Special thanks to Summit Hotel Subang USJ for extending this food review invitation.

Summit Hotel Subang USJ is the next hotel to reveal its Ramadan buffet menu. The actual Warna Warni Ramadhan buffet dinners will be held at Oceania Buffet Restaurant. But for this evening, the preview event is held at the Grand Ballroom instead.

Malay appetizers typically include ulam-ulaman such as jantung pisang, ulam raja and daun pegaga. These raw vegetables are often eaten with condiments like budu and cincalok. As for kerabu (Malay salad), there are kerabu tanghoon, kerabu taugeh, kerabu kerang and more.

Nasi Briyani Gam Johor uses long-grain basmati rice. Basmati rice has a lighter texture and is not as starchy as jasmine rice. The rice is cooked with meat and a variety of spices.

Kari Kepala Ikan is a spicy curry dish that features deep-fried salmon heads. Apart from the fact that salmon heads do not have much meat, this dish is quite appealing. As for poultry, go for Gulai Ayam Cili Merah.

Ikan Bakar Kasturi Bersama Sos Tangkap Nangis is served with sambal kicap (spicy soy sauce) and air asam (tamarind sauce). And if you want something spicier, Daging Salai Masak Lemak Cili Api is a good choice for you.

Tulang Rusuk Bakar Dengan Sos Meletup Pedas is another interesting choice if you take beef. Meanwhile if you are fond of sea snails, go for Siput Sedut Masak Lemak Dengan Ubi Keladi.

Kambing Golek is served with roasted vegetables and condiments like black pepper and mushroom sauces. Make sure you get your helping early because the mutton depletes rapidly.

Popiah Basah is prepared at one of the many à la minute stations. The snack comprises of thin crêpes filled with sengkuang (jicama), omelettes, bean sprouts, peanuts, vegetables and sweet sauce.

The Goreng-Goreng station serves crispy fritters made of vegetables and anchovies. It is advisable to consume these fritters while they are still hot from the fryer.

Murtabak is filled with spiced chicken and fried on a griddle. The flatbread is customarily eaten with curry and pickled onions.

As for Western cuisine, the buffet line includes a counter that serves roast beef, grilled chicken, pasta, sandwiches, bruschetta and more.

Moving to the dessert counter, there are several types of cakes, mousses and French pastries. Of course, an iftar meal must include assorted Malay kuih and sweet soups like pengat pisang (banana & coconut milk soup) and bubur kacang hijau (mung bean soup).

Summit Hotel’s Warna Warni Ramadhan buffet dinner will be served every evening from 27 April 2020 to 22 May 2020. The standard price is RM88.00 net for adults and RM40.00 net for children. For every 5 paying customers, the next person’s meal is on the house! Also for a limited time, adult vouchers are on sale for RM68.00 net only.

Name: Oceania Buffet Restaurant
Address: Summit Hotel, Persiaran Kewajipan, USJ 1, 47600 Subang Jaya, Selangor
Contact: 03-8023-3000
Business hours: 7:00am-10:30am, 12:00pm-2:30pm (Monday-Friday), 12:00pm-4:00pm (Saturday-Sunday)
Website: http://www.summithotelusj.com/dining.html
Coordinates: 3.05935 N, 101.59276 E
Directions: Summit Hotel Subang USJ is located near the intersection of Persiaran Kewajipan and Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS). The hotel shares the building with Summit USJ, a shopping mall. Oceania Buffet Restaurant is a restaurant next to the hotel lobby. The hotel has car parks in the basement levels.

Special thanks to Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur for extending this food review invitation.

Despite having visited Royale Chulan Penang on multiple occasions, this is our first visit to Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur. As the flagship property of Royale Chulan Hotels & Resorts, this 5-star hotel awes arriving guests with its majestic grandeur.

Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur is home to several fine restaurants. For instance, the award-winning Bunga Emas Restaurant serves Malay cuisine in a fine-dining setting. Today, Bunga Emas Restaurant serves as the venue of the Citarasa Nusantara 2020 media preview. The actual buffets during Ramadan will be served at Taman Mahsuri Courtyard instead.

Royale Chulan is expecting a daily turnout of over 1,000 people during Ramadan. Therefore, the hotel will be serving more than 10 whole goats for Kambing Golek every day. For the purpose of today’s preview, only a leg is prepared.

Otak-Otak Wellington is essentially otak-otak (spicy snack made of ground fish and tapioca) wrapped in puff pastry. Although not my personal favorite, this fusion dish is intriguing nevertheless.

