CRIZ BON APPETITE

Won’t it be cool if you could celebrate your Christmas with your loved ones and friends up Penang Hill this year? David Brown’s Restaurant & Tea Terrace has the perfect solution for you this year with their two promotions. One would be their Christmas Eve Set Dinner at RM188++/pax (24 December 2015 only) and the other would be their December Set Dinner Promotion at RM98++/pax (1-31 December 2015 except Christmas Eve). Dinner time would be from 6.00pm until 10.00pm. In order to get to the restaurant, you would need to take a train up Penang Hill. For MyKad holders, it’s RM10/pax (adult) or RM4/pax (senior citizen, child & student). As for visiting tourists, it’s RM30/pax (adult & senior citizen) or RM15/pax (child & student). Daily train operation hours will be 6.30am-11.00pm (last train from top station).

Let’s have a look at what would be served during the Christmas Eve Set Dinner Promotion 2015 (24 December 2015 only and no ala carte dishes will be served during dinner on this specific day). Please also take note that if you pre-book the set dinner with full payment before 15 December 2015, you would be entitled to a 20% discount.

Prior to the start of any set dinner, you would be served with an in-house made bread roll each, accompanied with butter.

To get your Christmas mood rolling, you would be first served with their complimentary version of Amuse Bouche. It’s a turkey croquette served with some hot pepper and vinegar spiced up sriracha mayonnaise. The item indeed boosted up my appetite for more delicious dishes to follow.

As for appetizer, it had Arugula Salad (commonly known as salad rocket), dressed with balsamic reduction lemon vinaigrette and topped with some slices of smoked beef bacon, tempura oyster mushroom with light sprinkles of crushed hazelnut. It was a simple and yet palatable to start off the meal.

We had Chicken Veloute Soup next. The texture of the soup really reminded me of KFC’s gravy for their mashed potatoes. It came with some slices of poached chicken, grilled eryngii mushrooms and a sprinkle of chopped chives. Maybe I have a strong taste bud as I found the soup to be a bit light to my liking. Somehow, it lacked some “roasted” flavors in it. It would be great if the kitchen have utilized some thick broth from simmering some roasted chicken parts to pep up the flavors more. Adding in some heavy cream would also give the soup more texture.

There are 3 options for the mail meal, namely turkey breast, Norwegian salmon and lamb racks.

The first option was the Traditional Roasted Turkey Breast, served with roasted herb potatoes, broccoli, purified apple chutney and glazed with some turkey juice. I quite like the whole combination especially with a twist with the usage of purified apple chutney and turkey juice though my favorite would still be the traditional cranberry and giblet sauces.

The second option was the Pan Seared Norwegian Salmon & Scallop, served with spear asparagus, tomato tartar, chives potato cream, and lime hollandaise. Every items on the plate complemented the perfectly pan seared salmon real well.

The third option which was the Pan Roasted Rack of Lamb was my favorite amongst the 3 options. The dish was served with glazed onions, confit cherry tomatoes, braised lamb pie with some balsamic lamb juice. It was the heavenly dish that would linger in my mind for quite awhile.

To clear the heaviness of the food you had consumed earlier, they have a pre-dessert of Ginger Lime Granita. It may look like some crushed ice but the flavors were just right with some crunchy texture.

The dessert was rather unique as the Chocolate Mousse Cake was skillfully decorated with some caramelized popcorns, caramelized banana, coconut gelee with an assortment of berries. The whole combination had just the right sweetness to my liking.

Lastly, you have the option to choose between Tea or Coffee with a Christmas Cookie to end your meal. I would recommend you to have their coffee as they are using the Italian brand Caffe Vergnano Espresso Rico ‘700 which has an intense and full-bodied flavor with hints of chocolate finishing. This blend had just the right balance of fragrantly roasted Arabica combined with the rich and full-bodied Robusta. It was the perfect beverage to end the meal.

In case you can’t make it on Christmas Eve, you can also check out their December Set Dinner Promotion at RM98++/pax (1-31 December 2015 except Christmas Eve). Here’s the menu.

While waiting for your meal to be served, you would always get to try out their in-house made bread roll with butter.

To start off, you could savor their Soft Shelled Crab Salad with Sesame Dressing as appetizer. With some crunches of the batter fried soft shelled crab combined with the many greens plus fragrantly pepped up sesame dressing, it was a great start before the main meal.

We were then served with Chicken & Corn Soup. I quite like the texture and flavors of this soup. At least there were some bites in it.

There are 3 options for the main course such as poultry, fish and lamb rack.

The first option was the David Brown’s Poulet, served with roasted herbed potatoes, steamed vegetables and gravy. This was quite a fusion dish with the L-shaped chicken drumsticks being marinated with dozen types of herbs and spices. For those who prefer stronger flavors, this dish would suit you well.

The second option was the Pan Seared Grouper, served with potato croquette, steamed vegetables and wasabi mayonnaise. It was a fuss-free dish for a dinner option.

The last option was the Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, served with potato fondant, steamed vegetables and lamb juice. It was not a bad choice actually, considering that the meat was tender and juicy to my liking.

As for dessert, it was the heavenly Chocolate Brownie with their signature homemade Caffe Vergnano 1882 Espresso Chocolate Ice Cream. The slightly crispy crusted and moist brownie combined with the earthly bitter sweet ice cream was the perfect dessert to end the meal.

If you get enough of the ice cream, you could always order coffee rather than tea to end the meal. They would be serving Coffee or Tea with Christmas Cookie during this season.

Overall, I do find some of the dishes served here to be quite impressive, especially the Christmas Eve Set Dinner. It might be a hefty sum for some to foot but you can be assured of quality ingredients being used in the menu. Just take a short getaway up the hills and be mesmerized with the cool breezy and scenic night view of the island. I’m sure you would not regret making that decision.

It’s not hard to find David Brown’s Restaurant and Tea Terraces as it’s located above the small Strawberry Hill next to the train station. Upon disembarking from the train, just walk towards the end and turn right and you can see a stairways leading up to the restaurant.

Name: DAVID BROWN’S RESTAURANT & TEA TERRACES
Address: Lot 400, MK 17, Daerah Barat Daya, Strawberry Hill, Bukit Bendera, 11300 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia
Contact: +604-828 8337 or +6018-409 6277
Business Hours: 11.00am-3.00pm (lunch), 3.00pm-6.00pm (tea), 6.00pm-10.00pm (dinner – last order at 9.00pm)
GPS: 5.424210, 100.268632

RATING:
Ambience: 9/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

With the festive seasons of Christmas and New Year just around the corner, Hard Rock Hotel Penang will be having a few promotions to pamper its guests and diners with an extensive spread of delectable dishes under the expertise of the hotel’s kitchen team [From left to right: Rizal bin Hashim (Sous Chef), Abdul Rahim Bin Mohammad (Sous Chef), Mohd Nazir Bin Aziz (Chef De Cuisine), Zulkanai Bin Md Elias (Kitchen Manager) and Wan Mohd Shahrul Bin Wan Mohd Saad (Sous Chef)]. Do enjoy the delightful holiday treats this Christmas & New Year eves at Starz Diner @ Hard Rock Hotel Penang from 6.30pm until 10.30pm. Please call +604-886 8057 or email fb.penang@hardrockhotels.net to book earlier to avoid disappointment.

