Special thanks to Sunway Hotel Georgetown and Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya for extending this food review invitation.

This evening, I am attending a Chinese New Year food review at Sunway Hotel Georgetown. The event is held in collaboration with the sister property, Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya. Both hotels are serving 8-course set dinner from now until 15 February 2020 (except on 24 January 2020).

There are 4 choices for the set dinner: Fortune Set (RM888.00 net), Prosperity Set (RM988.00 net), Auspicious Set (RM1,088.00 net) and Emerald Set (RM1,288.00 net). The Emerald Set includes Salmon Yee Sang. Meanwhile, customers who choose any of the other 3 menus can have Salmon Yee Sang for an additional RM100.00.

The menus for Chinese New Year set dinner are specially crafted by Executive Chef How, who was also the mastermind behind the Christmas Eve Seafood Buffet Dinner recently. The review this evening largely follows the Emerald Set.

The tossing of yee sang (鱼生) is essential during Chinese New Year. Each ingredient is meant to represent an auspicious value. For instance, the presence salmon symbolizes “abundance” (余) because it sounds identical to the Chinese word for “fish” (鱼).

The first course is New Year Combination Hot & Cold Appetizer. The dish comprises of deep-fried bean curd skin rolls, roasted honey barbecue chicken, chili prawns with fresh fruit salad, and steamed scrambled egg with artificial shark fin & crab meat.

The next course is Braised Artificial Shark Fin Soup. The creamy soup contains exquisite seafood ingredients such as crab meat and fish lips. Made of starch, artificial shark fin is an alternative to actual shark fin. The latter is rarely seen nowadays due to concerns over sustainability.

Next, Steamed Eight-Treasure Chicken is seasoned with auspicious ingredients like mushrooms (for longevity), ginkgo nuts (for wealth) and water chestnuts (for social success). The ingredients are wrapped and cooked in aromatic lotus leaf.

Baked Tiger Prawns are cooked with butter and herbs, and then gratinéed with cheese. The platter is also garnished with steamed bok choy. The presentation of this dish is rather unique.

Steamed Whole Grouper is served with premium soy sauce so as to retain the fish’s natural sweetness. Also present is a special pesto made of ginger and garlic. The pesto is tantalizing to the tongue but I think it may be too pungent for some people.

Mongolian Roasted Lamb Rack is one of the best dishes this evening. The dish has a hint of toastiness that makes it succulent indeed. Furthermore, a special blend of sauce enhances the lamb to a new level.

Braised Assorted Vegetables consist of Pacific clams, conpoy (dried scallops), mushrooms, broccoli and fatt choy (moss) wrapped in cabbage. Fatt choy (发菜) is considered an auspicious ingredient because it sounds like “striking rich” (发财) in Chinese.

Moving on, Special Fried Rice is wrapped in lotus leaf to keep the rice warm and fragrant. The dish contains seafood and minced chicken too.

Finally for desserts, Chilled Papaya Sago is blended with vanilla ice cream. The resulting emulsion has a soothing sweetness that does not overwhelm the palate.

Pan-Fried Chinese Brown Sugar Cake is another lovely dessert. Also known as “nian gao” (年糕), the sticky cake is usually eaten during Chinese New Year as a symbol of an improved year.

The Chinese New Year set dinner is served at Level LG of the hotel. 1-week advance reservation is recommended as popular dates are being filled quickly. Bookings can be made by phone (+60) 4-229 9988 or by email shgp.enquiry@sunwayhotels.com.

As for residents of Seberang Perai, the identical set dinner is also available at Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya. Customers who wish to dine here may make reservations by phone (+60) 4-370 7788 or by email shsj.bookfnb@sunwayhotels.com.

In addition to set dinner, both hotels are serving buffet dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve (24 January 2020). For families who prefer to skip the hassle of cooking, this buffet is a convenient alternative to reunion dinner. There are lucky prizes to be won, so let’s see whether the Year of the Rat brings good fortune to you!

Name: Sunway Hotel Georgetown
Address: 33, Lorong Baru, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-229-9988
Business hours: 6:00pm-10:00pm
Website: https://georgetown.sunwayhotels.com
Coordinates: 5.41425 N, 100.32575 E
Directions: Sunway Hotel Georgetown is located at New Lane (Lorong Baru) in George Town. The hotel is accessible from either Macalister Road (Jalan Macalister) or Jalan Dato Keramat. There are parking spaces inside the hotel as well as along New Lane.

