Invited: The Pork-fect Chicago Rib House @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

I have always been a fan of Chicago Rib House, when i say that i mean way back before the launch of their new menu in which they raised the food prices and also i have previously reviewed this western restaurant twice, check it out (link here). Now, they are launching a brand new menu again and it was a sheer delight for me to be one of the bloggers who were invited to their "Porkfection" tasting session. My hair stiffened as a result of the rippling artificial spider web, bloody creepy "alien" heads hanging freely from the ceiling and others which altogether helped the restaurant to attain a spooky Halloween, no, "Horroween" atmosphere.

My jaw dropped when they distributed their new, creative, vibrant coloured newspaper-like menu which features a wide spectrum of delicacies ranging from Starter, Main Entrée to Dessert. No doubt, this is the best menu i have ever seen, simple, elegant and intriguing. Other than alcoholic cocktails, martinis, beers, wines and non-alcoholic mocktails, Chicago Rib House does offer a vast selection of Mojito, one of the most famous rum-based highballs and each Mojito is freshly prepared.

From left to right: Ocean Mojito, Banana Berry, Beach Fiesta, Pine Slussy, Mai Tai, Apple Mojito, Long Island Iced Tea, Peach Lynch.

The first starter was Cheese Nachos (RM17.90) in which a hearty blend of shredded chicken, chopped spring onions, fresh tomato cubes and layers of mixed cheese was toppled onto the golden crispy tortilla chips. Besides, the chips were served along with salsa and ranch dressing. Either of the dips formed a perfect union along with the chips, creating a flavoursome appetizer.

Next, we were presented with a plateful of Hot Buffalo Wings, Potato Skins and Pork Chili Corn Carne along with similar salsa and sour cream dips - it was the Trio Sampler (RM32.90). The Buffalo Wings made me put aside the thoughts of embarrassment and chomped them directly with my fingers in front of all the bloggers as well as restaurant patrons, well, i guess this is what we call finger-licking good! Potato skins wise, they were palatable with an enticing cheesy aroma.

Time for some tasty and healthy experience, one of their latest salad creations is the Oriental Wedge Salad (RM15.90), comprising of fresh Iceberg lettuce dressed in their special lime and peanut dressing, not forgetting the tomatoes and mandarin oranges which have been thrown in. The combination was an odd one but surprisingly, it turned up to be pretty mouth-watering.

Finally, we are talking about the mains. The Grilled Bourbon Chicken (RM27.90) was no small in portion with its two well-grilled deboned chicken breast. Taste wise, the tenderness of the meat coped really well with CRB's signature bourbon sauce and the half-melted mixed cheese, the sweet plus scorch flavours just exploded in my mouth, fantastic!

Well, is the 8oz Pork Tenderloin (RM32.90) consist of two grilled-to-porkfection pork tenderloin weighted approximately 224 grams (1 oz = 28.3495 g)? Who cares as long as it is ambrosial with the nectarous flavours coming out from the dry homemade apple cinnamon sauce coupling with the dense, springy pork texture. Thumbs up!

The fettuccine was cooked to an al dente texture before being mixed with bell peppers, red onions, minced pork and topped with parmesan cheese, it was the Southwestern Chili Pasta (RM22.90) which tasted positively extraordinary. The whole thing was meant to be dry and it left me yearning for more.

Here came one of the signature dishes of CRB - the BBQ Pork Ribs in Original Sauce (Half Rack RM32.90/ Full Rack RM53.90). The meaty areas were tender and off the bone easily. I know it may sound cliché but seriously, the ribs were simply awesome!

For your information, all eyes were on the BBQ Pork Ribs in Flaming Kansas City Sauce (Half Rack RM38.90/ Full Rack RM59.90) as one of the restaurant crew poured a shot of bourbon over the ribs and fired it up. The ribs were smouldering while the dreamy aroma singed my nose hairs before filling my lungs with flavours. Obviously, it was better than the BBQ Pork Ribs in Original Sauce in terms of marination, seasoning. Do you know that their ribs are slow-roasted in hickory wood to give them the amazing tenderness and unique flavours that have made them world-famous? Now you do. Their succulent and meaty pork ribs which are served with your choice of two side dishes are undoubtedly "s-pork-tacular"! Recommended.

