CRIZ BON APPETITE

NOTE: Effective May 2012, Bon Appetit Western Deli has relocated to Golden City Restaurant (GPS: 5.404561, 100.286574), 10K Jalan Air Putih air Itam, 11500 Penang. Business Hours: 12.00noon until 9.00pm (Closed Alternate Tuesday). It’s behind the Keat Seng Restaurant in Reservoir Garden.The outlet here has ceased it’s operation end of 2012.

Penang has always been the best destination for food lovers from all over the world as there would never be an end to any kind of cuisine at any time of the day. Other than the famous local hawker fares, there’s also the availability of street Western food at any nooks and corners of the beautiful state. One such Western food stall has popped up recently at the newly constructed area of Paya Terubong, namely the Bon Appetit Western Deli within the premises of EQ Kopitiam. The existence of the stall has no doubt given the residence there a new taste of great grilled Western dishes at an affordable price.

Most people would think that having Western food quite often might cause a burn in the pocket. Well, this perception has to be changed as Bon Appetit Western Deli has its way to promote its dishes at an unbelievable price that would make dining a total different experience, thus by combining Western food with our local staple food, namely steamed rice. There would be 3 types of SET LUNCHES available daily which consist of either chicken, fish or pork, with an option to choose your preferred sauce such as brown sauce, sweet & sour sauce or black pepper sauce. We tried out the Chicken Chop Rice (RM5.00). The dish came with rice, an omelette, a generous amount of greens dressed with some mayonnaise and grilled chicken with brown sauce. The grilled chicken chunks were well marinated and cooked until perfection while maintaining the tenderness of the meat. The brown sauce on the other hand has only managed a mild herb taste and was not as thick and flavorful as I would have expected. I would think a bit more of rosemary and plain/potato flour added in would have a better outcome. Nevertheless, the grilled chicken was awesome on its own.

The next set lunch meal with was the Fish Fritter Rice (RM5.00) also consisted of rice, an omelette, a generous amount of greens dressed with some mayonnaise but with deep fried breadcrumbed dory fish fillet, topped with sweet and sour sauce. The chef did a great job as the fish had just the right crispiness while maintaining the moist within. The sweet and sour sauce which basically used some chili sauce with some sautéed chopped garlic, onions and a sprinkle of herbs, complemented the fillet well.

The third set lunch meal was the Pork Cutlet Rice (RM5.00). Most Western food stalls nowadays do not serve pork as they are also targeting at those non pork takers. At Bon Appetit Western Deli, this was an exception as their pork chop which also came with rice, an omelette, a generous amount of greens dressed with some mayonnaise but with grilled pork cutlet with black pepper sauce was superb. The well marinated and grilled pork cutlet went well with the slightly pungent tasting sauce.

Other that the above Set Lunches, there are also some delicious items available in their Ala Carte Menu for both meals. As starter, you can always order the Soup of the Day (RM3.00) which happened to be Mushroom Soup on that day, accompanied by a slice of crunchy toasted Garlic Bread. The soup was normal but at least it was creamier than others.

They do also serve the rural Canada originated Poutine (RM4.50), which traditionally consisted of French fries, brown sauce and cheese curds. Somehow, the chef created his own version by replacing the cheese curds with mayonnaise. No doubt the whole concoction was creamy but it was too sour to my liking due to that fact that Mayonnaise has that sourness from either the usage of lemon juice or vinegar in the recipe. It would be better if the orange colored cheesy mayonnaise or ranch dressing be used here. Alternatively, some grated cheese sprinkled over the dish would have provided a different taste altogether. There are actually many variations to this dish. The Italians love to replace the gravy with Bolognese sauce with some sprinkles of grated cheese. The Mexicans love them in some dipping sauce such as blended avocado with sour cream, topped with grated cheese. Other variation might add in items such as turkey, chicken, bacon, ham, sausages, crab meat, chopped onions and more. There’s actually no right or wrong method in preparing poutine but one thing for sure is that cheese (mostly from the Cheddar cheese family) would never be left out. As for presentation, some sprinkles of paprika and chopped spring onions would make the dish more flavorful and colorful.

One of the hot selling items here would be their Grilled Chicken Chop (RM7.00), topped with the gravy of your choice. The dish would come with some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread. I simply love the caramelized texture on the chicken. It was flavorful even without the gravy.

As for the fish section, many diners would go for their Grilled Fish in Lemon Butter Sauce (RM7.00), which would also come with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread. The Dory fish fillet was well grilled but I personally felt that it lacked that buttery taste as well as some herbs. A small cube of butter on the grilled fillet before serving plus some sprinkles of mixed herbs or even capers would provide the dish with a better justice.