Nasi Lemak Viral is back by popular demand. The coconut-infused rice is served with chicken curry and sambal telur puyuh (chili paste with quail eggs). The sambal is well prepared indeed.

Bihun Sup Utara is a popular dish from the northern state of Kedah. The rich soup is prepared from beef and spices, making it is tasty to the last drop. Bihun Sup Utara is served with yellow rice vermicelli, diced beef, beef tendon and tofu.

Lontong Samudera is an Indonesian dish of rice cakes with a creamy broth called soto. The dish typically comes with hard-boiled eggs and serunding kelapa (shredded coconut).

Ful was originally from the Middle East but it is now widely enjoyed in Johor. The stew is a mixture of ground meat and broad beans. Royale Chulan’s Kacang Pool Wak Seman is served with scrambled eggs and bread.

Moving to Cucur-Cucur, diners may savor deep-fried food items like soft shell crabs, cucur udang (prawn fritters) and cucur jagung (corn fritters).

The kerabu section has an interesting assortment of Malay-style salads. Notable choices are kerabu daging (beef salad), kerabu ayam (chicken salad), kerabu sotong (squid salad), kerabu mangga (mango salad) and kerabu kacang botol (winged bean salad).

Interestingly, the buffet has a Lok Lok section with more than a dozen types of yong tau foo to choose from. Food is cooked by blanching in boiling water for several minutes.

And finally for desserts, delight your palate with sweet confections like fruit jellies, mousses, puddings, Malay kuih and Western pastries. As for durian lovers, Serawa Durian is prepared.

Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur serves Citarasa Nusantara 2020 every evening from 25 April 2020 to 23 May 2020. The full menu covers more than 1,000 ingredients, including over 150 items for ais kacang alone. Customers can take advantage of early bird prices from now until 19 April 2020.

Name: Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur
Address: 5, Jalan Conlay, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-2688-9639
Business hours: 7:00pm-10:00pm
Website: https://www.royalechulan.com/kualalumpur
Coordinates: 3.14929 N, 101.71700 E
Directions: Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur is situated at Jalan Conlay, near the road’s intersection with Jalan Stonor. Citarasa Nusantara 2020 is served at Taman Mahsuri Courtyard. Dining customers can get their parking tickets validated to get flat parking rate of RM10.00 per entry.

Special thanks to Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa for extending this food review invitation.

Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa welcomes the Year of the Rat with sumptuous buffet meals at Spice Market Café. The special menus are designed by Executive Chef Leong and his culinary crew. Today’s media event highlights several specialty dishes that will be served during the upcoming festive season.

One of the signature dishes in the buffet is Sweet & Sour Sea Bass, which is served “squirrel”-style. This means that the fish is deboned and cut in a cross-hatch pattern prior to frying. As a result, the cooked fish resembles the bushy tail of a squirrel.

Eight Treasure Chicken is infused with herbal flavors of scented Solomon’s seal (玉竹) and wolfberries (枸杞). The chicken is steamed in aluminium foil to keep the flavors intact.

The next dish is Tiger Prawns In Pumpkin Sauce. Presented in a hollowed-out pumpkin, the shrimps are sweet and crunchy indeed.

One should not overlook Steamed Tofu With Scallops either. The delicacy is garnished with wolfberries and coriander.

The pastry team is also preparing festive desserts such as Green Tea Chocolate Tart, Mandarin Orange Cake, Pandan Chiffon Cake, Lychee Flan, Orange Cream Puffs and more.

For the upcoming Lunar New Year, Spice Market Café will be having 4 festive buffet sessions: Reunion Buffet Dinner (24 January 2020), Chinese New Year Brunch (25 January 2020) and Spice & Happiness Buffet Dinner (25 January 2020 and 26 January 2020).

In addition, take-away yee sang is available at Rasa Deli between 24 January 2020 and 8 February 2020. There are 4 versions to choose from.

Rasa Sayang’s sister property, Golden Sands Resort, is also having Chinese-themed buffets concurrently. The meals will be served at Garden Cafe and Sigi’s Bar & Grill.

Name: Spice Market Café
Address: Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, 11100 Batu Ferringhi, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-888-8888
Business hours: 6:30am-10:30pm
Website: Click here
Coordinates: 5.47972 N, 100.25466 E
Directions: From Tanjung Bungah, travel west towards Batu Ferringhi. Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa is approximately 4.2 kilometers from Tanjung Bungah’s floating mosque, located on the right. Spice Market Café is at Lobby level of the Garden wing.

Special thanks to Evergreen Laurel Hotel Penang for extending this food review invitation.

