CRIZ BON APPETITE

With more than 40 years of mooncake making experiences behind the name, Leong Yin Pastry had again impressed many with their innovations of flavors for their mooncakes this year. Their 2016 Mooncakes Series (RM19.93nett each) would consist of Gridelin Mellow (金芋满堂) – Custard Paste with Lotus Paste, Ardent Rhapsody (菊花台) – Chrysanthemum Pur Erh with Red Dates Paste, Aurulent Lavish (南洋风味) – Gula Melaka with Honey White Lotus Paste, Scarlet Missive (踏雪寻梅) – Cranberry Longan Paste and Wholesome Chocolate Macadamia with Chips (小巧玲珑).

Overall, Leong Yin Pastry’s mooncakes are to my liking as all the fillings had subtle sweetness which was quite suitable for all ages, especially over some unsweetened and non-dairy hot beverages.

On top of coming out with good old traditional and fusion mooncakes, Leong Yin Pastry is also the top supplier of mooncake paste to many branded companies locally and internationally. Who could resist the temptation of being spoiled with over 200 types of choices?

If you are not into mooncakes, you can also opt for their quality assured Moon Biscuits aka Doll Biscuit and Pineapple Biscuits during this Mid Autumn Festival 2016. Those 600g of Special Mixed Nuts Moon Biscuits (RM45.53) could be such a killer during tea breaks.

With the success in gaining HALAL standards accreditation and others such as HACCP, GMP, ISO22000:2005 Food Safety Management System certification as well as the MeSTI certification, the products are now sold worldwide which includes Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippine, USA, Australia, UK and Middle East. You can find their products being sold at some of the major malls throughout Malaysia such as at Gurney Plaza, Gurney Paragon, Gama, Sunshine Bayan Baru, Sunshine Farlim, M Mall O2O Penang, Sunway Carnival Mall, Pacific Megamall, Pacific Taiping Mall, Aeon Bukit Mertajam Alma, Aeon Kinta City, Aeon Queensbay Mall, Aeon Mall Taiping, CMart Aman Jaya Sungai Petani, CMart Simpang Empat Tambun, Sungai Petani Center Mall, Alor Setar Mall and The Store Kampar Road Ipoh. Do click on the photos below to check out the varieties available for this year.

Leong Yin Pastry would also produce around 200 different flavors and combinations of mooncake paste. If you are interested, you could always pay them a visit at their HQ at 71, 73 & 82 Jalan Patani in Penang or call in +604-229 2943. They are also the supplier for their established Sang Yoon brand of noodles.

The Eatery @ Four Points by Sheraton Penang has launched a specially designed Selera Warung Buffet Dinner from 13 June 2016 – 26 June 2016 (*Extension of promotion would be advised). The promotion would start from 6.30pm until 10.00pm daily. Diners would get to enjoy their over 30 selections of Malaysian themed enticing buffet spreads for only RM54nett (adult) and RM27nett (child from 4 to 11 years old). All Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG) members would be entitled to an exclusive discount on food. You can check out the dining offers at the hotel’s website. Terms and conditions apply. From the al fresco area until indoor, it would be like going food hunting from one stall to another in a food bazaar with items ranging from snacks, main dishes to desserts. Please call +604-371 8706 or email eatery.03947@fourpoints.com to make your reservation today.

From Starters and Appetizers, you would get a mix and match of local and Western items such as Pasembur Pulau Mutiara with Spiced Sweet Potato Dips, Ayam Daun Pandan, Masala Ubi Bengala Samosa, Loh Bak Ayam, Kerabu Daging dan Tang Hoon Ala Thai, Kerabu Sotong Limau Bali, Pucuk Paku dan Udang Kapas, Kupang Degang Kerisik, Kacang Botol Dengan Dada Ayam Carik, Kerabu Manga Muda dan Udang Kering, Kerabu Taugeh dengan Kerang, Ulam-Ulaman Kampung (with condiments such as acar buah, sambal belacan, air asam, sambal belacan, kicap bercili, kuah kacang, chutney manga, acar rampai, telur masin & ikan masin), crackers (ikan parang, papadum, lekor, udang & binjau), squid & orange with shaved fennel salad, tuna & potato with green bean salad, Greek salad with Spanish feta & olive and mixed garden salad (with dressings such as thousand island, Caesar dressing, herbs vinaigrette, lemon vinaigrette, balsamic dressing, stuffed olive, shaved parmesans & capers).