Special thanks to Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur for extending this food review invitation.

Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur is one of the most prominent hotels in the capital city. Arriving guests are greeted by a large lobby, where a grand staircase leads to the mezzanine floor. As the yuletide season is fast approaching, Christmas trees and ornaments fill the air with festive spirit.

My visit to the 5-star hotel today is to dine at Shang Palace (香宫), an award-winning Chinese restaurant which is present in several Shangri-La properties. The restaurant has a magnificent facade reminiscent of an imperial palace.

Shang Palace specializes in authentic Cantonese cuisine. The pork-free restaurant is also renowned for its exquisite range of dim sum.

As for customers who prefer private dining, Shang Palace has 6 rooms of various sizes. The largest private room seats 15 diners in total. It is decorated with imperial dragon robes, Chinese couplets and fancy red lanterns.

For the first time, Shang Palace is offering Premium Abalone Poon Choi (丰盛团聚鲍鱼盆菜). The Cantonese dish is meant for take-away but customers may dine in if they choose to. The meal serves up to 10 people and is priced at RM1,988.00 net. This includes the cost of ceramic pot.

Shang Palace’s Premium Abalone Poon Choi comprises of 18 ingredients: abalones (鲍鱼), Japanese dried scallops (日本干贝), dried oysters (蚝豉), sea cucumbers (海参), king prawns (大明虾), goose web (鹅掌), roasted duck (烧鸭), steamed chicken (白切鸡), sea moss fish balls (发菜鱼圆), fish maw (鱼鳔), yuba sticks (枝竹), gluten (豆根), sea moss (发菜), shiitake mushrooms (冬菇), oyster mushrooms (杏鲍菇), baby cabbage (娃娃菜), daikon (白萝卜) and taro (芋头).

For the upcoming Chinese New Year, Shang Palace is rolling out 4 sets of course meals. The menus are specially curated by Executive Chinese Chef John Chu, who has nearly 2 decades of culinary experience. For today’s preview, Chef John is combining his signature dishes across different menus in order to highlight his specialties.

A reunion dinner almost always begins with the tossing of yee sang (鱼生). Shown here is Platinum Smoked Salmon Fish Yee Sang (熏三文鱼捞生). Salmon is considered auspicious because the Chinese name for “fish” (鱼) is a homonym for “prosperity” (余). It is believed that the higher one tosses, the greater heights one achieves in the upcoming year.

The next dish is Braised Sea Treasure Soup With Fresh Scallops (干贝鱼鳔带子羹), which is palatable to the last drop. Other marine delicacies included in the rich broth are dried scallops and fish maw. Since 2012, Shangri-La Group has pledged to stop serving shark fin soup.

The Combination Of Crispy Chicken & Chicken Rolls (怀旧杏香百花鸡拼凤凰卷) is prepared in bite-size morsels for easy consumption. The former contains water chestnuts and almond flakes, while the latter is stuffed with salted egg yolks.

Next, Stewed Omega Rich Grouper Fish (老干妈豆酱焖龙虎斑) is served with onion sauce and douchi (fermented black beans) so as to accentuate the fish’s natural sweetness. The choice of fish is giant pearl grouper (龙虎斑), a hybrid between giant grouper (龙胆斑) and tiger grouper (老虎斑). Giant pearl grouper is prized for its refined texture.

Moving on, Steamed Rice With Assorted Meat & Chestnut (荷香板栗什锦炒饭) uses glutinous rice, which becomes quite sticky when cooked. The sweetness of Chinese chestnuts complements the savoriness of meats. Individual servings of rice are wrapped in lotus leaves, and then garnished with omelette strips.

Our meal moves on to an Assiette Of Chinese Pastries (美点映双辉), which comprises of steamed niangao (年糕) and a piece of sweet dim sum. The pastries are paired with ginger soup that contains red dates and glutinous rice balls. The latter is filled with black sesame paste.

Shang Palace’s Lunar New Year promotions are available between 2 January 2020 and 8 February 2020. Poon Choi, in particular, must be ordered in advance since Shang Palace only prepares a limited number of pots each day.

