CRIZ BON APPETITE

Earlier in 2014, I’ve written an article for HungryGoWhere Malaysia on Hakka Village (客家山寨), Balik Pulau, Penang. It was a height defying experience travelling uphill to an altitude of 300’ above sea level via a jeep. However, they have relocated to another venue on flat ground to enable more visitors (especially those elderly) to try out their home cooked Hakka cuisine. Though booking for their recreational camping, physical strength challenge and group training recreational activities or even holding some private events are still available, special arrangement would be made to cater to their dining needs. The new outlet has been named Hakka Village Branch (客家分寨), located along the main road of Jalan Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau, Penang.

To savor their delicious and home cooked Hakka Cuisine, the price would be at RM38nett (adult) and RM19nett (children) with a minimum order for 2 pax. Reservation is required to enable them to pep up your dishes well on time. Rice and nutmeg juice would be free flow and dishes are refillable. There won’t be a fix menu for the day as you get to eat whatever dishes they have available for the day – with a minimum of 7 dishes plus 1 soup.

Though some of the dishes may vary from day to day, some of their signature dishes would surely be highlighted. Let me brief you through on the dishes we had for the day.

Firstly, there was the Braised Pork with Red Fermented Bean Curd and Wood Ear Fungus (紅腐乳/南乳木耳燜豬肉). If you love the flavors of red fermented bean curd which is quite a norm in Hakka cuisine, you would truly love this dish. Moreover, they used lots of wood ear fungus (black fungus/cloud ear fungus/Auricularia polytricha) which are beneficial to our body system such as improving the blood circulation, lowering cholesterol, anti-viral and more.

Next on the list was the Preserved Sweetened Mustard Greens (Mui Choy) with Pork Belly (梅菜豬肉). Somehow, the kitchen managed to get this dish right with the right balance of sweetness and saltiness. Moreover, the added pork belly slices gave the overall flavors an extra boost with natural oiliness. Ideally, I would prefer to have this dish over porridge than rice, especially during such humid and dry weather~ 🙂

I’m a big fan of taro and when the Hakka Style Steamed Pork Belly with Taro (Kau Yoke- 客家芋頭扣肉) was served, I was all eyes on those nicely steamed taro pieces in red fermented bean curd. However, this dish would come in a set of a thick slap of pork belly meat and a piece of deep fried taro. There were distinctive flavors from the added red dates and Shitake mushrooms in the dish. Just give a bowl or two or three of hot steaming rice and I could just gobble up the whole dish.

We also had the Yellow Wine Chicken (黃酒雞), a simple home style chicken dishes with julienned ginger, wood ear fungus and yellow wine. The mild sweetness from the added yellow wine indeed pepped up the unique flavors in the dish.

The Hakka Stuffed Bean Curd (客家釀豆腐) might look plain with nothing more than some deep fried bean curd cuts with stuffed minced pork. However, sometimes simplicity ruled over complexity in a dish. Those pieces of stuffed bean curds were truly delicious.

For health reasons, I would try to avoid preserved ingredients especially those with high sodium content. However, their Salted Radish (Chai Poh) Omelette (菜莆煎蛋餅) was one dish that caught me clearing up the whole plate~ LOL~ 😛 Somehow, the kitchen managed to soak the salted radish just right to rid the excess saltiness. All there was left was a nice plate of fragrantly fried eggs with crunchy bits from the added salted radish. Thumbs up!

Their Stir Fry Cabbages with Dried Shrimps (包菜炒蝦米) might look simple but it was pepped up with the fragrance and flavors from some added dried shrimps and oyster sauce.

The soup for the day was the Chinese Style Sweet Corn Soup (中式玉蜀黍湯). It was nothing special as I do cook this soup on a regular basis too. However, corns are beneficial to the body system as they contained great antioxidant properties for general wellbeing. So, consuming a bit more of this soup won’t do you any harm.

Penang has been known as one of the top quality producer for nutmeg as well as its by-products. You would be thrilled to be served with free flow of Nutmeg Juice (豆蔻水) here. Instead of the freshly blended ones with added sour plum, you would be served another version which had been slowly simmered in rock sugar.

We were surprised that the boss threw in another bonus dish which was the Hakka Style Sour Braised Pork Trotters (客家豬腳酸). Compared to the old ginger simmered Black Vinegar Pork Trotters, this dish has a unique sourness from added tomato puree plus chopped radish and carrots.