Last but not least, a large scoop of smooth vanilla ice cream coupled with a small, dense moist chocolate cake to form the Brownie Royale (RM12.90). You could feel and taste the soft, damp rich chocolate cake texture as well as crunchy almond texture simultaneously. It is the perfect thing to end your meal.

Below i attached images of the scanned menu.

Address:
GP-170-G-43, Gurney Plaza
Persiaran Gurney, 10250 Penang.

Operation hours:
10AM to late evening daily

Contact no.:
04 - 2290763

Fax no.:
04 - 2290985

Facebook:
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Kochabi Ice Cream @ Gurney Plaza, Penang.

Sudah potong? I can't agree more that ice cream potong or more commonly known as ice potong is no longer ubiquitous. The traditional hard ice cream bears the half-English, half-Malay name as a result of how it is made. Potong simply can be defined as cut and an ice potong is actually extracted out from a big block of flavoured coloured edible ice by means of cutting before being eventually stuck with a stick. Nowadays, ice potong's are nowhere to be found other than the small, narrow and cold Kochabi Ice Cream kiosk brimming with electric-powered refrigerators which is located at the lower ground floor of Gurney Plaza, opposite of Memory Lane and next to Shihlin. For your information, Kochabi is a Chinese term (古早味) which means the traditional taste of the old times. Established in 2002 and with a modern factory in Simpang Ampat, Kochabi not only has the monopoly on ice potong's but also manufacture natural fruit-flavoured soft ice cream, without any preservative.

Tell you what, i am working for them now, promoting their ice cream at the Gurney Plaza kiosk and that is the minor reason why i am making this review. The major reason is of course i don't have time neither to splurge on mouth-watering food nor feel the romantic restaurant atmosphere. To date, the Kochabi ice potong series contains 10 different flavoured ones: red bean, yam, cempedak, durian, mint, corn, strawberry, green gram, soya bean as well as orange and the best part is the RM1 price tag. Where could you find ice potong easily and with a price of RM1? True to form, the all-time best seller award goes to red bean which is a hearty blend of azuki beans, water, coconut milk etc. Mint is good, green gram is alright and i strongly recommend the aromatic, lip-smacking yummy cempedak flavour. They do sell this traditional stick ice cream in packages such as Personal Pack (RM3 - five shorter, thinner sticks of strawberry, red bean, vanilla, corn and orange flavours), Family Pack (RM8 - a total of 24 cubes of cut ice potong of cempedak, red bean, durian, corn, yam and mint flavours, like the one always given in Chinese wedding dinner) and Multipack (RM10 - 10 sticks of each flavour, including orange). They are having a promotion in which you will get a free soya bean-flavoured ice potong with any purchase of 10 sticks of ice cream. Do take note that orange one only comes with the packages and is not for sale alone.

Soft ice cream wise, they do only have yam, cempedak, durian, corn and vanilla but disappointingly, i have never tried any of them. There are two options, cup (RM2 - bigger scoop of ice cream, mixing of two flavours is allowed) or cone (RM1.50 - smaller scoop of ice cream, no mixing of flavours).

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Invited: Bora Bora by Sunset @ Batu Ferringhi, Penang.

Late January 2011, we kissed the fabulous beachfront joint, Sunset Bistro which had been doing a roaring business for the past 15 years goodbye just because of an arson attack. The fire not only brought down the bistro but also roasted an adorable parrot named Tiger alive (i grabbed his pic from the net). However, the owner of the bistro, Miss Melynda Soon bent on making a comeback by means of relocating, refurbishing and rebuilding which altogether resulted in the reborn of Sunset Bistro with the new name, Bora Bora by Sunset in the end of May. This new bistro is hidden in the 2 Ferringhi Streetwalk Bazaar, facing the soft golden sand and clear blue sea. I will be using Tarbush Restaurant as a landmark here and upon seeing its large, tall standing neon light billboard, the sheltered concrete-floored bazaar should be in sight now. Just walk past every stalls, to the very end of the bazaar and you will find Bora Bora by Sunset.

