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Invited: Bora Bora by Sunset @ Batu Ferringhi, Penang.

The bistro equipped with greenery, thatching, dim lights, DJ platform, Shisha bar, pool table, beers, antique and vintage decorations to give it a lively Bali nightlife-like ambiance.

Xuan Xin Steamboat @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

Lok Lok does not make any hygienic sense? Well, this should not be an issue with the introduction of air-conditioned Lok Lok-oriented restaurant, Xuan Xin Steamboat.

I Mum Mum Restaurant @ Pengkalan Weld, Penang.

My visit ended up in disappointment as i had high expectations on the restaurant after going through a few reviews but they were written two years ago.

Strawberry Forever @ Sungai Pinang, Penang.

Strawberry Forever is actually a strawberry-themed dessert cafe which is based in Hong Kong but has now extended their business by opening their 3rd outlet at Penang's shoreline.

Brunch Buffet at Spice Market Cafe @ Rasa Sayang Resort.

The diversity in food offered reflects the cultural diversity in this multiracial country. The buffet theme is changed once a week.

Cheese Fondue at De Title Dining Cabin @ Lorong Selamat.

The cheese was mouth-watering with a mix of sweetness, sourness and saltiness as well as rich creaminess, strong tanginess but it was full of a strong trace of Mayonnaise.

Hot Bowl Nyonya Delights @ Abu Siti Lane, Penang.

Just because of White Curry Mee, the owner of Hot Bowl not only appeared in numerous local newspapers but was also featured in 8TV Ho Chak programme.

Face to Face Noodles House @ Penang Times Square, Penang.

Great news for noodle lovers: Now you can enjoy bowl of hot noodles in a cool hygienic air conditioned surrounding. Face to Face Noodles House has officially opened their 16th outlet.

Revisiting Delicious Cafe @ Straits Quay, Penang.

You see, large crowds and long waiting list are normal, even on weekdays. In this particular review, i am squeezing in my past three revisitings which all ended up happy and satisfied.

Invited: Grand Opening of Dragon9ine @ Belissa Row, Penang.

Dragon9ine (traditional Chinese: 九龍餐廳) is one of the latest modern Chinese-based restaurant that hits the town. I, along with the other bloggers were treated to an exquisite fine dining experience.

Oh Sushi @ Straits Quay, Penang.

I found the restaurant exterior design less attractive because the side facing the car park has nothing but a white wall and a main door which is made of glass and wood planks.

Kok Beng Chicken Rice @ Taiping, Perak.

4 years ago, Guang Ming Daily in association with NTV7 aired a TV show in which top 10 Malaysian Hainanese Chicken Rice are being picked and honourably Kok Beng's was one of them.

Amelie Cafe @ Armenian Street, Penang.

Amelie Cafe which is situated on this old road right next to Cheah Kongsi was once a very hot topic as a result of its uniquity and of course, has caught eyes of numerous bloggers.

Invited Review: D'Dapor Express @ Lebuh Union, Penang.

D'Dapor Express is a spacious modern Halal air-conditioned WiFi-available restaurant with classic style interior in which photographs of old Penang streets and buildings filled up the walls.

New Mizi Bistro @ Tesco Tanjung Pinang, Penang.

Mizi Bistro made its name with its very first outlet at New World Park. The first outlet might be small but in my experience, it is congested every time i walk pass it.

PappaRich @ Straits Quay, Penang.

PappaRich is a franchised Hainanese kopitiam-styled cafe which was initially established in 2005. The cafe concept is similar with Old Town Cafe, serving a multitude of local delicacies, beverages and bread.

Invited: Dinner With Chef Chen Hong @ Golden Thai.

It was a real honour to have dinner with Chef Chen Hong, to have such close contact with him and to share his food experience from all parts of the Earth. He is so friendly and he is irreplaceable.

Invited Review : De Title Dining Cabin @ Lorong Selamat.

Somewhere in the middle of the road, there is a heritage building which is painted in very distinctive lilac colour. You name it and they will make it.

Lao Sher Tea House @ Burma Road, Penang.

The tea house is situated opposite of the Public Specialist Centre and it is a member of Penang Heritage Trust. Judging from the exterior design, you will only expect it is nothing else but a tea house.

Blue Reef @ Straits Quay, Penang.

Blue Reef first made its name at Casa Permai 2, Tanjung Bungah before sealing a move to the latest seaside complex mall, Straits Quay. Two days ago, i have finally stepped into this restaurant along with my other half.

