CRIZ BON APPETITE

Savoring The Best All Over Town…

There are many venues to celebrate Christmas 2019 this year and why not try a new venue as Hompton by the Beach Penang, Penang’s latest shining star along Tanjung Tokong Beach. Gather your family members and friend for a Christmas Eve buffet dinner. There are many options for all ages such as a salad bar of cherry tomatoes, julienne of carrots, capsicum. beetroot slices, red beans, corn kernels, green beans, pinto beans, Kenya beans, alfalfa sprouts, Japanese cucumber, onion rings, Enoki mushrooms, purple cabbage and artichoke. Fresh greens include romaine lettuce, radicchio, lollo rosso, frisee and butter head. Cold dishes include spicy seafood cocktail, baby octopus with white sesame seeds, macaroni salad, tuna apricot tartare on corn nachos, black lump fish caviar and rye bread salmon with guacamole and sour cream topped with chives. Entrée dishes include salmon gravlax, butcher platter on ice comprising of chicken terrine, chicken salami and smoked duck breast, vegetable sticks with guacamole dip, smoked fish platter on ice with a medley of smoked salmon, tuna and smoked mackerel served with a side of horseradish cream, sushi and sashimi platter, assorted sushi platter, fresh salmon tuna, a taco platter and a cheese platter with mixed nuts and dried fruits. The carving station includes roasted turkey and roasted baby lamb with Christmas stuffing of roasted baby potatoes, roasted vegetables (including Brussel sprouts, trust tomatoes, pumpkin and red baby radish). The side sauces include Jus of Turkey, Cranberry sauce, Black Pepper sauce and Mint sauce. The soup section include Aussie Cream Lobster Bisque Soup, Cream of Leek and Potato Soup served with cheese twists, a bread board and whole bread loaves. Main Courses includes corn on cob in milk, oven baked potatoes with herbs, sautéed herbed butter vegetables, grilled salmon steak in fruity glaze, slow cooker Hungarian beef goulash, roasted lamb shoulder with garlic rosemary sauce, cornflakes chicken with mango salsa and firecracker sauce, three-flavored stir-fried prawns, squid ink pasta with chicken Bolognese sauce and herb and raisin buttered rice. Dessert includes tropical fresh fruit platter with preserved plum powder, strawberries, green and red grapes, watermelon, honeydew, papaya, green and red applies, raspberries, blueberries, water guava and jack fruit, assorted marshmallows and dried fruits. There is also hot chocolate pudding, Christmas pudding, Christmas log cake, Christmas spices fruit cakes, tiramisu, assorted Christmas cookies including gingerbread man cookies, New York cheese cake, red velvet cake, candy meringue pie, apple pie with vanilla sauce, fruit tartlets, stollen shortbread, panna cotta, chocolate mousse puff, honeycomb with Christmas farm bread plus coffee and tea.

Let’s Meat Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner
Tuesday, 24 December 2019 at Spice Garden | 7.00pm to 10.30pm
Adult: RM163nett (with free-flow beer and house wine) | RM123nett (buffet only)
Senior Citizen (55 years old and above): RM 123nett (with free-flow beer and house wine) | RM83nett (buffet only)
Children (7 to 12 years old): RM63nett | Children 6 years old and below (free)
Highlights: Early bird offer of 20% discount for the first 100 guests | Christmas carolers | Santa Claus and Santa Rina with gingerbread giveaway | Mr. Howard – The Hompton bear meet-up | Lucky draw

On Christmas Day, you could check out their buffet lunch spreads such as a salad bar of cherry tomatoes, julienne of carrots, capsicum. beetroot slices, red beans, corn kernels, green beans, alfalfa sprouts, Japanese cucumber, onion rings, Enoki mushrooms and purple cabbage. Fresh greens include romaine lettuce, radicchio, lollo rosso, frisee and butter head. Cold dishes include macaroni salad, prawn tartare on corn nachos and black lump fish caviar, rye bread salmon with guacamole and sour cream topped with chives and assorted finger sandwiches. Entrée dishes include butcher platter on ice with a medley of chicken terrine, chicken salami and smoked duck breast, vegetable sticks with guacamole dip, smoked fish platter on ice with smoked salmon, tuna and smoked mackerel served with a side of horseradish cream plus a cheese platter with mixed nuts and dried fruits. The soup station includes Cream of Prawn Bisque Soup, Chicken Herbal Soup served with cheese twists, a bread board and whole bread loaves. The carving station includes roasted turkey with Christmas stuffing of roasted baby potatoes, roasted vegetables (including Brussel sprouts, trust tomatoes, pumpkin and red baby radish). The side sauces include Jus of Turkey, Cranberry sauce, Black Pepper sauce and Mint sauce. There will also be action stations of Hokkien Prawn Noodles, seafood porridge and roasted chicken rice. Another dessert action stall includes waffles with condiments of chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, chocolate chips, rainbow rice sprinkles and raisins. Another dessert action stall is ice kacang plus an ice cream station with assorted marshmallows and dried fruit. Hot dishes will include deep fried potatoes with herbs, grilled tandoori sausages with fruity glaze, ayam masak merah, steamed sui mai/har kao, spaghetti with chicken Bolognese sauce, kaya pancake, grilled mini steaks in pepper sauce, mixed vegetables with Japanese bean curd, fried tom yam bee hoon and herb and raisin buttered rice. Dessert includes tropical fresh fruit platter with preserved plum powder, strawberries, green and red grapes, watermelon, honeydew, papaya, green and red apples, raspberries, blueberries, water guava and jack fruit, assorted marshmallows and dried fruits. There will also be hot chocolate pudding, Christmas pudding, Christmas log cake, Christmas spiced fruit cake, tiramisu in glass, assorted Christmas cookies including gingerbread man cookies, New York cheese cake, red velvet cake, candy meringue pie, apple pie with vanilla sauce, fruit tartlets, stolen shortbread, panna cotta, chocolate mousse puff plus coffee and tea.

Christmas Day Buffet Lunch
Wednesday, 25 December 2019 at Spice Garden | 12.00pm to 4.00pm
Adult: RM138nett (with free-flow beer and house wine) | RM88nett (buffet only)
Senior Citizen (55 years old and above): RM118nett (with free-flow beer and house wine) | RM68nett (buffet only)
Children (7 to 12 years old): RM44nett | Children 6 years old and below (free)
Highlights: Christmas Day Buffet Brunch offers an early bird discount of 15% off which is valid until Thursday, 12 December 2019 | Lucky draw

Get into the festive swing of things with a Christmas turkey takeaway to make your celebration more joyous in the comfort of your own home. The Homemade Roasted Turkey, cooked with tender loving care, would be accompanied with lavish trimmings of chestnut stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, roasted baby potatoes, baby carrots, Brussel sprouts, green and yellow zucchini, mushrooms and vine cherry tomatoes, served with giblet and cranberry sauce. Please contact +604-373 3233 for pre-orders today.