Name: Shang Palace (香宫)
Address: 11, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-2074-3900
Business hours: 10:30am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm (Sunday), 12:00pm-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:30pm (Monday-Saturday)
Website: http://www.shangri-la.com/kualalumpur/shangrila/dining/restaurants/shang-palace
Coordinates: 3.15366 N, 101.70634 E
Directions: Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur is situated at the intersection of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan P. Ramlee. Shang Palace is located at the Mezzanine Floor of the hotel. Shangri-La Hotel has parking spaces in its basement levels.

The dining area on ground floor has air conditioning. In addition, there are more dining tables in the open air section upstairs.

We ordered Teochew-Style Steamed Tilapia (潮州蒸非洲鱼, RM34.00), which is cooked reasonably well. The fish is served with soft tofu, pickled vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms and pork. I think the soup is saltier than it should be. Otherwise, this would have been a perfect dish.

The next dish is Fried Cabbage With Pork Belly (卷心菜炒扣肉, RM25.00). Both ingredients seem to complement each other.

This is followed by Braised Tofu & Loofah (烩豆腐丝瓜, RM14.00), which is cooked in savory oyster sauce. I love the fresh taste of homemade tofu.

Address: 2080-L2, Setapak Village, Jalan Genting Klang, 53300 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-4144-1413
Business hours: 11:00am-2:30pm, 5:00pm-11:00pm, closed on Mondays

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Zhonghua Gourmet (中华海鲜鱼翅) is a Chinese seafood restaurant in Cititel Penang. Located at the Lobby Level, the restaurant occupies the rear end of the hotel, right next to Main Street Cafe. Zhonghua Gourmet has been operating for 20 years, making it one of the longest-running tenant restaurants in any Penang hotel.

Despite its advanced age, Zhonghua Gourmet has a rather contemporary dining hall. A small stage at the front makes the restaurant suitable for wedding events. Towards the back are partitioned rooms for customers who prefer to dine in private. All in all, the dining section can accommodate around 300 people in a banquet setting.

Zhonghua Gourmet specializes in Chinese cuisine especially seafood. Marine delicacies include lobsters, abalones, scallops and sea cucumbers.

In celebration of Zhonghua Gourmet’s 20th anniversary, the restaurant is offering 20% discount on all dishes on the à la carte menu. This offer runs for 3 months starting 16 July 2019, and is valid for dinner on weekdays only.

Our appetizer is a platter of duck skin, whose crispy texture is gratifying indeed. One way to savour duck skin is to roll each morsel in a spring pancake. Adding sweet bean sauce and cucumber improves the taste and mouthfeel respectively.

Jelly Fish With Smoked Duck (烟鸭海蜇, RM22.00) is another scrumptious appetizer. In this dish, chilled slices of smoked duck are presented on a bed of seasoned jellyfish. Tangy orange sauce serves as flavoring.

Peking Duck (北京烤鸭, RM60.00 for whole duck) is Zhonghua Gourmet’s signature dish. Hailing from Beijing, the delicacy involves intricate steps from farm to kitchen. Peking Duck is prized for its savory meat and crispy skin.

Steamed Grouper With Nyonya Yellow Sauce (黄汁炡石斑鱼) is served with a thick, turmeric-based sauce. The fish is very fresh as evidenced by its fine texture. Usually the whole fish is served. But for fewer people, the kitchen can also prepare this dish in fillet form.

As for vegetables, the restaurant recommends Fried Scallops With Broccoli & Pine Nuts (松果玉带, RM38.00). Flavored with light oyster sauce, the juicy scallops blend well with broccoli, carrots and dried scallops.

Richman’s Fried Rice (有钱佬炒饭, RM28.00) has a peculiar name indeed. The name reflects the fact that this dish uses premium ingredients like scallops and prawns. Overall, the fried rice is nicely cooked and has an amazing aroma while it is warm.

For private events like wedding dinners, Zhonghua Gourmet has a range of course meals starting from RM568.00 per table. On special requests, the restaurant also provides off-site catering services. As for dim sum lovers, Zhonghua Gourmet offers 50% discount on selected items during lunch hours. I look forward to tasting the dim sum here.

