There are too many restaurants claimed to be authentic Thai or even Nyonya in Penang. However, have you ever tried the marriage of Thai and Nyonya food?
If this is something new to you, you will be thrilled to find out this place in the heart of the Georgetown. Going to this place you will need to get to Penang road first. Once you reach the left junction to Chulia Street, the left junction just after the Chulia Street will be Jalan Kumpung Melabar. Drive until the end of Jalan Kumpung Melabar and Malabar Restaurant will be on the last left corner.
The interior of the restaurant is also in a fusion style. It looks like a very normal restaurant. The owner must be a dog lover as you can see there are some cute dog pictures on the wall.
Lobak – RM8.00, the pork was cut into small pieces and marinated with five spices flour. They were wrapped in bean curd sheet then deep fried before served.
Serving lobak with chili sauce and cucumber is a good combination. However, the texture of the lobak was a bit dry.
Deep Fried Belacan Chicken – RM12.00, small pieces of chicken were marinated with belacan and deep fried until golden brown. They were served together with prawn crackers which is a traditional way of serving fried chicken in restaurants.
This dish perfectly fits those who like salty taste. For me, I personally love the taste of the belacan chicken here.
Pork Trotters with Vinegar – RM16.00, the pork trotters were boiled with black vinegar, it was also added with some ginger for some extra flavoring.
The taste of the pork trotters was sourish and slightly sweet. I love the taste of this dish as it reminded me of my grandma. However, considering the portion served at such price, it is considered on the high side.
Asam Pedas Ikan – RM8.00, fish cooked in sourish assam soup which was full of pineapple cubes and curry flower slices. It was then topped with some mint leaves.
The taste of sourish, spicy and sweetness blended very well together and it was a very appetizing dish indeed.
Chicken Soup with Herbs – RM26.00, The chicken was double-boiled with dong gui (chinese angelica root), wolfberries, dried longan, mushroom, chestnuts and chinese dried dates, it was then sprinkled with coriander.
The taste of the soup was on the sweet side due to most of the ingredients contained the natural sweetness. It would make this dish better if some salt were added. The chicken meat was a bit dry. In my opinion it should be wrapped and cooked in an aluminium foil.
Whole Leg Thai-Style Roast Chicken – RM11.50, the chicken leg was marinated with spices and chili powder and it was roast until golden.
The taste of the roast chicken was slightly spicy and sour. For me the price of this roast chicken was on the high side considering the portion of the serving was not big.
Fried Kang Kong – RM9.00, the water spinach was pan fried with sambal.
The taste of the pan fried kang kung was very ordinary and usual.
Braised Garlic Pepper Pork Ribs – RM7.50 (S) / RM14.00 (R), the pork ribs were marinated with home made spices that consisted of garlic and pepper and it was braised until soft and tender.
The taste of the pork ribs didn’t really contain any garlic or pepper taste. It is not really my cup of tea.
Otak-Otak – RM4.00 each. The fish was cut into fillet and placed onto a “Kado” leaf. On top of the fish was a custard made from egg, turmeric, coconut milk and spices. It was then steamed to perfection.
This dish was great and I love this a lot.
Stir Fried Thai-Style Mayonnaise Prawns with Broccoli – RM22.00, the prawns were first stir fried and then cooked with mayonnaise and filled with broccoli.
The cooking method was not an authentic Thai style. I never had any Thai dishes cooked with mayonnaise before . This is also not my cup of tea.
Malabar Belanda Eggs – RM4.50, the eggs were perfectly cooked and the yolks were still in liquefied texture, they were then topped with fried onions and green chili slices. Finally the dish was completed with soy sauce and some lea and perrins sauce.
This is one of my favorites as it is simple yet delicious.
Thai-Style Beef Koay Teow – RM9.50, the beef koay teow was cooked with bean curd, beef ball, beef slices and also Thai basil leaves.
The portion of this beef koay teow was very generous but the taste was on the salty side.
Pumpkin in Coconut Milk Custard – RM4.50. The pumpkin was cut into slices and cooked with coconut milk custard.
The custard was full of pumpkin flavor and it tasted sweet and rich. It would be perfect if the sweetness level can be reduced by half.
A very refreshing and appetizing drink.
Overall, the food here was good and the ambiance here was comfortable. However, the drawback of this place is the parking is always an issue in this area and some of the food items here are slightly expensive.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
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| Price |  |
| Food Presentation | |
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Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking |  |
| Pork Free | |
| Alcohol | |
| Credit Card | |
| Smoking | |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room | |
| WIFI Available | |
Operation hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm (Closed on Tuesdays)
Contact: 04-263 8266
Address: 26 & 28, Lebuh Cintra, 10100, Penang
GPS: 5° 41′ 86.20″ N, 100° 33′ 38.49″ E