Macalister Mansion is known for its fine-dining, private functions, impressive wine cellar, boutique-style accommodation and classy breakfast.
The dining area at Macalister Mansion looks elegant and neat.
Being the first and only member of Design Hotel in Malaysia, Macalister Mansion is proud to announce its new concept and menu by the new head chef – Johnson Wong. Chef Johnson humbly presents his very own signature menu.
The dinner was kicked off by serving coffee-flavoured mini buns and butter.
The Chef’s tasting menu is priced at RM 268 nett per pax. With an additional of RM 160, guests would get to enjoy wine pairing on each dish based on Macalister Mansion’s professional recommendation.
The aroma of coffee from the mini buns gave a refreshing sensation even before eating them. The butter was unsalted and paired well with the coffee-flavoured buns. A very seductive starter which I could easily finish the whole carton if without control.
Garden of Macalister Mansion – A dish that shows the chef’s romantic expression of local produce from Malaysia. It is an organic green salad featuring varieties of flowers, herbs and vegetables from the local farm. All the vegetables and greens were presented in different textures with a combination of smoked salmon giving the additional smoky flavour to the salad.
This salad was really appetizing and tasted really green. The fresh greens complemented very well with the smoked salmon.
Carabineros – Carabineros is a Spanish red prawn with a strong flavour of deep sea. They are renowned for their jumbo size and striking bright red colour. For this dish, the chef stuffed in local produce such as pineapple and peppercorn from Sarawak, Malaysia. The momotaro tomato, white balsamic vinegar and olive pesto gave a refreshing zest to the dish.
Those who had tried this dish have different opinions on it, it is either you love it or reject it totally. You will not feel the strong seafood scent from the prawn meat. However, if you tasted the inner head of the prawn you will taste the strong seafood scent where some people might not be able to take it. Nevertheless, the chef has cleverly neutralized the strong scent by stuffing in with a mixture of pineapple and peppercorn. For those who are still unable to take it, you can always ask for a replacement dish.
62.5c Slow Cooked Egg – This Japanese-inspired dish will unquestionably be an all-time favourite. The egg was slow cooked under 62.5 degree for an hour and crumbed with shredded Filo known as Kataifi before putting it to fry. The egg was then served with Leek and Matcha Emulsion, together with Hokkaido Scallop and Anchovy to enhance the neutral taste of the egg.
Tell me about the precision of the chef to control the heat of the water temperature at 62.5’C for an hour, before it was brought to be deep fried with shredded Filo. The crunchiness of the outer layer and the soft egg yolk in liquid form was a great combination. Serving together with Leek and Matcha Emulsion, this dish was heavenly.
Foie Gras Cappuccino – The Foie Gras soup was presented in a cappuccino texture with classic Italian combinations such as Arugula and Aged Balsamic. Pomelo was added to reduce the oiliness from the Foie Gras. “You will never go wrong with this classical combinations” – said the Chef.
The richness of Foie Gras was well-balanced by the slight bitterness of the pomelo, salad rocket “Arugula” and sourish Aged Balasamic. The hint of black pepper made this an “umami” dish.
The mouth washer before main course.
The strong lemonade taste with some nuts made the next upcming main dish tasted more appetizing.
Blue Lobster – Another signature dish from Chef Johnson. Blue Lobster, an upscale ingredient from Brittany, France and served with peanut sauce which was similar in taste with the local Satay Sauce plus the strong lobster flavour from its shells. The result is a perfect blend of lobster freshness in local flavour which was balanced off with the bittersweet earthiness of kailan.
Instead of the usual regular mayonnaise which was served together with lobster, the chef has brilliantly replaced the gravy with peanut sauce, which surprisingly blended in very well with the lobster meat. This is my favourite dish among all.
Grain Fed Chicken – In this dish, the chicken was served in two methods. A mixture of slow cooked chicken, blue mussel, and basil wrapped with filo and a slow-roasted chicken mousse layered with Cepes powder. They were served with Dry Chili Escabehe Sauce an creamy ricotta puree to reduce the spiciness from the chili.
For my preference I love the chicken wrap as the roasted-chicken was slightly too dry.
Penang Native – A pre-dessert featuring local Penang flavour of Lemon Granite, Nutmeg and white fungus. It was a refreshing palate cleanser.
It was a uniquely Penang flavour where nutmeg was mixed with lemon granite. This is something to take a break after a heavy meal.
Café Mocha – The chef used the elements from Mocha and reconstruct them into a dessert. This dessert was plated by a base of frozen cookie with chocolate crunches and coffee mousse on top and served with Coffee Ice cream.
The combination of the chocolate and coffee with slight bitterness and sweetness from each of the component really made a good ending to the overall dining experience.
For those who are interested in the Black Truffle Dinner which is on 29th April 2016, Friday, please contact Macalister Mansion for more information.
Overall, the taste of the food was delightful as the chef has brilliantly combined a lot of ingredients that made the dishes outstanding. Many dishes have been infused with coffee and it is a bonus for coffee lovers. Considering the ambience, quality and presentation of food, it is worth to pay for the fine-dining experience.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
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Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking | |
| Pork Free | |
| Alcohol | |
| Credit Card | |
| Smoking |  |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room (Private Area) | |
| WIFI Available | |
Operation hours: 7:00pm – 11:00pm (Close on Monday)
Contact: 04-228 3888
Address: 228, Jalan Macalister 10400, Penang
GPS: 5.4189103,100.3165523