Name: Zhonghua Gourmet (中华海鲜鱼翅)
Address: 66, Jalan Penang, 10000 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-818-2268
Business hours: 9:00am-2:30pm, 6:00pm-9:30pm (Sunday), 11:00am-2:30pm, 6:00pm-9:30pm (Monday-Saturday)
Website: http://www.zhonghua-seafood.com
Coordinates: 5.42149 N, 100.33232 E
Directions: Cititel Penang is a 16-floor building at Penang Road (Jalan Penang). Zhonghua Gourmet is located at the far end from the main entrance. To park, drive past the lobby and up the ramp to Level 2. Parking is charged at RM6.00 per entry. Zhonghua Gourmet rebates the parking fee during the next visit.

Hor Poh Lui Cha (河婆擂茶, RM8.50) is an iconic dish in Hakka cuisine, especially among ethnic Hor Poh (河婆) people. In this dish, cooked rice is topped with chopped vegetables such as gai lan (芥兰), sweet leaves (树仔菜), preserved radish (菜脯), leek, yardlong beans and peanuts.

The accompanying soup is prepared from ground green tea, basil leaves (九层塔), mint leaves, peanuts, sesame seeds and more. The soup is thick and very rich in herbal flavors. This dish is very time-consuming to prepare, which is why it is seldom served in many Hakka restaurants.

As for noodle dishes, Hakka Minced Pork Dry Noodle (客家肉碎面, RM6.80 for small portion) is a popular choice. Hakka noodle is flat but not as wide as hor fun (河粉). Its springy texture makes it quite delectable. The minced pork contains a dash of Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒) for added aroma.

Hakka Spicy Minced Pork Dry Noodle (客家干辣肉碎面, RM7.80 for large portion) is the spicy version of the previous dish. It contains homemade chili sauce, which is blended from handpicked chili peppers. Like before, this dish is served with choy sum (菜心), spring onions and fried shallots.

Vinegar Trotter (猪脚醋, RM16.00) is a savory stew of pig’s trotters and ginger in sweet rice vinegar. Trotters are cooked for several hours until they become extremely soft. Young ginger is used because it is not too pungent. Vinegar Trotter is a traditional remedy for women who are undergoing postnatal recovery.

As for side dishes, we ordered Braised Egg (卤蛋, RM1.50) and Braised Beancurd (卤豆腐, RM1.50). Both are served with soy sauce and are reasonably tasty.

Compared to other regional Chinese cuisines, Hakka dishes are notoriously tedious to prepare. This explains why Hakka restaurants are often quite expensive. Therefore, I am surprised that the food prices here are rather reasonable.

The restaurant also serves other classic Hakka delicacies like Rice Wine Chicken (黄酒鸡) and Hakka Style Deep Fried Pork (客家炸肉). No doubt, we will order them during our next visit.

Address: 16, Jalan Angsana, Off Jalan Genting Klang, 53300 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 010-288-2231
Business hours: 8:00am-10:00pm
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As recommended by our waiter, we ordered Roasted Tilapia With Premium Soup (上汤烤非洲, RM34.00). Contrary to its name, the fish is not roasted but is deep-fried. It is then served in hot soup, which is quite salty but surprisingly soothing to my taste buds.

The next dish is Tofu In Pumpkin Sauce (金瓜豆腐, RM16.00). The sauce has a mild sweetness and is quite creamy. This dish also comes with prawns, black mushrooms, ginger slivers and spring onions.

Hokkien Char (福建炒, RM16.00 for 2-person portion) is a popular noodle dish in Klang Valley. The recipe was either invented or popularized by Kim Lian Kee (金莲记). To prepare this dish, thick yellow noodle is fried with dark soy sauce, pork slices, prawns, choy sum (菜心) and pork lard (猪油渣). Popular condiments are sambal (chili paste) and chopped garlic.

Wat Tan Ho (滑蛋河, RM8.50 for 1-person portion) is another classic noodle dish, this time from Cantonese cookbooks. Fried rice noodle is served with a thick sauce made of corn starch and eggs. Pork slices, prawns and choy sum are also added into the mix.

Considering the larger-than-usual serving size, Restoran Michi is truly affordable for most people. This explains the huge number of customers every evening. To avoid the crowd, it is advisable to arrive the restaurant before 6:30pm.

