Saturday, November 19, 2011

James Foo Western Food @ Fettes Park, Penang.

If you happened to pass by the area, you would have noticed that there is always a long queue at James Foo Western Food especially during weekends. James Foo Western Food is a restaurant that serves mainly western cuisine at a very affordable and economical price. It is located along Jalan Fettes, right beside the famous Fatty Chicken Rice (Tua Pui Loh Kay Pui). James Foo has always been a well-known place/restaurant for local patrons especially when it comes to cheap and good Western Food. It has moved to this new building since few years ago (I was not too sure about the old place since I do not patronize the area frequently) and it has its own car park since then. The car park, however, can only fits less than 10 cars. You would have to park at the car park located exactly opposite to the restaurant or the housing area behind. The restaurant has quite a lot of variety to offer but most of them are either grilled or deep-fried, so its quite unfriendly for those health-conscious patrons. Unfortunately the restaurant does not provide set meals too, as in it comes in a complete set of an entree, main course and a dessert. Everything in James Foo Western Food must be ordered in Ala-Carte. The best part is everything comes in Net Price (no government tax and service charge).

Potato Salad (Rm2.50). A very impressive appetizer indeed. The portion was just alright considering the price and it was just a salad. The texture and taste were just nice to suit my taste buds as in the correct amount of mayonnaise used complemented well with the brilliantly used onion rings and lettuce which created a very unique texture with the potatoes.

Mix Grilled (Rm16). The set consists of a slice of bacon, beef, lamb, a sausage and a pan-fried egg. The portion was considered to be quite big considering the price. The meat were successfully maintained to a level which they still possessed a juicy and tender texture. Its definitely a set that suits big eaters like me. Taste-wise, I find it quite common and nothing special enough nor worth of mentioning.

On the other hand, the side dishes were disappointing. They are rather insincere in serving side dishes. Every single side dish keeps repeating in every dish, some french fries, a bun, green peas and some fresh greens. It would be ideal if they could have served some Coleslaw or Mashed Potato. Moreover, the french fries lose its crispiness and crunchiness in a glimpse of eye.

The portion of their Grilled Sirloin Steak (Rm20) had let me down. The portion was way too far from what i was expecting. The steak was supposed to cook at the Medium Well condition but it turned out to be well done instead. Thus, the texture turned rough and does not even hold the juiciness of the steak. Sauce-wise, was pretty common as well. Given two choices, between Mix Grilled and Grilled Sirloin Steak, I would definitely aim for the Mix Grilled.

Their Chicken Maryland (Rm9.50) comes in a huge portion, it includes a piece of ham, a sausage and a deep-fried banana fritter as well. The lightly battered chicken was very juicy and tender despite the fact that it was being deep fried. I find it a bit too dry, it would be much better if some gravy can be given to complement the chicken. It works well with some Tartar sauce. My way of enjoying such crispy and crunchy Chicken Maryland is to wrap the chicken (spread with some Tartar sauce) with a lettuce to gain the refreshing feel and to get rid of the oiliness.

Chicken Gorden Bleu (Rm10) was total worth of every single penny, just look at the gigantic piece of chicken. Place your cutlery over the chicken and simply slice down, you would have noticed the generous amount of cheese oozing out immediately. The chopped sausages can be clearly seen as well. Unlike Chicken Maryland, Chicken Gorden Bleu has some gravy topped on it. The moist and cheesy flavor chicken meat is definitely something you do not want to miss ! Recommended.

The prices of their drinks are very reasonable as well. They are ranging from around Rm2 to Rm5, depending on your orders. If you are really thirsty and are desperate to quench your thirst, you can opt for the jumbo sized fruit juices as well, which basically suits for 2 person. Couples might find it interesting to try. The watermelon juice (jumbo size) we tried was Rm6 per cup.


Ratings:
Taste: 6.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Service: 6.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Price: 7/10 (1-3 expensive, 4-7 average, 8-10 cheap)
Parking: 6.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Government Tax: No
Service Charge: No

Additional Information:
Address: 21-A, Jalan Fettes, Fettes Park, 11200 Penang. (beside Fatty Loh Chicken Rice)
Business Hour: 5:00pm to 11:30pm, Closed on every Monday.
Contact Number: 012- 438 3671 (Please note that James Foo Western Food does not take any reservation, they are based on first come first serve basis, do try to go earlier to avoid the queue especially during weekends or public holidays).
James Foo Western Food's Facebook Page
Jalan Fettes, 11200 Tanjong Bungah, Penang

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