Delicious @ Straits Quay, Penang

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I must confess that I've been haunting the Straits Quay facebook fan page for what seems like forever - just waiting for updates on Delicious' grand opening. I've been a huge fan of the restaurant ever since I ate at one of their KL outlets a few years back.

Ever since Straits Quay opened to the public late last year and I spotted the unmistakable turquoise logo on the "coming soon" list, I've been so hyped up over the fact that Delicious was making its way to Penang - not surprising though since the Delicious group is a subsidiary of E&O. I suspect that at one point J-boi was so fed up with me going on and on about it.. anyhow, it was firstly mentioned that Delicious would open in Q1 of 2011. Q1 came and went - the doors did not open. As we approached the end of April, the doors were still firmly closed..

Finally, last Thursday or so, Straits Quay announced that Delicious would be opening their doors in early May. Joy!!

So this morning we moseyed over to Straits Quay (which was really packed, by the way - probably due to loads of people coming in from other parts of Malaysia to enjoy the long weekend in Penang), and treated ourselves to a sumptuous lunch at Delicious.

The entrance of the restaurant..

The interior of the restaurant is very similar to that of the outlets in KL - white and turquoise being the main color theme, with splashes of gray blended in, along with the occasional flowery-patterned chair. There was also a lounge area which had comfortable-looking long sofas and low tables (erk, just realized Jac didn't take any pictures of the lounge area!), which are great for people who just want to have drinks and desserts.

The cozy waiting area.. I love the white tree!

The trademark bird cages, no Delicious outlet would be complete without these..

The restaurant is huge by anyone's standards - I'm guessing that they can seat approximately 200 customers, (maybe even more) without making the customers feel like sardines - the tables are all evenly spaced out, with a comfortable distance in between. The only gripe I had with the environment of the restaurant is that the temperature of the air-con was turned on way too low - I was practically freezing in there. There was an elderly couple with their son at the table next to ours, and the father and son walked out of the restaurant when the mother called for the bill; we overheard her telling the service staff that her family could not stand the cold as well.

Business was very brisk, considering that it's just their first day of operations. I have to commend the service staff - they were all such friendly folks, and the service was impeccable. That's a real feat, especially with the numerous customers in the restaurant - you would think that they'd been operating for months, instead of just a few hours. One Mat Salleh guy in particular has to be mentioned. He was mingling at the front of the restaurant, talking to customers. He looked to be the manager of the restaurant, and he was pitching in and doing a lot of the work - he even helped clear tables. When we left, we found out that he is actually the CEO of the Delicious group, which makes what he did even more amazing - now that's what I call leading with impact!

The bar area; the cover of the menu, embossed with flowers; a close-up of the bar stand

There's even a mini play area for your kids..

Overview of the restaurant, note the goodies on display out front

Close-up of the sinful desserts on display.. don't they look almost too good to be eaten?

If only I could try one of each..

Scones, served with preserves and fresh cream; Colorful butter cupcakes

Strawberry cheesecake with berry coulis.. so pretty!

We spent about 10 minutes poring over the menu - there were so many items I wanted to try but alas, I had to be satisfied with only 2 mains and 1 drink. Jac ordered the Tunisian Eggplant and Roasted Tomato Spaghettini (RM18.90), while I ordered myself the Duck Confit (RM32.90). We decided to order only 1 drink as we wanted to save some stomach space for dessert - a Banana & Coconut Smoothie (RM12.90). I spied another smoothie on the menu which I would have really liked to try - the Peanut Butter Banana smoothie. Oh well, next time perhaps..

The Banana & Coconut smoothie came first - I think it was rather a long wait - probably about 10 minutes. However, I forgave them the long wait simply because the smoothie was, to put it simply, yum! You could definitely identify the individual flavors of both banana and coconut. You wouldn't think that the two would go together so well, but somehow they did blend together beautifully. Jac and I think that it's a blend of bananas and coconut ice-cream - we'll be concocting our own home-made version sometime soon.

Banana & Coconut smoothie (RM12.90)

My Duck Confit came next. It was served with charred potatoes, mushrooms, sauerkraut & a lovely mustard cream sauce. I've previously tried Delicious' duck confit spaghetti in KL and loved it, so I was expecting this to be a really good dish as well. I wasn't disappointed. The duck confit was simply bursting with flavor, and went really well with the mustard sauce. Be warned though - it is a tad on the salty side, and Jac found it a little too dry so he poured liberal amounts of the mustard sauce over the duck.

Duck Confit (RM32.90)

Jac's Tunisian Eggplant & Roasted Tomato Spaghettini came shortly my dish was served. His first comment upon getting a whiff of his spaghettini was that it reminded him of an Indian dish. My first comment was, oh no there's finely chopped coriander sprinkled on top of the dish! I absolutely hate coriander. Even though I know it has a lot of really good healthy qualities, I can't stand the taste of this particular vegetable. So for us this dish was a bit of a miss - it was rather flat taste wise, a very average dish. However now when I think back on our lunch, it's possible that the strong flavor of the duck confit ruined our taste buds for the milder Tunisian eggplant & roasted tomato spaghettini. I guess we'll have to wait until someone else tries this dish out and gives his/her opinion on it.

Tunisian Eggplant and Roasted Tomato Spaghettini (RM18.90)

Next.. dessert time! A couple at the table next to ours was having a beautiful-looking cheesecake - the texture of the cheesecake looked absolutely lovely. So we ordered the same - a Macadamia Cheesecake (RM13.90). Topped with a generous helping of crunchy macadamia nut brittle and a rich-looking caramel sauce, this little cheesecake looked really, really good and of course, really sinful. And it tasted as good as it looks - the cheesecake is so smooth and light that it practically melts in your mouth, and when paired with the crunchy macadamia nuts - good stuff.

Macadamia Cheesecake (RM13.90)

All in all, it was a wonderful lunch. I can see myself coming back again and again for the food. Prices may be on the higher side, but Delicious is a good choice for special occasions and celebrations. Good food paired with good ambiance and good company = fun times.

I'm hoping the Delicious group will open a Delicious Ingredients outlet in Penang in the near future.

Delicious
Units 3C-G-3 & 3C-G-3A
Block C, Ground Floor
Straits Quay, Jalan Seri Tanjung Pinang
Tanjung Tokong, Penang

Pork-free.

Opening hours:
Mon-Fri : 10.00am~12.00am
Sat, Sun & Public Holiday : 9.00am~12.00am

Contact : 04-8998555

Disclaimer: This is a personal food blog. The opinions expressed here are my own, based on my personal taste buds; others may have different opinions. Also, as we all know, qualities & standards of individual restaurants/food may change over time, so do note the time stamp on this review. No monetary or non-monetary compensation was received for writing this review.


For more information and other reviews on Delicious at Straits Quay, Penang ~> http://foodtok.com/foodplace501_

Disclaimer: This is a personal food blog. The opinions expressed here are my own, based on my personal taste buds; others may have different opinions. Also, as we all know, qualities & standards of individual restaurants/food may change over time, so do note the time stamp on this review.

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