Ferringhi Garden Restaurant — Restaurant in George Town

The Ferringhi Garden Restaurant: great dining within an oasis

The Ferringhi Garden Restaurant has an amazing lush garden filled with flowers in full bloom. Even before looking through the menu, we could not resist taking a few photographs of its tranquil and beautiful dining ambience. My family and I were having dinner with our hosts, Dato' Welf and Datin Susan. After a few snaps, we returned to our table and were ready for a delectable feast.

For starters, we had a charcoal-toasted sourdough loaf served with garlic aioli and tomato salsa, smoked salmon with pink potato cubes and tomato salad as well as mushroom soup. All were so delicious and we waited in anticipation for our main courses.

Susan and my wife decided to go for the Australian sirloin. The generous cuts were premium grade strip steaks cooked to perfection over a flaming charcoal fire. The intense, smoky, fire-seared flavours infused in the steaks added character and depth to the dish. Both were very pleased with their scrumptious meals. Welf selected the Australian beef tenderloin, a tender cut of fillet mignon served with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes. His steak had a salty, crispy exterior and a tender, juicy, medium-rare centre. The chef served the accompanying sauce in a mini pan, taking great care not to smother the steak. I had the passion fruit snapper – a sous vide red snapper fillet with passion fruit sabayon and bell pepper ratatouille. The combination of flavours was refreshing and this was the first time I had the passion fruit sabayon with fish! Kudos to the chef for this creative dish.

For dessert, Welf and my wife had the decadent double chocolate tart made of 70 per cent Belgian dark chocolate. It was served with a scoop of raspberry and mint sorbet. This dessert was rich yet refreshing, tangy yet sweet, creamy yet crunchy; all so very exciting in the same mouthful. My daughter happily indulged in a serving of dark chocolate brownie – a 70 per cent dark Belgian chocolate cake topped with a sinfully-delicious salted caramel macadamia gelato. It was indeed a brilliant choice to conclude a wonderful dinner.

The service at Ferringhi Garden Restaurant was excellent and the time flew by very quickly especially when we were having such an enjoyable dinner. I was very glad we were able to indulge in such a simple pleasures of life – good food and great company. Thanks you, Welf and Susan, for a memorable evening.

P.S. Be selective so that you savour the best...

First of, ambience, atmosphere and service. The restaurant is so beautiful no cap. Really spacious. Walking in from the front, we were guided in by the lovely staff. The further you walk in, the more beautiful. Totally recommend sitting outside as it is quite stuffy on the inside. Outside, it is breezy and we were legit bothered by 0 mosquitos. Tables also have a small, cute oil lamp on it which keeps flies away. We sat on a table in front of their waterfall thingamabob. Staff were really friendly and listened to our requests when looking for a table. There are plenty of seats so if they're somehow all full when you're here then it must be PACKED.

Prices here for the western food is reasonable. If you wanna order the overpriced char koay teow is another question okay - that one I didn't order so I can't vouch for the taste and worth.

I ordered the lamb shank. It came with a hefty amount of potato mash, tomato sauce with cubed veggies (crunchy carrots and eggplant iirc?) and splotches of mint sauce. Have a look at the photos I've posted if you don't believe how fork-tender the lamb was. Oh my grandfather goodness it was slaying so hard!!! Perfectly soft and pairs amazingly with the tomato sauce. The mint sauce was also bright and fresh which was a nice contrast + helped cut through the heaviness of the meat. I devoured the whole thing and didn't feel jelak at all. The bone also had a tad bit of marrow which I happily dug out with my knife. One thing I will say is that I wish there was more mint sauce :( though I'm sure that if you asked the staff for more then they'd be happy to give more.

My mum and her friend got the fish and chips. The fries were so crispy that my dad kept taking them from my mum. My brother got the Oriental chicken chop and it looked golden brown and crispy.

I also got a watermelon juice and I'd recommend asking for very little ice because by the end of my meal, it had become quite diluted.

When it got darker, staff began handing out small lamps for the table. It didn't kill the mood and made it so you can actually see your food and company. Staff also adjusted the portable AC so it faced our table.

My dad went to the toilet twice and my brother 3 times so I think it's safe to assume that it's pretty good LMAO.

They had a variety of desserts but I didn't try them so can't vouch. They had earl grey creme brulee...

Specifically chose this place to celebrate my mum's 85th birthday during our visit to Penang. ( we're from SG) I'm really trying not get too personally emotional here. From the start, our reservation table although acknowledged via wasapp by the management had already gone wrong. You guys claim to give us a good table but we ended up having a table 2 meters away from the entrance walkway with overgrown and dried plants and flowers above us that dropped 3 times onto our table. Your management's definition of a 'good' table??? Whist the miso cod and penang char kway teow was good, I'm disappointed with the Lobster and Lamb that we ordered. Lobster - arrived in cut up pieces instead of the whole and nowhere in the menu saying how it's done. Bit into shell bits twice. Lamb - way overcooked. I'm pretty sure Lamb can be served and/or done according to customer's request for doneness but server didn't ask. We ordered 4 mains but your hilarious female server didn't quite seem to believe let alone digest our order that she had to repeat herself to us more than twice that we are ordering 4 mains for 2 pax - anything wrong with that? Before leaving the restaurant, I enquired with the staff as to who was the person that communicated with me on wasapp, but NOBODY seems to know or understand until a SENIOR staff by the name of Rotin came along. "If you don't like your table sir, you can request to change before sitting down" obviously the ground staff wasn't the least bit aware of my situation and purpose of dining at your restaurant. His aura, persona and all were so revoltingly defensive that I stopped the conversation with him. With all due respect, how am I to feel after this episode? My mum was also quite looking forward to the occasion and i/we have dined in your restaurant many times over. And in the end, this had to happened. I have reservations on returning to dine here ever again. Thanks...