WHAT A BRASS!

WHEN OUR VISITORS LEFT LAST WEEK I THOUGHT we were going to have a quiet few days chilling out ... boy, was I wrong!

Firstly, there was the "hairy" if interesting experience at the Eq's Golden Phoenix ... then, the very next day, Traders Hotel's The Brasserie invited me and a whole load of other Penang bloggers to preview their Christmas menu, courtesy of newly-joined Executive Chef Siva. It was good to see some familiar faces, some new too, but all with one thing in common: FOOD. Especially Penang food. There was much "flashing" about the place as everyone had their camera out to snap pictures of all the delish food on offer. There's Comms Mgr Eileen in discussions with old friend blogger "Penangtuapui".

I like the place; there's an air of intimacy about it, a sort of trendy elegance which few other places in Penang manage to achieve - must be something to do with the wood-panelled walls and low ceiling. It was a shame when they closed down, and it's great that they have reopened albeit just for lunch.

The semi-buffet concept is also a great idea as it means one isn't stuck with just one starter and one dessert ... variety, as we know, is the spice of life! The ones on offer are good offer: a home-made soup (pumpkin in this case), lots of sashimi and salads with dressings including freshly-made Caesar should you so wish, and a variety of breads and buns to go with them.

For the entire month of December their choice of mains (beef, pastas, fish) will include yuletide flavours: Roast Turkey complete with stuffing and cranberry sauce. Mmmmm ... although having said that I decided to opt for the tenderloin instead - if I start with turkey now I'll be gobbling by the end of the year! That's on the assumption that I will be invited to many other turkey meals of course!

I'm always very impressed by their desserts: there is a good selection - complete with Ginger Bread House; it's all delicious, but what's even better is they come in tiny portions: perfect after a filling meal ... one wants just a tad of EVERYTHING - the cookies are excellent, and so are some of the creamy puddings. And here's a hint: the moulten chocolate goes with EVERYTHING, not just the marshmallows on stick.

Unfortunately I had to rush as we were leaving town that day ... but that's another story!