Neighbourwood Restaurant Bukit Mertajam — Restaurant in Penang

Half Chicken 秘制烤鸡 = RM39.00 Anniversary (Cake) = RM25.00 Long Black Coffee (Cold) = RM9.00 Service Charge = RM4.38

This is a Michelin Bib Gourmand Food Stall.

The Interior of the Place was renovated in a Chic Modern Style as you can see in the Photo, Nicely Airconditioned with relatively few customers on a Thursday Afternoon at around 12.00pm. All the Staffs were very Courteous and Polite and every Movement, every Action they did specifically focused on Customer Service.

Half Chicken 秘制烤鸡 = RM39.00

Beautifully Presented, it is Half a Normal Chicken that is Completely Deboned and the Whole Thing was resting on a Yellow Gravy that I'd describe Almost Taste like Mayo but Very Much More Complex. This Gravy was Intensely Salty in a Good Way and has a Very Atas Taste to it.

The First Bite of the Chicken was its Beautiful Crispy Skin that Crackles Crisp in the Mouth with a Slight Roasted Caramelized Taste. Meat is Superbly Tender and Soft and this is the First Time I've eaten a Chicken that tastes like the Whole Chicken is Made out of Thigh Meat! Even the Breast Meat tasted like Thigh Meat.

Throughout the Entire Time I was eating, I never once felt Jelak, never once thought it tasted Overly Chickeny at all especially when eating with that Beautiful Yellow Sauce. I Ate and Ate and Ate Non-Stop. Absolutely Amazing!

Anniversary (Cake) = RM25.00

So this Cake was designed by the Head Chef and his Wife and they realized this Cake tasted like Ferrero Rocher. Not only the Taste, but the Texture is just like Ferrero Rocher in a Cake Form. It is Slightly Less Sweet than a Ferrero Rocher and I thought tasted very nice. The Little Dollop of Cream on the Side is not just Simple Whipped Cream with Sugar. It has an Intense Rich Milky Atas taste to it.

Long Black Coffee (Cold, No Sugar) = RM9.00

I had expected this to taste like a Typical Americano but its not. Tasted Very Smooth and doesn't have any Siap Siap Aftertaste. This is also quite a Strong Coffee that can certainly wake you up. When I asked them about it, they say its an "Arabica Beans, Medium Dark Roast".

Why did this Place not get my Highest Top Score?

The Original Cake I ordered was actually their Flourless Chocolate Cake 比利时巧克力蛋糕 (RM22.00). Without letting me know in advance that it was actually not available, they took their own initiative, and switched it for the Anniversary Cake instead!

Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy the Anniversary Cake but it still didn't hide the fact that it was NOT the Cake I ordered at all. I'll be honest, I was actually Slightly Displeased that I wasn't told in advance that the Original Cake that I ordered wasn't available in the 1st place.

I'm not the type that will kick up a fuss however, but had it been a Fiercer more Demanding Customer, who knows how Ugly the Situation could have been?

This One Major Critical Mistake was the one that prevented me from giving them my Highest Top Score. Such a Pity.

Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At a Total Combined Price of RM77.38 (S$24.00), No Doubt this Meal was Expensive. But Personally I feel the Price is Worth the Taste. Customer Service here is really good and especially for Jess whom I felt went out of the way to make my Visit a Very Enjoyable One.

It was really a Shame that I could not give this place my Highest Score due to that Major Critical Mistake they made. Such a Pity, because Everything else was so good, only to have them stumble at this incident.

Paying Sub-S$25.00 for everything here, for me is worth the Money. I reckon it will probably be impossible to enjoy such Good Quality Foods and Service in a Similar Restaurant in Singapore.

I can recommend this place but just make sure to Double-Check and Double-Confirm that they served you exactly what you ordered.

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Recently did a private event at this restaurant and I'm really happy with the overall experience with them. Writing my honest reviews here if any customers wish to organize any events at their place in the future.

Communication with the manager Jazz was smooth, she was kind to advice us to reduce the portion but being overly concerned that the food may not be enough for the guests, we pushed ahead with our opinions and of course, we had leftovers on that day lol

Here is the list of food we had ordered (it wasn't our first time trying these food, so we knew what we wanted for the course):- Appetizers : Grissini, Fish Croquettes, Caesar Salad Mains : Half Chicken, Berkshire pork belly, Fish en Papillote Sides: Roasted Cauliflower Desserts: Creme Brulee Vegetarian option: Tomato Bruschetta, Pickled Mushroom Salad, Roasted Cauliflower.

Glad to say that all guests simply enjoyed the food so much and if they were to pick the star of the dish, the Berkshire pork belly took the spot. The vegetarian option was catered to one of our vegetarian guests, and I appreciate the team for accommodating according to her dietary requirements. So if you're a first time visitor here and not sure what to order, you can refer to this menu as a guide. In terms of pricing, for about RM110+ per person which includes juice/coffee as well, imo I think it's quite reasonable as I doubt you can get this wide range of quality food and decent portions from elsewhere in Penang.

If I really have to nitpick the down side of the experience, there was a small wait for the mains to be served but we were fine with it as we understood that their crew isn't that big to begin with. Otherwise, the service crew was attentive on that day and the owner was quite humble and friendly to chat with. Thank you for serving us with a smile and great food, we'll definitely come back again :)

*Didn't manage to take all the...

A most improbable location for an attempt in fine dining within a nondescript blue collar neighbourhood in BM - but I’m sure discerning mainland diners very much welcomed this outpost. Bib Gourmand did and inscribed it into their listing.

It was nice that they didn’t make a fuss when I showed up an hour early for my reservation. After all it wasn’t that busy on a mid-week evening. While the decor is intended to convey an upmarket vibe, it manages to feel quite relaxed, homey and casual, populated with Hokkien-speaking locals and families.

The manager who took my orders capably made some good recommendations, providing essential details about the preparation and key ingredients. She did advise that some dishes would require more preparation time and asked if it was alright with me. I wasn’t in a rush. The sizeable tomato salad (7/10) arrived first. I liked that the tomatoes were peeled, cured and had a very unique tasting dressing. Because the oysters needed more time to marinate, the lamb rack (9/10) was served first. Beautifully chargrilled to perfection, it was smoky, very umami and still moist. Kudos to the chef for pairing the strong meaty flavours with an aromatic turmeric curry leaf sauce. It went very well together.

The cold oysters (7/10) were last to arrive and although they were plump, sweet and appetising, the sequencing was very odd and not complementary to the meal on the whole. Picked the strawberry sabayon (7/10) to end the meal. Found the berries to be unripe and quite sour although the sabayon made with XiaoXing wine was excellent.

While I thought the food was uniformly good and of high quality, the service level was uneven. Aside from the manager, the rest of the service team was not very observant and neglected to clear my table promptly after each course. Rather annoying.

Prices are very premium for this location but deemed reasonable given...