Original Price: RM388nett.
Early Bird Promotion: Order before 12 December 2019 at special price of RM358nett and get a FREE half Kg Yule Log Cake.
Note: The turkey would be available from 12 to 25 December 2019. Please allow pre-order of 5 days ahead.

Spend the last day of 2019 at Hompton by the Beach Penang, Penang’s latest shining star along Tanjung Tokong Beach. Indulge in the many options available such as a salad bar of cherry tomatoes, julienne of carrots, capsicum. beetroot slices, red beans, corn kernels, green beans, pinto beans, Kenya beans, alfalfa sprouts, Japanese cucumber, onion rings, Enoki mushrooms, purple cabbage and artichoke. Fresh greens include romaine lettuce, radicchio, lollo rosso, frisee and butter head. Cold dishes include spicy seafood cocktail, baby octopus with white sesame seeds, macaroni salad, tuna apricot tartare on corn nachos, black lumpfish caviar plus rye bread salmon with guacamole and sour cream topped with chives. Cold dishes include salmon gravlax, butcher platter on ice comprising of chicken terrine, chicken salami and smoked duck breast), vegetable sticks with guacamole dip, smoked fish platter on ice with a medley of smoked salmon, tuna and smoked mackerel served with a side of horseradish cream, sushi and sashimi platter, fresh salmon tuna, a taco platter plus a cheese platter with mixed nuts and dried fruits. The carving station includes roasted baby lamb, roasted lamb shoulder with grilled tomatoes, paprika baby tomatoes and roasted vegetables including Brussel sprouts, trust tomatoes, pumpkin and red baby radish. Accompanying sauces are a variety of flavors including herb, mushroom, black peppercorn and mint. The soup section includes Aussie Cream Lobster Bisque Soup, Cream of Leek and Potato Soup served with cheese twists, a bread board and whole bread loaves. Dessert includes tropical fresh fruit platter with preserved plum powder, strawberries, green and red grapes, watermelon, honeydew, papaya, green and red apples, raspberries, blueberries, water guava and jack fruit, assorted marshmallows and dried fruits. There is also hot chocolate pudding, assorted pudding, spiced fruit cake, tiramisu, New Year cookies, New York cheese cake, red velvet cake, candy meringue pie, apple pie with vanilla sauce, fruit tartlets, panna cotta, chocolate mousse puff, honeycomb with farm bread, ice cream station plus coffee and tea.

New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner
Tuesday, 31 December 2019 at Spice Garden | 7.00pm to 10.30pm
Adult: RM 163nett (with free-flow beer and house wine) | RM 123nett (buffet only)
Senior Citizen (55 years old and above): RM123nett (with free-flow beer and house wine) | RM83nett (buffet only)
Children (7 to 12 years old): RM63nett | Children 6 years old and below (free)
Highlights: Meet up with hotel mascot, Mr. Howard the bear | Lucky draw | The early bird offer is a 20% discount for the first 100 guests

After all the midnight partying in 2019, you could start the first day of the new year 2020 by pampering yourself with more great things in life. Check out all the good spreads at the Hi-Tea buffet line with items such as a salad bar of cherry tomatoes, julienne of carrots, capsicum. beetroot slices, red beans, corn kernels, green beans, Japanese cucumber, onion rings, Enoki mushrooms and purple cabbage. Fresh greens include romaine lettuce, radicchio, lollo rosso, frisee and butter head. The appetizers include Penang pasembur, assorted finger sandwiches, open faced sandwiches, tauhu sumbat, popiah goreng and fruit rojak. Cold dishes include sliced chicken ham, smoked duck breast and chicken salami plus a cheese platter with mixed nuts and dried fruits. Hot dishes include Yong Chow fried rice, Singapore fried bee hoon, squid balls with dried chilli, chicken frankfurters with mushroom sauce, deep fried chicken nuggets, samosas, roasted chicken wings, roti canai with chicken curry, duchess potatoes with chicken juice, fish fingers with tartar sauce, otak-otak rolls and jiu hoo char. There will also be an action stalls of assam laksa, popiah basah, chee cheong fun, chicken rice, stir fried vegetables, roti jala, mini pizza and ice kacang. Dessert includes tropical fresh fruit platter with red and yellow watermelon, honeydew, papaya, pineapple, green and red apples, jack fruit, oranges, assorted French pastries, mini muffins, lemon jelly, strawberry jelly, honeydew pudding, mango pudding, doughnuts, sago gula melaka, taufu fa, egg tart, tiramisu, fruit cocktail with almond bean curd plus coffee and tea.

New Year’s Day Hi Tea
Wednesday, 1 January 2020, Spice Garden | 12.00pm to 4.00pm
Adult: RM118nett (with free flow beer and house wine) | RM68nett (buffet only)
Senior Citizen (55 years old and above): RM98nett (with free flow beer and house wine) | RM48nett (buffet only)
Children (7 to 12 years old): RM34nett | Children 6 years old and below (free)
Highlights: For New Year’s Day Hi Tea, there is an early bird offer of 15% offer which is valid until Thursday, 12 December 2019 | Lucky draw

Usher in 2020 at Penang’s latest hotel along Tanjung Tokong Beach. The party themed “Bienvenidos 2020” will be held outside Elementos Tapas & Lounge. Finger food would be served, which would include items such as chicken wings, sautéed spicy chicken in barbecue and pepper sauce, Cajun spiced fish fingers, mini spring rolls, French fries and chicken lor bak. There will be an open camp fire, complimentary party pack, a meet-up session with Hompton’s mascot, Mr. Howard, a live band until 12:45pm, DJ Rachel will be spinning her music from 11.00pm until to 1.00am. The grand finale would have fireworks to usher in the new year.

Tickets are sold at RM 100nett for VIPs (includes 2 glasses of red or white wine, beer or soft drinks. Adult’s ticket would be RM80nett (includes 2 glasses of red or white wine, beer of soft drinks), senior citizens (55 years old and above) at RM60nett (includes 1 glass of red or white wine, beer or soft drink) and children’s ticket at RM50nett includes 1 glass of soft drink (7 to 12 years old). Children 6 years old and below are free. Call +604-373 3233 for bookings today.

Getting to the hotel might be a bit confusing for tourists. It’s not too hard to locate Hompton by the Beach, Penang as it’s located along the beach of Tanjung Tokong. Just drive all the way from Jalan Tanjung Tokong for around 10 minutes and you would see the Hotel Mercure on your right. Keep to the right of the traffic lights and make a U-Turn, then keep to your left and turn left into Jalan CM Hashim which is after the Penang Chinese Swimming Club and before the Viva Local Heaven Food Court. Elementos Tapas & Lounge is located at Level 1 of the hotel, on the far right end of the hotel’s reception area whereas Spice Garden is located at Level 11 of the hotel.