As for soup, you would be served with Sup Ekor Berempah, served with Roti Bengali and Roti Perancis.

Out from “Mum’s Food Diary” would be some notable home-style main dishes such as Daging Batang Pinang Goreng Halia Muda, Kupang Goreng Cabai Kering, Sambal Tumis Udang, Ayam Masak Merah, Ikan Bawal Hitam Goreng Bercili, Rendang Daging Pahalawan “Temasik”, Kebab Ayam, Kupang Masak Cabai Kering served with steamed rice.

From the Action Sections, you would be served with some nostalgic dishes such as their Kaki Kambing Bakar Rempah Ratus, Ayam Tandoori, Nasi Briyani, Bombay Onion Pickled, Cucumber Raita, Dhal Tadka, Penang Char Koay Teow and Salmon Laksa. You should not miss out the Salmon Laksa as it was one of the best around as the creamy flavors was just out of this world.

From fruit cuts, local desserts to cakes and pastries, there would surely some hidden gems for you to savor such as the Penang Rojak (jicama, guava, pineapple, cucumber, water apple, young mango and green apple with rojak sauce), preserved fruits (kedongdong, cermai, betik, api-api, manga, ceri merah & hijau), fresh tropical fruits and whole fruits (watermelon, honey dew, pineapple, papaya & jackfruit, orange & green apple), Assorted Malay Kuih, Lempok Pandan, Creme Caramel, Pudding Jagung, Pudding Manga, Sago Gula Melaka, Pandan Custard Cake, Chocolate & Walnut Brownies, Apple Crumble Tart, Buah Kurma, Pengat Pisang, Bubur Cha Cha, Pengat Labu, Ais Kacang & Chendol with assorted Ice Cream and Ice Cream Potong. Beverages wise was rather unique as they were served chilled in water jars soaked in crushed ice. These include Air Bandung, Jus Kurma, Jus Cincau, Jus Oren and Jus Manga.

Overall, the Malaysian dishes served here had many delicious options compared to their buffet spreads I had tried earlier throughout the last few years. It was indeed a great value-for-money deal you should not miss out.

The Eatery @ Four Points By Sheraton is located along the main road of Jalan Tanjung Bunga. To get there, just use the road going towards the beaches of Batu Ferringhi. As you reach a curving part of the road, keep to your right after the first traffic lights (Chinese Swimming Club on your right). At the second traffic lights, turn right into the hotel’s premises to find a car park. Walk straight into the lobby and you can find The Eatery located at the ring wing of the hotel.

Name: THE EATERY @ FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON PENANG
Address: 505 Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 11200 Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-371 8888 (General), 604-371 8706 (The Eatery)
Business Hours: 6.30am-11.00pm (Daily), Sunday Brunch: 12.00pm-3.00pm
GPS: 5.463681, 100.301836

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

About Four Points: Four Points is travel reinvented. With over 200 hotels in nearly 40 countries, Four Points meets the needs of the everyday traveler and offers guests exactly what they need on the road. Four Points combines timeless style and comfort and an authentic sense of the local as well as genuine, always-approachable service, all around the world. To learn more, visit www.fourpoints.com/experience. Stay connected to Four Points on facebook.com/fourpoints.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 1,200 properties in some 100 countries and over 180,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, element® and the recently introduced Tribute Portfolio™. The Company boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood recently announced plans to spin off its Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc. business, a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands, into a standalone public company by the end of 2015. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

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

China House which has the full range of dining experiences in this region has been the highlights of many events such as performing arts, art galleries, talk shows and more for quite many years. In fact, it could be the longest restaurant in Malaysia with a buildup area of 400’ x 25’, comprising 2 heritage units facing Lebuh Pantai and a heritage unit facing Lebuh Victoria, linked by a beautiful decorated open air courtyard. With 14 spaces comprising shops, cafes, restaurants, galleries and multi-purpose performing art theatre, we managed to pay a visit to their BTB & Restaurant on one fine evening. The restaurant serves a fusion of Western mixed with Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, something that will thrill the appetite of those adventurous gourmet aficionados. All orders would be inclusive of 6% GST but you would still need to pay for the 10% service charge.

