brûlée.

On top of that, there’ll be two more promotions for New Year Eve at Pizzeria and Hard Rock Café. Pizzeria’s New Year’s Eve Seafood Buffet Dinner at RM199nett/pax which would include a variety of Cold Platters, Chilled Seafood, Salad, Antipasto, Cheese Platters, Soups, Hot Dishes, BBQ Seafood, Pasta & Carving Station, Pizzas and Desserts. The promotion would also include a complimentary party pack and lucky draw. On the other hand, Hard Rock Café Penang will be offering a 4-course New Year’s Eve Dinner at RM195nett/pax. The Starter would include a Mini Chicken Chop Salad, Creamy Leek and Fennel plus Potato Soup. The options for the Main Courses would be either a choice of Grilled Marinated Angus Strip Loin & Pacific Scallop, Baked Sesame Cod Fish & Grilled Sambal King Prawn or Oven Baked Lamb Rack & Tandoori Salmon. Diners would be served a delightful Tiramisu Mascarpone Mousse with Pistachio Biscotti and Coffee Gelato to end the meal.

Overall, the specially crafted dishes were palatable for all who love to savor some traditional as well as fusion items during these coming festive seasons. Of course, the Roasted Turkey and Stuffing would be the main highlight during this Christmas promotion and that Coffee Crusted Beef Fillet with Pumpkin Puree & Shallot Gravy would be something new to savor during this New Year Eve.

The Starz Diner is located at the left wing of Hard Rock Hotel Penang. Upon entering, just head to the left side and you will see a little glass door leading to the eatery.

Name: STARZ DINER @ HARD ROCK HOTEL PENANG
Address: Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-881 1711
Business Hours: 6.30am-11.00am, 5.30pm-11.00pm
GPS: 5.467568, 100.241382

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

RESERVATIONS:

Starz Diner/Pizzeria: Call +604-886 6057 or email fb.penang@hardrockhotels.net.
Hard Rock Café Penang: Call +604-886 8050 or email hrc.admin@hardrockhotels.net.
More information: Hard Rock Hotel Penang’s F&B Promotions

Hard Rock International:
With a total of 204 venues in 64 countries, including 157 cafes, 22 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include San Juan, Lagos and Gran Canaria, Spain. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Daytona Beach, Dubai, Los Cabos, Tenerife, Abu Dhabi, and Shenzhen and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

Buon appetito~ Let’s enjoy some great Italian cuisine with the newly launched Viva Italiano Promotion at the Garden Cafe @ Golden Sands Resort, Penang. The promotion is available from 7.00pm until 10.00pm on every Wednesdays until the end of October 2015. Priced at RM78nett (Adult) and RM39nett (child from 6-11 years old), diners would get to savor the best of what the Italians could offer in their culinary spreads. Do enjoy the serenading music from the resident house band.

To start off the meal, let’s dip into their Appetizer & Fresh Salad Bar. You would expect to get at least six kinds of imported and local fresh vegetables with their house dressing/vinaigrette and condiments such as French, Italian, Tartar, Thousands Island, Herbs Vinaigrette, Paw-paw Dressing, Garlic Crouton, Gherkin, Black and Stuffed Olive, Jalapeno Pepper, Red Pimentos, Onion Rings, lemon Wedges and Silver Cocktail Onion. On top of that they do have the Caprese Salad (tomato slices with fresh buffalo milk made mozzarella with drizzle of olive oil and some sprinkles of salt. Where are the sweet basils? :P), Caesar Salad, DIY Bruschetta, Assorted Cold Cut, Poached Half Shell Mussel with Vegetable Emulsion, Grilled Trio Color Pepper with drizzle pesto, Chilly Oil and sprinkle with Parmigiana Italian Pasta salad.

As for Soup, they have two options such as the Minestrone Casalinga and Crème de Pomodoro, served with freshly baked Breads, Rolls, Crisini (bread sticks) with Salted, Unsalted Butter and Margarine. I fell in love with the Crème de Pomodoro as it had the sweetness of all the added carrots, celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes with a light hint of oregano and sour cream. Instead of having it with bread rolls or crisini, I had some garlic croutons on the soup and it was heavenly delicious. As for the Minestrone Casalinga, I found it to be a bit lack in flavors compared to my home cooked Russian Borsche Soup. I would think bay leaves did play a high role in pepping up the flavors of tomato based soup which the Minestrone Casalinga had none.

