Japanese Buffet dinner @ Cititel, Penang

We were having a short weekend holiday in Penang island recently and took the opportunity to check out the Japanese and Carvery buffet dinner @ Cititel. The buffet was from 7pm to 10pm and we arrived shortly after 8pm as there was a traffic jam along the way. Fortunately, I had called up to make a reservation as when we arrived, the place was already fully booked.
The buffet was at this Main Street cafe. One thing that caught my eye was that nearly half of the diners were senior citizens ......... seniors only pay RM35/- nett while it's RM60/- nett for adults and RM30/- nett for children.
Photographing the buffet spread was prohibited so I only managed to snap a few pictures of what we had that night ....... so you can let me know whether it's value for money!

Salmon, tuna sashimi, and a must-have wasabi to go with them, boiled prawns ..... must admit that they were really, really fresh and tasty. I had a few, minus the head, (need to look after my cholesterol), oysters, they were fresh, big and juicy, great with fresh lime and mussels and some radish salad.

Another mouth-watering picture of seafood. No wonder people were queuing up at this place and oysters and prawns were snapped up in no time, although there was a replenishment now and again

Japanese croquette, chicken, steamed razor clam, some vegetable and deep fried soft shelled crab.

Mmmm ..... time for some salad.

Tempura, ....... which was quite a disappointment, these prawns cannot be compared with those above and the sweet potatoes weren't quite cooked through.

This cawan mushi was smooth and silky soft.

Now for some dessert ..... Malaysia's very own 'Ais kacang' ...... loved the kidney beans, attapchi,.....sweet potatoes and yam, green and red agar-agar, black 'leong fun', pineapple cubes, a bit of coconut milk, 'gula melaka' (coconut brown sugar) and finally topped with some vanilla ice cream. I had 2 helpings!
Beside those that you've seen, there was an array of other food like Yakitori chicken, fried pepper udon, cold ramen, seafood platter, roast beef and lamb, oyster omelette and spicy squids. There was also a variety of dessert like the brown glutinous rice kuih, sago pudding, cheesecake, bread pudding and fresh cut fruits.

I had to wait till around closing time and the crowd had thinned out before I obtained permission from the 'captain' to snap the ambience.
So, after going through this 'dinner', is it value for money? But of course, that largely depends on whether you are paying RM35/- or RM60/-, right?

Cititel Penang
66 Jalan Penang
10000 Penang
Main Street Cafe - Japanese Buffet dinner
Every Friday and Saturday

Snow Swallow Dessert ~ 天然野生雪燕

Natural Wild Tragacanth Gum 'Snow Swallow' or Xue Yan is a gum derived from different varieties of sterculia trees. It's actually a sap drained from the root of the plant and the gum dries as it exudes and is then collected. Once rehydrated will increase to about ten times in size and their white stringy, jelly like strands texture resembles that of the much prized and highly valued bird's nest. One thing to take note when cooking this dessert is that the gum is highly soluble in water and cannot be boiled too long. Since it is 'cooling' for our internal organs, the elderlies should take this in moderation and not recommended for nursing mums for the breast milk may cause the baby to purge. Snow Swallow Dessert ~ 天然野生雪燕 Ingredients 8 gm Snow Swallow gums 10 gm red dates 10 gm goji berries 20 gm dried longan Rock or piece sugar to taste 1 litre water Pandan leaves (optional) Method Soak the Snow Swallow gums in plenty of water for at least...

Tamarind Pork Belly (Babi Assam) ~ 亚参五花肉

A very appetising dish with tangy and robust flavour of tamarind juice, red and green chillies added more oomph to the dish. This dish will surely whet your appetite and you'll go for second helping of rice to soak up the tangy gravy. This is a Peranakan dish but as always, there are many varieties to this delicacy. I tweaked the recipe a bit to suit what I have in my pantry and the end result is a very yummy dish that I will not hesitate to whip up again and again. Tamarind Pork Belly (Babi Assam) ~ 亚参五花肉 Ingredients 450 gm pork belly, cut into bite size 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 3 shallots, finely chopped 30 gm tamarind pulp (Assam paste) + 250 ml water 3 green chillies 2 red chillies 2 tsp tau cheong (preserved bean paste) 2 tsp dark soya sauce 1 Tbsp brown sugar or to taste 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp fish sauce 1 onion, sliced Method Mix the tamarind pulp with a cup of...