For both Christmas and New Eve dinners, you would get to indulge in their maki platters (Abuni Salmon Maki, Cheese Maki, Unagi Maki, Rainbow Maki, etc) plus bread and rolls (Grissini, Olive Bread, Multi Grains, Baguette, etc). Their Grissini (breadsticks) were one of the best I’ve tasted.

On the eve of Christmas, Starz Diner will be offering a Christmas Eve Rock ‘n’ Roll Buffet Dinner at RM186nett/pax, inclusive of a complimentary party pack and lucky draw.

Some of the dishes to look out for would be their Prawn Tikka with Mango Melon Salsa, Asparagus with Crab Meat Salad, Shellfish Bisque, Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy & Cranberries Citrus Sauce, Cajun Spice Red Snapper with Shrimp and Mussel Salsa, Miniature Berry Gingerbread Cakes and Chocolate and Cherry Yule Logs.

The highlight of any Christmas meal would be their Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy & Cranberries Citrus Sauce, Glazed Nuts Stuffing, Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables. It was the perfect dish to start off the festive season. Ooo.. I always enjoyed my turkey with their sauces. Those condiments were some of the best ones around.

Their Chocolate & Cherry Yule Logs was one of the good ones around, considering that the cake was moist and fluffy without being too sweet.

Of course, there would be the English Fruit Cake with Glazed Fruits. Sweet as it is, it’s a great dessert to end the dinner over a cup of hot tea.

For those who would fancy a set dinner instead of a buffet dinner may opt for Hard Rock Café Penang’s 4-course Christmas Eve Dinner at RM185nett/pax. The dinner offers a starter – Mini Citrus Salad and a Cream of Lobster and Crab soup. For the choice of mains, the café will be serving a choice of Roasted Five Spiced Lamb Rack, Roasted Turkey Breast and Pan-fried Atlantic Salmon. For dessert, diners will feast on a delicious Strawberry Meringue with Berry Compote and Wild Berry Macadamia Gelato. Dinner would include two selected drinks and a complimentary party pack.

If you are not into set or buffet dinners but wanted something fulfilling to celebrate with a group of family members or friends, you could always try out their December promotion at Pizzeria with Chef Joe’s specially concocted Santarina Turkey Pizza (RM40nett), from 11.30am until 10.30pm daily. This pizza is oven-baked to perfection with grilled turkey breast with mushroom glaze, tomato salsa, spinach and cranberry sauce.

At the Hard Rock Café Penang, satisfy your taste buds with a Holiday Rock Platter, available for 2 persons at RM160nett or 3 persons at RM240nett. Serving until 23 December 2015, this platter is big enough to share and guaranteed to rock your palate. This platter comes with a choice of starter – House Salad or Soup of the Day. For the main course, diners will indulge in a sharing platter consisting of Potato Skins, Onion Rings, BBQ Beef Ribs, Spaghetti with Prawn Paste, Mini Beef Burgers with Satay Sauce, Chicken Wings with Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Ferringhi Ikan Bakar with Portuguese Sauce and Pulled Lamb Sandwich with Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce. Homemade Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream would be served for dessert.

On New Year’s Eve, Starz Diner will be serving a New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner at RM199nett/pax inclusive of a complimentary party pack and lucky draw.

Some of the highlights to look out for are the Homemade Salmon Gravlax and Marinated Prawn with Condiments, Chilled Shooters (pumpkin, beetroot, green pea & basil tomato), Roasted Chicken served glazed baby carrot and citrus tapenade, Coffee Crusted Beef Fillet with Pumpkin Puree and Shallots Gravy, Mix Berries Financier with Mascarpone Cream and Mango Crème Brûlée.

On top of that, there’ll be two more promotions for New Year Eve at Pizzeria and Hard Rock Café. Pizzeria’s New Year’s Eve Seafood Buffet Dinner at RM199nett/pax which would include a variety of Cold Platters, Chilled Seafood, Salad, Antipasto, Cheese Platters, Soups, Hot Dishes, BBQ Seafood, Pasta & Carving Station, Pizzas and Desserts. The promotion would also include a complimentary party pack and lucky draw. On the other hand, Hard Rock Café Penang will be offering a 4-course New Year’s Eve Dinner at RM195nett/pax. The Starter would include a Mini Chicken Chop Salad, Creamy Leek and Fennel plus Potato Soup. The options for the Main Courses would be either a choice of Grilled Marinated Angus Strip Loin & Pacific Scallop, Baked Sesame Cod Fish & Grilled Sambal King Prawn or Oven Baked Lamb Rack & Tandoori Salmon. Diners would be served a delightful Tiramisu Mascarpone Mousse with Pistachio Biscotti and Coffee Gelato to end the meal.

Overall, the specially crafted dishes were palatable for all who love to savor some traditional as well as fusion items during these coming festive seasons. Of course, the Roasted Turkey and Stuffing would be the main highlight during this Christmas promotion and that Coffee Crusted Beef Fillet with Pumpkin Puree & Shallot Gravy would be something new to savor during this New Year Eve.

The Starz Diner is located at the left wing of Hard Rock Hotel Penang. Upon entering, just head to the left side and you will see a little glass door leading to the eatery.

Name: STARZ DINER @ HARD ROCK HOTEL PENANG
Address: Batu Ferringhi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-881 1711
Business Hours: 6.30am-11.00am, 5.30pm-11.00pm
GPS: 5.467568, 100.241382

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

RESERVATIONS:

Starz Diner/Pizzeria: Call +604-886 6057 or email fb.penang@hardrockhotels.net.
Hard Rock Café Penang: Call +604-886 8050 or email hrc.admin@hardrockhotels.net.
More information: Hard Rock Hotel Penang’s F&B Promotions

Hard Rock International:
With a total of 204 venues in 64 countries, including 157 cafes, 22 hotels and 11 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company’s two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, Fl., both owned and operated by HRI parent company The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Bali, Chicago, Cancun, Ibiza, Las Vegas, Macau and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include San Juan, Lagos and Gran Canaria, Spain. New Hard Rock Hotel projects include Daytona Beach, Dubai, Los Cabos, Tenerife, Abu Dhabi, and Shenzhen and Haikou in China. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa’s F.I.P. (Fun, Interactive & Play) Lounge celebrated its first anniversary recently. Other than serving us with lots of canapés, cakes and pastries, they concurrently also introduced some new items for the year, especially for their weekend Coffee and Cakes Buffet. The buffet would be served from 3.00pm until 6.00pm on all weekends (Saturday & Sunday) for RM47nett (adult) and RM24nett (child: 6-11 years old). You would get to try out some of the Executive Pastry Chef, Chef Dino Wan and his creative pastry team’s best of cakes and pastries within the chic and comfortable lounge.

