Ramadan Buffet at Sarkies of E&O Hotel

Well, its that beautiful time again of the year where our Muslim friends will be celebrating the month of Ramadan and what better way to enjoy the breaking of fast at E&O Hotel for the exquisite buffet at the renowned Sarkies!
From 28 June 2014 till Hari Raya, one will be able to enjoy their buffet spread which encompass some local delicacies specially prepared to celebrate the occasion.
Among the highlights would be their wide selection of Ulam Ulaman, Pasembur, Bergedil and Acar Rampai which you can serve with a selection of mouth watering dressings which includes sambal belacan, budu, tempoyak, cincalok, salted egg and fish, pickled fruits and an assortment of crackers! Then for soup lovers, there is Sup Ekor which is ox tail soup and this is one soup not to be missed.
For mains, one can sample their tomato rice, Daging Masak Kicap, Kari Kambing with potatoes (This is an item not to be missed), Ayam Goreng Berempah (its better than the fried fast food chicken), Telur Dadar, Ikan Panggang (we can't missed grilled fish can we) and many more! They even serve a mean Bubur Lambuk (porridge).
And finally to satisfy the sweet tooth, there will be an assortment of Malay Kuih, Bubur Kacang, Buah Kurma (dates), a variety of fried items such as Pisang Goreng and a wide choice of local fruits!
The buffet is priced as below

Jamuan Buka Puasa
28 June – 27 July 2014 (7pm – 10.30pm)
Sundays – Tuesdays RM96++ (adult) RM48++ (child)
Wednesdays – Saturdays RM110++ (adult) RM65++ (child)

‘Salam Aidilfitri’ Hi-Tea
Monday & Tuesday 28 & 29 July 2014 12 noon – 2.30pm RM78++ (adult) RM39++ (child)

‘Salam Aidilfitri’ Buffet Dinner
Monday & Tuesday 28 & 29 July 2014 7pm – 10.30pm RM110++ (adult) RM65++ (child)

Some of the yummies on my plate :)

English High Tea at 1885 Restaurant, E&O Hotel Penang

High Tea, that is not something one mentions much in Penang. Not sure if its because there is just so much food places or chillax hangouts but for a proper high tea, one can surely check out 1885 Restaurant. Here, they serve high tea at its best and basically how one goes about it is that they would first select the tea which they like (and mind you, they have over 10 types of tea choices) and then the waiters would bring the tea as well as the tray of food goodies to the table. They really provide lots of unique utensils, and the utensil which I have never used before definitely has to be the tea leaf strainer. This little gadget helps prevent the tea leaf from dripping into ones cup and I find that kind of unique, as drinking chinese tea, you always have some tea leaf falling into the cup.

Another item which they will bring is their own made (can't use homemade as this is afterall not a home) strawberry jam and also clotted cream (this one is imported)! The amount of food, frankly, is alot. There is a tiered sandwich tray set, scones and then a desserts platter. I mean, I would seriously be able to skip dinner (or have a very light one) after enjoying such a high tea.

Do check out the photos, and in a way, some photos are not that bright as I was seated not at a window seat. Cheers!

Preview, this is the desserts tray!

Breakfast at Sarkies, Family Weekend Getaway at E&O Hotel Penang

Most people would go to Sarkies for their ever popular lunch and dinner buffets but how many actually go there for breakfast? Well, on the weekend while we were staying there, having our breakfast at Sarkies was probably the most reasonable thing to do (well we could also have breakfast at Planter's Lounge but we had dinner there the night before).

Well, we were at Sarkies about 8am and surprisingly, there were many people already enjoying their breakfast. Well, the spread as always was pretty luxurious and definitely maintains the Sarkies tradition. There were many items that would whet ones appetite, and even their Char Kuey Teow counter was already opened! Some of the more surprising twist was that there was alot of local influence in this breakfast and there was Nasi Lemak and even Roti Canai. I'm sure this is great especially for the tourist visiting Malaysia as they will get to sample some of our local breakfast too. Check out the pictures!

