Seaside BBQ Buffet at Pinang Restaurant & Bar @ Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang

While most foodies in Penang would be aware of the buffets at the Spice Market cafe in Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa, not many would have noticed that the more laid back Pinang Restaurant & Bar has also recently rolled out its buffet offerings. Set outdoors with a lovely view of the sunset, this casual atmosphere is perfect for a seaside BBQ buffet!

The Pinang Restaurant & Bar currently offers the BBQ buffet on Fridays (Asian Barbeque) & Saturdays (Seafood Barbeque)

I was lucky enough to be invited to try out the Asian BBQ Buffet.

The barbeque pit is set up just a bit further away from the buffet line but still in view of the diners. So you would know which dishes are just hot off the grill. One of my favourite BBQ meats of the night was surprisingly the Chicken marinated with ginger, lemongrass, garlic and Thai basil. The grilled chicken pieces were tender and juicy and very flavourful thanks to the marinade. I broke my general buffet rule of having just one piece of each dish (so that I get to sample everything) because of this yummy grilled chicken – sneaking in another piece on my plate. 😛

Oh! But before we get on to the BBQ-ing… the buffet spread also includes appetizers and starters – a pretty decent corn chowder with a good variety of bread, bread sticks and rolls. I am a sucker for good bread and just had to have one even though I knew I needed to reserve precious stomach space. No regrets on having the bread roll!

Salad Bar with various condiments & dressings

Cold Appetizers

Egg Fried Rice with Honey Barbeque Chicken

I suppose it ain’t an Asian buffet if there is no rice/noodles in the buffet line up. Normally I would skip the carbs during a buffet, but this fried rice really held its own. It had good smokey flavour from the wok and the ‘sambal belacan’ dip served on the side was superb. I was really tempted to go back for more fried rice!

Mediterranean Ratatouille

I was quite pleased to see the Mediterranean Ratatouille being served. It was something different from the normal veggie dishes served at buffets. A combination of zucchini, aubergine and tomatoes, the ratatouille was pretty good and was not overpoweringly sour.

Corn on Cob

Squid with Tumeric Sambal

Another winner in my books that night was the squid with tumeric sambal. The squid was tender and well marinated. Plus I am rather biased towards tumeric so this dish sat very well with me.

The grilled slipper lobsters were fresh and sweet. I liked that it was left unmarinated – letting the slipper lobsters own flavour to shine through.

Meanwhile the grilled snapper served with a tangy assam sauce was pleasant.

Grilled Snapper served with Assam Sauce

Baked potatoes with the works – sour cream, beef bacon bits and scallions

Rendang spiced minute steaks & Chilli Cumin Lamb Leg steaks

Sadly the red meats suffered a lil from the barbeque-ing as both the beef & lamb tasted rather dry. Plus I couldn’t really taste the rendang spice on the beef nor the chilli cumin on the lamb.

Garlic & Kaffir Lime Prawns

The prawns fared better – being fresh and succulent. But again I couldn’t really taste the garlic or lime. Nevertheless the prawns were still sweet and fresh.

Chicken Satay

I’ve always enjoyed the satay served at the Spice Market Cafe buffets, so the chicken satay over at this Seaside Asian BBQ Buffet did not disappoint.

There was also Penang Char Koay Teow being served at the buffet. However the char koay teow is not fried upon order. Instead the chef makes a big batch and serves it along the buffet line. The flavour was decent but not mind blowing, so for me personally I would skip the char koay teow and head for the egg fried rice instead! 😛

Next up…. desserts! The humble dessert spread included fresh fruits. I liked that they had something more ‘exotic’  – jack fruit & passion fruits

 Coconut Tart with Cherries

The coconut tart was interesting and reminded me of our local coconut tart. It was not overly sweet and the cherries added a nice touch.

Chocolate Dome

Another notable dessert in my books was the Chocolate Dome – very chocolatey and luxurious. A must try for chocolate lovers!

Banana Mille Feuille

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Banana Mille Feuille. While the puff pastry layer was not as crispy as I would have liked and the overall dessert was a tad too soft (perhaps due to being served outdoors), I still enjoyed the flavours and honestly contemplated a second piece even though I was already stuffed!

Overall I was pleasantly delighted with the quality and taste of the food served at the Asian BBQ Buffet.

Pinang Restaurant & Bar

TEL: 604-888 8888

Asian Barbecue by the sea Every Friday

Seafood Barbecue by the sea Every Saturday

Time: 6.30pm to 10pm

Price: RM108++ (adult) / RM54++ (child)

Strolling band for entertainment while you dine 🙂