**This place has ceased its business operations**
Let's be frank, there are not many Hakka restaurants in town; while many Chinese restaurants do offer Hakka dishes, not many specialize in offering only Hakka delights. Lao Hakka is one of the few and has been around for many years, those who are in the know would have heard the name either from their main restaurant at Balik Pulau or the branch nestled in Penang Chinese Swimming Club. The latest branch at Hutton Lane does not have a clear signage that spells out the name but catchy enough to tell what type of food they are offering. The setting is casual and simple but the heat intolerant might be disappointed without the presence of air-conditioners. On the menu, it features fair number of authentic Hakka signature dishes as well as localized Malaysian delights.
Hakka Abacus 客家算盘子 (Rm 12)
Hakka Curry Sour Fish 客家咖喱酸鲨鱼 (Rm 30)
Hakka Rice Wine Chicken 客家黄酒鸡 (Rm 13)
Hakka Sour Pork Trotter 客家猪脚酸 (Rm 25)
Stir Fried Green Beans 乡味四季豆 (Rm 12)
We started our meal with a famous Hakka dish- Hakka Abacus, something like Yam Gnocchi... starchy and chewy. Lao Hakka's rendition was with a generous amount of dried Squid, minced Meat, dried Shitake Mushrooms, Coriander and Spring Onions. Flavor-combo was intimating but everything was precisely measured. We like the fact that the condiments possessed the right smoky fragrance to impart the Abacus an irresistible flavors. Equally delicious was the Hakka Rice Wine Chicken, served in a warm-boozy concoction, the Chicken was most tender while the Rice Wine-infused broth was expertly concocted. It carried the right balance of flavors- not too sweet nor bitter (the natural flavor from the Rice Wine) yet, preserving the boozy element. Other dishes did not disappoint either; though we were not blown away, we thought they were very much well-cooked.
Ratings:
Taste: 7.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Service: 6.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Price: 7.5/10 (1-3 expensive, 4-7 average, 8-10 cheap)
Parking: 6/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Ambiance: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Additional Information:
Address: 9, Jalan Hutton, 10050, Georgetown, Penang.
Business Hours: 11 am to 3 pm, 6 pm to 10 pm. Closed on Mondays.
Contact Number: 6012- 4677 099
Never had the chance to try that abacus dish, Foochow town here so we can't get those. Only one place selling lei cha once a week and many still do not know what it is.
ReplyDeleteI prefer restaurants with a strong focus.
ReplyDeleteThe Sour Pork Trotter is in orangy colour? Or just the lighting problem? What I normally have are in dark black hue.
ReplyDelete