Evergreen Laurel Hotel Penang is a 5-star hotel at Gurney Drive (Persiaran Gurney). The property is managed by Evergreen Group, a multinational logistics and aviation company based in Taiwan. This evening, Evergreen Laurel Hotel is hosting a preview of the upcoming Chinese New Year buffets.

There will be 5 buffet session during the festive season, all of which are held at Café Laurel. The most lavish one is the reunion dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve (24 January 2020). Throughout the evening, guests will be entertained by the God of Prosperity (财神) and a live band. Café Laurel is also serving buffet high tea and dinner for the first 2 days of Chinese New Year. Customers enjoy 15% discount when they dine on these 2 days.

Right off the bat, Deep-Fried Prawns capture my attention immediately. Although looks can be deceiving in some cases, I must say that the prawns are delightfully sweet and crunchy.

Next, Braised Lamb is cooked with cream sauce that helps to mask the lamb’s strong smell. The dish is garnished with vegetables and fritters.

As for poultry, the Braised Chicken is cooked to perfection. Not only is the meat succulent, the brown skin is delectable too.

Pan-Fried Fish is easily my favorite dish this evening. Appetizing aroma permeates the vicinity as soon as the lid is removed. The fish fillets are flavored with sweet-and-sour sauce that it does not overwhelm my palate.

Moving to the cold cuts section, there are smoked fish, smoked chicken, chicken slices and seasoned baby octopus. As for health-conscious diners, there is a salad bar with fresh vegetables and dressings.

The buffet’s Japanese section is well received too. Chilled slices of salmon and tuna sashimi (刺身) are served with condiments like wasabi (山葵) and soy sauce. Futomaki (太巻き), or thick sushi rolls, are prepared too.

The action counter prepares Char Koay Teow (炒粿条), Penang’s most popular stir-fried dish. Ingredients used are flat rice noodles, prawns, squids, fishcakes, eggs, bean sprouts, garlic chives and chili paste.

The pastry section has a variety of sweet confections like red velvet cake, chocolate pound cake, strawberry mousse cake, chocolate layer cake, pandan sponge cakes, cheesecake, cream puffs and fruit tartlets.

At the end of the meal, cleanse your palate with cut fruits like rose apples, oranges, pineapples and watermelon. Assorted fruit jellies and panna cotta are available too.

In addition, Evergreen Laurel Hotel is serving banquet-style set meals from 24 January 2020 to 8 February 2020. There are 2 menu options: RM1,088.00 net and RM1,388.00 net per table. Reservation is highly recommended as slots are being filled quickly.

Name: Café Laurel
Address: 53, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-222-9988
Business hours: 6:30am-10:00pm
Website: https://www.evergreenlaurelhotelpenang.com/dining
Coordinates: 5.43130 N, 100.31779 E
Directions: Evergreen Laurel Hotel Penang is located at the eastern end of Gurney Drive (Persiaran Gurney). Café Laurel is located next to the lobby. Evergreen Laurel Hotel has multi-storey parking, which is accessible from Gurney Drive and Kelawai Road (Jalan Kelawai).

C’est Si Bon Restaurant is one of the two eateries in VOUK Hotel Suites; the other is Indulgence Lounge. Located at Level 2, C’est Si Bon is also where in-house guests have breakfast every morning.

On Friday and Saturday, C’est Si Bon serves Asean Feast Buffet Dinner between 7:00pm and 10:00pm. The 3 rotating menus, curated by Executive Chef Fong, aim to cover various Southeast Asian cuisines under one roof.

Starting with something local, Ikan Masak Lemak Cili Api is a classic Malay dish. Mackerels are cooked with coconut milk and a variety of spices, making this dish quite spicy on the tongue. Be careful if you are not used to pungent spices.

Next, the Chinese-style Nestum Prawns enjoy widespread popularity thanks to their sweet and buttery taste. However, I feel that the prawns are not as crunchy as they ought to be.

Hailing from lands to our north is a dish called Thai Lamb Massaman. Massaman is a relatively mild curry of Indian or Middle Eastern origin. This explains why the recipe for massaman is substantially different from other Thai curries.

Telur Berlado is a spicy Minangkabau dish from Sumatra. The main appeal lies in the hot paste, which is made by blending red chili peppers, spices and lime juice. The paste is then stir-fried with hard-boiled eggs.

Meanwhile, Bakso is a popular noodle dish from Indonesia. It is named after the meatballs used in the dish, which are typically firm and dense. Typically, the dish uses a mixture of rice vermicelli and yellow noodle. Other ingredients are fishcakes, bean sprouts, kai-lan (Chinese kale) and fried shallots.

