CRIZ BON APPETITE

For those who enjoyed the scrumptious English Afternoon Tea or even the Ala Carte Dinner at 1885 @ Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O Hotel), you now have another option which would be the Yesterday’s Classic 3-Course Set Dinner. Available from 7.00pm until 10.30pm daily (except during certain festive dates), you would get to indulge in the best of the best fine dining experience for only RM120nett per pax. There’s nothing better than to relax and be pampered within the comfortable colonial style part of the heritage building.

Here are the dishes available on the Yesterday’s Classic 3-Course Set Dinner Menu.

At 1885 @ E&O Hotel, meals would always start with some lovely and warm dinner rolls, served with their creamy tomato butter, balsamic vinegar in olive oil and butter. The soft yet fluffy textured in-house made dinner rolls would get anyone’s appetite urging for more.

To start the first course, you would have two options, either a salad or a soup.

The salad option would consist of Smoked Magret De Canard (Smoked Duck Breast) served baby gem (little gem/baby romaine lettuce) and shaved red radish, shaved cucumber, cherry tomatoes with aged balsamic vinegar dressing. It was simple yet fulfilling with the generous portion of thick slabs of smoked duck breast.

The Bisque with lobster ragout, chives and cream was something so delicious that I could lick the plate clean if I were allowed to do so~ LOL~ 😛 The nicely stewed and well seasoned lobster meat plus the thick cream, combined with hot serving bisque (roasted shellfish extracted creamy soup) was extremely flavorful. The best part of the bisque was that it was so fresh that there was no trace of any fishy aftertaste. I would like to compliment the chef for a job well done~ 🙂

As for the main, you would also have two options, either fish or beef.

The first option would be the Pan Fried Red Snapper Fillet, served with spring vegetables, squid ink bread slices and shellfish butter. Though being pan fried, the fish fillet still maintained its moisture and combined with the shellfish butter, it was a great dish for fish lovers.

The next option would be Grilled Grass Fed Filet Mignon, served with mousseline potatoes (baked mashed potatoes), baby vegetables and your choice of gravy (shallot glaze or crushed pepper with thyme jus). I had the tender beef fillet done medium-rare (though medium-done was recommended) and served with crushed pepper with thyme jus. The sensation of having the meat melted in the mouth was so divine. Combined with the aromatic herbal and yet fresh peppery taste of the gravy, I really wished I could have a bigger cut. I was at Cloud 9 with the perfect dish.

As for dessert, we had the Berries Summer Pudding “Bavarois” served with wild berries compote. It may look like a blob of chocolate pudding but within lied a bundle of hidden wild berry gems. Combined with the lovely fruity yet mildly sweetened wild berries compote, it was a great dessert to end the meal.

You would also have an option for beverage. You could either choose their Freshly Brewed Coffee or Selection of Gourmet Tea with pralines.

Overall, I like the concept of course set meals as it would be less hassle to think through what to order and faster to get the food served on your table. Moreover, the ingredients used in the Yesterday’s Classic 3-Course Set Dinner Menu were of high quality and flavors. Be it for a date, business appointment or even family gathering, I would highly recommend this venue. It’s indeed a great deal for all.

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). 1885 @ Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O Hotel) is located within the old wing of the hotel just next to Sarkies Corner.

Name: 1885 @ Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O 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: 6/10 (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)

* Published in HungryGoWhere Malaysia Food Guide: THE EASTERN & ORIENTAL HOTEL @ Penang

To celebrate Merdeka month, let’s look at 1885 @ Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O Hotel) that had existed since pre-independence and is still thrilling diners even until today. The Eastern & Oriental Hotel (E&O Hotel) started in the late 1800s when the renowned Armenian Sarkies brothers, Martin and Tigran, settled down in Penang and established the Eastern Hotel in 1884. With its success, they opened another hotel in 1885, the Oriental, on an adjacent piece of land facing the sea. Both combined, these two hotels became the largest hotel in Penang. In 1891, another Sarkies brother, Arshak, joined the business and a large ballroom in 1903. Thus, the E&O became the centre of the social life and gaiety of Penang and its surroundings. In 1922, Arshak secured a large plot of land for the hotel which extended its already impressive sea frontage. The land now housed the magnificent Victory Annexe with more rooms, making the property larger with 842-foot seafront, the longest of any hotel in the world.