Name: ELEMENTOS TAPAS & LOUNGE/SPICE GARDEN @ HOMPTON BY THE BEACH PENANG
Address: Level 1, 533 Jalan C M Hashim, Tanjung Tokong, 11200 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-373 3233
Business Hours: 11.30am-12.00am
GPS: 5.463831, 100.305052

About Hompton by the Beach, Penang: The hotel is a contemporary, cosmopolitan, 240-room hotel with 2 restaurant outlets in a pre-opening stage. The hotel is located along pristine Tanjung Tokong Beach, Penang and faces the Andaman Sea. All rooms are located from the 12th to the 32nd floor, giving guests uninterrupted views of the azure sea. The Deluxe Seaview Rooms, The Premium Suites and the Family Two-Bedroom Suites offer a relaxing retreat from the rigors of modern life, making it suitable for business trips and leisure. The highlights of the hotel include the picturesque infinity pool, the fitness center, and steam room. There is a daily complimentary shuttle to KOMTAR, George Town and also to nearby Batu Ferringhi beach. For functions, the Hompton Hall can accommodate up to 100 persons while Home 1 and Home 2 function rooms have a capacity of 50 persons each. Spice Garden is a non-smoking all-day dining outlet open for buffet breakfast, a la carte dining and for weekly buffets. Elementos Tapas & Lounge offers al fresco dining and is the to-go-place for delicious tapas, drinks and feature main courses which represent the five elements – water, fire, wood, metal, and earth. Enjoy cocktails and tapas at the cafe with astounding beach views as backdrops.

 

 

Hompton by the Beach, Penang, has recently rolled out the D’ Seven Seas Afternoon Tea Set at Elementos Tapas & Lounge, located at Level 1 of the hotel. Tea lovers can look forward to this treat from 2.00pm until 6.00pm daily. The D’Seven Seas Afternoon Tea which has a hearty balance between savory and sweet items, is priced at RM70nett, is substantial enough to be shared by two persons.

The afternoon tea set is inspired by the al fresco setting of Elementos Tapas & Lounge and tea connoisseurs can take tea amidst the dramatic backdrop of a pristine beach, briny sea breezes, clear azure skies and tropical sunlight.

The menu includes Brown Bread Salmon Sandwiches, Deep Fried Prawns in Mango & Pineapple Salsa served in a shooter glass, Breaded Fish Finger Skewer, Lemon Meringue in Sweet & Savory Orange Basket, Chocolate Mousse in Sweet & Savory Mini Vanilla Cone and Mini Fruit Tarts on Mille-feuille Custard Slices. Guests can choose from either tea or coffee. There are 4 types of tea selections, namely soothing lavender, fragrant rosebuds, astringent Guan Yin tea for weight watchers or calming chrysanthemum tea. There are also 4 choices of coffee beverages, namely Latte, Americano, Cappuccino, Espresso Single or Espresso Double. Guests can add an extra pot of tea or coffee for an additional RM8nett respectively.

Getting to the hotel might be a bit confusing for tourists. It’s not too hard to locate Hompton by the Beach, Penang as it’s located along the beach of Tanjung Tokong. Just drive all the way from Jalan Tanjung Tokong for around 10 minutes and you would see the Hotel Mercure on your right. Keep to the right of the traffic lights and make a U-Turn, then keep to your left and turn left into Jalan CM Hashim which is after the Penang Chinese Swimming Club and before the Viva Local Heaven Food Court. Elementos Tapas & Lounge is located at Level 1 of the hotel, on the far right end of the hotel’s reception area.

Name: ELEMENTOS TAPAS & LOUNGE @ HOMPTON BY THE BEACH PENANG
Address: Level 1, 533 Jalan C M Hashim, Tanjung Tokong, 11200 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-373 3233
Business Hours: 11.30am-12.00am
GPS: 5.463831, 100.305052

About Hompton by the Beach, Penang: The hotel is a contemporary, cosmopolitan, 240-room hotel with 2 restaurant outlets in a pre-opening stage. The hotel is located along pristine Tanjung Tokong Beach, Penang and faces the Andaman Sea. All rooms are located from the 12th to the 32nd floor, giving guests uninterrupted views of the azure sea. The Deluxe Seaview Rooms, The Premium Suites and the Family Two-Bedroom Suites offer a relaxing retreat from the rigors of modern life, making it suitable for business trips and leisure. The highlights of the hotel include the picturesque infinity pool, the fitness center, and steam room. There is a daily complimentary shuttle to KOMTAR, George Town and also to nearby Batu Ferringhi beach. For functions, the Hompton Hall can accommodate up to 100 persons while Home 1 and Home 2 function rooms have a capacity of 50 persons each. Spice Garden is a non-smoking all-day dining outlet open for buffet breakfast, a la carte dining and for weekly buffets. Elementos Tapas & Lounge offers al fresco dining and is the to-go-place for delicious tapas, drinks and feature main courses which represent the five elements – water, fire, wood, metal, and earth. Enjoy cocktails and tapas at the cafe with astounding beach views as backdrops.

 

Jazz Feast Restaurant at Jazz Hotel Penang has recently unveiled its latest promotion – Jazzy Sunday Brunch Buffet, a specially curated buffet spread filled with the very best of local and international cuisines. The promotion would be exclusively available on every Sundays from 12.00noon to 2.30pm. It’s priced at RM68nett (adult) and RM48nett (Senior Citizen: 65 years & above/Child: 4-11 years). Child below the age of 3 is entitled to dine for free. Terms and conditions apply. Prior reservations are advised to avoid any disappointment. For any inquiry or reservation, please contact +60 4 375 3333.

From hot and cold appetizers to local favorites such as assorted crackers like Papadom, Keropok Ikan, Keropok Udang and Keropok Sayur will bring back memories of a simpler time. Of course, they would be the section for cold-cuts and salads for those health-conscious diners.

As for main dishes, do expect eight chafing dishes of Western, Malay and Oriental hot dishes to such as Fish Curry with Okra, Mussels in Spicy Tomato Coulis Gravy, Beef Stroganoff and more.

The Live Action Kitchen aka Jazz Kitchen is one place you should head to for more favorites such as Satay, Roti Jala & Murtabak Ayam with sides of Chicken Curry and Pickled Onion, not forgetting the well-loved Pasta Station featuring the 4 different types of pasta and sauce. There’s also the Auto Sham stall within the kitchen to serve you with Chinese classics such as Steamed Dim Sum and Pao. The main highlight would be their addictive bowl of Nyonya Lemak Laksa, a recipe perfected over generations courtesy of their Executive Chef.

To end your meal with some sweet desserts, there are many available such as the Penang Famous Teow Chew Cendol, Ais Kacang, Assorted Nyonya Kuih, four types of ice cream with condiments and an assorted of jelly in a cup, along with an assortment of cakes and mixed tropical fruits.

Jazz Hotel Penang is located along Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang, a stone’s throw away from the opposite Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang. Though you could reach the hotel by turning right from Jalan Tanjung Tokong at the Tesco’s traffic lights and by making a U-turn in front of Straits Quay Marina Mall, it advisable to turn right at the Island Plaza traffic lights and follow the flow until you reach the hotel entrance on your left. There are ample parking spaces in front of the hotel as well as within the premises. Just walk into the hotel lobby and head on to the hotel’s elevator and press for level 2, where the restaurant is situated. More parking lots are available at Level 3-6A&7 near the Jazz Suites entrance on the left of the building. Parking rate is RM3 for the first 2 hours and RM2 for each subsequent hour.

