Hard Rock Cafe
and Pizzeria
Hard Rock Hotel Penang,
Jalan Batu Feringghi,
Penang.
WHAT do you do when you feel like having a burger and a dose of rock ‘n’ roll? Head towards the Hard Rock Café (HRC), of course.
On a recent trip to the Hard Rock Hotel Penang, my friend and I took the opportunity to dine at the HRC.
Located at the ground floor of the hotel, HRC has two levels of seating. As we all know, Hard Rock Café serves authentic American cuisine. Read: Big portions.
We ordered the Jumbo Combo, Veggie Burger, and Honey- Citrus Grilled Chicken Salad.
HUGE: The Jumbo Combo.The Jumbo Combo is a delectable array of HRC’s most popular starters. The platter includes the Santa Fe Spring Rolls, Hickory-Smoked Chicken Wings, Onion Rings, Potato Skins and Tupelo Chicken Tenders. It is served with four different sauces.
Like I mentioned earlier, the portions are big. This platter is big enough to be shared with a party of three to four people.
And it can be a main course if shared by two persons. It’s really filling.
We were recommended to try the Legendary 10oz Burger, HRC’s signature burger. Unfortunately, we do not take bacon. Instead, we tried the Veggie Burger.
The patty is made of vegetables and spices, topped with Jack cheese, grilled fresh zucchini, yellow squash and freshly-made Hard Rock salsa. It comes on a toasted bun with fresh lemon mayo. On the side, there is salad.
This is my first time eating a veggie burger. The taste and flavours were interesting but I still prefer my chicken and fish burgers anytime.
Next, the Honey- Citrus Grilled Chicken Salad. The salad was fresh cut greens tossed with sweet red onions, grilled cajun chicken and came drizzled with honey-citrus dressing.
SINFUL: HRC’s signature Hot Fudge Brownie.It also came topped with fresh orange segments, spiced pecans, red pepper strips,sweetened dried cranberries and blue cheese crumbles.
I must say that the salad was a meal by itself. It was delicious and best of all healthy. By then, we were stuffed but never too stuffed for desserts.
We had HRC’s signature Hot Fudge Brownie. Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice-cream and hot fudge on a fresh brownie, topped with chopped walnuts, chocolate sprinkles, fresh whipped cream and a cherry. It was simply heavenly.
Oops, before I forget, we ordered the Bahama Mama and Rockarita.
NOT A FRUIT PUNCH: Bahama Mama.Rockarita is made up of Sauza Gold Tequila, Grand Marnier, and freshly squeezed margarita mix, while the Bahama Mama is a mix of Bacardi Superior Rum and Malibu coconut, banana liquer, pineapple and orange juice.
Looks can be deceiving and Bahama Mama definitely fit the bill. It came in a normal-looking glass and it could be mistaken for a fruit punch.
It was no ordinary drink. It had all the potent ingredients to see you through happy hours.
Overall, the dishes and the drinks were served quickly and they were good.
Pizzas and more
On the second day, we lunched at the Pizzeria. Pizzeria is a breezy al-fresco restaurant facing the sea.
It’s a perfect place to chill and enjoy a variety of wood-fired pizzas, pastas and cool cocktails and mocktails. It also serves a variety of international and local snacks.
UP, UP AND AWAY: The chef showing off his pizza-making skills.What we liked about this place is that it is also beside the pool.
If you are hungry, you can just jump straight out of the pool and come dine in your swimming attire. We saw a lot kids, dripping wet, having lunch with their families.
For starters, we ordered the Promodoro Bruschetta with vine ripened tomato, pesto, sea salt. This bruschetta is slightly different from the ones I have tasted. The bread was oozing with cheese and came topped with tomatoes. It was simply sinful.
SINFUL: The Promodoro Bruschetta.Next, we had the 12in Tandoori Chicken Pizza. The pizza crust was really thin and nice. The chicken was spicy and had the right zing to it. The pizza was accompanied by mango raita and capsicum chutney. The capsicum chutney was delicious.
We had the opportunity to see the chef work his magic making the pizza from the show kitchen at the restaurant.
It was entertaining to see the chef flipping and tossing the pizza dough high up in the air.
SPICY: The Tandoori Chicken Pizza.We also ordered the Baked Gnocchi which came topped with napolitana sauce and cheese. This dish was rich and creamy.
We had a nice time here. We didn’t have to wait long for our food. Service was good and staff were friendly. Be warned, the portions are quite big and you may want to share.
Both the HRC and Pizzeria were our favourite makan place at the Hard Rock Hotel Penang.
