CRIZ BON APPETITE

Nothing could be merrier than to be reunited with family members and friends during Chinese New Year over great food and company. One such place would be at Hakka Tree 客福家 (Tesco Tanjung Pinang & Gurney Plaza) where they would be promoting their Hakka Tree Poon Choi (RM328nett) and Hakka Tree Yee Sang (RM38nett for 1-2 pax/RM66nett for 6-8 pax). The promotion would last from 15 January 2017 until 6 February 2017. For any enquiries, please call +6016-229 6598 to make your booking. A minimum of 2 days advanced booking is required for the Poon Choi. Please also take note that in order to maintain the standard and quality, the Poon Choi is for dine-in only.

Let’s take a look at what’s in the Hakka Tree Poon Choi. The uniqueness in this Poon Phoi lies in the long simmering hours of plentiful bones with dried scallops and dried oysters to extract the concentrated stock which is rich in collagen. There would be more than a dozen of quality ingredients used to create this dish but the main attraction would be the generous amount of added pork knuckles, tender and melt in the mouth, on a bed of cabbages, yam, radish, slowly stacking up with deep fried bean sticks (fu chok), dried China-imported oysters, Australian sea cucumbers, New Zealand scallops, Chilean abalones, king prawns, Chinese mushrooms, broccoli, homemade pork tendon balls and topped with “golden” bags, a symbol of abundant wealth in the Chinese belief. The balance combination of meat, seafood and vegetables indeed made this a divine dish to savor during this festive season.

Other than the Poon Choi, you could also try out their Hakka Tree Yee Sang, a must have dish which symbolizes abundance, prosperity and vigor. The thin slices of vegetable pickles, crackers and more were mixed together thoroughly with some added fresh salmon slices and was further enhanced by a specially concocted sauce with distinctive flavors. What I like most was the generous amount of sauce, coating each and every strand of the ingredients, giving the dish a well balance taste.

If you have some place left in your stomach, you could always try out their desserts such as Purple Yam (RM8.90) and Fu Chok Yee Mai (RM5.90).

Overall, I’m happy with all dishes that were served on our table. However, I would suggest that the restaurant should advise their patrons on how to consume the Poon Choi properly, especially when there were abalones served as the abalones might get rather tough after a longer period of simmering in the pot. Moreover, this might deter some elderly patrons from enjoying this wonderful pot of goodness.

Hakka Tree can be located at both Tesco Tanjung Pinang (1st Floor) and Gurney Plaza (Basement). You can check out the address below.

Name: HAKKA TREE @ TESCO TANJUNG PINANG
Address: F27, 1st Floor Tesco Tanjung Pinang, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-899 3887
Business Hours: 9.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.458739, 100.308488

Name: HAKKA TREE @ GURNEY PLAZA
Address: 170-B1-06/07, Plaza Gurney, Solok Gurney 1, 10250 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-228 3887
Business Hours: 10.00am-10.00pm
GPS: 5.437987, 100.309818

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: 8/10 (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)

Earlier in 2014, I’ve written an article for HungryGoWhere Malaysia on Hakka Village (客家山寨), Balik Pulau, Penang. It was a height defying experience travelling uphill to an altitude of 300’ above sea level via a jeep. However, they have relocated to another venue on flat ground to enable more visitors (especially those elderly) to try out their home cooked Hakka cuisine. Though booking for their recreational camping, physical strength challenge and group training recreational activities or even holding some private events are still available, special arrangement would be made to cater to their dining needs. The new outlet has been named Hakka Village Branch (客家分寨), located along the main road of Jalan Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau, Penang.

To savor their delicious and home cooked Hakka Cuisine, the price would be at RM38nett (adult) and RM19nett (children) with a minimum order for 2 pax. Reservation is required to enable them to pep up your dishes well on time. Rice and nutmeg juice would be free flow and dishes are refillable. There won’t be a fix menu for the day as you get to eat whatever dishes they have available for the day – with a minimum of 7 dishes plus 1 soup.

Though some of the dishes may vary from day to day, some of their signature dishes would surely be highlighted. Let me brief you through on the dishes we had for the day.

Firstly, there was the Braised Pork with Red Fermented Bean Curd and Wood Ear Fungus (紅腐乳/南乳木耳燜豬肉). If you love the flavors of red fermented bean curd which is quite a norm in Hakka cuisine, you would truly love this dish. Moreover, they used lots of wood ear fungus (black fungus/cloud ear fungus/Auricularia polytricha) which are beneficial to our body system such as improving the blood circulation, lowering cholesterol, anti-viral and more.