Address: 65, Jalan Langkawi, Taman Teratai Mewah, 53000 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-4031-8806
Business hours: 5:00pm-12:00am
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Tofu Village (豆腐村) is a small restaurant at the intersection of Church Street (Lebuh Gereja) and Queen Street (Lebuh Queen). The eatery specializes in Hakka cuisine (客家菜) based on the owner’s home recipes.

The air conditioned dining area is decorated with potted plants. A “brick wall” on the side presents a homely feeling. While waiting for food to be served, customers can take photos with Tofu Village’s anthropomorphic yong tau foo characters.

Long Thread Moss Stuffed Oyster Seafood Pot (发菜酿蚝仕海鲜煲, RM35.00 for small portion) is considered an auspicious dish and is traditionally served during Chinese New Year. The oyster croquettes are made of dried oysters, fish paste and vegetables wrapped in pig’s caul fat (猪网油).

Hot Spicy Yong Tao Fu (香辣酿豆腐, RM26.00 for large portion) is one of Tofu Village’s bestselling dishes. The pot contains fresh tofu stuffed with homemade fish paste and minced pork. A hint of salted fish is added to the stuffing for added flavor. This delicacy is braised with spicy sauce, resulting in a very satisfying dish.

Due to popular demand, Tofu Village offers a variety of vegetarian dishes too. For instance, Black Bean Vege (黑豆豉焖煲, RM16.00 for small portion) contains tofu braised with fermented black soybeans (黑豆豉). Due to the gravy’s strong taste, this dish should be eaten with rice.

Hakka Rice Wine Chicken (客家黄酒鸡, RM14.00 for small portion) is another signature dish here. The aroma of homemade glutinous rice wine is mouthwatering indeed. Wood ear fungus (黑木耳) lends its crunchy texture, while wolfberries (枸杞) and Bentong ginger provide herbal flavors.

The next dish is Fui Chew Braised Pork With Black Fungus (客家炸肉焖木耳, RM25.00 for small portion). The pork is flavored by a blend of seasonings including fermented tofu (南乳). The taste of this dish may be too intense when consumed directly, so it is usually eaten with rice.

Yam Abacus (客家算盘子, RM9.50) is prepared from mashed taro (芋头) and tapioca flour. The dough is kneaded by hand and is rolled into small pieces that resemble beads on an abacus. The chewy pieces are then stir-fried with minced pork, dried shrimps, mushrooms and soy sauce.

Hakka noodle can be served dry or with mala sauce (麻辣酱). The latter is recommended if you are fond of its numbing spiciness. The bowl of Malat Hakka Noodle (麻辣客家面, RM5.50) is also topped with savory braised pork (卤肉).

As for drinks, Organic Nutmeg Plum Juice (有机豆蔻酸梅汁, RM5.50) is prepared to the ideal level of sweetness. Tanginess of pickled plum does a great job in quenching thirst. In addition, Tofu Village also serves fruit juices, beer and ice blended desserts.

Compared to other regional Chinese cuisines, Hakka dishes are time-consuming to prepare. This explains why there are few Hakka restaurants around, much less ones that do well like Tofu Village. Quite surprisingly, Tofu Village is also popular among tourists. This is mainly due to the fact that the restaurant serves vegetarian dishes.

Name: Tofu Village (豆腐村)
Address: 88, Lebuh Gereja, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-251-9512
Business hours: 11:30am-9:30pm, closed on Mondays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/TofuVillage.Restaurant
Coordinates: 5.41911 N, 100.33980 E
Directions: Drive along the one-way Church Street (Lebuh Gereja) till nearly the end of the road. Tofu Village is located on the right, exactly at the intersection with Queen Street (Lebuh Queen). Street parking is available at Church Street, Queen Street, Pitt Street (Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling) and other nearby roads, but parking space may be limited on weekdays.

Special thanks to Hotel Equatorial Penang for extending this food review invitation.

Update: This business has ceased its operations.

Golden Phoenix (金凤楼) is the Chinese restaurant in Hotel Equatorial Penang. Located one floor below The View, the restaurant has an entrance that resembles a classic Chinese inn (客栈).

The dining area is decorated with fancy ornaments like Chinese lanterns and porcelain tea sets. Further back, there are several fish tanks where seafood is kept live until preparation. Taking the helm in the kitchen is Executive Chinese Chef Lai, who has accumulated several decades of culinary experience under his belt.