Here are some peeps at the delicious spread served during the celebration night which included a variety of homemade cakes such as Apple Crumble Cake, Chocolate Orange Cake, Blueberry Cheese Cake, Chocolate Chiffon Cake, Red Velvet Cake, finger snacks and mini glass desserts such as Mini Macaroon, Recette de Madeleines à l’orange et au Chocolat, Pistachio Crème Brulee, Mini Pecan Tart, Mini, Lemon Tart, Mini Fruit Tart, Berries Financier, Mini Scone with Strawberries and Cream, Cake Pop, Chocolate Éclair, Mini Carrot Cake, Mini Cup Cakes (Chocolate, Poppy Seed & Charcoal), Strawberry Chocolate Dip, Fruit Mousse In Glass, Vanilla Panna Cotta and more savory items such as Assorted Sandwich with Smoked Chicken and Cheese, Mini Sundried Tomato Bread with Goat Cheese and Rocket Lettuce .

To get to the F.I.P Lounge, just park your car at the furthest right wing of the hotel upon entering the hotel premises. Walk through the main lobby and you can see the entrance to the lounge.

Name: FIP LOUNGE @ RASA SAYANG RESORT & SPA
Address: Batu Feringgi Beach, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-888 8888, 604-888 8788 (C&C Buffet Reservation)
GPS: 5.478365, 100.253709

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

If you are planning to find a 3 legged furry cat or any other cats which you could cuddle in this café, you have visited the wrong café. The newly opened 3 Leg Cat Café (三腳貓) today is actually a hangout place for those whom would like relax over some nicely brewed coffee and Western-Asian fusion meals. For those TV game enthusiasts, there’s also a big screen TV with game consoles to entertain you urge to have a game or two. Anyway, the true story behind the fictional shop name, created by the husband-wife team (Ted Soo & Jereen Tan), was rather interesting based on Ted’s childhood encounter with a friend. Ted jokingly told his friend that he owned a 3-legged cat and his friend believed in his story for many years until they have grown into adulthood. I wondered why it did not spark his friend’s curiosity during that time to actually see the proof~ LOL!

There’s also a huge display of anime figurines on the racks, creatively designed by Ted himself. Of course, there are some cat figurines on display too since both the couples are also cat lovers.

As for some basic meals, we ordered their Aglio Olio (RM12). Except for the al dente of the spaghetti which was more towards the softness of Asian liking, the dish was flavorfully prepared with some added bacons which pepped up the overall flavors. You won’t go wrong ordering this dish but do watch out for the spicy hot dried chilies. Maybe, it would be great if you inform the counter on your spicy level.

The next dish was the Special Grilled Tennessee Chicken (RM16), served on mashed potatoes and a bunch of fresh greens, alongside with more of the Tennessee style gravy. It was quite a thick slab of fresh chicken breast meat with minimal seasoning grilled to perfection. However, I would prefer the meat to be slightly fork-poke to enable more flavors to marinate through. Though the gravy provided was quite nice, it could be a bit too sweet for those who prefer to cut down on their sugar intake. After all, the recipe would consist of sugar/brown sugar to sweeten up the gravy. Personally, I would love to see more options for gravy such as rosemary brown sauce or even cheesy white sauce.

Since we were quite full with the mains, we managed to try out only one of their many homemade cakes and bakes. We had their Hummingbird Cake (RM10). Wow! I’m impressed! Not only was the texture of the cake just right for my liking, the taste for the cream cheese frosting was just right too. Overall, it was the type of cake with the right amount of sweetness to my liking.

For those coffee lovers with a liking for dark roasted Indonesian coffee beans, this is the place for you to indulge in your caffeine booster. You should try out their Shakerato Latte (Original – RM12). Ted sure knows how to get the balance right for this iced beverage. The amount of coffee, milk, ice cubes plus a light touch of syrup, shaken to perfection was just the beverage I was looking for on a humid Sunday.

I’m normally quite a fussy person when having my cup of coffee. It has to be at the right temperature with a less acidic coffee brew and the barista did not fail me at all. It was a perfect cup of Salted Caramel Latte (RM10) with the type of bitterness from the dark roast I was expecting… mildly sweetened with a mild salty after taste.

Overall, the café is still new and would need to have more improvements on their menu to provide more options.

It’s not hard to locate 3 Leg Cat Café as you can visibly see the shop along the main road. If you are coming from Relau along Jalan Paya Terubong, just watch out for the traffic lights just right before The Golden Triangle building. Turn right into Lintang Sungai Ara 5 and you can see the shop just 2 shop lots away from the famous Wah Chai Roasted Meat shop. Parking in front of the shop might be a hassle during peak hours. I would advise you to go straight into the car park in the building and walk to the shop. However, do take note that it could be quite a distance of walk.

Name: 3 LEG CAT CAFE (三腳貓) @ THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
Address: The Golden Triangle, 29-1-62, Jalan Paya Terubong, Relau, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6012-427 3021
Business Hours: 11.00am-11.00pm (Tues-Fri), 11.00am-12.00am (Sat & Sun)
GPS: 5.332499, 100.275641

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

I’m sure many have heard about Sushi Mentai, especially those from Klang Valley, Johor and Penang. Through collaborative alliances with strategic business partners, Sushi Mentai’s philosophy is straightforward to the point – To bring affordable and quality Japanese food, mostly Japan imports, to enable everyone regardless of status and income, to enjoy the gastronomical fares without worrying much about the high food bills as experienced in many exquisite Japanese restaurants in Malaysia. With the tremendous success of its first branch at Elit Avenue in Bayan Baru, Sushi Mentai has now opened its second Penang branch at All Seasons Place in Air Itam on 16 October 2015 to cater to the needs of the public. For those from mainland Penang, you would be pampered with Sushi Mentai’s wide spread of Japanese cuisine with the opening of its third branch in Bukit Mertajam real soon~ 🙂

Though Sushi Mentai’s may look simple with only 25 sushi options for both yellow plate (RM1.80++/plate) and red plate (RM2.80++/plate) category respectively on the conveyor belt, you would be in for surprises as they do occasionally come out with many other interesting and flavorful creations (not from the menu) to tempt the taste buds of its diners. Let me show you some of the recommended ones as well as new signature creations such as their Tamago Mentai (yellow plate – egg), Chuka Kurage (yellow plate – jellyfish), Salmon Mentai (red plate – fish), Ebi Fried Kani Maki (red plate – prawn) and Ebi Tempura Fountain (red plate – prawn). Wow! No wonder the restaurant went by the name Sushi Mentai as their in-house concocted Mentai sauce (a combination of mentaiko aka cod fish roe with mayonnaise and maybe with a light squeeze of lemon juice) surely did sharpen up the flavors in each of their creation. I quite like the distinctive flavors and textures in their Ebi Fried Kani Maki as the crispiness from the added batter fried prawns wrapped in some lettuce combined with the fluffy yet chewy vinegar added Japanese rice was just perfect. It had mild touch of sesame oil added and it made the whole concoction quite addictive in each bite. Another must note would be their Ebi Tempura Fountain, something so simple and yet brought out the real taste of sushi. It had sushi rice stuffed inari (fried bean curd pocket) topped with a whole tempura prawn and drizzle with a light touch of nikiri (Japanese sweet soy sauce) and mayonnaise, then garnish with some ebiko (shrimp roe) and some chopped greens.

