CRIZ BON APPETITE

Have you tried the Olive’s Ramadhan Buffet at Sukkah Coffee House @ Olive Tree Hotel, Penang, during the holy month of breaking fast? The buffet has an array of appetizing yet authentic Malay and Middle Eastern dishes coupled with other international selections. The promotion would be from 6 June 2016 until 5 July 2016 from 6.30pm to 10.00pm. It’s priced at RM98+ (adult) and RM50+ (child), where diners could enjoy the delicious iftar dishes until their hearts’ contents. For reservation and enquiries, please contact Sukkah Coffee House at +604-637 7856 to make prior booking to avoid any disappointment.

The Appetizers and Salads would include Individual Salad (Chicken Salad, Pasta Salad, Seafood Salad & Mushroom Salad), Gado-gado with Peanut Sauce, Ulam-ulaman with Sambal Belacan, Sambal Cincaluk, Sambal Mempelam, Sambal Udang Kering, Sambal Kelapa, Jelatah, Tau Kua, Acar Buah, Acar Rampai, Sambal Ikan Bilis, Ikan Masin, Telur Masin, Jeruk-jeruk, Keropok Lekor, Keropok Ikan, Keropok Udang, Papadum, Ketupat, Lemang with Serunding Ayam, Serunding Daging, Serunding Udang, Hummus, Babaganoush and Tabouleh.

There would also be a section for Seafood on Ice which would consist of Shrimps, Snow Crab Legs and Fresh Oysters. For seafood lovers, these would be just some basics but it would still be enough to fill up your appetite.

For Hot Dishes, you would expect to have dishes such as Sayur Campur, Kobis Goreng Kunyit, Ekor Lembu Masak Merah, Kambing Kerutuk Pantai Timur, Ayam Masak Madu, Burung Unta Goreng dengan Halia, Kari Kepala Ikan, Sotong Goreng, Udang Karang Berlada, Otak-Otak, Tandoori Wrap, Koay Teow Goreng, Nasi Hujan Panas and Nasi Puspa Wangi. For a change, it was great to have tried out their garlic stir fried ostrich meat (Burung Unta Goreng dengan Halia) which was indeed juicy and tender. The aromatic toasted and sambal fried dried cuttlefish (Sotong Goreng) was also another great dish to savor especially with fragrantly steamed rice.

From the Action Stalls, some of the items would include Beef & Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, Beef & Chicken Tandoori, Roti Prata with Dhal Curry, Murtabak with Pickled Onion, Pasembur with Condiments, Roasted Lamb, Sheesh Kebab (Mutton & Chicken), Sup Kambing, Koay Teow Soup with Condiments and Bubur Lambuk with Condiments. From my dining experiences savoring all the buffets amongst the hotels, Sukkah Coffee House indeed served the best Chicken Satay with big chunks of well marinated and juicy skews of grilled meat, just with the right flavors to my liking. Surprisingly, these delicious skews were skillet-grilled until perfection.

For Desserts and Beverages, you would get items such as Ice Cream Potong, Crushed Ice & Tutti Fruiti with Condiments, Leng Chee Kang, Buah Kurma Madu, Local Seasonal Whole Fruits, Assorted Fruit Platter, Assorted French Pastries, Whole Cakes, Cream Caramel Pudding, Cream Brulee, Bubur Kacang, Linzer Torte, Durian Crepe, Fruit Pavlova, Local Kuih-Muih and beverages such as Air Bandung, Soya Milk with Cincau, Mata Kucing, Young Coconut, Teh Tarik and Kopi Tarik. We did try out their Apple Crumble and it was heavenly with just the right amount of added grounded cinnamon and sweetness to my personal liking. Moreover, the fresh pods made Vanilla Sauce had just the right creamily and consistency to boost up the flavors of the lovely dessert.

Overall, the spreads for the Olive’s Ramadhan Buffet was up to its standard with some dishes outshone many other buffets out there. However, there are still rooms for improvements especially at the dessert section where the jellies were rather “plain” without much uniqueness to my personal liking. They could have come out with some crystal jellies, puddings, etc rather than having some large servings of konnyaku jellies.

