Writing has taken a back seat for a short while, and it saddens me (even bothers me!) that I could not update my blogs with the limited time I have left after responding to work emails, attending meetings and finding time to sleep!
I was surprised with two invitations this month; and I was quite excited about it as I always viewed it as an honor to be invited to any launch/review event although I had no choice but to turn down one of them due to a clash with my schedule.
However, I was delighted that I was able to make it to the other invitation and I responded immediately!
It was a pleasant experience interacting with the PR from G Hotel, and I must say I was impressed with their attentiveness and thoughtfulness in arranging the event with us bloggers. In fact, it was superb and every minute detail was taken into consideration prior to the lunch review; including accommodating to our special dietary needs!
(This did not come from the sponsor and it is based on my personal experience/impression).
Moving onto the review:
Sesame + Soy Restaurant is one of the very first Chinese restaurants in Penang offering fine Pan Asian Chinese cuisines served with a twist of fusion style to redefine the classic menu one can find in a typical Chinese restaurant.
Taking a bold step in this, Sesame + Soy promises something different for the adventurous and yet at the same time, maintain the authentic flavors of much loved Chinese dishes.
Warm hospitality and the inviting ambience made us settle comfortably while engaging in a lively banter with each other as we await the promising dishes from the kitchen.
We selected a variety of drinks from their beverages menu prior to the meal; to try out a few of their signature drinks.
For starters, we had the Sesame's treasure combination with smoked duck breast, baked mashed sweet potato and fresh scallop skewer.
The first thing that caught my eye was the style of presentation; for the dish, though designed with an Oriental theme in mind was presented in a distinguished pattern which one would usually associate with Western fine dining.
The treasure combination was rather an exotic notion; throwing the zesty flavours of fruits along with tiny chunks of smoked duck breast in one concoction.
Since scallop is one of my favorite, I need not elaborate much.The baked mashed sweet potato, however, I must comment; as frankly, if you have been following my blog, you know I am never fond of potatoes in any form. I was skeptical to take a bite but honestly, had I not read the menu beforehand, I would not have guessed that this was mashed potato.
It was pleasant and smooth to taste and retained the original flavours (not to mention goodness) of the sweet potato.
I was told that the new Chef Chiam particularly dotes on the presentation of his dishes, and would spend time to ensure that each dish is decorated to his liking; using themes of flowers and fruits.
The next dish won my vote for the best presentation of a dish; and a soup dish nevertheless.
Braised Golden Superior Broth with Seafood Dumpling was definitely a golden dish; in my opinion as the vibrant colors of the broth just caught everyone's attention.However, the placing of the seafood dumpling right in the middle of the golden broth made it look like it was themed with the sun in mind, don't you think?
I had expected the seafood dumpling to be crispy with the fried wanton skin; but no, to my surprise, it was actually made of soft egg crepe!
That was definitely an unexpected surprise, and shows that looks can be deceiving!
This dish did not disappoint and I found myself enjoying the rich flavors from the soup seeping into the stuffed dumpling; which was filled with crab meat and sea treasures.
The next dish; Pan-seared Chicken with Xi Shi Sauce and Asparagus in cream sauce with baby carrot and edible flower
Grilled Blue River Prawn in Korean Spice accompanied by Marmite Sauce
Wok Fried Diced Salmon with Brown Bean Sauce with Crispy Corn Cake
I must comment on this dish, because it is my favorite dish from the whole menu.
Well, of course, seeing that I am a big fan of salmon (or fish in general), I was quite hooked onto the style of dicing the salmon then wok frying it before serving it with such a enticing sauce.It gave a whole new flavorful perspective to the salmon; which many would perceive as an oily or fishy type of fish but seriously, if you were to take a bite of this, it would be one of the most relishing taste of salmon and it is really addictive, I tell you.
Finally, the dessert; Crunchy Jack Fruit Kataifi Roll with Honey and Chinese Herbal Jelly with Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice Cream
I must say though the dessert seemed like nothing unusual; I beg to differ with my own interpretation of the dessert which revealed the yin yang theory infused with the concepts from both east and west.
For instance, the crunchy jack fruit kataifi roll was deep fried but had the concept of 'hot' but it was balanced with the chinese herbal jelly which was perceived as 'cool'. The Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream and also the honey was rather in-between or towards the cool element.
Now, isn't that an interesting concept, mixing and matching the heat and cool elements from both east and west?
The chef himself, after an exhausting stint in the kitchen; whipping up meals for two reviewer groups at the same time!
While many may have the perception that Sesame + Soy is a fine dining Chinese restaurant, and therefore must be highly priced, you will be surprised to learn that is not truly the case.
For daily business set lunches, prices start from MYR30++ per pax, which includes a soup of the day, a main course and dessert. Please kindly refer to the G Hotel website for more details.
For those interested in organizing business functions/events or even intimate wedding dinners, Sesame + Soy can accommodate up to a total of 50+ pax in its conducive environment..
For more details, do visit G Hotel's official website: www.ghotel.com.mny
Email: g4u@ghotel.com.my
G Hotel Sdn Bhd is located at 168A Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 604-238 0000 Fax: 604-238 0088
