This article is part of my Ramadan 2019 compilation.
Special thanks to Hotel Penaga for extending this food review invitation.
Hotel Penaga is a boutique hotel at the corner of Hutton Lane (Jalan Hutton) and Clarke Street (Lebuh Clarke). The hotel’s guestrooms are divided into 3 room categories: Hutton Rooms, Clarke Terraces and Transfer Suites. Restored from heritage buildings, Hotel Penaga is equipped with amenities like swimming pool, gym, library and spa.
The Cinnamon is Hotel Penaga’s all-day dining restaurant. Besides catering for in-house guests, the eatery is also open to the public. Adjacent to The Cinnamon is a drinking establishment called Tanglung Bar, which derives its name from fancy lanterns that hang from the ceiling.
From 10 May 2019 to 2 June 2019, The Cinnamon is serving Malay-themed buffet dinner every evening. The dates roughly coincide with the holy month of Ramadan, making this a great place for Muslims to break fast in the evening.
Starting with Chicken Satay, turmeric-marinated chicken is grilled on skewers until it becomes slightly charred. Satay is typically enjoyed with spicy peanut sauce. In addition, Roti John (omelette sandwiches) and Buah Kurma (palm dates) also offer quick bites.
Other popular starters include Telur Masin (salted egg), Kerabu Kacang Botol (winged bean salad), Acar Rampai (cucumber & pineapple salad) and Kerabu Mangga (mango salad). Meanwhile, Ulam-ulaman (raw vegetables) are usually eaten with sambal kicap (spicy soy sauce), sambal mangga (mango chili relish), budu (fermented anchovies) or cincalok (fermented shrimps).
The buffet menu includes several chafing dishes too. For instance, Kari Ikan Bawal consists of black pomfret in red curry. The curry is not too creamy, allowing its spiciness to take the center stage.
Ayam Bakar Kuah Perchik is a classic dish from Kelantan. The roast chicken is dressed in creamy gravy. Besides containing coconut milk, the gravy is also infused with turmeric in order to attain the distinctive yellow color.
Nasi Hujan Panas is served this evening. Rice grains of different colors are mixed together, giving the dish an illusion of raindrops. Nasi Hujan Panas is topped with fried shallots and mint leaves.
Diners have the flexibility of customizing their own Mee Kari Nyonya. Ingredient choices are fish balls, fishcake, hard-boiled eggs, tofu, mustard greens, celery, bean sprouts, chili peppers and fried shallots. Nyonya-style curry is usually not as spicy as its Malay counterpart.
As for crackers, Keropok Udang (prawn crackers), Keropok Ikan (fish crackers) and Papadom (black gram crackers) are kept in airtight jars so that they remain crispy. Pisang Goreng (fried bananas) and Keledek Goreng (fried sweet potatoes) are delectable snacks too.
Moving on to desserts, Kuih Ketayap comes in two colors: green and yellow. Each crêpe is filled with grated coconut and gula melaka (palm sugar). Other types of Malay kuih are Buah Melaka and Kuih Lopes.
Western pastries are represented by vanilla sponge cake, pandan sponge cake and marble butter cake. It would be nice if there were custards and jellies too.
Hotel Penaga’s buffet dinner is priced at RM55.00 net for adults and RM27.00 net for children. For every 5 paying adults, the 6th person’s meal is on the house. The Cinnamon does not serve pork.
Name: The Cinnamon
Address: Hotel Penaga, Jalan Hutton, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-261-1891
Business hours: 7:00am-11:00pm
Website: https://hotelpenaga.com/dining/thecinnamon
Coordinates: 5.41997 N, 100.33065 E
Directions: Hotel Penaga is located at the intersection of Hutton Lane (Jalan Hutton) and Clarke Street (Lebuh Clarke). The Cinnamon is located next to the hotel’s lobby and faces the central courtyard. Street parking is available along nearby roads such as Hutton Lane, Clarke Street, Transfer Road (Jalan Transfer), Jalan Dato Koyah and Argyll Road (Jalan Argyll). There is also multi-storey parking along Hutton Lane.