Ramadhan Buffet @ Swez Brasserie, Eastin Hotel Penang.

No idea on where to dine in to break fast? No worries, another great option of Ramadhan Buffet with huge variety of buffet spread is now available at Eastin Hotel Penang. In conjunction with the Ramadhan month, Eastin Hotel Penang is offering their Ramadhan Buffet Dinner at very affordable prices, an array of delectable yet authentic traditional fasting favorites namely Buah Kurma, Sup Gearbox, Lontong, Nasi Briyani, Daging Rendang as well as some mouth-watering assorted Malay kuih can be found as part of the buffet spread. 

Do make yourself an early reservation as hipsters will start to flock in early, most tables were reserved during our visit and try to secure yourself a table too! The buffet is definitely worth the price considering the choices available and quality of the food. 

Available on 10th of July 2013 until 7th of August 2013.

From 6:30pm to 10pm.

Rm 85++ (adult); Rm 43++ (child)

For inquiries or reservations, kindly contact Eastin Hotel Penang, Swez Brasserie at +04- 612 1128.

How can one misses out Buah Kurma/ Date Palm during a Ramadhan Buffet? All the dates were nicely presented near the fruits corner, along with some fresh and seasonal fruits such as Mangosteen. 

My usual favorite corner, the Cold Cut Platter; one should not miss their Smoked Duck Breast, I love to have them served with some fresh Mixed Greens, what a good way to kick start the meal!

Diners may find some Tapas near the Salad Bar too, choices were pretty limited but with so many choices around, who cares about Tapas? Well, at least I don't. 

I was delighted to spot some nicely shucked Oysters, Mussels as well as some succulent Prawns on the seafood bar. I have certainly enjoyed the plump and juicy Prawns, a light squeeze of some fresh Lemon juice will further enhance the flavor. Unfortunately, the Oysters were not as fresh as expected, nevertheless, it can be justified by the price of the buffet dinner.

Diners can find some Keropok/ Crackers (Prawn, Fish and Vegetarian) and the infamous Keropok Lekor as well as various types of Pickled items. 

Various kinds of Kerabu, although the colorful presentation does stand out to me but I have decided to skip most of them as I was into other dishes. 

The Sambal-Belacan and Ulam combination is yet another not to be missed traditional fasting favorite. Winged Bean is one of my all time favorites among all types.

I have no idea why they were serving the Deep Fried Boiled Egg, I am not sure if it's commonly seen in Ramadhan Buffet but I have decided to skip on that. On the other hand, I was shocked to see Hummus and Baba Ghanoush there too, these dishes are not too commonly found in Penang; unfortunately, both of them tasted a bit bland to my liking...

From top to bottm: Rendang Telur Sotong (Squid Egg Rendang), Kari Kepala Ikan (Fish Head Curry), Gulai Ikan Masin (Salted Fish Curry), and Kari Ayam Kapitan (Kapitan Curry Chicken). Among all the curries, I had the Kapitan Curry Chicken only, although the Chicken were slightly over-cooked and might be too chewy and rough in texture for some but the Chicken was well-executed with robust in flavors. A very good dish that goes well with rice!

This delicate Nasi Lemuni is something shall not be missed, it was my first time seeing Nasi Lemuni; one of the key ingredients- the Lemuni leaves are extremely rare in Penang according to Chef Bakri and he had to travel far to get himself some. The uniquely intense flavor of the Nasi Lemuni was inexplicable but guess what? I love it! 

From top to bottom: Stir Fried Nestum Prawns, Curry Squid, Wok Fried Ostrich with Ginger, Mussel Masak Sambal (Stir Fried Mussels with Sambal Chili) and Daging Masak Merah (Beef in Red). I was not expecting to see Ostrich meat here, the texture was rough but flavor-wise, it was average-okay. I like the squid despite the fact they have certainly over-cooked them, but the squid was abundantly flavorsome. 

From top to bottom: Seafood Cream Pie, Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce and Lamb. I am not a fan of creamy food which was I skipped the Pie. The Chicken was good, tender and juicy, blended perfectly well with the sauce which carries a hint of sweetness, the extra touch of Sesame Seeds has certainly increased some marks too. 

Well, if you would love to try on some exotic food, do try their Sup Puyuh/ Quail Soup out! It looks a bit oily to me though...

One of the main highlights of the buffet will be none other than their Roasted Whole Lamb! Diners are more than welcome to choose the rarity of meat and the Chef will slice accordingly to your preference. The perfect complement to go with the Lamb is definitely Mint Jelly. Other choices available are Yogurt Mint, Brown Sauce and Black Pepper Sauce.

Their Grilled Fish was another crowd-pleaser. The Fish was fresh and subtle, I love how simple the way they prepared the Fish, best accompanied with their home made sweet-sour-spicy dressing.

Diners may opt to savor this Sup Gearbox and power themselves up with the succulent Bone Marrow! Despite that the meat was tender, the soup appeared to be rather bland and diluted, probably they quantified the amount of soup but forgetting that the ingredients were limited. 

Another must have item dining in Ramadhan Buffet- Bubur Lambuk but unfortunately, I had to save some space for some other food so I didn't get to try this....

They do have another kiosk set up for Tempura and Penang Prawn Noodles but I did not bother to check it out....

Look at all these mouth-watering desserts, the desserts available that evening were traditional Nyonya Kuih, Banana Bread Pudding, Chocolate Moist Cake, Almond Cheese Cake, Panna Cotta and Macaroons etc.... I had their Banana Bread Pudding, accompanied with a scoop of icy cold Vanilla Ice Cream, calling a sweet ending to this sumptuous meal.

As part of Eastin Hotel Penang's giving back to community initiatives, 20 orphanage children along with 4 caretakers from Rumah Jagaan Nasyiatul Aisyah (Balik Pulau, Penang) were invited to join the media and fellow Eastin staff for a hearty Ramadhan Buffet Dinner at Swez Brasserie, Eastin Hotel Penang on 12th of July 2013.

A total amount of Rm 1,115 was collected from the staff as donation to Rumah Jagaan Nasyiatul Aisyah, followed by goodie bags presentation led by Eastin Hotel Penang's General Manager- Ms. Mary Ann Harris.

Big Thank You to Chef Bakri, Junior Sous Chef and the culinary team of Eastin Hotel Penang for preparing such sumptuous meal.