Instead of just sushi, there are many other selections in their menu ranging from Appetizer, Salad, Sashimi, Special Maki (special roll), Temaki (hand roll), Yakimono (grill), Agemono (fried), Menmono (noodles), Donmono (rice), Wanmono (bowl) and Beverages. You can click on the menu link up there for their full range of dishes.

Let me share with you my dining experiences with some of the dishes ordered starting with an appetizer called Chuka Idako (seasoned baby octopus – RM4.80++). You can practically taste all the sweet and sesame oil infused flavors in each of the nicely braised marinated baby octopus. The best part was that the dish was served chilled to my expectation.

As for sashimi, I would always go for fresh salmon cuts and indeed their Salmon Sashimi (RM10.80++/5 pieces) was really value for money. Other than at some buffet spread where I could eat all the salmon sashimi I ever wanted, I’ve yet to find an eatery serving such thick slabs of sashimi at such a low price.

Their signature maki set of Salmon Mentai Dragon Maki (RM12.80++) was a hit on my list as the batter fried prawn rolls with torch burned mentai sauce coated salmon slices were heavenly to my palate of quality Japanese dishes.

For some grilled seafood, I opted for their Salmon Mentaiyaki (RM14.80++) which came with two piece of mentai sauce coated grilled salmon. The taste wasn’t that bad but it could have been better if the fish were to be of a thicker cut. Anyway, I’m not complaining as the price was quite reasonable compared to paying over RM20++ dining elsewhere for such portion served.

I wanted something light yet fulfilling at the agemono section, thus I tried out their Takoyaki (squid tentacle filled wheat flour ball – RM4.50+/5 pieces). I would say these were some of the good ones I had for awhile as each has just the right juicy bite and were dressed with takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise plus generously garnished with lots of nori and bonito flakes.

I had their Tempura Udon (RM13.80++) as my next dish. The dish may look rather simple with some udon in clear soup topped with some nori (seaweed) and two pieces of the Japanese fish cakes, on top of the two tempura prawns but the serving of udon was humongous. Instead of the standard serving of 120g for udon, the serving was almost 170g, which meant it was a big too much for small eaters whom would want to savor their other dishes. However, I would want to compliment them for the soup broth. This was the type of rich flavored dashi stock base I would love to consume with my udon especially on a humid day.

Sushi Mentai has the reputation of serving great Japanese curry, thus I also tried out their Tori Katsu Curry Rice (RM13.80++). Gosh! I was dumbfounded with the amount served for this dish. Are they sure that this was the portion for one person? The dish had half a plate filled with compactly cooked Japanese rice and the other half filled with loads of potato and carrot chunks in Japanese curry and topped with a whole deboned breadcrumbs fried drumstick. One glance at the dish and I was already feeling full~ LOL~ 😛 Anyway, for those big eaters, you would be happy to order this dish. Maybe it would be also be a great idea to share this dish with another friend so that you can consume more options. I loved the sweetness of both the potatoes and carrots with a light hint of citrus flavor enhanced non-spicy curry powder broth. On the other hand, the choice of using deboned chicken drumstick was ideal for this dish as the meat was moist and tender as it should be. The rice set came with a complimentary bowl of miso soup.

Instead of ordering the usual Chawan Mushi (RM3.80++) or Miso Soup (RM1.80++) as I normally would do, I saw one dish that was rather unique I have yet to see from other Japanese restaurants. It was their Asari Miso Shiru (RM4.80++). The bowl of soup was basically miso soup with added clams. I had it quite a few times at one Korean restaurant and had fallen in love with the richness and sweetness of the soup and finally I can find it at Sushi Mentai. For the price, it was a hearty bowl of soup filled with lots of juicy clams plus generous amounts of nori and bean curds.

As for beverages, I opted for a set of hot and cold green tea (RM1++ each). It came with a jug of green tea and a bucket of ice cubes – all free-flow. It was a great bargain.

Overall, I’m happy with the taste and quality of the dishes served here at Sushi Mentai. It might not be the best compared to some other upper class Japanese restaurants with proper Japanese chefs but it was good enough to soothe my craving when I needed some Japanese cuisine. The damage for the whole meal was RM109.75 inclusive of the 6% GST and 10% service tax for two pax. However, the amount of dishes we ordered would be adequate for 3-4 persons. With such economical pricing, do expect huge crowds during peak period of the day, especially during weekends. Please also take note that they would not entertain any prior reservations as their system is on a first come first serve basis. No worries as they do also provide sitting area right in front of the eatery while you wait for your turn.

Sushi Mentai @ All Seasons Place is located on the ground floor at the left wing of the building. You won’t miss it as it’s strategically in between Summer Dessert Bakery and Tomyummy Noodle House. You can park your car at the basement car park as you enter the building or right at the front area of the building. If you still do not know how to get there, you can always check out the location maps and use their Waze function.

Name: SUSHI MENTAI @ ALL SEASONS PLACE
Address: 6G-1-13, All Seasons Place, Lebuhraya Thean Teik, 11500 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: For walk-ins only
Business Hours: 12.00pm-9.30pm (Mon-Fri), 11.30pm-9.30pm (Sat, Sun & Public Holidays)
GPS: 5.396963, 100.290707

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Everyday could be a pizza day if you know where to get the freshest made pizzas in town. There’s one specific brand that caught my attention ever since its first establishment in 1997 and has ever since became one of my preferred choice of pizzerias in Penang – US PIZZA~ 🙂 Their hand tossed pizzas ruled over many of those pizzas in the same industry as they have their unique baking process that produces oil-free pizzas with crispy crusts and softer bites within. You would know how good a pizzeria is by the amount of years it has been in operation and US Pizza has been in the industry for almost 2 decades. Orders from US Pizza is FREE of taxes with any purchase for takeaways or call-in delivery (minimum order of RM25). However, a 10% service fee would be incurred for dine-ins.

Though pizzas are their main expertise, there are also some starters and snacks that would get the appetite of diners rolling. You can always start with their Italian Grilled Chicken Salad (RM12.50) which has a generous amount of fragrantly grilled herbed chicken cubes on a bed of fresh greens with a light drizzle of their homemade dressing. Moreover, their Mushroom Soup (RM5.95) was filled with lots of chopped mushrooms and creamy enough to your satisfaction. The Americans loved chicken wings and so do I, thus we had ordered their New York Wings (RM12.95 – 8pcs) and Florida Honey Wings (RM13.95 -8pcs). I was amazed by the nicely marinated Florida Honey Wings. After over a decade of patronizing US Pizza and the recipe was still as great as ever, giving that flavorful mild honey sweetness on each juicy bite of the chicken wings. For more fun snacks, you could always try out their Crazi Garlic Twist (RM3.95 – 5 sticks) and Cinnamon Twisty Bread (RM3.95 – 5 sticks). Both of the snacks were equally good.

