January 2014
This is one of the places we enjoy going to for Chinese fare such as dim sum and noodles in Penang. Besides their efficient service and tasty food, there are quite a few branches of the restaurant for convenience. The one we’ve chosen is this one – the casual, small one in the lower ground floor of Gurney Plaza.
Choosing from their rather extensive menu is no mean feat – there are pages of dim sum choices, appetisers, double boiled soups, individual Chinese dishes of meats and vegetables, special soupy ramen and fried ones, and of course, rice favourites.
We narrow it all down to deep fried cubes of silky-soft tofu steeping in spicy Szechuan sauce with slices of shiitake mushrooms and minced meat at RM14.80+ to match the heavily marinated slices of beef stir-fried with onions and paprika at RM19.80+.
While one burns the tongue lightly, the other soothes it with just a touch of salty, mild umami flavour and a nice crunch from the squares of yellow and red paprika. Pair them with steaming bowls of white rice and we’ve got a winner in every spoonful.
From their list of ramen offerings, we opt for a simple one at RM12.80+. The stir-fried ramen with chicken and ginger carries a mild flavour while the noodles are firm of texture and cooked a touch above al dente. Better eaten while hot, it’s a comforting dish with only the heat from slices of ginger to add ‘oomph’ to it.
The individual dishes come only in one size and they’re good for two or three people each. The noodles, however, is for one and dim sums are, of course, three pieces a bowl for siu mai and the like. Our advice is to come here on an empty stomach, fuel-up before your shopping spree at the mall. Kitty Kaye