Penang Delight Cafe 馬來檳城美食
My parents read about Penang Delight in a Chinese newspaper and suggested trying it out for dinner. I did a bit of research online and discovered a coupon on Moeji (complimentary dessert with purchase over $30). I stupidly assumed that reservations were not necessary for Thursday nights, but I was wrong and we ended up waiting for almost half an hour.
We started the meal with roti canai ($5.95), a must-order item whenever I dine at a Malaysian restaurant. This was done extremely well and the pancake had a crispy exterior and fluffy layers. I don't think the curry dip went well with it though, as the intense flavour completely dominated the delicate taste of the pancake.
Due to my positive experience with pandan roasted chicken at SalaThai, I decided to try the pandan chicken wings ($5) here as well. The skin was nice and crispy with very little fat, and the meat inside was unbelievably tender and juicy. The pandan flavour wasn't too strong, but the slight hint of fragrance was good enough for me.
I had pretty high expectations for the curry laksa ($8.95 + $1 for dinner hours) since it's a signature Malaysian dish, but the flavour fell short of my expectations. I couldn't taste the rich and aromatic sambal chili paste that's typically served with laksa and the dish just wasn't complete without it. I also found it a bit odd that there was a mix of 2 different types of noodle: thick yellow noodles and rice vermicelli.
The Hainanese chicken ($11.95) had the perfect texture and it was so soft and smooth that I almost didn't have to chew. Unfortunately it lacked in the seasoning department as the sauce was simply diluted sesame oil and the chicken was quite bland by itself without the sauce. I also had Hainanese rice ($2) to go with the chicken and the grains were a bit dry and hard.
The free dessert was the kuih dadar (regular $4.95), a thin crepe infused with pandan leaf juice and stuffed with coconut shreds and palm sugar. It was unexpectedly delicious and full-flavoured despite the simple ingredients. I enjoyed it with a piping hot cup of teh tarik ($1.50), a sweet Malaysian style milk tea with a delicate yet satisfying flavour. It wasn't as strong as HK style milk tea, but it was much more aromatic than English milk tea.
The food was quite good and I wouldn't mind coming back again, but the place is a bit far from where I live and the prices are not exactly cheap. One thing is for sure though, next time I'll definitely make a reservation.
We started the meal with roti canai ($5.95), a must-order item whenever I dine at a Malaysian restaurant. This was done extremely well and the pancake had a crispy exterior and fluffy layers. I don't think the curry dip went well with it though, as the intense flavour completely dominated the delicate taste of the pancake.
Due to my positive experience with pandan roasted chicken at SalaThai, I decided to try the pandan chicken wings ($5) here as well. The skin was nice and crispy with very little fat, and the meat inside was unbelievably tender and juicy. The pandan flavour wasn't too strong, but the slight hint of fragrance was good enough for me.
I had pretty high expectations for the curry laksa ($8.95 + $1 for dinner hours) since it's a signature Malaysian dish, but the flavour fell short of my expectations. I couldn't taste the rich and aromatic sambal chili paste that's typically served with laksa and the dish just wasn't complete without it. I also found it a bit odd that there was a mix of 2 different types of noodle: thick yellow noodles and rice vermicelli.
The Hainanese chicken ($11.95) had the perfect texture and it was so soft and smooth that I almost didn't have to chew. Unfortunately it lacked in the seasoning department as the sauce was simply diluted sesame oil and the chicken was quite bland by itself without the sauce. I also had Hainanese rice ($2) to go with the chicken and the grains were a bit dry and hard.
The free dessert was the kuih dadar (regular $4.95), a thin crepe infused with pandan leaf juice and stuffed with coconut shreds and palm sugar. It was unexpectedly delicious and full-flavoured despite the simple ingredients. I enjoyed it with a piping hot cup of teh tarik ($1.50), a sweet Malaysian style milk tea with a delicate yet satisfying flavour. It wasn't as strong as HK style milk tea, but it was much more aromatic than English milk tea.
The food was quite good and I wouldn't mind coming back again, but the place is a bit far from where I live and the prices are not exactly cheap. One thing is for sure though, next time I'll definitely make a reservation.
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