Golden Gate Steamboat Restaurant

Things have not been the same since grandma's passing last year and Chinese New Year is one of those many times when we miss her terribly. Thus, we decided to have the reunion dinner for my side of the family at a restaurant this year. It's the first in many years because reunion to grandma meant throwing a big steamboat feast at home and having her children and grandchildren come home for dinner.

To continue the tradition of having a steamboat reunion dinner, we opted for Golden Gate Steamboat Restaurant as the venue for the dinner. Golden Gate has been around in Penang for a long time and quite frankly I couldn't even remember the last time I was there. I actually have very little expectations of the place because I figured the restaurant may be a bit weary after all these years.

Boy, was I wrong. The restaurant was already almost fully booked when I called to make a reservation a week before Chinese New Year. The restaurant was surprisingly still very well maintained. It is also air-conditioned which was ideal to counter the heat from the steamboat and the warm Chinese New Year weather.

We ordered the Deluxe Set (x2) for 16 pax which came to RM186 and additional ala-carte ingredients for another RM140.20. 

Overall, the price was reasonable and the ambiance better than I expected. In fact it was actually quite a welcomed change from the reunion steamboats at home in years past. At least we did not have to clean up after the dinner. :)

Golden Gate Steamboat Restaurant
No. 77 Cantonment Road, 10250 Penang.
Tel: 04-2261361, 2273421

Ama Dessert

We have seen Ama Dessert when driving past the Pan Palace Plaza a couple of times. We figured it is probably one those eateries which open at the plaza but cease operation not longer after.
(For some reasons, the eateries just can't seem to survive at this community mall)

However, I think we have proved ourselves wrong about Ama Dessert.

We happened to be going to Sunshine Lip Sin one evening and decided to have dinner at Ama Dessert. To our surprise, it has a decent range of western fare, ramen dishes and desserts that are worth going back for. To add on to that, Ama Dessert's chef has also won many accolades and cooking competitions, based on the newspaper clippings and mock cheques displayed on the wall.

The chef has won various accolades and local competitions

I liked the framed old advertisement hanging on the wall 

Monte Cristo Chicken (RM13.50) 

Hubs ordered the Monte Cristo Chicken and he absolutely loved it. The chicken was grilled well and the meat was tender. It also came with quite a lot of accompaniment e.g. ham, sausage, vegetables, potatoes etc.

Herbal Village Chicken Ramen with 'Kampung' Chicken (RM9.50)

The ramen was surprisingly quite good and the soup was piping hot. I am not sure if the ramen was hand-made but the texture was chewy and tangy and I liked how it was cooked al-dente.

Ginger Tea

Super Mango with Sago (RM6)

There were heaps of mango in this desset which hubs liked but I found the mango, sago and syrup combination a bit too 'lemak' for my liking. If mango is not your kind of fruit, don't fret as they have a variety of desserts to choose from, ranging from crepe to 'tang yuen' to pudding and so on.

Ama Dessert
Pan Palace Plaza
Ground Floor
Lengkok Nipah, Lip Sin Garden
HP : 012-4028772

Xian Ding Wei Taiwanese Tea Room at Queensbay Mall (revisited)

I have received quite a number of hits on my blog for my previous post on Xian Ding Wei so I guess this eatery is gaining quite a lot of popularity and interests lately.

We were back at the place again recently, this time with my parents. It was a Saturday and the place was still as packed as when it just opened.

Hubs ordered the 'Taiwanese Supreme Chicken in Three Variety of Sauces' set while dad and I ordered one of the 'Teppanyaki Seafood and Pork in Hot Pot' set each. Mom opted for the 'Thai Chicken' set (RM17.90).

Taiwanese Supreme Chicken in Three Variety of Sauces (RM18.90)

Teppanyaki Seafood and Pork in Hot Pot (RM29.90)

Dragon Fruit Juice RM5.90

Rosebuds with Wintermelon Tea RM4.90

Overall I think mom and dad enjoyed the food and ambiance. Hubs and I were pleasantly surprised with the 'Taiwanese Supreme Chicken in Three Variety of Sauces' set. I would highly recommended this set to anyone who wants to try Xian Ding Wei's specialties.

English Afternoon Tea at Suffolk House

What does having a good cup of tea with finger sandwiches, scones, pastries and cakes in the setting of an age old colonial mansion sound to you?

If your eyes lit up like I did, then head on to Suffolk House for their English Afternoon Tea from 2:30 pm to 6 pm. A typical afternoon tea menu here will consist of scones with strawberry jam and cream, chicken and mushroom pies, a variety of pastries and cucumber sandwiches. You have your selection of Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Green Tea, Mint, Camomile Fruity or Darjeeling tea. The price is RM64+ for a set for two.

From Wikipedia:
Afternoon tea is a light meal typically eaten between 3pm and 5pm. The custom of drinking tea originated in England when Catherine of Braganza married Charles II in 1661 and brought the practice of drinking tea in the afternoon with her from Portugal.[citation needed] Various places that belonged to the former British Empire also have such a meal. However, changes in social customs and working hours mean that most Britons will rarely take afternoon tea, if at all.

Traditionally, loose tea is brewed in a teapot and served in teacups with milk and sugar. This is accompanied by sandwiches (customarily cucumber, egg and cress, fish paste, ham, and smoked salmon), scones (with clotted cream and jam, see cream tea) and usually cakes and pastries (such as Battenberg, fruit cake or Victoria sponge). The food is often served on a tiered stand; there may be no sandwiches, but bread or scones with butter or margarine and optional jam or other spread.

Hubs and I are huge fans of English Afternoon Teas. We love to savour those delectable scones with jam and cream, fresh finger sandwiches and not forgetting the rich, delicious pastries. My all time favourite Afternoon Tea is at The Loaf Langkawi but since it is 25 minutes flight away, I would highly recommend the one at Suffolk House. :)

The colonial setting is simply just perfect for the afternoon tea. The fine selection of sandwiches, scones, pies and pastries are highly commendable. The set for two can easily feed four if you are not too hungry and would just like a light snack.

Lingzie was there a day before me :)

Suffolk House

250, Jalan Air Itam, 10460 Penang (next to the Malaysian-German Society)
Tel: +6 (04) 228 3930 (restaurant)
Website: http://www.suffolkhouse.com.my/