On the 1st of March we were invited to a private dinner by the Communication Dept of Golden Sands Resort in Batu Ferringghi to have a taste and experience of their Sigi’s Bar & Grill 1st Anniversary Set Meals that are only available for the whole month of March, except for Thursdays and Sundays. Thursday and Saturday nights has another value promotion namely their “Beachside Barbecue Nights” for only RM59.99++ per head that will run through March to the end of April 2011.
While doing research for this article I have found some articles regarding this casual yet stylish beach front restaurant that have been written by other bloggers, thus I would spare you the long winded introduction and oversell. I would just share our experience and thoughts of visit.
Even before their renovation work and reopening back in March 2010, we have not step foot into Sigi’s or any other hotel based restaurants in Batu Ferringghi except for Hard Rock Cafe. I guess the bad experience and oversell of certain hotel based restaurants have prevented us to spend our hard earned money on food that will at the end cannot suffice our palates and feel cheated. If not for the invitation, we would not know that there is still hope now!
Sigi’s is situated at the beach front of Golden Sands Resort with alfresco seating on the beach area and also on their roof top. These two locations will provide you with a view of the evening sun setting with a foreground of waving coconut palms and lapping waves. Occasional breezes from the beach or from the hills would provide some form of natural cooling sensation.
On the other side of the alfresco dining area, there is an open air BBQ & Gill pit that is often used for functions, buffets and special occasions.
On the indoor dining area, there is a fussed free dining atmosphere accompanied with the sound of flowing water from the small pool located in the centre of the dining area.
The invitation to Sigi’s was mainly to sample the 1st Anniversary Set menu and some ala carte dishes that will spice up the existing menu. At the heart (kitchen) of the restaurant and the person behind the menu is John Brock their Executive Sous Chef from New Zealand. The 1st Anniversary set menu is priced at RM100++ per person, but do not fret as it is their anniversary and they are giving out a “1+1″ promotion from 1st to 31st of March so that visitor are able to join in their joy and celebration.
The 1st Anniversary menu consists of 3 course plus coffee or tea to end the meal. The entrée has 4 choices, mains have 5 choices and deserts 3 choices. Out of the items listed we had a sample of their Gourmet Flat Bread, Arancini Balls, Sigi’s Signature Fish & Chips and chilled Rice Pudding.
Gourmet Flat Bread, fluffy toasted bread topped with pieces of savory and tangy sun-dried tomatoes, crumbly salty creamy chunks of feta cheese, nutty pumpkin seeds, olives, herbs and dressed with drizzles of sweet chilli sauce. The toppings provided most of the flavours with acidity, savouriness, nuttiness, creaminess, sweetness and slight heat.
Arancini Balls, rice risotto with mushroom and peas balled and deep fried until crisp on the surface then dressed with their minted aioli and served with a side of garden greens. The crust was crunchy but not hard and the insides were soft and moist. The aioli dressing although made with garlic and olive oil was not overwhelming with the taste of garlic and had a hint of mint to end.
Sigi’s Signature Fish & Chips, thick juicy butter fish fillets coated with fluffy beer batter deep fried till golden brown and served with garden greens, hand-cut chips (wedges of potatoes) flavoured with rosemary and garlic cloves, and a dollop of tartar sauce plus a wedge of lemon. The flavours and texture of the dish was well balanced, crisp fluffy salted batter coat with sweet juicy fish fillets and tender chips and creamy aromatic garlic cloves. In our case, we did not have to use the tartar sauce nor the wedge of lemon. All was well with natural tastes and aromas!
Chilled Rice Pudding, texture filled rice grains, with diary base (may be milk or cream) was served with a bitter sweet and acidic Strawberry Soup and White Chocolate. Definitely there is texture, tastes wise it is light and refreshing to end a meal. But do bear in mind that the combination has more English influence, and thus should not be compare the local Malaysian rice base dessert or puddings. It needs some getting used to.