Moving on to the action counter, Char Koay Teow is part of Penang’s renowned hawker fare. The stir-fried dish uses flat rice noodle, prawns, fishcakes, eggs, bean sprouts, garlic chives and chili paste. Char Koay Teow is also sold at Se-Petang D’ VOUK, a food fair in front of the hotel every Wednesday evening.

Crêpes are prepared to order so that they are soft when served. Diners can opt for toppings like peaches, blueberries, kiwi, grapes and crushed Oreo. A drizzle of chocolate sauce and strawberry syrup serves as icing on the cake.

End your meal on a sweet note with cakes, tarts and jellies in roll-out cabinet drawers. If you prefer something warm and soupy, bubur pulut hitam (black glutinous rice porridge) is a good choice. Ice cream and ais kacang are available too.

Finally, cleanse your palate with fresh fruits like oranges, honeydew, watermelon and papaya. Pickled fruits and fruit punch are also provided.

The Asean Feast Buffet Dinner is priced at RM48.00 net, RM28.00 net and RM38.00 net for adults, children and senior citizens respectively. The spacious and cosy ambience at C’est Si Bon Restaurant makes this restaurant a good venue for casual gatherings.

Name: C’est Si Bon Restaurant
Address: 57-G-3, Mansion One, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-370-8333
Business hours: 6:30am-11:00pm
Website: http://www.voukhotelsuites.com.my/facilities
Coordinates: 5.42743 N, 100.32081 E
Directions: VOUK Hotel Suites is located on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, right next to Gleneagles Penang and across the road from Aroi Mak Thai Food Restaurant. C’est Si Bon Restaurant is located at Level 2 of the main building. Parking is available in front of Hardwicke House.

Special thanks to The Light Hotel for extending this food review invitation.

When it comes to festive decorations, The Light Hotel never fails to impress me. For the Chinese New Year later this month, the hotel is welcoming the Festival of Spring with a mesmerizing cherry blossom garden in the lobby.

This evening, The Light Hotel is giving a sneak peek at its upcoming Chinese New Year buffets. The main event is the Grand Prosperity Reunion Buffet Dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve (24 January 2020). Held at The Light Grand Ballroom, the buffet is expected to draw a crowd of 1,000.

Yee sang (鱼生) is often served during Chinese New Year as it is a symbol of one achieving greater heights in the upcoming year. This round, The Light Hotel’s Fatt Choy Yee Sang is decorated to spell the Chinese character for “prosperity” (福).

The Hot Pot action station is the main attraction this evening. Diners can choose from a variety of marine delicacies like freshwater prawns (udang galah), tiger prawns, slipper lobsters, flower crabs and green-lipped mussels.

Hot Pot comes with 3 choices of soup: clear soup, tom yam soup and spicy shrimp broth. I opted for clear soup, which is very rich in flavor. I must also say that the seafood ingredients are extremely fresh. Be sure to try the Hot Pot!

Diners who love Seafood On Ice can help themselves to tiger prawns, snow crabs, scallops and mussels. Once again, the seafood items are absolutely fresh. Various dipping sauces are provided.

The buffet menu includes homemade Dim Sum (点心) that is prepared by the hotel’s full-time dim sum chef. The large steamer baskets contain siew mai dumplings, baozi and yong tau foo.

Jiu hu char (鱿鱼炒) is a salad of dried cuttlefish, jicama and carrots. Diners can also help themselves to crab cakes, crab sticks, money bags and meat rolls.

Roast Lamb Leg is served with black pepper sauce, barbecue sauce and mint chutney. As for poultry, there are Roast Chicken and Char Siew Chicken too.

Moving on to chafing dishes, Kam Heong Chicken is easily one of my favorite ones. The chicken cutlets are stir-fried with fragrant “kam heong” (甘香) sauce, and then garnished with bell peppers of various colors. This gives the dish an attractive look in line with the festive spirit of Lunar New Year.

There are several Western dishes in the buffet menu; Chicken & Potato Pie is a notable one. The dish is quite satisfying despite its simple appearance.

Next, Italian cuisine is represented by Seafood Lasagna and Pasta Carbonara. The former has prawns and squids between layers of pasta.

Malay cooking is best represented by Telur Masak Lemak. The hard-boiled eggs are cooked in a creamy curry infused with coconut milk.

The Light Hotel is also renowned for its nasi kandar fare. The dishes are elegantly presented in fancy brass pots.

Nasi kandar dishes this evening are Nasi Briyani, Mutton Curry, Fish Varuval, Vegetable Dalcha and more.

Finally, the dessert section offers interesting choices like Shanghai pancakes, Chinese butter cake and mandarin orange cake. There is also an assortment of Chinese New Year cookies like bahulu (鸡蛋糕).