Overall, I would think that these were just some of the basic Hakka dishes they have served during our visit as there are still more delicious dishes not covered in their menu-less spread. I’ve tried their Hakka Lui Cha (擂茶) during one of the recent Chinese New Year event and it was the best I’ve tasted. Moreover, there were the Salt Baked Chicken (鹽焗雞) and Hakka Yam Abacus Beads (算盤子) which I do find to be extremely delicious. Too bad these won’t be in the menu due to the tedious work and quality control (QC) involved to pep up all these fresh dishes. Though, the pricing might be a bit steep for some, many are not aware that if you like any of the dishes, you could always ask for refill as many times as you like without any additional charges.

After your meal, you could always pay a visit to the Local Products & Souvenir Shop just behind the main dining hall. Since Penang is a world known for the culturing and production of nutmegs, you should try to get your hands onto some of the nutmeg by-products such as pickled nutmegs, nutmeg with licorice, nutmeg juice and more.

Behind the souvenir shop would be another attraction – Hakka Village Cultural Center. If you would like to know the history behind how the Hakka clan landed in Malaysia and how was their lifestyle from those heydays, this would be quite an ideal place to learn more. There would be an admission fees of RM10 imposed on each non-dining individual.

If you are coming via the hilly Jalan Tun Sardon towards Balik Pulau, drive all the way until you see a T-junction (Jalan Tun Sardon/Jalan Balik Pulau). Turn left and drive all the way until a mini roundabout. Turn left into the second exit (Jalan Sungai Pinang) and drive on about 900m and you would see Hakka Village Branch on your left opposite Tingkat Sungai Pinang. You won’t miss it as there would be lots of colorful lanterns hanging at the fence.

Name: HAKKA VILLAGE BRANCH (客家分寨)
Address: 536 Jalan Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau, 11000 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-2829666, +6016-4116666
Business Hours: 11.30am-3.00pm (Closed Monday)
GPS: 5.355300, 100.228148

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Espressa Coffee Company (ECC) Flagship Cafe located at Gurney Tower has opened its door for business on 1 March 2016 in an effort to bridge the gap between “the third place” and “the concept store”. Executive Director, Mr. Solomon Lee and its management team strive towards establishing ECC as the solution. As a first of its kind cafe, ECC Coffee has launched its first wave of signature beverages which include coffee, chocolate and fruit tea range along with merchandises such as ECC special mix sachets and more to come.

ECC Coffee uses its own manufacturing arm, with a whole ecosystem from coffee harvesting to distribution supply chain and integrated customer experience at the end of the day. The product is ISO 22000, a HACCP, GMP and Halal-certified. The range of their merchandises are thoroughly created and manufactured in line with the latest trends. It’s crafted to be the perfect premium gift for any season, anytime and anywhere. Basically, there are 5 types of coffee beans being sold here such as Brazil, Columbia, Ethiopia, Guatemala and Java.

There are quite a substantial amount of beverages options you could order off the counter from basic coffee (5 options), chocolate (6 options), signature coffee (12 options) and fruit tea (10 options). The coffee beans found here were slightly below medium roast with a higher note of acidity. Though I’m more of a bitter coffee lover, ECC Coffee managed to make that fragrantly bright, snappy and earthly cup of coffee of mine to be quite mellow with a light tart of sweetness and creaminess to my liking. Just order the basic Latte and you will know what I meant. As for the Chocolate, I do find the Orange Cioccolata to suit my taste well with the right amount of citrus zesty flavor and sweetness. Of all the signature coffees that were presented, I personally like the Irish Espressa and Limon Espressa. All their fruit teas were well received by us especially the Kiwi Te Freddo which was rather unique and not frequently found elsewhere.

If you love the beverages here and would like to enjoy them in the comfort of your home or maybe to share them with your family and friends, you could always purchase the “premix” off the shelves ranging from Espressa, Cioccolata and Te Freddo. There would be 10 sachets in each pack and they do come in quality takeaway bags. The prices are shown in the list below.

There are also an assortment of pastries and cakes for your personal indulgence such as Blueberry Muffin, Banana Muffin, Sardine Puff, Almond Roll, Black Sesame Milk Chocolate Cake and more. I personally like the uniqueness of the Black Sesame Milk Chocolate Cake as the combination of layers were perfect over a cup of hot coffee or tea.

