Yee Sang or Yusheng (鱼生) or Prosperity Toss or Lo Hei (撈起) in Nan-Yang (Malaysia and Singapore) has its origin from Mainland China brought in by the immigrants during the colonial occupation era when both Malaysia and Singapore were still one. It is one of the must have festive dishes during the Chinese New Year celebration that signifies the hope for a better harvest and prosperity for the year to come.

Eating raw fish slices or Yusheng dates back before the Qin Dynasty (秦朝) were the main ingredient is the thinly sliced raw fish and some condiments that changes according to the seasons changed. During Spring a spring onion sauce is the compliment and during Summer Chinese mustard is paired with the thinly sliced fish meat. As there was no cold storage in the olden days, the fish is usually caught live, and kept separately in clean water and fast to rid it of the excess fat to make the meat firmer. Then when it is time to serve, the fish is drained of its blood by making incisions on its abdomen and tail area and placed back live into the water; this process is to induce the sliced fish meat to achieve a silky smooth transparent appearance.

The Yee Sang that is being widely served during Chinese New Year in Malaysia and Singapore has a close resemblance with the Cantonese version (GuangDong佛山九江魚生) found in GuangDong China. This variation has 19 individual ingredients, ribbon shaped fritters, deep fried vermicelli, deep fried shredded yam, scallion, shredded ginger, shredded radish, shredded chilies, Chinese olive, pickle scallion bulb, raw sliced garlic, peanuts, sesame seeds, sugar, vinegar, peanut oil, salt and pepper.

The Nanyang Yee Sang is a culmination of the Cantonese (ingredients and tossing) and Teow Chew (the Plum sauce) variety with the addition of five spice, and this should have at least the following ingredients to make up the dish:

• Raw fish (有魚/余), symbolising abundance and excess through the year.
• Pomelo pulp or lime (大吉大利), lime juices added to the raw fish brings together the meaning of good luck and smooth sailing.
• Pepper (招财进宝), dashes of pepper symbolizes the attracting of more money and treasures.
• Oil (一本万利), with oil circling the ingredients denotes the encouraging of money to flow in from all directions.
• Shredded carrots (鸿运当头), the red colour of the carrots symbolizes the blessings of good luck.
• Shredded green radish (青春常驻), is placed to symbolize eternal youth.
• Shredded white radish (步步高升), meaning better prosperity in business and career.
• Ground peanuts (金银满屋), the sprinkle of ground peanuts symbolizes a house filled with wealth, gold and silver.
• Sesame seeds (生意兴隆), the seeds symbolize a flourishing business.
• Golden browns crisp crackers (满地黄金), shaped in a golden pillows, it symbolizes  abundance of gold.

Visually, there should be 7 different colours in the Yee Sang that represents the 7th day of the 1st month of the Chinese Lunar calendar, which is also the “renri” (人日) or literally translated to “human day”. On the 7th day, Chinese’s will celebrate the birth of human and thus celebrating ones “birthday”. The 7 colours of Yee Sang also shares the folklore of the Hakka dialect, where 7 different vegetables with 7 different colours are either stir-fried or made into a soup chowder that is savoured during this auspicious day.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

恭喜发财

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A recent trip to Gurney Drive took us to the newly open Gurney Paragon Mall and to Brussels Beer Café that was recently opened. Brussels’ heart and soul is their bar that serves a wide variety of imported and draft beers, like Belle-Vue, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Leffe fresh, etc. Although beer is like the blood in their veins, but the Belgian cuisines that are churned out from their kitchen are like the air they breathe.

Brussels Beer Cafe also serves a variety of Belgian dishes that will tantalize the taste buds and fill the hunger puns. Listed in their menu, we have found Crispy Roasted Pork Knuckle, Braised Lamb Shank, Belgium Foot Long Doggies, Moules Mariniere, and Homemade Belgian Waffles.

Before the light meal that we had, we cleanse our palates with Belle-Vue Kriek which was much recommended by Caryn who also likes to savour great beers. Belle-Vue is a Belgian lambic beer made through spontaneous fermentation of Morello cherries by the wild yeasts/bacteria that are native to the Senne Valley. The beer has a vinous or red-wine appearance with a sweet foretaste and a cider-tart aftertaste. It is sweet, fruity, and creamy but lacks a full body.

To pair Belle-Vue we asked for the Blind Finches, meaty minced pork balls wrapped with a slice of salty and smoky pork bacon slowly braised in a sautéed  onion and Laffe Blonde sauce.  The sauce was slightly sweet, herby (oregano) and peppery with alcoholic aftertaste.

One of the main courses that were well recommended by their staff was the Moules Mariniere. It is a pot of 500gm fresh live imported mussels steamed with garlic, celery, onions, thyme and white wine. The mussels were smooth and tender with a sweet earthy taste, but the white wine sauce was over salty. If the mussel flesh had a bigger size, thus bigger bite then it would be more attractive. They also serve other moules varieties that are prepared with beers.

Last but not least and our favourite was their Braised Pork Cheek, a slab of sinful porky and sweet well proportioned fat and meat lean pork cheek slow braised until tender and served with rye bread, fluffy buttery potatoes, crisp sautéed asparagus and a malty Franzikaner sauce. Though fatty the cheek was it was not greasy, and the proportion was just nice to flavour the lean meat and give it contrast of texture.

Our overall experience:

Popularity: 3% [?]

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Located in Campbell House, an old vacant run down pre-war building turned new breed of heritage hotel, Il Bacaro is a traditional Venetian street tavern which serves authentic Italian dishes in a nostalgic setting with black and white photos of the owners’ childhood memories.

Roberto Dreon is the owner cum Chef of the hotel and restaurant. Like most Italians, the emphasis on freshest ingredients only has “forced” the kitchen to make and serve freshly baked breads, handmade pasta varieties and their homemade sauces and gravies. All the cooking, baking and roasting is all done in their fully equipped kitchen that even has a custom built wood fired oven. Supporting Roberto is Nardya Wray who is also the co-owner of this cosy restaurant and hotel.

First up was their self baked bread served in a Chinese bamboo steamer with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The bread was soft and fluffy with a slight chewiness, the olive oil was fresh and buttery and the balsamic was sweet and tangy.

For salads, we had their Rocket Salad with Poached Pear & Goat’s Cheese. It is a medium salad with loads of bitter nutty Rocket leaves dressed in a caramel flavoured balsamic vinaigrette, thick slices of light and creamy goat’s cheese and generous portions of sweet tender poached pears in red wine.

For pizza we had their White Pizza with Rucola, Cherry Tomatoes, Egg and Parmigiano. The crusty pizza base was thick and firm with a slight smoky taste plastered with a luxurious coating of fragrantly baked cheese topped with fresh bitter sweet Rucola, juicy cherry tomatoes, a smooth and rich sunny side up egg and sprinkles of shaved savoury Parmesan cheese.

