Spice Market Cafe at Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa • Penang — Restaurant in George Town

Used to be really good buffet, however its really disappointing today. Arrived at 8pm and at RM168 per pax, food variety and selection is so low. There were only few stations. Noticeably pathethic japanese food selection whereby there were only few choices seen. All food were replaced so slow even though there were no queue. At 8pm onwards, we could not even taste salmon as apparently it was not restocked. We only see unagi sushi once, the moment it was wiped out from the tray almost as soon as it was served, it was never replenished ever again same goes to even TAMAGO SUSHI. All you could replenish after was just some mix maki sushi/ beancurd sushi..Tako sashimi was kept in display and can only be given to you upon request. But why is it that most buffet in Penang that has it, would already serve it on display right?

In terms of coffee and tea selection, there were only black coffee and black tea. Not even a variety of tea. Then same goes to the cakes and dessert that was also not replenished. There is no wonder now why most restaurant in Feringghi is full and had to queue except for Spice Market in Rasa Sayang that could still accomodate people on public holiday without reservation. Whatever happen to their chocolate fondue even?

Most of the soup were barely warm. This is just plain disappointing that their standard have dropped so much.

We have recently stayed here and the breakfast buffet was amazing. Hats off. Cocktail hours were amazing too. Hats off. No offence at all to Rasa Sayang Team but this buffet experience was really off.

However the dinner we had today, was so bad we could barely find more appetite to replenish our own food as the variety is little.

The salad selection is pathethic. There were not even cold cuts or cheese station available. Its just downright never to come back for their buffet.

So by 9pm we noticed that they were making satay and we thought it was part of the buffet but we were wrong because those were ordered to room. So how is it that the food is being restocked in somewhat slow or not even restocked manner, with such low variety cant even serve satay for buffet to increase variety?

There were already no oysters, barely sashimi or unagi replenishment, no spagheti station, all warm soup. Sad salad vege selection. Sad grill selection. No chocolate fondue. No refills in dessert or anything close to delicious or worth it.

Guys, just head over to Sarkies by E&O. You will probably feel...

I recently visited Shangri-La's buffet dinner, hoping for a delightful dining experience, especially with their seafood selection. While the buffet offered a variety of dishes, my overall experience was just average.

Food:

The buffet had a decent selection of dishes, including seafood, meats, salads, and desserts. However, the seafood did not taste fresh, which was quite disappointing, considering it is one of the highlights of the buffet. Some of the items lacked the expected flavor and freshness, making the seafood section underwhelming. The rest of the dishes were okay, but nothing particularly stood out in terms of taste or quality.

Ambiance:

The ambiance was decent but not extraordinary. The seating arrangement was comfortable, and the lighting created a pleasant atmosphere, but it lacked the premium feel that I was expecting from a Shangri-La dining experience. It felt more like a standard buffet setting rather than a luxurious one.

Service:

The staff was polite and attentive, ensuring that plates were cleared on time and that the buffet was replenished regularly. However, there was nothing particularly exceptional about the service.

Value for Money:

Given the pricing, I expected a higher standard, especially in terms of seafood freshness and variety. While the spread was satisfactory, the quality did not fully justify the cost.

Final Verdict:

If you are looking for an average buffet experience with a variety of food options, this might be worth trying. However, if fresh seafood is your main expectation, you might be disappointed. The ambiance and service were fine, but overall, the experience did not exceed expectations.

Would I visit again? Maybe, but not specifically for...

A very negative experience at The Spice Market Cafe today. My wife and I decided to have lunch here and ended up leaving before receiving our food or beverages. There were only a couple of guests in the entire restaurant when we arrived. Ordered sparkling water on arrival and had waited nearly 10 minutes - no water. A wait staff member appeared to take our order, tried to order Laksa, was informed there wasn't any available. Considering this is Malaysia, I was totally flabbergasted. Ordered something different along with two Grey Goose vodka and tonics. Wait staff member appeared several minutes later with no sparkling water in hand and was informed there was no Grey Goose available and recommended Absolute Vodka instead. I'm thinking to myself, Is this a 5 star resort. We were asked if we were Hotel guests upon arrival, no we are not. The body language reflected our answer in this wait staff members approach. As we are staying at The Eastern and Oriental for our ten day stay in Penang and enjoying 5 Star service and food quality, I thought it would be the same at this Resort facility. WRONG! Asked to speak with the hotel General Manager on the way out and ended up conversing with Guest Services Manager. Disappointed! I relayed our experience and refused to give my name or contact details. Im not interested in an apology but am interested in informing prospective visitors to this cafe of our experience. Want a better dining experience! Visit The Eastern...