To start off the meal, we tried out some of their signature entrees. Firstly, we were served with their Mezze Vegetarian (RM28+), a platter filled with lots of small dishes and served as an appetizer. The dish consisted of the freshly made Harissa (a chili paste made from various hot peppers), Eggplant Ginger Bud Sambal, Green Relish (cucumber & green chili pickle), Corn & Parmesan Salsa, Red Pepper Chutney, Yoghurt, Pomegranate Dip, Dukkah (mixed herbs, nuts & spices), Lemon Rocket Salad and served with Pita and Focaccia. Well, those were quite a remarkable array of spreads and dips with some twists to infuse some local flavors as well. Everything was perfect except I wished I had some hummus in the platter for my pita bread~ 😛

Next we had the Pumpkin and Apple Soup (RM18+), garnished with Candied Pumpkin Seeds and served with Parmesan Biscotti. The mild sweetness of the pumpkin and the fresh sourness of green apple, combined with little crunchy bites from the added candied pumpkin seeds made this soup very appetizing indeed.

I’ve tried so many versions of Grilled Halloumi (RM38+) before and their version with added Parmesan Biscotti on Avocado, Sesame Seeds Candied Cashew Nuts, Grapes, Cranberries, Rocket Salad with Pomegranate Dressing was one of the best I’ve tried. The grilling on the semi-hard and unripened brined cheese (forgot to verify if they were made with goat, sheep or cow’s milk) was just perfectly textured for the bite. Combined with their perfectly concocted salad, it was heavenly for a salad lover like me.

The next salad which was the Deep Fried Tiny Prawns (RM38+) on Mango and Avocado Salad, garnished with Pistachio and served with Basil Dressing, was another great salad for me as it had that fruity creaminess with just the right crispiness and crunchiness from the battered fried shrimps and nuts.

Another unique salad was their Salt Egg Yolk Crispy Chicken Strips (RM34+) on Watercress, Peanuts, Corn, Cherry Tomato, Green Mango and Coriander Salad with Spicy Peanut Dip. No doubt it was a great concoction with the flavors that I like.

As for Main Courses, we started with the 200g of Seared Fillet of Beef (RM76+) served with Parsnip Skordalia and Mushrooms, Roasted Pumpkin and Duo Sauces of Spicy Peanut Sauce and Balsamic Sauce. The main highlight would be the wonderfully seared beef fillet which had the right medium rare texture to my liking. To my surprise, the kitchen used Parsnip Skordalia instead of mashed potatoes. I’ve known from the local market that parsnips are quite rare and they were not commercially grown since the presence of potatoes which are easier to manage. The nuttiness and sourness from the duo sauces combined real well with the beef.

The next main course which was the Rack of Lamb (RM76+) was another impressive dish. The nicely pan seared lamb rack was glazed with Chimichurri Pesto and served with Dukkah garnished Roasted Pumpkin, Eggplant Ginger Bud Sambal plus a Cauliflower Gratin on the Side. In my personal opinion, it was another great dish. Combined with the cheesiness from the fragrantly baked cauliflower gratin, I won’t mind having another serving.

The next dish which was the Asian Platter (RM62+) had my eyes opened widely as it had so many side dishes served with rice. It was like our local Malaysian Nasi Lemak served with various Asian countries’ specialty. It was indeed a different approach to my dining experience. The platter had Laotian Style Chicken & Pumpkin Curry, Malaysian Style Coconut Beef Rendang, Thai Style Sweet Basil Mango Salad, most likely Nyonya Style conceptualized Eggplant Ginger Bud Sambal, Caramelised Peanut Relish, Thai/Laotian Style Chicken Larb in Iceberg Cup, served with hot steaming Coconut Rice and Indonesian Melinjo Crackers (commonly known as emping).