Let’s have a look at pricing for the items available on their main board as well as their takeaway products as below.

The core business of ECC is focused towards licensing where they offer interested investor to license their business plan locally and internationally. Interested parties may contact Ray Low, Franchise Developments Director at 6012-209 6100 or email ray.low@ecccoffee.com for more details.

ECC Coffee is located at the corner shoplot of Gurney Tower at Jalan Kelawai and Jalan Lim Chin Guan. The signage is quite prominent. Parking could be quite scare during peak hours. If you can’t find any parking space here, you could almost always find some further up the service road nearer to Good Hope Inn. Make sure you use your parking coupons sparingly as the MBPP staff could be real hardworking here~ LOL~ 😛

Name: ECC COFFEE @ GURNEY TOWER, PENANG
Address: R-G-B1-2, Gurney Tower, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604- 227 7001
Business Hours: 8.30am-10.00pm (Sun-Thurs), 8.30am-12.00am (Fri&Sat)
GPS: 5.429920, 100.318775

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 6/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Terrace Bay Restaurant @ Copthorne Orchid Hotel, Penang, is currently promoting their Western Galore Buffet Dinner on every Fridays of the month from 7.00pm until 10.00pm. Priced at RM49nett per pax (Adult) and RM30nett (Child), this promotion would feature an array of Western dishes ranging from appetizers, soup, main and desserts.

For Starters & Soup, you would be expecting to get dishes such as Garden Green Salad, Nicoise Salad, Greek Salad with Cheese and Potato Salad with dressings such as Thousand Island, French and more. As for the soup, there was the Green Pea Soup served with Garlic Bread and Dinner Rolls.

As for Main Course, the spread could be quite simple but palatable to one’s needs. Items served could include Pilaf Rice, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Seabass Fillet with Herbs Butter, Lamb Moussaka Tomato Sauce, Braised Beef Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes, Pasta with Crabmeat & Roasted Broccoli and Buttered Mixed Vegetables.

Desserts might include Mini Fruit Tartlets, Fruit Puddings, Jellies in Glass, Crème Caramel, Chocolate Cake, Bread Butter Pudding and Fresh Fruit Platter. Coffee and Tea were on a free flow basis.

Do also check out their other promotions as shown in the posters below:

It’s not hard to locate the restaurant as it’s within the premises of Copthorne Orchid Hotel Penang. Drive all the way up towards Batu Ferringhi. After the traffic lights at the Kompleks Makanan Selera Mutiara (Hillside), you can see the hotel on your right. You’ve to keep right and make a U-turn at a junction further up. There would be ample car parks outside as well as the basement. Walk straight until the end of the lobby until you see the stairways towards the swimming pool. Walk downstairs and you can see Terrace Bay Restaurant there.

Name: TERRACE BAY RESTAURANT @ COPTHORNE ORCHID HOTEL PENANG.
Address: Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 11200 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-892 3333
Opening Hours:
Buffet Lunch: 12.00 noon – 2.30pm
Buffet Dinner: 7.00pm – 10.00pm
GPS: 5.463599, 100.229199

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

The concept behind Granny’s Country Kitchen (娘家傳統手工面) is simple. They just want you to relax and enjoy yourself with their home style dishes without the hassles of going into the kitchen to prep up dishes yourself. There are quite a variety of selections from their menus which may include some different set meal packages as well as handmade noodles.

The first set option would be one main dish, one bowl of rice, one soup of the day, 2 side dishes of your choice and a glass of herbal drink, all for RM10.90nett. There are 5 main dishes for you to choose such as Fried Chicken (香酥雞), Fried Garlic Pork (蒜香炸肉), Sesame Oil Chicken (麻油雞腿), Hakka Pork Leg (客家豬腳) and Secret Sauce Chicken (秘汁雞). Somehow, the Fried Garlic Pork could be quite addictive. The more you munch on the crispy pork slices, the more you yearn for them. Another dish that I quite like was their Hakka Pork Leg, braised until tender and yet filled with the flavors of yesteryears. Alternatively, you can go for their Sesame Oil Chicken which was mild enough for anyone.

