Reasons to Love the Kampachi Weekend Buffet

I am a fan of buffets; really I am.
My eyes sparkle at the glimpse of the colorful and multi-varied types of food presented in different styles, flavors and unique ways which are bound to set the taste buds go on a wild spree.
The thing about buffets is this; Variety.
We have choices, and lots of them in one single meal.

Of course, the old ode that one should exercise with caution when faced with so much food; in amount and varieties still stands.
It sounds like a heavenly treat to be surrounded by all these wonderful choices and the freedom to have anything you want (well, almost, depending on the theme).

Buffets are readily available everywhere although this is still a sinful treat to many, and of course, the need to splurge to enjoy these assortment of cuisines.
(Well, there are also good buffets at a good bargain, which I will probably blog about in the future).

One of my personal favorite buffets has to be the Equatorial Kampachi's Weekend Japanese Buffet.
Served on Saturdays and Sundays for lunches, and only Saturdays for dinners, this is one exciting buffet for those Japanese food crazed fans.



There is just so much to love about this Japanese buffet, and to begin with, I am already a fan of both Japanese food and also, Kampachi.
Kampachi by Equatorial is one of the hotel's pride in serving one of the finest quality of Japanese cuisine around the island of Penang, and its fame has also spread to the metropolitan city of Kuala Lumpur.



The weekend buffet brings together the delectable treats served from this fine kitchen; by their experienced and skilled chefs.



Here I will list down the reasons this buffet has captured my heart, or appetite :-)

Assorted Fresh Sashimi sliced and cut right before you, and comes in numbers
Salmon, Butterfish, Tuna, Octopus

Sushi Lovers would rejoice at the varieties of Sushi freshly made to choose from







Cooked on the spot and served piping hot seafood and meat Teppanyaki varieties
(Fish, prawns, mussels)





Scrumptious Deep Fried Tempura technically running out like well, hot prawns!





Fresh wasabi paste!
Nothing beats freshness in this spicy wad of green spunk:-)



Silky Smooth Agedashi Tofu




Free Flow of Green tea (hot and cold) and chilled cordials/beverages



Interesting varieties of desserts
(I mean really interesting; a neat mix of western, oriental and localized desserts all together!)









 

They have the Soy curd pudding with fruit cocktail!


Home made Signature Kampachi Dorayaki!
Who doesn't love dorayaki!?
(Signed with love with Kampachi's initials :-)



Chinese Red Bean soup served hot from the pot, made with Azuki beans!



Japanese Mochi infused with the localized style



Awesome dining environment in the restaurant



Exclusive ambiance within the hotel to chill and lay back during the weekend








So, what are the reasons NOT to like about this buffet?
I can't think of any...

Equatorial Kampachi Japanese Weekend Buffet:
(Kampachi by Equatorial Hotel Penang)
Lunch on Saturdays and Sundays (starts from 11.00am until 3.00pm)
MYR68++ for Adults, MYR37++ for children


Dinner on Saturdays Only (starts from 6.00pm until 10.00pm)
MYR 92++  for Adults, MYR 49++  for children 

For inquiries or reservation, kindly contact +604- 632 7000.



Note: This is NOT a sponsored post and is based on blogger's personal experiences and opinions :-)

A Taste of Shanghai at Dragon-i

This is probably one of the most blogged places on my food blog; along with a bunch of other places which I just haunt on a regular basis.
You see, I am a comfort eater; whereby I tend to stick to the same type of favorite food that pleases me and the places which makes me feel comfortable to dine and sometimes this could just end up being the regular places I show up at. Of course everyone has that kind of comfort food, comfort places, but to sticking to it on a regular basis, that makes you, a comfort eater.
Not that it's such a bad thing, to be honest, but it sounds like it, when you claim to write and own a food blog *laughs*

Dragon-I is one of the places that I enjoy dining in; the food, the ambiance, the pricing, and well, the service, that is a tricky part sometimes.
This is definitely not an unfamiliar territory to most either anyway, and the fame of the restaurant has definitely extended to many parts; or major cities in the country.
They definitely do not need a formal introduction to their name.

Anyway, back to the food here; with a name like Dragon-i, it would not hard to guess that the restaurant specializes in Oriental cuisine, or to be specific, Chinese cuisine with elements and bits of the delectable styles of dishes from all over China.
Think along the lines of Szechuan, Guangdong, Shanghainese, and you get the whole picture.
Well, the restaurant prides or rather, centers on their specialties in Shanghainese cuisine specifically, and most of the offerings revolve around that theme while maintaining the whole Chinese-centric image.

Szechuan is a pretty popular theme here as well, take for instance:
La Mian with Seafood in Sweet and Sour Szechuan Soup



Thick handmade noodles combined with thickened broth with that hint of spicy, sweet and sour tastes enhanced by the company of modest inclusion of seafood; shrimps, mushrooms, spring onions, sum up this bowl of goodness, best taken when it's hot from the kitchen and of course, works best with a rainy weather.


Try the same combination of noodles and seafood, only in clear soup.
Perfect for the fuss-free and simple style diners, like yours truly

Seafood La Mian in Clear Soup



Fan of Spare ribs?
La Mian with pork ribs in soup








For a little deep fried taste of the noodles, go for the Braised Noodles with seafood; one of my all-time favorites.





For something to order on the sides, to enjoy with your noodles or plain old white rice?
I have a couple of picks...

For starters, Smoked Fish is almost always on the list...



Braised bean curd with seafood in a clay pot



While I am not a big fan, but it is definitely customary for anyone I go with to Dragon-i that they must simply have this famous Xiao Long Bao; a soup-filled meat dumpling which is simply the delectable favorite on every patron's order list.



Served with thinly sliced ginger immersed in vinegar, that is the way to have the Xiao Long Bao!


I am no expert and definitely in no position to tell you how great this is, but I can safely say that almost everyone here has one of these babies on their table.
When they say you what the Romans do when you are in Rome, well, you do the same when you are in Shanghai, or at least the replica of it here, in Dragon-i?



Steamy Hot Xiao Long Bao clouded in the hot vapor




That's the way to enjoy your Xiao Long Bao, I was told....


I could probably be writing about more of my personal favorite dishes here, but well, what's another post for?
It's not like this is my first post on the frequently-blogged about chain restaurant...

So....enjoy these pictures, and of course the replicas of the Terracotta warrior statues standing guard, lining the entrance into the restaurant~



You may not be heading to China anytime soon, but there's no harm since China is brought here, on a mini scale, at least to give you that glimpse~
Or at least, a taste of Shanghai is here...a teeny weeny bit, and they are staying.... :-)