We also tried out the 2 Main Courses from the Kopi C Casual Dining Menu. One of the more unique dishes was the Hokkien Spaghetti Bolognese (RM34+), a favorite dish amongst the diners. The dish had a bowl of al dente spaghetti tossed with some almost Laos style Minced Chicken with Shitake Mushrooms gravy and served with Cucumber Ribbons, Eggplant Ginger Bud Sambal, Caramelized Peanuts and an extra serving of the Minced Chicken with Shitake Mushrooms “Curry”. I quite like the fusion in this dish.

The second main we had was the Chicken & Mushroom Pie (RM38+) served with Baked Sweet Potato, Mashed Potato, Broccoli and Tomato Relish. I simply love the buttery crust of the pie with quite a generous amount of chicken and mushroom chunks within. How I wished they do have beef pies too.

For cakes lovers, Beach Street Bakery @ China House is the place for you to with all their mouth watering homemade cakes. In fact, you have a long table filled with heavenly goodies to soothe your sugar craving~ 😛

We did try out some of their recommended cakes and all of them were up to my expectation, especially the Tiramisu Cake. We tried out their Tiramisu (RM15.90+), Passion fruit Coconut Butter (RM10.60+), Chocoholic Chocolate (RM12.70+), Banana Mocha Frosting (RM12.70+), Carrot Walnut (RM10.60+) and Salted Caramel Cheesecake (RM15.90+).

As for beverages, they do have an extensive array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. We have decided to go for the non-alcoholic beverages such as Single Shot Café Latte (RM10.60+), Gula Melaka Shake with Homemade Ice Cream (RM18.30+), Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake with Homemade Ice Cream (RM18.30+), Freshly Made Crushed Mint & Lime Soda (RM10.60+), Ice Coffee Milo Dinosour with Cold Milk Foam (RM11.50+) and Strawberry Banana Granola Smoothie with Natural Yoghurt (RM16.30+).

Overall, I quite like the dishes served here at BTB & Restaurant especially all the uniquely concocted salads. Though some the pricing might be a bit steep for some diners, you can be assured that you would be getting the freshest ingredients from the kitchen. As for dessert lovers, it’s a must for you to drop over for some heavenly baked cakes over tea or coffee.

If you are coming from Pengkalan Weld (Weld Quay) towards Bayan Lepas/Penang Internatioanl Airport (PIA) in George Town area, slow down when you have reached the Pengkalan Raja Tun Uda Ferry Terminal. Upon the ending of the iron metal divider, keep right and turn right into the second junction which is Gat Lebuh Armernian. Drive onwards the cross junction (Gat Lebuh Armenian/Lebuh Victoria) until you have reach Lebuh Pantai (Beach Street). Turn right and you would see China House about 50m away on your right. Parking could be quite scare during peak hours of the day. To prevent yourself from getting lost or getting summon for illegal parking, I would advise you to find a parking at the open car park nearby. Instead of turning into the second right junction of Gat Lebuh Armenian, drive further to the third right junction which is Gat Lebuh Acheh. You can see an open car park at the corner of Pengkalan Weld/Gat Lebuh Acheh. Park your car and use the Lebuh Victoria exit, turn right and walk for another 160m and you can see the China House @ Lebuh Victoria Entrance on your left. You won’t miss it as the signage is quite prominent.

Name: CHINA HOUSE (唐人厝)
Address: 153, 155 Lebuh Pantai & 183B Lebuh Victoria, 10300 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-263 7299 (Reservations & Enquiry)
Business Hours:
Kopi C: 9.00am-6.00am (Breakfast), 12.00noon-6.00pm (Lunch), 6.00pm-11.00pm (Dinner)
BTB & Restaurant: 6.30pm-10.30pm
Beach St. Bakery, Vine & Single, 14 Chairs: 9.00am-12.00am
Courtyard Café & Burger Bar: 12.00noon-11.00pm
Canteen & Bar: 12.00noon-12.00am
GPS: 5.414866, 100.338768 (Beach Street Entrance), 5.413907, 100.339300 (Victoria Street Entrance)
Website: www.chinahouse.com.my