The bistro equipped with greenery, thatching, dim lights, DJ platform, Shisha bar, pool table, beers, antique and vintage decorations to give it a lively Bali nightlife-like ambiance. In addition to the lovely Reggae background music or sometimes broadcasting of sports events, you will find the bistro a perfect intimate venue for a romantic dining experience with its private, more dimly lighted corners. Outdoor seats are also available at wood decks overlooking the beach and sea. You will have a clear view of the heart-stilling intoxicating sunset at around 7pm if the weather is good.

What's coming up in October is their set dinner promotion in which you will get a starter (Bora Bora Papadum with Salsa Sauce OR Wild Mushroom Soup), a main course (Spaghetti Fettucine with Chicken and Wild Mushroom Ragu OR Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Beef/Chicken and Prawns OR Grilled White Fish with Citrus Lemon Butter Sauce OR Stir Fried Beef or Chicken served with Rice, Salad, Papadum and Egg), a scoop of ice cream as well as a drink (Ice Peach Tea OR Ice Lemon Tea) for a bargain of RM36 nett, what a steal! Credits to Criz for designing this ad.

With the invitation to review the promotional set dinner, I finally got to plunge into the thick of the buzz around the bistro's quick rise to fame. Do take note that the bistro does serve non-alcoholic beverages.

Banana yogurt drink.

Kiwi & vanilla ice blended.


Ice peach tea & lemon tea.

The Wild Mushroom Soup was mouth-watering with its enticing aroma of cooked mushrooms and flawless creaminess. However, it could definitely be better if it was less salty.

Papadum, a giant round crackery thing is actually is a thin, crisp Indian cracker that you can get at any Indian restaurants including Mamak stalls. In other words, serving Papadums are pretty common here but what if i say Papadums with homemade Salsa sauce? It sounds mind-blowing and so do the odd combination. The sauce formed a perfect union with the Papadums, creating a lip-smacking good appetizer. Highly recommended!

Fettuccine is actually a flat thick form of pasta. In my case, the Fettuccine was cooked to an awesome springy, velvety texture before being cooked in a white rich yummy wild mushroom sauce. Other than that, a juicy grilled chicken breast was served along and it simply sparked up the pasta with its black pepper as well as spice flavours. The Spaghetti Fettucine with Chicken and Wild Mushroom Ragu is undoubtedly the odd one out among the main dishes.

As you can see, a generous amount of fresh shrimps and meat (beef or chicken, your pick) was given and the portion was considered big. The Koay Teow was soaked in a starchy slightly spicy gravy which had an egg's taste. Taste wise, it was palatable especially the tender beef but i personally felt that the soup was not enough.

Unlike ubiquitous restaurants which use cheaper, convenient Dory fish fillets, Bora Bora by Sunset uses white fish which is thicker. Two pieces of white fish fillets were very well-grilled with lemon butter sauce before being presented along with cubes of baked potatoes plus salad. The Grilled White Fish with Citrus Lemon Butter Sauce turned out to be delectable but it could be even better if the fish odor was removed.

Last but not least, the normal tasting Stir Fried Beef or Chicken served with Rice, Salad, Papadum and Egg was quite Malaysian. A combination of white rice, stir fried meat, salad, Papadum and egg? It can easily feed one heavy eater. For your information, their signature Salsa sauce is also offered in this main.

Don't you agree that a bit of dessert is always the perfect way to end a meal? A scoop of ice cream with some dressings is included in the set dinner.

The rating below is made based on this set dinner promotion.

Address:
Lot 415, Jalan Batu Ferringhi, 11100 Penang
[google map]

Operation hours:
Sunday to Thursday 12pm - 1am
Friday, Saturday and Eve of Public Holiday 12pm - 3am
Happy hours 4pm - 7pm

Contact no.:
012 - 553 1313 (Miss Melynda Soon)

Facebook:
[click here]

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