Besides eating local street food on Penang’s numerous hawker centers and small eateries, we also got to try out a few restaurants serving international dishes on the island. This is usually when we go out with Blissfulguro’s uncle and aunt who actually lives in Penang. Since they’re really not too keen on street food, to the malls and restaurants we usually go.
SIGI’S BAR & GRILL ON THE BEACH BY SHANGRI-LA
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| EATING OUT AT PENANG’S BATU FERRINGHI BEACH |
On a daytrip to Penang’s famous Batu Ferringhi Beach, we dropped by Shangri-La Golden Sands for lunch. Their beachfront restaurant, Sigi’s Bar & Grill, serves authentic Italian dishes and is a favorite haunt for BG’s uncle and aunt.
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| SIGI’S BAR & GRILL BY THE BEACH AT SHANGRI-LA GOLDENSANDS PENANG |
The restaurant has a sunset view of the beach and has both air-conditioned dining hall, a rooftop eating area, and al fresco tables that connects directly to the beach. We, of course, went for the beach tables.
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| ANTIPASTI FOR TWO ~ MYR 28.00 |
Italian fares soon filled our table; bruschetta 28, antipasti, bolognese, lasagna, and pizza. A bit of disclaimer, I’m not really a fan of Italian cuisine, so I’m really not the best judge for these food.
For starters, the Traditional Bruschetta, the slices of toasted baguette topped with chopped tomatoes, basic, and garlic was just okay for me. The Antipasti For Two, was totally not my cup of tea.
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| SUPERB BOLOGNESE ~ MYR 48.00 |
Next up are the pasta. I personally ordered the Superb Bolognese, I think it was actually really good if you’re into Italian food, but I’m not really into sour tasting tomato-based pasta dishes, so it’s a no for me. Their Layers Of Love, which is lasagna with beef and Mornay sauce, is better suited for my taste buds—it’s a big yes for me.
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| LAYERS OF LOVE ~ MYR 45.00 |
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| THE GODFATHER PIZZA ~ MYR 50.00 |
And finally, their Godfather Pizza—beef pepperoni, chicken sausage, grilled chicken strips, and ground beef, mixed with onions, olives, and mozzarella on a thin crust. A big big yes. It is satisfyingly good.
ROCKAFELLERS AT STRAITS QUAY
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| THE STRAITS QUAY MARINA IN PENANG |
One of the best meals we had when it comes to restaurants in Penang was at Rockafellers at Straits Quay Marina—they also have a branch at Georgetown which I think is more of a bar than a food place. The restaurant has a premium location along the seafront at the Straits Quay Retail Marina, an upscale mall in Tanjung Tokong. Their posh dark wooden interiors has a bright sunny al fresco counterpart—we went for their outdoor seats.
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| ROCKAFELLERS PENANG AL FRESCO AREA |
Their menu consists mostly of Indian cuisine with a modern take. Besides the usual vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian favorites, they also have Indian flavored pizzas and sizzling plates.
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| ROCKAFELLERS COMBO BIRYANI ~ MYR 52.00 | CHICKEN POPCORN ~ MYR 15.00 |
C ordered their Rockafellers Combo Biryani, which is aromatic basmati rice cooked with either chicken, prawn, lamb or vegetables—she chose chicken. It was Murg Tikka Butter Masalafor me—amaretto marinated chicken tikka, simmered in smooth tomato gravy—and paired it with plain naan. For the kid, the Chicken Popcorn from their Kids Menu looks safe enough for him—meaning, not spicy.
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| MURG TIKKA BUTTER MASALA ~ MYR 45.00 | NAAN ~ MYR 8.00 |
Serving size was huge for the mains, but a tad too little for the kiddie meal. The biryani was really good, and very spicy, and the same can be said for my butter masala. I did find it to be missing something, which is why I ordered naan bread to scoop its gravy with—I prefer roti canai, really, but they only have naan.
Considering how commercial its location is, we were quite surprised at how authentic their dishes were. We’d considering eating here daily, but then we saw the prices on their menu, and decided, once in a while is probably okay, lol.
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