YONNY 鱼你 @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

The Penang debut of YONNY 鱼你 at Icon City (and Gurney Plaza) brings this multi-branch Malaysian chain to Icon City with a focused concept built around Suan Cai fish, making it a convenient fix when those tangy, comforting cravings hit. The menu is particularly approachable for solo diners, with single-portion options that still feel satisfyingly generous for the price, keeping things firmly in wallet-friendly territory. While the concept is straightforward rather than expansive, it delivers exactly what it sets out to do—a quick, fuss-free stop for a hearty bowl without stretching the budget. 

Macau Street Cha Chan Ting 澳门街茶餐厅 @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

More like a family restaurant at Icon City, Macau Street Cha Chan Ting 澳门街茶餐厅 does not only dish out Macau or Hong Kong-inspired dishes; the Chinese restaurant also churns out local Malaysian delights. It has a big menu to offer making it suitable for all age range- from appetizers, to noodle/ rice dishes, stir fries or even desserts. The price points are affordable and importantly, the dishes commensurate with the prices. It is also worth mentioning that there are ample seatings available, and the restaurant is able to accommodate big groups of diners (the restaurant occupies 2 floors).

Many Thanks to Macau Street Cha Chan Ting for hosting us.

Jin Wu Men Restaurant 金五们 @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Jin Wu Men Restaurant 金五们 is one of the latest additions to Icon City at Bukit Mertajam... occupying a big space on the upper floor unit. The menu is in fact simple and straight-forward... offering fish noodles with a variety of toppings to be added. Apart from the classic broth, there are options like Tomato soup, Mala and Milky soup etc. While most toppings are nothing out of the ordinary, some can be quite interesting and uncommon. The prices however, are on the steeper side and offer lesser value in return. The place is comfortable though, if you don't mind paying a little more.

"Chiak" All-You-Can, Live Station Buffet @ Iconic Hotel, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

In such sensitive times like now... with the pandemic situation going on certain, social distancing seems like a nuisance but it is definitely necessary. Restaurants and hotels are making extra effort to ensure diners are dining in a safe environment. Iconic Hotel is one of the many hotels that are going the extra mile to ensure all guidelines are complied- tables are well distanced (the space can now host up to 60 diners at any one time), dining utensils are individually wrapped and sealed. The hotel's buffet section was closed earlier but after months of preparation, they have recently rolled out "Chiak" All-You-Can, Live Station Buffet. Available on every Friday and Saturday (from 7 pm to 10 pm) at their in-house restaurant, the buffet features a wide range of local dishes and international delights (Japanese delicacies, Chinese stir-fries, Seafood-On-Ice etc). This buffet promotion is expected to run from now until October 2020. For Ken Hunts Food's followers, you may receive 15% discount by quoting "CAYCIKH" (promotion is valid for the month of August 2020 only and limited to the first 30 pax).

Many Thanks to Iconic Hotel for hosting us.

Seafood Platter

[Seafood On Ice] Flower Crabs/ Mussels

[Seafood On Ice] Prawns

Sashimi Platter

Japanese-Styled Appetizers- Sweet Beancurd/ Sweet Omelette/ Edamame/ Baby Octopus/ Jellyfish/ Seasoned Scallop Wings/ Seasoned Clam Meat

Salad Bar- Garden Salad/ Chicken Caesar Salad/ Wafu Mushroom Salad

Start the feast by having some Seafood On Ice- Prawns, Scallops, Flower Crabs and Mussels are some of the items not to be missed. In addition to the Seafood feast, go for the Sashimi platter- choose between Salmon Sashimi, Tuna Sashimi or Octopus (or all). To make it more extensive, the hotel also prepares small Japanese-styled appetizers... which are not common in other buffets. 

