In conjunction with the 54th Merdeka Celebrations in Malaysia, Spice Market Cafe which is located at Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang is having a fabulous offer for their Sunday Brunch! And the promotion that they have is non other than a buy 1 FREE 1 promotion! YES thats right. For just RM80++ for adult and RM40++ for children, one can now enjoy them with more people.
It has always been my hope that I can dine in one of the finest restaurant in Penang and I was lucky enough to be invited this weekend for a review of their Sunday Brunch. As I reached Rasa Sayang, I saw the sign board which says Spice Market Cafe and thus I parked my car nearest to the entrance. Then when I walk in, realize that I was in the wrong wing and that the Spice Market Cafe is actually situated at the Garden Wing of Rasa Sayang. So, for those heading here, just give the security personnel a holler and ask for the Spice Market Cafe or the Garden Wing.
The really nice thing about Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in Penang is the lush greenery that covers the area. As you enter the car park, the rain trees provide a natural shade. This is again repeated in the garden within the hotel which surrounds the pool area. I would guess the trees here are hundreds of years old based on the size of it. As I arrived slightly early, I decided to walk around a take some snaps of the surrounding area. It would really be a amazing experience staying here as the garden provides some privacy and its very well maintained. Then there is also the beach which is just a stone throw away. With the sounds of breaking waves and the sea breeze, its no wonder that many flock to Rasa Sayang for their getaway!
I will be writing about the food and experience at Spice Market Cafe as well as abit on Rasa Sayang itself. I will also share abit about their Spa, named Chi, as we were lucky enough to be shown about there as well as about their spa concept. So do read on and as always, leave any comments ya. Once again, thanks to Gourmet Garden and also Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa for the opportunity. Its a long post, so do be patient with the loading.
So here we go with the sign boards at the car park
This is the Rasa Wing. Head to the Garden Wing which is where the Spice Market Cafe is.
Ah, finally there. Love their theme here which is all about the beauty and richness of the spice trade during the historical times where traders would bring their spices from all over the world to be traded here. Now they have incorporated the various spices into foods and also have spices for the guests to see and sample.
There is even a trishaw on display here. Hmm should this be called a trishaw or rickshaw?
This is the outdoor setting of the Spice Market Cafe. There are many small and large tables so no worries about coming alone, on a date or even in large groups. They are able to fit as many as 250 guests at any time.
Every table has this display of a traditional granite mortar and a mixture of spices in it. Very interesting and authentic indeed
A sneak peak into the gardens and surroundings of this resort. Many lounge chairs abound for guest to just relax and even snooze here
Huge fern trees everywhere giving it a very rainforest atmosphere. I can only imagine how nice it would be at night with the orange glow of lights
Walking along the many trails :)
Just look at those massive rain trees
Now a peak into the Spice Market Cafe from the side entrance
Gazebo setting outside the Spice Market Cafe. When the whether is good, this is a great place to dine
More rain tree pictures and how it looks like painting in the sky
Outdoor gazebo with coconut trees in the background
A glimpse of the beach
The tip of the new shoot of the giant ferns
OK, now we will enter the Spice Market Cafe
The main area where the food is served
Things are definitely well presented here
Seared Salmon on toast with some egg on top. Yummy.
This is the prime meat cut for this weekend. Its roasted chicken with herb sauce. This item is changed every Sunday so that guests will have better variety.
Mac with chicken and cheese in cups. The cheese is very thick and very filling. But it tastes good
They even have a sushi corner. These are maki rolls
There are 3 varieties of sushi today, namely salmon, tuna and shrimp.
Fried tofu
Variety of Japanese salad (I like to call it that as there are seaweed, pickles and also marinated jelly fish)
So one of the highlights is their seafood menu which they are serving on ice. To start of, they have Yabbies which is a type of crayfish. The yabbies tastes like prawns, with a slightly different texture. As its fresh, you can taste the sweetness of the flesh. The only complaint I have is that the shell of the yabbie is really hard and its not easy to peel. Would have been great if the yabbies had been pre-cut to ease the shell peeling as the edges on it are very hard and sometimes sharp which can cause a cut if we are not careful. But hey, it looks like a miniature lobster ya.