The Grilled Salmon Steak (14.00) was something to crave for as it was the star of the day. I quite like the natural taste of the fish without the heavy usage of marinates and sauces. The only worry I had was the cut. The steak has bones in it. It would be a disadvantage for those elderly or kids to savor such a beautifully done dish without worrying about being choked by the small bones within. It would be great if a fillet version being served here. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

As I had mentioned earlier, Western food stalls serving pork would quite hard to come by. Do try out the Grilled Pork Chop (RM8.00). This is one dish not to miss out too. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

Grilled Pork Chop might be rare but the next dish which was the Pork Cordon Bleu was even scarce in Penang. The golden fried breadcrumb coated Pork Cordon Bleu (RM9.50) was heaven. One cut and you would see the melted cheese oozing out to welcome my presence. The dish was done perfectly to my liking with the flavors from the stuffed ham and cheese seeping right into the pork fillet. I think I would go without the gravy next time as it did soil the crispiness on the awesomely prepared dish. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

The chef has always been a lamb chop lover, thus you would know how enthusiastic he would be in preparing his favorite Grilled Lamb Chop (RM9.50). At such a price with such a big portion, this is another dish you should not miss out. By having the patience to watch over the meat over slow fire, the chef did a great job in providing a nicely flavored lamb chop, served with some tasty mint sauce. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

Finally, there was the Grilled Rib-Eye Steak (RM16.00) which was grilled just as tasty as the lamb chop. It was grilled medium-rare to maintain the tenderness and juiciness of the choice piece. This dish also came with the standard serving of some French fries, greens and a set of butter spread white bread.

Overall, the dishes served here, especially those grilled items are delicious. The chef sure knows how to handle his grills well… just as good as Robert Rainford, the AFC’s License to Grill’s host. As for the sauces as well as presentation, he would need to explore more into the styles served by others to further improvements. My most frequent western food stall with the best sauce in town would be the first one he should look into. Here is the full menu in case you are interested in other available dishes. Please click on the menu for a clearer look.

It’s not hard to locate the shop as it’s just a unit off the newly constructed Pine Valley Business Centre along Jalan Paya Terubong. If you are coming from the Air Itam district along Jalan Paya Terubong towards Relau/Balik Pulau, drive on until you see the second traffic lights (Lebuhraya Thean Teik/Jalan Paya Terubong – Shell petrol kiosk is on your right). Drive on for about 500m and you would see the Pine Valley Business Centre sign on your left. Turn left into the service road and drive on until the end of the shop houses. Bon Appetit Western Deli is at the last third unit along the row of shop houses.

Name: BON APPETIT WESTERN DELI @ EQ KOPITIAM
Address:
Pine Valley Business Centre, 1049 Jalan Paya Terubong, 11060 Air Itam, Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 012-452 5311 (Mr. Pierre Choo)
Business Hours: 11.00am-3.00pm, 6.00pm-10.00pm (Closed Monday)
GPS: 5.381342, 100.275470

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 7/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

When you mention about Street Western Food in Penang, you would get lots of responses that this place is the best or that place served the best whatsoever, from Pulau Tikus area until as far as Fettes Park, right? It’s true that each has their own signature dishes but one thing they have in common is the usage of frozen mixed vegetables which I’m not so much in favor of. Hard green peas, barely fresh frozen vegetables or even tasteless frozen vegetables from China were some of the complaints I mentioned constantly. Some of my friends even suggested that I visit hotels or posh restaurants since I’m so fussy. LOL! Well, I can now prove that you are wrong. I had discovered and revisited this new treasure of mine for the last 4 months just to be certain that they are consistent enough to serve you the best in presentation, freshness and taste at the price of general Street Western Food. Welcome to the latest gem in the world of Street Western Food – Diner’s Choice Western Food.

The first thing that I would normally do when visiting any Western Food outlets, whether it’s street or restaurant would be to try out their mushroom soup. I have read from many blogs about the soup served at some of the prominent Street Western Food venues and most of them would compliment on the cheap pricing of RM2.50-RM3.00 per bowl. Of course, those bowls of soup would be cheap as they are mostly stirred up from instant mix. At Diner’s Choice, a few varieties of fresh mushrooms were carefully selected, toasted, blended and cooked in a secret recipe that you would yearn for more. Their thick, creamy and flavorful Mushroom Soup (RM5.00nett) would be presented beautifully in a wide dish, together with a slice of garlic bread. For those who do not have such a big appetite, I have to forewarn you that you might not be able to finish up the soup since the rest of the main course could be such a big portion too.

The main course would consist of chicken, beef, lamb and fish, prepared in your preferred style of cooking – grilled, batter-fried or baked. You also have an option to choose from 3 types of gravy, namely black pepper sauce, garlic sauce and mushroom sauce which had been specially pepped up in taste with brandy. What? Brandy? Yes, indeed. This is what made Diner’s Choice unique compared to the rest as they believed in providing their diners with the best without charging them extra.

