Three Sixty

Special thanks to Three Sixty^o Revolving Restaurant & Skybar for extending this food review invitation.

Bayview Hotel Georgetown Penang has the distinction of having the first and only revolving restaurant in Penang. Occupying the top floor of the hotel is Three Sixty^o Revolving Restaurant & Skybar. The restaurant's name reflects the fact that it affords 360^o views of George Town's city skyline.

The revolving restaurant features a ring-shaped platform where most dining tables are arranged. The platform rotates slowly and completes a revolution once every 45 minutes. Without leaving the dining table, one's eyes are rewarded with great views of the Swettenham Pier, Penang Bridge, KOMTAR Tower and much of George Town's World Heritage Site.

Three Sixty^o used to serve Italian food but has opted to serve Peranakan (Nyonya) cuisine instead. Due to time-consuming food preparation, not many restaurants are willing to offer Nyonya buffet on a regular basis.

Nyonya Chicken Curry With Potato is an iconic Peranakan fare. The spicy coconut stew is flavored with local spices like galangal, turmeric and lemongrass. Meanwhile, Mee Goreng Mamak a popular noodle dish especially at roadside "mamak" (Indian-Muslim) stalls.

Sambal Sotong consists of squid cooked with fiery flavors of chili peppers. Meanwhile, Ikan Masak Lemak is cooked in a gravy rich in coconut milk, culminating in delectable creaminess that delights the palate.

Beef Rendang is a Minangkabau recipe for meats. Beef pieces are slow-cooked with coconut milk and spices until most liquid has boiled away. What remains behind is a dish saturated with intense savoriness. Meanwhile, the recipe for Lamb Kurma is inspired by Indian cooking and takes advantage of flavorful spices from the subcontinent.

Asam Laksa is one of Penang's signature dishes. The fish broth is typically prepared from mackerel (ikan kembung). The rich broth can be enhanced by adding some shrimp paste. Meanwhile, Laksa Lemak is somewhat similar but heavily relies on coconut milk. Laksa Lemak is very similar to Siam Laksa, if not identical.

Next, Nyonya Pie Tee uses deep-fried cups made from wheat and rice flours. The crispy cups are filled with shredded jicama (sengkuang), carrots and green beans. Additional ingredients are dried shrimps, chopped scallion and sweet chili sauce.

Rojak is a salad mixture of fruit cubes like guava, pineapple, jicama and mango. Rojak is typically dressed with thick belacan (shrimp paste). Crushed peanuts and sesame seeds help to improve the overall mouthfeel.

Nyonya cuisine is renowned for its wide range of sweet pastries. For instance, Pulut Tai Tai is made from glutinous rice and is colored using blue extract of butterfly-pea flowers (bunga telang). The rice cakes are often eaten with kaya (coconut jam). Meanwhile, Kiya Kuih (枧仔糕) is made from rice flour and is dyed with pandan leaf extract.

Sago Gula Melaka consists of miniature sago pearls that are tasteless on their own. Therefore, the pudding is usually flavored with gula melaka (palm sugar) and coconut milk. As for warm desserts, Bubur Pulut Hitam is a thick porridge of black glutinous rice and longan. Diners may add coconut milk to give this sweet dessert a creamy consistency.

The Nyonya buffet dinner is also complemented with Western desserts like Crème Caramel, Tiramisu, Strawberry Trifle and Bread & Butter Pudding. There are also several types of fruit to conclude the meal.

Outside the main restaurant is Three Sixty^o's Skybar where beers, wines, cocktail, mocktails and liquor are served. This outdoor space is a great place to enjoy the cool evening breeze and breathtaking views during sunset. For safety reasons, children are discouraged from venturing to the Skybar.

Three Sixty^o's Nyonya buffet dinner is served from 6:30pm to 10:30pm daily. The meal is priced at RM88.00 net per person. It is interesting to note that Three Sixty^o is under the management of YKH Group Of Restaurants. Others eateries in the group are Suffolk House, Thirty Two, Beach Blanket Babylon and Chulia Court - all located within George Town.

Name: Three Sixty^o Revolving Restaurant & Skybar
Address: Bayview Hotel, 25-A, Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-261-3540
Business hours: 12:00pm-3:00pm, 4:00pm-2:00am (Sunday), 4:00pm-1:00am (Monday-Friday), 4:00pm-2:00am (Saturday)
Website: https://360rooftop.com.my
Coordinates: 5.42197 N, 100.33615 E
Directions: Bayview Hotel is located at Leith Street (Lebuh Leith), between Lebuh Farquhar and Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. Three Sixty^o is at the top floor, accessible by elevator from the hotel lobby. The entrance to the multi-storey parking garage is accessible from Lebuh Farquhar.