The next set option would consist of one main dish, one bowl of rice, 1 side dish of your choice and free flow of Chinese tea, all for RM9.90nett. There are also 5 options in this set menu such as Sauteed Sliced Pork (姜葱炒肉片), Secret Sauce Chicken (秘汁雞), Pineapple Sweet & Sour Fish (鳳梨酸甜魚肉片), Salted Vegetables Tofu Soup (鹹菜豆腐豬雜湯) and Sour Plum Chicken Soup (梅子雞湯). One signature dish that’s available in both sets is actually the Secret Sauce Chicken. The dish has its own unique gingery sour flavors that’s unlike any ordinary oyster/mushroom sauce used. The highlight of the set would definitely go to the Sour Plum Chicken Soup. Somehow, the perfect combination of the salty and sourness indeed boost up my appetite.

For the set menus above, there are about 4 side dishes daily (upon availability) for you to choose from. There could be dishes such as stir fry bok choy, braised fried bean curd, stir fry spicy eggplants, stir fry pumpkin with dried shrimps, fried wanton, etc.

As for noodles, there are 3 set options all at RM7.90nett/bowl with an additional bowl of soup, namely Clear Soup Handmade Noodles (清湯手工面), Minced Pork Handmade Noodles (肉碎手工面) and Spicy Handmade Noodles (麻辣手工面). For spicy food lovers, you should try out their Spicy Handmade Noodles. Not only were the textures of the noodles having the al dente to my liking, the combination of the sauce was superb to my liking.

For drink wise, there are a few home brews, notably their Homemade Lime & Dried Plum Juice (RM4.00nett – also locally known as 932 in coffee shops).

You can also check out with them on other items that might be available for the day such as Pineapple Sweet & Sour Chicken Rice (RM8.00nett), Stir Fry Fish Fillet with Bean Paste (RM18.00nett), Traditional Loh Bak (RM5.00nett), Fried Wanton (RM6.00nett), Handmade Dumpling Soup (RM8.00nett), Spicy Century Eggs (RM6.00nett) and more.

Overall, I quite like their dishes here as the taste of some of the dishes could be quite similar to those you would have in China, especially on how they would prepare certain spicy condiments with various types of imported chilies to suit each dishes. Please be pre-warned that some of the dishes could be quite pungent for the palate of some diners.

As you come into Jalan Rangoon via Jalan Burma, just watch out for Granny’s Country Kitchen on your left just right after Tong Yan Travel & Tours almost towards the end of the road. Parking can be quite troublesome during certain peak hours throughout the day. If you can’t find a parking space, I would advise you to park opposite along Lebuh Nanning and walk over to the restaurant.

Name: GRANNY’S COUNTRY KITCHEN (娘家傳統手工面)
Address: 77 Jalan Rangoon, 10400 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-218 9592
Business Hours: 11.30am-3.00Pm, 6.00pm-10.00pm (Closed Sunday)
GPS: 5.416995, 100.324038

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

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

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

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

Week 1 & 3:

Week 2 & 4:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RESERVATIONS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you have yet to pay a visit to the newly revamped Wingers & Diners Café @ Merchant Hotel Penang, you should do it now as they do have some great daily offers that would be real cost saving. With ample car parks at the back of the hotel, you won’t even have to worry about paying exorbitantly at the nearby high-end car parks. Moreover, the specific daily deals are there to stay, regardless of public holidays. Now you know where to chill out this festive season when most of the cafes would be closed.

The first promotion would be on Lunch Deals (Monday until Friday – 12.00noon until 2.00pm only) as shown in the poster below. All meals would come with an appetizer, a soup and a salad.

For Monday & Wednesday, it would be BUY 1-FREE 1 Pasta Day. You could have an option of Beef Bolognese (RM15.90++), Turkey Ham & Mushroom Carbonara (RM15.90++) or Aglio Olio with Chili Padi & Chicken Wing (RM16.90++). All the pastas were quite nice especially the Aglio Olio with Chili Padi & Chicken Wing which had a mildly pungent spicy level and these little hot “devils” indeed boosted up the overall flavors. All meals would come with an appetizer, a soup and a salad.

For Tuesday & Thursday, it would be BUY 1-FREE 1 Cheesy Baked Rice Day. You have the option of Creole Chicken (RM16.90++), Beef Bolognese (RM15.90++) or Spicy Paprika Vegetarian (RM13.90++). I always love to have my baked cheesy rice to be creamy and the winner went to the Creole Chicken. The sensation of having the cheesiness on every grain of the rice was heavenly. All meals would come with an appetizer, a soup and a salad.

