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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Strawberry Forever @ Sungai Pinang, Penang.

Strawberry Forever is actually a strawberry-themed dessert cafe which is based in Hong Kong but has now extended their business by opening their 3rd outlet at Penang's shoreline, one of the new Promenade 28 double storey shoplots, just right next to Burger King.
Although it is named as a dessert cafe, it does offer snacks, healthy salads as well as Japanese fusion main courses.
Negative reviews and rumours highlighting the extremely not-living-up-to-the-price food got me doubtful for a visit until My Deal launched a deal in which i am entitled to a Rice in Hotpot along with a Healthy Juice and an option to get 50% off Strawberry Napoleon with only RM12.90 instead of RM26.18.
The cafe is cozy with a direct view of the pure blue sea and lively furniture such as 'strawberry' side chairs plus red-and-white-striped TGIF Friday's-like booths.
I have no idea why they are blocking the stairway to the upper level which serves as a venue for functions, parties etc.

Here i attach their scanned menu, click for larger view.

Other than that, the extensive collection of adorable soft toys exhibited is not only for decorating purpose, but also to boost their business.
You can carry one of them home with only RM30 if you spend more than RM50.
As you can see, some cakes and chocolate-covered strawberries are being displayed inside the showcase.
There are even pretty cake boxes of different sizes to accommodate your desserts perfectly.

I have eventually tried out two of their six healthy juices offered as i brought my other half along with me and they were Strawberry & Apple (RM7.90) which is their recommendation and Kiwi & Grapefruit (RM7.90).
The red Strawberry & Apple juice turned out to be spectacular with a simultaneous flick between sour strawberry taste and sweet apple taste.
I wonder why, it also had a Chinese herbal aftertaste.
Regarding the Kiwi & Grapefruit juice, one of the squashed fruits must be denser or heavier as a light green colour sank to the bottom after some time.
Honestly, i could not stand the strong tangy bitter taste which was accompanied by a scrubby banana seeds texture.

Every Rice in Hotpot is served with fried egg, Kimchi, a bowl of soup and there is a total of three choices of ingredients for you to choose from, they are Assorted Roasted Vegetables & Mushrooms (RM11.90), Teriyaki Seafood (RM15.90) and Teriyaki Chicken Steak & Prawns (RM15.90).
My other half went for the Teriyaki seafood which includes a mussel, fish fillets, shrimps and squid rings snowed in sweet dark garlicy Teriyaki sauce.
Taste wise, it was way out of my expectation, the sauce formed a perfect union with the seafoods and hot white rice, creating a palatable dish.
In my case, i opted for Teriyaki Chicken Steak & Prawns which came with a few Teriyaki chicken strips and two Tempura fried shrimps but they seemed to forget to put sauce or gravy on my thing.
It was way too dry until i requested for extra gravy which tasted like sweetened dark soy sauce.
The seafood one was obviously and sensationally better.

Last but not least, the Strawberry Napoleon (RM10.90) tasted as good as it looked.
The sandwiching of thin puff pastries between sliced sour strawberries and vice versa together with vanilla mousse produced a stunning lip-smacking dessert.
Besides, the aromatic pastries had an awesome crispiness that went pretty well with the mousse which had a heavy milk taste.
It is worth a try but definitely not worth the price.

Only 10% service tax is imposed and the rating below is based on the deal price, not the original price.

Address:
Unit No.26, Lebuh Sungai Pinang 5, Promenade 28,
11600 Penang.
[google map]

Operation hours:
11am - 11pm daily

Contact no.:
012 - 4058151 / 04 - 659 1059

Website:
[click here]

Facebook:
[click here]

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Revisiting Delicious Cafe @ Straits Quay, Penang.

The opening of Penang's first ever Delicious Cafe at Straits Quay turns out to be amazingly successful with a stunningly rich supply of clients.
You see, large crowds and long waiting list are normal, even on weekdays.
In this particular review, i am squeezing in my past three revisitings which all ended up happy and satisfied, click here for my previous review.
The pleasant dining experiences gave me the driving force to complete this review as fast as i could.

