Sunday Buffet Lunches 3: The Tabloid Restaurant at The Palace Hotel, Sliema.

Sunday, 30th october, 2011.

THE TABLOID RESTAURANT - THE PALACE HOTEL.

General View-The Tabloid Restaurants.

The Palace Hotel in Sliema is a stylish five star boutique hotel, designed to a high distinctive elegance, and which has recently won the International Award for best design for 5 star hotels catering for between 50 and 200 rooms in the Property Awards in 2011.  Apart from superior accomodation, an exclusive spa, and other facilities, it also offers splendid cuisine and dining facilities from three very different restaurants namely The Tabloid Restaurant, The TemptAsian Restaurant, and for quick snacks in the Talk of the Town Cafe.
For this review we are going to concentrate on:
The Tabloid Restaurant's Sunday Buffet Lunch.

The Sunday buffet lunch offered by this restaurant opened its doors for this season on the 23rd of October, and we decided to place a reservation for the 30th. We have dined at The Tabloid on various occassions, starting from normal Sundays to exclusive festive seasons, Christmas, New Year's day, Easter, Mothers Day, etc, and we have never been disappointed. The Tabloid is one of those venues that once you have tried it, you'll keep returning, not only for the opulent cuisine offered, but also for the elegance, service, and highly welcome attitude of the place.

This lunch at The Tabloid is layed out on some 13 food stations, in the buffet section between the main restaurant and the annexe. This prevents annoying queues in the dining areas, and people passing with overflowing plates around tables of other guests.

The Central Main courses station.

The food stations:



The Antipasto:

A vast selection of antipasti is offered from the central station which included: cold meats, pates, country style terrines, fish, shellfish, prawns, calamari, mussels, clams, razor clams, parma hams, home made gravadlax, salads dressings, oils, and more. Vast choices.

Antipasto-The Seafood.

Various Antipasto Dishes.

The little things that make a difference.

Parma Ham and other selections.

Mussels and Razor Clams.

Seafood.

A Lady's choice.

The Soup Kettle:

Prawn bisque served with cheddar croutes was the offer on the menu for this week.

The Crespelle.

Pasta platter.

The Pasta Station:

Crespelle filled with ricotta, cheese, and walnuts on tossed spinach and tomato sauce.
Fresh buccatini tossed in parma ham and mushroom cream. Very appetizing.
Olive oil, rocket leaves, parmessan shavings and fresh pepper to add as required.

A Mexican platter-individual choice.

Mexican Corner,

A unique station with Mexican style cuisine was offered as a novelty with dishes containing spicy beef, yellow corn enchiladas, spicy lamb in flour tortilla and yellow corn tacos.
Accompaniments of cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, jalapenos', guacamole, spicy chili sauce and sour cream. For those relishing hot and spicy dishes  - very good.

Salmon Coulibiac.

The fillet of beef.

The Carving Station.

Situated at the head of the antipasto and the main course U shape counter, the carving station offered a roast fillet of beef and a Salmon Coulibiac. Nice and Traditional.

Roasted Duck with orange
 and prunes.

The Hot Counter.

Complementary to the carvery, the hot counter offered various choices of main courses which included:
Chicken Chasseure with button onions and mushrooms;
Roasted duck with orange and prunes;
Veal saltinbocca in a port wine reduction;
Vegetable and walnut quiche;
Seasonal steamed vegetables and fennel potatoes. Opulent and vast choice.

Veal Saltinbocca.

Chicken Chasseure.

Main course choice.

Spicy wrap.

Maki, Sushi, Sashimi.

The TemptAsian Corner:

This is one of the ever popular stations at this buffet with choices of Maki, Sushi, and sashimi, Soy, Wasabi and ginger sauces.
Peking duck with pancakes;
Indian Corner,
Thai fish cakes; Beef oyster, Japanese fried rice and Singapore syle noodles.
Extremely popular- very good.

Peking Duck..

More Japanese Selections.

Beef Oysters and Singapore noodles.

Oriental individual platter.

Oriental individual platter.

Kids' Corner.

A station for young children was on offer with selections of baked beans, mini sausages, potato smiles, marshmallows, chocolate, etc.

The Cheese Board.

The Cheese Board:

Cheese selections of hard, semi-hard, soft and blue vein cheese, served with biscuits, grissini, nuts and grapes. Very good choices to finish off ones wine.

Dessert Selections.

More Selections.

The Dessert Station:

A vast and delectable array of flans, gateaux, friut tarts, mouses, the cocolate fountain served with dipping fruits, pancakes, Ice-cream and sorbets, warm chocolate and walnut pudding.
Mouthwatering selections  from the Hotel's Pastry Chef - Excellent.

From th Pastry Chef.

White chocolate and strawberry
delice.

Excellent choices.

Individual choice.

Coffee Station:

Coffees, teas, herbal and green teas, pudding and cake.

Cost per person adults: Eur 25 - extremely good value.

The wine choice.

A very well appointed wine list, with a selection of excellent wines some of which were very well priced was on offer, with our choice falling on an exquisite Herederos del Marques de Riscal -Rioja Riserva 2006 at Eur22 a bottle which was very good value.



Reviewers Impressions:

Ambience: Very Good.
Cuisine on offer: Very Good.
Preparation and presentation: Very Good.
Service and attention: Very Good
Wine List: Very Good.
Value for money: Excellent.