Apart from sampling there Anniversary Set meal selections, we also had the chance to try out some new dishes on their newly updated dinner ala carte menu: Beef Cheek & Shallot Pie, Paella for 2, Lobster Pizza and Sticky Date Pudding.
Beef Cheek & Shallot Pie RM60, tender strips of slow cooked beef cheek meat and shallots surrounded by beautifully baked pastry skin and served with John’s special spiced tomato relish and lightly dressed garden greens. The filling was soft, beefy and savoury sweet, and the pastry was firm and crisp. Combined with the tomato relish for some acidity and spice to balance the richness, was a pairing well planned! And the salad gave the dish a shot of freshness.
Sigi’s Paella for 2 RM70, short grain rice cooked in stock flavored with the sweetness of saffron, the mild heat and sweet taste of Pimentón, the savoury smokiness of chorizo, the sourness of tomatoes and other herbs. The ingredients or toppings are also not to be looked down upon; there were loads of prawns, calamari, mussels and chicken chunks. I guess rice dishes from the West is always a must to get to used to in terms of flavours and texture for most Asians.
Lobster Pizza RM30 for 12”, wood oven baked thin pizza base topped with lobster chunks, orange flesh, pesto and Parmesan. It looks pretty common but the pesto, orange and rich salty parmesan combined perfectly to produce a light aromatic tasting topping that did not overwhelm the natural flavours of the lobster flesh. Even cold, it still tasted fine to the palate.
Sticky Date Pudding RM16, chopped pitted dates infused into the rich and sweet tender pudding served with Calvados caramel and garnish with a few halves of fresh Strawberries. The pudding was rich and flavourful but not overwhelmingly sweet. The caramel sauce was also equally appealing and not too taxing on the palate, especially when Calvados or apple brandy was used to enhance the taste of the sauce. Even Gill had a good time savouring this dessert although she is not a desert person. As for me, the warm pudding could do with a scoop of cooling vanilla ice cream, but that would have changed the whole experience of the dessert. So, just go with the flow!
| Taste | 4.0/5 (Should Try) Favourites were the Gourmet Flat Bread, Lobster Pizza, Beef Cheek Pie, Fish & Chips and Sticky Date Pudding.. |
| Texture | 4.0/5 (Should Try) Wise combination of dishes ordered would deliver good texture experience. |
| Service | NA/5 It was an invited event, thus service would not be in consideration for now. |
| Cleanliness | 4.0/5 (Very Good) Clean and neat dining area and kitchen area. |
| Atmosphere | 4.0/5 (Very Good) Relaxing, cooling and cosy ambiance with a nice view of the seafront depending on location. |
| Price | 3.5/5 (Acceptable) With the existing promotions it is a bargain, but ala carte wise careful selection is wise so that it does not go beyond your budget. Location must also be a consideration when commenting on their price. |
| Portion | 3.5/5 (Good) The restaurant is not stingy on the portioning; main concern would be ingredient quality and not quantity. |
| Value | 3.5/5 (Good) Includes the consideration of after promotion prices, quality of ingredients, presentation, location, affordability and experience. |
SIGI’S BAR & GRILL ON THE BEACH @ GOLDEN SANDS RESORT
Address: Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +60 (4) 886 1852 (Direct Restaurant Line)
Business Hours: 11.00am-6.00pm, 6.30pm-10.30pm (Bar: 11.00am-11.45pm)
Other ongoing promotions at Sigi’s:
- Extended Happy Hours daily from 5pm to 8pm. Pizzas at 50% off plus discounts on certain selected beverages.
- Beach Seafood BBQ RM59.90++ per pax from 7pm to 10pm, and from 3rd March to 28th April 2011.
Garden Café Promotions:
- “1 +1” Sunday International Buffet Lunch RM59.90++ per pax from 12pm to 2:30pm, and from 6th March to 17th April 2011.
- Easter Sunday Lunch on 24th of April 2011 for RM49.90++ per pax.
Popularity: 7% [?]