Muffins of assorted variety

 Lots of fresh breads and pastries

Enjoying the Pool at Victory Annexe, E&O Hotel

From the previous post about E&O Hotel, this one is more about their infinity pool located on the 6th floor of the Victory Annexe wing. There is a very nice infinity pool here which overlooks the Straits of Malacca. These are some shots during the evening and also the next morning! As this was on the 6th floor, it was very cooling from the constant breeze and very relaxing just lounging on the chairs. What a great way to spend the weekend.

Planters Lounge at E&O Hotel Weekend Getaway

I'm sure most people have heard of Sarkies Corner at E&O Hotel Penang but I would presume not many have heard of Planters Lounge that is located on the 6 floor of the Victory Annexe wing of the hotel. The reason is that Planters Lounge caters exclusively to staying guests of the hotel as the only way to reach the floor would be with a key card at the lift. Of course, if you have friends staying at the hotel, they can surely bring you to have a great dinner there.

Thus it was with delight that we got to sample dinner here and its really a nice place as being on the 6 floor, we get a birds eye view of the surroundings and actually the view is amazing overlooking the Strait of Malacca. The menu here doesn't offer the sun and the moon in options, but really have focus and works very well for almost everyone. I really prefer such a menu as it shows that the chef here has taken the effort to streamline their offering and only gives the best choices available (it also means the ingredients are fresher)

Thus, do keep a read on this post, about the food, and of course there are some photos of the beautiful scenery as well. Cheers.

This was their pure fruit juice. Its 100% fruit juice smoothie and it tasted great. I would say, it would have been perfect if they have moved to a slow juicer where the consistency is so much better, and much more flavorful too. Kudos to the staff for making a strawberry smoothie for my daughter on request as it was not on the menu, yet they happily obliged and it tasted great! These are the kind of service which I truly appreciate and admire.

Well, so did I tempt you already with the smoothie? Well, before showing more yummy foods, here are some photos of the lounge itself. This is how the entrance look like, nice.

E&O Hotel Heritage Wing ~ A glimpse of the past

Before I continue on about the Victory Annexe and all the fun stuff there, I would like to take this chance to share abit about what E&O Hotel, about their Heritage Wing where it all started. This is more of a photo blog entry, just sharing some of the many interesting things that the hotel has to offer. I would say that for those looking to experience the ultimate in a heritage hotel, nothing beats the Heritage Wing. The rooms has largely remained unchanged since the beginning of the hotel and there are many features that has been brought over to the Victory Annexe such as the special tile patterns in the bathrooms. So do scroll on to see and have a glimpse of this special hotel.

The seating area at the lobby. Pristine furniture at its best.

E&O Hotel ~ A Weekend Getaway staying at the Victory Annexe Corner Suite

Since March 2013, the Victory Annexe wing of the E&O Hotel in Penang has been opened and I really have to thank my lucky stars that I was invited to a weekend at their corner suites with my lovely family. The very mention of E&O will have people equating superior top notch service and classiness all bundled as a neat package. When I got to know that I will be staying at E&O Hotel for the very first time, I couldn't sleep waiting for the very weekend where we will have a family getaway. Even though its still in Penang, but I can say that after checking in to the hotel, there really isn't any need to leave! 

Being a 5 star hotel, expect all the amenities like their beautiful infinity pool looking over the Straits of Malacca or the many restaurants that are available. There is Sarkies Corner and the Planters Lounge which is located at the new wing of the hotel. Then there is also a fully equipped gym room and I'm just waiting for their up and coming Spa to be completed. Besides these perks, the E&O Hotel management really wanted to highlight the history and significance of the hotel and thus, there is a mini "time machine", alright, its a mini museum, that relates the many wonderful and colorful journeys that they hotel has been through, as well as their many distinguished guests! There are families who continue to visit the hotel for over 3 generations, which I personally found amazing. 

As I took so much photos, I will focus my blogs about the hotel into a few parts, especially when it comes to the food. This post is very much about the Corner Suite, which measures over 120 square meters (yes you read it right). Basically its as large as the apartment I'm staying in and it feels just amazing walking into such a well detailed room. Thus, do read on to have a look at this place, which I have to stress, its all about the details!

When you step into the room, you just go WOW!