Name: JAZZ FEAST RESTAURANT @ JAZZ HOTEL PENANG
Address: No. 1, Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-375 3333
GPS: 5.458091, 100.309252
Business Hours: 6.30am-11.00pm

RATING:
Ambience: 9/10 (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: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Jazz Hotel Penang: Ideally located in a residential suburb, Jazz Hotel Penang is a leisure stroll to Straits Quay and marina, whilst family attractions, shopping, and dining at Gurney Drive’s famous street food are just minutes away. Stay pampered, in one of the luxurious 255 rooms and suites in the 30 stories hotel; optimized for the tech-savvy traveler with a free secure high-speed internet connection and 24-hour security. Experience New Orleans style soul-food @ Jazz Feast, bursting with the flavors of Southern comfort recipes and the ultimate must-eat Penang food. Savor Japanese cuisine @ Kitano, a unique taste of subtle fresh clean flavors and delicate texture. Celebrate smooth jazz, blues, swing, and ragtime @ String & Sax, a perfect jump-starts for the fitness-enthusiast, prioritize morning ‘me-time’ with gym and a dip in the infinity pool against a backdrop sea view on the highest floor. Where there is Jazz, there is Life. Jazz is Life!

 

Jazz Feast Restaurant at Jazz Hotel Penang has recently launched its “Jazzy Gump Seafood Buffet Dinner”, a unique and exciting seafood themed buffet dinner with a touch of New Orleans inspired delicacies.

The buffet dinner is only on every Saturday from 7.00pm until 10.00pm, with a price tag of RM108nett (with free flow alcohol) and RM88nett (without alcohol) for adult, while it’s priced at RM68 for senior citizen (65 years old & above) and child (4-11 years old). Child below the age of 3 are entitled for a free dine in. Terms and conditions apply. Prior reservations are recommended to avoid disappointment. For enquiries/reservations, please contact +604-375 3333.

Basically, diners are pampered with great options from Appetizers (with lots of salad choices), Soup, Cold Cuts on the Mirror, Hot Dishes, Live Action Stalls (Chinese, Malay & Western), Carving Trolley as well as Desserts. The main meat highlights would surely be the Auto Sham stall featuring Roasted Marinated Sirloin accompanied with roasted root vegetables & baked potatoes, Roasted Chicken and Duck with various dipping sauces. Other than that, you should check out their variety of sashimi, Japanese unagi, seafood in pails and more. As for the Live Action Counter, “Panggang-panggang dalam Daun Pisang” aka Banana Leaves Wrapped Grill has many choices of seafood and vegetables in their homemade spices. The Hot Dishes section would also offer many international and local dishes such as Roasted Chicken with Percik Sauce, Lamb Chop with Chimichurri Sauce, Grilled Marinated Prawns with Garlic Paprika and Salsa, Seafood Pot Pie, Baked Fish with Capers Butter Sauce, Chili Crab with Deep Fried Mantao, Paella Rice and more. There’s definitely something for everyone.

As for Desserts, you would have a mix and match of local and foreign delicacies with the additional of assorted mix tropical fruits, such as Penang Famous Ais Kacang & Teow Chew Cendol, Sago Gula Melaka, Assorted Mix Tropical Fruits, Baked Cheese Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Matcha Green Tea Cake, 2 Types of Jellies in a Cup, Creme Brulee, Profiterole, Bread and Butter Pudding and 4 Types of Ice Cream with Condiments.

For those who had ordered the package with alcohol at RM108nett per pax, you have additional free-flow access to the alcoholic drinks other than everything else available during the buffet dinner.

Jazz Hotel Penang is located along Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang, a stone’s throw away from the opposite Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang. Though you could reach the hotel by turning right from Jalan Tanjung Tokong at the Tesco’s traffic lights and by making a U-turn in front of Straits Quay Marina Mall, it advisable to turn right at the Island Plaza traffic lights and follow the flow until you reach the hotel entrance on your left. There are ample parking spaces in front of the hotel as well as within the premises. Just walk into the hotel lobby and head on to the hotel’s elevator and press for level 2, where the restaurant is situated. More parking lots are available at Level 3-6A&7 near the Jazz Suites entrance on the left of the building. Parking rate is RM3 for the first 2 hours and RM2 for each subsequent hour.

Name: JAZZ FEAST COFFEE HOUSE @ JAZZ HOTEL PENANG
Address: No. 1, Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-375 3333
GPS: 5.458091, 100.309252
Business Hours: 6.30am-11.00pm

RATING:
Ambience: 9/10 (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: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

About Jazz Hotel Penang: Ideally located in a residential suburb, Jazz Hotel Penang is a leisure stroll to Straits Quay and marina, whilst family attractions, shopping, and dining at Gurney Drive’s famous street food are just minutes away. Stay pampered, in one of the luxurious 255 rooms and suites in the 30 stories hotel; optimized for the tech-savvy traveler with free secure high-speed internet connection and 24-hour security. Experience New Orleans style soul-food @ Jazz Feast, bursting with the flavors of Southern comfort recipes and the ultimate must-eat Penang food. Savor Japanese cuisine @ Kitano, a unique taste of subtle fresh clean flavors and delicate texture. Celebrate smooth jazz, blues, swing, and ragtime @ String & Sax. A perfect jump-start for the fitness-enthusiast, prioritize morning ‘me-time’ with gym and a dip in the infinity pool against a backdrop sea view on the highest floor. Where there is Jazz, there is Life. Jazz is Life!

 

Sea Queen Restaurant at Straits Quay, Penang, has almost 3 decades of background history in providing the best seafood for your dining needs. Overlooking a splendid seafront, the restaurant pampers its diners with freshly caught seafood in its most authentic and delicious ways. The restaurant can accommodate up to 1800 patrons or 180 tables for both indoor and outdoor events including weddings, annual corporate dinners, anniversaries, birthdays or any private functions. To summarize all, the Event Hall can cater up to 50 tables, the Sea Queen Ballroom can cater up to 70 tables, the Straits Quay Convention Centre (SQCC) can cater up to 180 tables, while the Sea Queen Restaurant can easily accommodate up to 35 tables. Recently, the restaurant has launched its new Hong Kong Style Dim Sum Promotion to pamper its diners more from 7.30am until 2.30pm and from 6.00pm until 10.00pm.

The choices of dim sum can be quite extensive with the availability of a variety of dim sum, either steamed, fried or baked to congee, noodles, vegetables and more, starting from a price as low as RM8, excluding the applicable taxes. You can view the items in the ordering chits as below.