Main courses, we had their Pan Seared Salmon with Green Beans and Orange & Saffron Sauce and Homemade Tagliolini Siciliana. The Catch of the Day came in the form of a tender medium-rare steak of salmon that has been lightly seared and served on a bed of crisp sweet green beans and fruity orange and saffron sauce. Texture contrast was firm meat, crisp beans and smooth sauce.

The other main we had was Homemade Tagliolini Siciliana. Well cooked homemade Tagliolini pasta served with their homemade tomato base Siciliana pasta sauce which was tart with a hint of sweetness that came from the fresh tomatoes used to prepare the Spanish, Greek and Arab influenced sauce.

Final course of the day was their Panna Cotta with Strawberry Coulis dessert. The firm and smooth milky Panna Cotta pudding served chilled with a thick room temperature strawberry purée sauce that was acidulous with a sweet end was pleasing to our taste buds and comforting after a heavy meal. 

Our overall experience:

Campbell House

• Add: 106 Lebuh Campbell, 10100 Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia
• Tel:  +60 (4) 2618290
• Email:  info@campbellhousepenang.com

Open  daily

• 12.00pm-3.00pm Lunch Menu
• 3.00pm-6.30pm Light Snacks & Drinks Menu
• 6.30pm-10.30pm Dinner Menu

Popularity: 1% [?]

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‘Mee Goreng’ or ‘Mamak Mee Goreng’ is one of the many favourite fab foods that Malaysians enjoy and there are many comments on who fries the best. What we look for is not the best but the one that can deliver a more traditional bouquet of flavours. The best is only if we have tasted all the Mee Goreng in the world, or at least in Penang for this case.

Mee Goreng literally meaning fried noodles is myth to have originated from Chinese ‘chow mein’ and believed to have been introduced by Chinese immigrants to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia when they immigrated from China. In its’s basic form it consists of  yellow noodles, bean sprouts, egg, bean curd, crackers, fritters, chili and each individual cooks specially concocted gravy. Some stalls may also offer stewed squid or cuttlefish.

The Mee Goreng stall that is found at Chuan Foong (Yok Fong Cafe) on the junction of Jalan Tanjung Bungah and Jalan Chan Siew Teong reminded us of the oldskool flavours that we very much enjoy and look forward for. The stall has been in business for around 37 years in Tanjung Bungah and has been based in Chuan Foong for 20 years and opens 6 days week, resting on Fridays. Business hour starts from 2pm daily.

The stall still practices cooking with open charcoal flames that maintain a more distributed heat wave that will would evenly cook food and enhance its taste. 

Their Mee Goreng is sold at RM3.70 per serving. It has a balance of savouriness from the special gravy used to braise the noodles, sweetness from seasoning with sugar, heat from chilli and creaminess from egg.  Some lime juice from a wedge of freshly cut lime provided a taste of freshness to the plate of old flavours.

Other than Mee Goreng, they also have Mee Rebus and Pasembur which are also favourite items sold by Mamaks in Malaysia. Their Mee Rebus is sold at RM3.70 per serving. Although it is not exceptional, but it is still good enough satisfy the occasional cravings.

Their Pasembur is price at RM3.50 per serving which come with juicy and crunchy roughly julienne cucumber and jicama (sengkuang in Malay), crispy prawn crackers, fluffy fritters, firm bean curds cubes, and a rich hardboiled egg. We especially like the prawn crackers, which were well seasoned, that went well with its thick sweet and spicy gravy.

Overall, the Mee Goreng is well flavoured and has that unique wok sear aroma and taste, the Mee Rebus is a bit general in taste, and the Pasember is above average in texture and taste in terms of the ingredients and gravy. It would take us a few more visits to gauge their consistency for sure.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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Our first encounter with Poon Choi was some four five years back, while on a business trip to Kuala Lumpur. And our first home-cooked Poon Choi was in 2009, since then we have been looking and tasting this unique Hakka delicacy when opportunity strikes. There were good ones and bad ones, and there is a variety of versions that are available on offer by many established restaurants.

Poon Choi (盆菜) is traditionally a Hakka dialect delicacy that is myth to have fed a Song Dynasty Emperor who was seeking refuge from the ensuing Mongols.  As the Hakka’s live in the mountainous regions and live was not as well then, they prepared and cooked what was the best ingredient  they could manage or find  and layered them into a wooden basin that was then served to the emperor and his loyal subjects that were with him.  As time goes by, this unique delicacy has found its way to Hong Kong’s Yuen Long (元朗) and made famous by the constant exposure in TVB serials and Hong Kong movies.

Our most recent encounter was at HoHo Food World, where we had the privilege to experience what they could deliver in terms of flavours and ingredient selections at a reasonable price tag with fellow bloggers (invited review) and then with family.

The Poon Choi is made to order by reservation of at least one day before dining. It is all done by their chef who have had years of experience in preparing Chinese cuisines in reputable restaurant in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

HoHo Food World’s Poon Choi has an estimated 15 to 17 different main ingredients that builds up one of their signature dishes that they have on offer at their restaurant.

The most luxurious would be the firm and springy sea cucumber, the flavourful fish maw, the earthy dried scallop and dried oysters, the savoury sea asparagus and freshly fried prawns, and last but not least the smooth firm abalone. Note that they serve individual abalone for each individual diner, and their Poon Choi caters to 5 persons for the smallest order and up to 12 diners for the biggest set available.

Then there was the well prepared creamy yam and chicken, the smoky roast duck and chicken ham, the firm clam slices, the irony green broccoli, and an array of stewed mushrooms, carrots, radish and Chinese cabbage.
The gravy of the Poon Choi has a light sweet, earthy and nutty flavour with a creamy end from the yam used. It is not soupy like those with have encountered previously, it had a thick consistency which we have been searching for.

HoHo Food World

Add: 1301, Bagan Bukit Tambun, 14110 Simpang Ampat, SPS, Pulau Pinang.

Tel: +6016 5205535

Our overall experience:

Popularity: 4% [?]

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This is not a review, but we would like to share something worth sharing! We were invited by Spasso Milano’s PR company to an individual food sampling session just after it open its doors for business somewhere in September 20111. What was suppose to be a simple quite diner ended up becoming a gathering of bloggers, Tasteiest & All About Penang Food, sharing good food with good service and company.

Spasso’s (Straits Quay) kitchen is currently being run by an Italian import who strives to keep the authentic flavours of Italian-Milan cooking alive in a foreign country where pleasing local flavour paradigms are still very much alive. Chef Felice Martinelli, a 42-year-old Milanese even goes to the extra mile by specially sourcing and importing ingredients and produce, such as hand-made artisan pasta and Italian savoury jams to delight diners with the experience of dining in Italy. When asked, Felice answered with a serious smile, “I will only cook authentic Italian fare, and will never mix elements of other cuisines, or compromise on the quality of ingredients, just to appeal to the mass crowd. When you follow time-honoured recipes, using the original ingredients, you get amazing dishes bursting with flavours” With that in mind, we were expecting something that will tantalizer our senses and not to be put off by “localised” Italian dishes.