Friday would be the Burger Madness Day where all burgers would be at 30% off. You have the option to choose from Wannapull (RM18.90++ – beef), The Rocky (RM15.90++ – beef), Chugger (RM15.90++ – beef), Kimchi “Soul” Burger (RM15.90++ – free range chicken) and Not Just A Burger (RM15.90++ – free range chicken). All meals would come with an appetizer, a soup and a salad. All burgers had their own signature flavors and uniqueness. However, I fell in love with the Chugger as not only was I served with a juicy 100% quality beef patty, the burger had added beef bacon, turkey ham, caramelized onion, pickles and smoky BBQ sauce, the melted cheese indeed spiked up the overall flavors to the peak. Thumbs up!

The second and third promotions would be on Tea Time Deal (Monday until Friday – 3.00pm until 5.00pm only) and Daily Dinner Deal (Daily – 6.00pm until 10.30pm only – minimum order of 2 FOOD ONLY items) as shown in the poster below.

If you love to have some coffee or tea with some finger food, you should check out their Weekdays Tea Time Deal. Just purchase any beverage at RM5.00++ and you could order some add-ons at discounted price such as Garlic Bread (RM3.00++), Mushroom Bruschetta (RM4.00++), Slab Pizza (RM5.00++/pc – 3 flavors), Chicken Wings (RM5.00++ – 2pcs with 6 flavors), Bread Butter Pudding with Ice Cream (RM3.50++) and Fruit Skewer (RM3.50++). I was quite amazed with the Slab Pizza (mini pizza) as it came with 3 flavor options such as Hawaiian, Margarita and Smoked Salami. It was something so simple and yet pepped with flavors. On the other hand, you could also choose your flavor for your chicken wings. They do have 6 options such as Teriyaki, Honey Mustard, Cheese, BBQ, Bird’s Eye Chili and Sambal Asian. For dessert lovers, their Bread Butter Pudding with Ice Cream would be something you won’t want to miss especially on a humid day~ 🙂

The Daily Dinner Deal would suit many food enthusiasts as for any 2 food items ordered, you would get 50% off (excluding beverages). Some of the interesting food dishes might include Cajun Salad (RM10.50++), Chicken Wings (RM8.90++/3pcs or RM13.90++/5 pcs), Cheeky Chick (RM17.90++) and more. You order might also include dishes such as pastas, baked rice, burgers and desserts. The Cajun Salad was quite interesting as it had some crunchy deep fried turkey ham on it with light sprinkles of cajun spices and a squeeze of lemon juice. That would surely boost up your appetite for more meaty dishes.

As for Beverages and Desserts, there are quite a few options available such as Café Latte (RM8.50++), Hot Chocolate (RM9.50++), Hot Lavazza Coffee Float (RM7.50++), Root Beer Jelly Float (RM7.50++), Peachy Delight (RM6.50++), Sunset Cooler (RM6.50++) and more. What I loved most were their desserts. The Massacre (RM15.90++) which consisted of vanilla ice cream, meringue crumbles, peach slices, oreo cookies and oozy chocolate sauce was a killer. Another great dessert would be their Bread Butter Pudding (RM13.90++) with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Check out the full menu here (all prices stated are exclusive of 10% service tax and 6% GST):

Overall, I quite like the dishes served here as they were simple and yet tasty enough to fill you up. If I were you, I won’t want to miss out their burgers and desserts. It’s truly a great bargain to dine in here.

Wingers & Diners Café is located within the premises of Merchant Hotel, Penang. You can’t miss it as it’s at the junction of Jalan Penang and Jalan Muntri. There will be ample parking spaces behind the hotel and the good news is it’s free for guests and in-house diners.

Name: Wingers & Diners Café @ Merchant Hotel
Address: 55 Jalan Penang, 10000 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-263 2828
Business Hours: 12.00pm-2.00pm (lunch), 3.00pm-5.00pm (tea), 6.00pm until 10.30pm (dinner)
GPS: 5.421071, 100.333456

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

We indeed had a fun-packed Prosperity Toss Lunch yesterday with Pacific West at Hakka Village, Balik Pulau, Penang. Pacific West is no longer a new name in the natural frozen food industry as it had touched the lives of millions of consumers across the globe. Based on their mission and vision towards Convenience, Innovation and Quality, their wide range of seafood products, developed and designed by their team of culinary chefs and food technologists, life could not be any easier to manage in any household or even international events. “Serving a wholesome seafood dish for your family and friends is NEVER A HASSLE with Pacific West”, exclaimed Pacific West Director, Mr. Saw Lip Teik (蘇立澤). It was indeed a new experience to savor various Chinese New Year cuisine with a bit of twist from the creations of Pacific West Development Chef, Chef Leong Main Choy (梁文财). Amongst the special guests invited were Mr. Saw Hai Earn (蘇海恩- Golden Fresh CEO), Maggie Fong (范盈 – Hakka Village owner), Julia Volchkova (a Siberian-born artist who had left her ultra realistic portraitures on the walls of George Town and Balik Pulau), dignitaries, media and bloggers.