To start off our main course, we had their 9” Original Hand Tossed Pizza (US Classic – RM23.95 / US Special – RM25.95). However, we chose their US Special with the “Half n Half” option (only for 9” pizza) which came with an additional RM2 charges. It was worth it as we could chance upon having 2 flavors on a pizza. Our selection was Jumbo Special (chicken or beef pepperoni, minced chicken or ground beef, green pepper, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms & pineapple) and Ocean Delite (shrimps, crab sticks, green pepper, mayonnaise & fresh herbs). You can also opt for their Italiano Chicken (Italiano herbed chicken chunks, onions, mushrooms, creamy carbonara sauce, mayonnaise & Italian mixed herbs) or Macho Meat Lover (chicken or beef pepperoni, chunky chicken, chicken meat loaf & ground beef) under this category.

Crust selection:
Original Hand Tossed: Regular (9”) – RM23.95/RM25.95, Large (13”) – RM32.95/34.95 – no additional charges
Thin N Crunchy or Garlic Cheese: Add on RM1.50 for Regular (9”) and RM2.50 for Large (13”)

Alternatively, you could try out their All New 6″ Crunchy Pizza (RM12.95 each) or their Fantastic 4 offer (RM32.95 – set of 4 Crunchy Pizza of your choice) on all existing flavors (17 choices). The crust will be crunchier than the existing “thin & crunchy” pizza with a longer baking process. Here are 9 of the recommended flavors such as Tuna Delite (green pepper, onions, tuna, pineapple, double cheese & mayonnaise), Italian Way (chicken or beef pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper, onions, chicken meat loaf & oregano), New Yorker (chicken or beef pepperoni, mushrooms, chicken meat loaf or ground beef), US Favorite (chicken or beef pepperoni & double cheese), Aloha Pizza (chicken meat loaf, pineapple & double cheese), Spicy Chicken Delite (green pepper, onions, mushrooms, chicken, pineapple & cayenne pepper), Penang Special (green pepper, onions, tuna, spicy anchovies & cayenne pepper), Tom Yam Chicken Delite (tom yam chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, pineapple & onions) & Italiano Chicken (Italiano herbed chicken chunks, onions, mushrooms, creamy carbonara sauce, mayonnaise & Italian mixed herbs).

There would also be the soon-to-be-launch San Francisco Fabulous 4 (RM52.95 – DINE-IN ONLY) up for grab soon. The promotional price would be at RM38 only (until further notice). This is truly a great bargain as you could savor 4 different flavors on one rectangular 10” x 14.5” Thin & Crunchy Crust Pizza all day long. The flavors are as stated below.
– US Pizza Made Carbonara Sauce, Tempura Prawn, Chunky Crabmeat stick, Capsicum, Mayonnaise, Mix Herbs, Onion
– US Pizza Made Carbonara Sauce, Spicy Chicken, Capsicum, Onion, Mushroom, Pineapple, Cayenne Pepper
– US PIZZA Made Duncan Sauce, BBQ Smoked Duck, Onion, Pineapple
– US PIZZA Made Duncan Sauce, Chicken and Beef Pepperoni, Pineapple, Onion)

For pasta lovers, you won’t be left out as they do have quite a number of tasty options for you such as their US Pizza Chicken Lagsana (RM19.50), Ocean Carbonara (RM17.50) and Italiano Spaghetti (RM17.00).

Overall, some of the pizza flavors have been in existence since the birth of US Pizza and they still do maintain their quality well ever since. US Pizza is surely one place to be spoiled for choice and I hope they will come out with new creations in the near future.

You can check out their menu and promotion as below by clicking on it for a clearer view.

US Pizza is located at the corner unit of a row of shophouses just next to Gembira Parade at Green Lane, Penang. Since it’s not visible at any main road, there are a few ways to reach the shop. (ROUTE 1): If you are coming from Penang Bridge via Jalan Mesjid Negeri, look out for the first Shell Petrol Kiosk on your left, turn into the service road and use the side lane on the left of the kiosk into Lorong Delima 1. Turn right and you’ll see the shop at the junction of Lorong Delima 5 and Lorong Delima 1. (ROUTE 2): Alternatively, if you are coming from Jalan Delima via Jalan Yeap Chor Ee, drive on until the traffic lights at the second community field. From there onwards, count the 8th road (after 2A Jalan Delima) on your left and turn left into Lorong Delima 1. You won’t miss the turning as there’s a road sign stating Lorong Delima 1 with lots of orange colored PVC divider sticks there. Drive further in and you can see the shop at the junction of Lorong Delima 5 and Lorong Delima 1. (ROUTE 3): The third way of going to the shop can be a bit tricky if you are coming from Jalan Mesjid Negeri into Jalan Delima. As the first right turning into Lorong Delima 1 is blocked by sticks of orange-colored PVC dividers, you have to drive on and turn right into the next road which is Lintang Delima 1. Drive on until you see an open car park on your left in front of Hong Sun Seah Clan Temple. Opposite the temple is Lorong Delima 5. Turn right into Lorong Delima 5 and drive until the end. You’ll see the US Pizza on our left at the junction of Lorong Delima 5 and Lorong Delima 1. Good Luck!

Name: US PIZZA MALAYSIA
Address: 3D Lorong Delima 1, Green Lane, 11700 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-655 2828 / 1300-22-3838
Business Hours: 11.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.385733, 100.304276

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

What do you know about cream cheese? Cream Cheese is unripened cheese that’s mild in nature, smooth and creamy in texture. It’s an alternative as spread on toast in replacement to butter which is higher in fat content. It’s also a versatile product that can be used in cooking as well as in baking. One such brand would be the Anchor Cream Cheese, a velvety smooth, creamy and yet firmed textured cream cheese, in which would enthrall the taste buds of many cheese lovers.

Recently, Fonterra Foodservices Malaysia, embarked on a new initiative called “Anchor Say Cheese” campaign to get more people to experience its best-selling Anchor Cream Cheese through exclusive edition Anchor-branded dessert creations through a few established bakeries throughout Malaysia. The scrumptious desserts would be made mainly with Anchor products such as Anchor Cream, Anchor Butter, Anchor Cheese Slices with the Anchor Cream Cheese as the key ingredient. We had the opportunity to try out the desserts at one of the participating bakeries, namely Bread History @ Sunway Carnival Mall, Penang recently.

The delectable cream cheese indulgences would include Kaien Chizu Tart, Winter Magma and Karui Snow Cake, created by Fonterra’s own in-house patisserie chefs using all the best quality Anchor products. Though the recipes are the same, each participating bakery would produce the products in their own style and the cost might differ depending on the packaging. The Kaien Chizu Tart is retailed at RM11.00nett (a box of 2 pieces), whereas the Winter Magma and Karui Snow Cake might come as RM9.00nett (a box of 2 pieces per flavor) respectively or RM18.00nett (a box of 4 pieces with 2 flavors). The promotion at the participating bakeries would last until January 2016. No matter what, the divine creamy goodness and taste of the bakes would surely tempt the cheese craving of dessert lovers even more.