Caffe Strada @ Krystal Point, Penang.

Strada Caffe or Caffe Strada has been on my hunting list for a long while due to its strategic location and its attractive exterior. It is situated at Krystal Point, neighbouring La Mei Zi, Domino's Pizza, Korea Palace etc.

Charlie Brown Cafe Soft Opening @ Straits Quay, Penang.

Charlie Brown with his troop of friends invaded Penang island. The first Charlie Brown Cafe in Malaysia has officially opened and i was there during the opening.

Revisiting Charlie Brown Cafe @ Straits Quay, Penang.

The soft opening of Charlie Brown Cafe was not a smooth and they promised will continue to improve. Due to a good feedback from my friend, i have decided to visit the cafe once more and made a revaluation.

Chicago Rib House 1st Anniv Promo @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

Chicago Rib House was originally located at Autocity for a year plus before eventually moving to Gurney Plaza. Time flies and now, they are celebrating its one year old birthday by launching a promotion.

Delicious Cafe @ Straits Quay, Penang.

Overall, every extra penny deserves its value. I found the prices quite reasonable for such truly scrumptious homemade food in such lovely dining environment.

Swez Brasserie Semi Buffet Dinner @ Eastin Hotel Penang.

It was my other half's 19th birthday and i brought her to Swez Brasserie which is located on level 1 of Eastin Hotel Penang after a deep survey.

Xuan Xin Restaurant @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

The place is normally crowded during weekends as it serves as a perfect spot for a harmony family dining.The square foot of the restaurant is believed to be 10 times larger than that of its sister outlet.

Sushi Feasta at Sakae Sushi @ Queensbay Mall, Penang.

For your information, Sakae Sushi has launched their Red Fiesta Week, they are offering a free red plate sushi for each red plate sushi that you have purchased.I have grabbed six of them, how about you?

James Foo Western Food @ Fettes Park, Penang.

The family started their business humbly, from sub stall to otheir own outlet. Their success is seen and proven by the official opening of their brand new outlet.

Sweet-i Tong Sui House @ Sungai Dua, Penang.

Five years ago, they started their Tong Sui stall business by the roadside. They finally managed to move into a terraced house from a humble make-shift stall.

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt @ Bayan Bay, Penang.

Now, Penangites don't have to travel all the way to Island Plaza for the Froyo. Tutti Frutti has officially opened a new outlet at Bayan Bay, just opposite of Queensbay Mall.

5-Course Lunch at Santorini Cafe @ Burma Road, Penang.

I never know the existence of this cafe as it is shadowed by Chew Tian Yang Aquarium twenty four seven. Totally out of my expectation, the food was very distinct in its own way.

April Grill Catch @ Manhattan Fish Market, Queensbay Mall.

How long have you queued for this? The temporary price tag made the Fish N' Chips super worth trying but the taste is not worth for standing there, waiting for an hour.

Xuan Xin Ramen Kitchen @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

I have been here a few times and all those visits resulted in super satisfaction, excluding the recent one, the one i am writing about it now.

Darren Invades Kampar!

My family and i traveled all way down from Penang to KL, we dropped by at Kampar to have our lunch. With my brother's previous 2 years living experience in Kampar, we managed to try out the finest local food there.

Mizi Bistro @ New World Park, Penang.

I have tasted the Classic Three Combo and the famous Seafood Kebab. Kindly click on the title above to read the full review.

Plus 2 Restaurant @ Sungai Dua, Penang.

This was my second visit to this restaurant which is famous for its Marmite Chicken. Of course, the reputed dish was served on my table. Kindly click the title above to take a look at this delicious thingy!

Fried Rice at Goodall Cafe @ Gottlieb Road, Penang.

The fried rice there may be famous among Ping Hwa students. It is well known for its very yummy green sambal which copes well the fried rice. No more nonsenses, click on the title above to take a look at it!

Roti Bakar Kopitiam @ Ivory Plaza, Penang.

Reviews regarding deep fried crab meat rolls, seafood ginger milk bee hoon and rice. Kindly click on the title above to read the full review.

Ceri Food and Beverage Outlet @ Dato Keramat, Penang.

Roti Canai, topped with spicy curry, is slotted into my mouth. Kindly click on the title above to read the full review.

Wah Meng Cafe @ Ayer Itam Market, Penang.

One of the best claypot noodles in Penang. Roti Tissue is another must dish. Kindly click on the title above to get the full review.

Mee Goreng and Mee Rebus @ Sungai Pinang, Penang.