Next on the list was the Preserved Sweetened Mustard Greens (Mui Choy) with Pork Belly (梅菜豬肉). Somehow, the kitchen managed to get this dish right with the right balance of sweetness and saltiness. Moreover, the added pork belly slices gave the overall flavors an extra boost with natural oiliness. Ideally, I would prefer to have this dish over porridge than rice, especially during such humid and dry weather~ 🙂

I’m a big fan of taro and when the Hakka Style Steamed Pork Belly with Taro (Kau Yoke- 客家芋頭扣肉) was served, I was all eyes on those nicely steamed taro pieces in red fermented bean curd. However, this dish would come in a set of a thick slap of pork belly meat and a piece of deep fried taro. There were distinctive flavors from the added red dates and Shitake mushrooms in the dish. Just give a bowl or two or three of hot steaming rice and I could just gobble up the whole dish.

We also had the Yellow Wine Chicken (黃酒雞), a simple home style chicken dishes with julienned ginger, wood ear fungus and yellow wine. The mild sweetness from the added yellow wine indeed pepped up the unique flavors in the dish.

The Hakka Stuffed Bean Curd (客家釀豆腐) might look plain with nothing more than some deep fried bean curd cuts with stuffed minced pork. However, sometimes simplicity ruled over complexity in a dish. Those pieces of stuffed bean curds were truly delicious.

For health reasons, I would try to avoid preserved ingredients especially those with high sodium content. However, their Salted Radish (Chai Poh) Omelette (菜莆煎蛋餅) was one dish that caught me clearing up the whole plate~ LOL~ 😛 Somehow, the kitchen managed to soak the salted radish just right to rid the excess saltiness. All there was left was a nice plate of fragrantly fried eggs with crunchy bits from the added salted radish. Thumbs up!

Their Stir Fry Cabbages with Dried Shrimps (包菜炒蝦米) might look simple but it was pepped up with the fragrance and flavors from some added dried shrimps and oyster sauce.

The soup for the day was the Chinese Style Sweet Corn Soup (中式玉蜀黍湯). It was nothing special as I do cook this soup on a regular basis too. However, corns are beneficial to the body system as they contained great antioxidant properties for general wellbeing. So, consuming a bit more of this soup won’t do you any harm.

Penang has been known as one of the top quality producer for nutmeg as well as its by-products. You would be thrilled to be served with free flow of Nutmeg Juice (豆蔻水) here. Instead of the freshly blended ones with added sour plum, you would be served another version which had been slowly simmered in rock sugar.

We were surprised that the boss threw in another bonus dish which was the Hakka Style Sour Braised Pork Trotters (客家豬腳酸). Compared to the old ginger simmered Black Vinegar Pork Trotters, this dish has a unique sourness from added tomato puree plus chopped radish and carrots.

Overall, I would think that these were just some of the basic Hakka dishes they have served during our visit as there are still more delicious dishes not covered in their menu-less spread. I’ve tried their Hakka Lui Cha (擂茶) during one of the recent Chinese New Year event and it was the best I’ve tasted. Moreover, there were the Salt Baked Chicken (鹽焗雞) and Hakka Yam Abacus Beads (算盤子) which I do find to be extremely delicious. Too bad these won’t be in the menu due to the tedious work and quality control (QC) involved to pep up all these fresh dishes. Though, the pricing might be a bit steep for some, many are not aware that if you like any of the dishes, you could always ask for refill as many times as you like without any additional charges.

After your meal, you could always pay a visit to the Local Products & Souvenir Shop just behind the main dining hall. Since Penang is a world known for the culturing and production of nutmegs, you should try to get your hands onto some of the nutmeg by-products such as pickled nutmegs, nutmeg with licorice, nutmeg juice and more.

Behind the souvenir shop would be another attraction – Hakka Village Cultural Center. If you would like to know the history behind how the Hakka clan landed in Malaysia and how was their lifestyle from those heydays, this would be quite an ideal place to learn more. There would be an admission fees of RM10 imposed on each non-dining individual.

If you are coming via the hilly Jalan Tun Sardon towards Balik Pulau, drive all the way until you see a T-junction (Jalan Tun Sardon/Jalan Balik Pulau). Turn left and drive all the way until a mini roundabout. Turn left into the second exit (Jalan Sungai Pinang) and drive on about 900m and you would see Hakka Village Branch on your left opposite Tingkat Sungai Pinang. You won’t miss it as there would be lots of colorful lanterns hanging at the fence.

