Cups & Mugs

Special thanks to Olive Tree Hotel for extending this food review invitation.

Olive Tree Hotel is a 4-star hotel in Bayan Baru, just across the road from SPICE Arena. Due to its proximity to the industrial area, this 4-star hotel attracts a substantial number of corporate clientele.

Besides Sukkah, Olive Tree Hotel has another restaurant called Cups & Mugs. During normal operation, this eatery serves delicatessen-style food such as sandwiches, pastry and coffee. Like Sukkah, Cups & Mugs is a halal-certified restaurant.

Every Friday evening starting 23 September 2016, Cups & Mugs is offering an all-new BBQ Jamboree Buffet. This American-theme buffet replaces Sukkah's Grilled Seafood Buffet on Friday evenings, although the latter is still available on weekends.

Few nationalities have a proud culinary heritage which revolves around meat like the Americans, which is why grills and roasts are the main focus of the BBQ Jamboree Buffet. From the cattle department, there are premium meat cuts such as short ribs, prime ribs and strip steak. Guests who enjoy stronger flavor can indulge themselves with lamb chops. Meanwhile for poultry, chicken drumsticks and wings are available.

The outdoor charcoal-fired grill is located next to the driveway to the hotel's lobby. The mere sight of chicken and beef burger patties is enough to water one's mouth. I am also glad that lamb skewers with mushroom and capsicum have been added to the mix.

Also prepared by the restaurant crew are sausages of several varieties. These meaty devils are best complemented by juicy corn on the cob.

Roasted potatoes are nicely prepared. For something naturally sweet, the grilling station also provides colorful vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini and squash.

The main attractions this evening are roasted beef ribs and lamb leg. Some of the condiments to go with meat are barbecue, black pepper, mushroom, mustard and mint sauces. Barbecue and mint sauces are my personal favorites due to their heavy flavors.

While waiting for meat to be prepared, guest can also help themselves to tapas, salad and soup. Cold cuts include chicken ham and smoked salmon. The menu may vary from week to week.

After a gratifying meat-centric feast, one should not overlook the desserts section too. There is a reasonable spread of confections to pacify one's sweet tooth.

French pâtisserie, cupcake, tiramisu and fudge cake make their appearances. Although not exactly the sharpest sword in Penang, the pastries are reasonably well-prepared.

Guests who need to satiate their sugar cravings may want to get their hands (and mouth) on mousse and jelly too. Of course, it never hurts to conclude the meal with cut fruits such as pineapples, pitaya (dragon fruit) and honeydew.

Cups & Mugs' BBQ Jamboree Buffet is served from 6:30pm to 10:00pm every Friday. As the restaurant limits the number of diners to 60 per session, prior reservation is recommended. The price tag is RM88.00 for adult, RM44.00 for child, RM55.00 for senior citizen (55 years and above). All prices are subjected to 6% GST. Also for a limited time, each guest can enjoy free flow of beer for only RM20.00 per person.

Name: Cups & Mugs
Address: 76, Jalan Mahsuri, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-637-7856
Business hours: 8:00am-11:00pm
Website: http://olivetreehotel.com.my/dining/cupsandmugs
Coordinates: 5.32698 N, 100.27941 E
Directions: Olive Tree Hotel is located at Bayan Baru, just across the street from SPICE Arena. Cups & Mugs is located at the Ground Floor, just next to the lobby. The hotel's multi-storey parking charges RM3.00 for the first hour, then RM1.00 for each subsequent hour. Parking is complimentary for hotel guests.