Today, E&O Hotel still treasures its heritage by retaining its charm and weathered the passage of time with character and grace. Hence, they do have a posh yet affordable eatery named 1885, serving Traditional Afternoon Tea daily at RM56++ per pax. You will get the experience of having tea time snacks with nice crockery tea set and silverware just like how it was during the colonial days. The custom of having afternoon tea was the creation of Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, one of HM Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting, in the late 1700s. The experience was so delightful that it became the tradition of every English household, especially the upper echelon of the English Society.

For each 1885 Traditional Afternoon Tea set, you would have the option to choose the tea of your choice from 16 types of tea, namely Assam Mokalbarie, Morgentau, Vanilla Roibosh, Raspberry Royal and more. There will be sugar cubes and fresh milk to tweak to your liking.

Each set will also come with a selection of Finger Sandwiches, Cakes & Tea Pastries and Scones. As for Finger Sandwiches, you would get Smoked Beef Brisket on Village Bread, Cucumber with Sour Cream on Marble Toast, Cheesy Sausage Roll, Smoked Salmon on Poppy Seed Roll, Egg Mayonnaise on Mini Croissant, Marinated Chicken with Horseradish Cream in Mini Vol Au Vent and Marinated Tuna Flakes on Whole Meal Loaf. As for Cakes and Tea Pastries, you would expect to see at least 5 types of dessert of the day. For Scones, you would get one each of Plain and Raisins, served with their homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream.

Here’s a glimpse of what you would expect for two persons. The shot for the two sets of the tea of your choice is not shown here.

Overall, their Finger Sandwiches were great as all the bread and rolls were made fresh from their own in-house bakery daily. Three of my favourites were the Cucumber with Sour Cream on Marble Toast (a must have item for English Tea Time), Smoked Salmon on Poppy Seed Roll and Egg Mayonnaise on Mini Croissant. As for Cakes and Tea Pastries, their Cheese Cake is a die for – soft, creamy and cheesy with a light hint of citrus lemon zest. As for Scones, whether it’s a plain one or with raisins, they were heavenly the best ones in town, reputable for that too. With a fragrant outer crust and a warm plus fluffy inner, each mouthful with a light spread of their homemade strawberry jam or clotted cream, will leave you yearning for more. These scones are superbly the best.

You can also check out their National Day Hi-Tea at Sarkies @ E&O Hotel on 31 August 2014 from 12.00noon until 2.30pm, priced at RM78++ (adult) and RM39++ (child). The Hi-Tea will also cover most of their signature dishes such as Roasted Duck, Sushi & Sashimi, Char Koay Teow and more.

1885 @ E&O Hotel, Penang | Address: 10 Lebuh Farquhar, 10200, Malaysia. | Tel: 604-222 2000 | Opening hours: 2.00pm-5.00pm (Daily) | GPS Coordinates: 5.423311, 100.335874 | Halal

LATEST MUSICAL SOIREE AT 1885: 15 MARCH 2014

It was a unique dining experience when we were treated with a robust Musical Soiree by three excellent performers which consisted of Zhang Chi (pianist), Teresa Ong (soprano) and Sean Ooi (tenor), during a recent visit to 1885@ E&O Hotel recently. The first segment of an ongoing project, to be held for 5 consecutive months, was the brainchild of loyal hotel residents, Mr. & Mrs. Martin Rutherford, and the Resident Manager of E&O Hotel, Mr. Harold Rainfroy. The performance would be held on the first Thursday of each month. Please check the E&O Hotel Facebook for more information on the coming events. Price is at RM200++ per pax.