Its all served on a metal basket on top of ice!
Mussels. The mussels here are really juicy and have lots of flesh on it. Do note that there is the filamen portion of it so if possible, use a knife to scrape it together for the ultimate mussel experience!
There is even fresh scallops on the shell too. Its not the gigantic type but it surely is fresh as the flesh is sweet.
Then of course there are fresh prawns. Its good to know that these are some of the freshest prawns I have had. Probably live prawns cooked straight into the pot.
Look at the size of the prawns. Yum Yum
The salad bar. This was also served on a bed of ice. This is to ensure the right temperature for the salads
Seafood fried rice. This was a popular item and was quickly snapped up
Carrot and celery sticks to go with dippings. There were also a variety of cheese to sample too
A variety of appetizers
Cold cut platters
There is even a good selection of freshly made buns and bread
This is one of the thing which really IMPRESSED me. They have platters for kids and this really showed their emphasis for the family dining experience. Kudos here.
Sun dried tomatoes. Now this is a good one
Mix of fried brinjal.
So much to offer, so limited stomach capacity....
Finally I'm at the noodle station. There is a wide selection of condiments from vegetables, mushrooms and even yong tau fu.
In the noodle selection, there is 6 varieties to choose from. Their speciality, which is made on the spot is hand made Ramen! More below.
Some selection of Dim Sum. This is a brunch after all, where there are elements of Breakfast and Lunch. Sweet!
There is a good selection of stir fried items such as the beef below. Looks so colorful with the plating
They even have Loh Bak, Penang's favorite fried meat roll! There is also items like fried satay (interesting right)
For those that love Ox Tail soup, you are in luck as they have a mean serving here!
Below is how the chef makes the hand made Ramen! Really a work of art (of course skill is necessary too)
Fruits aplenty here
They have one of the top pastry chef in Penang and there are some really beautiful artworks made from sugar!
Beep Beep!
Finally its desserts time! There is a whole section devoted to this so feast your eyes!
Chocolate Fountain!!! Chocolate lovers, do you feel this? I sure do!
Just so much food to show.....
Their satay is one of the signature items here. You will regret not trying this. Also more from their Indian kitchen
Chef stir fry in action!
And now some shots of the Spice Market Cafe interior.
One of the bloggers getting her hands on the chocolate fountain!
The free flow of fresh fruit juice. There is guava, orange, apple, just look at the colors!
This was one of the special orders the chef made. Its garlic naan and its excellent eaten while hot. Make sure to try this one
And this is the Executive Sous Chef Lim!
And now some pictures of what I had on my platter at any one time... hehheeh
Especially for kids and adults alike, there is even provided family entertainment
We got a Doraemon from him... hehhe
Hand made ramen in spicy soup
One item which we shared was the crepes. These were skillfully made with the crepes being paper thin and having the filling of your choice
Doraemon enjoying Candy floss. Yes they even have their own candy floss machine. The kids were loving it
My 2 sinful scoops of ice cream!
The chefs posing for the camera! Great job to you all
And some decorations from the Spice Market Cafe
We were then fortunate enough to be taken on a quick tour of their hotel grounds
And then we reached the acclaimed Chi Spa!
All the 5 elements play a role here at the spa. Each treatment is customize to an individuals element. How they do that I will explain below
There is even a stupa here. So calming
Our host at the spa, really great guy.
OK, so this is how they determine which element the guests are. By smelling. Each jar has a scent and its believe you will choose the scent following your element. All I can say, its darn accurate
After the spa, we were shown a quick glimpse of the Ferringhi Grill! Just amazing setting here. This is located at the Rasa Wing. Below is the view from their restaurant.
Fine dining setting here. Exquisite. Hope will have a chance to savour the delicacies here one day too!
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