While on a weekend trip to Penang, we reserved a table here because of what I read on Tripadvisor. We had just come down from Dinner in the Sky before this but needed to bring my mum and daughter for dinner after. My daughter was also celebrating her birthday and I had earlier called the restaurant and spoke to Shahrul who was absolutely helpful and obliging in accommodating us. Degustation in a Malaysian-style dinner with a Peranakan/Nonya slant is unusual but it is cleverly compromised with shared plates. Very smart! Food wise, it tries to refine familiar Malaysian dishes and achieves this with a fair degree of success. The dishes were tasty, but definitely not any more tantalising than other restaurants serving similar cuisine, but because of its famous setting, prices are justifiably higher. For those comparing it to hawker food (esp. the prices), one just can't draw a parallel. It is akin to comparing apples with oranges; not fair simply because dining is also about the surroundings, service, setting, ambience etc. The appetizer Chao Tom, main dish Tamarind Beef and the desserts were particularly memorable. It is definitely a recommended visit for tourists, esp. those who have had quite a bit of street food already, due to its restored old shophouse setting which is architecturally attractive and historically interesting. Thank you to Benjamin and Shahrul who came to chat with us about the restaurant - they were most friendly and attentive. Just an amusing observation about the "lady with the white hair" - I note that she has had quite a number of mention here in the reviews as a haughty and rather rude person. Well, she was pottering around back and forth without giving our table any attention and not a nary of a glance from her, that is until she had to come to the table along with other waitstaff to sing Happy Birthday to my daughter. Only then did I notice a hint of a smile!
restaurant reviews 