KEN HUNTS FOOD: Next Stop @ 1st Avenue Mall, Penang.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Next Stop @ 1st Avenue Mall, Penang.

**Next Stop at 1st Avenue has ceased its operations until further notice but other outlets remain unchanged.**

Next Stop, a seafood/ fast food concept food outlet tucked within the building of 1st Avenue Mall which is quite eye-catchy to many due to its intriguing and attractive red bus design of the kiosk. Inspired by the Fish N Chips culture in England, Next Stop ought to serve simple yet delectable Fish N Chips, along with some of their signature nibbles; also, their Sorbets are something to die for. Free wifi and seats are available, making it a good place for tired shoppers to have a quick recharge or grab a quick snack to kill time before the movie starts. Next Stop is located at 8th floor (Cloud 8), right next to Stick Arts and opposite to Red Box Karaoke. Overall, I thought some of the dishes we had were just mediocre and some need some refinements, nevertheless, there are still some worth-trying dishes like their Crunchy Squid, Tempura Salmon Fingers and Sorbets.

Many Thanks for Next Stop for extending the invitation.

One of their best selling items- Next Fish Burrito (RM 8.90 ala-carte/ Rm 12.90 for set) came in wrapped with a Tortilla, along with a crispy Tilapia Fish Fillet, Lettuce, Tomatoes and completed with Mayonnaise and Salsa Sauce. Their home-made Mayonnaise is no ordinary Mayonnaise; specially crafted by them where an interesting twist of Bunga Kantan/ Torch Ginger being infused within the Mayonnaise, making it rather unique and stand out amongst the average. The Fish Fillet, on the other hand, was slightly over-cooked but fortunately, the texture for the Fish Fillet was firm and not crumbly to my liking, partnered with the zingy fresh greens, the portion can be as good as a meal itself.

On the other hand, I was not quite impressed with their Salmon Burger (Rm 9.90 ala-carte and with a slice of Cheese added) slathered with their Torch Ginger-infused Mayonnaise. Firstly, their Salmon Patty was slightly too thin and lacked of a bite to my liking, the patty was heavily seasoned with Herbs and Spices which I thought they were overpowering where my untrained taste buds could not detect any unique flavor of Salmon; which makes it no difference from any usual burgers. Moreover, the Bun was too thick and dry to my liking, it seems like the ratio of the burger is incorrectly formulated. I hope they are able to make some fine tune to the recipe.

Next Stop uses Wedges and Fries imported from New Zealand, their Cheesy Wedges (Rm 4.50) was interlaced with Torch Ginger-infused Mayonnaise and their very own Cheese Sauce with a hint of spiciness. Despite there were not any surprises in terms of taste, it does not let us down with the generous amount of sauce. Not a bad choice for a pre-movie nibble.

A slipshod in preparation caused the Tempura Fish Fillet (Rm 7 ala-carte/ Rm 12 for a set) to be rather oily. We suspected that the oil was not heated thoroughly before they dipped the Fillet in, nevertheless, we were not disappointed with the firm and meaty bite from the Alascan Pollock. The Fish Fillet is meant to be served with their Mayonnaise again... yes, I was a little bored with the Mayonnaise. I certainly do hope that they are able to serve freshly cut Lemon or Vinegar in the near future, at least the sourish tinge will whet up my appetite. Also, the serving portion for all of their Tempura Fish Fillet is fixed at a standard weight of 150 grams.

Hitting the top notch of the day was this Tempura Salmon Fingers (Rm 8.90) served with their home-made Mango Chili Sauce which completes the dish perfectly with its sweet and sour notes. The Mango flavor infused Chili Sauce is somewhat unique and rarely be seen nor found in Penang. We were told that the Chili Sauce can only be found in Thailand. The magical mix of their refreshing Mango Chili Sauce and crunchy-meaty Tempura Salmon Fingers is indeed a brilliant combination; deep-fried food lovers will find it hard to stop at one. Recommended.

Their Salt & Pepper Squid (Rm 7) is another worth-savoring item. If you are a fan of Tentacles, you may opt for their Crunchy Squid (Rm 6.50). A standard serving portion of 6 pieces, their Salt & Pepper Squids were well-cooked with the perfect texture- not rubbery with a slightly resilient in texture, albeit I found them veering to the salty side towards the end, these Squids can be a good nibble.

My heart goes to their well-chilled and refreshing Sorbets, something that dessert lovers should look for. Imported directly from South Africa, their Sorbets come in two sizes- Rm 5.90 and Rm 7.90. The difference in prices is due to the serving portion. We had Orange Sorbet (Rm 5.90) and Pineapple Sorbet (Rm 7.90) which came in fruity and refreshing with a sourish tinge as well as the natural sweetness inherited from the fruits, a perfect dessert to end the meal after some sinful indulgence. You may now satiate your cravings for ice cream/ sorbet without putting a dent in your wallet. Recommended.

Other flavors available are Passion Orange, Mango Orange, Lemon, Lemon Pom, Pina Colada, Coconut and Cocoa.