For many years, Golden Phoenix has established a good reputation for its daily dim sum (点心). In conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year, the restaurant is introducing several new types of dim sum.

For example, Har Kow With Beetroot Juice (樱花鲜虾饺) is a shrimp dumpling with translucent, vinegar-laced skin. Next, Dried Scallop With Butternut Pumpkin Cake (干贝奶油瓜糕) resembles radish cake (萝卜糕) but is sweeter. Last but not least, Black Sesame Bao With Lava Salted Egg Yolk (黑芝麻流沙包) oozes yellowish paste as soon as the bun is punctured.

In addition to serving dim sum, Golden Phoenix is also offering 8-course dinner every day from 15 January 2019 to 18 February 2019. The dishes this year are specially crafted by Chef Steve, who has served in several prestigious resorts throughout his career. There are three choices in the Forever Sumptuous Set Menu. For the purpose of today’s preview, Chef Steve has handpicked a combination of dishes across different menus in order to showcase his masterpieces.

Chinese reunion dinner customarily begins with a jolly tossing of yee sang (鱼生). For the Prosperity Salmon Yee Sang & Pear (三文雪梨鱼生), the appetizer comprises of a plethora of colorful ingredients including smoked salmon, jellyfish, shredded vegetables, snow pears, crackers and crushed peanuts. It is believed that tossing yee sang brings one good fortune.

The next dish, Braised Sundried Seafood With Crab Meat In Brown Sauce (红烧瑶柱蟹肉海味羹), contains premium seafood ingredients like crab meat and dried scallops. A dash of vinegar accentuates the savoriness of this delicacy. The thick soup resembles shark fin soup but does not contain any actual sharks fins.

Roasted Spring Chicken With Szechuan Hot & Spicy Sauce (吊烧麻辣幼子鸡) is the poultry dish today. The spring chicken, imported from China, requires a tedious process to prepare. The chicken is flavored with spicy Sichuanese sauce that contains dried chili peppers, shallots and the infamous Sichuan peppers (花椒). Fortunately, the sauce is not too numbing to my tongue.

Moving to seafood, Steamed Pearl Grouper With Superior Light Soya Sauce (清蒸游水龙虎斑) is a delicacy indeed. Pearl grouper is prized for its refined texture. Flavored with superior soy sauce, the fish is absolutely succulent to the last morsel. The mild taste of soy sauce allows the fish’s freshness to truly shine.

Today’s main highlight is Oven Baked Baby Lobster With Vegetarian Ham & Cheese (芝士烧焗龙虾仔). Juvenile Australian lobsters are used. Elegantly seasoned, the lobsters are baked with a cheesy crust that strikes a chord with my palate. Despite the amount of cheese, I am surprised that the lobsters are not surfeiting at all!

The next dish to delight my palate is Braised Dried Oysters With Japanese Mushroom & Vegetable (蚝士扒日本太白菇烩双蔬). The abalones, weighing 60 grams each, are gratifying indeed. They are accompanied by Korean dried oysters and Japanese flower mushrooms (花菇). Juicy bok choy (小白菜) serves as counterbalance to the savory ingredients.

Fragrant Rice With Chicken Sausage (腊味饭) fills my nostrils with appetizing aroma. Served with Chinese sausages (腊肠), the fried rice is also garnished with chopped scallions for aesthetic appeal.

Nian gao (年糕) is a traditional Chinese snack that is soft and sticky. It is considered auspicious to have nian gao for Chinese New Year because its Chinese name is a homonym for “higher year” (年高). For today’s dessert, Deep Fried Chinese New Year’s Cake With Yam & Potato (芋香金薯炸年糕), nian gao slices are sandwiched between taro and sweet potato, and then deep-fried to golden perfection. The sweetness level is ideal.

Golden Phoenix spares no expense in using premium ingredients from around the world. Like other restaurants in Hotel Equatorial Penang, Golden Phoenix does not serve pork.

Alternatively, diners can opt for buffet meals at nada lama and Kampachi.