Tangyuan (汤圆) is quite popular during Chinese New Year as it symbolizes family reunion. The dessert consists of glutinous rice balls cooked in ginger-infused syrup. The larger rice balls are filled with sweet black sesame paste too.

Western confections are also present this evening. Examples are chocolate cake, mango cake, chocolate tart and French pastries.

The Grand Prosperity Reunion Buffet Dinner is priced at RM138.00+ per person. As for customers who are unable to secure a seat on Chinese New Year’s Eve, The Light Hotel is serving buffet high tea and buffet dinner on the next 2 days. These buffet sessions will be held at Spice Brasserie.

Furthermore, The Light Hotel also offers 8-course set dinner, yee sang and pun choy (盆菜) throughout this festive season. Make a reservation today before the seats are taken up!

Name: The Light Hotel
Address: Lebuh Tenggiri 2, Pusat Bandar Seberang Jaya, 13700 Seberang Jaya, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-382-1111
Business hours: 12:00pm-3:00pm, 6:30pm-10:00pm
Website: http://thelighthotelpg.com/offers/january-promotion/grand-prosperity-reunion-buffet-dinner
Coordinates: 5.39429 N, 100.39853 E
Directions: From Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (North-South Expressway), take the Seberang Jaya exit and head west. Turn left just before the pedestrian bridge and drive all the way to the end. When the road splits, keep right. The Light Hotel is the first building on the left. The Light Grand Ballroom is located at Level 1, while Spice Brasserie is located next to the lobby. There are parking spaces within the hotel’s compound. The parking fee is RM6.00 per entry.

Special thanks to Lexis Suites Penang for extending this food review invitation.

Lexis Suites Penang is welcoming Chinese New Year with a large festive backdrop in the lobby. The 12-year Chinese zodiac has come a full cycle, so it is now the Year of the Rat!

The hotel’s flagship restaurant is Roselle Coffee House. This evening, the coffeehouse is hosting a media preview for its upcoming Chinese New Year buffet.

There will be 3 buffet sessions this year. On Chinese New Year’s Eve (24 January 2020), dinner will be held en masse at the Hibiscus Grand Ballroom. For the next 2 days (25 January 2020 and 26 January 2020), lunch will be served at Roselle instead.

It is customary to toss yee sang (鱼生) during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the higher one tosses, the greater heights one achieves in the upcoming year. For today’s preview, the yee sang platter is elaborately decorated to welcome the Year of the Rat!

Poon Choi (盆菜) is traditionally prepared in a large basin since the food is meant to be consumed communally. Lexis’ version contains delicacies like abalones, scallops, prawns, fish maws and mushrooms. The dish is also topped with fat choy (发菜).

Poon Choi is customarily paired with Yook Poon (肉盘). The latter comprises of roast duck and roast chicken in savory gravy.

Eight Treasure Chicken (八宝鸡) contains fillings like water chestnuts, ginkgo nuts and lotus seeds. Each ingredient is meant to represent something auspicious. For instance, ginkgo nut represents wealth because it looks like a sycee (元宝).

As for chafing dishes, Steamed Fish Fillet is served with broccoli and Japanese soy sauce (醤油). Shredded vegetables on top give this dish some festive colors.

Another delectable dish is Braised Bailing Mushrooms & Sea Cucumber. The dish is garnished with broccoli, cauliflowers and carrots.

Next, Lexis Spicy Prawns are cooked with fiery chili paste that will definitely tantalize your taste buds. You have been warned!

Assorted dim sum (点心) and mantou (馒头) are kept warm in large steamer baskets. Condiments provided are sweet sauce and chili sauce.

Japanese delicacies are supplied Umi Japanese Restaurant downstairs. The sashimi (刺身) platter attracts me with delectable slices of salmon, butterfish and scallops. Several types of sushi (寿司) are prepared too.

Seafood on ice includes scallops, mussels, snow crabs, prawns and slipper lobsters. Condiments like cocktail sauce and lemon wedges are provided.

I am pleased to delight my palate with gourmet cheeses, cold cuts and smoked salmon. Other interesting delicacies are Thai spicy beef salad and seasoned baby octopus. There is also a salad bar that serves fresh produce and dressings.

Finally for desserts, I cannot resist the temptation to sample traditional Chinese New Year cookies such as beehive cookies (蜂窝饼), peanut cookies (花生饼), mung bean cookies (绿豆饼), pineapple tarts (凤梨酥) and kuih kapit (夹必糕). There is also a basket of Nyonya kuih to evoke nostalgia of the past.

