Doraku Japanese Restaurant, Sunway Perdana @ Seberang Jaya

Yet another Japanese restaurant in Sunway Perdana (now there are 3 including Sushi Zento and Japin, which recently reopened) and this new establishment offers a more diverse menu of Japanese and Korean dishes. It was opened formally on 14th July 2016 and I took the opportunity to check out their food the very next day with friends and the following Monday with my family. Both occasions were lunch time and the set lunch menu has yet to be introduced. 

First impression upon entering, the ambience is very warm reminiscence of a fishing village. All the wood work and decorations make you feel like you are dining adventurously. The owner put a lot of effort and money into decorating this restaurant that there is also a white wedding kimono hanging on the wall. Luxuriously done. This restaurant comprised of 2 shop office units at ground floor and it accommodates big groups, too. Best to RSVP if you are coming in a big group to avoid disappointment. 

Then we proceeded with the menu. As it is new, my friends and I arrived about 10 minutes before 1pm just before the peak hour for lunch. So, getting seats for 4 was no problem. Promptly greeted by the staffs at the entrance and seated almost immediately. The menu is thick, extensive and it can take some time to decide what to eat. Colourful, descriptive but exorbitant prices. After we have placed the order, I looked at the menu from cover to cover, am amazed with its extensive selection of sushi, sashimi and overpriced set menus. Fans of sashimi may love this place.  

Collagen ramen??

It got me curious. What is collagen ramen? It is a rich broth made from free-range chicken down to its bones. I ordered it and my friends ordered other dishes that has cheese in them. 

 Seafood Doria - RM23.00, one of Doraku's signature dish

Cheese and curry don? 

 My Collagen Ramen

I am actually very impressed with it. 

At RM21.00 a bowl and it has lots of vegetables comprising of cabbages, carrots and bamboo shoots. It is worth every penny and it is huge! Enough to be shared with 2 persons. The broth is amazing! I felt so pampered after eating this. Generous portion of pork meat, too and they might want to go easy with the seasoning for the hard boiled egg. It is a bit salty. I rate this bowl of ramen 8/10. 

When we ordered earlier, the staff did advise that not many people could take the cheese dishes as it is heavy which is true to one of my friends. So, it depends on what you fancy eating that day at the restaurant. We did not get drinks and had only plain water (refillable). That too is at RM1.50 per person which is ridiculous but looking at the amount of effort put in to the restaurant, it didn't bothered us much. Do order green tea instead. It is also priced at RM1.50 too. I was flabbergasted when I saw the bill on Monday when I revisited the restaurant with my family.

This lucky cat will bless you each time you walk in and out of the restaurant! Haha..  

Ok. So fast forward Monday. It was a good start last Friday to the restaurant with my friends and colleagues that I decided to bring my mom and sister to check it out too. We ordered to share unlike last week when we each ordered individually. 

 Mabo Ramen - RM19.00. It is exactly like mabo tofu except there is ramen in them. It was a bit of a disappointment noting how big bowl the collagen ramen was on Friday. This is definitely not enough for sharing. 

 Kurobuta Katsuni - RM31.00. 

A very good deep fried pork cutlet soaked in omelette and soy sauce concoction while being kept boiling/simmering until you've finish it. The sauce is a nice compliment to the bland ochazuke (below). 

Salmon ochazuke - RM25.00. 

It is basically rice with tea. I don't think I've seen this anywhere else in Penang (maybe there is but I didn't get to try them). It may not be pleasant to people who enjoy strong flavoured food. But, this is a good and healthy options for people who cannot take too much salt and fat. Subtle to taste and very healthy. 

There is not much publicity about this restaurant yet except for this one which I found through Google shared by FlashnGo Ken's Facebook page here and the post is in Chinese. It has all the necessary contact information you need for the restaurant. To ease reference, Doraku is in between Al Nur Nasi Kandar and PTPTN office at Sunway Perdana Commercial Centre, Seberang Jaya. 

Service charge of 10% and GST of 6% applies. There is a few hours break in between lunch and dinner service. Opens at 11.30am til 3pm and reopens by 6pm til 10pm. You will need to use MPSP's parking coupons on Mondays to Saturdays, 9am-9pm. Sunway Perdana or Bandar Sunway as a whole as this business area is infamous for hardworking council officers issuing parking summonses at an hourly interval.  