[Chef's Specialty/ 1 serving per guest] Buddha Jump Over The Wall

[Ala-Carte Menu] Sambal Seafood Petai

[Ala-Carte Menu] Wok Fried Prawns With Cereal

[Ala-Carte Menu] Braised Mushroom with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

[Ala-Carte Menu] Various Hot Dishes

[Deep Fried Dishes] Spicy Squid Tentacles/ Sweet Potato Fries/ Takoyaki Balls/ Tempura Prawns/ Fried White Bait/ Tempura Soft Shell Crab

[Grilled Dishes] Salmon and Mackerel with Teriyaki Sauce/ Oyster Mushroom with Teriyaki Sauce/ Yakitori/ Grilled Shishamo

There are plenty of selection when it comes to main dishes. One of the most unique features of "Chiak" All-You-Can, Live Station Buffet is the limited quantity of Chef's Specialty... in which a voucher will be given to each diner and the voucher is to redeem for ONE special dish of the day (each diner is limited to one serving, no repeat order). The Chef's Specialty dish is on a constant change so the surprise factor is there. Apart from the live action stalls which serve Fried goods, Roasted meat and Sashimi; there is an ala-carte menu that allows diners to have unlimited servings. Notable dishes on the menu are Curry Salmon Fish Head, Braised Beef Brisket with White Radish, Herbal Salt Baked Chicken, Sambal Seafood Petai, Wok Fried Prawns with Cereals etc.

Petit Four

Durian Tarts

Merry Me Ice Cream

Fresh Fruits

Beverages

Finish your meal with their specially crafted desserts, even better if you are a big fan of Durian. Iconic Hotel owns their very own Durian farm and supplies. With the King of Fruit is in season, the buffet sees a range of Durian desserts... from Durian Tarts to Durian Cakes or even Durian sweet soup (served with Coconut Milk). These are of course, in addition to the usual dessert range. Ice Cream lovers would be glad to know that Iconic Hotel offers "Merry Me" Ice Cream- a proud Penang brand that is known to offer many unusual but delicious Ice Cream flavors. 

Additional Information:

Pork-Free

Address: 71, Jalan Icon City, Bukit Tengah, 14000, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Contact Number: 604- 505 9988

Website: www.iconichotel.com.my

Nomad Cafe @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

The Poke Bowl fandom continues to explode... with a new Poke Bowl-focused cafe opening at Icon City. Nomad Cafe... the new kid on the block, has a menu suitable for the health-concerns. Not only Poke Bowls are on offer but an array of healthy brunch options as well. To place order for the Poke Bowls, simply take the leaflet from the ordering counter and tick your preferred ingredients. Notable highlights include Soba Noodles and Zucchini Noodles... for those who seek to reduce carbohydrates intake. Generally speaking, serving portion seems to be small at Nomad Cafe but if you are game for some healthy brunch options and a comfortable dining space, give this place a try.

Sweetful Desserts 食糊 by MMI @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

A sweet addition to Icon City is Sweetful Desserts 食糊 by MMI, the place has been vying for attention over social media due to its colorfully attractive Hong Kong-styled interior decor. The menu offers similar theme... Hong Kong-styled dishes and sweet treats. Though more like a place for desserts, Sweetful Desserts also offers a main menu... some Hong Kong-influenced noodle and rice dishes as well as an array of Hong Kong street food and snacks. Prices are of standard-average but we reckon the place is more suitable for after-meal desserts than absolute meal.

Shunju Japanese Cuisine @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Taking over Tokyo Kitchen at Icon City is Shunju Japanese Cuisine... there is not much change in terms of interior and exterior decor but there are some new additions to the menu. Like its predecessor, the Japanese restaurant offers a big Japanese menu... from appetizers, Sashimi, Sushi, Yakimono, Nabe, and various Set meals. Prices are on the steeper side though. 

Tairyo Japanese Restaurant @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Debuted in late 2018, Tairyo Japanese Restaurant occupies a prominent lot of Iconic Hotel at Icon City. The Japanese restaurant positioned itself as one of the places for premium Japanese food... the menu is overwhelmed with Japanese delights, from the usual Japanese starters to Don, Noodle dishes, Nabe, premium Bento sets or even seasonal offerings freshly imported from Japan. Seating is generally comfortable... diners get to choose the standard dining tables or the tatami-seating (reservation required); one of the decent places for Japanese food in the neighborhood. 

CO- @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

A new comer, CO- at Icon City seeks to up the dining ante of the food and beverage scene at Bukit Mertajam area... offering finer dining options for the consumers in the neighborhood. The name does not paint a picture on what it could potentially offer and the exterior decor is certainly minimalist but if you approach the main entrance, you will find the menu on display. The menu changes every quarterly... with prix fixe menu as well as a small list of ala-carte dishes. Like its exterior, the interior adapts the same minimalist-elegance with well-spaced tables... offering sufficient privacy for diners to enjoy their meals. Prices are mid-high range but the quality commensurate with the prices. Though unlikely a place for casual meal, this place is definitely worth a look for occasions. 