We started off with their “Porcini Soup” (RM18.80) that is made with 100% Porcini mushroom and drizzled with White Truffle oil before serving. It had a strong earthy mushroom taste that ends with a light sweetness and a bit of sour sensation. We also ‘accidentally’ had “Asparagus Soup” (RM16.80) which was strong in asparagus taste profiles that were quite refreshing. Then we were served with “Smoked Duck Breast” (RM23.00), sliced home-smoked duck breast, avocado and salad greens dressed with Hazelnut oil. The smoky and tender duck breast and smooth buttery avocado produced a “ying yang” sort texture. And the Hazelnut oil lent some additional flavours which did not interfere with the main stars of the dish. Still on appetisers, we had their “Pan-fried Goose Liver & Porcini”. The goose liver was lightly fried with some caramelizing that added flavour and texture to the soft creamy texture. The nutty and mild bitterness of the rocket leafs with the sweet tangy grapes and balsamic reduction mellowed the richness of the fatty liver.

Then we also had the Tuna Tartar that was made with freshly diced tuna and tomatoes that was quite light to the palate. But to have it with other heavy flavoured dishes would defeat its light taste profiles.

After appetisers, we moved on to pizza made their Italian way with a fully imported domed in shape wood oven with terracotta base that will evenly transfer the heat and maintain a good temperature for cooking. “Trutti Di Mare” pizza with assorted seafood was ready just within a few minutes in the 400 Celsius hot oven fuelled by natural wood flames. The pizza was evenly baked with a crisp but yet fluffy base topped with good quality cheese that were not too oily and ingredients that were still juicy and tasty with a slight smoky taste.

Normally risotto is eaten as a primo or first course of the meal, that faithful day it was already the third or fourth course of the evening. The “Mushroom and Truffle Risotto” (RM28.00) was one of our favourites of the night. Made from Carnaroli rice, a medium-grained rice native to the Vercelli province of northern Italy, and cooked in their homemade broth with lots of mushrooms and shavings of black truffles. The texture of the risotto was fluffy with a starchy consistency; taste was earthy and sweet to every spoonful.

Pastas are a must in any Italian joint. Opting for a better grade of pastas, we had a go at their imported dehydrated handmade Durum wheat or Macaroni wheat pasta that was cooked al-dente. If one is not used to the firmer and rough texture of the durum wheat paste, you could still get the usual pastas that are available everywhere. Sauces we had with the pasta was a tomato base and a cream base which were both quite flavourful in their unique way.

The highlight of my night was Spasso’s Hearty Italian Wagyu Rib Eye Grill RM138 for a 250gm slab of fat fill piece of beefy meat cooked until medium. The well seasoned and charred Wagyu rib eye was juicy tender to very last cut and good on its owned, without any sauce of gravy.

Secondi Wagyu Rib Eye Aromatica (RM138) is a meal on its own. The herb crusted Rib Eye was tender and moist with multi-layers of taste coming from the crust and also from the Wagyu beef. Though the herbs overwhelms the natural flavours of the Wagyu rib eye, it presents layers of taste profile with a crusty mouth feel that would be fitting people who are looking for some interesting flavours. The side dishes of roasted rosemary baby potato and Sicilian caponata blended well with heavy tasting rib eye. After all the heavy savoury stuff it was time for desserts, we had Tiramisu, Chocolate Lava Cake and Panna Cotta. Each and every dessert had its own characters and specialty, but what I personally like the most was the Tiramisu.  At RM18.80 per serving, the espresso soaked Savoiardi biscuit was the base for the rich Mascarpone cream topped with bitter sweet coco powder. Though there hints of liquor taste in the Tiramisu, we were told none was used. It is the process and method that produces that “alcoholic” sensation.

“Chocolate Lava Cake” (RM18.80) was freshly baked warm chocolate cake filled with rich dark liquid gold served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The strong bitter sweet taste of the melted chocolate filling and the soft spongy cake and cold ice-cream was sinfully satisfying after a great meal.The Panna Cotta (RM14.80) is made from fresh cream solidify with gelatine served chilled with mixed berry coulis. The sweet tangy berry sauce cut through the rich creamy pudding to balance taste and mouth feel that close the evening meal in an even note. 

Add: 3C-G-2, Block C, Ground Floor, Straits Quay, Penang
Tel: +604-8912888
GPS Coordinates: N5 27.556 E100 18.800

P.S: Many thanks to http://tasteiest.blogspot.com for the photos that he has allowed me to use. Regret not bringing my DSLR on that day.

Popularity: 4% [?]

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We have pass by this Kuchi Japanese Restaurant some time back, and it did not seem to be anything out of the ordinary. But then again, looks can be deceiving! It was an invitation through our blogging friend, Lonely Teacher. He had tried the place out and recommended that we give them a chance to ‘sell’ what they have to us picky eaters.

Kuchi’s co-owner, Alex Soon, was present to keep us inform of what was to be serve and what are their initial concept for their few months old restaurant that is nestle just opposite the “famous” Sri Batik Nyonya eatery.  From him we got to know that they will have in their menu fresh seafood that are caught in our local waters and also air-flown chilled varieties that are imported from various sources. They even have live octopus on the menu for people who are adventurous enough to give it a bite.

It was short sampling session after business hours. We only samples 7 dishes out of the many that are contained in their Japanese Asian fusion menu. First up was their Special Maki RM11 (Sushi) or ‘Dragon Roll’ to me. Large deep fried battered prawn encase in a firmly hand pressed sushi rice roll coated with sweet and savoury prawn roe.

Then we had their Name Ika Teriyaki RM25 or grilled squid which was one of our key likable. Crunchy yet tender squid generously seasoned and flavoured with their specially concocted sweet earthy sauce.

Kaki Guratan RM18 or oyster baked with butter and crumbs. I a mouthful, there was the feeling of crunchy grainy bread crumbs with the smooth soft texture of the oyster. Flavour wise, it was rich creamy and buttery with a medium salty end.

Ginmutsu Teppan Yaki RM26 is a deep fried cod and home-made kimchi dish that goes very well with dry noodles or plain old white rice. Though the fish was deep fried till crisp, it was still moist inside. The sweet and spicy sauce was quite appetizing for people who like a bit of heat in their food.

Lastly we had their Somen Chanpuru RM13 or Japanese Mee Sua. The stir fried somen was firm and not too oily to taste. It was a light noodle dish that has lots of vegetables.

Address:  102-A-5, New World Park, Burmah Road,10500 Penang

Tel: 04-2285176

GPS: N5 25.212 E100 19.638 View Gourmet Garden Food Trial in a larger map

Popularity: 3% [?]

