Bayview Georgetown Hotel - Sunday Malay lunch buffet

Seeing that we've been to some of the best places Penang has to offer , sometimes, we like to go back to the old basics....
which is good old hotel food.

Of all the hotels in its category and I dare say beyond , we know that they are dependable , as they're not obsessed with cutting too many corners and still employ locals , who are truly commited to the service industry.
Plates are cleared promptly, everyone works as a team, all of them can communicate in English and are alert at all times.

We've always known this Bayview, to be rather good at whipping up local dishes. Thus when they told us that it was Malay buffet today, we didn't back off.

A stand out offering, was the catfish or tosad curry.

Very fragrant !

You won't get the earthy smell associated to the freshwater species , as the ones they use here, are from the sea. 

Loaded with fine bones, this local gourmand's dish though, is not for the novice. Took one small slice and slowly savoured every drop. 
Extreme caution needed.

Of course, no Malay buffet is ever complete without,

Beef rendang....

....kerabu.....

....not just one ( kerabu ikan bilis & kacang , top  pic ) , but two kerabus
( kerabu daun selom, bottom pic )...

....a healthy dose of ulam....

...which I reinvented into an East meets West platter with the help of a little vinagrette...

...yummy, crispy fish keropok....

....dips and sauces like cincaluk, sambal kicap and sambal belacan even.

This being Penang, Lamb Dalcha was on the cards.

Though the tomyam soup was packed with so many ingredients, sadly, this just wasn't up my alley.

Egg belanda.
Basically bull's eye eggs, cooked with baked beans. Not that I like this dish, even elsewhere. Just think that, the presentation is so pretty what with the layer of peas on top.

Didn't know that the chef included some bitter mustard green leaves, in the mixed stir fried vegie dish . To my surprise, this was really good ! There was absolutely no hint of bitterness . Brilliant !

For diners who might not fully appreciate local cuisine, they also offer alternatives. One of them being the Black Pepper Chicken.
Very, very addictive and very, very tasty if I may add.

 

Shortie being the type who sees no sense in enjoying Malay food in a hotel, had a whole whopping , huge, Ala carte burger to himself. 
All RM $ 26 of thick minced beefy goodness. Must have been delicious, since he barely talked.

 
While there was an ice cream bin to further glutton out as well as a dessert and fruit section, I went for 2 rounds of rich, intense coffee. Mmmmm....nice way to cap off the meal.

Kudos to City Bayview for keeping the prices reasonable , staff local and food real !

Location : Lebuh Farquhar, Penang