Crumbles & Cream @ Iconic Hotel, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

While there is no shortage for dessert spots in Icon City, Bukit Mertajam but the in-house restaurant of Iconic Hotel- Crumbles & Cream should not be forsaken. With a name like Crumbles & Cream, one would assume that the place rolls out a dessert-focused menu... though that is not completely wrong, the place does have an interesting savory-main menu. Flip the menu open and the first page is good enough to give you toothache... with a vast selection of sweet treats, Afternoon Tea promotions and colorful cakes on the display fridge. But as you going through the menu carefully, you will notice the mains are equally attractive. The place has undergone a major refurbishment lately and since its reopening, the place has been under the limelight due to its chic, feminine interior decor.

Many Thanks to Iconic Hotel for hosting us.

BBQ Bar (串越時光) @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

A new addition to Icon City, BBQ Bar takes barbecue to a new height. Set in an igloo-like atmosphere, the barbecue restaurant adopts new technology in the aid of barbecuing the meat.... automatic-rotating barbecue machine. The carefully chosen Charcoal plays an important role as well... even temperature with minimal smoke. This allows the meat to be cooked evenly and thoroughly... not forgetting the thrill of barbecuing your own meal. The brand is established in Klang Valley and this is their first branch in Penang. Apart from barbecue, diners can opt for steamboat as well; the menu covers both and offers a wide variety of meats, seafood and vegetables. Prices are generally on the higher side but they do commensurate with the quality.

MQL Steamed Hotpot (冞麒麟蒸汽火锅) @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam.

With the concerns over healthy lifestyle, hotpot devotees have found their way out and now, steamed hotpot seems to be the rage. The idea was started in China- heating the distilled water produces heat to cook the food, there will be a dish at the bottom of the pot to collect the water vapor and essence of the steamed food. MQL Steamed Hotpot is first of its kind at Icon City, Bukit Mertajam. The idea is to serve the food in its unadulterated best, without adding additional seasonings or flavors to the food. Foods are steamed dish by dish on the table, with a fixed sequence (with induction stove fit seamlessly onto the table). The trained servers will advise the sequence as well as the cooking time. Seasonings and marination are minimal so diners get to enjoy the natural flavors of the ingredients. Guests can choose from different set menus but each set combo is carefully paired with balanced elements; the fully air-conditioned restaurant is most suitable for family dinners. MQL can be found on the 2nd floor, right above St. Espresso at Icon City, Bukit Mertajam.

Many Thanks to MQL Steamed Hotpot for hosting us that evening.

Birds Nest Secret (燕之密) @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Bird's Nest... a prized Chinese delicacy that symbolizes wealth and social status, can now be enjoyed in the form of modern desserts in the newly opened Birds Nest Secret, Icon City. It is also believed to carry medicinal effects and does wonders to the skin... making it extremely popular amongst the ladies whom seek for flawless skin or to preserve their age. Birds Nest Secret is a cafe that specializes in offering bird's nest... more so in the form of sweet treats. Both the interior and exterior decor are swanky and modern, presented in shades of sparkling gold and a touch of wood; popular seats are often taken up during peak hours, if a table with picturesque background concerns you, do make your reservation early. The selection is wide but comes with hefty price tags. Given the taxing price rates, we are not too sure if this is a place that we'd like to make a visit... more for novelty experience.

Gelato @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

A relative new comer in the local gelato scene, this gelaterie serves some of the most imaginative gelato flavors (more than 20 flavors in total) that you can potentially find, with some exquisite flavors uniquely to Penang. Find familiar flavors like Pistachio, Vanilla, Matcha, Chocolate, Strawberry and more unusual offerings like Umbra, Durian, Bread, Biscotti etc. Long line of crowd was seen over the weekend and don't be surprised if you need to wait for a while, there is always a crowd during hot afternoons. The two-story gelatorie has ample seats but the unfortunate might need to climb a flight of stairs to reach the second floor. If you are looking for something more substantial, Gelato offers a series of sweet treats too (such as Pancakes, Waffles etc). 