My all-time favourite mee goreng. Guess what? The stall does have a history of at least 40 years. Click on the title above to check it out.

Zim Sum Restaurant @ Anson Road, Penang.

I just had a wonderful yum cha time along with my family. Hong Kong Chee Cheung Fun and Dim Sum were some gread add-ons. Kindly hit the title above to read the full review.

Seven Bistro @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

A friend's belated birthday treat. Have tried out the infamous Spanish Grilled Chicken and Spicy Clams Spaghetti. Kindly hit the title above to read the full review..

Xuan Xin Ramen Kitchen @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

Reviews regarding deep fried eel, soup Ramen and fried seafood Ramen. Kindly click on the title above to read the full review.

Bar-B-Q Plaza @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

Reviews on peculiar Mongolian and Japanese style barbecue. Kindly click on the title above to read the full review.

Chicago Rib House @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

I wrote about bacon and chicken burger, grilled blackened catch and Brownie Ice Cream. Kindly hit the title above to read the full review.

Tao-Cuisine @ Autocity, Juru.

I had Japanese Ala-Carte Buffet on my birthday. Kindly hit the title above to read the full review.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Strawberry Forever @ Sungai Pinang, Penang.




Strawberry Forever is actually a strawberry-themed dessert cafe which is based in Hong Kong but has now extended their business by opening their 3rd outlet at Penang's shoreline, one of the new Promenade 28 double storey shoplots, just right next to Burger King.
Although it is named as a dessert cafe, it does offer snacks, healthy salads as well as Japanese fusion main courses.
Negative reviews and rumours highlighting the extremely not-living-up-to-the-price food got me doubtful for a visit until My Deal launched a deal in which i am entitled to a Rice in Hotpot along with a Healthy Juice and an option to get 50% off Strawberry Napoleon with only RM12.90 instead of RM26.18.
The cafe is cozy with a direct view of the pure blue sea and lively furniture such as 'strawberry' side chairs plus red-and-white-striped TGIF Friday's-like booths.
I have no idea why they are blocking the stairway to the upper level which serves as a venue for functions, parties etc.








Here i attach their scanned menu, click for larger view.



Other than that, the extensive collection of adorable soft toys exhibited is not only for decorating purpose, but also to boost their business.
You can carry one of them home with only RM30 if you spend more than RM50.
As you can see, some cakes and chocolate-covered strawberries are being displayed inside the showcase.
There are even pretty cake boxes of different sizes to accommodate your desserts perfectly.







I have eventually tried out two of their six healthy juices offered as i brought my other half along with me and they were Strawberry & Apple (RM7.90) which is their recommendation and Kiwi & Grapefruit (RM7.90).
The red Strawberry & Apple juice turned out to be spectacular with a simultaneous flick between sour strawberry taste and sweet apple taste.
I wonder why, it also had a Chinese herbal aftertaste.
Regarding the Kiwi & Grapefruit juice, one of the squashed fruits must be denser or heavier as a light green colour sank to the bottom after some time.
Honestly, i could not stand the strong tangy bitter taste which was accompanied by a scrubby banana seeds texture.


Every Rice in Hotpot is served with fried egg, Kimchi, a bowl of soup and there is a total of three choices of ingredients for you to choose from, they are Assorted Roasted Vegetables & Mushrooms (RM11.90), Teriyaki Seafood (RM15.90) and Teriyaki Chicken Steak & Prawns (RM15.90).
My other half went for the Teriyaki seafood which includes a mussel, fish fillets, shrimps and squid rings snowed in sweet dark garlicy Teriyaki sauce.
Taste wise, it was way out of my expectation, the sauce formed a perfect union with the seafoods and hot white rice, creating a palatable dish.
In my case, i opted for Teriyaki Chicken Steak & Prawns which came with a few Teriyaki chicken strips and two Tempura fried shrimps but they seemed to forget to put sauce or gravy on my thing.
It was way too dry until i requested for extra gravy which tasted like sweetened dark soy sauce.
The seafood one was obviously and sensationally better.






Last but not least, the Strawberry Napoleon (RM10.90) tasted as good as it looked.
The sandwiching of thin puff pastries between sliced sour strawberries and vice versa together with vanilla mousse produced a stunning lip-smacking dessert.
Besides, the aromatic pastries had an awesome crispiness that went pretty well with the mousse which had a heavy milk taste.
It is worth a try but definitely not worth the price.



Only 10% service tax is imposed and the rating below is based on the deal price, not the original price.