Let’s kick start with the first product which was the Kaien Chizu Tart. For those who loved the creaminess and firmness of cheese without too much of other pastries combined, you would find the Kaien Chizu Tart to be the perfect choice to tempt your palate of great sweetness. Somehow, the texture of the cream cheese with a light hint of lemon sourness on a bed of buttery digestive biscuit based crust was enhanced with a tad of sea salt to boost up the cheesy flavors within. With an additional piece of Anchor Cheese burned on the surface further pepped up some smokiness to complement the whole combination even more. No wonder, everyone could not help themselves with another helping of this delicious product.

On the other hand, the Winter Magma which had a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate soufflé filled with cream cheese was so godly that any chocolate lover would yearn for more. The indulgence in something semisweet with a burst of cheesy creaminess within the mouth was truly a taste that would linger in the memory for awhile.

The Karui Snow Cake was indeed another daring and yet refreshing concoction that would surely attract the young and feminine side of a dessert lover. Who would have thought of combining mango and passion fruit with cream cheese? The end result was something that suited the taste buds of many ladies and children. Well, that was the conclusion I had through my personal research by sharing this specific product with friends of different gender and age. The fluffy lightness of the vanilla chiffon cake combined with the sourness of the cream cheese filling was surprisingly well received by many. The added buttery almond crumble on the surface further intensified the texture and bites of the overall cake.

Overall, I quite like the texture of the cream cheese which was firmer than some of the brands out there. However, it would be great if the company would come out with some savory cream cheese products as well. I’m looking forward to that day.

In Penang, the signature desserts can be found at all Bread History outlets. You can check out all locations by clicking on the link above. The campaign has also gone live concurrently at Fonterra Foodservices’ different bakery partners throughout Malaysia, namely at RT Pastry in Klang Valley, Yeast Pastry in Malacca, Happy Angel in Ipoh, Happy Chef Bakery in Sarawak, Port View Euro Bakery in Sabah, SDS Bakery in Johor Bahru and Fung Seng in Muar. Each bakery will reproduce the recipes with their own signature style, sold in specially made Anchor packaging. Dessert connoisseurs are definitely in for a treat as they can embark on a dessert trail to taste the unique twists to these Anchor desserts across Malaysia.

Someone once told me, “It’s never too late to start creating the bodies we want instead of depending on the one we’ve been abusing with the wrong diet.” He was not wrong as I found myself healthier with the right moderation of diets. Life has been so productive ever since I found myself constantly patronizing the many branches of Idealite (品味舒食) – Malaysia’s First Wholesome Dining Place with its meatless, gluten-free, MSG-free, lactose-free diets. This year, for the Nine Emperor Gods’ Festival, all the Idealite participating branches (Gottlieb Road, Gurney Plaza, Queensbay Mall and Egate) would be serving a special menu for its customers in which would not contain any meat, egg, garlic, onion and dairy products from 12 October 2015 until 21 October 2015.

We tried out the dishes at Idealite @ Egate, the latest branch to open at the end of September 2015. The layout for this branch is more sophisticated and warm with the state-of-the-art wall decorations. Any passerby might think that it’s a classy restaurant but they are really into a big surprise as the cuisine within would surely change their perspectives on dining healthily without the usages of any meat, gluten, MSG, peanuts and milk.

The menu for this year is quite extensive with Idealite covering your dining needs from rice, noodles, pizza, snacks to dessert. You can start off with their Mexican Baked Brown Rice Casserole (墨西哥香烤焗饭 – RM 16.70++). The dish basically had some well seasoned brown rice, topped with varieties of mushrooms, glazed with some creamy oat milk based sauce with a sprinkle of fresh greens as garnishing. You won’t expect to find cheese on this dish as vegetarians would not consume dairy products.

Another option for rice would be their Signature Masala Curry Rice (马萨拉风味咖喱拌饭 – RM15.70++). I must say this was one of the flavorful and aromatic vegetarian curry dishes I’ve tasted for awhile. Even without the usages of garlic and onions in the recipe, the kitchen was able to bring out the flavors superbly. It was truly a balanced curry dish with the right combination of herbs and spices. Of course, the sweetness from the added vegetables (especially from the potato chunks) and mushrooms (especially the meaty Hericium erinaceus) gave that required bites in this splendid dish. The Masala Curry was served with a bowl of brown rice with some blanched vegetables and papadam.

You could also try out their Signature Masala Dry Curry Ramen (马萨拉风味干咖喱拉面 – RM16.70++), in which ramen would replace the steamed brown rice. Basically, the curry base would be the same. However, I do prefer this version better as the rich flavors from the curry tasted better with the usage of ramen. Each strand of the ramen coated with the curry had me savoring the whole bowl in no time. It was heavenly to all the taste buds in my mouth.

Their Cantonese Style Emperor Yee Mee (广式帝王炸生面 – RM16.70++) may not look that impressive to the eyes at the first glance. However, as for flavors, it was one of my most loved dishes amongst all. The secret lies in the gravy as it was indeed a rich stock with sweet flavors emitted from the abundance of vegetables used for the broth, more significantly the unique sweetness from the usages of corns. Even the texture and al dente of the noodles complemented real well. Thumbs up chef!

For those who love the sweetness and sourness of tomatoes, you may love their Prosperity Tomato Jumble Pizza (香料番茄批萨 – RM18.70++) well. With the generous serving of fresh tomatoes and mushrooms on top of other chopped vegetables, this crunchy thin base of pizza would surely wow over your appetite.

Alternatively, they have the Italiannies Spinach Pizza (意式青酱批萨 – RM19.70++) as well. Now I know why Popeye loved spinach so much as the overall flavors from this pizza superseded my expectation, especially with the added roasted cashew nuts which boosted up more nutty and earthly flavors for the pizza. This is definitely a must-have dish during your visit to any of the Idealite branches.

To further impress my perspective on healthy diets, their Triple-Decker Pumpkin Taro Cake (金童芋女 – RM6.70++) was another hit on my healthy food chart. The base consisted of nice chunks of powdery taro, topped with pureed pumpkin and mung bean flour (hoon kueh), then garnished with some flavorful yet healthy pumpkin floss. This was for sure another great creation by Idealite and I could get enough of it.

The restaurant also do serve some nice Authentic Golden Five Spice Rolls (黄金五香卷 – RM10.70++/3 pieces). The differences between the ones served here compared to the rest sold on the streets would be the usages of great ingredients. Idealite’s version has a generous amount of mushrooms added in on top of the beautifully spiced up taro.

If you can’t get enough from the promoted dishes mentioned above, you can still choose from their daily available Ala Carte Menu. Some of the recommended ones are stated below.

For something light and yet delicious, you could always try out their hot selling Idealite Satay (舒食沙爹串 – RM11.70++). Of course, Satay would always remain as Malaysians’ as well as tourists’ favorite street food. Instead of being served with peanut sauce, you would be served with cashew nuts sauce which would be creamier and nuttier. The lovely skews of satays would be made from the meaty Hericium erinaceus mushrooms (猴頭菇).