On the evening of New Year’s Eve, diners will be entertained by a series of events such as mask-changing performance, God of Prosperity, live band and lucky draw. Early birds who make their booking by 20 January 2020 get 20% discount. Simply scan the QR code below (or click here) and then enter the code “LSPCNY20”. This offer only applies to the Chinese New Year’s Eve Dinner and the regular adult price.

As for customers who prefer to dine in a more formal setting, Lexis serves set lunch and dinner from 24 January 2020 to 8 February 2020. There are 3 menus to choose from. The price ranges from RM988.00 to RM1,388.00 per table of 10. Each meal comes with complimentary yee sang.

Shown here is the RM1,188.00 set menu. The 9 dishes in this menu are:
– Prosperity Norwegian Fresh Salmon Yee Sang
– Hot & Cold Dishes Combination
– Seafood Soup with Fish Maw, Crab Meat & Dried Scallops
– Steamed Wrapped Herbal Chicken
– Braised Dried Oysters, Sea Moss, Dried Scallops & Assorted Mushrooms
– Stir-Fried Szechuan Flavored White Sea Prawns
– Steamed Red Snapper With King Soya Sauce
– Fried Rice With Diced Chicken & Dried Shrimps Wrapped In Lotus Leaf
– Double-Boiled Peach Gum, Chia Seeds & Rose Flowers

Last but not least, the hotel’s Jackpot! Salmon Yee Sang Platter is available for dine-in and take-away. This offer is available from 20 January 2020 to 8 February 2020.

Name: Lexis Suites Penang
Address: 28, Jalan Teluk Kumbar, 11920 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-628-2888
Business hours: 12:00pm-3:00pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm
Website: https://www.lexissuitespenang.com/offers/spring-greetings-buffet-promos
Coordinates: 5.28697 N, 100.23254 E
Directions: From Bayan Lepas, drive along Jalan Teluk Kumbar towards the intersection with Jalan Gertak Sanggul. Lexis Suites Penang is the tall building on the left just before the intersection. Hibiscus Grand Ballroom is located at Level 1, while Roselle Coffee House is located at the Mezzanine Floor. There are parking spaces inside the hotel.

Special thanks to Ixora Hotel for extending this food review invitation.

Since Chinese New Year is fast approaching, Ixora Hotel is using festive decorations to welcome the Festival of Spring. The hotel is also serving Tuan Yuan Reunion Buffet Dinner (团圆年夜饭) on Chinese New Year’s Eve (24 January 2020). The buffet will be held at The Straits Cafe & Lounge.

For the preview event this evening, I am starting the meal with Treasure Chowder with imitation shark fin. Meanwhile, Double-Boiled Herbal Soup contains black chicken and fish maw. Both soups are quite satisfying and helps to stimulate appetite before a huge feast.

Next, Teow Chew Noodle is served with a generous amount of prawns. The noodle has a rough texture that I find quite interesting.

Gold Coin Bean Curds are served with minced prawns and crab meat sauce. Meanwhile, Jiu Hu Char is a Nyonya (Peranakan) dish made of dried cuttlefish, jicama and carrots.

Fresh Scallops are served with assorted mushrooms, vegetables and fatt choy (发菜). Fatt choy is considered auspicious because it sounds similar to “striking rich” (发财) in Chinese.

There is a barbecue corner at the outdoor section of the restaurant. Diners can help themselves to grilled beef, lamb, slipper lobsters, flower crabs, prawns and Hokkaido scallops. I am most impressed with the slipper lobsters; the succulent meat is gratifying indeed.

The Seafood Dumpling Noodle Soup is highly recommended too. Egg noodle is blanched in hot water very briefly so that it remains springy. The dish is then topped with cabbage, coriander, spring onions, fried shallots and red chili peppers.

Another major highlight this evening are Oysters On Ice. This delicacy is seldom served in buffets nowadays. There are several dipping sauces to go with the oysters, but I prefer a squeeze of lemon juice instead.

Ixora Hotel’s pastry team is pulling out all the stops in preparing today’s meal. I am very impressed with the colorful assortment of sweet confections at the dessert section.

In line with the Lunar New Year, there are Chinese-style jellies such as osmanthus jelly, chrysanthemum jelly and herbal jelly. Meanwhile, panna cotta comes in fruity flavors like mango, lychee, honeydew and coconut. Tiramisu and omochi are present too.

Ixora Hotel’s Tuan Yuan Reunion Buffet Dinner is priced at RM98.00+ per adult, RM68.00+ per child, and RM78.00+ per senior citizen. For every 4 paying adults, the 5th person’s meal is on the house. This promotion is valid before 20 January 2020.