If you are there for your brunch at 11.00am or even during dinner time after 6.00pm, you also order some additional dishes to pamper your friends and family members even more. Some of the recommended dishes would include the Deep Fried Squirrel Fish with Special Sauce (RM150+), Braised Prawns in Special Sauce with Bread (RM100+), Hakka Style Pork Belly with Yam (RM50+), Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Lime Ice Cream (RM8+ each), and more.

You could also check out their Wedding Package below.

It’s easy to locate the restaurant as it’s located within the Straits Quay Marina Mall premises. Drive all the way up Jalan Tanjung Tokong until you see Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang on your right. At the traffic lights, turn right into Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang. Drive all the way until you see the colonial style mall building. Turn into the left of the building and drive straight until the end towards the beach area and you will see the restaurant.

Name: SEA QUEEN RESTAURANT
Address: G3 & 3A, Straits Quay, Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6010-404 0299, +6010-405 0299
Website: www.seaqueen.my
Business Hours: 11.00am-2.30pm/6.00pm-10.30pm (Daily), 11.00am-11.00pm (Public Holidays), Dim Sum: 7.30am-2.30pm, 6.00pm-10.00pm (Daily)
GPS: 5.459273, 100.314161

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: 7/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 7/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

 

At times, we would love to dine out at a restaurant with great ambience and good service, thus Sea Queen Restaurant at Straits Quay, Penang could be the ideal choice with great options for delicious seafood. Overlooking a splendid seafront, the restaurant pampers its diners with freshly caught seafood in its most authentic and delicious ways. Sea Queen Restaurant can accommodate up to 1800 patrons or 180 tables for both indoor and outdoor events including weddings, annual corporate dinners, anniversaries, birthdays or any private functions.

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To start the meal rolling, you could always choose one of their Signature Appetizers which would be the Deep Fried Soft-shelled Crabs with Salad and Mustard Sauce (RM30++). The crispy batter fried soft shelled crabs combined with the wasabi spiced up mayonnaise were heavenly palatable especially when you combine with some of the fresh greens.

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You may also want to try out their many varieties of quality enriched soup but we skipped that and went for their Signature Roasted Chicken in Thai Style (RM30++ for half bird). You may think that it would be just some roasted chicken in some Thai chili sauce but it was more than that. It was a 2-in-1 dish with some nicely roasted chicken with delicious crispy skin served alongside with some spicy Thai salad tossed with some chicken breast meat. It was a killer.

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The main dish for the meal was definitely the Deep Fried Crab with Rock Salt & Spices (market price at RM12/100g – estimated price for this meat crab dish (~600g x 2 crabs) was at RM140++). It was a remarkably prepared dish that caught all of us licking our fingers endlessly to savor any excess flavors~ LOL~ 😛 The size of those crabs and the unique way in the preparation would surely make me go back for more in the future. However, do not be stingy and do request for bigger sizes of crabs as smaller ones won’t be as fulfilling as bigger ones through my experiences dining there a few times.

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As for prawns, their Deep Fried Prawn “Tian Jin” Salad with Crispy Cheese (RM50++/ medium) was something great to indulge in. On top of being super fresh, each bite had the fragrance and flavors from the deep fried cheese crumbles.

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If you are into claypot dishes, their Braised Sliced Pork Belly with Salted Fish (RM20++/small) was a hit amongst us as the flavors were great to go with hot steaming rice.

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For more exotic flavors, you could always order their Braised Venison with Special Sauce in Stone Pot (RM20++/small). The dish was somewhat like the sweet and sour pork but with higher usages of pineapple slices and capsicums. Taste wise, it was fine except that I would have expected more tender venison slices for smoother bites. A light squeeze of grated ginger juice would have done that justice.

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There should always be at least a healthy dish to balance up our meal, thus we ordered a few meatless dishes to go with our meal. Firstly, it was the Braised Bean Curd with Bean Roots (RM12++/small). The dish practically consisted of some slices of deep fried homemade tofu, topped with some bean curd sticks and served with baby bok choy in flavorful gravy. We also tried out their Stir Fried Crispy Vegetables with Almond Flakes (RM15+/small). It was just a basic stir fry vegetables with added lotus roots topped with some deep fried almond flakes. To top up more vegetables, we also had their Stir Fried Angel Luffa with Shimeji Mushrooms and Black Fungus (RM15++/small). Again, it was just another basic vegetables dish, except this dish has additional sweetness from the added wolfberries.

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If you are not planning to have your dishes with steaming rice, you can always opt for other styles of stir fried rice and noodles. One of the recommended ones would be their Sea Queen Special Mixed Fried & Crispy Rice (RM12++/small). It was quite unique as it combined puffy yet crispy deep fried cooked rice, fried until perfection. You can also try out their Stir Fried Hor Fun with Seafood & Egg Sauce (RM12++/small). I quite like this dish as the added eggs were oozy and raw enough to my liking. On top of this, you can also try out their Signature Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli & Glass Noodles (RM12++/small). I loved the “wok hei” aka high heat cooking here as it had that extra burned taste to my liking. Moreover, the combination of rice vermicelli (bee hoon) and glass noodles (tang boon) were flavorful and great for my palate.

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To complete our meal, we had desserts and one of my recommended ones would be their Signature Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Lime (RM5++ each). The dessert was great after a hearty meal of rich food as the sourness from the added lime sorbet surely did clear the excess oiliness in the mouth. It came with some added basil seeds for the extra texture on top of the smooth crystal jelly like lemongrass jelly. If you like a firmer texture of jelly, you can try out their Chilled Osmanthus Jelly (RM5++/6 pieces). The jelly had a significantly distinctive chrysanthemum flavor with added osmanthus petals and wolfberries. You can also try out their Chilled Gui Ling Gao with Longan (RM5++/bowl) served with honey. It had the distinctive herbal bitterness, not something palatable to anyone if they do not like having bitter herbal tea for cooling the body. For me, it was a quality bowl of almost konnyaku jelly like texture which was quite ideal for my body’s well-being as bitterness is one of the qualities beneficial to our body system to eliminate the toxic within.

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Overall, I quite like the spreads in their Ala Carte Menu, especially those fresh seafood items, namely the crabs. Moreover, they do have some unique desserts that would be quite ideal to end any meal either chilled or hot. Compared to many other restaurants of the same category, their pricing could be quite reasonable as they have their own fish farm to cater to their own supplies.

You can check out more on my reviews on their Set Lunch Promotion and Wedding Packages by clicking on the links.

It’s easy to locate the restaurant as it’s located within the Straits Quay Marina Mall premises. Drive all the way up Jalan Tanjung Tokong until you see Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang on your right. At the traffic lights, turn right into Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang. Drive all the way until you see the colonial style mall building. Turn into the left of the building and drive straight until the end towards the beach area and you will see the restaurant. Parking is at RM1 per entry.