RATING: 9.5/10

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Contact Details: The Tabloid Restaurant,
                           The Palace Hotel,
                           High Street,
                           Sliema.
Tel: 21 33 3444.

Sunday Buffet Lunches 2: The Oceana Restaurant at the Hilton Malta.

23rd October, 2011.

The Hilton Malta name plate.

The Oceana Restaurant, at the Hilton Malta, has always been one of our favourite haunts for Sunday lunch, ever since the hotel opened its doors after being rebuilt on the Portomaso estate. The venue offers one of the most extraordinary, man-made, picturesque and most visually charming locations in Malta, showering clients with a vista of opulent living throughout.

The Oceana is located on the same floor area as the pools and garden, with clear views through the large, glass panes,  which showers the restaurant with natural light and a most pleasurable view creating an ambience that is exceptional.

The restaurant opened its doors for the season's Sunday buffet lunch about three Sundays ago, so it was about time to carry out a review of this all important establishment, which we consider to be our benchmark location for quality in all departments.

My group arrived just after 1 pm, the restaurant was already busy by that time, with many patrons already seated and helping themselves to the bountiful and opulent riches on the cuisine stations. Every year, the Oceana's team introduce new stations, or improves existing ones, adding or changing cuisine frequently, to give regular clients different selections and an urge to return time and time again.

This season's buffet is operated through some eight food stations, and a separate floor space for desserts served through another five dessert stations that tempt the senses no end, and which make a glutton out of even the most dedicated weight watcher. An ice-cream station, and the cheese counter are included for good measure.

The Review Team.

We were seated at our reseved table, cocktails were ordered, as well as the wines and water, which were promptly served by very attentive staff, which were strategically stationed to cater for clients every need.

The following is a illustrated description of what was available on the various stations, a feast fit for a king, or for you to indulge in:

To Commence

Selection of Salads and Antipasti. Anything from cold cuts, seafood, special Chef's delicacies- Greek, Indian, Italian , etc., salads, stuffed croisants, pies, you name it it's there.

Antipasto delicacies.

 

More selections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soup

Pea Cappuccino with fried smoked ham soup and croutons

The Pasta Station.

Pasta Station

Penne, Tortellini, Spaghetti and Macaroni

Tomato Sauce, Cream Sauce, Bolognaise Sauce and garnishes

 

Entrèes

Grouper with king prawns.

Medallions of pork.

Grilled Fillet of Grouper marinated in cumin dressing, orange, basil, cucumber and tomato salsa

Chicken Breast stuffed with chorizo sausage, rosemary, paprika and lemon chive dressing

Medallions of Pork with lemon, majoram, grilled vegetables and sage jus

Stuffed chicken breast

Meat Kebabs

Some personal  choices from the main-course terrines.

Meat Kebabs with sweet peppers, zucchini and marinated in a spicy dressing and rosemary jus

Carvery

 

The Carvery.

 

 

Roasted Leg of Lamb with olives peppered mousse, anchovies and rosemary jus

Vegetables

Haricot Beans with lemon, roasted cherry tomatoes, rosemary and chilli

Roasted Potatoes with roasted garlic and cumin

Shell fish.

Shellfish station.

Shellfish Live Cooking

Mussels, Clams and Prawns accompanied with white wine onions, garlic, tomatoes, coriander, basil and mint

Shellfish personal choice.

Live Cooking Station: 

North Africa Cuisine.

               North African cuisine.  Choose you ingredients and they are cooked for you with your choice of spices  and sauces.       

 

 

 Live Cooking Station: 

The Paella.

 Spanish Paella. Mouth watering paella with safron rice, shrimps and prawns, chicken and other ingredients in the traditional Spanish style.

 

 

 

 

 Spanish Tapas:

Tapas Personal Choice.

Tortilla with spinach, cheese and sweet peppers

Tortilla Española - “Spanish Tortilla”

Empanada de Carne Adobada - “Meat Pie”

Empanada de Pollo y Chorizo - “Chicken and Chorizo Pie”

Empanada de Jamón y Piña - “Ham and Pineapple Pie”

Desserts & Cheese Table: Five separate stations of desserts to indulge in.  Ice cream trolley and cheese board. Mouth watering, home-made selections, specially prepared for this opulent buffet by the Hilton's patisieres. The photos, taken on site by myself, tell their own story.

 

 

Dessert Station 1.

Dessert Station 2.

 

 

Dessert Station 3.

Dessrt Station 4.

The Cheese Board.

Dessrt Choice.

Reviewers Impressions:

When a team is reviewing an opulent buffet such as this, tables, counters and stations are inspected by each member, then each member decides which type of cuisine he's going to review. It is not possible for one person to sample food from all stations, therefore the assessment and opinion of the whole team is very important. The following ratings have been unanimously decided upon:

Wine selection -Barolo what else.

Ambience: Excellent.

Cuisine quality; preparation and presentation: Excellent.

Service and staff attention and efficiency: Excellent.

Wine List: Excellent choices of top quality brands.

Value: The cost per person for food only is Eur35 -

Very good value for the cuisine offered as well as the up-market, five star location.
Children Eur 12. Free parking.

RATING: 10/10 Category: Sunday Buffet Lunch.

Highly Recommended.

It is very rare that this rating is given, but the general quality of the cuisine, service and ambience could not be faulted.

Contact Details: Oceana Restaurant,
                           Hilton Malta - St. Julians.
Tel:                     23733340