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

If you want to dine like the emperor, stay like the emperor and rock like the emperor, you should try out the Rock of Prosperity Chinese New Year Buffer Dinner 2016 at Starz Diner @ Hard Rock Hotel Penang from 6.30pm until 10.30pm on 7-8 February 2016. Priced at as low as RM99nett (Adult) and RM68nett (Children 6-12 years old), you would get to savor an extensive array of authentic Chinese and fusion under the expertise of the hotel’s Chinese Sous Chef, Chef Yoong Toy Heng @ Chef Heng, Demi Chef De Partie, Chef Hong Swee Aun and their kitchen team. Please call +604-886 8057 or email fb.penang@hardrockhotels.net to book earlier to avoid disappointment.

From left to right: Chef Hong Swee Aun (Demi Chef De Partie), Andy Chin (F&B Manager), Chef Yoong Toy Heng @ Chef Heng (Chinese Sous Chef), Angeline Chen (Asst. Marketing Communications Manager) and Sheryn Ng (Marketing Communications Executive

Here are the summary and menus for those days. Please click on the photos for clearer views.

Here are some of the highlights of the buffet spreads for the Rock of Prosperity Chinese New Year Buffer Dinner 2016. For the 2-days of buffet dinners, you would get to lavishly indulge in a wide variety of Chinese cuisine which would items such as hot and cold platters, soup of the day, Chinese main dishes, Yee Sang, Chinese BBQ Carving, noodles, steamboat and desserts.

The best part to start off the auspicious occasion with great omen is the availability of a Yee Sang Station. You would find fresh ingredients ranging from Sliced Fresh Salmon (maybe fresh Tuna too), Sliced Abalone, Jelly Fish, Chinese Five-Spice Powder, Toasted Sesame Seed, Roasted Peanuts, Crispy Crackers, Red Pickled Ginger, Yellow Pickled Ginger, Green Pickled Ginger, Pickled Papaya, Pickled Cucumber, Pickled Onion, Yellow Yam Sliced, Red Yam Sliced, Green Yam Sliced, Lime, Lime Leaves, Carrot, White Radish and Plum Sauce. Let’s usher in the year of the Fire Monkey with a big bang of great health, wealth and happiness.

The chefs had also pepped a number of Cold Platter Combinations such as Chicken Roll with Mango Sauce, Smoked Duck with Pineapple Sauce, Pomelo & Mandarin Orange Salad, Young Papaya Salad with Baby Octopus plus Sliced Chicken & Jelly Fish with Oyster Sauce.

You might even get some of the appetizers in canapé servings.

Some of the Chinese New Year dishes you could try out at Starz Diner would include Golden Vegetarian Shark Fin with Crabmeat and Eight Seafood Treasures Soup. It has been a long time since I had savored a rich stock starchy soup so heavenly pepped up with so many flavors. The kitchen indeed did put on hours of labor in simmering the stock. There was a significant taste of roasted poultry flavors in each sip. It was a dish so well done that it could put a lot of eateries in shame.

Special highlights from the main dishes are the XO Chinese Seafood Fried Rice, Steamed Whole Chicken with Ginger & Black Fungus, Braised Lamb Leg with Superior Soy Sauce, Deep Fried Golden King Prawn with Butter & Chicken Floss, Stir-Fried Sea Scallops & Celery in Yam Ring and Braised Green Broccoli with Seafood Treasure & Black Moss plus Steamed Fish with Garlic & Chilies. I was truly impressed with quality of most of the main dishes especially the Steamed Whole Chicken with Ginger & Black Fungus, Deep Fried Golden King Prawn with Butter & Chicken Floss, Stir-Fried Sea Scallops & Celery in Yam Ring and Braised Green Broccoli with Seafood Treasure & Black Moss. You practically find lots quality ingredients used such as scallops, macadamia nuts, various types of mushroom, soy based vegetarian pork belly, dried oysters, sea cucumbers, fish maws, black moss and more in quite a number of the dishes. Wow! It’s like a meal fit for the emperor!

