Today I went for one of the best dinners I've ever had. We went to Batu Ferringhi for dinner. The ambience and atmosphere there is great, and the food makes it even better. I love the simple wood chairs and tables, the lighting, small plants around and above you, and especially the plank floor. Very innovative. Anyway, my usual concentration is the food, so here we go.
Upon arriving at the terrace, I see a HUGE barbeque pit. There was already a fire going on, and durians were open (its durian season btw). After some drinks, the food start flowing. First, the chef had to heat up the roast lamb (a whole lamb), grill the fish, and heat the char-grilled vegetables. This is what we were served:
1. Whole lamb - with honey dijon mustard (sweet) and regular mint sauce (very fresh and tart)
Best part was the rib and the rarer cuts closer to the leg. (I shall have to do more research on different cuts of meat)
2. Potato salad - with what I think is horseradish (I could be wrong), chives, and lime
3. Corn - Grilled with parsley and butter
4. Chargrilled vegetables with lime juice - Brinjals, yellow brinjals (?), Zucchini
5. Mee siam
6. Fried rice - with cashew nuts
7. Lime and mint frostie - Nice, but I'm not a fan of fresh mint >.<
8. Special order - Angus beef soup (Also known as oxtail soup. lol)
9. DESSERT! - Movenpick Chocolate ice-cream.
10. Coffee - Capuccino and latte
The lamb was fantastic. Roasted for 4 hours with apples and potatoes, it was just nice and tender especially at the ribs and the leg. (HEAVEN!!!) The potato salad and the vegetables are as they usually are, good, but doesn't quite reach my idea of heaven (clearly, my idea of heaven involves meat). But I must say, the char-grilled veges were a first, as I've only ever seen them on TV (Jamie Oliver!). The mee siam was alright, a little heavy on the curry leaves, so I was slightly frightened by that; but the fried rice was quite good. Just the right balance between the sweetness of tomatoes and spiciness of the chillies. But then again, that wasn't the highlight.
Not being a big fan of fresh mint, the lime and mint frostie (which was meant as a special drink) didn't really take off with me. I really did enjoy it though, but when it started settling, and I started getting more of the mint, the drink stayed on the table. (sorry!) Next, the special order of Angus beef soup was fantastic! Best beef soup I've tasted so far. The meat was right on tender, fall of the bone, and the soup wasn't too watery, with a good amount of carrots and potatoes to become a dish on its own. But the final dish that really surprised me was the ice-cream.
It seems that calling the ice-cream a surprise would be an overstatement, but after encountering the Movenpick ice-cream stall in Gurney constantly running out of flavours, this was a refreshing difference. Firstly, the chocolate ice-cream on its own was really creamy and right off we could tell it had less air and more cream (i.e fat). BUT, instead of having just regular chocolate flavours, this version was FILLED with chocolate flakes. Which meant that every spoonful I took was filled with chocolate shavings. (Shudders with happiness) I even tried the Strawberry ice-cream, which was special on its own as well, because every spoonful was difference due to the mix of fresh strawberries.
The coffee deserves special mention too, mainly because of the mix of coffee beans, the method and the machine (Heh). Aside from mixing beans from entirely different places to get a perfect balance of taste and body (I was given a complete explanation on coffee, but that's for another time), there was the meticulous packing of the powder and foaming of milk. Everything had to be precise and it came with practise. But aside from the amazing skill of the "barista", there was also the coffee machine itself. That was a sight to behold. (At least for a food nerd like me) It was the Boncafe Rancilio Epoca Coffee system. Bright red, and HUGE. Complete explanation given about its size and all, but unncessary here. It was claimed to be the most sophisticated coffee machine in Penang (for the time being), and I'd believe them, because not many proprietors would be willing to spend such a sum on something that they usually make out of bags. However, it is the quality that counts. And I've always been a sucker for cool and modern equipment.
Overall, the best meal I've had so far (in terms of dining out and fusion/western food. My grandmother's doesn't quite count). The food was fantastically fresh, ambiance was good, the seating arrangement was interesting too. Great dinner. I was seated in quite a strange corner, so I didn't talk much. The spotlight of my night was the food. And food alone. Yay.
Note: The restaurant we went to was Ferringhi Garden. However, most of the items you saw on this "menu" isn't served during normal times, because of certain cost issues. However, their steaks and most items on the a la carte menu are equally well priced and good, so go for it.
P.s. I've just realised that this is a long post about food.... without any photos. Apologies for that, but I didn't bring a camera. No one did, except one person. I shall endeavour to get those photos.
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