Buffet Breakfast @ the Carousel Cafe

Buffet breakfasts are usually the highlight of my stay at hotels. The idea of waking up to an unlimited supply of bacon, eggs, hash browns and waffles - among many other things - is a feeling that brings me so much of joy, words simply can't describe it.

I stayed at the Palace of the Golden Horses, located on Jalan Kuda Emas, at the Mines Resort City - over the summer. The buffet breakfast here was served at the Carousel Cafe. In the ornate cafe, were huge brightly coloured horses on golden poles - just like those on a carousel. The designs of the plates and cutlery were intricate.

The buffet spread was of reasonable variety, and was separated into different sections - such as the asian, western, bread and cheese sections. Depending on when you stay, the buffet breakfast here can get pretty crowded. As I was there during the summer, there were plenty of tourists from the Middle East staying there, and the cafe was incredibly packed.

Some of the western items on the spread included Beef Bacon, Scrambled Eggs, Chicken Sausages, Baked Beans, Hash Browns and Turkey Ham.

The western dishes were commendable, as the beef bacon had a nice crispness to it and the chicken sausages were succulent, though not undercooked. The baked beans however, seemed like the ones in Heinz cans, with bits of capsicum added to it to make it look good, though I liked the fact that the hash browns were bitesize pieces, and in being so - they were a hit among children.

The variety of types of eggs available were of a reasonable amount, though I only stuck to the scramble eggs due to the fact that the omelettes came with a standard filling, and that I generally do not fancy half-boiled eggs with soy sauce.

As for the Malaysian delicacies, some of the dishes available included:

Nasi Lemak, with Chicken Rendang. Nasi Lemak is loved by Malaysians for its combination of wonderful flavours. The aroma of the rice, the sweetness of the sambal and the saltiness of the anchovies makes it the renowned dish it is. Though, the taste I got from the Nasi Lemak here was simply that of salt. The anchovies, the sambal and the rendang were all salty in flavour, and tasted nothing like those available in mamak stalls.

I also sampled the Congee with Condiments and the Roti Jala with Chicken Curry. These dishes too, were a disappointment to me. Firstly, the Roti Jala was dry and hard, the chicken curry was as salty as hell - the hard, overcooked chicken pieces didn't help change my impression either. The congee was of a nice consistency, though the condiments provided were not replenished, and so only the spring onions remained for me when I was there.

The other Malaysian dishes that I did not try included the Noodles with Condiments in broth, and Roti Canai with Dhal Curry. For a Malaysian hotel that has featured so many prominent guests, I was let down by the fact that the hotel was certainly not giving its visitors an authentic taste of Malaysian food.

Other features of the buffet included the Fruit and Juices Corner which contained freshly squeezed juices with pulp, and tropical fruit such honeydew, watermelon, papaya and mango. There was also the Cereal Section which contained cold milk and standard cereals such as Coco Crunch and Cornflakes, along with yoghurt and muesli - among other things.

There was a Bread and Cheese Section with varieties such as Cheddar and Gouda, and the breads came with a wide Selection of Spreads such as strawberry and apricot preserves, peanut butter, honey, blueberry jam and those small packets of butter.

Apart from the bread, there was a wide Selection of Pastries that tasted incredibly warm and fresh, though only after they were placed on the conveyer-belt like toaster located in the bread section. If not properly heated up, they were a bit tough and cold.

On the whole, the buffet breakfast at the Palace of the Golden Horses' Carousel Cafe had a satisfiable amount of variety that you would not be disappointed with. If you are staying there however, I would strongly recommend that you stick to the western section when you go down for breakfast. The quality and taste of the western food is far more superior than the asian varieties available.

Presentation: 5/10

Ambiance: 6/10

Service: 4/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 5/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic

Dinner at Pizza San Fransisco

While my mum and I were staying at the Palace of the Golden Horses, we decided to hop over to the Mines Shopping Center for some dinner and we stumbled upon an establishment named Pizza San Fransisco.

We both didn't even have to think as the decision to eat there seemed mutual. So we both went into restaurant to sit down and place our order. Pizza San Fransisco is located near the entrance of the water canal, on the ground floor of the Mines Shopping Center, on Jalan Dulang, Mines City.

My mother ordered herself a glass of Mixed Fruit Juice worth RM7.90. When ordering this drink, you have an option of choosing 3 juices from a list, which will then be mixed together. My mother chose a mixture of carrot, orange and apple juice. The drink was refreshing and of a large portion. There was no excess of sugar or ice added.

We were then served the Mushroom Bruschetta worth RM7.50. Upon looking at it, I thought to myself 'What the hell is this?'. The bruschetta was bathed in cream and not before long, the bread had became a lump of mush. Though the flavours were alright, the experience was horrible - being one of the worst bruschetta's I've ever tasted.

We were then served Nachos with Beef, Cheese and Jalapenos and served with Guacamole and Sour Cream worth RM13.90. As soon as I tasted the dish, I instantly noticed that the 'guacamole' was not made of avocados, but rather with mashed green peas. Even after asking the manager, I was told that it was 'guacamole' and not mashed green peas.

Despite the abundance of meat, the meat was of bad quality and the dish as a whole was cold. Furthermore, I was appalled by the fact that the manager got worked up and lied to my face about the guacamole, assuming I was some sort of a retard. A white lie right there on the menu.

Our last dish that we ordered was the Beef Lasagna worth RM15.90. The lasagna was of average quality and had too much tomato puree. There wasn't enough of cheese present. The beef on the other hand, was present in large quantity and was of good quality.

On the whole, Pizza San Fransisco gave us an average dining experience, with the exception of the mushed peas and the rude manager. Their prices however, were quite reasonable - though they had used that to compromise on quality.

In conclusion, I wouldn't recommend this establishment to you if ever you find yourselves at Mines Shopping Center. There are plenty of other restaurants which seemed to be a lot more popular, and serving much better food than what we had at Pizza San Fransisco that night.

Presentation: 4/10

Ambiance: 4/10

Service: 2/10

Overall Taste: 5/10

General Impression: 3/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic