KEN HUNTS FOOD: The Fat Duck Cafe @ Kinta Lane, Georgetown, Penang.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

The Fat Duck Cafe @ Kinta Lane, Georgetown, Penang.

** This cafe has since, ceased its operations.**

At the end of the one-way road- Kinta Lane, opposite to Hotel Sentral Georgetown; The Fat Duck Cafe is a newly opened cafe cum gallery. The cafe serves Western food mainly, with a few choices of their home-made cakes as well as sandwiches. The interior decoration of the cafe is simple and minimalist, with some paintings by the owner adorning the walls and soft music as background. It does not use any fancy or sophisticated-looking tables, but rather a few simple ones. Prices are certainly on the higher side but the place could remain as one of the places for occasions on my list. The service, however, could need some improvements. No one was there to serve me when I was in the cafe and it took them quite sometime to hand me their menu and serve me. The cafe recently rolled out their new Set Meal at Rm 36 (with prevailing government tax) and I thought it was rather tempting and I decided to have a try. No, not that the taste was below par but rather, I thought it was a little pricey for a set amounting to nearly Rm 40 after tax...... For ala-carte orders, the menu can be found over their Facebook Page.

For starter, I opted for their Fat Duck Signature Salad, Smoked Duck Breast, Croutons, Cherry Tomatoes and Feta Cheese served over a bed of Fresh Greens. It was stated on the menu that the Salad includes Walnuts; the absence of Walnuts has certainly deducted some marks. The combination was alright, everything was fresh, the Croutons were crispy either but I thought it was a little dry to my liking. It could be better if they could serve a very simple Balsamic dressing over the Fresh Greens for the acidic tilt to whet up diners' appetites. Other option for starter include Creamy Mushroom Soup.

Grilled Spiced Chicken and Fruity Spicy Sauce was my choice for main that day. Well-executed Chicken served on a bed of Cauliflowers and Broccoli, Wedges and a fresh Tomato. I must concur that the Chicken was perfectly done, with a remarkable depth of flavor. It has a hint of Turmeric and of course, some other Herbs and Spices that my untrained taste buds could not discerned, drenched over the tangy-hot Sauce. It was somewhat similar to what I had at Zest Cafe at Glow, and yes, the set lunch was half the price. Also, I thought the sauce was a little thicker to my liking. Other alternatives for main are Luxury Fisherman's Pie, Kansas City Ribs & Roasted Pineapple Salsa and Pan Fried Fish with White Wine Sauce.

Sweet ending was Cake of the Day/ Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese. The cake comes in a substantial portion which could be good enough for two. It was ethereal and probably the best dish I had that day. It was soft, moist and beautifully spread with layers of Cream Cheese. It was a taste bud charmer, with an indelible sweetness but not excessively so; eat with the fresh Goose Berries for the tangy fruity tinge to balance the flavor, a pleasingly delectable dessert to end the meal. For other cakes, diners can have a preview from the refrigerated cake counter and all cakes are baked by the Chef himself.