CRIZ BON APPETITE

If you are thinking of having a wide spread of dishes for your buffet dinner, why not pay Palms Coffee House at Hydro Hotel Penang a visit? You sure won’t regret as there are so many varieties of sweet and savory dishes for you to choose from Friday to Sunday. As for Friday Fiesta (RM55++), there would be a selected theme each week, namely Little China Town, Country & Western, Al Arabia Affair and Hawaiian Dazzle. You may want to call up 604-890 5999 ext 170 to check out the theme for that day. As for Saturday Special, it would be Saturday BBQ Buffet (RM65++). The Sunday Servings would be Oodles of Noodles at RM28++. Children would get to dine for half the price.

Just to let you have an idea of what we had for the Saturday Buffet Dinner, I’ll show you section by section of the food served. For those who love starters, there was the salad corner with so many items to choose from ranging from just some DIY & ready-made salads, cold cuts, Japanese Sashimi, Oriental deep fried finger food to even our local favorite – the rojak (mixed local fruits and vegetables with shrimp paste). This section was very impressive and healthy indeed.

As for the main buffet line, you would get some buns, soup, vegetables, clams, tofu, spaghetti to fried rice. What? Where those the only items I would get for paying RM65++? Where were the rest of meat, poultry and seafood then? Everyone was stunned! You can find all kinds of cuisines at Miami restaurants too.

Unknowingly, some surprises awaited us by the pool side. A wide variety of well marinated meat, poultry and seafood were waiting for our orders to be grilled by the skillful staff of the hotel. There were chicken and beef satay, lamb, beef, chicken, prawns, stingrays, dory fish fillet, squids, flower crabs, mussels, chili stuffed Indian mackerel (ikan cincalok), mackerel (ikan kembung) and sausages available for us to choose from.

For sweet tooth lovers, the dessert section would be heaven. There were endless rows of delightful bites ranging from local delicacies, tarts, cakes, jelly, mousse, pudding, ice cream and fruit cuts. The whole section was simply colorful and delicious!

We were also lucky to be in the same venue as our local Ferrari Club members on that night. Everyone was drooling over the cars… err… and whoever in them. Now I have a problem choosing which car/human model. 😛

By the way, the 4-stars Hydro Hotel Penang has some great suites if you intend to spend your vacation here. The sea facing suites sure give you a nice view of the horizon overseeing the Andaman Sea. Dawn and dusk sceneries can be quite beautiful for couples and families. You can always check up http://hydrohotelpenang.com/ for more information on the rooms and rates.

Anyway, you can also get more discounts on food and lodging if you purchase the Friends of Hydro membership card. It’s only RM10 each. You would get 30% off the total food bill (buffet or ala carte), 15% off non alcoholic drinks and 50% off published room rates or 10% off best available rate, whichever is lower. Do also check out their other promotions too.

It won’t be hard to locate the Palms Coffee House as it’s just within the premises of Hydro Hotel Penang. Drive all the way from Jalan Tanjung Tokong towards Batu Ferringhi/Teluk Bahang. When you see Mar Vista Resort on your left, you would be going into a hilly road. Immediately after the hilly stretch, you would see the Hydro Hotel Penang signboard on your left. Just turn left into the road and you would see the hotel on your right. You sure won’t miss it as there’s only one pedestrian bridge from the hotel leading to Miami Beach front.

Name: PALMS COFFEE HOUSE @ HYDRO HOTEL PENANG
Address: Miami Beach, Batu Ferringhi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-890 5999
Opening Hours: 6.30pm – 11.00pm
GPS: 5.477555, 100.269488

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: 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: 7.5/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)