Name: Golden Phoenix (金凤楼)
Address: Hotel Equatorial Penang, 1, Jalan Bukit Jambul, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-632-7000
Business hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:00pm (Monday-Friday), 8:00am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:00pm (Saturday-Sunday)
Website: https://penang.equatorial.com/dining/golden-phoenix
Coordinates: 5.33731 N, 100.28522 E
Directions: Hotel Equatorial Penang is located near the intersection of Persiaran Bukit Jambul and Lebuh Bukit Jambul. Jalan Bukit Jambul is a small offshoot from Persiaran Bukit Jambul near this intersection. Golden Phoenix is located one level below the main lobby. The hotel provides multilevel parking for RM10.00 per entry.

89 Station (89小吃站) is a modest eatery along the main road of Kundasang, somewhere between Kinabalu Park and Strawberry Garden Hotel. It is operated by an entrepreneur from Sandakan. The restaurant is named so because he was born in 1989.

89 Station serves a variety of Chinese stir-fried (煮炒) dishes. The menu takes advantage of fresh produce in Kundasang. For more adventurous diners, the restaurant also serves exotic meats like wild boar and venison (deer meat). Too bad we do not have the stomach to cover such unusual dishes today.

Deep Fried Pork Shank (脆皮猪手, RM60.00) is obviously inspired by the German delicacy, Schweinshaxe. Under the crispy skin is a combination of juicy pork and jelly-like cartilage. Sweet chili sauce is provided. We find this dish immensely satisfying.

Given the cool weather in Kundasang, a warm bowl of Bitter Gourd & Seafood Soup (苦瓜海鲜羹, RM10.00) is certainly welcoming. The soup is prepared from bitter gourd, eggs and pickled plums (酸梅). It also contains seafood ingredients like fish, shrimp and squid. The overall taste is balanced.

The plate of Mixed Veggies (杂菜, RM10.00) consists of cabbage, broccoli, kailan (芥兰) and wood ear fungus (黑木耳). This stir-fried dish highlights the freshness of local vegetables.

Regular customers are greeted by the owner’s pet dogs. The naughtiest ones in the pack are a pair of siblings. After having a heavy meal, the puppies nap soundly under our dining table.

All in all, 89 Station serves surprisingly good food at unbelievably low prices. This explains why the place is popular among local Sabahans. Interestingly, the restaurant is not well known to outsiders yet.

Address: Jalan Tamparuli-Ranau, Kampung Kinasaraban, 89300 Kundasang, Sabah
Contact: 016-582-3688
Business hours: 11:00am-8:00pm (Sunday), 10:00am-8:00pm (Monday-Saturday)
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We ordered the Tempura Brinjals (日式茄子, RM12.00) as the appetizer. Pieces of eggplant are coated with batter and then deep-fried to golden crispiness. Watch out for bamboo skewers when you bite!

Chili Crabs (辣椒螃蟹) is an exquisite delicacy from Singapore. The crabs are served with a sweet-and-spicy mixture of tomato sauce and chili sauce, making them succulent indeed. Several steamed buns (馒头) are served on the side.

Mantis Prawns (虾蛄) are cooked in two different flavors: salted egg and tomyam butter. Both are good, but the seasonings do not penetrate the shells well enough. As a result, the flesh remains fairly plain.

Next, Ladies Finger With Spicy Sauce (凉拌秋葵, RM12.00) is served with condiments like coriander, garlic, shallots and bird’s eye chili.

Moving on, Hai Boey Fried Rice (海尾炒饭, RM12.00) is cooked with shrimps, eggs and mixed vegetables. The rice is well prepared. This shows that even the simplest dishes can taste good too.

Hai Boey Mee Sua (海尾面线, RM12.00) is another delectable dish. It comes with several shrimps, bean sprouts, garlic chives, shallots and eggs.

This evening’s dessert is Lemon Grass Jelly (香茅冻, RM7.00), which is essentially Aiyu Bing (爱玉冰). The jelly is made from the seeds of a fig plant (爱玉子). I appreciate the lovely tanginess of lemons, but the taste of lemongrass is somewhat lacking. This dessert comes with a large lychee, lemon slice, basil seeds and mint leaves.

Located next to the sea, Hai Boey Seafood takes advantage of the cooling natural breeze. The evening view is particularly mesmerizing. Although customers are mostly seated in the open, the dining area can be covered by an extendable roof if it rains.

Address: 29, Mukim 9, Pasir Belanda, Teluk Kumbar, 11920 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-649-3746
Business hours: 5:30pm-11:00pm
Taste

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Hospitality

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