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Sometime in August G Hotel and ‘Sesame + Soy’, their Pan Asian Chinese restaurant, extended a gracious invitation to us to sample their ‘Business Lunch Set @ Soy’. Sesame + Soy’s uniqueness lie in their dual dining ambience, where Sesame is the epitome of fine dining while Soy is casual yet elegant. Soy comes across as a modern Asian bistro, infused with a hint of Zen that complements its casual vibe. Soy offers a scrumptious menu with a wide selection of tempting delicacies that are luscious fusion of Asian flavours that will in some ways tantalise your taste buds.

Soy’s ‘Business Set Lunch’ consists provides for a select any two (2) dishes, a choice of either a bowl steamed rice or fried rice, a single serving of their soup of the day and a dessert.  Rice and Chinese tea is free flow.

Back to their main dishes, there are eight choices to choose from and rotated or changed according to their restaurant’s schedule. The following dishes are the items that we have tasted and found to be pleasing. Soup of the day that we had was ‘Lotus Root Soup’, light to the palate but was not the version that we are used to at home.

Wok fried black fungus with garlic and ginger, crispy texture with a light sweetness that cuts through the savoury taste.

Braise angle luffa with minced chicken and egg whites, the smooth eggy sweet gravy balanced well with the textured tender body of the luffa. 

Fried mixed vegetables with garlic, a simple dish that is ready to be paired with dishes that exude intense flavours.

Steamed snapper fillet and Sichuan peppercorns, is spicy at first but ends with a sweet after taste that does not interfere with the slick texture of the fish. Would be appeaser to people who fancy some ‘heat’ to their lunch. 

Crispy batter eel with red pickled grains and chili Hoi Sin dip, true to its name. Deep fried till crunchy crisp with a slight salty taste.

Chilled drunken chicken with garlic and chive dressing, the crisp skin matched with the firmed meat of the poached chicken was cohesive to the light tasting dressing which went quite well with a bowl of white rice. 

Spiced crispy chicken with ginger and garlic, the tender chicken pieces were slightly oily to our liking but the flavours went down well with us. There was a bit of zing that heated up the taste buds.

Sichuan style wok fried duck fillet with chilli and ginger, a bit general but still flavourful with its spiced up seasoning.

As the meal ends, dessert is served. We had the opportunity the sample the specialties or signatures which is said to be the favourites amongst their returning guests. Their ‘Gula Melaka Crème Brule with Coconut Ice Cream’ is one of their star desserts that infuse the techniques of the west with local ingredients. The rich creamy crème Brule wasn’t too sweet nor blend, just the right consistency in taste and texture. The other desserts that we sampled were equally delightful.

Operation hours: 11:00am – 3:00pm (7 days a week)

Address:168-A, Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Georgetown, Penang

Tel: 04-238 0000

GPS: N5° 43′ 78.13″ E100° 31′ 06.26″

View Gourmet Garden Food Trial in a larger map

Popularity: 2% [?]

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It was an invitation that was not to be missed although it meant traveling down to Kuala Lumpur on our own expense, an opportunity to meet an Iron Chef and sample something different from the usual Japanese cuisine was encouragement enough.We were invited to attend a media event hosted by Ten Japanese Fine Dining for their official launch. First launched on the Gold Coast in Australia, then six months later won two Gold Coast Restaurant Awards for Best Fine Dining and Supreme Award. And now, they are officially opened in Solaris Dutamas Kuala Lumpur with a grand event on the 13th of Oct 2011 that saw YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife YABhg Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali being the guests of honour.

Ten means “Heaven” in Japanese, and true to its name the food that we sampled were heavenly, delectable fusion of Japanese and French cuisine. To complement its heavenly delights, Ten has also employed an experience professional waiting crew that is ever ready to satisfy the needs and expectations of its discerning customers.

The secret to Ten’s exceptional-tasting food lies in the meticulous and masterful preparation of every dish by the restaurant’s experienced and highly-acclaimed chefs Mr. Hiroshi Miura, Executive Chef and Mr. Atsushi Nishibuchi, Executive Sushi Chef. Miura-san has had classical Cha-Kaiseki and Ryotei training, and Nishibuchi-san is trained in the unique modern sushi technique known as “Edomae Sushi”.
One aspect of Ten’s menu is that it offers authentic Japanese cuisine according to the seasons of change (spring, summer, autumn and winter) and availability of ingredients. Seasonal cuisines allow individuals to experience the difference of flavours that complements the characteristic of each season.

The “Media Personalities Lunch Menu” consists of entrée, main course, sushi and dessert. A simple meal but yet filled with surprises. We had a glimpse of the care and passion put into every dish that was being prepared in their clean and neat kitchen through the live-casting on the TV screen within the restaurant outlet.Entrée consist of deep fried prawn dumpling encased in burdock sheets, Japanese cherry tomato and egg yolk balsamico, and a shiitake mushroom stuffed with prawn and sprinkled with truffle salt.  There is no specified rule here! The deep fried dumplings were tender in side with a sweet taste and the crisp burdock that had layers of flavours from savoury to slightly bitter.The shiitake mushroom stuffed with prawn and sprinkled with truffle salt. Light, juicy and tender batter coated mushroom and prawns with its flavours enhanced with sprinkles of truffle salt to add a touch of earthy and savoury taste. Truffle salt is salt that has been laced with fragrant pieces of black or white truffle.

The Japanese cherry tomato, egg yolk and balsamico combination lighten the taste buds with its sweet creamy but refreshing profiles.Main course was “Chicken Three Ways”. It sound simple enough, but the flavours and texture were complicated and layered. On the plate was grilled chicken thigh marinated in miso, served wrapped in iceberg lettuce and seaweed.The grilled chicken was firm with a fermented nutty and earthy taste that was mellowed down with the layer of sweetness from the crisp iceberg lettuce and seasoned with the fragrant seaweed.
The foie gras, chicken terrine with Japanese leek and teryaki sauce, had distinctive flavours that were gamey, savoury, rich and creamy but were well harmonised with a balance of each. The slightly torched mango added a touch of sweetness and tangy fragrance that cut through the rich creamy taste. Texture wise, it was smooth and velvety.
The dark miso chicken gratin with button mushroom, tomato and parmigiano cheese sprinkled on top was a very creamy piece and cheesy. The slight torching of the top surface contributed to slightly smoky flavour that reduced the over rich taste sensation. Then there came the fillers, an assortment of freshly hand-made sushi and maki. On the plate were ocean trout, local grouper, tuna and prawn sushi with 3 maki selections that consist of ebi, salmon & avocado and a spicy maki which were quite satisfying. What we noticed and admire about the sushi is not just the fresh seafood and ingredients that were flavourful in their own distinctive ways, but also the al-dente fluffy sushi rice that were finely hand-pressed to produced a solid base that would not fall apart.  Accompanying one of the fine sushis that we have ever had, were the freshly grind wasabi that is not only spicy but also sweet and refreshing.Lastly was their green tea cake for dessert. It was smooth to touch and pleasant to the palate of someone whom doesn’t like over sweet things. The strawberries were firm and with a slight twang that rationalised the flavours.After having a glimpse of their menu, I guess if we are ever in KL again we would definitely give this newly opened restaurant a try to see what else can they dish out to tantalise our taste buds and senses.