Name: HAKKA VILLAGE BRANCH (客家分寨)
Address: 536 Jalan Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau, 11000 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-2829666, +6016-4116666
Business Hours: 11.30am-3.00pm (Closed Monday)
GPS: 5.355300, 100.228148

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: 8/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 9/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

We indeed had a fun-packed Prosperity Toss Lunch yesterday with Pacific West at Hakka Village, Balik Pulau, Penang. Pacific West is no longer a new name in the natural frozen food industry as it had touched the lives of millions of consumers across the globe. Based on their mission and vision towards Convenience, Innovation and Quality, their wide range of seafood products, developed and designed by their team of culinary chefs and food technologists, life could not be any easier to manage in any household or even international events. “Serving a wholesome seafood dish for your family and friends is NEVER A HASSLE with Pacific West”, exclaimed Pacific West Director, Mr. Saw Lip Teik (蘇立澤). It was indeed a new experience to savor various Chinese New Year cuisine with a bit of twist from the creations of Pacific West Development Chef, Chef Leong Main Choy (梁文财). Amongst the special guests invited were Mr. Saw Hai Earn (蘇海恩- Golden Fresh CEO), Maggie Fong (范盈 – Hakka Village owner), Julia Volchkova (a Siberian-born artist who had left her ultra realistic portraitures on the walls of George Town and Balik Pulau), dignitaries, media and bloggers.

Prior to the luncheon, we had some specially designed canapés by Chef Garry Edson. They include Hummus on Pitta Bread with Pacific West Tempura Calamari Ring, Petit Ratatouille Corn Tortilla with Pacific West Popcorn Fish, Puff Pastry filled with Mushroom and Egg Pate served with Pacific West Wiggy Cornflake Fish and Tomato Salsa on spoons with Pacific West Dusted Baby Squid. All the canapés were uniquely concocted.

After a short video presentation (acted by Chef Leong & Maggie Fong and shot at Hakka Village due to its traditional ambiance) and some speeches, the guests were given a challenge to create the best plated Yee Sang (鱼生) with only 6 ingredients given (shredded carrot, cucumber, radish, unripe papaya, deep fried yam and honey Mandarin oranges. Out of the 4 teams, Table C emerged as the winner with their creative Pacific West Logo Yee Sang. That was truly something very impactful in the eyes of the Pacific West judging team right? Haha~ 😛 Each guest from the winning table was presented with a Pacific West printed mitten.

There were 10 dishes served during the lunch event. The first 5 dishes showed how one could incorporate Pacific West’s seafood products into local dishes, whereas the remaining 5 dishes were traditional Hakka dishes from the kitchen of Hakka Village (客家山寨).

The first dish that was presented was the specially concocted Tempura Prawn Prosperity Toss Yee Sang (鱼生). Instead of the usual raw fish fillet, Pacific West’s Signature Tempura Prawns, first grade sea-caught prawns coated in a unique Japanese tempura batter were used. The healthy yet colouful natural ingredients comprised pickled nutmeg, torch gingers, Mandarin oranges, pomelo and freshly shredded vegetables and dressed in a homemade dressing sauce which had a concoction of fish sauce, plum sauce, olive oil, lime juice and sugar. The guest had a great time tossing the Yee Sang while wishing everyone abundance in health, wealth and happiness. “Pacific West endeavors to bring joy and love to families around the world,” remarked Pacific West Brand Manager, Joyce Ong (王优彬).

The other 4 Pacific West created dishes included Crab Meat Lettuce Cups with Pacific West Salt and Pepper Squid (Salt & Pepper Squid on top of Stir fried Crab Meat and Vegetables served with Lettuce Cup), Nyonya Style Pacific West Tempura Fish Cocktails (Tempura Fish Cocktail in Homemade Nyonya Style Sauce), Golden Nestum Pacific West Tempura Prawns (Tempura Prawn coated with Spicy Buttered Salted Egg Sauce and sprinkled with crispy Nestum and Kung Pao Pacific West Salt and Pepper Squids (Salt & Pepper Squid in Kung Pao Style served with Crispy Yam Ring). I quite like the idea and convenience on how to serve the tempura fish cocktail in the fragrant and aromatic Peranakan style. The dish may look simple but it was remarkably palatable.

On the other hand, Hakka Village sure knows how to impress the guests with their traditionally prepared Hakka cuisine. We were served with Hakka Lei Cha (擂茶), Hakka Plum Sauce Duck, Hakka Abacus Beads (算盘子), Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken (盐焗鸡) and a hassle free Stir Fried Broccoli. The dishes could be real addictive especially the Hakka Abacus Beads and Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken. Another of the traditional dishes worth mentioning would be their Hakka Lei Cha which came with highly concentrated soup which was something you can’t buy outside. For more information on savoring traditionally pepped up Hakka dishes, you could always pay their site a visit.

Pacific West products are available at all major and independent retail outlets in Malaysia (namely Cold Storage, Sam’s Groceria, AEON, AEON Big, Tesco, Giant, Sunshine, Village Grocer and etc…). For more information, please contact Pacific West care line at 1800 88 389 or log on to official website and Facebook page.