M Social Penang Serves a Taste of Malaysia This Merdeka
Merdeka in Penang tends to be measured in food, and M Social Resort Penang is leaning into that. Its restaurant, Beast & Butterflies, is running a Taste of Malaysia buffet lunch across two dates around the national holidays, built around the regional dishes Malaysians argue about and agree on in equal measure.
The buffet runs on two dates, 31 August and 16 September 2026, from 12:00PM to 3:00PM. The spread pulls from across the country: Beef Rendang Tok, Chicken in Bird's Eye Chilli Coconut Gravy, Black Pomfret Asam Pedas and Stir-Fried Prawns in Nyonya Sauce among the mains. Live stations handle the Penang staples to order, with Penang Laksa, Penang White Curry Mee and Char Kway Teow Seafood cooked in front of you.
Cooking the case for a shared table
"Malaysia is truly a melting pot of cultures, and you can really see that in our food. Every state and community brings its own flavours, traditions and specialities to the table," said Jasmine Keh, General Manager of M Social Resort Penang.
The framing is familiar for the season, but the dish list does the work. Rendang tok is the drier, slow-cooked style rather than the everyday version, and putting Penang laksa and white curry mee on live stations rather than in warming trays is the difference between a buffet that reheats and one that actually cooks. For a holiday lunch in George Town, that is the detail worth turning up for.
It also lands in a busy Merdeka season for food. Burger King's one-day RM6.90 Whopper and 888's new Teh Tarik Malaysia are riding the same calendar, though a sit-down regional spread is a different kind of outing.
What you need to know
The Taste of Malaysia buffet lunch runs on 31 August and 16 September 2026, from 12:00PM to 3:00PM, at Beast & Butterflies, M Social Resort Penang. Booking is direct with the resort. If your Merdeka plans usually come down to what is on the table, this one keeps a longer menu than most.