Having steamboats are always merrier encompassing families during Chinese New Year dinners. Bask in an array of meat, vegetables and noodles accompanied with Clear Chicken Soup and Bamboo Soup and a selection of sauces. The hotpot would be available at the buffet spread action counter – DIY style. However, there would be a chef on standby to help you with your requests.

You could also end the meal with some sweet temptations such as a bowl of delicious Hot Chinese Traditional Famous ‘Leng Chee Kang’, Chinese Glutinous Rice Cake with Yam and Sweet Potato, Fried Crispy Shanghai Pancakes, some Chinese cookies, Mandarin oranges and more.

For those who would fancy a set dinner instead of a buffet dinner may opt for Hard Rock Café Prosperity Rock Platter, available for 2 persons at RM160nett or 3 persons at RM240nett. The promotion would be from 1-13 February 2016 from 11.30am until 11.30pm. Diners will be given a choice of Soup of the Day served with Garlic Bread or a House Salad – fresh green salad served with a choice of house dressing. For the mains, delight in a combo of Potato Skins, Chicken Fried Rice, Sweet and Sour Fish, Five Spices Bar-B-Que Chicken, Mini Beef Burgers with Plum Sauce, Deep Fried Prawn with Thai Chili Sauce, Hickory Smoked Pulled Lamb Sandwiches and Chicken Wings with Sweat Sticky BBQ Sauce. To end the perfect meal, enjoy a savory Hard Rock Cafe’s signature dessert –Mini Apple Cobbler served with vanilla ice cream.

Overall, I quite like their Chinese New Year buffet spreads as they were more authentic than most eateries I have tried to date. With so many types of rich ingredients used, the taste of course excelled beyond my expectations. Thanks to the two skillful Chinese chefs that we could savor quality Chinese cuisine from Hard Rock Hotel Penang.

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: 8.5/10 (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.

Let’s start the coming Chinese New Year by having lots of “Lou Sang”, an age-old custom in ancient Chinese tradition and culture, symbolizing “upward” health, wealth, luck and happiness in abundance during each brand new year. This year, Swez Brasserie at Eastin Hotel, Penang, would be offering various dinner packages for your reunions from 6.00pm until 10.30pm on 7-9 February 2016 or even Hi-Tea from 12.00pm until 3.00pm on 8-9 February 2016. It could be a table of feasting with your close associates/friends and family members or it could be fresh seafood spreads with unique dishes buffet. Please take note that for the buffet dinner, advanced booking with full payment before 24 January 2016 would be entitled to a 20% discount.

Do check out the posters below for more details.

Let’s have a peep at some of dishes to be served for the buffet dinner promotions below.

At the Salad Bar & Soup Sections, you would get to try out dishes such as the Fortune Yee Sang with Condiments, Classic Szechuan Hot & Spicy, Fresh Greens with Dressings, Hot Bread Rolls, a Variety of Cheese, Pickles, Mixed Salads, Sushi and Sashimi. The Yee Sang was great with fresh salmon slices and the Szechuan Soup was heavenly pepped up with lots of ingredients.

For seafood lovers, you would be impressed with their Seafood on Ice Section where at least 8 Types of Fresh Seafood with Condiments would be served on the day. Of course, the main attraction would be their juicy and succulent Alaskan Crabs.

Their Hot Dishes Section would one great area to indulge in many newly concocted dishes such as Curry Leave Thai Sweet Kapar, Romeo Sour Curry Fish, Juliet Coconut Squid, Tandoori Lamb Chop with Cucumber Raita, Pan Fried Fish with Saffron Sauce, Creamy Mix Seafood with Cheese, Angel Hair with Bolognese Sauce, Wok Fried Tiger Prawn with Salted Egg Gravy, Stir-fried Broccoli with Mushroom & Sea Cucumber and Pineapple Fried Rice. Although all the dishes were to my liking, my main preferences would still be the Tandoori Lamb Chop with Cucumber Raita, Angel Hair with Bolognese Sauce and Wok Fried Tiger Prawn with Salted Egg Gravy.