Double boiled Black chicken soup

This chicken soup is slightly different from the normal good old chicken soup as it's double-boiled with black chicken. Flavoured with traditional Chinese herbs like sweet wolfberries /goji berries/Boxthorn fruits, Ginseng aka 'Pau Sum' in Cantonese and Yuzhu aka Solomon's seal rhizome/polygonatum, this soup is believed to be invigorating and nutritious. According to the Chinese, the black chicken has curative value and it's above that of white chicken meat as the former has less fat. A short introduction to the traditional Chinese herbs. 'Pau Sum' helps to increase energy, enhance healthy blood circulation and also boost the immune system. Wolfberries helps to improve vision and nourish the lungs and kidneys. Yuzhu helps to treat dry throat, dry cough, promote production of body fluid and relieve dryness syndrome.

Read on for the Recipe

Comments

My Little SpaceMarch 24, 2010 at 1:56 PM
I've been there a couple of years back. My daughter was only 4 by then. I love everything they served there. So many choices! This is the best place for those food lovers, you know what I mean! haha... You can sit there for hours just for high tea or breakfast!
Angie's RecipesMarch 24, 2010 at 2:36 PM
I adore a buffet that is loaded with different kinds of seafood!
Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak LoverMarch 24, 2010 at 4:45 PM
so many yummy foods!
penny aka jeroxieMarch 24, 2010 at 7:00 PM
The one that caught my eye was Ice Kachang!
lishapisaMarch 24, 2010 at 10:48 PM
can we dine with you?
CookNg Sisters
ann lowMarch 24, 2010 at 11:34 PM
WOW! The Japanese food looks good except the Tempura. We pay S$19.00/person for Japanese Buffet here with fresh Sashimi and seafood. Next time when you're in Singapore must visit all the buffets here, some even two for the price of one.
Sokehah cheahMarch 25, 2010 at 12:40 AM
Kristy
Yes, after the buffet, they served 'Teochew porridge' but only on Fri and Sat.

Angie
The seafood was good while the others were average.

Sonia
There was variety but the 2 of us couldn't eat that much!

penny
The ais kacang was yummy, especially the kidney beans.

lishapisa
You are most welcome.

Anncoo
Yes, must bear that in mind when I go S'pore next.
UnknownMarch 25, 2010 at 5:19 AM
Definitely worth the money, have to pay a fortune to get anything near you had in this country. Will defintely need to make a point to have more seafood and jap buffets the next time Im in M'sia. Im sure you'll pay for my share when we get a chance, wont you mommy?
WTMarch 25, 2010 at 8:34 AM
Wow.. I am missing out on all these buffet! Will definately eat my heart out when I go back to M'sia! :D
MaryMohMarch 25, 2010 at 8:59 AM
I love Japanese food but they are sooooooo expensive. There's a new Japanese restaurant just opened in a new shopping complex here. You know, 2 small slices of duck sushi cost 3.80pounds, ie about RM20!!! Isn't it like eating gold?? It's just a little duck meat rolled inside the sushi rice. I better look at your photos here and make my own :P
Sokehah cheahMarch 25, 2010 at 6:25 PM
WT
Japanese buffet is much better in S'pore, I heard. But Shogun in KL is also not too bad!

Mary
Wah, so expensive in your part of the world. You better check out the restaurants in your hometown when you come back for hols! I didn't take sushi that night because most of it were gone, what was left wasn't much to my liking.
Sokehah cheahMarch 26, 2010 at 1:39 AM
Chua
Of course, I'll be glad to pay for your share, Boy!

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