The Will's Brasserie @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

The Will's Brasserie can be easily stereotyped as the conventional-boring Western food in the neighborhood, at least both the interior and exterior decor did not convince us but if you were to study the menu thoroughly, you will find that it's actually a place offering premium steak cuts and seafood. There's a display fridge at the end of the restaurant where ambitious meat eaters can pick their preferred cuts and pay according to the weight of the meat (same goes to Seafood). Premium products such as Wagyu Beef, Angus Beef, New Zealand Lamb Loin, Lobster and Cod are available (no, they don't come at the prices that you would want to pay for a casual-regular meal) while the budget-watchers can opt for the pasta and poultry dishes on the menu. The Will's Brasserie is located in front of Iconic Hotel at Icon City.

Tomyam (东炎) Town @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

The name "Tomyam Town" paints a picture, the place should not be new to Tom Yum devotees, the brand is well-established in the township of Bukit Mertajam. One of Tomyam Town's branches is located at Icon City, where clamoring crowd can be easily noticed during evenings on weekends. The restaurant adopts "help yourself" style- all possible ingredients are displayed right in front of the counter and diners are to pick their preferred ingredients to be added into the noodle-dish (though variety is limited to processed food mostly, with some frozen Seafood). Impossible to tell the prices but from our experience, it seems like the prices are reasonable and may not cause a dent on the wallet. 

Young Sheng Hot Pot (养生火锅) @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

"Yang Sheng" is a healthy regime or a belief by Chinese where certain combination of food could complement each other and maximize the health benefits. Combining the right types of food could boost the body's absorption of nutritions. Young Sheng Hot Pot at Icon City, Bukit Mertajam applies the food synergy theory on their offering- dishes are meticulously paired with different ingredients to optimize health benefits. The restaurant presents their food in the the form of Hot Pot and boiled Soup. The offering is limited but more than good enough to satisfy all range of diners. Young Sheng Hot Pot can be found on the first floor, on top of Baby Sumo at Icon City.

Circle N Square Dining @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

French Crepe is underappreciated here in Penang, we do not have a lot of French Crepe specialists around but recently, there's another member joining the clamoring F&B scene at Icon City, Bukit Mertajam. Circle N Square Dining's menu is French Crepe-focused, not only sweet ones but savory as well (more of a dessert cafe in lieu of full-fledged restaurant). While the menu is small, some of the flavors are fun and creative; at least not the ubiquitous Crepe Suzette. The cafe's on first floor so you will need to find your way up; the space is clean and bright with simple setting. On our visit, they seemed to take quite some time to serve our orders. Unique flavors and fun to eat but some fine-tuning is still required.

Thonglor @ Icon City, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Thonglor, one of the most hipstery and vibrant places at Bangkok, Thailand; a restaurant with similar name has recently opened in Icon City, Bukit Mertajam. It did not surprise us when it was revealed to be Thai restaurant. Thonglor has a fantastic options for Thai cuisine, featuring a wide selection of quintessential Thai eats (the usual Tom Yum, Thai Salad, Thai Stir Fry dishes etc). The interior decor is cozy and the brilliantly spaced; the cement tables were huge and accommodating, there are large tables that could easily fit in more than 10 diners. Prices are wallet-friendly so you need not worrying the cost of the meal would burst your wallet. While not all dishes we had were outstanding, we were keen to check out some other Thai dishes they can offer. When you are in the mood for some saliva-stimulating Thai food, be sure to check the place out. 

Rakkii Izakaya @ Icon city, Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Arriving late for lunch at Icon City might get you into trouble as most restaurants are closed after 2:30 pm, though they will reopen for dinner at 6 pm. Rakkii Izakaya seems deceivingly quiet from outside, had we not entered the place to check it out, we would not know that they serve Set Lunch.  The name "Izakaya" gives an impression that the place opens in the evening and serves light snacks to go with the alcohols; in fact, Rakkii Izakaya is a Japanese-Fusion restaurant that serves full-fledged menu covering Appetizers, Ramen, Mains (Japanese Rice dishes) and even desserts. The setting is spacious and the decors are Japanese-influenced with a huge bar counter displaying various Japanese-Sake bottles. The menu may put you off with hefty prices but as far as quality is concerned, they are quite good at it.