Their performances were in 3 sessionss. The first one included Etude Op.15″ (Zhang Chi), “O Holy Night” (Sean Ooi), “Xue Hua” (Teresa Ong), “If You Loved Me” (Sean Ooi) and “Il Ba Cio” (Teresa Ong). The second session included “Liu Yang River” (Chang Zhi), “Nella Fantasia” (Sean Ooi), “E Pur Cosi/ Piangero La Sorte” (Teresa Ong), “Non Ti Scordar Di Me” (Sean Ooi) and “Laughing Song” (Teresa Ong). The finale session had Zhang Chi rendering the “Waltz Op. 64 No.2 & Op. 34 No. 5”, followed by “All I Ask of You” and “The Prayer” (Duet by Sean Ooi & Teresa Ong). The numerous awards winning song “The Prayer” written by the famous songwriter, David Foster, made famous by Canadian singer, Celine Dion and blind Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, has always remained as my personal favorite.

At 1885 @ E&O Hotel, meals would always start with some lovely dinner rolls, served with their creamy butter. The aroma emitted from the freshly bakes combined with the fine soft yet fluffy textures from the in-house made dinner rolls would always be the best starter for any meal.

Our actual fine dining experience kicked off with a palate dinner of awesomely presented Trio Appetizers which consisted of Hokkaido Scallop Tataki served with Citrus Mango Salsa, Foie Gras Terrine with Cinnamon Brioche and Vichyssoise with Norwegian Salmon Tartare. This appetizers came paired with the Hole In The Water Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

The Hokkaido Scallop Tataki served with Citrus Mango Salsa was actually a briefly seared fresh scallop which had firm and creamy texture in each bite. It was served on a fruity yet mildly spiced up citrus mango salsa with bursting omega-3 fatty acid filled salmon roes as garnishing. It was a perfect combination.

Next on the plate was the Foie Gras Terrine with Cinnamon Brioche. The foie gras terrine was one of the best I had tasted as it had added roasted shitake mushroom slices added in to tame the richness in the fatty duck liver. Combined with the light yet fluffy mildly cinnamon pepped up toasted brioche, it was another perfect dish. The appetizer also came with a slice of ripen fig to sweeten up the savory flavors.

Finally the last of the appetizers was the Vichyssoise with Norwegian Salmon Tartare. The cold soup which had a combination of pureed potatoes, leeks, onions, stock and cream was smooth flowing with the complemented Norwegian salmon tartare, topped with some sauteed tomato and a drizzle of spiced olive oil.

After another session of great performances by the trio, we were served with the main course – Pan Seared Chilean Cod Fish & Poached Jumbo Prawn with Chickpea Puree, served with some semi dried tomatoes and some fresh basil sauce. The remarkable light and creamy textures of the thick slab of white fish, pan seared to perfection and the firm texture of the poached jumbo prawn, went well with the mildly butter spiced chickpea puree. With a magical drizzle of some freshly made basil sauce, the whole concoction had unique flavors of the next level. This dish came paired with the Matua Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir. Thumbs up!

The much awaited desserts were presented to us after another session of the performances. Again, these desserts were served in trio such as the Valrhona & Almond Chocolate Cannoli, Chantilly Cinnamon Mango and Bavarois Berry Lava Cake.

It always has been my priority to savor those with a sweeter note first before ending with something with fruitiness with light touch of sourness. I started off with the Bavarois Berry Lava Cake. I would say this dessert was a lava cake made too perfect as it ended up as a brownie without the much expected chocolate oozing out. No doubt it was still a great dessert with a generous amount of ganache topping with some mildly sweetened berry compote.

The Valrhona & Almond Chocolate Cannoli on the other hand would suit chocolate lovers well. You can imagine the contentment of having luxurious French chocolate filled ricotta like cream and topped with some toasted chopped almonds. It was heavenly but I personally feel that it was a bit too much of chocolate items for the day.

I made a wise choice leaving the Chantilly Cinnamon Mango as the last option. The almost light cheesecake texture cake blended in real nice with a fresh piece of mango. It was indeed a refreshing and most palatable dessert of the evening.

The night ended with an astounding finale performance by the trio with diners being served with either a cup of freshly brewed coffee or a selection from their gourmet tea choices.

Overall, it was a great evening of different genre with great food, wine and musical performances. Finally, I would like to thank Eileen Chong, Communications & Public Relations Manager of E&O Hotel, for a great evening.

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 building. Parking charges would be a maximum of RM6 (weekdays: Monday-Thursday) and RM12 (weekends: Friday- Sunday)

Name: 1885 @ 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: 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: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)