Let’s have a look at their Batter-fried Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce (RM9.00nett). The presentation alone had already stunned me at first sight. You won’t get such a presentation with so much of fresh side dishes anywhere else except in a restaurant. The chicken fillet was actually from a deboned drumstick, dipped in batter and deep fried to perfection. The only problem would be the gravy soaked meal. It would be advisable to request for the gravy to be served separately in a small bowl. The black pepper sauce was not that pungent as I would have expected. It had that mild peppery taste with traces of some herbs and fragrant sweetness from the brandy. It would suit even a child’s taste bud.

The Batter-fried Chicken in Mushroom Sauce (RM9.00nett) was similar to the above except that this time I had different gravy. This style remained my all-time favorite as the slices of Shitake mushrooms has soaked up all the flavors and brandy from the gravy, giving each bite a squeeze of heaven. It went well with any choices of meat.

There was one item on the menu board that caught my attention. It was the Grilled Chicken Butcher Style (RM8.50nett). I was fooled by the name as it was just grilled chicken spread with my selection of garlic sauce and topped with just a sausage and half a piece of ham. The garlic sauce on the other hand had that nice taste from the chopped garlic, mild traces of black pepper and herbs in brown sauce.

I also tried out the Sizzling Grilled Chicken Chop (RM8.50) served in my favorite mushroom sauce. It was delicious as the chicken was well marinated and grilled, on top of having that extra charred flavor from the hot plate. The only disadvantage was that my gravy dried up too fast until I had I request for additional top-up.

The Breaded Fish & Chips (RM7.00nett) was just normal. I found the cut to be a bit too thin and considering that dory fillet was used here, it did not have the required juiciness. I won’t mind paying a bit more if barramundi (siakap) or gold-banded jobfish (kalak) fillets were used here. Unless you love the fish fingers like texture and bite, this dish would not be my preference.

There’s one dish that I saw many repeated orders and that was the BBQ Grilled Chicken (RM7.50nett). The dish was indeed delicious. The pounded chicken drumsticks fillet had the right flavors and combined with the chef’s specially prepared BBQ sauce, it was very palatable to anyone’s appetite.

For meat lovers, you sure would love the Diner’s Choice Mixed Grills (RM18.50nett). It came with well marinated grilled beef rib-eye steak, lamb shoulder, chicken drumstick, ham and sausage, with a substantial amount of fresh greens and chips. If only my stomach could contain so much, I won’t mind ordering a second helping. You can choose your choice of gravy here too or you can leave it to the chef to decide for you.

Another unique dish of theirs would be their Chicken Cordon Bleu (RM8.50nett). Instead of being presented in a dry form as what others would do, this deep fried ham and cheese stuffed chicken fillet with breadcrumbs came with the chef’s special oriental sauce. This tangy yet mildly sweetened sauce blended in real well with the chicken.

Who said that Street Western Food must have those common items and not something out of the norm? The chef did a great job in presenting a few international dishes in his menu. One of the more noticeable ones would be the Italian Chicken Parmigiano (RM8.50nett). It looked almost like a pizza. Instead of a pizza base, it had the chef’s specially concocted tomato base, spread on a chicken fillet, topped with grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano hard cheese (normally substituted with the French’s version of Parmesan cheese) and baked to perfection. Just a look at the dish and you can be assured of the juiciness that remained within the meat.

Another great recommendation would be their Grilled Fish in Chimichurri Sauce (RM7.00nett). Though it was still dory fillet being used here, at least this version maintained the moist within the fillet. The Argentine-influenced green colored Chimichurri sauce was actually the chef’s own recipe with hints of minced parsley, garlic, olive oil, red chilies (instead of red pepper flakes) and more. It was a bit spicy with a touch of sourness but it suited the fish fillet well.

Overall, this stall does provide great Western dishes at a reasonable price. Since this is just an open air coffee shop with another stall selling stir fried dishes, it might get stuffy at times with all the oil flying about. There are a few tables away from these stalls for your dining pleasure. You can check out a bigger version of the menu board here.

As the stall within a residential coffee shop is not visible from the main road, it would be hard for those who are not familiar with the vicinity to locate it, especially using some of the small lanes which would also lead to the venue. The easiest way would be by identifying certain landmarks. If you are coming from 1-Stop Midland Park Centre along Jalan Burma, just drive all the way to the Jalan Burma/Jalan Bagan Jermal traffic lights. Drive straight towards Mt. Erskine and keep to your right. After about 1km, you would reach another traffic lights (turn left would lead you to Hong Seng Estate). Switch on your right indicator. Immediately after the traffic light, turn right into Tingkat Mt. Erskine 1 (you can see a Chinese temple at the junction on your right and a fruit stall on the other side of the junction). Turn right into the first junction (Lengkok Mt. Erskine). Drive further up and you can see the brightly lighted up coffee shop on your left at the junction of Gerbang Erskine (Erskine Grove).