Prior to the luncheon, we had some specially designed canapés by Chef Garry Edson. They include Hummus on Pitta Bread with Pacific West Tempura Calamari Ring, Petit Ratatouille Corn Tortilla with Pacific West Popcorn Fish, Puff Pastry filled with Mushroom and Egg Pate served with Pacific West Wiggy Cornflake Fish and Tomato Salsa on spoons with Pacific West Dusted Baby Squid. All the canapés were uniquely concocted.

After a short video presentation (acted by Chef Leong & Maggie Fong and shot at Hakka Village due to its traditional ambiance) and some speeches, the guests were given a challenge to create the best plated Yee Sang (鱼生) with only 6 ingredients given (shredded carrot, cucumber, radish, unripe papaya, deep fried yam and honey Mandarin oranges. Out of the 4 teams, Table C emerged as the winner with their creative Pacific West Logo Yee Sang. That was truly something very impactful in the eyes of the Pacific West judging team right? Haha~ 😛 Each guest from the winning table was presented with a Pacific West printed mitten.

There were 10 dishes served during the lunch event. The first 5 dishes showed how one could incorporate Pacific West’s seafood products into local dishes, whereas the remaining 5 dishes were traditional Hakka dishes from the kitchen of Hakka Village (客家山寨).

The first dish that was presented was the specially concocted Tempura Prawn Prosperity Toss Yee Sang (鱼生). Instead of the usual raw fish fillet, Pacific West’s Signature Tempura Prawns, first grade sea-caught prawns coated in a unique Japanese tempura batter were used. The healthy yet colouful natural ingredients comprised pickled nutmeg, torch gingers, Mandarin oranges, pomelo and freshly shredded vegetables and dressed in a homemade dressing sauce which had a concoction of fish sauce, plum sauce, olive oil, lime juice and sugar. The guest had a great time tossing the Yee Sang while wishing everyone abundance in health, wealth and happiness. “Pacific West endeavors to bring joy and love to families around the world,” remarked Pacific West Brand Manager, Joyce Ong (王优彬).

The other 4 Pacific West created dishes included Crab Meat Lettuce Cups with Pacific West Salt and Pepper Squid (Salt & Pepper Squid on top of Stir fried Crab Meat and Vegetables served with Lettuce Cup), Nyonya Style Pacific West Tempura Fish Cocktails (Tempura Fish Cocktail in Homemade Nyonya Style Sauce), Golden Nestum Pacific West Tempura Prawns (Tempura Prawn coated with Spicy Buttered Salted Egg Sauce and sprinkled with crispy Nestum and Kung Pao Pacific West Salt and Pepper Squids (Salt & Pepper Squid in Kung Pao Style served with Crispy Yam Ring). I quite like the idea and convenience on how to serve the tempura fish cocktail in the fragrant and aromatic Peranakan style. The dish may look simple but it was remarkably palatable.

On the other hand, Hakka Village sure knows how to impress the guests with their traditionally prepared Hakka cuisine. We were served with Hakka Lei Cha (擂茶), Hakka Plum Sauce Duck, Hakka Abacus Beads (算盘子), Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken (盐焗鸡) and a hassle free Stir Fried Broccoli. The dishes could be real addictive especially the Hakka Abacus Beads and Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken. Another of the traditional dishes worth mentioning would be their Hakka Lei Cha which came with highly concentrated soup which was something you can’t buy outside. For more information on savoring traditionally pepped up Hakka dishes, you could always pay their site a visit.

Pacific West products are available at all major and independent retail outlets in Malaysia (namely Cold Storage, Sam’s Groceria, AEON, AEON Big, Tesco, Giant, Sunshine, Village Grocer and etc…). For more information, please contact Pacific West care line at 1800 88 389 or log on to official website and Facebook page.