1885 (E&O Hotel), Georgetown – Redefining Yesterday’s Taste

To design and create new dishes is a tough job. I have known some chefs who told me that it may take months to design and prepare new dishes. Being said that, to redefine classic food where the taste and ingredients are already familiar by the public is even tougher. Therefore, I really salute to the restaurants who have successfully revived and redefined classic food. One of the restaurants is 1885 at E&O Hotel Penang.

The enjoyment of yesterday’s classic set will only be complete in a yesterday’s classic ambience.

The dining area at 1885 is a pure fine-dining restaurant. It was cosy and quiet and had a classic and exquisite ambience. Note that patrons who wish to dine here should be properly dressed (no slippers or casual T-shirts). Unfortunately, young children are not allowed in this restaurant.

With a candle on each table, it really gave the place a classy and romantic feel.

The soothing classical tunes from the grand piano was accompanying the diners throughout the night. It was performed by an experienced and professional pianist.

The yesterday’s classic set menu comes in a very attractive price. It is an affordable fine-dining set menu. It comes with 3 – course set menu at only RM120 nett per person. The menu is very simple, with either Smoked Magret de Canard or Lobster Bisque as the starter. For main course you can choose either Pan Fried Red Snapper Fillet or Grilled Grass Fed Fillet Mignon. Berries Summer Pudding “Bavarois” will be served as the dessert, and lastly the option of Brewed Coffee or Gourmet Tea to end the meal.

At 1885 – E&O Hotel, the dinner always starts with some warm dinner rolls.

Serving together with the rolls were creamy tomato butter, balsamic vinegar in olive oil and butter. The combination of the in-house dinner rolls with either one of the spreads was like a comfort food for me. I especially enjoyed the rolls with the creamy tomato butter as the scent and taste of tomato was evident from the butter.

For wine lovers, there is a list of wines available for diners to choose from.

Sometimes you will get mini surprises when dining in a fine-dining restaurant. It is up to the chef and it also depends on the food the chef has prepared for that day. Tonight, each of us was served a “Chawanmushi” (Egg Custard) as the pre-dessert.

The soft and hot chawanmushi was sprinkled with spring onions and a slice of spade leaf. The chawanmushi was packed with aroma and was a very delightful starter to kick off our meal.

Smoked Magret De Canard (Smoked Duck Breast) was served with slices of smoked duck breast meat, romaine lettuce, radish, slices of cucumber, cherry tomatoes and some balsamic vinegar dressing.

The smoked duck breasts were tender and the slight crispiness of the skin blended very well with the freshness of the greens and also the sourness of the vinegar. The combination made this dish very appetizing.

Bisque, this soup is originated from France. Main ingredients of the soup were lobster meat, crab, shrimp meat. The meat was made into a cylinder shape and based with thick cream.

Upon serving, the hot soup was poured over the meat into the soup plate. The strong seafood aroma could be felt. The soup was rich with seafood taste and was thick and creamy. The scent of seafood was still vivid even after finishing the soup for some time.

Grilled Grass Fed Fillet Mignon – The doneness of the steak is up to customer’s request. The steak was served with mashed potatoes, baby carrots, and green peas. Serving together with it was some gravy with the choice of either shallot glaze or black pepper. 

Having a medium-rare steak is not a popular option among Asians. However, I like the beef to be served medium-rare as tenderness and juiciness from the meat can be retained. The slight saltiness at the outer layer of the meat made the beef even more appetizing. Personally, I prefer this dish to be served with shallot glaze sauce compared with black pepper as I always feel that the latter will overwhelm the original taste of the dish.

Pan Fried Red Snapper Fillet – The red snapper fillet was pan fried to perfection, and served with some baby carrots, green peas and a few slices of squid ink bread slices with shellfish butter.

Comparing this with the steak, of course the steak wins my heart. But it doesn’t mean that the red snapper is not an option at all. For those who are not in preference of beef, this would be a great option. The taste of the red snapper was fresh and tasted delightful with the sourish sauce. The uniqueness of the squid ink bread added some crispy texture to this dish.

Berries Summer Pudding “Bavarois” was served with wild berries compote. The chocolate pudding was served with rich chocolate slices and accompanied with wild berries syrup.

The combination of the rich chocolate taste and sourish berries compote was remarkably good. It tasted very refreshing and was a great way to end the meal.

Freshly Brewed Coffee or Gourmet Tea was served as the last course of this set meal. For those who know me well, each of my meal will end with a cup of coffee. The coffee here will always my top choice compared with tea.

Overall, the food here was delicious especially the Grilled Grass Fed Fillet Mignon. It is an affordable fine-dining with a taste of yesterday’s classic flavours. To dine at such an exquisite restaurant for RM120 per pax, it is definitely value for money and also a great experience. Remember to call for reservation if you plan to dine in this place to avoid any disappointments.

Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):

Taste
Price (more stars, more reasonable)
Food Presentation
Service
Overall

Quick Facts:

Family Friendly
Parking
Pork Free
Alcohol
Credit Card
Smoking
Reservation
Private Room (Private Area)
WIFI Available

Operation hours: 7:00pm – 10:30pm (7 days a week)
Contact: 604-222 2000
Address: Eastern & Oriental Hotel, 10, Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 Penang
GPS: 5° 42′ 33.46″ N, 100° 33′ 58.91″ E