Address:
Unit No.26, Lebuh Sungai Pinang 5, Promenade 28,
11600 Penang.
[google map]

Operation hours:
11am - 11pm daily

Contact no.:
012 - 4058151 / 04 - 659 1059

Website:
[click here]

Facebook:
[click here]



Monday, August 22, 2011

Sunday Brunch Buffet at Spice Market Cafe @ Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa, Penang.



Dear readers, i am going to need your help here.
As mentioned below, this is actually a contest and i need you all to feed me with your precious Likes.
Kindly like Gourmet Garden facebook page before liking my link.
Thousands of thank you!




Spice Market Cafe which is housed by Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resot and Spa, Penang not only offers authentic Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya-Baba, Japanese, Thai, Western and international cuisines but also provides Asian spice education at Spice Boutique, a corner near its entrance where clients actually get to know more than 100 varieties of dried herbs and spices, you can even purchase some of them.
Apart from that, there is also an extensive collection of antique utensils such as biscuits tins, manual ice shaver (ice kacang machine) and some breathtaking wood carving masterpieces.










To celebrate the 54th Malaysia Independence Day, the cafe has launched a Buy 1 Free 1 brunch buffet promotion which means with only RM80+ + for adult and RM40++ for children, you can share the joy, the food with your loved ones from 12pm to 3pm on Sundays in August.
In conjunction with that, Gourmet Garden is holding a contest in which a total of 24 bloggers will be picked to dine for free, 6 at a time on every Sunday in the month of August and guest what? I was chosen to be one of them!
Do take note that the cafe is located at the Garden Wing of the large hotel, just next to the freeform swimming pools which is shaded as well as surrounded by a canopy of 100-plus-year-old gigantic rain trees.
The cafe has an impressive capacity of 250 people if counting in the indoor air-conditioned seatings and outdoor Malaysian style thatched gazebos.
Other than that, this green kingdom traps the sounds of rolling sea waves and sea breeze then it creates an utmost relaxing atmosphere for resort clients plus cafe patrons.






The diversity in food offered reflects the cultural diversity in this multiracial country.
In other words, there are 7 stations: Appetizer, Western cuisine, Sushi booth, Malay, Chinese, Indian cuisine along with desserts corner which altogether tally the food choices up to more than 100.
According to the banquet sous chef, Chef Anthony, the buffet theme is changed once a week and yesterday's theme was fish.
You will be greeted by a number of colourful Maki Sushi, salmon Sushi, tuna Sushi, shrimp Sushi and fried tofu, not forgetting an awesome green Wasabi sculpture.
I, along with the other bloggers and Gourmet Garden owners were also treated to a Sashimi plate which consists of thick-sliced luscious fresh raw sliced shrimp, salmon, cuttlefish as well as octopus, spectacular!
Wasabi sculpture.


Fried tofu.


Maki Sushi.


Salmon Sushi, tuna Sushi & shrimp Sushi.


Sashimi plate.


Moving on, it was the appetizer section which occupies the centre of the buffet area.
You could design your own salad with the broad spectrum of fresh green vegetables, colourful fruits and dressings available.
If that is too energy-consuming for you, there is also a wide spread of healthy salads, roasted fruits and grilled mushrooms.
An abundance of aromatic sesame seed dinner rolls and crunchy grissini was there and i eventually savoured them after coupling them with different varieties of cheese.
They also offered a weird purple juicy dish, Shiba Chike (i have got no Google result on it) which tasted sweet followed by an intense sourness.
Beyond that, i managed to locate Asian appetizers such as Kimchi, Chuka Kurage and stuffed vine leaves.
Appetizers which impressed me most were the wonderful cold cuts which are precooked or cured meat that are sliced, served cold as well as the tempting seafood delights.
Salad bar.


Pasta salad with poached salmon.


Tomato salad with basil.


Chicken salad.


Cucumber with shrimp salad.


Roasted pumpkin.


Roasted eggplant.


Roasted tomatoes.


Grilled mushrooms.


Dinner rolls & grissini.


4 types of cheeses: Brie Cheese, Edam Cheese, Emmental Cheese & i forgot about the last one.





Peculiar pink/purple coloured Shiba Chike.


Traditional fermented Korean dish, Kimchi.


Chuka Kurage, Japanese style seasoned jellyfish.


Stuffed vine leaves a.k.a Dolma.


A terrine is a French forcemeat loaf made with more coarsely chopped ingredients.
In this case, the Chicken Terrine was moist, cold, chewy but the flavours could be stronger.


