Sarkies — Restaurant in George Town

As a buffet and seafood enthusiast, I had high hopes for my first visit to Sarkies @ E&O, but I was thoroughly disappointed. Before making a reservation, I called to confirm the seafood offerings, specifically asking about oysters, boiled cold red crabs, and king crab. I was assured by the employee that they would be available, saying "yes ada," which prompted me to make a reservation. Without that confirmation, I wouldn't have booked a table.

Upon arrival, my excitement quickly turned to dismay. For a 5-star hotel, I expected a lavish seafood spread, but what we found was underwhelming. The seafood was presented in a single tray with limited options, primarily cheap varieties like mussels, clams, and prawns, despite the hefty price tag of RM198 per person. The promised crabs were nowhere to be found. It didn’t feel like a seafood night at all; it was more of a variety spread of meat and seafood.

I spoke with the manager, David, who apologized and suggested there may have been a miscommunication. I was stunned; how could a 5-star establishment mismanage such essential information about their menu? Feeling let down, we tried to make the best of the situation, though I must commend the service staff for their attentiveness, as they quickly cleared our tables and addressed our requests with a smile.

The oysters, unfortunately, were not cleaned properly—many still had mud attached, and one even had feces in it, leaving a bad aftertaste in my partner's mouth. They also had a gritty texture, indicating they were likely local oysters rather than imported. The sashimi was okay, but it wasn’t served cold as it was left out in the open.

The drink options were quite limited, with only nutmeg juice or detox water available, which felt underwhelming for a venue of this caliber.

While the seafood array was a total disappointment, the grilled meats, particularly the lamb and chicken, were delicious, as were the salmon and cod. This certainly compensated for some of the letdowns, though I found the beef to be quite tough.

The soups offered came in four types—mushroom, pumpkin, fish maw, and tom yam. The fish maw soup was tasty, but the pumpkin soup was overly salty, while the mushroom was just okay.

As for desserts, some were dry and flaky, but I particularly enjoyed the pulut dessert and the refreshing ice kacang.

David offered us complimentary wine, which we declined due to allergies. Instead, I requested a discount, and he said he would "see what he could do." Unfortunately, he never followed up. When it came time to pay, the cashier informed us that David had mentioned a maximum 15% discount, which felt inadequate given our experience. Thankfully, with our Maybank card, we received a 20% discount instead, but it hardly compensated for the disappointment.

Overall, the management of this seafood night left much to be desired. They claimed that crabs were served, but once they ran out, they replaced them with mini squid. How can this justify a “seafood night” at such a high rate? I left feeling shortchanged and...

It was truly a wide and generous spread of food, and as a senior citizen, I found it especially gratifying to know we were charged less than the regular patrons. While I didn’t sample everything on offer, I focused on the dishes that caught my interest and those alone were enough to leave a lasting impression.

Let me start with the lamb soup. It was simply fabulous. far superior to any sup kambing I’ve had. The stock was rich and well-balanced, bursting with flavours, and the subtle blend of spices added depth without overpowering the dish.

Next, the char koay teow . A lard-free and one of the best I’ve tasted on the island. It had fantastic wok hei, perfectly timed to avoid any bitterness from overheat. The same can be said for the char mee, which the chef kindly prepared upon my request. It was executed beautifully.

The chicken rice stood out as well, outstanding and easily comparable to some of the best you’d find in Singapore. The roast duck was equally impressive: succulent, juicy, and full of flavour.

Then came the fish dishes. The assam curry was superb, while the salmon fish head curry, although slightly overcooked, still delivered on taste. It’s worth noting that these are best enjoyed at the beginning of the meal to avoid further overcooking from sitting too long.

The lamb masala was another highlight, deeply aromatic, flavours reminiscent of a well-crafted dish from a gourmet curry house.

All in all, it was a delightful dining experience. The wide array of dishes, the thoughtful preparation, and the comfortable, inviting ambiance made it a meal to remember. Definitely a place worth visiting if you’re in the mood for a satisfying buffet.

So here’s my verdict — If you hunger for variety, but crave quality. This buffet is a treasure. Go with...

Mediocre. Most Penangnites say this is the best buffet in the town, if that's true, then that's pretty sad. I've personally eaten at this place for more than 5x over the past few years, but after trying out buffets in other countries, I realise that it's no longer that impressive at all.

I'll start with the good ones. Sashimi was very fresh. Satay, pipa duck, grilled salmon, char keow teow, and pasta were decent.

Now the bad ones... Cold served seafood (probably the most costly items), pretty much everything at that section was tasteless. The texture felt fresh, but somehow didn't taste sweet or salty at all, in a bad way. It's just disappointing. Mushroom soup was too runny, felt like it was from the can.

Desserts were okay overall. Brownies tasted the best among all others. The choice of selection seem to have lessen compared to before. Haagen Daaz ice cream was no longer served, now replaced with very mediocre tasting ice cream.

Service was just okay. Not something to expect from a 5 stars hotel. The salmon salad was never refilled even though I feedback about it from the start and the staffs were too busy just moving around. Looked like they were short of workers.

Ambience was just poor... too crowded and no noise control. There was a group of diners shouting and partying as though they were in a disco club. I could tolerate with the noise, but just saying that the staffs have no regard for the atmosphere of the place.

Will I return? A definite NO. It's just not worth the money. I'd better spend this amount of money dining at several quality restaurants plus they won't even cost as much. If you have tasted quality buffet in other countries before, trust me, this will feel like just a random meal with...