Invited Review: Terrace Bay Restaurant, Copthorne Hotel

My Rating: 4 Stars

Cuisine: Thai

Location: Copthorne Hotel,

Jalan Tanjung Bungah, 11200 Penang

Tel: 04-8923333

Halal

RM30nett (adult) buffet

RM20nett (senior citizen) buffet

RM18nett (child) buffet

Thanks to Food Promotions for organising the review. It was our first review of a hotel restaurant buffet. It was a Saturday night and the theme was Thai Food Promotions. We were pleseantly surprised that the crowd grew very fast and the dining hall quickly filled in to capacity although we arrived what we thought early at 6:30pm

Definite a good indication of the popularity of the buffet. We were treated to a variety of appetizers, soups, main courses, vegetables, noodles, stalls and desserts. all in all more than 27 major items, coffee and tea and all in a bargain price of only RM30 nett for adult or RM20 for senior citizen. I think this is value for money. The service is warm and friendly and the ambience is nice and you have a coice to dine inside or al-fresco by the poolside.

My favourite dishes are spicy Thai omelete (Khai Yat Sai), Thai Char Koay Teow (Phad Thai), Thai Otak Otak (Homok) and Mango with Glutinous Rice (Khoa Neuw Ma Muang). The food is tasty, fresh and skillfully prepared together with ganishings which is a must in Thai cuisines

The Thai Food promotion buffet is available on Saturday dinner an Sunday lunch. Suitable for family dining with food that caters to all ages and tastes. As the food promotion is popular, do call for reservations. Thailand is a land of Smiles and I definitely ended my night with a smile

Invited Review: Tree Monkey

My Ratings: 3 Stars

Cuisine: Asian/Thai/Western

Location: Tropical Spice Gardens

(Lone Craig Villa, Lot 595, Mukim 2)

Jalan Teluk Bahang

Pork Free

Tel:+604 8813494
RM40 - 50 person

Nestled in the edge of the jungle and perched on a hill slope, Tree Monkey Restaurant by the nature is a perfect eat away and get away place from the hustle and bustle of city life where the food and ambiance is as authentic as it can be

Tree Monkey is located inside the Tropical Spice Garden however the entrance to the restaurant is through a gate next to the Tropical Spice Garden main entrance. Getting to the restaurant seemed like an adventure with a little walk up a slight incline of the hill's edge. When you reached the restaurant, you are greeted with friendly staffs and an ambiance of North Thailand where timber construction is everywhere

The food is mainly Asian, Western and Northern Thai cuisine. The restaurant deck offers alfresco dining while other areas offered tatami seating and regular seating. We were served with a welcome drink called Sunrise and I am pretty sure there wasn't any tequila in it

The first dish was the Asian Tapas. A selection of Asian bite size portion of vegetables, chicken meat and seafood to wet the appetite. Then we were served the Thai Tapas of Pandan chicken meat, mango salad, Otak, vegetables and chilli egg

On the side, we were serve both clear and spicy tom yam soup and turmeric rice. The owner has a chain of other food and beverage outlets around Penang and other parts of the country. For this restaurant, they brought in chefs from Northern Thailand to keep the food as authentic as possible. However, the heat of the spice is keep to a minimum to cater to food gourmet who like it mild. The spice for the food is harvested fresh from the Spice Garden. Furthermore, there is a spice shop behind the restaurant for those who like to bring back home the local spices

Great place to chill out with a great view of the sunset. Close to nature but with the comfort of modern dining. Occasionally, you may see wild animals and birds in nearby trees. Elderly patrons may need help with the small hike up to the restaurant and with illumination once the night is dark. A good place to experience Thai hospitality. We ended the night with a cup of spice coffee (Cinnamon)

Thanks to CK Lam for organizing the review