KEN HUNTS FOOD: Emperor Villa 帝来山庄 @ Sungai Ara, Bayan Lepas, Penang.

Friday, June 4, 2021

Emperor Villa 帝来山庄 @ Sungai Ara, Bayan Lepas, Penang.

A popular hiking trail amongst the Penang hikers, a hiking trail that leads to a place known as Emperor Villa 帝来山庄 (via Fig Tree Hill). The hiking trail has been there for quite some time but recently gained its popularity due to the quaint, attractive decor at Emperor Villa (around 45-minute walk from the entrance of the hiking trail). While the place is picturesque, the food is equally alluring. Imagine being rewarded a scrumptious meal after shedding off some sweat. The menu is pretty small- featuring the usual Hainanese Breakfast Toasts (with Soft Boiled Eggs and Coffee), some stir-fried noodles and some fried snacks. The prices are slightly higher than average but given that the place is quite remote, the price points are well-justified (and the food is delicious). To reach Emperor Villa, you will need to enter from Jalan Kenari- between Regency Heights Condominium and Sri Subramaniar Temple Sungai Ara.

Char Bee Hoon (Rm 15)

Char Hor Fun (Rm 15)

Breakfast Set- Soft Boiled Eggs/ Hainanese Kaya Butter Toasts/ Black Coffee (Rm 5.90)

We were pretty shocked to find the Char Bee Hoon being priced at Rm 15 per portion but we were soon being convinced over the superior quality. Unlike the economy Char Bee Hoon, Emperor Villa cooks their Vermicelli Noodles as per order. We had it twice and both experiences were positive- full of Wok Hei and reasonably seasoned (with some Pork Lards in it). The texture was lovely, good on its own but even better with the addition of their home-made Sambal for the extra Chili kick. The Char Hor Fun was equally delicious, the Wok Hei was there but the real draw was the silky smooth Egg gravy; the accompanying home-made Sambal did add some marks to the dish as well. As for the Breakfast Set- the classic combo of Soft Boiled Eggs and Hainanese Kaya Butter Toasts was nothing out of the ordinary.