Moving towards the Hot Items Section, we had the Risi e Bisi (Rice & Peas), Pasticio (Layered Pasta with Tomato Sauce), Milanese Style Osso Bocco, Baked Pesto Chicken, Pan Fried Fish with Dill Cream Sauce, Potatoes Gnocchi with Green Peas served with Cream Sauce, Grilled Lamb Cutlet with Thyme Garlic Gravy, Sautéed Broccoli and Carrot and Grilled Prawn with Parmigiana Paprika Cream Sauce. The Risi e Bisi was practically buttered risotto with boiled peas. It went well with the juicy and yet tenderly prepared Milanese Style Osso Bosso beef chunks. Basically, everything on the hot item spread had its own unique flavors with the Potatoes Gnocchi with Green Peas served with Cream Sauce as my all-time favorite. Somehow, the texture of the gnocchi had that chewy yet flavorful potato sweetness that got me quite addicted to the dish.

As for the Carving Section, the highlight of the night was their Roasted Beef with Caramelize Onion Brown Sauce. Everything was just perfect as the beef had just the right texture and was not overly done. At the Heating Element Section, they were serving Fristo Misto Di Mare. Every culture has its own unique fried items and the kitchen did really well by serving the Deep Fried Calamari and Deep Fried Prawns at their freshest state. I simply love the crisp on the well marinated seafood.

They also do have a Pasta Stall serving a variety of pasta such as vegetable fusilli, penne and spaghetti plus various condiments. As for the sauce, you would have options such as Napolitana, Carbonara, Bolognese and Marinara. Amongst the 4 sauces, my recommendation would be the Bolognese sauce as it has more texture and bites from the minced meat. However, I wondered why they have the “boil & dress the sauce” version unlike most restaurants as it was too “instant” to my liking. It’s advisable to request for the pan-stir version which would thicken up the sauce and make the pasta dish more palatable.

To wind up the meal, we had our sweet indulgence in their Dessert Section with mostly cakes. Those that we had on the evening included Assorted Tropical Fresh Fruits, Strawberry Pudding, Apple Pie, Morello Cherry Cake, Panna Cotta, Orange Zesty Cake, Fruits & Nut Cake, Orange Cream Caramel, Tiramisu, Peach Cobbler, Creme de Menthe Cake, Warm Chocolate Pudding and more. It was indeed a dessert paradise for many sweet-tooth diners. However, to my personal preference, I would have expected the pastry chef to come out with more unique Italian pastries rather than just having lots of “quite standard” types of cakes. The only dessert that stood out to be rather Italian was their Tiramisu Cake. Though lacked the authenticity of having the delish with savoiardi (lad fingers), it was still a delicious mascarpone cream based dessert. I was actually looking forward to a good mix and match of Italian pastries and cakes that stood out from other buffet spreads but not many were present. The pastry chef should look into producing more pastry items such as cannoli, brioche, cream horns, eclairs, appolini and more to give the diners more options into Italian pastry treats.

Overall, I quite like the concept of having a themed buffet dinner once weekly as you would not get bored with the spreads if you were to be an in-house guest. At the same time, it would give the kitchen ample time to plan and pep up more goodies. I would say their first introduction to the Italian dishes for the night to be quite impressive, considering that the kitchen staff took the effort to ascertain that the dishes served were at their freshest state.

Do check out the hotel’s other promotions by clicking the poster below for a clearer view.

The restaurant is just located within the premises of Golden Sands Resort. Drive all the way up towards Batu Ferringhi. When you see the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa on your right, slow down and watch out for the Golden Sands Resort entrance which is right after the Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa. Park your car at the ample car park there and walk into the main lobby of the resort. Head towards the left side of the lobby and you would see the Garden Café there.

Name: GARDEN CAFE @ GOLDEN SANDS RESORT
Address: Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-886 1911 (Direct Restaurant Line)
Business Hours: 7.00pm-10.00pm (Ala Carte: 6.30am-11.00pm)
GPS: 5.477405, 100.251657

RATING:
Ambience: 9/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and/or manages 90 hotels under the Shangri-La brand with a room inventory of over 37,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, Canada, mainland China, Fiji, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. The group has a substantial development pipeline with upcoming projects in mainland China, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. For more information and reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com.

