C'est Si Bon

Special thanks to VOUK Hotel Suites for extending this food review invitation.

C'est Si Bon Restaurant is one of the two eateries in VOUK Hotel Suites; the other is Indulgence Lounge. Located at Level 2, C'est Si Bon is also where in-house guests have breakfast every morning.

On Friday and Saturday, C'est Si Bon serves Asean Feast Buffet Dinner between 7:00pm and 10:00pm. The 3 rotating menus, curated by Executive Chef Fong, aim to cover various Southeast Asian cuisines under one roof.

Starting with something local, Ikan Masak Lemak Cili Api is a classic Malay dish. Mackerels are cooked with coconut milk and a variety of spices, making this dish quite spicy on the tongue. Be careful if you are not used to pungent spices.

Next, the Chinese-style Nestum Prawns enjoy widespread popularity thanks to their sweet and buttery taste. However, I feel that the prawns are not as crunchy as they ought to be.

Hailing from lands to our north is a dish called Thai Lamb Massaman. Massaman is a relatively mild curry of Indian or Middle Eastern origin. This explains why the recipe for massaman is substantially different from other Thai curries.

Telur Berlado is a spicy Minangkabau dish from Sumatra. The main appeal lies in the hot paste, which is made by blending red chili peppers, spices and lime juice. The paste is then stir-fried with hard-boiled eggs.

Meanwhile, Bakso is a popular noodle dish from Indonesia. It is named after the meatballs used in the dish, which are typically firm and dense. Typically, the dish uses a mixture of rice vermicelli and yellow noodle. Other ingredients are fishcakes, bean sprouts, kai-lan (Chinese kale) and fried shallots.

Moving on to the action counter, Char Koay Teow is part of Penang's renowned hawker fare. The stir-fried dish uses flat rice noodle, prawns, fishcakes, eggs, bean sprouts, garlic chives and chili paste. Char Koay Teow is also sold at Se-Petang D' VOUK, a food fair in front of the hotel every Wednesday evening.

Crêpes are prepared to order so that they are soft when served. Diners can opt for toppings like peaches, blueberries, kiwi, grapes and crushed Oreo. A drizzle of chocolate sauce and strawberry syrup serves as icing on the cake.

End your meal on a sweet note with cakes, tarts and jellies in roll-out cabinet drawers. If you prefer something warm and soupy, bubur pulut hitam (black glutinous rice porridge) is a good choice. Ice cream and ais kacang are available too.

Finally, cleanse your palate with fresh fruits like oranges, honeydew, watermelon and papaya. Pickled fruits and fruit punch are also provided.

The Asean Feast Buffet Dinner is priced at RM48.00 net, RM28.00 net and RM38.00 net for adults, children and senior citizens respectively. The spacious and cosy ambience at C'est Si Bon Restaurant makes this restaurant a good venue for casual gatherings.

Name: C'est Si Bon Restaurant
Address: 57-G-3, Mansion One, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-370-8333
Business hours: 6:30am-11:00pm
Website: http://www.voukhotelsuites.com.my/facilities
Coordinates: 5.42743 N, 100.32081 E
Directions: VOUK Hotel Suites is located on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, right next to Gleneagles Penang and across the road from Aroi Mak Thai Food Restaurant. C'est Si Bon Restaurant is located at Level 2 of the main building. Parking is available in front of Hardwicke House.