First, i will talk about the Spicy Seafood Spaghettini with Coriander (RM24.90) which came in a reasonable portion along with squids, shrimps and a wedge of lemon.
A strong olive oil aroma immediately rushed into my nose and with the acidic lemon juice as well as herbal coriander, the aroma was even better and more intense to my liking.
The very thin spaghetti with chili flakes sprinkled all over it was cooked to al dente and it was moderately spicy with strong hints of olive oil and seafood taste.
Besides the perfect combination formed, i must also emphasise on the freshness of the seafoods especially the squids which had a gummy and rubbery chewing gum-like texture.

If i am to recommend you something, the Classic Reuben with Pastrami, Sauerkraut and Melted Cheese (RM24.90) will definitely be my choice.
A reuben sandwich is a hot sandwich of layered meat, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese, with a dressing while pastrami is a popular delicatessen meat usually made from highly seasoned smoked steamed beef after being brined and partly dried.
As you can see, five/six wonderful smoked beef slices were aligned and then sandwiched between fine toasties which had deposits of melted cheese and sauerkraut beneath them before being served along with garden salad.
The warm scent of cheese plus the tender smoked corned beef was in my nose all the time and every bite left me longing for more.
With saltiness from the freaking delicious beef, distinctive sour flavour from the sauerkraut and tanginess from the cheese, the reuben was like an awesome piece of heaven, fantastic!

Next, it was the Seriously DELIcious Cheeseburger served with Shoestring Fries (RM24.90).
Kind of an arrogant name for an ordinary burger dish, don't you think?
It was highly recommended by the restaurant staff and to find out whether it is that delicious, i got myself one.
The round and puffed burger bun which was aromatic with a big sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds looked small when it held an extremely huge, thick piece of tender, juicy cheese covered ground beef patty and toppings such as sauerkraut and lettuce.
For your information, the tall cheeseburger was served along with some fries, garden salad and an unknown red sauce which tasted like Bolognese sauce.
The combination was awesome and it undoubtedly lives up to its name.

Last but not least, i am going to introduce you the Classic Beef Lasagne (RM19.90) which also included a bowl of garden salad.
The layering of lasagna, minced beef and cheese was very well accomplished as the whole thing turned out to be firm and compact, unlike the one i had at Mizi Bistro.
A thick layer of oven-baked cheese enveloped the lasagne while a thick red Bolognese sauce was poured onto it.
To be honest, the sweet Bolognese sauce had nothing special but the lasagna was perfectly cooked to a soft, firm, smooth texture and the amount of beef given was pretty generous.
The flavours just exploded in my mouth and i savoured them mouthful by mouthful, nice!

Alright, it is time for some desserts.
I found the Tiramisu in a Glass (RM12.90) rather disappointing, not to say bad but it could absolutely be way better.
The sponge cake was overly soft until it had a exact creamy-like texture and the coffee flavour was pretty mild as the wine flavour was over powering in which i did not adore that although the cocoa powder and chocolate chips went very well with the whole thing.
If these issues are fixed, here born a tiramisu masterpiece.

From my observation, Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream (RM11.90) is one of the restaurant's best selling desserts.
The Brownie had a light crisp on the outside and was dense, moist on the inside but not that chocolately, not that chewy with the availability of chopped walnuts inside the cake.
Speaking of the big scoop of white vanilla ice cream, it was smooth, rich and most importantly, cold enough.
I was like in heaven when i was having a spoonful of Brownie with some ice cream and warm, thick chocolate sauce.
Damn, i want one right now!

Every extra penny truly deserves its value.
If you are looking for a place which serves good food as well as has a calm, exquisite ambiance, DELIcious Cafe is the ideal choice.
No doubt, I see the it as one of the best restaurants in Penang till date.

Address :
3C-G-3 & 3A, Ground Floor, Straits Quay.

Operation hours :
10 am to 12 am [weekdays]
9 am to 12 am [weekends & public holidays]

Contact no. :
04 - 8998555

Facebook:
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