华仔河鲜楼Hwa Zai BM Restaurant — Restaurant in Penang

We were a bit hesitant to try this place initially as we were concerned that it would be expensive. However, we decided to give it a go and were happy that we did.

There were no other customers on a Friday evening when we were there much to our surprise. We ordered a Patin fish Teochew steamed and also a salted egg calamari (sotong). We asked if both dishes were enough for 2 and were told that that should suffice. The dishes took a while to prepare, most likely because the fish needs to be steamed.

The steamed patin was much bigger than we had expected. Usually when we order fish for two people, we would be given a smaller fish, but this is a good sized fish. Even the salted egg calamari portion was quite large for a 'small' serving.

Hwa Zai is popular for its fresh water fish and the steamed patin did not disappoint. It was tender and fresh. The meat fell off the bones easily. Even though I was not particularly fond of fish, I could appreciate why this fish is so popular with fish lovers. We finished every single bit of the fish and only left the bones (see photos). The calamari was very crispy and meaty. Each bite has the right amount of chew unlike some eateries which coat the calamari with a thick layer of batter. The salted egg sauce did not drown the deep fried calamari, which was also very fresh.

The price for the 2 dishes, and one rice came to slightly over RM110, which we thought was very fair. We enjoyed the meal tremendously and are happy to return.

The owner told us that their fish came from Pahang and delivered fresh. We can certainly attest to the freshness of the fish. A good satisfying meal.

By the way, parking is aplenty in front of the restaurant and convenient. The restaurant is air conditioned and you can opt to eat at some of the private rooms if so desired. We only sat at a table at the common area as there were no other patronns...

I was informed that this is one of the few places to serve river fish. River fish tend to smell less fishy and the meat taste milder. It's obviously a personal choice but variety is a spice of life.

As for the fish, we chose the steamed style of cooking. The fish was fresh, the meat was firm and the steaming sauce complimented the fish well. The ginseng chicken soup was surprisingly light yet delicious without the heavy overbearing herbal aroma. The chicken was also deliciously boiled and not tough to chew.

To me the eggplant was the most surprisingly. At first glance it looked like meat. Taste wise, impressive. Soft sweet 'flesh' with a hint of bitterness from the charred surface mixing well with the overall flavour. The veggie and pork rib was tasty but fairly average. The egg with otak otak is another must try dish. It looks deceptively simple till you break it up. The otak otak is wrapped within the egg but I must say it feels a lot firmer and less creamy that the version I am used to. Nonetheless, it's an interesting presentation and you should try it once and make your own assumptions.

I had the fried ice cream for dessert and I felt that the skin is a smidgen too thick. In the end, taking all of it together, it was a great meal with great flavours and I would come again for...

Reasonable price.

At first the waitress strongly suggested to ordered 10pax value set. She said their portion is small, migbt only cater for ard 6-7pax. I felt like what's the heck? Menu stated 10pax but the waitress said it's only enough for 6-7pax?

We ordered their set value 4-5pax @rm98. Total 4 dishes include their signature rice. Add one one meal as we have 4 adults and 3 kids. Enough for all of us. Luckily didn't ordered for 10 pax set.

Food wise is good. Something different from others restaurant. Quite unique and tasty. Will dine in...