Name: DINER’S CHOICE WESTERN FOOD
Address: 1 Gerbang Erskine (Erskine Grove), Mt. Erskine, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 016-455 2028 (Patrick)
Business Hours: 5.00pm-11.00pm (Closed Thursday)
GPS: 5.43946, 100.303464

RATING:
Ambience: 6/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 7.5/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 8/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)

Note: Due to parking problems, Yaw’s Roast & Grill has shifted their business back to their previous premises (1, Gerbang Midlands, 10350 Penang, Malaysia) as at March 2010.

Aww… I really missed this western food corner previously located somewhere in the residence area of Pulau Tikus. It was a dimly lighted, cozy and romantic place to be in for some quiet moments. If not for the local municipal council’s pressure to shut down the place, it would be indeed a love nest for couples. Anyway, the little homely restaurant had recently relocated to a brighter and more spacious venue along Jalan Transfer, just next to the Caltex petrol kiosk. The menu had remained the same but the pricing had increased a bit since my last visit there. After all, it was not exorbitant as we have to understand that the price of ingredients had increased quite a lot recently. Moreover, the price of food ordered here are net priced.

As usual, garlic toasts were given complimentary from the kitchen, slightly toasted to perfection with yummy garlic butter and herbs. A piece each was not really enough for two persons but what would a person expect when they are free right? Anyway, you can always order more but I did not find out how much they would cost.

Since it was their opening day, there were no special dishes of the day. I ordered the Cream of Mushroom Soup (RM4.50) as starter. The soup was creamy with chunks of finely chopped mushroom. It was normal for me as what you would get from any of those economical western food stalls around town. Somehow, I felt that what I had at Louis Café, just a block away, tasted better. Again, you can’t compare a RM10 (excluding tax) bowl of Italianese Wild Mushroom Soup with something less than half the price here, right?

The main meals were served quite promptly. It was my favorite Black Pepper Chicken Chop (RM8.00). The chicken was finely fried with the chef’s special breaded flour and it was crunchy indeed. As usual, I would request for a separate but additional amount of black pepper sauce for me to dip in my fries. The gravy was as thick as ever but mild in hotness as this place was also the western food venue for a lot of families with children.

The next meal was the Spaghetti in White Mushroom Sauce (RM8.50). The amount served was quite reasonable with 6 large meatballs garnished on top. The dish had some sliced mushroom, chopped coriander and sprinkled with some mixed herbs. The texture for the spaghetti was softer than the ones I had at QEII, which was based on the Italian’s choice of springiness. The mushroom gravy was just normal with not much distinctive flavors, except for the taste of the herb garnishing. The fried meatballs tasted great with the right amount of flavoring. They had a hint of some cheese like substance inside. The only drawback was that they could have added in more corn flour to make them a bit softer.

Since the waitress did mention that they have some local dishes served as well, I ordered their famous Hainanese Fried Noodles (RM4.50). It was in fact Hokkien Char. The serving was a bit small for an individual but the amount of ingredients such as meat slices, large prawns and a generous amount of Chinese cabbage (choy sum) justified the price well. The dish was indeed quite tasty.

They do also have beverages of all kinds, from iced tea, coffee, beers and brew of the day. I had their special Iced Winter Melon (RM3.00). It was a perfect beverage for such a humid weather. Fresh as well as sugared winter melon slices were brewed with red dates to come out with this refreshing drink. I would recommend this drink to everyone (upon availability). It would even better if they brew the beverage with some dried longan meats. 🙂

It’s so much easier to locate this newly relocated restaurant compared to the earlier one. If you are coming from Jalan Penang into Jalan Burmah, keep to your right and turn into Jalan Transfer. You can see a used car shop just at the junction. Just drive until the traffic light. After the traffic light, keep to your right and drive until you see the Caltex petrol kiosk. The restaurant is just located right before the petrol kiosk under the name Dim Dim Yuen (serving dim sum and chicken rice in the morning).

Name: YAW’S ROAST & GRILL
Address: 25 & 27, Jalan Transfer, 10050 Penang, Malaysia.
Tel: 012-412 9957 (Telephone order), 012- 484 8178 (Mr. Yaw)
Opening Hours: 5.30pm – 11.00pm (Closed Monday)
GPS: 5.421095, 100.330811

RATING:
Ambience: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 classy)
Food Choices: 9/10 (1-4 limited, 5-7 average, 8-10 many choices)
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-4 tasteless, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)
Pricing: 7/10 (1-4 cheap, 5-7 average, 8-10 expensive)
Service: 8/10 (1-4 bad, 5-7 average, 8-10 excellent)