Having a fine-dining or semi fine-dining Western food in Penang is very common. It can be simply found anywhere in Penang. However, having a semi fine-dining in fusion style is something rare in Penang, and this restaurant has bravely opened its doors and is known as Asiatique.
The interior of this restaurant is very simple and yet exquisite. The owner must have adored the celebrity chefs as you can find pictures of them hanging proudly on the wall.
There is a good selection of wine and liquor which are being used to pair with different types of dish.
The kitchen which is just beside the liquor section, is an open concept where the food preparation is visible to patrons.
The menu is constantly changed. As for this month, the dishes are listed below:
Soups:
GREEN PEA CAPPUCCINO – RM11, the soup was cooked with blended green peas, then topped with Parmesan nutmeg foam and cinnamon lavosh.
The taste of the soup was similar to blended broccoli, and the lavosh tasted unique. It needs to be taken when served hot else it will become soggy and weird.
POTATO AND LEEK MISO SOUP – RM11, the soup was made of potato and leek which had been blended and added with miso. It was then topped with crispy tofu puffs and nori crackers.
The taste of this soup was very creamy and yet appetizing. Compared to the green pea soup, I prefer this soup.
LAKSA FRIED CHICKEN WINGS (4) – RM13, the chicken wings were marinated with laksa paste. It was then deep fried until golden brown and then topped with mixed grain herbs and served with chili and lime sauce.
It felt like eating chicken wings with laksa gravy. The crispiness and tenderness of the chicken wings were well-maintained.
CRAB AND CORN CAKES (3) – RM16, The crab meat was mixed with corn and made into deep-fried cakes. It was served with Singapore spicy chili sauce and arugula salad. The serving should be for 3 instead of 4.
It was tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The cake was packed with seafood scent and corn flavor. This was a very appetizing dish and I will come back for this on my next trip.
CHILLED SILKEN TOFU – RM12, the chilled homemade tofu was topped with caviar, dried shrimp, hoisin paste and chives.
The tofu itself is a very common dish. However, the add-on of caviar and hoisin paste made the dish unique and delightful.
Main Course:
PAN SEARED SALMON – RM30, the pan fried salmon was served with laksa cream, pickled cucumber, mint salad, and fermented prawn foam.
The chef managed to maintain the juiciness of the salmon whereby it was not overly cooked. The gravy tasted very similar to thick laksa paste. The overall dish was very delightful and unique.
FIVE SPICE DUCK BREAST – RM34, the marinated duck breast with five spices was cooked until medium rare. It was then served with yam puree, sautéed chili spinach, kushiyaki quail eggs and orange plum reduction.
Don’t be surprised if the meat of the duck is in medium rare as according to the chef, it is prepared in such way. The sauce was packed with lemon jest and it was very appetizing. The consistency in cooking the meat is a challenge. If this dish could maintain the tenderness of the meat, it would be perfect.
FIVE SPICE ROAST PORK AGLIO OLIO – RM22, the spaghetti was stir fried with crispy roast pork, Thai basil and chili flakes.
The roast pork was well-marinated whereas the spaghetti was sprinkled with cheese powder. The only drawback of this dish was it was a bit dry. For me, I personally prefer it to be a bit juicier.
BRAISED PORK BELLY – RM28, the braised pork belly was served with grilled abalone mushroom, garlic spinach aioli, confit potatoes, poached duck eggs.
This is a thumbs-up dish. I have nothing much to complain about this serving. The tenderness of the pork belly was so soft and the sauce blended very well with the dish. The duck egg is on the chewier side, as it is a duck egg and it should be that way. The homemade sauce that was used to fry the spinach was excellent. There is only one word to describe this dish. Divine!
CONFIT OF MISO SAKE BEEF BRISKET – RM32, the beef brisket was well-marinated and cooked. It was served with shrimp, radish cake, coriander, raisin couscous and miso glaze.
The marination and the time taken to braise the beef brisket made the tenderness of the meat so soft and packed with aroma. The mixture of couscous completed the whole dish. However, the taste of the meat was on the salty side. I would prefer this dish to be eaten together with rice.
COCONUT AND GINGER CARBONARA FETTUCCINI – RM24, the fettuccini was cooked with coconut milk, ginger and pandan leaf cream. Serving together with this dish were poached Hainanese chicken, crispy chicken skin and garlic sambal.
This dish is a fusion replacement of the Hainanese Chicken Rice. Instead of rice it was replaced with fettuccine. The gravy had a Thai flavor and yet the preparation was a mixture of Hainanese and Italian. A truly fusion dish!
Desserts:
SARSI POACHED PEARS – RM12, the syrup that was used to cook the pear was a mixture of sarsi, rambutan salsa and nutmeg granita.
This dessert made me feel like eating a pear and drinking sarsi soda at the same time. The additional ingredients on the side were ice cubes made of nutmeg juice. Therefore, the taste was very fruity.
TROPICAL FRUIT STRUDEL (15 MINS WAIT) – RM14, assorted seasonal tropical fruits (jack fruit), almond cream, candied nuts, spiced ice cream.
The wrap was filled with jack fruit. The taste of the jack fruit was very sweet and it was a natural sweet and not artificially added. The outer crust was crispy. It served very well with the cold and chilled ice cream. The words that I could think of to describe this dish is a combination of angel and daemon.
KOPI’ O BREAD BUTTER BUDDING – RM14, the bread was baked with black coffee and added with butter budding. It was then served with milk tea “teh tarik” ice cream and kaya mousse.
It is indeed a regular Malaysian breakfast but it has been converted into a dessert instead. It is indeed a very creative move.
CHENDUL AND RED BEAN PANNA COTTA – RM12, the chendul was prepared in panna cotta style instead of the usual liquid form. It was then topped with gula melaka syrup.
For this dish, I personally do not favor much as the ingredients of panna cotta already contained gula melaka, and the syrup was also made of gula melaka, and the flakes that were sprinkled on the dessert was also made of gula melaka. It was indeed a flat gula melaka dessert.
Overall the dishes here were very creative and innovative. The chef has put in a lot of effort into making the fusion food a success. Some of the fusion dishes were very unique and blended very well with our culture. However, some were not so impressive. There are many parking lots at surrounding premises. The ambiance of the restaurant is simply elegant. The price of the restaurant is slightly on the high side as the food here is considered semi fine-dining. The service still has room for improvement as the waiting time for the food to be served took a very long time.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
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| Price (more stars, more reasonable) |  |
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Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking | |
| Pork Free |  |
| Alcohol | |
| Credit Card | |
| Smoking | |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room (Private Area) | |
| WIFI Available | |
Operation hours: 12:00pm – 11:00pm (7 days a week)
Contact: 604-890 3995
Address: C-G-3 Vantage Desiran, Jalan Desiran Tanjung, Tanjung Tokong 10470 Penang.
GPS: 5° 45′ 64.55″ N, 100° 30′ 79.89″ E
i wana go…
Chloe, I thought you were there too?