The Dessert Section could be real abundance with selections such as Assorted Fruit Platter, Nyonya/Malay Kuih, Chocolate Fountain, Berries Mizu, Red Velvet, Classic Cheese Cake, Waffle with Condiments, French Pastries, House Pudding, Sweet Roll in the Heart, Jellies and Lovely Banana Chocolate Crumble with Vanilla Sauce.

For Yee Sang Takeaway with various toppings, you can check out the poster below.

If you missed out the dinners on 7-9 February 2016, you could always check out their other offers such as their “Seafood Esplora Il Mare” Buffet Dinner on all Fridays and Saturdays.

Overall, I do find the buffet spreads under the supervision of the new Executive Sous Chef, Chef Johnno Fong, to be quite extraordinary compared to the buffets I had at the same venue for the past few years. The dishes served indeed did set the whole atmosphere to be in celebrative moods. However, I do find the dessert section lacked of some Chinese influence as most were basically Western and Nyonya/Malay cakes and bakes. They should have come out with something like steamed glutinous rice cakes with grated coconut, lo han guo infused snow fungus with dried longan soup, red beans filled sesame balls, glutinous rice ball in ginger syrup, fish shaped crystal jelly, pineapple tarts, peanuts cookies, fortune cookies and more.

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
Business Hours: 12.00pm-2.30pm (Lunch), 6.30pm-10.00pm (Dinner)
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: 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)

“Curiosity kills the cat” may be a common term used but it sure did not kill this adventurous cat. In fact, it fattened him up even more~ LOL~ 😛 At times, we should just leave everything behind, go for a short excursion to some place secluded, adapt to its environment and find out more on what it has to offer. To my luck, I stumbled upon a small make shift café named Big Coffee along the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (Lebuhraya Butterworth-Kulim). The “café” served a variety of beverages from coffee, tea, chocolate to some local beverages.

If you are a regular at a certain coffee chain, you would know about volume for Tall (12 US fl oz/350ml), Grande (16 US fl oz/470ml), Venti (20 US oz/590ml) or even their Trenta (31 US fl oz/920ml – at times known as “Thirty”). What about something bigger (42 US fl oz/1.24L – at times known as “Forty”) with a cute container to bring home for just RM10nett? If more than a liter of coffee were to be too big for you, you can always opt for their so called “Trenta” size at RM7nett with a cute container or “Venti” size at RM5nett with normal disposable container. You can choose the color of your container too (transparent – RM5 each, big container without white base – RM7 each and big container with white base/football shaped – RM10).

Here’s my JUMBO SIZE “FORTY” Iced Horlick at RM10nett.

The best part of the deal is that you can order anything listed based on the price (RM5/RM7/RM10) and not on the type of beverage ordered. Beverages type which mostly are Thailand-imported include Vanilla, Mixed Coffee, Latte, Mocha, Milo, Red Tea, Horlick, Nescafe, Chocolate, Cappuccino, White Coffee, Green Tea, Classic Coffee, a variety of Cordial Juices and more.

Overall, I would say the beverage was quite concentrated with quite a reasonably quality thick plastic container. Though the sweetness could be a bit too much for my sugar intake, it was still a great bargain as the containers (RM7 & RM10 ones) can be recycled.

It’s not really hard to locate the little shed by the roadside but you have to slow down and keep a watch out for it as it could be highly congested at times. From Butterworth towards Kulim/Baling/Pengkalan Hulu via Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (Lebuhraya Butterworth-Kulim), you would need to pay RM1.60 toll. Upon paying and exiting the toll booth, drive another 11KM (pass Kulim Hi-Tech Park junction) and you would reach Big Coffee & Tea by the roadside on your left. When you see Dongwha Malaysia (Kulim Branch) on your left, slow down and drive another 250m ahead towards your destination. You can see the Sime Darby factory directly opposite the “café”. As this is an expressway with high traffic, please make sure that the road is all clear before making any turn. The best way to reach Big Coffee is to key in the GPS (5.487308, 100.600595) onto your WAZE app and set to go.