On the other hand, diners who prefer Chinese course dinners can opt for Ixora Hotel’s Lunar Feast (发财年菜). There are 3 menus to choose from.

The course dinner is available from 1 January 2020 to 8 February 2020. 2-day advance booking is required. A bottle of wine is given for every 5 tables.

Furthermore, Ixora Hotel is offering Prosperity Yee Sang for dine-in and take-away. The yee sang contains crab meat and comes in 2 sizes: medium (RM98.00+) and large (RM108.00+). Customers are advised to book 1 day in advance.

Name: The Straits Cafe & Lounge
Address: 3096, Jalan Baru, Bandar Perai Jaya, 13600 Perai, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-382-8888
Business hours: 6:30am-11:00pm
Website: https://www.ixorahotel.com/the-straits-cafe
Coordinates: 5.37805 N, 100.39825 E
Directions: From Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (North-South Expressway), take the Prai exit and head west. After Megamal Pinang on the left, turn left and follow the road to Ixora Hotel’s basement parking. The Straits Cafe & Lounge is located next to the lobby.

Special thanks to Eastin Hotel Penang for extending this food review invitation.

Eastin Hotel Penang is giving a sneak peek at its upcoming Chinese New Year buffet. The buffet menu is designed by Executive Chef Alex Leong, who was transferred from Eastin Hotel’s sister property several months ago.

It is considered auspicious to toss yee sang (鱼生) during Chinese New Year. Eastin Hotel continues the tradition of decorating the yee sang platter in a captivating manner. This time, the Fortune Yee Sang spells out the Chinese character “fatt” (发), which means “prosperity”.

One of the main highlights this evening is Roasted Lamb, which has a crumbly parmesan herb crust. The lamb is served with Chef Alex’s special Mongolian sauce. Sweet potatoes are served on the side. I cannot recommend this dish highly enough.

Poon Choi (盆菜) is traditionally prepared in a large wooden basin as it is meant to be consumed in a communal manner. Key ingredients in this Cantonese dish are abalones, scallops, oysters, prawns, fish maw, broccoli, mushrooms and yuba sticks.

Yook Poon (肉盘) or “meat platter” is served at the carving station. Diners can enjoy succulent Roast Chicken and Roast Duck, which go extremely well with plum sauce. Peking Duck Rolls are also prepared, but I feel that the pancakes are too tough.

Taking a detour to chafing dishes, I am most impressed by Village-Style Steamed Sea Bass. The scrumptious fillets are cooked with shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms and chopped garlic. Indeed, this is one of Chef Alex’s signature dishes.

Next, Baked Salmon Fillets are served with creamy saffron dill cream, making the dish aromatic indeed. The delectable slices are garnished with cherry tomatoes and baby tangerines.

Another recommended dish is Kong Po Prawns. “Kong po” sauce (宫保酱) has a lovely combination of sweet, savory and spicy flavors. The presence of cashew nuts not only lends crunchiness, but also enhances the dish’s aroma.

Wok-Fried Green Mussels are cooked with spicy sauce that leaves tantalizing sensation on the tongue. Meanwhile, colorful bell peppers add festive colors to this seafood dish.

Another noteworthy dish is Crispy Sesame Chicken. The cutlets are coated with fermented tofu (腐乳). Although green chili dip is provided, I feel that savory fermented tofu makes the chicken tasty enough.

Ever since Chef Alex joined the team, Dan Dan Noodle (担担面) has become one of Swez Brasserie’s popular dishes. Green tea noodle is matched with spicy chicken ragout and shrimp-flavored broth. The combined taste is remarkably balanced.

The salad section has delicacies like mung bean jelly with Sichuan pepper, eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, and prawns with honeydew salad. Meanwhile, marine delicacies include smoked salmon, salmon gravlax and white tuna tataki.

There are two choices of soup: Sichuan Seafood Soup and Pumpkin Cream Soup. Sichuan Seafood Soup is the right choice if you love sour and spicy flavors. Meanwhile, Pumpkin Cream Soup is infused with lemongrass for the distinctive citrus aroma.

One should not overlook the Double-Boiled Soup that contains peach gum, longan and red dates. Peach gum (桃胶) is jelly-like substance made of resin from peach trees. Also worth trying is Tau Fu Fa (豆腐花) with brown sugar syrup.

The desserts counter presents mochi, sesame balls, moist chocolate cake, Japanese cotton cheesecake, tiramisu and assorted French pastries. Chinese New Year cookies are also included during the actual buffets.