You also be interested to try out their Hokkaido Vege Sushi (北海道蔬菜寿司 – RM9.70++), a rice roll based sushi with a combinations of healthy vegetables and homemade enzyme to strengthen your immune system.

To get the kids to eat healthily, you might want to them their Pumpkin Piglet Buns (猪仔包 – RM6.70++). On top of being steamed with healthy flour, the oozy pumpkin paste within can be real delicious.

To have some local desserts to end your meal, you can always order their Homemade Rojak (自制罗加 – RM10.70++) with a mixture of fruits, vegetables and tofu puff to dip into their special rojak sauce. This item could be real addictive.

Overall, the dishes served this year during the coming Nine Emperor God’s Festival are impressive for the palate of all diners, whether you are a vegetarian, a vegan or a meat eater. Idealite has now become the wholesome dining place loved by many patrons, young and old.

If you are in for an additional dessert, you could always join in their Snap & Post Promotion as shown. Terms & Conditions apply.

It’s not hard to find Idealite @ Egate as it’s located between Subway and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf facing the highway leading to Penang Bridge. Parking is quite abundant outside the building as well as at the basement. If you want to have takeaways, you could always call up the outlet and get them to prepare your orders prior to your collection. Parking is free for the first 7 minutes. Thereafter, the fee will be RM2 for the first hour.

Name: IDEALITE (品味舒食) @ EGATE
Address: 1-01-05, Ground Floor, E-Gate, Lebuh Tunku Kudin 2, Gelugor, 11700 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-668 1243
Business Hours: 11.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.375789, 100.315444

Other participating outlets:

Name: IDEALITE (品味舒食) @ Jalan Gottlieb (Beside Waterfall Hotel)
Address: 27C Jalan Gottlieb, 10350 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-226 3650

Name: IDEALITE (品味舒食) @ Gurney Plaza
Address: Gurney Plaza (170-3-60), 10250 George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-226 7296

Name: IDEALITE (品味舒食) @ Queensbay Mall
Address: Queensbay Mall (3F-10A, South Zone), 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-643 1228

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

At times, we would love to dine out at a restaurant with great ambience and good service, thus Sea Queen Restaurant at Straits Quay, Penang could be the ideal choice with great options for delicious seafood. Overlooking a splendid seafront, the restaurant pampers its diners with freshly caught seafood in its most authentic and delicious ways. Sea Queen Restaurant can accommodate up to 1800 patrons or 180 tables for both indoor and outdoor events including weddings, annual corporate dinners, anniversaries, birthdays or any private functions.

To start the meal rolling, you could always choose one of their Signature Appetizers which would be the Deep Fried Soft-shelled Crabs with Salad and Mustard Sauce (RM30++). The crispy batter fried soft shelled crabs combined with the wasabi spiced up mayonnaise were heavenly palatable especially when you combine with some of the fresh greens.

You may also want to try out their many varieties of quality enriched soup but we skipped that and went for their Signature Roasted Chicken in Thai Style (RM30++ for half bird). You may think that it would be just some roasted chicken in some Thai chili sauce but it was more than that. It was a 2-in-1 dish with some nicely roasted chicken with delicious crispy skin served alongside with some spicy Thai salad tossed with some chicken breast meat. It was a killer.

The main dish for the meal was definitely the Deep Fried Crab with Rock Salt & Spices (market price at RM12/100g – estimated price for this meat crab dish (~600g x 2 crabs) was at RM140++). It was a remarkably prepared dish that caught all of us licking our fingers endlessly to savor any excess flavors~ LOL~ 😛 The size of those crabs and the unique way in the preparation would surely make me go back for more in the future. However, do not be stingy and do request for bigger sizes of crabs as smaller ones won’t be as fulfilling as bigger ones through my experiences dining there a few times.

As for prawns, their Deep Fried Prawn “Tian Jin” Salad with Crispy Cheese (RM50++/ medium) was something great to indulge in. On top of being super fresh, each bite had the fragrance and flavors from the deep fried cheese crumbles.

If you are into claypot dishes, their Braised Sliced Pork Belly with Salted Fish (RM20++/small) was a hit amongst us as the flavors were great to go with hot steaming rice.

For more exotic flavors, you could always order their Braised Venison with Special Sauce in Stone Pot (RM20++/small). The dish was somewhat like the sweet and sour pork but with higher usages of pineapple slices and capsicums. Taste wise, it was fine except that I would have expected more tender venison slices for smoother bites. A light squeeze of grated ginger juice would have done that justice.

There should always be at least a healthy dish to balance up our meal, thus we ordered a few meatless dishes to go with our meal. Firstly, it was the Braised Bean Curd with Bean Roots (RM12++/small). The dish practically consisted of some slices of deep fried homemade tofu, topped with some bean curd sticks and served with baby bok choy in flavorful gravy. We also tried out their Stir Fried Crispy Vegetables with Almond Flakes (RM15+/small). It was just a basic stir fry vegetables with added lotus roots topped with some deep fried almond flakes. To top up more vegetables, we also had their Stir Fried Angel Luffa with Shimeji Mushrooms and Black Fungus (RM15++/small). Again, it was just another basic vegetables dish, except this dish has additional sweetness from the added wolfberries.

If you are not planning to have your dishes with steaming rice, you can always opt for other styles of stir fried rice and noodles. One of the recommended ones would be their Sea Queen Special Mixed Fried & Crispy Rice (RM12++/small). It was quite unique as it combined puffy yet crispy deep fried cooked rice, fried until perfection. You can also try out their Stir Fried Hor Fun with Seafood & Egg Sauce (RM12++/small). I quite like this dish as the added eggs were oozy and raw enough to my liking. On top of this, you can also try out their Signature Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli & Glass Noodles (RM12++/small). I loved the “wok hei” aka high heat cooking here as it had that extra burned taste to my liking. Moreover, the combination of rice vermicelli (bee hoon) and glass noodles (tang boon) were flavorful and great for my palate.

To complete our meal, we had desserts and one of my recommended ones would be their Signature Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Lime (RM5++ each). The dessert was great after a hearty meal of rich food as the sourness from the added lime sorbet surely did clear the excess oiliness in the mouth. It came with some added basil seeds for the extra texture on top of the smooth crystal jelly like lemongrass jelly. If you like a firmer texture of jelly, you can try out their Chilled Osmanthus Jelly (RM5++/6 pieces). The jelly had a significantly distinctive chrysanthemum flavor with added osmanthus petals and wolfberries. You can also try out their Chilled Gui Ling Gao with Longan (RM5++/bowl) served with honey. It had the distinctive herbal bitterness, not something palatable to anyone if they do not like having bitter herbal tea for cooling the body. For me, it was a quality bowl of almost konnyaku jelly like texture which was quite ideal for my body’s well-being as bitterness is one of the qualities beneficial to our body system to eliminate the toxic within.

Overall, I quite like the spreads in their Ala Carte Menu, especially those fresh seafood items, namely the crabs. Moreover, they do have some unique desserts that would be quite ideal to end any meal either chilled or hot. Compared to many other restaurants of the same category, their pricing could be quite reasonable as they have their own fish farm to cater to their own supplies.

