KEN HUNTS FOOD: Sarkies/ Sarkies Corner/ 1885/ Farquhar's Bar @ Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Hotel, Penang.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Sarkies/ Sarkies Corner/ 1885/ Farquhar's Bar @ Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Hotel, Penang.

Established in the year of 1885, E&O Hotel has since embarked into one of the top hotels in Penang. Located in the bustling heart of Georgetown, E&O Hotel has attracted many with its sophisticated contemporary exterior. Apart from that, E&O Hotel offers one of the best buffet and fine dining experience that are renowned to the people of Penang. It was my honor to be invited by VBook and Eileen from E&O Hotel to do a review covering four of the restaurants in E&O Hotel.

Executive Buffet Lunch @ Sarkies:

It has been quite sometime since my last visit, I had their Wine & Dine Buffet Dinner two years back at Sarkies Corner. I was told that the venue for buffet has been relocated to Sarkies instead of Sarkies Corner. I was amazed by the variety and choices offered for the price of Rm 68++ (adults) and Rm 34++ (kids). The buffet is made available during Weekdays ONLY (Monday to Friday) at 12 noon to 2:45pm. Prices are to be subject with 10% Service Charge and 6% Government Tax.

For reservations and enquiries, please contact 04- 222 2000 ext. 3601/ 3602.
For Information about their offer and promotions, please visit their website which can be found here.

Executive Buffet Lunch: Rm 68++ (adults), Rm 34++ (kids), Mon to Fri, 12pm to 2:45pm.
Weekend High Tea Buffet: Rm 74++ (adults), Rm 37++ (kids), Sat to Sun, 12pm to 3pm.
International Buffet Dinner: Rm 96++ (adults), Rm 48++ (kids), Sun to Thurs, 7pm to 10:30pm.
Wine And Dine Buffet Dinner: Rm 148++ (adults), Rm 65++ (kids), Fri to Sat, 7pm to 10:30pm.

Prices stated are for your own references only, please do check with the management for more details.

The Executive Buffet Lunch offers a huge variety of dishes, covering Appetizers, Salad, Cold Cuts Platter, Local Delicacies, Barbecue/Grill, Dim Sum, Desserts etc.... Since I would not be able to cover all of the dishes offered, I will briefly give some introductions and my personal recommendations. Sashimi comes first in my mind since I am a big fan of Sashimis, I had some Mussels and Prawns as well. All of these were very fresh and succulent. The Sashimis were thickly sliced to my liking as well. One shall not miss their Norwegian Smoked Salmon too, they were definitely one of the best Smoked Salmon I have ever had, even on par, or even beyond par as compared to those I had back in Australia. As for the Sushi Rolls, they have more than four types of Sushi Rolls available that day, one of the special ones will definitely be their Sushi Rolls rolled with Vietnamese Rice Paper. I did not get to taste it but it was nonetheless, one of the unique ones.

I was told that their Roasted Duck is not to be missed too! It proves that they were once again correct, the Roasted Duck was crispy, juicy and tender to my liking, further complementing the Ducks was their specially made sweet Duck sauce. A big Thank You to Chef Ang for presenting the Roasted Duck to us.

They had too much of main dishes making it impossible for me to cover. Some of the notable ones were Salmon Curry, Stir Fried Beef/ Vegetables etc. Their menu changes everyday, we were lucky that we get to enjoy their Char Koay Teow that day.

Make sure you'd check out their Dim Sum kiosk managed by Chef Ooi too. Chef Ooi is a Dim Sum chef with more than 29 years of experience in creating delectable Dim Sum dishes. The selected Dim Sum was reheated piping hot before serving to us.

Diners are given the choice to make their Rojak/ Fruit Salad too but of course, there will be some other special freshly cut Fruits available at the other booth as well.

Dessert-wise, it covers a wide range, where you can find local desserts such as Penget Pisang or Banana Dessert (with Gula Melaka and Coconut Milk) or Cakes (Petit Four), Freshly-make Crepes and even Ice Creams. Coffee Machines which brew Espresso, Latte will be available for diners as well.

Ala-Carte Menu @ Sarkies Corner:

Sarkies Corner is no longer offering Buffet but they are now, offering their selected Ala-Carte Menu which includes of Appetizers, Salads, Soups, Sandwiches, Snacks, Asian Delights and Desserts (more than 25 choices). Sarkies Corner is opened daily, from 12 noon to 11pm. Prices stated below are to be subject to 10% Service Charge and 6% Government Tax.

We started off the meal with one of the appetizers offered- Hummus (Rm 32++) which comes with Olives with Feta Cheese, Balsamic Bell Peppers and Pita Bread. The Hummus was reasonably flavored to my liking and I actually liked it more than the one I had at Tarbush. It could be my own preference but I did not like the Feta Cheese due to its overly strong flavor but the Balsamic Bell Peppers were perfectly okay for me.

Vegetable Samosa Chat (Rm 23++) comes with Tamarind, Mint Chutney and a light touch of Yogurt, drizzled with some Balsamic Vinegar. The Samosa was folded wrongly (it should be in a Triangular shape instead of the form of Curry Puff) but it was okay just lacked of the crispiness (it needs a rough chew).

We get to sample their Chicken Masala Wrap (Rm 36++) too, which has some Cucumber, Tomato with a bit of Yogurt Mint Dressing. The Wrap was covered with Turmeric Oil and I personally find it a little too greasy to my liking and more to the salty side for the taste. It tasted better when we had some Lemon Juice added, at least it helps by balance up the oiliness.