More Ramadhan Mubarak Deal below:

The Sukkah Coffee House @ Olive Tree Hotel Penang is located just opposite the Subterranean Penang International Conference & Exhibition Centre (SPICE – formerly known as PISA aka Penang International Sports Arena) along Jalan Mahsuri. If you are coming from Bukit Jambul via Jalan Tun Dr. Awang towards the Penang International Airport (PIA), turn left into Jalan Mahsuri at the traffic lights immediately after you have passed the SPICE. Keep right and drive up until the traffic lights and make a U-Turn. You can see the hotel on your left. Park your car and use the elevator or escalator to Level 2 and you can see the Sukkah Coffee House there.

Name: SUKKAH COFFEE HOUSE @ OLIVE TREE HOTEL PENANG
Address: 76, Jalan Mahsuri, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-637 7856
Business Hours:
Breakfast: 6.00am-10.30am
Lunch (Monday to Friday): 12.00noon-2.30pm
Lunch (Saturday & Sunday): 12.00noon-3.00pm
Dinner: 6.30pm-11.00pm
GPS: 5.327101, 100.279070

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: 8/10 (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)

About Olive Tree Hotel: Nestled along the industrial and corporate corridors of Penang, the Olive Tree Hotel is a Green Building Index (GBI) compliant hotel that boasts easy access to major landmarks and hosts a convenient and conducive environment for business and leisure travelers alike. A 25-storey statement of well profound architecture and hospitality with a choice of 228 rooms and 24 suites, guests can expect not only a functional space that is sure to give the utmost comfort, but also a memorable experience. The Olive Tree Hotel Penang is also built to cater to meetings, conventions, banquets and weddings. It houses a Grand Ballroom with a mezzanine gallery that that can comfortably accommodate up to 720 people and 7 function rooms with various dimensions for various events.

The Lemongrass Restaurant @ Hotel Neo+ Penang by Aston is currently having its Sajian Selera Nusantara Ramadan Buffet Dinner from 9 June 2016 until 3 July 2016 during the holy month. The promotion would be priced at RM55nett (adult) and RM32nett (child) from 7.00pm until 10.00pm. Diners would get to savor the many types of kampung-style cuisine with a twist of Indonesian cuisine. The highlight of the buffet dinner would be Chef Faizal’s well marinated roasted whole lamb.

The menus would be on daily rotation basis starting from the Salads and Appetizers Section with items such as Ulam-Ulam Melayu (Tomato,Timun, Petai, Ulam Raja, Daun Selom, Pucuk Paku, Kacang Botol, Terung, Bendi), Kerabu Pucuk Paku, Kerabu Manga Ala Thai, Acar Rampai, Telur Masin, Ikan Masin, Bergedil Ubi, Potato Salad, Sambal Belacan, Sambal Tempoyak, Sambal Budu, Cincaluk,Sambal Mangga, Sambal Kicap, Air Asam, Sambal Bawang. Chips, Pickles and Nuts were also available such as Keropok Ikan, Keropok Udang, Papadam, Keropok Sayur, Jeruk Mangga, Jeruk Papaya, Jeruk Kelubi, Asam Boi, Kerepek Ubi,Kerepek Pisang,Tempeyek Kacang,Kuih Siput,Maruku,Kacang Hijau Bersalut Tepung, Acar Limau and Jelatah.

As for Soup, they served Indonesia Soto Ayam with Condiments which was a unique combination with a tad of spiciness compared to the ones I’ve tried or even cooked before. The soup had some lemongrass and chili peppers added in which was notably quite Indonesian style.

As for the Main Dishes, we tried out their Nasi Putih, Nasi Goreng Thai, Mee Mamak, Nasi Arab, Gulai Ayam Ubi Kentang, Sotong Masak Kicap, Mutton Varuval, Udang Masak Lemak, Tofu In Egg Sauce, Sayur Goreng Istimewa, Opor Ayam and Sambal Goreng Kentang. Bubur Lambuk with Condiments was also served daily.

At the Action Counter, we had many kinds of grilled items such as Ikan Bakar (Pari, Kembung, Talapia, & Sardine Cicah Bersama Air Asam), Chicken and Beef Satay with Condiments, Otak-Otak Ala Johor plus Penang Laksa with Condiments.

On the other hand, the Carvery Station had Roasted Whole Lamb, served with black pepper and mint sauce.

