KEN HUNTS FOOD: Tai Yi Taiwanese Restaurant 台壹腿库饭 @ Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Tai Yi Taiwanese Restaurant 台壹腿库饭 @ Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Tai Yi Taiwanese Restaurant 台壹腿库饭 has proven to be one of the popular dining spots in the neighborhood since its opening late last year. We are not surprised- affordably priced food items, delicious food and great services. The fully air-conditioned restaurant offers a Taiwanese menu, with a couple of uncommonly seen dishes (at least in Penang). The place is especially crowded on weekends, so do plan your visit accordingly.

Taiwanese Chicken Rice (Rm 12.90/ large)

Ma La Meat Ball Noodles (Rm 16.90)

Dumplings with Chili Oil (Rm 9.90)

Gyoza (Rm 7.90)

Taiwanese Pickles (Rm 6.90)

Ice Blended Red Bean Milk (Rm 8.90)

Not a common dish in Taiwanese restaurant (in Penang), but Tai Yi's Taiwanese Chicken Rice is one of the popular orders in the restaurant. It is not easy to dish out a delicious Taiwanese Chicken Rice, for the fear of the Chicken being overly dry in texture and the lack of flavor for the rice. Tai Yi did well, the rice is first seasoned with Soy Sauce (maybe a little sugar) and topped with Shallot Oil. Delicious on its own and even better their homemade Chili paste. The Ma La Meat Ball Noodle was very good too. The Noodles were first seasoned and dressed with Ma La Chili Oil, then topped with various toppings. It has the quintessential aroma and addictive kick. The sides were unfortunately less-exciting as compared to the mains. Personally I did not enjoy the Gyoza, I thought the Pork element was a little too bold with strong Pork stench. The Chili Oil Dumplings were fine though but nothing out of the ordinary. For the Pickles, we thought they were overly acidic. We made a good decision to end the meal with the Ice Blended Red Bean Milk by the way.