The Cinnamon, Hotel Penaga @ Hutton Lane, Penang

Yours truly celebrated her birthday early of this month together with my sister. Our birthdays are just a day apart from each other so annually, it is a double celebration. Unlike previous years, we used to celebrate it on the day of our birthdays but now that our lifestyle has changed, we celebrate them in advance instead.

My family and I enjoy dining in places least visited or yet to be popularised by foodies. So, we chose The Cinnamon Restaurant and Tanglung Bar at Hotel Penaga at Hutton Lane, Georgetown. The service was top notch and my compliments goes to the Chef as well for serving a thoughtful 5 course meals to us. It was about RM55 per person. Not bad, actually.

Bread and dippings. 

Appetizer of the day as recommended by the Chef

Appetizer of choice - deep fried squid #atas

Nutmeg sorbet before the main course, works like mouth cleansing

Lamb as my main

Sirloin steak for my sister

Japanese curry risotto for my dad. Forgot to take photo of my mom's dinner.

Paddlepop ice cream with fruits! 

It was really quiet at the restaurant with ours being the other two tables that night. But with the pool view just beside the restaurant, it was a pleasant dinner and the music was in tune with the celebratory mood. Thanks for the food that we are blessed with and here's to many more years to come! 

The Cinnamon Restaurant

Hotel Penaga,
Jalan Hutton,
10050 Georgetown, Penang
Tel: 04-261 1891

Website here. 

Paprika Cuisine @ Raja Uda, Butterworth

 Chicken Burger

Grilled chicken

Paprika Cuisine used to be Station One. Located at the junction between Jalan Dahlia and Jalan Raja Uda, and in the centre of the Raja Uda business hub, this restaurant is often missed by many. The presentation and taste of the food is not bad and yet the restaurant is empty. It was affordable too. There is a live band performance at night on weekends. Across from this is Just Something cafe. 

Unlike its name, I don't find any dishes related to paprika. Nonetheless, another western fusion option for meals in Butterworth that is worth checking it out. 

Paprika Cuisine

210, Jalan Raja Uda, 12300 Butterworth, Pulau Pinang
Tel: 04-3235042
Mon - Tues: 12:00–00:00
Wed: 12:00–01:00
Thurs: 12:00–00:00
Fri - Sat: 12:00–01:00
Sun: 12:00–00:00

Facebook page

EU Cuisine @ Georgetown, Penang

I got to know about this restaurant through a colleague of mine who is a foodie. She loves her food and despite complaining of her expanding waistline, her love for food is undeniable and she still eat as usual. Haha.. Anyway, EU (you can pronounced it as "ee-yew" or "yew" but the correct pronunciation is "yew" as in the Chinese surname Eu) Cuisine serves Asian-European fusion food. Located at a quiet part of Georgetown, especially on weekends, Rangoon Road still hosts heritage houses and building. Surrounding EU cuisine is the popular foodcourt and also the famous Macalister Road steamboat. 

Mind you, parking along Rangoon Road or Abu Siti Lane or Lorong Selamat are marked as red zone means you gotta have some parking coupons ready even though it is the weekend or public holidays as red zone parking means coupons from morning until midnight. During our visit, we parked at Lorong Selamat (beside the famous and exorbitantly priced char koay teow by the aunty who wears a red buret) just a little bit off the little back alley that connects both Rangoon Road and Lorong Selamat. EU Cuisine is just walking distance from where we parked. 

Initially, we intended to book for a table on the 4th of May but through the tele-conversation with the member staff of the restaurant we got to know that they are having an official opening on the 1st of May. So, we booked for brunch at 10.30am and it was a gorgeous day for a trip to the island. We were greeted warmly by the staffs and the owner of the place and as we were led inside the restaurant, we were amazed by how well-groomed the interior are. EU Cuisine is in one of the heritage houses and the ceiling is so high that you could see the sky and also enjoy the feel of being inside one of the pre-war houses back in the 60s or 70s. 

All food are prepared and made to order. Such as this lovely bowl of sweet potato soup. 

Bacon and avocado cups. The best sashimi alternative that I've ever had. 

Top: Grilled chicken with vegetables. Bottom: Pan fried salmon with vegetables. 