You can check out more on my reviews on their Set Lunch Promotion and Wedding Packages by clicking on the links.

It’s easy to locate the restaurant as it’s located within the Straits Quay Marina Mall premises. Drive all the way up Jalan Tanjung Tokong until you see Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang on your right. At the traffic lights, turn right into Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang. Drive all the way until you see the colonial style mall building. Turn into the left of the building and drive straight until the end towards the beach area and you will see the restaurant. Parking is at RM1 per entry.

Name: SEA QUEEN RESTAURANT
Address: G3 & 3A, Straits Quay, Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6010-404 0299, +6010-405 0299
Website: www.seaqueen.my
Business Hours: 11.00am-2.30pm/6.00pm-10.30pm (Daily), 11.00am-11.00pm (Public Holidays)
GPS: 5.459273, 100.314161

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 8/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

If you or any of your relatives or friends would want to plan a wedding banquet, fret no more as Sea Queen Restaurant at Straits Quay, Penang, has the exact locations for your memorable occasion at one of the wedding venues, whether it’s indoor or outdoor. Sea Queen Restaurant has been boasted as one of the great wedding venues in Penang with a few venues within Strait Quay Marina Mall to cater to your wedding reception needs. You can have your wedding reception indoor with a capacity of up to 40 tables or you could also combine another 55 tables outdoor together with your garden wedding reception. Do check out with them on other facilities such as a cruise out to the sea on a chartered yacht for a minimal fee of RM500++ (8 pax). If you are looking for a bigger venue, they do have the Level 6 equipped with private kitchen to cater to up to 200 tables. Well, what about guests who required Halal dishes to be served? You’ll be in for a surprise as they have that thought of too as they do have another section at Level 4 which could cater to the Muslim crowds up to 100 tables. If you had a hard time finding a venue for your wedding reception, do check out with them as they are very accommodative to help you solve your worries.

Before I go into details on one of their wedding packages, let’s have a look at their standard Wedding Menu. There are all together 5 menus (Pearl, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire and Diamond), ranging from RM488++ until RM1188++ per table. The dishes may look as though they had been fixed but the restaurant does allow some of the items to be changed to suit your needs.

We did try out their Emerald Wedding Package (RM668++) which came with 9 items instead of the usual 8-dishes package. We started off with the Five Hot & Cold Combination Platter. The platter came with four hot dishes and one cold dish which consisted of Crab & Minced Meat Rolls, Curry Potatoes in Glutinous Rice “Pear”, Ham & Nori Meat Rolls, Stir Fry Mixed Vegetables with Seafood and Chilled Spicy Jelly Fish with Smoked Duck. I quite like the Crab & Minced Meat Rolls and Chilled Spicy Jelly Fish with Smoked Duck. However, the rest of the item on the platter would need some improvements. The Ham & Nori Meat Rolls tasted too “fake” to my liking. I would prefer this item to be replaced with grilled bacon with minced prawns, something simple yet delectable. Steamed stuffed Shitake mushroom in some eggy sauce would also be nice. The Curry Potatoes in Glutinous Rice “Pear” may look unique but texture and bite wise, it was almost dessert-like to my liking. I would prefer the filling to be more savory base with fillings such as minced meat with spring onions/chives for that extra bite.

Next on the list was the Braised Seafood Soup with Crab Meat. Taste wise, it was proven to be pepped up with rich stock and fresh crab meat. However, I sensed that something was missing from the soup to give it a bit more flavors and texture. I would suggest the kitchen to garnish the soup with some deep fried scallops to justify the quality of the soup.

The Stewed Chicken with Chinese Herbs Wrapped in Aluminum Foil was somehow too mild for me. It lacked the distinctive herbal flavors as I would have expected. I would think Steamed Stuffed Roasted Chicken or commonly known as 8-Jewels Chicken/Pat Po Chicken would be a better choice as a replacement.

We were also served with Steamed Snapper with Siamese Sauce. No doubt the fish was extremely fresh but the sauce somehow did not taste Siamese as I would have expected. It tasted more towards Indian curry with a dash of lime juice. I won’t mind having the dish in other Thai-style cooking method such as the Pla Phat Phet, a galangal and coconut milk enriched spicy curry base or even the Pra Nung Ma-Naew, a lemon juice and chopped red chilies based appetizing gravy. Even a simple plum, salted vegetables and tofu way of steaming would do more justice to this fish dish.

The Pan Fried Sea Prawns was something simple and yet flavorful to my liking. The sauce had just the right aromatic flavors to capture my attention. How I wished I had a plain bowl of rice at that time to savor this delicious dish.

There was also a common dish you’ll see served in most banquets which was the Trio Mushrooms with Bean Curd Roots & Bean Curd Puff. I did find the dish to be most appropriate to be served after a long list of cholesterol-rich dishes. However, it would be great if the kitchen were to tone down on the rich usage of sauce as we were not dining with plain rice.

As usual, the last dish prior to dessert would be a starch based dish, namely Steamed Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf. Somehow having rice in replacement for glutinous rice in this dish was not to my palate. It did not bring out the flavors in the generously added ingredients. There are many signature styles of fried rice available in the restaurant and I hope the kitchen would replace this rice dish with something more unique. Maybe the kitchen can think out of the box and come out with something as simple as Pumpkin Fried Rice, Wax Meat Fried Rice, Crab Meat/Seafood Fried Rice, etc.

The restaurant does have some unique desserts to end the course meals. We ended our meal with Chilled Longan with Syrup and Sweet Fancy Double Delights. The former was something quite common and nothing much to shout about but the latter was something I would love to give them credit for their hard work. We were served with hot mini steamed buns filled with lovely oozy yet buttery custard. On top of that, we were also served a chilled mocha-like dessert filled with fragrant pandan (screwpine) custard. What a great way to end the dinner.

Overall, the spreads for their Emerald Wedding Package (RM668++) was quite standard in any wedding banquet. There are still rooms for improvements compared to the ala carte dishes I had earlier. Though their pricing could be quite competitive on the market, I would love to see more variance in their dishes compared to other wedding menus out there.

You can check out more on my reviews on their Set Lunch Promotion and Ala Carte Dishes by clicking on the links.

It’s easy to locate the restaurant as it’s located within the Straits Quay Marina Mall premises. Drive all the way up Jalan Tanjung Tokong until you see Tesco Seri Tanjung Pinang on your right. At the traffic lights, turn right into Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang. Drive all the way until you see the colonial style mall building. Turn into the left of the building and drive straight until the end towards the beach area and you will see the restaurant. Parking is at RM1 per entry.

Name: SEA QUEEN RESTAURANT
Address: G3 & 3A, Straits Quay, Seri Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6010-404 0299, +6010-405 0299
Website: www.seaqueen.my
Business Hours: 11.00am-2.30pm/6.00pm-10.30pm (Daily), 11.00am-11.00pm (Public Holidays)
GPS: 5.459273, 100.314161

RATING:
Ambience: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7.5/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7.5/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)