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Name: SEA QUEEN RESTAURANT
Address: G3 & 3A, Straits Quay, Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6010-404 0299, +6010-405 0299
Website: www.seaqueen.my
Business Hours: 11.00am-2.30pm/6.00pm-10.30pm (Daily), 11.00am-11.00pm (Public Holidays)
GPS: 5.459273, 100.314161

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: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

 

If you or any of your relatives or friends would want to plan a wedding banquet, fret no more as Sea Queen Restaurant at Straits Quay, Penang, has the exact locations for your memorable occasion at one of the wedding venues, whether it’s indoor or outdoor. Sea Queen Restaurant has been boasted as one of the great wedding venues in Penang with a few venues within Strait Quay Marina Mall to cater to your wedding reception needs. You can have your wedding reception indoor with a capacity of up to 40 tables or you could also combine another 55 tables outdoor together with your garden wedding reception. Do check out with them on other facilities such as a cruise out to the sea on a chartered yacht for a minimal fee of RM500++ (8 pax). If you are looking for a bigger venue, they do have the Level 6 equipped with private kitchen to cater to up to 200 tables. Well, what about guests who required Halal dishes to be served? You’ll be in for a surprise as they have that thought of too as they do have another section at Level 4 which could cater to the Muslim crowds up to 100 tables. If you had a hard time finding a venue for your wedding reception, do check out with them as they are very accommodative to help you solve your worries.

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Before I go into details on one of their wedding packages, let’s have a look at their standard Wedding Menu. There are all together 5 menus (Pearl, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Diamond), ranging from RM488++ until RM1188++ per table. The dishes may look as though they had been fixed but the restaurant does allow some of the items to be changed to suit your needs.

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We did try out their Emerald Wedding Package (RM668++) which came with 9 items instead of the usual 8-dishes package. We started off with the Five Hot & Cold Combination Platter. The platter came with four hot dishes and one cold dish which consisted of Crab & Minced Meat Rolls, Curry Potatoes in Glutinous Rice “Pear”, Ham & Nori Meat Rolls, Stir Fry Mixed Vegetables with Seafood and Chilled Spicy Jelly Fish with Smoked Duck. I quite like the Crab & Minced Meat Rolls and Chilled Spicy Jelly Fish with Smoked Duck. However, the rest of the item on the platter would need some improvements. The Ham & Nori Meat Rolls tasted too “fake” to my liking. I would prefer this item to be replaced with grilled bacon with minced prawns, something simple yet delectable. Steamed stuffed Shitake mushroom in some eggy sauce would also be nice. The Curry Potatoes in Glutinous Rice “Pear” may look unique but texture and bite wise, it was almost dessert-like to my liking. I would prefer the filling to be more savory base with fillings such as minced meat with spring onions/chives for that extra bite.

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Next on the list was the Braised Seafood Soup with Crab Meat. Taste wise, it was proven to be pepped up with rich stock and fresh crab meat. However, I sensed that something was missing from the soup to give it a bit more flavors and texture. I would suggest the kitchen to garnish the soup with some deep fried scallops to justify the quality of the soup.

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The Stewed Chicken with Chinese Herbs Wrapped in Aluminum Foil was somehow too mild for me. It lacked the distinctive herbal flavors as I would have expected. I would think Steamed Stuffed Roasted Chicken or commonly known as 8-Jewels Chicken/Pat Po Chicken would be a better choice as a replacement.

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We were also served with Steamed Snapper with Siamese Sauce. No doubt the fish was extremely fresh but the sauce somehow did not taste Siamese as I would have expected. It tasted more towards Indian curry with a dash of lime juice. I won’t mind having the dish in other Thai-style cooking method such as the Pla Phat Phet, a galangal and coconut milk enriched spicy curry base or even the Pra Nung Ma-Naew, a lemon juice and chopped red chilies based appetizing gravy. Even a simple plum, salted vegetables and tofu way of steaming would do more justice to this fish dish.

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The Pan Fried Sea Prawns was something simple and yet flavorful to my liking. The sauce had just the right aromatic flavors to capture my attention. How I wished I had a plain bowl of rice at that time to savor this delicious dish.

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There was also a common dish you’ll see served in most banquets which was the Trio Mushrooms with Bean Curd Roots & Bean Curd Puff. I did find the dish to be most appropriate to be served after a long list of cholesterol-rich dishes. However, it would be great if the kitchen were to tone down on the rich usage of sauce as we were not dining with plain rice.

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As usual, the last dish prior to dessert would be a starch based dish, namely Steamed Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf. Somehow having rice in replacement for glutinous rice in this dish was not to my palate. It did not bring out the flavors in the generously added ingredients. There are many signature styles of fried rice available in the restaurant and I hope the kitchen would replace this rice dish with something more unique. Maybe the kitchen can think out of the box and come out with something as simple as Pumpkin Fried Rice, Wax Meat Fried Rice, Crab Meat/Seafood Fried Rice, etc.

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The restaurant does have some unique desserts to end the course meals. We ended our meal with Chilled Longan with Syrup and Sweet Fancy Double Delights. The former was something quite common and nothing much to shout about but the latter was something I would love to give them credit for their hard work. We were served with hot mini steamed buns filled with lovely oozy yet buttery custard. On top of that, we were also served a chilled mocha-like dessert filled with fragrant pandan (screwpine) custard. What a great way to end the dinner.

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Overall, the spreads for their Emerald Wedding Package (RM668++) was quite standard in any wedding banquet. There are still rooms for improvements compared to the ala carte dishes I had earlier. Though their pricing could be quite competitive on the market, I would love to see more variance in their dishes compared to other wedding menus out there.

You can check out more on my reviews on their Set Lunch Promotion and Ala Carte Dishes by clicking on the links.

It’s easy to locate the restaurant as it’s located within the Straits Quay Marina Mall premises. Drive all the way up Jalan Tanjung Tokong until you see Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang on your right. At the traffic lights, turn right into Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang. Drive all the way until you see the colonial style mall building. Turn into the left of the building and drive straight until the end towards the beach area and you will see the restaurant. Parking is at RM1 per entry.

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Name: SEA QUEEN RESTAURANT
Address: G3 & 3A, Straits Quay, Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6010-404 0299, +6010-405 0299
Website: www.seaqueen.my
Business Hours: 11.00am-2.30pm/6.00pm-10.30pm (Daily), 11.00am-11.00pm (Public Holidays)
GPS: 5.459273, 100.314161

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7.5/10 (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: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

 

For those who would like to have fuss-free meals in a less crowded place with great ambience and good service, you could consider paying Sea Queen Restaurant at Straits Quay, Penang. Currently, they do provide quick lunch set meals during weekdays (11.00am until 2.30pm, excluding public holidays) at RM7.90++ per set – a bowl of rice with your choice of dish, on top of a complimentary bowl of their home-cooked soup-of-the-day plus free-flow of tea/water. One thing for sure, you won’t get bored as there’s a total combination of 32 options for your lunch, namely 4 meat options (chicken, fish fillet, mantis shrimps & pork), cooked to your preferred style, namely with dried chilies sauce, dried shrimps sauce, spring onions & ginger sauce, sweet & sour sauce, marmite sauce, wheat flakes, lemon sauce or mixed vegetables.

