Those who have been following my blog will surely know that there is a new mansion in Balik Pulau, which is the Botanica Mansion. Previously I blogged about the valuable English Afternoon Tea set. This round I will be talking about the lunch menu which is quite impressive as well.
If you are interested to know about the ambience, you can refer to my previous post. There are some great lunch options on the menu and surprisingly it contains some Hainanese flavours. The only drawback is they don’t serve pork, beef and lamb here as the demand is not high and it is difficult to maintain the inventories.
Hainanese Spring Roll (3pcs) – RM12.90. Minced chicken, prawn, crab meat, cabbage, turnips, carrots, onion and Worcestershire, sauce.
This is the typical Hainanese spring roll. Serving together with it was green salad with some orange vinaigrette dressing. It is best to consume when it is still hot to taste the crunchiness of the spring rolls. On the side, there was a bowl of appetising Hainanese dip to pair with the spring rolls. The overall combination was fantastic.
Mushroom soup with Garlic Bread – RM12.90. Wild mushrooms, light cream, sauté oyster mushroom and garlic bread.
The soup was packed with varieties of mushroom. Unlike the usual mushroom soup, Botanica CT’s version is of non-creamy base and more to clear type of soup. The clear mushroom soup was not very obvious as it had been overwhelmed by the abundance of mushrooms in a delightful way. To give the texture a slightly creamy taste, it was topped with a spoonful of light cream which was just right to make the soup not too rich but pleasant.
French onion soup with cheese crouton – RM12.90. Soup was prepared with sauté onion, vegetables stock and cheese crouton.
The fragrance and taste was quite similar to ox-tail soup, except this version does not have any meat. The taste had a hint of vegemite (or marmite) scent. The acceptance level of this soup is very clear cut. Either you love it or you hate it.
Grilled Fish – RM21.90. This dish was served with mashed potato, glazed peak choy with spicy tomato sauce.
The fish tasted fresh and blended very well with the spicy and sour sauce. It was very appetising and perfect for those on diet.
Hainanese Chicken Curry Kapitan – RM23.90. Chicken, rice curry ground spices, coconut milk, poppadom served with plain rice.
The portion of the curry chicken and the rice was very generous in portion and the taste of the kapitan curry was full of spices and was hot and spicy. With the sprinkle of fried shallots it tasted superb.
Spaghetti Beef Bolognese – RM18.90. Pasta, minced beef, Roma tomato concasse, garlic and herbs.
This is something for the kids and it is one of the safer options when you go to a new restaurant. The meat sauce was cooked with tomato puree and I like it when it didn’t taste sweet at all.
Spaghetti Ala Hakuba -RM19.90. Pasta, julienne vegetables, teriyaki sauce and grilled chicken.
This pasta is something special as it is the fusion of east and west cuisine. Spaghetti is from Italy while teriyaki chicken is inspired from Japan. It is amazing that when combining two simple dishes together, it tasted marvelous. It is no doubt a “chef recommended’ dish.
Overall, this place is great for a getaway from the city as the surrounding is tranquil. It felt like dining in a mansion in Cameron Highlands or Penang Hill, minus the cool breeze. 🙂 The dishes here tasted great and the price was quite reasonable. The only drawback is they don’t serve lamb and beef.
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: 11:00am – 10:00pm (7 days a week)
Contact: 012 4210933 (Patricia Chan)
Address: Botanica Mansion, 156 Jalan Sungai Air Putih, Bandar Baru Air Putih, 11000 Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang
GPS: 5.36864, 100.22418