KEN HUNTS FOOD: The Chambers [Hotel. Restaurant] @ Penang Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

The Chambers [Hotel. Restaurant] @ Penang Street, Georgetown, Penang.

The reconstructed and refurbished building of the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC) is finally ready and a new spade of tenants have moved in the century-old building. One of the notable ones would be none other than The Chambers, a hotel with a restaurant nestled within. The entrance to the restaurant can be found on Penang Street, instead of Light Street or King Street. Traipse yourself up to the second floor and you will arrive at a seemingly quiet and curious place. The restaurant has a classy setting- Chinese decoration with Chandelier, in shades of wooden beam. Traces of antique cabinets, chairs, even Mahjong table can also be seen. On the menu, it gives diners an idea that The Chambers proffers modern fusion dishes, with a Nyonya touch, evidently seen from dishes like Tu Tor Th'ng/ Pig Stomach Soup, Joo Hoo Char/ Stir Fried Cuttlefish with Jicama etc. On the top floor, there's an al-fresco dining area overlooking Padang Kota Lama, and is especially suitable for gatherings on evenings.

We were introduced to Chef Jo's special- Stewed Oxtail with Dark Beer and Tomatoes served on Mashed (Rm 28), one of the signature dishes at The Chambers. The presentation was somewhat different to what I was expecting. I was anticipating the entire deboned Stewed Oxtail to serve on a bed of Mashed but it turned out to be bits of Stewed Oxtail instead of one whole piece. The flavors were good, sweetness from the Vege and Red Meat, boozy unique aroma from the Beer; well-balanced with Spices and Herbs. The Mashed was delectable and it worked perfectly well with the Stewed Oxtail, dovetailing each other perfectly. If I were to nitpick, I would prefer Chef to brighten the peppery flavor of the dish, giving the dish a more layered dimension.

We were more than excited to try one of the famous dishes from Hong Kong- "Kon Chau Ngau Hor"/ Stir Fried Flat Rice Noodles with Beef (Rm 18.90). It comes in a hearty portion, evenly coated with a dark Brown hue. Inevitably greasy but the Hor Fun possessed the quintessential "wok hei" and was reasonably seasoned. Beef slices were tender and they were very generous with the serving. However, we were not quite impressed with the "messy" Lettuce-Tomato presentation.

Pumpkin lovers will be amazed by Roasted Pumpkin Ginger Cream Soup (Rm 10), a sleek of Pumpkin-sweetness underlies every sip on the rich and thick concoction. Together on the serving was two slices of fresh and fluffy Sourdough. However, we thought the pungent characteristics of Ginger were rather soft and quiet, as though it never existed. Still a good starter to kick off the meal nevertheless.