Ten Japanese Fine Dining
D5-G3-05, Solaris Dutamas
No. 1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 KL.

Business Hours:

• Tuesday to Friday: lunch is served from 11.30am – 2.30pm and dinner starts from 6.30pm till midnight (10.00pm being the last order).
• Saturday & Sunday: dinner is served from 6.30pm till midnight (10.00pm being the last order).

For reservations, kindly contact us at info@tenrestaurant.com.my or +603-6211 9910.

Popularity: 4% [?]

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Is it a review, not really? It was a gathering called be Project Penang and fully sponsored by Sakae Sushi. There were about 20-25 bloggers of different fields not only food bloggers and many of them were people we haven’t met before, there were some that may have been acquainted once during last years’ “Blog Fest” and there were a few that we have been in close collaboration to promote Penang through blogging and pod-casting. The gathering also saw some new faces, we had a Scottish travel blogger who have spent 5 years in Penang due to the fondness he has for this beautiful Island, we had Christer a photo blogger and her friend  and Legend a tech blogger.

Through the gathering, we had much fun especially when Sake Sushi’s frog mascot came out for a photo session with us. He was pinched, squeezed and even “molested” by the undertaker.

During the gathering, we were hosted by Ranney (in green) from Sakae Sushi and their chefs and managers. Sakae Sushi Autocity ,which was formerly called Sakae Teppanyaki, now offers not only teppanyaki but also a range of Sakae Sushi dishes after undergoing an extensive refurbishment that has infused their (Sake Sushi) signature contemporary and stylish ambiance. Beware! Some of the dishes served are only found in this outlet, and there are an impeccable range of live seafood like live lobster, seabass and oysters.

Ranney briefed us on the origins of Sakae Sushi, the various concepts within Sakae, the meaning of the frog logo and the newly acquired touched screen ordering system that they put in place in certain outlets. Did you know that Sakae started from the husband’s love for his wife, of which like enjoys sushi? 

The gathering began with much fun fair, and the meal or dinner that followed was also exceptional. First, came the Sakae Salad that consist of shredded cabbage, julienned egg omelette, fritters, deep fried crispy salmon skin, marinated jelly fish and served with a plum base dressing. It is something different from the usual salad that we have savoured in Miraku or Ajinoren.

Then we had a platter that had Hana Maki, Soft Shell Crab Crepe and Salmon Sushi. Their Hana Maki is a beautifully crafted flower roll with delicate salmon sashimi petals wrapped around tangy sushi rice that is topped with creamy mayo and garnish salty shrimp roe.

Soft Shell Crab Crape is made of savoury fried soft shell crab rolled in an eggy crepe with sweet bean curd and juicy green & red coral leafs.

Salmon Sushi, skilfully sliced air flown fresh Atlantic  salmon sashimi on a roll tangy sushi rice topped with creamy mentai sauce that is lightly torched to give it that smoky flavour. 

Omo Tempura Shell Crab is simple dish with fried soft shell crab “packaged” in an egg crepe and served with fish floss and dressed with Japanese sweet and sour sauce and mayo.

The star of the night was their Live Lobster Mentaiyaki. Simple yet delicious dish that just grilled lobster and mentaiko sauce, rich and creamy.

Lastly we had a serving of Garlic Fried rice that was cooked at their Tepan section down stairs. 

Address: 1815-B, Jalan Perusahaan, Auto City, North-South Highway, Juru Interchange, 13600 Prai Penang.

Tel: +604 5080268

Opt. Hrs: 11:30am-10:30pm

Popularity: 4% [?]

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Housed in one of the pioneering hotels in Batu Ferringghi, the Feringgi Grill is situated on the Mezzanine floor of Rasa Wing at Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa Penang. With its full glass windows and well thought of layout, the dining area gives a breathtaking view of the grounds and garden of the resort, CHI spa and the ocean. The openness and close proximity to nature brings a sense of relaxation while savouring the wonders that can be flipped out from their semi-open kitchen equipped with their latest edition in a long line of chefs that has been charged with serving exquisite traditional favourites and creating signature dishes for their loyal clientele, Chef David Pooley.

Chef David Pooley, an Australian with over 10 years of culinary experience predominantly in Melbourne and Sydney has been appointed chef de cuisine at Feringgi Grill. Prior to joining the Shangri-La family, he was sous chef at Quay that specializes in modern Australian cuisine and mentored by celebrity chef Peter Gilmore, and Claude’s a 33 year old French fine-dining restaurant now owned by Chef Chui Lee Luk.

Brik Pastry Canneloni, savoury goats curd stuffed into a crisp pastry canneloni and served with a sweet cherry tomato on a bed of chopped olives dressed in a light acidic vinegarette and garnished with aromatic Dutch basil. The taste profile was a balance with rich creaminess, sweetness, savouriness and acidity that got our palates excited.

Torched Tuna,  skilfully prepared tuna fillet , lightly seared by torched that is served with crisp feta puffs, hard boiled quails egg with a rich runny yoke and frozen cucumber droplets on a bed of avocado puree and sprinkles of red powder.  The tuna had firm and fine texture with hints of natural sweetness that when combined with the avocado puree, feta puffs and red powder produced a lightly sweet, creamy and savoury taste experience. The frozen cucumber gave the dish a refreshing sensation. And with the egg and runny yoke, a smooth yet textured sensation.

Five Spice Quail, a dish that combines Asian ingredients with Continental cooking methods to produce this fusion of flavours. Lightly seasoned with five spice and salt and cooked till perfection, the quail was plated with mushrooms and fungi pan fried with garlic, chives, soy mirin, coriander and succulent baby cuttlefish. The quail was tender and flavourful, and the mushrooms and fungi were earthy and full of their individualistic taste and juices. A well executed dish that we will be back for more, simple ingredients and sophisticated techniques combined.

Bouillabaisse, a traditional Provencal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille. Here at Feringgi Grill, lightly seared sweet juicy tender whole scallop and snapper fillet and a crunchy firm poached yabbie immerse in a thick and flavourful seafood and ginger bisque. The bisque was smooth, creamy and highly-seasoned and filled with flavours from the strained broth crustaceans. The taste is similar to our local Hokkien Prawn soup.

Sorbet Sesame Cones were served to cleanse our palates before the arrival of our main course. Made from lime, pineapple and coconut, the cold sweet and sour sensation refreshed our taste buds while our anticipating our lamb dish.

Lamb Loin, the still pinkish loin meat was firm to touch but yet succulent and juicy was paired with mellow tasting smooth eggplant puree, sweet nutty pine nuts, pearl barley and chopped spring onions and the salty fermented miso paste that was lightly torched.  And to finish off the garnishing was the red-coloured mint leaves and spring onion buds. Taste wise, there was savory, nutty and earthy in play. As for the texture, there were combinations soft, firm and crunchy, but our favourite was still the lamb lions’ firm yet tender mouth feel.