Eastin Hotel Penang has 5 buffet sessions for Chinese New Year. Held at the Grand Ballroom on Chinese New Year’s Eve, the Family Reunion Buffet Dinner will have the most lavish menu among all. On other days, the buffet is served at Swez Brasserie. Do take advantage of the early bird offer by booking your seats before 10 January 2020!

Name: Eastin Hotel Penang
Address: 1, Solok Bayan Indah, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-612-1111
Business hours: 12:00pm-2:30pm, 7:00pm-10:00pm
Website: http://www.eastin.com/penang/dining
Coordinates: 5.33659 N, 100.30660 E
Directions: Eastin Hotel Penang is located along Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu) and is conveniently next to Queensbay Mall. The Grand Ballroom is located on Level 3, while Swez Brasserie right next to the hotel lobby. There are parking spaces at the basement levels of the hotel.

Special thanks to Bayview Hotel Georgetown Penang for extending this food review invitation.

Bayview Hotel is a 4-star hotel in George Town. The property has the distinction of having the first (and only) revolving restaurant in Penang. As Christmas is coming soon, hotel lobby is decorated with a festive backdrop for guests to take photos with.

Bayview Hotel is having a preview of the upcoming Christmas Eve Dinner Delight. The event is held at Kopi Tiam, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant. The actual dinner on Christmas Eve is priced at RM98.00 net per adult and RM78.00 net per child.

This year’s yuletide menu is designed by Executive Sous Chef Tony, who is shown here carving one of his signature dishes, Roasted Tom Turkey. The turkey is marinated for several days to ensure that it is seasoned thoroughly. It comes with chicken meatloaf, roasted vegetables, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce.

Another Christmas delicacy by Chef Tony is Grilled Sea Perch. The whole fish is cooked with herbs and spices, and then served with sour-and-spicy tamarind sauce. The fish’s texture is reasonably firm.

Nestum Fish is prepared in fun-size portions, which is preferred in a buffet setting. Creamy cheddar sauce works harmoniously with the fish fillets. Overall, this dish is a popular choice among children.

Next, Chicken Curry Kapitan is a Peranakan (Nyonya) recipe which is a fusion of Malay and Chinese cuisines. The spice mix is not as spicy as its Malay counterpart, but is still quite flavorful on the palate. The dish is garnished with capsicum and cherry tomatoes to give it some festive colors.

The meaty dishes earlier are balanced by Potatoes Au Gratin. In this dish, slices of boiled potato are baked under a rich layer of cheese. Other notable dishes in this category are Buttered Garden Vegetables and Champignon Butter Rice.

The action counter serves à la minute pasta dishes like spaghetti and fettuccine. Napoli sauce and cheese sauce are available. Be sure to savor the handmade seafood tortellini too! Also served at the action counter are Chicken Satay, Fish Skewers and Lamb Chops.

Moving on to seafood on ice, diners can indulge in salmon sashimi and half-shell scallops. Condiments provided are lemon wedges, soy sauce and wasabi.

Finger foods include Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Baby Octopus With Quail Eggs. Meanwhile, the salad bar is where fresh produce and dressings are provided. As for soups, today’s choices are Roots Vegetables Soup and Double-Boiled Chicken Soup.

The buffet spread has a modest variety of Christmas confections too. For instance, the Christmas Log Cake is decorated with icing so that the cake resembles an actual yule log. In addition, be sure to sample the Christmas Pudding with vanilla sauce. There is also an assortment of Christmas cookies like gingerbread men.

Other desserts that the pastry team has prepared are Lemon Meringue Tarts, Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie, Blueberry Cheesecake, Imperial Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Profiteroles, Crème Caramel, Red Dragon Mousse and Three-Layer Jelly.

Besides Christmas Eve Dinner Delight, Kopi Tiam is also serving Welcome 2020 BBQ Buffet Dinner on New Year’s Eve. The price is RM118.00 net for adults and RM88.00 net for children. And if you are looking for a place to stay during this holiday season, do take advantage of Bayview Hotel’s Dinner + Room Package.

Name: Kopi Tiam
Address: Bayview Hotel, 25-A, Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-263-3161
Business hours: 6:30am-1:00am
Website: https://bhgp.bayviewhotels.com/dining-drinks/kopitiam
Coordinates: 5.42192 N, 100.33588 E
Directions: Bayview Hotel is located at Leith Street (Lebuh Leith), between Lebuh Farquhar and Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. Kopi Tiam is located on the Ground Floor and next to the lobby. The hotel’s multi-storey parking garage is accessible from Lebuh Farquhar. Street parking is also available in front of the hotel.