The weekend prior to Hari Raya, we went up to Penang for a little staycation getaway at Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa. The trip was quite a special one for me for reason that may be different from most. Close to two decades ago, I worked at the very same hotel as a casual worker and used to think “what if I was a guest there one day…”, and that day came true.
The Spice Market Cafe at Rasa Sayang, Penang
I will write about the hotel and our experience staying there next, but today let’s talk about their huge dinner buffet at Spice Market Cafe located at the Garden Wing (the “right” side).
seafood on ice, baked salmon
Dinner starts at 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm every evening and it’s the all you can eat affair. Priced at RM 185 nett for adults, it is also the buffet that offers one of the biggest selections of dishes on the island.
You have a choice of indoor seating that requires fewer steps to get to all those dishes, or alfresco dining area right next to the unique free-form swimming pool surrounded by their huge garden complete with giant rain tree by the beach.
Indian & Malay cuisines, selection of salad
The dishes include authentic ethnic cuisines from diverse cultures – including Chinese (with chef from China doing freshly made “knife slice noodle”), Indian, Nyonya, Japanese, Thai, Malay, and Western.
freshly made noodle, slipper lobster, local dishes, juices
Some of the must-tries are the slipper lobsters either as-is, or covered in sauce, sashimi, roast beef, and snow crab. We also really enjoyed their selection of cheese, but the number one favorite for all three of us for the night though, was their deep fried soft-shell crab, it had just the right amount of seasoning that reminds me of some of the best banana leaf side dishes I’ve had the pleasure to taste.
desserts, ice cream, fruits, and even roast beef
If you just try a spoonful from each dish, you’ll probably need at least several visits to sample everything, the selection is huge. Unlike most buffet places that only serves water, there are also a selection of juice to go about.
mom, Haze, KY & Kit the F&B guy at Rasa Sayang
If your wife or girlfriend can’t decide what to eat, this is not a best place to be. There bound to be something that’ll tickle her senses. I know my mom was more than satisfied.
Address:
Spice Market Cafe
Rasa Sayang
Batu Ferringhi Main Road,
Kampung Tanjung Huma,
11100 Batu Feringgi, Pulau Pinang
GPS:Â 5.478865, 100.254181
Tel:Â +604-888 8888
KY, so you worked there as causal worker. Remind me of mom as teenager in luaus in fancy hotels by the swiming pools. Being young she has served guests very near the pools. If someone turned around mom could fall into pool with food. Now visited hotels as guest more enjoyble.
Vickie: haha yah, being a guest is of course much better, and you do appreciate it more after having been a worker there as well, knowing the amount of work needed to provide that sort of services.
Hi KY, Thank you for the lovely review on Spice Market Cafe. On the second line, Syang is spelled as Sayang.
Thanks again for staying with us.
Regards,
Suleiman
Suleiman: thank you for having us, was a fantastic stay, and let me fix that typo!
the nyonya part of the buffet would tickle my senses! 😀 p.s. did you recognise any ex-colleagues still working here? 🙂
Sean: ex colleagues were all high school kids who are now in different industries 😀
Rasa Sayang! It has been around like forever, was already there when I first went to Penang in 1973! More recent visits, I hardly venture to that beach side of the island – taxi fare was over RM100 one way, dunno now.
suituapui: 1973? I was not even conceived yet!
What a wonderful experience to have been on both sides – it gives you a better understanding of both the customer’s needs and the realities of the going ons of a big hotel.
Monica: definitely!
enlarge pic link is error
immature: OK will fix that, gahhh.
TQ for the fix, now after i enlarge pics, i noticed the buffet supervisor is like three times wider than you…
heheheheheheheheheheheheh
i think he makan all the buffett leftovers at the end of the day…
I never have enough space at buffets.. but I hear it takes a lot of training! hahaha
ccfoodtravel: you and me both.
when i grow up, i want my full time job to be holiday…
heheheheheheheheheheeh
immature: good luck! haha.
At that price, I’d be pissed if they served me water only….haha! 😀 Almost all buffets serve juices these days (only a question of chilled or fresh, kekeke)…but not slipper lobsters though, I want those! 😉
eatwhateatwhere: hahaha, true also.
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