For Desserts & Fruits, you could always try out their ABC (Ais Batu Campur) and Cendol with shaved ice and assorted syrup plus condiments, Bubur Kacang Hijau, Bubur Cha Cha, Kuih Keria, Lepat Ubi, Kuih Seri Muka, Kuih Ketayap, Kuih Lapis, Crème Brulee, Black Forest Cake, White Lady Cake, Dates, Jelly & Puddings (Honeydew, Mango & Coconut), Pisang Goreng, Keledek Goreng, Ice Cream (at least 3 types) and Assorted Sliced Fruits.

As for Beverages, they have Teh Tarik, Laici Asam Boi, Air Soya, Air Cincau, Air Chrysanthemum Tea and Coffee.

Here’s the menu of what was served on that day.

Overall, the dishes served here had a rather home cooked style with lovely traditional grills and condiments. Some of the dishes indeed had some different Indonesian flavors in them.

The Lemongrass Restaurant is located at Level 2 of the hotel. As you enter the hotel, walk towards the left side of the building and go a floor above and you can see the entrance to the restaurant.

Name: LEMONGRASS RESTAURANT @ HOTEL NEO+ PENANG BY ASTON
Address: 68 Jalan Gurdwara, 10300 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-255 1000 (Ext. 1103)
Business Hours: 7.00pm-10.00pm
GPS: 5.479097, 100.254663

RATING:
Ambience: 7.5/10 (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: 7/10 (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 Hotel NEO: Hotel NEO+ Penang features 196 guest rooms and suites decorated in a modern-contemporary style that befits the new trends in hotel design. With uncluttered open spaces, the atmosphere is at once stylish and relaxed, topped off with twenty-first century conveniences such as complimentary high-speed WiFi, LED TVs and home entertainment systems. The new NEO concept aims to open doors to a world of wellbeing and sensual satisfaction. Designed in a stylish and contemporary style befitting the latest trends in hotel design, NEO Hotels offer uncluttered open spaces for an atmosphere of relaxation and tranquility within these chic yet reasonably priced new-build hotels and resorts. The brand has been described as “hip and new,” with aesthetics reminiscent of cutting-edge fashion designs. Customer Focus Groups have credited Archipelago International for “bringing sexy back”, thus hailing NEO Hotels as a brand fit for savvy young travelers and Generation Y parents alike. Images of NEO Hotels can be found at www.neohotels.com

About Archipelago International: Archipelago International is Indonesia’s largest hotel management chain with a portfolio of over 110 hotels and 15,000 rooms. It also continues to have the fastest growing brands with over 100 properties in the pipeline across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Their 7 core brands include favehotel, NEO, Quest, Harper, Aston, Alana and Kamuela, ranging from ultra-luxurious villas to select-service, economy-class hotels to serviced apartment residences. You can view more at www.archipelagointernational.com

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)

During the holy month of Ramadhan, Spice Brasserie @ The Light Hotel, Seberang Jaya, Penang, would be serving Nostalgia Sajian Desa Ramadhan Buffet Dinner from 8 June 2016 until 3 July 2016 from 7.00pm onwards. The promotion would be priced at RM79+ (adult) and RM48+ (child), while senior citizens would be charged at RM60+/pax. For every 10 full paying adults, one person would get to dine for free. To avoid any disappointment, it’s advised to make your reservations by calling +604-382 1111. You would be entertained by the Rayyan Band with Nasyid, Arab and Malay songs. Muslim guests would also have access to their specially assigned prayer rooms to perform their Maghrib and Ishak prayers as well as tarawi hand. On top of that, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), 1500 tubs of bubur lambuk would be distributed to the public.

During the promotion, Spice Brasserie, a fully Halal restaurant, would be having 7 menus on rotation basis. Each menu would comprise of salads, appetizers, main courses (at least 11 types), 2 types of soup with assorted breads & rolls, traditional bubur lambuk, 6 live stalls. At the Roast & Grill Station, you would get to indulge in the many carvery items, deep-fried items, pastas and noodles. At Chinese and Western Stations, there would be more dishes satisfy your palate.

To start off, you might want to have some kurma (dates) and glasses of air bandung or bandung smoothie, especially during such humid weather. A must have bubur lambuk along side sup ayam berempah mutiara are lined up to tease the taste buds. Then head on to the appetizer section where there’s an array of salads, kerabu, dates, jeruk, ikan masin, pasembur, taukua sumbat with peanut sauce and cold cuts as well as crunchy keropok.