For those who are into Vietnamese cuisine but have no opportunity to travel out to the country at the moment to experience the authentic gastronomic adventures, you can now visit Nada Lama @ Hotel Equatorial, Penang, to savor their “Lively Vietnam” Buffet Promotion. For a short and limited period of 18-24 August 2015, 6.30pm until 10.00pm, you can now try out the most diverse healthy gastronomies in the world with its lively, fresh flavors and artfully composed meals under the expertise of Chef Tran Kim Hoang Trong and his team. The buffet is priced at RM148nett (adult) and RM74nett (child) with different menus on a rotation basis.

Let’s jump into the simple and yet enchantingly sophisticated cuisine, starting from the Salads, Starters and Soup Sections. You would find spreads such as the Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls with Beef Slices, Duck with Cabbages & Banana Blossom Salad, Watercress with Beef Salad, Steamed Rice Cake with Dried Shrimps, Green Papaya Salad with Prawns, Pea Sprouts with Tuna Salad and Salted Vegetables with Chicken Soup. Wow! It was an impressive spread of dishes that caught my attention. Practically everything here suited my palate real well. However, I should think that the kitchen had forgotten to sprinkle the rice cakes with dried shrimps~ LOL~ 😛

As for the Hot Buffet Section, you would get to try out their Vietnamese Style Stewed Beef, Vietnamese Stewed Chicken in Ginger, Stir Fried Angle Beans in Hot Garlic Sauce, Wok Fried Squid in Sweet & Sour Sauce, Deep Fried Eel in Tamarind Sauce, Fish Paste Stuffed Fried Tofu in Tomato Sauce, Stewed Prawns in Caramelized Fish Sauce, Grilled Duck Legs with Red Fermented Bean Curd, Stewed Red Snapper with Black Beans, served with White Rice and Chicken & Egg Fried Rice. I immediately fell in love with the Vietnamese Style Stewed Beef as each bite of the juicy and tender meat was pepped up with simple and yet flavorful texture. The Fish Paste Stuffed Fried Tofu in Tomato Sauce may look simple but each of the silky soft deep fried tofu with smooth fish paste was remarkably addictive. On the other hand, the Stewed Red Snapper with Black Beans complemented real well with the Chicken & Egg Fried Rice. Thumbs up!

At the Live Cooking Sections, you would get to savor their Chicken & Dried Bamboo Glass Noodles and Skillet Fried Beef with Rice Noodles. Somehow the soup base for the noodles had some hidden added herbs infused in it, somewhat like the flavor of ginseng but milder. The whole concoction was delicious. I was totally impressed by how the Vietnamese team marinated the beef slices unlike those I have tried elsewhere which were rather bland. With the combination of rice noodles, fresh greens and some pickled carrots, it was indeed a comfort dish. The only thing was that I had wished to have some added fried chili flakes in oil to spice up the dish a bit more. Now I’m yearning for more of the Bún Bò Xào~ 😛

We also had our mouth sweetened up at their Dessert Section. You get to savor their Baked Cassava (Tapioca) Cake, Jelly & Pomegranate Seeds in Sweet Syrup, Green Beans & Seaweed in Syrup, Mung Beans in Coconut Milk and Stewed Lotus Seeds with White Fungus.

On top of all the robustly flavored dishes, there were also some sections for those international spreads such as the DIY Salad Section, the Fruit Cuts & Fruit Cocktail Section and the International/Local Dessert Section.

Overall, I would say this was one of the best buffets I have had on Vietnemase cuisine for a super long time. At least you could taste the authentic flavors of Vietnam with their imported fresh greens and herbs. Thanks to Chef Tran Kim Hoang Trong and his team for taking their efforts in looking into such details. Vietnamese cuisine would contain lots of fresh greens, beef and duck, thus some of you might think that the cuisine would not be suitable for you. Well, there are also other spreads of seafood and chicken which would be palatable to most diners. A set of menus will be on rotation basis to enable diners to experience the best of what Vietnam has to offer.

If you are coming from Bayan Baru area towards Jalan Tun Dr Awang, make a right turn into Persiaran Bukit Jambul at the second traffic lights. Drive all the way up the sloppy road until you see INTI International College on your left. Drive about another 150m onwards and turn right into Jalan Bukit Jambul at the first junction you see. You will see the hotel on your left. The easiest way to get there would be by parking your car on the right side of the building as your enter the hotel’s car park. Take the nearest stairway up a level and you will see the restaurant on your left. Nada Lama is just opposite the Kampachi Japanese Restaurant by the pool side.

Name: NADA LAMA @ HOTEL EQUATORIAL
Address: Jalan Bukit Jambul, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-632 7073
Business Hours: 6.30pm-10.00pm
GPS: 5.337122, 100.285308345

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)