KEN HUNTS FOOD: Tastes5 @ Noordin Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Tastes5 @ Noordin Street, Georgetown, Penang.

A new comer to the Penang food scene- Tastes5 at Noordin Street offers a Pasta-focused menu. It's easy to miss the cafe... there is no obvious or showy signage but a simple, wooden one that flashes out the name. Many would miss the place wondering what it could potentially offer. But once you are in, you will be amazed by the well-preserved Penang heritage house with minor touch up on the interior... simple but minimalist-kinda elegance. Mind you, it gets a little warm in sultry hot afternoon though there are air-conditioners everywhere. Prices are slightly on the higher side if you must know.

Red Pepper Casher (Rm 23)

Arrabiata (Rm 18)

Carbonara (Rm 21)

Peri Peri Chicken (Rm 20)

We had 3 Pasta dishes- Arrabiata, Red Pepper Casher and Carbonara. We were confused as the Arrabiata served was not a Tomato-based dish but in fact, served with a Sunny Side Up and some Anchovies... almost like a Nasi Goreng Kampung, except swapping Rice with Spaghetti. Taste-wise, it was rather flat and the Anchovies were totally out of the picture. Like-wise, the Red Pepper Casher was also a monotonous dish. It has a hint of roasted Pepper aroma but it gets flatter as it goes on. We had no idea why the Cashew Nuts were there except for the nutty texture; we'd definitely prefer something else to add on (to the flavors and texture).

The Carbonara on the other hand, was delicious. The Spaghetti was cooked right with rich and creamy sauce. The introduction of fresh Shitake Mushrooms added a sleek earthy flavor to the dish while the addition of fresh Parsley cuts through the creaminess of the sauce and introduced a refreshing herbaceous flavor to it. Ironically, their non-Pasta dish, the Peri Peri Chicken worked for us. We thought the Chicken Breast was beautifully marinated and the home-made hot sauce was spot on. If we must nitpick, we'd prefer changing the Fries with fresh greens... it's meant to be a healthy dish no? (the Fries were not up to far anyway).