Name: BIG COFFEE
Address: Butterworth-Kulim Expressway roadside at Lunas, Kulim, Kedah.
Contact: N/A
Business Hours: 11.00am-6.30pm (daily)
GPS: 5.487308, 100.600595

RATING:
Ambience: 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: 6/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

December is the month of many celebrations with Christmas just weeks from now and New Year being just around the corner. The newly reopened Café Laurel @ Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang won’t be left out from all the thrills of celebrating the festive occasions with spreads of goodies to pamper its guests and diners. You can call in +604-226 9988 Ext. 2819/2820 to make your reservation today.

Firstly, let’s celebrate with their Reopened Promotions of BUY ONE FREE ONE (Buffet Lunch) and BUY TWO FREE ONE (Buffet Dinner). The promotions are valid until 31 December 2015, excluding festive days. Do check out the poster below.

On the other hand, festive promotions would be as below. For the eve of Christmas and New Year, you would have the BUY ONE FREE ONE (Buffet Lunch) and BUY TWO FREE ONE (Buffet Dinner) promotions, whether of the actual day of Christmas 2015 and New Year 2016, you would get to enjoy their BUY ONE FREE ONE (Buffet Lunch) and BUY THREE FREE ONE (Buffet Dinner). These offers are only applicable for paying adults.

Let’s have a look at their extensive spreads for their International Buffet Dinner on a Sunday night.

At the Salad & Cold Selection Sections, you would expect to savor Thai Chicken Salad, Thai Papaya Salad, Dry Cuttlefish Salad, 8 types of Plain Salad, Assorted Cold Cuts, Seafood on Ice, Smoked Fish, Beef Pastrami and Marinated Baby Octopus.

At the Soup Section, you might get Seafood Tom Yam Soup, Chicken Cream Soup with some Crispy Bread Rolls & Butter.

The eatery has many Action Stalls with delicious dishes such as Sashimi/Sushi with Condiments, Ikan Panggang (Portuguese Style), Char Koay Teow, Roasted Duck, Mix Grill (Jumbo Sausage, Lamb Chop), Pasta Station, Laksa with Condiments and Assorted Dim Sum

Some of the dishes at the Main Dish Section could be real delectable such as Roasted Lamb Leg, Pan Fried Fish in Cream Sauce, Chicken Roll with Thyme Sauce, Stir Fried Prawn, Mix Vegetables, Sambal Ikan Bawal, Gulai Kambing, Mee Goreng Mamak, Rendang Ayam, Paceri Nenas, Nasi Hujan Panas and Steamed White Rice.

For dessert lovers, you could head up to their Dessert Section for some sweet treats such as Assorted Mini French Pastries, Freshly Cut Tropical Fruits, Cream Caramel, Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce, Bread & Butter Pudding, Crème Brulee, Chocolate Mousse, Fruit Cocktail, Ice Cream with Condiments and end your meal with some Coffee & Tea.

Overall, I quite like the spreads especially at the sushi section where all the cuts were extremely fresh and palatable to my liking. However, there are still rooms for improvement especially at some specific action counters where I would at least expect a staff in attendance to cater to the needs of diners.

Café Laurel is located at the right wing of Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang. Upon entering the lobby, just head to the right side and you will see the entrance to the eatery.

Name: CAFÉ LAUREL @ EVERGREEN LAUREL HOTEL PENANG
Address: 53 Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-226 9988 Ext 2819/2820
Business Hours:
Buffet Lunch: 12.00noon-2.30pm (Mondays – Fridays)
Hi-Tea: 12.00noon-3.00pm (Saturdays & Sundays)
International Buffet Dinner: 7.00pm-10.00pm (Sundays – Thursdays)
Seafood & Japanese Buffet Dinner: 6.30pm-10.00pm (Fridays & Saturdays)
GPS: 5.4311774, 100.3180416

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: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 7.5/10 (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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. For more information on how Designed Dream can help you create your perfect destination wedding, visit https://www.designeddream.com/destination-weddings/ and explore their exceptional services.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)