All good things have to come to an end, but the ending also saw an orchestra of taste and texture at work in their served desserts. Rose & Strawberry Granita, strawberry flavoured ice shavings laced with rose water set in a glass with cubes of cocoa jelly, a scoop of vanilla gelato and garnished with gold leaf and violets. It was slightly acidic with creaminess from the gelato and texture from the ice and gold leaf; light, refreshing  and not over sweet for our palates. The violet gave some sweet perfume smell.

Chocolate Panna cotta, frozen white chocolate encasing a sorbet of earl grey and served together with rosemary popcorns, banana marshmallow and cocoa jelly. It is a bit exotic in terms taste with sweet, savoury and earthy flavours in one dessert presentation.

Last and not least was the Macaroons & Prailines. The chocolate was dark with a bitter after taste which I like.

Feringgi Grill
Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa
Address: Batu Feringgi Beach, 11100 Penang

Tel: 04 8888888
View Gourmet Garden Food Trial in a larger map

Popularity: 6% [?]

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Popularity: 3% [?]

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最新情报:

发觉周大叔没开档已几个星期, 于是问邻近档摊, 才知道周夫人已离开人世. 周大叔也卖掉档口从今不再炒硕莪糕和猪血面线了. 换句话说, 从此罕有的槟城猪血面线和炒硕莪糕也少了一档. 嗨…要吃都没得吃啦!

希望周大叔能节哀顺变.

往事已成回味….老福建古早味 – 炒硕莪糕 (Sago Char)

previous post : 23日 9月 2010

晶莹透明的硕莪糕

周大叔说: “做硕莪功夫繁琐，懂得欣赏的人也买少见少，所以已没几个人会做来卖。

光华日报部分访问内容: “从硕莪米到制成硕莪糕，要先用滚热的水将硕莪米、粘米粉、薯粉等搅拌均匀，盛入大盘中凝结后，再切成小块，入滚水中煮熟后再冲冷水，沥干后才能下热镬炒，这些功夫只要一个步骤做不好，就会影响炒硕莪的口感与嚼劲。”

Popularity: 3% [?]

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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!

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 6^th March to 17^th April 2011.
• Easter Sunday Lunch on 24^th of April 2011 for RM49.90++ per pax.

Popularity: 7% [?]

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End of last month, RoundU ( a company that bridges business owners to consumers through new media) had organised a luncheon with one of the directors of Weissbräu German Bistro & Bar situated at Quay North of Straits Quay. Wayne Yoon has over 20 years of experience in the F&B line in various parts of the world, holding different responsibilities throughout the years. And 15 months ago he decided to establish Weissbräu in Malaysia with its first outlet in Kuala Lumpur, then 3 months ago he and his partner(s) committed their resources to setup a branch in Penang. With that Weissbräu Straits Quay was born.

Weissbräu Penang German Bistro & Bar seats around 70 people indoor and 100 people at Alfresco, and opens at 12:00 NN daily to 1:00 AM (open till 2:00 AM on Friday & Saturday). Reservation is recommended especially for dinner hour and weekends.  ”Happy Hour” is throughout the day till 9:00 PM, and all day on Sundays.

The initial Weissbräu menu was compiled by Master Chef Pascal Schnyder from Luzern, Switzerland.  It is divided into 2 distinctive sections, one for the light eaters and the other for the hearty eaters. The lighter section of the menu contains items like salad, sandwiches, wide ranges of home-made and imported sausages and cold cuts that are quite suitable for lunch or over the counter for quick a take-away. For the hearty meal section, there are their signature Crispy Pork Knuckle, Pork Ribs, Giant Wiener Schnitzel and lots more to pacify the hunger and satisfy the sinful desires. All their main courses are complimented with 2 of their home-made side dishes which you can choose from; buttered market vegetables, Sauerkraut (Shredded Cabbage in white wine vinegar), German Potato Salad, Garlic Mash, lightly pan-fried Spaetzli (home-made egg noodles) or roesti.

At Weissbräu you would find some items or dishes that have influences from their bordering countries like France, Switzerland and Belgium.  Pissaladière, it is a popular pizza from Southern France that has a thin crust dough topped with sour cream, roasted onion, anchovies and olives. Roesti, a Swedish favourite of shredded potato strips pan-fried in clarified butter and can be served as it is, or top-up with bacon, egg, onion, cheese or anything you fancy to create your individually unique dish. Moule Mariniere or ‘Seamen’s style Mussel is a Belgium version of mussels in a pot with white wine and fresh vegetables.

Classic Ceasar Salad RM16.80++, crisp Romanian lettuce, tomatoes, and croutons topped with home-made mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese & bacon bits. To add an extra punch to the light dish, you could include either lightly curried chicken for RM6.00++ or smoked salmon for RM8.00++.

Buttered Swiss Roesti with onion, bacon, cheese & eggs RM24.00++.

Italian Touch Pizza with Mushroom Topping RM28++, thin crusted pizza with sour cream, homemade tomato paste, mozzarella cheese an d your choice toppings (here we have mushroom).

Crispy German Pork Knuckle RM48.00++, pork knuckle boiled then pickled for 2 days then deep fried before serving. It comes with 2 side dishes of your choice and beef stock base red wine sauce.

Giant Weinerschnitzel RM34++, skilfully cut and hand pounded pork fillet breaded and pan fried till golden in colour then served with 2 side dishes of your choice (Spaetzli and Buttered market vegetables).

Schublig RM42++, lightly smoked giant pork sausage mixed with their own special blend of spices and served with your choice of 2 side dishes (over here is Garlic mashed potato and Buttered market vegetables).

Homemade Sausages (Chili Pork Sausage, Herbs Pork Sausage and Garlic Peppercorn Pork Sausage), are special Homemade Pork sausages encased in lamb casing and seasoned with their respective flavours (natural herbs and spices), then smoked for 4 hours to infuse the smoky aroma & taste. This item is new to the menu and may be off the menu for now but is available by request.

• Smoked Herb Pork Sausage RM 34++
• Smoked Garlic Peppercorn Sausage RM 32++
• Smoked Chili Pork Sausage RM 34++

And when the kitchen is not busy, you may ask for a 2+2 sausages, but with respective charges. Please do inquire for further details.

For those who like to have something sweet at the end of the meal to cleanse the palate, you may want to  op for their desserts that are home-made as much as possible to keep the principle of making food the way it used to. At one point, Wayne jokingly pointed out that the only thing they don’t do is grow their own vegetables and rise their own cattle and swine!

Apple Strudel served with Vanilla Ice-Cream, an envelope of filo pastry stuffed with green apple cube prepared with nutmeg, white raisin and sugar syrup and top with crunchy sugar granules.

Chocolate Mousse top with Pear, bitter sweet chocolate mousse blended with VSOP for richness and served with chilled poach pears.

Popularity: 6% [?]

