KEN HUNTS FOOD: Launching of Plan B @ Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang.

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Launching of Plan B @ Gurney Paragon Mall, Penang.

The Big Group is making a come back at Gurney Paragon Mall, the previous location where Ben's was located is now taken over by Plan B... the second Plan B outlet in the state. The menu is exciting, with many new Western-Fusion dishes added but their desserts are the main pull factor. Not only they were attractively colorful, they were beautifully presented as well. Below were some of the dishes sampled during the launching party on 12 April evening....

Many Thanks to The Big Group for hosting us that evening.

Zucchini Spaghetini (Rm 22)

Pasta is a common dish in most cafes and restaurants but Plan B's rendition was a notch higher than others. The Zucchini Spaghetini may seem deceptively simple but the flavors were robust. The Spaghetti was carefully cooked to al-dente and tossed with Basils (both Thai Basil and sweet Basil) topped with slivers of Parmesan Cheese. Every bite of the dish was reasonably seasoned right on the spot. An extra slice of Lemon was given for those who prefers a touch of zing.

Asian Salmon Salad Rice Bowl (Rm 33)

Asian Salmon Salad Rice Bowl was a dish that deserves a round of standing ovation, it was THAT good. The magical mix of various elements was brilliantly thought-through; julienned Cabbage, Radish, Carrots, Edamame, Coriander, Avocado (coated with toasted Black & White Sesames) and a slab of well-seared Smoked Salmon. We mixed everything in the bowl as well as the dressing. Everything amalgamated perfectly, the Avocado provided the creaminess to the dish while the greens were the crunchy and juicy element and together with the push of Coriander as well as the smoky Fish, the combination was heaven-made. Most recommended.

Skin on Fries (Rm 9)

To share, Skin on Fries (Rm 9) might be contenting option for you. It comes in a humongous portion with 3 different types of expertly crafted dipping sauces- Singapore Chili, Lime Mayonnaise and Salted Egg. Amongst the 3 types of dipping sauces, Singapore Chili stood out and left us with the strongest impression. It was somewhat akin to those sweet Singapore Chili Crab sauce (sans the Crabs of course); we reckon the sweet-nature of the sauce attracted our palate the most (we are Asians after all). Salted Egg was alright, the salty essence was there but the fragrance was not as robust as we would have hoped. The Lime Mayonnaise paled in comparison with the earlier two options.

Spring Field Donut (Rm 16/ front)/ Jaffa Cake (Rm 15/ middle)

Black Forest Pavlova (Rm 18)

We got excited by just looking at the vibrant-varicolored pastries and cakes. During the launching party, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to sample their Spring Field Donut, Jeffa Cake and Black Forest Pavlova. The first one was Poppy Seed Cake jeweled with Icing Sugar (in Pink hue) and garnished with candies. The texture was somewhat dry and we did not find it outstanding. Jeffa Cake was probably the best amongst all 3 types of cakes we had. In the middle, it had a flowing Chocolate "lake" and the cake was moist. The flavor was great with a bold tangy Orange-flavor; though veering towards the sweeter side, we thought it was cleverly done. Pavlova was as usual... sweet but the toppings were toothsome. We were especially happy with the juicy, pulpy sweetened Cherries and Chocolate Brownies met our expectations for being moist and chocolaty. All these are most suitable for those with a sweet tooth.