They have posh names for their food and I couldn't remember any as it was 3 weeks ago now. But, yes, do capture their menu if you have the chance. For the price that you pay, akin to any midrange range restaurants, the portion is huge! We were stuffed for the rest of the day. Seriously. Most eateries these days charge high prices but with portion less than its price. 

My plate of rolled chicken with a generous portion of carrots and leafy greens salad. 

Water is served together with your meal so no worries if you didn't order any drinks. If you sign up as a member, you'll get 15% discount on the bill applicable only to ala carte menu. Their set lunch and dinner are commendable too as it is affordable and perfect for budget hunters. Do RSVP before you go especially for lunches and dinners on weekends. They served breakfast too and they are opened from 9am with afternoon breaks in between. 

EU Cuisine 
86, Rangoon Road,
10400 George Town, Penang
04-228 5128
Mon.-Sun. 12:00-15:00 (lunch)
Mon.-Sun. 18:00-22:00 (dinner)

Yella Fork @ Chow Thye Road, Penang

Yella!

Finally, an opportunity to check this place out with my fellow girl friends (and her spouse). Yella Fork is an Aussie-Asian fusion cafe set up by a fellow junior from school. He was in Melbourne, Australia for four year before settling in Penang and open up this forking place for fellow forkers in Penang. 

So, knowing the owner, this cafe attracted a lot of us from school. Classes from 1999, 2001, 2004 all came to show our support for Julian Ooi (the owner / the chef / the brain behind the menu / da boss) and his food! So, if you like fusion food as much as we do, why not drop by for lunch or dinner? The background music and song choices were good and without students, rest assured you can hear and speak without any problems. The level of noise is almost none. 

We visited Yella Fork yesterday and we came in 3 batches making us a group of 7. Located at Chow Thye Road (with an easier access from Tavoy Road or Service Road off Burmah Road, use Waze if you are unsure) and with neigbours like Monkeycup, Basement 6, That Little Wine Bar, Isaribi Tei, Jempul Tree etc, this area is packed with foodies especially during lunch hour in the weekdays and it is not as busy over the weekends. So, parking is a breeze if you drop by on Saturday afternoon. But, be sure to make a reservation before you go if you are coming in a group of more than 5 pax. 

The exterior and interior of Yella Fork

(L-R, clockwise from top) Presto soup, Roasted Crispy Pork Belly, Rasta Beefsta, BBQ Ribbing, Forking Kai, off the menu penne pasta with pesto, off the menu Rui Fang's spicy fix, nachos, rose latte and their signature dish right in the middle of the photo is Pie in the Sky!

The price of their meals are akin to those in Route 9 at Bishop Street whereby with an upgrade of RM7, you can get an appetizer of the day, soup of the day and a canned drink. If you wish to change the drinks, no problem. Just top up a few more ringgit for the drinks of your choice. So this was the flexible set meal whereby you can pick your own main course and just top it up with RM7 for a full 3 course meal. They have another set menu with fixed 4 main courses. At RM20, it comes with a soup of the day and a canned drink. With an extra RM3, you get your drink of your choice. So, this place is pocket and wallet friendly. The portion of food is huge and it is filling.

(L-R) Affogato Apple, Banana Fruuze, Poached Pear with ice cream and their dessert of the day menu

Their dessert is to die for especially the Affogato Apple. I am not a fan of coffee but I must say the warm cinnamon apple slices did compliment the coffee and ice cream very well. The coffee taste was just on the right dose and does not overkill the whole taste of the dessert. The chocolate chips in them did wonders too, giving it a bit of a crunch. A very nice ensemble of desserts and the poached pear is soft and not mushy. It was a clever idea to freeze the banana with some ice too! 

Overall dining experience with Yella Fork is good and we do look forward to their new menu in two weeks time. They have unique names for their food and the taste is different depending on how adventurous your taste palette is. Nonetheless it is the best rendezvous for schoolmate from CBW. I hope you guys will also have the same thoughts as us and have a friendly meal at Yella Fork.

Yella Fork
Address: 27A, Jalan Chow Thye, Georgetown Penang, Malaysia
Mobile: 011-1256 8528
Opening hours: 11:30 - 22:00 (with afternoon rest between the hours of 3pm to 5pm)
Facebook page
Parking: In front of the cafe or its surrounding. Limited. Be early to avoid disappointment.