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During one of our visits to Straits Quay Marina Mall, we paid the restaurant a visit and tried out their set lunch. To get a better experience, we ordered chicken with marmite sauce, thus Marmite Chicken. The set came with a bowl of hot steaming rice, some generous amount of chicken slices in sweet based marmite sauce plus some side greens. We were served Pork Tripe Soup for the day and it was quite rich in flavors, especially from pepper corns. Overall, it was one of our preferred choices.

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We also tried out their Fish Fillet in Lemon Sauce. Flavor wise, it was appetizing. However, it would be better if the kitchen were to cook the fish in bigger slices instead of cutting them into strips to maintain the moist within.

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Lastly, we ordered their mantis shrimps in dried shrimp sauce. Locally, we called this dish Kam Heong Mantis Shrimps which has a bit of curry powder, stir fried with dried shrimps and curry leaves. No doubt this was another dish in demand. However, I personally would prefer the batter coated mantis shrimps to be crispier with less sauce. It was a bit overwhelming to go with the rice.

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Overall, I do find the set meals here to be fuss-free and yet affordable. We could resist dining in an air-conditioned restaurant and paying only RM7.90++ for a meal and to be served like a king or a queen? Moreover, there are 32 combinations of set meals you can choose from and the soup provided would be of good quality. Please do take note that the set lunch is only available on weekdays.

You can check out more on my reviews on their Ala Carte Dishes and Wedding Packages by clicking on the links.

It’s easy to locate the restaurant as it’s located within the Straits Quay Marina Mall premises. Drive all the way up Jalan Tanjung Tokong until you see Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang on your right. At the traffic lights, turn right into Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang. Drive all the way until you see the colonial style mall building. Turn into the left of the building and drive straight until the end towards the beach area and you will see the restaurant. Parking is at RM1 per entry.

SEAQUEENMAP photo SEAQUEENMAP_zps09r7nrer.jpg

Name: SEA QUEEN RESTAURANT
Address: G3 & 3A, Straits Quay, Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6010-404 0299, +6010-405 0299
Website: www.seaqueen.my
Business Hours: 11.00am-2.30pm/6.00pm-10.30pm (Daily), 11.00am-11.00pm (Public Holidays)
GPS: 5.459273, 100.314161

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: 7/10 (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)

 

CHRISTMAS 2013 PROMOTIONS AT STARBUCKS® MALAYSIA

Posted by crizlai On November - 10 - 2013

I’m sure I need not have to mention much about Starbucks® in Malaysia as most of you would have known the brand throughout their 15 years of operations in Malaysia. It’s operated by Berjaya Starbucks® Coffee Company Sdn. Bhd., a joint-venture between Starbucks® Coffee International and Berjaya Group Berhad. With over 150 outlets and ‘drive-thru’s throughout Malaysia since their first store opening in Kuala Lumpur on 17 December 1998, Starbucks® promised to bring in more great deals during this Christmas 2013 (Promotion period: 6 November 2013 – 6 January 2014) based on the theme “Create Wonder and Share Joy with Favorite Seasonal Traditions”. We had a fun-filled briefing on the seasonal promotion at Starbucks® Drive-Thru, Tanjung Tokong, Penang recently.

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“Starbucks® Drive-Thru Tanjung Tokong is the most profitable drive-thru outlets amongst all six throughout Malaysia. It’s also the outlet with the most completed merchandises in Penang,” stated Sdyney Quays, Managing Director of Berjaya Starbucks® Coffee Company.

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Amongst the once-a-year favorites would be their freshly brewed Starbucks® Seasonal Favorite Coffees (RM40 for 250g coffee beans pack or RM33 for 12 sachets of ready brew packs), the perfect salute for each season. These are the Starbucks® Christmas Blend (Whole Beans or VIA Ready Brew Christmas Blend), a dark roasted coffee with a blend of lively Latin American coffees and smooth Asia Pacific coffees, including rare, aged Indonesian beans; full bodied, medium acidity with soothing sweet, spicy plus herbal aromas and Starbucks® Christmas Blend Espresso Roast, a darker espresso roast with sweeter and dense flavors to the mellow smoothness of the Asia Pacific beans.

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There are also 3 new flavors of delicious cakes introduced this year. All cakes would be priced at RM10.90/slice. The most notably one would be their Trio Forest, a rich moist chocolate cake, stuffed with juicy caramelized dark cherries, topped with a layer of chocolate ganache and beautifully presented with a generous amount of shaved chocolate flakes. The Mango Tango which had mango slices stuffed between layers of light sponge cake would be ideal to go with the Starbucks® Christmas Blend. The Midori on the other hand was also unique by itself. The trio layered sponge cake had a topping of cream cheese with slathered pistachio dressing.

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Christmas is a time to create wonder and share joy with family and friends over stories, memories and delicious Starbucks® food and beverages. Again this year, Starbucks® is bringing back their Christmas beverages with a bit of twist from last year’s. You can now enjoy their enhanced versions of Toffee Nut Latte, Toffee Nut Frappuccino® blended beverage, Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino® blended beverage and Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino® blended beverage.

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Toffee Nut Latte Frappuccino® is a flavorful holiday beverage. It has the rich, buttery flavor of sweet toffee combined with toasted nuts, blended with their smooth espresso and velvety steamed milk. Topped with whipped cream and toffee-flavored sprinkles, it’s no surprise that this warm, heavenly beverage is sure to put you in the mood for Christmas.

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The Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino® is another great beverage for peppermint lovers. It has a combination of espresso, steamed milk, bittersweet chocolate and peppermint flavor in this seasonal favorite. Topped with classic whipped cream and a light sprinkles of Christmas cane candies, the Peppermint Mocha is brimming with Christmas cheer that is sure to please.

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Back by popular demand, the Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino® is the perfect sweet treat to sip during this season. Starbucks® signature espresso is combined with freshly steamed milk and luscious white chocolate, then topped with whipped cream, a tart cranberry drizzle and crystallized cranberry sugar.

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Another gifting option or even as collectible items would definitely be the Starbucks® Card. This year, Starbucks® had added another new card design named “Merry Christmas”. You would have the options to choose from the 3 distinctive designs, namely “Merry Christmas”, “Snowman” and “Christmas Tree”. Do grab either one of the limited edition designs or maybe all if you are into collecting them. Each card required a minimum activation fee of RM30.

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Also available this year would be their limited edition Starbucks® Planner 2014 which has a special compartment to store your iPad. Priced at RM159 each, this planner could also be redeemed FOC via certain termed purchases by mode of your Starbucks® Card. The requirement of purchases would be any 3 purchases of the Christmas beverages plus 15 purchases of “Grande sized” beverages. Terms & conditions apply.

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Planning to set the Christmas moods with more giving and sharing? There are more than 60 items at each Starbucks® outlet, ranging from Starbucks® Seasonal Favorite coffees, Starbucks® Card, Starbucks® Planner 2014, Starbucks® soft toys, Starbucks® mugs, Starbucks® tumblers, Starbucks® Christmas ornaments and more for you to choose.

