Kopi Tiam

This article is part of my Christmas 2019 compilation.

Special thanks to Bayview Hotel Georgetown Penang for extending this food review invitation.

Bayview Hotel is a 4-star hotel in George Town. The property has the distinction of having the first (and only) revolving restaurant in Penang. As Christmas is coming soon, hotel lobby is decorated with a festive backdrop for guests to take photos with.

Bayview Hotel is having a preview of the upcoming Christmas Eve Dinner Delight. The event is held at Kopi Tiam, the hotel's all-day dining restaurant. The actual dinner on Christmas Eve is priced at RM98.00 net per adult and RM78.00 net per child.

This year's yuletide menu is designed by Executive Sous Chef Tony, who is shown here carving one of his signature dishes, Roasted Tom Turkey. The turkey is marinated for several days to ensure that it is seasoned thoroughly. It comes with chicken meatloaf, roasted vegetables, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce.

Another Christmas delicacy by Chef Tony is Grilled Sea Perch. The whole fish is cooked with herbs and spices, and then served with sour-and-spicy tamarind sauce. The fish's texture is reasonably firm.

Nestum Fish is prepared in fun-size portions, which is preferred in a buffet setting. Creamy cheddar sauce works harmoniously with the fish fillets. Overall, this dish is a popular choice among children.

Next, Chicken Curry Kapitan is a Peranakan (Nyonya) recipe which is a fusion of Malay and Chinese cuisines. The spice mix is not as spicy as its Malay counterpart, but is still quite flavorful on the palate. The dish is garnished with capsicum and cherry tomatoes to give it some festive colors.

The meaty dishes earlier are balanced by Potatoes Au Gratin. In this dish, slices of boiled potato are baked under a rich layer of cheese. Other notable dishes in this category are Buttered Garden Vegetables and Champignon Butter Rice.

The action counter serves à la minute pasta dishes like spaghetti and fettuccine. Napoli sauce and cheese sauce are available. Be sure to savor the handmade seafood tortellini too! Also served at the action counter are Chicken Satay, Fish Skewers and Lamb Chops.

Moving on to seafood on ice, diners can indulge in salmon sashimi and half-shell scallops. Condiments provided are lemon wedges, soy sauce and wasabi.

Finger foods include Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Baby Octopus With Quail Eggs. Meanwhile, the salad bar is where fresh produce and dressings are provided. As for soups, today's choices are Roots Vegetables Soup and Double-Boiled Chicken Soup.

The buffet spread has a modest variety of Christmas confections too. For instance, the Christmas Log Cake is decorated with icing so that the cake resembles an actual yule log. In addition, be sure to sample the Christmas Pudding with vanilla sauce. There is also an assortment of Christmas cookies like gingerbread men.

Other desserts that the pastry team has prepared are Lemon Meringue Tarts, Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie, Blueberry Cheesecake, Imperial Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Profiteroles, Crème Caramel, Red Dragon Mousse and Three-Layer Jelly.

Besides Christmas Eve Dinner Delight, Kopi Tiam is also serving Welcome 2020 BBQ Buffet Dinner on New Year's Eve. The price is RM118.00 net for adults and RM88.00 net for children. And if you are looking for a place to stay during this holiday season, do take advantage of Bayview Hotel's Dinner + Room Package.

Name: Kopi Tiam
Address: Bayview Hotel, 25-A, Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-263-3161
Business hours: 6:30am-1:00am
Website: https://bhgp.bayviewhotels.com/dining-drinks/kopitiam
Coordinates: 5.42192 N, 100.33588 E
Directions: Bayview Hotel is located at Leith Street (Lebuh Leith), between Lebuh Farquhar and Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah. Kopi Tiam is located on the Ground Floor and next to the lobby. The hotel's multi-storey parking garage is accessible from Lebuh Farquhar. Street parking is also available in front of the hotel.