Next was Beef Sliders (Rm 39++) which had Beef Patties, Cheddar Cheese, Tomato Jam sandwiched with lightly toasted Sesame Bun. It comes with two sides of Fresh Green Salad and some Potato Chips. As much as I adore the juiciness and tenderness of the Beef Patties, I just find the serving size too small for me, it would be better if they could slightly increase the portion, particularly the Beef Patties. Taste-wise, was decent and this set would be perfect with a bottle of icy cold Beer.

As for the main course, we had Pan Seared Red Snapper (Rm 54++) which was being served on a bed of Grilled Vegetables (Zucchinis, Bell Peppers and Aubergines), as well as some Tomato Olive Relish. The Snapper was impressive in my opinion, tender and juicy. I did not like the Tomato Olive Relish tho as I find it slightly oilier than I thought it would be. This dish comes with a relatively big portion too.

English Afternoon Tea @ 1885:

1885 has a delightful and pleasant ambiance for diners to experience the finest colonial fine dining experience in Penang. Diners are more than welcome to savor their selected dishes during dinner time. Traditional English Afternoon Tea is also served at this restaurant. Rm 56++ (includes a jar you own choice of Tea) is the price for the Traditional English Afternoon Tea, subject to 10% Service Charge and 6% Government Tax. English Afternoon Tea is available everyday, at 2pm to 5pm.

Dinner: 6:30pm to 10:30pm, Daily.

For reservations and enquiries, please contact: 04- 222 2000 ext. 3170.

This portion serves two. Various kinds of Pastries and Sandwiches were placed on a two-tier stand. These include Roasted Beef with Grained Mustard Mayonnaise on Village Bread, Cucumber with Cream Cheese and Dill on White Brown Bread, Chicken Breast with Horseradish Cream on White Bread, Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter on Poppy Seed Bread, Egg Mayonnaise Voulevant (topped with Quail Egg), Soft Cheddar Cheese and Ripe Tomatoes on Whole Wheat Bread, Lemon Chicken Salad with Crunchy Celery in Puff Pastry. I could barely remember but I do remember that I had that Egg Mayonnaise Voulevant which tasted too dry and bland to my liking.

An English Afternoon Tea is never counted as complete without the presence of Scones. As for 1885, it offers two types of Scones namely the Raisin Scones and Plain Scones. Homemade Strawberry Jam and Clotted Cream (Imported from U.K.) will be provided to complement the Scones. I would prefer the Scones to be slightly fluffier and moist, I just find the texture a little odd. I had my best Scones at Chalet Healy Tearoom back in Australia. I must give my compliment to their Homemade Strawberry Jam which has a perfect balance of sweet and sour. I did not like those overly sweeten Jams the sweetness was just right for me. It makes a good combination with the silky smooth Clotted Cream to savor the Scones.

Next was all these delectable looking Petit Four which has some Cheese Cakes, Chocolate Cakes, Macaroons included. It was my second attempt on Macaroons and thankfully, it was not as sweet as I thought it would be but the chewy texture was somewhat different from the usual ones. As for tea selection, they have a lot for you to choose. Below are some of the teas available:

1. Assam Mokalbarie-- An extravagant strong black tea from the region of Assam. Strong, spicy and malty.

2. English Breakfast-- A rich, mature, tangy fullness with a sparkling flavor.

3. Darjeeling Jungpana-- A premium tea with a flowery elegance and delicious flavor.

4. Earl Grey-- An extravagantly blended tea with the intensive aroma of Japanese Wild Cherries.

5. Jasmine Gold-- Freshly plucked jasmine petals round off this delicate China Tea and lend it perfect harmony.

6. Morgentau-- A tea creation with delicate fruity flavors and petals.

7. Greenleaf-- An elegant estate tea from the highlands of India with a pronounced delicate flowery flavor.

8. Mint & Fresh- With the cool freshness of menthol.

9. Pure Camomile-- Whole Chamomile blossoms for a tartly flowery touch.

10. Verbena-- Refreshing lemon Verbena leaves with characteristic hint of lemon.

11. Vanilla Roibosh-- The popular African herbal infusion tinged with the delicious richness of creamy Vanilla.

12. Raspberry Royal-- Refreshing experience with sun-ripened raspberry.

Farquhar's Bar:

If you are a sun-downer that are looking for a more relaxing environment after work or during evenings, be sure to check out Farquhar's Bar. Farquhar's Bar opens daily from 11am to 11pm everyday. Prices stated below are subject to 10% Service Charge and 6% Government Tax.

For reservation and enquiries, please contact: 04- 222 2000 ext. 3177.

Alice Springs (Rm 29++) was one of the Cocktails served to us. It has a good mix of Gordon's Gin, Angostura Bitters, Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Grenadine Syrup and Soda Water.

Grasshopper (Rm 29++) is one of the Creme De Cacao drinks/ cocktails offered. Some Fresh Cream was being topped on a bed of Creme De Menthe, some sweet, mint-flavored alcoholic beverage.

Another type of Cocktail presented to us was this E&O Sling (Rm 29++) which has a good mix of Bombay Gin, Grand Marnier, Creme De Menthe and Sprite.

The only Mocktail served to us was this Eastern Greeting (Rm 19++) which has some Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Grenadine Syrup and Lime Juice blended well together.