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The most notable one would be the Swarovski crystal studded Starbucks® Christmas ornament priced at RM185.

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Thanks to Starbucks® for the invitation as well as the lovely bring home gifts~ 🙂

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Name: STARBUCKS® DRIVE-THRU @ TANJUNG TOKONG, PENANG
Address: 4-G, Jalan Pantai Molek, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-890 6008
Business Hours: 6.30am-1.00am (Sun-Thurs), 24 hours (Fri & Sat)
Website: http://www.starbucks.com.my/
GPS: 5.446571, 100.305556

 

When you speak about BBQ on the table, the first thing that would come into your mind would most probably be the Bulgogi, the Korean style BBQ, the Asian style of BBQ Steamboat or maybe the Thai’s Mookata, BBQ Steamboat. How about the Japanese style of grilling meat called Yakiniku? What about a fusion between the Japanese and Korean style of BBQ? Would you love to try on that? For the last decade plus, Kannichikan Yakiniku Restaurant (KNK) has been providing this Japanese styled Korean BBQ concept to the Malaysians starting with its first branch in Penang as far back as August 2000 (more branches are stated below). They are the first to my knowledge to have imported Kuroge Wagyu (Japanese Black) and did the choice cuts themselves as well as providing those diners with acquired taste the options to savor the best of beef “spare parts” such as bowels, intestines, tongues, fardels/multipliers (omasum) and pillar tripes.

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I had the privilege to be invited not long ago to try out some of the dishes available at the pioneer branch located along the main road of Jalan Tanjung Tokong, Penang. This outlet’s kitchen is managed by a young, energetic and jovial chef named Chef Shelvin Tan Hock Pin, who had years of experience working for the husband and wife owners.

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KNK do provide some of the best meat cuts such as beef, pork, chicken and seafood for your grilling pleasures. Of course the best cuts would still be the Kuroge Wagyu Rosu (Blackmore Full Blood Wagyu Ribeye – RM108++). This high priced wagyu beef is known for its marbling characteristics and quality with a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. The grilled meat would flavorful by itself and just melts in your mouth.

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Another option would be the Wagyu Bara (Premium Wagyu Short Ribs – RM59++). The cuts were mildly marinated with the chef’s secret recipe. Though tender and juicy, you can’t compare the texture and bite with the former as they were of the top quality.

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Tokuzyo Rosu (Wagyu Ribeye – RM39++) would also be available for your selection. Same as the above, it was mildly marinated to bring out the best in its flavors.

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Other non-beef options would be the Buta (Pork – RM23++) and the Tori Momo (Chicken Thigh Meat – RM19++). Both the meat cuts came in two different marinates. One would be a simple marinate of sesame oil, salt and pepper while the other one would be with a special combination of sesame oil, chili flakes, sesame seeds, miso with a light touch of apple juice.

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KNK uses a Japan imported type of biomass briquettes which would sustain high heat for an hour plus and yet produce minimal sparks and little ash, though giving the meat some mild smoky flavors. These briquettes would be filled in a Shichirin, a Japanese barbecue grill with a custom made “netted” brazier that has been preheated at the right temperature to prevent meat from sticking on it. Just a reminder here to diners who have no experience in BBQ techniques. Please be informed that turning or poking at the meat too often would flare up the charcoal, thus making the meat scorched easily.

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For those who would love to have a try on the Yakiniku, there’s always the KNK Set for Two Pax (RM119++). The cuts given would include Zyo Tan (Prime Beef Tongue), Karubi (Bone-in Prime Short Ribs), Zyo Rosu (Prime Ribeye), Zyo Bara (Prime Short Rib), Harami (Skirt Flank), Kimuchi Moriawase (Kimchi Mix) and Chisya (Lettuce).

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Other than just items for grilling, KNK also do provide other precooked dishes such as the Butter Yaki Hotate & Salmon (Butter BBQ Scallop & Salmon – RM35++).

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For those who prefer some rice dishes, there’s always the Ishiyaki Bibinba (Stone Bowl Rice with Korean Vegetables – RM20++). This is the Japanese version of the Korean’s Bibimbap. There would be some Japanese steamed rice in a hot stone bowl topped with minced chicken, raw egg, spinach, shitake, bean sprouts, carrot, radish and gobo roots (Arctium lappa roots/burdock roots/牛蒡) which has great medicinal properties as blood purifier.

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For spicy lovers, Karubi Kubba (Spicy Short Ribs Soup with Rice – RM17++) would also be available. You can practically taste the rich stock flavors with a tad of spiciness. Each bowl would come with rice topped with a spicy soup base which consisted of squids, beef, shitake, spinach, bean sprouts, carrot and radish.

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For a lighter palate, you could order their Wakame Sarada (Seaweed Salad – RM12++). It has a light touch of wasabi dressing just mild enough for anyone.

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Lastly, I simply love how KNK prepared their Chichimi (Korean Chives Pan Cake – RM18++). It was not as starchy as I had tried elsewhere and with a nice crisp bite. It has basically egg, flour, chopped onions and chives in it. The dish went well with the condiment which has a slight sourness with a touch of fragrant sweetness from the added soy sauce and sesame oil.

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Overall, Kannichikan Yakiniku Restaurant has the right flavors for the BBQ items. Simplicity is always the best for tasting the original flavors from the chosen meat. Moreover, not many restaurants in Malaysia have the options for so many “spare parts” for grilling and KNK group of branches are the sole restaurants with such availabilities. Speaking of condiments, KNK is also the expert in providing their homemade sauce paired with the right choice of meat.

Kannichikan Yakiniku Restaurant has been in Penang since August 2000. Although it’s visible along the main road of Jalan Tanjung Tokong, it tends to be missed by many locals and visitors as it’s located on the 1st floor of Desa Tanjung. If you are coming up from Pulau Tikus/Bagan Jermal/Gurney Drive into Jalan Tanjung Tokong, drive on until you have reached the second traffic lights (Precinct 10 and Island Plaza will be on your right). At the traffic lights, turn right into Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang (leading to Straits Quay). Immediately turn right, keep slow and turn left into the service road. That’s where Desa Tanjung is. Find a parking space and walk up 1st floor and you would see the restaurant there. Parking can be quite scare during certain peak period of the day. It’s advisable to park your car at the Island Plaza car park and walk over to the restaurant.

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Name: KANNICHIKAN YAKINIKU RESTAURANT @ DESA TANJUNG
Address: 125-N&O, 1st Floor, Desa Tanjung, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-899 8208
Business Hours: 12.00 noon-2.30pm (Lunch), 6.00pm-10.30pm (Dinner) (Closed Tuesday)
GPS: 5.451526, 100.305993

Branches:
KNK Bay Avenue
D-25-1, Lorong Bayan Indah 2, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-641 2410

KNK Desa Sri Hartamas
42, Jalan 28/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Contact: 603-2300 8829

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (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: 7/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

 

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