Emperor Villa Penang — Hotel in George Town

Emperor Villa's "kochabi" set meals good for lunch or dinner

Emperor Villa, a family-run business offering accommodation and dining first opened its doors to the public in September 2019. It took two years to complete the construction of its rustic villas complete with a spacious swimming pool, nestled among nine acres of greenery in the hills of Sungai Ara, Penang.

"Kochabi" is a Hokkien term which means "flavours of the past", referring to recognisable homemade dishes that have been perfected by past generations. The food served at Emperor Villa is rooted in recipes handed down through the family lineage. Set meals for lunch and dinner are fixed with a soup and five dishes, served with steamed white rice. The menu changes every month to entice regular customers.

The dishes enjoyed that evening included a kochabi peppered pig stomach and chicken soup. The long hours of simmering resulted in a highly nourishing and comforting opaque soup. I enjoyed the bold peppery kick and the tender slices of the pig stomach that made this soup a winner.

Also served that day was braised pork belly with taro, a popular Hakka speciality. The alternating layers of tender pork belly and fluffy taro with a distinct seasoning resulted in an amazingly rich and tasty dish. The meat to be so tender as to melt in every mouthful. Hearty, comforting and intensely savoury, this dish hit all the right classic notes of Hakka cuisine.

The kochabi bangkwang char (stir-fried yam bean), a typical Nyonya dish, was served with fresh lettuce and a fiery sambal belacan on the side. This is one of my family's favourite dishes to cook at home and being very familiar with the flavours, I must add that the quality of the bangkwang char served at that dinner was top notch. Wrapping a little in a crispy lettuce leaf and topping it with a dollop of sambal belacan was a delicious mouthful experience.

The pig trotters in black vinegar was simply scrumptious as well. The combination of sweet, sour and savoury tastes was well balanced. The moist and tender cuts of pig trotters, as well as the hard-boiled eggs, was such a joy to indulge in.

The cone-shaped bamboo shoots are commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine. I have never been a big fan of bamboo shoot dishes as there is a distinct urine-like smell when you bite into them. The Japanese would usually use rice husk powder to boil the shoot whereas Indonesians would use coconut water. Whatever method one deploys (numerous on YouTube), if not done thoroughly, the funky smell would still prevail. That evening, the bamboo shoots were stir-fried with wood ear mushrooms and carrots. Taste was good and I enjoyed the crunchy texture of the wood ear mushrooms, skirting around the dish to avoiding taking a heap of bamboo shoots.

We also had Chinese-style steamed patin (silver catfish) with soy sauce, topped with shredded ginger and scallions. The flesh of this famous freshwater fish was smooth, silky and lemak (buttery and rich) especially around the belly. Catfish is an excellent nutrient-dense protein source. The patin served that evening could have been better since the fish was fresh and delicious.

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening. The delectable kochabi spread was so generous we had a tough time finishing every dish. The service was good and the attentive staff was on hand to replenish the soup and chilled keat poh drink (tangerine syrup infused with a mixture of herbs).

Reservations for lunch and dinner have to be made at least two days in advance. The round trip to Emperor Villa from and to the foot of the hill (at Xuan Wu Temple) is included in the...

My 1st hiking in my entire lifetime. I was so excited the night before this and got myself everything I could think of for this trip. Insect repellent, I even brought some sulfur in case I find snakes along my way ☺️. I used waze to get to the place and parked my car at the residential area then walk to the starting point which is just right beside an Indian temple. I could see a lot of ppl along my way. There’s nothing to worry about. Cyclists, hikers like us those scavengers I was worried about won’t appear actually. The trail is actually filled with rocks and could find the road quite slippery and uneven to walk on but is still tolerable. Just have to be careful will do. The walking distance is around an hour or so depends on how fast u walk. Don’t have to worry u might get lost in the woods as there many ppl going to the same destination like u. Just follow the crowd and ask around and you’ll be able to make it in no time. It’s was quite an experience for me. I get to see the real figs trees finally.

It’s a beautiful place at the villa and they have only one restaurant for u to sit and have a light meal with ur family and friends. The place is designed and decorated with old fashioned furnitures and decoration that reminds me of the time of my grandparents. I love it very much and it’s highly recommended for a new experience out of town.

It’s not recommended to drive ur car there as the only path could only occupy a car. Please take their package for a min of 4 for either lunch or dinner. They will have a car to send you there and bring u down from the villa. 😉

From sally (one of the staff from emperor villa) 以下是我们帝来山庄 Emperor Villa 的配套。 周末开方式早餐，给予爬山者和脚踏车骑士，只在星期六，日及公共假期。早上8点到10:30am 。

午餐 12 pm-3 pm 晚餐 6 pm-9 pm RM68nett pax RM48nett pax(4-12ys)

包括饮料和米饭随添 包括载送上下山 (需要提前1天预约哦！） 以上的配套需要4位以上。😊

10月菜单 October 2020 menu Lunch & Dinner

RM 68/pax (Minimum 4 persons)

1)胡椒猪肚鸡汤 Kochabi Style Pork Belly Chicken Soup

2)客家芋头扣肉 Hakka Style Pork Braised With Yam

3)鱿鱼丝茫光炒 Kochabi Mangkuang Char

4)秘制猪脚黑醋 Special recipes sauce Pork vinegar

5)清蒸鲜八丁鱼 Steamed Fresh Patin fish

Room rate as below : Riverside101-106 (for 2 person) Twin shering RM 488 ••••••◇••••••◇••••••◇•• HillTop 201 Room 6 person RM998 (1 room with 3 Queen bed) ………………………… HillTop 202 Room 6 person RM1188 (3 separate room with king bed) ………………………… Albany Room 301 6 person RM1128 (1 room with 2 queen 1 room with 1 king) ……………………… Extra Bed RM50 Meal RM108 =RM 158(Adult ) Extra Bed RM50 Meal RM88 =RM 138 (Child) 1-4y's free. The room price is including 4 meal. @Lunch set @Tea Time @Dinner...

The place is beautifully built and situated up the hill with grand decorations vivifying the past era. The name does suit the place as every corner was meticulously furnished with quality time and art in mind. Both indoor and outdoor tables are equally appealing to dine.

We hiked all the way up to the temple before stopping by at this place on the way down. Felt it was only right to complete the hike regardless the temptation to have breakfast on our way passing by..haha Anyway, from the Emperor junction, it only takes roughly 15min to top. So, no big deal.

I don’t have to say much about the place as the pictures will do all the talking. The staffs were fantastic. They were super friendly and accommodating to my questions and requests. They cleared and wiped the table as soon as we sat down. Midway when there was another hut available, i asked to switch table and that too was done for me with smile. I’m happy..haha

Oh yes, food..price is okay la..it is at the top..a little extra is nothing.. eat your bread toast as soon as it arrives..if you going to take photos and post selfies, it’s gonna get cold. Nasi lemak was really nice. Spicy...