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Of recent we were invited by Miraku Japanese Restaurant in Penang’s G-Hotel to gather a small group of bloggers to share the opportunity to preview their new dishes and promotions, and bridge them to the mass of Japanese food lovers out there. To begin with the series of planned event is their March & April Hotate (Scallop) & Chuhai (Japanese Cocktail) promotions. The promotions begin from the 1st of March and ends on the 30th of April 2011.

There are 10 items to choose from their Hotate promotion menu that ranges from the naturally sweet Nama Hotate sashimi to the savoury Hotate Ramen.

If you are planning for a full night of Hotate craze, you could  start the meal with the Nama Hotate Sashimi (6pcs) RM19.90 that had a light natural sweetness and smooth tender flesh.

Then we had the Hotate Sushi (Nigiri Sushi) (3pcs) RM14.00. The texture of the scallops were similarly soft and tender like the sahsimi scallops and the hand pressed rice rolls were not too sour nor too compact.  With a small drop of shoyu and a touch of wasabi, it brought out the sweet taste of the scallop further.

After the raw hotate, we had the Hotate Chuka Chinmi RM8.00. They are actually the membranes on the side of the adductor muscle trimmed and tossed with sesame seeds, chili, vinegar and seasoned to taste. It had a crunchy texture and an appetising taste that helps to get the palate moving and duets quite well with certain beer sand sake.

Then we tried the Hotate Kakiage RM28.00. Mixed vegetables, onion, capsicum and scallops batter coated and deep fried till golden brown. It had a crisp surface with moist and juicy fillings that are appealing people who love fried foods.

Another deep fried item on the promotion menu was the Hotate Korroke (2pcs) RM18.00. The croquettes are different from the normal potato base, they were made from diary custard packed with corn kernels and scallop breaded and deep fried until achieving a golden crust and yet maintaining a rich creamy centre.

Continuing after the deep friend version, we had the Hotate Kushi Yaki (2 sticks with 6pcs scallop) RM11.50. Pieces of whole scallop grilled and glazed with their home made sauce of soyu, sugar & leek. It is said that the end product is very similar in taste as the ones found in Japan, authentic and exquisite.

Then there was the Hotate Kara Yaki RM19.90. Big size Scallops with roe pan grilled in butter, Mirin, sake, shoyu and seasoned with pepper. The scallops had a firm and tender texture with a buttery and savoury taste.

After the grilled, we had the Sanshoku Hotate Mayo ( a set of 3 colours with individual flavour) RM30.00, Green was Wasabi, Yellow was Mayo and Red was the  Mentaiko (明太子) is the marinated fish roe of Pollock. Each individual flavours would have a different appeal to different taste preference. Some liked the spicy Wasabi or horseradish taste, some enjoyed the rich mellow taste of the mayo and for me it was the rich and salty Mentaiko that hit the note.

Another creamy dish that was on the menu was the Hotate Gratin RM23.00. It had 5 lovely charred scallops on a bed of sweet and creamy gratin made of custard, cheese, mayonnaise and macaroni, then finish with a slight torch of the surface.

Last but not least, a hot bowl of Hotate Ramen RM25.00. The soup base had predominant flavour of Miso and Wakame or seaweed. The savoury and creamy tasting soup had in it a mount of Ramen noodles, Ginkensai or Pak Choy, Moyasi or bean-sprouts, corn kernels and most importantly the whole scallops with roes intact.

After finishing the last item on the “Hotate Promotion” menu, we went on to have some cocktails drinks. The drinks were also part of their March & April promos, “Chūhai Promotion” @ RM28.00 per tokkuri. Chūhai is a cocktail mixture of Shōchū (Japanese Liquor) with carbonated drinks & citrus drinks, the possible concoctions may include lime, grapefruit, apple, orange, pineapple, grape, kiwi, ume (plum), yuzu, lychee, and peach. In short, Chūhai is a Japanese Alcoholic Cocktail that can either be served hot or cold and any with any flavours according to the drinkers’ preference.

Miraku in its Chūhai promotion is providing a 150ml tokkuri (house pouring) of either Mugi (Wheat Shōchū) with 23% alcohol or Imo (Potato Shōchū) with 25% alcohol with a variety of choices mixers:

• A can soft drink of either tonic, soda, Sprite, Cola or Oolong,
• 300ml of choice of juice of either lime, Orange or Mango Juice.

The most desirable cocktail by the ladies that particular night was the Mugi (Wheat Shōchū) with Sprite and Lime Juice cocktail. It was well blend, with little bit sweetness, tang, mellow alcoholic taste and fizzy after taste.

The following is the Potato Shōchū or Imo with Sprite/Tonic, Lime and Plum. It had an alcoholic taste with a bit of salty sourish taste, and it was the second most liked concoction of the night.

This is Imo with just Oolong tea. It is for the more matured drinkers who like their cocktail strong.

Our chef of the day was Nakagawa-san, a shy chap at start but looks can be deceiving. If I am not wrong, he is still single and available for now!

Business Hour :

Daily Lunch 12:00pm to 2:30pm

Daily Dinner 6:00pm to 10:30pm

Reservation:

Tel No. : 604-229 8702

Fax No. : 604-229 8560

Email Add : fm@miraku-restaurant.com

Links to the other attendees of the preview:

• Food Promotions
• It’s Delicious
• Valyn Lim

View Gourmet Garden Food Trial in a larger map

Popularity: 7% [?]

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There is another German Bistro in Straits Quay that goes by the name of BERLIN’S BIER HOUZ(BBH). This is their second outlet in the whole of Malaysia as I was told. Their first flagship outlet was established in May 2010 in Ipoh’s infamous Green Town area. Berlin’s concept is to provide proper sit in dining for German and European food at an affordable price with an extensive range of beers to compliment their available dishes. We were told that they currently have about 43 types or brands of beer that are available by the bottle and or by the tap. The price of the beers are slightly cheaper compared to price offered by some of the F&B outlets that are also housed in Straits Quay. Another plus point for having a few drinks at Berlin’s is the night view of the Gurney Drive cove and that of the container yard on the opposite site of the island.

As it is mentioned, BBH serves dishes that have origins from Germany and Europe. The food list is not very extensive but at least it can provide some variety of choices with quite a budget price tag. The food list starts with light bites or snack that goes quite well with the many types of beer that they have to offer, then there are the mains that comes in to fill the hunger and it ends with desserts.

First up we had the “German Sausage Platter” that is priced at RM25.80.  The platter comes with a mixture 3 different sausage (if not mistaken Emmentaler Cheese, Garlic & Black-pepper). This platter could suffice the urge for gourmet sausages at a budget price with an average or acceptable taste profile. But texture wise, I prefer firmer sausages with more crunch or crisp skin. Thus, it would be better if the sausage were not sliced open before serving to keep the crisp feeling when we slice into it, and also to maintain the juices are intact.