You would expect to savor main courses such as nasi briyani, nasi kerabu, nasi kacang, gulai gading nangka muda, sambal tumis udang petai, rendang daging tok, Indian style fish curry, sotong sumbat pulut, chicken shawarma, kambing vindalo, Nyonya style fried fish, ayam ros, lamb kebab, telur itik masak lemak, butter prawns, roasted lamb leg, beef and more. These are just some of the signature dishes you would get to try out during the promotion.

For dessert lovers, there would be many different types of irresistible Ramadan desserts and fruits known nationwide to pamper you. Do try out the Teh Tarik as it was one of the best I had around.

Overall, I like the Ramadhan Buffet as they have many traditional and new dishes that brought back many fond memories of my childhood days. Some of the items which were packed with flavors to my personal liking were the nasi briyani with grilled lamb rack, rendang daging tok, Sri Lanka spring rolls, sambal tumis petai, labu masak daun manis lemak and more.

You can check out more of their promotions 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 you can see Spice Brasserie on your left.

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)
Ramadhan Buffet: 7.00pm-10.00pm (8 June – 3 July 2016)
GPS: 5.394646, 100.397951

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)

About The Light Hotel: The Light Hotel is wholly owned and managed by The Light Hotel (M) Sdn Bhd. It is located in a fast developing industrial area of Seberang Jaya, Penang. The 5 star Hotel offers a luxury resort-style experience with a total of 303 rooms of 6 different categories. The Light Grand Ballroom, 9 meeting rooms, Spice Brassiere, Flavour@3 and Lumino Lounge are refined food and beverage outlets that cater for in-door and Al fresco style dining. The beautiful outdoor landscaped swimming pool, gymnasium, sauna room, spa are namely some of the facilities on the 3 floors, whereas kiddies club and wedding show room are located on the Mezzanine floor. The Light Hotel represents the perfect combination of luxurious destination of Delightful Mix of Business and Comfort for a truly unique experience. Visit www.thelighthotelpg.com

Swez Brasserie @ Eastin Hotel, Penang, would be having its Ramadhan Peninsula’s Delectable Buffet Dinner 2016 from 7 June until 5 July 2015 (7.00pm-10.00pm). Diners would get to experience various dishes from the different states of the peninsula. The price would be at RM110nett/pax (Adult/Senior Citizens 60 years old and above will get 50% off). Selected cardholders would be charged RM90nett/pax while early birds (pre-booking by 31 May 2016) would be charged RM85nett/pax. Moreover, a convenient surau would also be set up to ease guests to break fast. There would also be a special room package during the holy month for guests to unwind at RM480/night, inclusive of buffet dinner and breakfast for two pax. For restaurant booking, please contact +604-612 1128 or for room booking, please contact +604-612 1111 for more information.

Some of the attractive dishes would include the Kambing Golek Beratur Panjang (Roasted Lamb) served with Nasi Briyani Pak Raj, Kampung Melayu Lambuk (spiced up porridge), Sup “Gearbox”, Lemang (bamboo grilled glutinous rice) & Serunding (meat floss), Rendang Daging Tok, various Kerabu & Salad and more delicacies from the buffet spread and action stall. Check out the slide show below for more photos.

The dessert section this year was quite abundant with many options for local kuih-muih, Raya cookies and Western cakes. Check out the slide show below for more photos.

Overall, the Ramadan Buffet Dinner spreads at Swez Brasserie have always been my favorites as I like the kampong-style and family-oriented dishes options.

The Swez Brasserie is located at the ring wing of Eastin Hotel, Penang (next to Queensbay Mall). If you are coming from Georgetown towards Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone via Bayan Lepas Expressway, do watch out for the Pulau Jerejak signboard (leading to Pulau Jerejak jetty). Ignore the turning and drive on to the next left junction. Turn left into Jalan Aziz Ibrahim and drive on until you a roundabout. Turn 3 o’ clock and drive on until you see a big Eastin Hotel signboard at the first right junction. Turn right and drive on. Park your car at the basement car park. Take a lift to the first floor lobby and you would see the restaurant there.

Name: SWEZ BRASSERIE @ EASTIN HOTEL
Address: 1 Solok Bayan Indah, Queens Bay, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-612 1128, 604-612 1138
Business Hours: 7.00pm-10.00pm (Ramadan Buffet Dinner only)
GPS: 5.33643, 100.306345

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)