Special thanks to The Wembley for extending this food review invitation.
The Wembley is a 4-star hotel at Magazine Road (Jalan Magazine), right across the road from Hotel Jen. The Wembley’s flagship restaurant is Wembley Cafe. This evening, the restaurant is giving a preview of the upcoming Chinese New Year buffet.
Starting with soups, the Double Boiled Black Chicken Soup is one of the highlights today. Cooked with Chinese yam (山药), the herbal soup has very rich medicinal bitterness that soothes the palate. Meanwhile, the Braised Seafood Soup contains dried scallops (干贝) and is quite similar to shark fin soup.
The action stall provides à la minute seafood. Baby octopus, mussels and shrimps are sautéed with Mongolian pepper sauce, which tantalizes the tongue in an exciting way. The savoriness of seafood is balanced by juicy vegetables like bell peppers, squash and onions.
Meanwhile, Baked Fish is supposed to be butterfish but this fish not available today. Therefore, barramundi (siakap) is used instead. The spicy mayonnaise on the fillet is quite delectable. Vine tomatoes and zucchini serve as counterbalance.
Barramundi is the choice for Steamed Fish. Despite its firm texture, the fish has a rather refined taste. The dish is served with sliced shiitake mushrooms (香菇), pickled mustard (榨菜), sour plum, tomatoes and red chili peppers.
The Slipper Lobsters are exquisite indeed. Lobster meat is mixed with herb butter and garlic, and then baked in lobster shells. The lobsters are topped with browned cheese crusts. This dish is recommended if you love shellfish.
Speaking of shellfish, the Cream Garlic Mussels are popular too. The New Zealand mussels are covered with crispy bread crumbs.
One of my favorite delicacies this evening is Wok Fried Mantis Prawns. Cooked with sweet and sour sauce, the mouthwatering mantis shrimps (虾蛄) are presented in a crispy bowl made from taro.
Next, Wok Fried Prawns are flavored with the chef’s signature Milanese sauce. The dish is then garnished with onions and capsicum.
Moving on, Crispy Fried Chicken is presented on a “nest” of squid ink pasta. Creamy citrus butter dressing is prepared to go with fried chicken.
Braised Duck Leg is another delectable poultry dish. The duck drumsticks are flavored with Shanghainese seasoning. Juicy bok choy (小白菜) on the side serves as counterbalance.
Taking a detour to red meats, Chili Spiced Braised Lamb Shank is an interesting choice. The lamb’s flesh is soft enough that it falls off the bones effortlessly. The accompanying gravy is delectable but is on the saltier side of things.
Beef lovers will be thrilled to find Tex Mex Ribs on the menu. The flesh around rib bones has a good mixture of lean meat and soft tissues. The succulent ribs are basted with Texan-style barbecue sauce.
Baked Fried Rice is kept moist by a layer of molten cheese on top. If you love cheese, I cannot recommend this dish highly enough.
Asian tapas include lor bak (卤肉), pandan chicken, fried wanton and fish cake. There are two types of chili sauce to go with these deep-fried snacks. Also included are chicken and beef satay in sweet-and-spicy peanut sauce.
Tang Yuan (汤圆) is traditionally prepared during the Winter Solstice Festival (冬至). The glutinous rice balls are served in syrup that has extremely intense ginger taste. The syrup is truly satisfying to those who appreciate the warming effects of ginger.
As for Chinese New Year cookies, there are popular varieties such as kuih kapit (娘惹鸡蛋饼), honeycomb cookies (蜂窝饼), peanut cookies (花生饼), green pea cookies (青豆饼) and pineapple tarts (黄梨饼).
Meanwhile, omochi (お餅) is a Japanese sweet treat filled with red bean paste. Each piece is served on a spoon and is decorated with chocolate shavings and gold dust.
This evening’s Western pastries are Red Velvet Cake, Citrus Cheesecake, Red Bean Cream Cake and Strawberry Mousse Cake.
At the fruits section, jackfruit is well-received, thanks to the fruit’s natural sweetness. In addition, there are also red- and white-fleshed pitaya (dragon fruit); the former is my preferred type.
The Wembley’s Chinese New Year buffet is available from 8 to 22 February 2018, except on 14 February 2018 because Valentine’s Day dinner is served instead. Complimentary Yee Sang (鱼生) is served at every table. Children enjoy 50% discount, while senior citizens enjoy special prices on selected dates.
Name: Wembley Cafe
Address: 183, Jalan Magazine, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-259-8123
Business hours: 24 hours
Website: https://www.stgileshotels.com/hotels/malaysia/penang/stgiles-wembley/wembley-cafe
Coordinates: 5.41326 N, 100.33001 E
Directions: The Wembley is located at Magazine Road (Jalan Magazine), just opposite of Hotel Jen and 1st Avenue Mall. Wembley Cafe is located at Level 2 of the hotel. There is a multilevel parking garage at the hotel. Patrons to Wembley Cafe can get their parking tickets validated for a flat rate of RM6.00 per entry.