The Roasted Beef was succulent and tender with just enough flavour.


Well, the dry Roasted Lamb Leg was gamey but the texture was fantastic, so did the taste.


Mountains of mussels, scallops, shrimps and orange shiny yabbies piled up on a bed of ice cubes.
The mussels were disappointing as they were dry or was it only my problem as i always prefer fresh raw juicy ones?
Besides, the scallops were small in size but they were mildly sweet accompanied by a soft and easy-to-chew texture.
I bascially had a fight with the yabby corpses, it was tough to remove their shell to savour their fresh sweet less moist flesh.





It is not neccessary for you to travel towards West just for authentic Western cuisine, Spice Market Cafe has it all.
Seafood corn chowder.


Quessadillass.


Beef stew.


Spiced potato wedges.


Breakfast frittata.


Seafood with Tarraggon cream sauce.


Fish cakes with roasted bananas.


Cajun spiced fish fillets with orange sauce and pecans.


Living up to its name, the cafe utilised the exotic spices they have by introducing local Malay cuisine.
Whole baked fish was fine. The skin was tremendously amazing as its flavours exploded in my mouth while the flesh was more mildly flavoured.


Malay hot and sour fish soup.


Deep fried chicken wings with Malay spices.


Beef rendang.


Potato Goreng Berempah, meaning spiced fried potatoes.


Next, it was the Chinese corner where the noodle station is and also where you could intoxicate yourself with the scrumptious local Chinese dishes which went very well with white rice as well as fried noodles.
At the noodle station, you get to choose everything you want including the ingredients, soup and the chef will produce a bowl of delectable Ramen for you.


Mouth-watering Chinese snacks, Dim Sum.



White rice or stir fried noodles? Your call.


Mixed vegetable.


Vegetable parcelsin spring roll skin.


Last but not least, the Indian cuisine offered consists of the foods and dishes of India which are characterized by the extensive use of various spices and herbs.
Well, i dare not say that Satay is an Indian dish but since it was placed at the Indian section, i will classify it under Indian cuisine for now.



Papadum is a thin, crisp Indian cracker and the ones made by the cafe were simply top class with an incredible crispiness despite exposing to air.


Pita or Chapati pieces? But it was definitely pleasant-tasting.


Mushroom Jalfrezi (Jalfrezi is a type of curry in which marinated pieces of meat or vegetables are fried in oil and spices to produce a dry, thick sauce).


Mushroom curry.


Lamb Korma, Korma is made with yogurt, cream, nut and seed pastes or coconut milk.


Tandoori chicken was available and so did Tandoori lamb.


Finally, it is time to introduce you the sinful desserts which got me longing for more that day.
Every cake was like a piece of heaven no matter it was a big one or it was a mini one.
I guess no words can express the ultimate dessert experience and there is only one way to share it with you, via pictures.
Did you realise that the cakes are exactly irresistable tempations?
Vitamin-rich fruit is a great subsitute for a dessert? Nah!


Breakfast cereals plus palatable toppings.


Nyonya and Malay Kuih which are not distintive enough to be differentiated.


Spotted an endless waterfall of warm chocolate along with dips such as marshmallows, cookies and this orange unknown thing.



Individual sized cakes.







Many a little makes a mickle, my stomach just can't tolerate every slice of them, it was too much!











Apparently, the cafe is providing refreshing fruit juices, black tea and black coffee only.
They should do better than that.


Other than the splendid meal, we were entertainted by this female clown who addresses herself as Cream Puff and she even claimed that she has a brother named Curry Puff.
She undoubtedly is also a balloon twister as she performed at the cafe, she twisted and shaped the balloons into any shape specified by the guests such as bicycle, camera, alien gun etc.


We then called it a day with an interview session with three of the main chefs who are extremely friendly.
Every question was very well-answered and they even supplied us with some information regarding the cafe, hotel, food quality control and kitchen hygiene maintenance.


Grab it or lose it?
You still have one very last Saturday to relish this awe-inspiring eat all you can buffet but make sure you don't waste any food even though they don't charge you for left over food.
Reservations prior to your visit are suggested as an estimation of 230 patrons stormed the cafe when i was there.



Address:
Batu Feringgi Beach, 11100 Penang.
[google map]

Operation hours:
Open Daily : 7am - 11pm
Breakfast Buffet : 7am-10.30am
Dinner Buffet : 6.30pm-10.30pm

Contact no.:
04 - 888 8888, Ext: 6830

Website:
[click here]


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