G Lounge

Special thanks to G Hotel for extending this food review invitation.

This is my first food review at G Hotel. Being invited to this 5-star hotel is not something to be trifled with. As a prestigious hotel in the busiest district of George Town, G Hotel has the highest room occupancy among all hotels in Penang: nearly 90% last year.

My visit today is to cover the launching of several promotions at the coffee lounge near the G Hotel's main lobby, aptly called G Lounge. An interesting trivia: G Lounge has the longest bar in Penang - about 30 meters not including the adjoining reception desk.

The first part of G Lounge's promotion is Cuppa & Cuppa (RM35.00), which allows a guest to pick any coffee or tea from the menu, plus two cupcakes of his/her choice. This offer is available during tea time daily, i.e. 3:00pm to 6:00pm.

For coffee, the crowd favorite is the Freshley Brewed Coffee (RM12.00). The coffee is brewed from a special blend of fine Arabica beans, carefully roasted to medium-dark boldness.

If coffee is not your cup of tea (pun intended), choose from a handful of Ronnefeldt teas. Some available choices are Fruity Camomile, Refreshing Mint, Sweet Berries and Cream Orange.

As for cupcakes, there are four types to choose from: apple, orange, prune and apricot. All cupcakes noticeably differ in terms of icing. However upon closer inspection, the cake itself also varies appreciably.

The first on the line-up is the apple cupcake which prominently features a slice of caramelized apple ring on top of whipped cream. Although the cake itself is decently flavored, I feel that it is slightly moist at the center. I personally prefer the cake to be drier.

The next is the orange cupcake, which is my personal favorite among the four types. I like the sweet-tangy flavor of orange-flavored cake base. On the top of whipped cream is a slice of sun-dried orange and a piece of chocolate square.

This is followed by the prune cupcake, which has a slightly sour fruity flavor reminiscent of prunes. Sitting on chocolate whipped cream is an actual prune and a piece of white chocolate. I believe this cupcake goes well with tea, especially the lighter ones like Fruity Camomile.

Last but not least, the apricot cupcake has the mildest flavor, but has the most elaborate icing of all. Above teardrop-shaped whipped cream are a couple of apricot pieces as well as dark chocolate sticks.

Remember that each order of Cuppa & Cuppa comes with two cupcakes. Which is your favorite one? Regardless of your choice, the bakery at G Hotel keeps a constant supply of fresh cupcakes around the clock, so your favorite flavor is usually available at all times.

The second part of G Lounge's promotion is Coffee Toffee (RM15.00) which is available from 10:00am to 1:00am. This drink is available in two versions: hot or iced.

In the hot version, a shot of freshly brewed espresso is carefully mixed with caramelized sugar, steamed milk and chocolate syrup. The result? A bold cup of coffee with unparalleled toffee sweetness! This beverage is served with two pieces of flaky blueberry cookies.

The iced version of Coffee Toffee is great way to cool down after a hot day. Since coffee loses its aroma when chilled, iced Coffee Toffee is inevitably less fragrant than its hot counterpart.

The menu at G Lounge also includes several light bites for between-meal snacks. An example is the Tempura Prawns (RM30.00) which consists of six succulent pieces of prawns. This snack is served with wasabi-flavored mayonnaise as dipping sauce.

If prawns aren't enough to satisfy your palate, order some Deep Fried Calamari (RM18.00) too! These breaded calamari rings are served with sweet chili and lime dip.

My personal favorite today is the Vegetable Quesadilla (RM24.00). This Hispanic-inspired snack is made from mushroom, capsicum, zucchini, black pepper, tomato and lettuce. The fillings are held together using molten cheese, and carefully sandwiched in lovely tortilla wrap. I prefer the quesadilla to contain more cheese, though.

Another snack of Latino origin is the Spicy Chicken (RM16.00). This tortilla wrap contains deep-fried breaded chicken with vegetables such as lettuce, tomato and onion. Cheese mayonnaise is applied in the wrap itself, so I feel that mayonnaise on top is quite unnecessary. After all, I prefer to keep my hands dry when handling the wrap. In addition, I feel that grilled chicken works better than fried chicken here.

Lastly, the Indian Spiced Battered Fish Fingers (RM18.00) consists of several pieces of deep-fried fish fillet. These bite-sized fillets are paired with spicy Bombay dipping sauce. In terms of presentation, a different type of vegetable should be used as garnish. A good candidate is iceberg lettuce because it looks fresh and does not wither so easily.

If you prefer alcoholic beverages, G Lounge also has a fine selection of house pours. In fact, G Hotel as a whole has the longest Happy Hour in Penang! Happy Hour starts at the Tree Bar from 12:00pm to 4:00pm, followed by G Lounge from 4:00pm to 8:00pm, then G Spot from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. The Happy Hour promotion allows guests to enjoy buy-one-free-one on all house pours. So get your drinking buddy to G Hotel and indulge in every glass which the hotel has to offer!

Name: G Lounge
Address: 168A, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-238-0000
Business hours: 24 hours
Website: http://ghotel.com.my/dining-glounge.html
Coordinates: 5.43745 N, 100.31036 E
Directions: G Hotel is located on Gurney Drive (Persiaran Gurney), right next to Gurney Plaza. G Lounge is located on the Ground Floor of G Hotel, next to its main lobby. Basement parking is available. Customers of G Hotel's F&B outlets can have their parking tickets validated.