Next was their version of “German Pork Knuckle” that is prices at RM25 for a half portion and RM43 for a full portion(whole). The price was very tempting although we already had a light dinner before we went to BBH. For RM25, the portion of the knuckle was quite luscious. The crackling was very crisp with every bite, but the meat was slightly dehydrated and over firmed. With the knuckle we found the simplicity of taste, just the flavours of pork and some savouriness.

Then we had their “Pork Burger with Cheese” that is stated RM16.80 per order. The patty is made with full 100% minced pork pan-grilled until well done, then slab on a bed of juicy sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce and sandwiched between 2 halves of a toasted fluffy bun. The patty was flavourful and moist and goes quite well with a pint of cold beer. The only down side of the burger was that it was a bit sloppy.

Overall experience:

BERLIN’S BIER HOUZ

3E-G-3B Straits Quay Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang Tanjung Tokong 10470 Pulau Pinang.

Popularity: 22% [?]

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On the second(2nd) day of this Chinese Lunar New Year my sister decided to have “Poon Choi” (盆菜) from Dragon-i for dinner to celebrate the beginning of Spring or lì chūn (立春)。The Dragon-i’s ‘Prosperity Abalone Treasure Pot’ set is priced at RM 388 and RM338 for CIMB Bank customers, and boast to have 16ingredients with an approximate weight of 8.5 pounds or 3.85kg. The ingredients listed in the broacher are Australian premium abalone (10head), Australian sea cucumber, Japanese dried scallop, Japanese dried oyster, premium mushrooms, Pantai Remis fresh sea prawn, fish maw, roast chicken, roast pork belly, Golden Money Bag, yam, black moss, Chinese Cabbage, Tianjin Cabbage, deep-friend bean curd skin and radish.  But bear in mind that they are allowed to substitute or change the ingredients as stated in their marketing literature.

As there were an over whelming demand for treasure pot set, they ran out of pots thus we had to bring our own Japanese claypot which was significantly bigger. For take-away, the stock was packed separately and all the ingredients placed in individual sections and layers.

Once we got back home after driving through the jammed Jalan Batu Ferringghi, we added the stock and reheated the treasure pot. But half way through reheating, a very light burnt smell was coming from the pot. The cabbage leaves that were place at the bottom started to burn from the heat because the leaves have more fibres and less moisture compared to radish and burns easily. Therefore, extra care should be taken when reheating it at home.

The following photos show the layers of ingredients that came in the treasure pot. If I am not mistaken, those stated in their brochures were all present except for the fish maw (花胶筒) and black moss (发菜). Presentation wise it looked like any soupy claypot dish and its taste did not excite our palates nor leave a very lasting impression. The mushrooms and roast pork belly were a size overly big, the sea cucumber had a fishy taste and the abalones were bland, and all ingredients tasted with same flavor, but the soup stock was averagely light and sweet.

Back in 2008 before the market went bonkers with Poon Choi promotions and packages, we had begun researching for the origins and recipes that we could easily adopt or adapt for local ingredients and taste preference. We started with  a recipe that had Hakka influence that required every ingredient that goes in to the pot to be individually prepared and cooked so as  to present layers of flavours and texture when you start consuming the Poon Choi. The preparing process includes a few cooking method, such as steamed, deep fried, pan grilled, poached, braised an so on.

Each layer has their unique flavours. As you eat through the layers and go down to the bottom, you will find layers of pork skin, bean curd skin and radish used to layer the bottom to minimize burning and most importantly to soak up the flavours that have trickled down.

Then in 2010, my in-laws did another version of poon choi that require less tedious work for their Chinese New Year reunion dinner. It had radish, bean curd skin, stewed chicken (feet), roast duck, salted fried prawns, stewed mushrooms, vegetables and canned abalone. It also delivered layers of flavours and texture minus some hard work.

Which version above could really draw your appetite?

Popularity: 15% [?]

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Most local Japanese food patron would have one or many encounters with sake (酒) or to be more precise Nihonshu (日本酒)  in their course of dining out in their favourite Japanese restaurant, but not many would have been introduced to masu sake(枡酒).

Masu is a square wooden box that was originally used to measure rice in Japan during the feudal period. One masu was supposedly enough rice to feed a person for one day. Today the masu is largely used for drinking sake with standard size of one gō or approximately 180ml. The masu is a symbol or celebration of life, love, friendship and happiness and are commonly used for New Year celebrations, weddings and company gatherings. The box is hand crafted in Japan from hinoki (桧) wood (lemon-scented, light pinkish-brown, with a rich, straight grain, and is highly rot-resistant) using traditional method without any use of nails or glue, it is all about old world carpentry skills and good wood. It will impart a delicate hint of lemony, woody and sweetness to your sake and smoothers the body of the sake that you are having regardless of brand or type. Thus, the masu box is never to be wash using soapy water or anything that will distort the unique flavours of the wood. It is usually washed by using hot water.

To further enhance the experience, salt can be placed on the rim edge of the box before drinking from it. It adds a dash of savouriness to the sake.

We had our first masu sake experience at Miraku Japanese Restaurant sometime late last year, and the latest encounter was during this January. Miraku is having a promotion from January to February (2011) to promote the traditional art of masu sake drinking with each serving charge at RM28 per full masu box.

Miraku Japanese Restaurant

Address: 1st Floor G Hotel, 168A Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang
Tel No. : 604-229 8702
Fax No. : 604-229 8560
Email Add : fm@miraku-restaurant.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

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During lunch with FoodnTravella last Sunday afternoon, we were told by her friend that there was a fish head curry in the Zim Sum Restaurant premises on Anson Road that operates in the evening. And of cause after getting wind of the stall, we decided to try out the fish head curry a few days ago after running some errands and meeting some clients.  The stall is run by an uncle and his assistant (worker lah), and it offers fish head curry, fish meat curry, fried balacan chicken and omelette.

The curry is made to order and there are a few sizes to choose from in terms of fish head size and pieces of fillet required. The one we had was RM22 and it was quite a big piece of head and belly, as you can see from the following photos. The fish head was bigger than the size of my wife’s palm and there were lots of okra, tomato, onion strips and mint leaves. Taste wise it is not very exclusive or unappealing; it was actually comparable to some of the more “famous” curry fish head businesses in Penang. The curry was predominantly sour with a sweet after taste and was not too spicy. The longer the fish sits in the curry gravy, the thicker it gets. Even though the curry was made from curry powder, the gravy was neither sandy nor grainy in texture.

Other than the curry, we also tried their balacan chicken which ranges from RM5.50 to RM11.00. The chicken is also made to order. The taste of balacan was light and the texture of the chicken was crisp on the surface and tender in the inside. If you are not a fan of fish head curry, you could try their balacan chicken, egg and rice set which I saw quite a few ordering. Address: 35, Jalan Anson 10400, Penang

Business Hours: 7pm to 11pm daily and closed on Wednesdays.

Overall experience:

• Taste & Texture: 3.0/5
• Money Value: 3.75/5
• Service: 2.9/5
• Cleanliness: 2.5/5
• Atmosphere: 2.5/5

Popularity: 6% [?]

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