Penang Food Tour (Part 3) - Dragon-i Restaurant @ Queensbay Mall

After the stroll along the streets of Penang, under the extremely warm weather, we moved on to Queensbay Mall, the latest and largest shopping complex in Penang. Initially we thought of watching a movie, as GSC currently has a buy one free one promotion with voucher printed online. But sad to say, no good movies on show. Sigh .....

What are the Terra Cotta warriors doing in a dining hall???!!

CIMB bank credit card holders are entitled to 10% discount of F&B at Dragon-i, so we made our way there. As we were still full from the double-whammy of breakfasts, we decided to take it easy and order and side dishes only.

Appetizer of braised peanuts

Every table is given a complimentary plate of braised peanuts for appetizers, but the serving was slightly stingy for 3 of us. But, it's OK. Let's browse through their menu. But wait, their waiters kept pacing up and down, expecting us to order in record time, while I was still reading the few front pages of history of Xiu Long Bao etc. Hmm ....

Souffles with Red Bean and Banana (RM10)

We ordered a dessert for fun, and asked for the captain's recommendation. He praised the souffles highly, and we were game for it. They were warm when served, a nice touch, and dusted with icing sugar (I presumed). The filling of red bean and banana went quite well, though sound funny on paper, but the souffle skin was pretty much tasteless. Not highly recommended, but average only. Hmm, rule #1 - Never trust the captain wholeheartedly? (muahaha)

La Mian, served with Shanghai Pork Ribs (below), RM16

Deep-Fried Shanghai Pork Ribs

We just had to order their famous La Mian (hand-pulled noodles) to try, as they have a HUGE variety, ranging from spicy Szechuan style, to those served with beef brisket and other garnishing. Tough to make a decision, we simply chose the one with the larger pic, probably their signature item. The noodle was long, smooth, springy, and cooked in piping hot soup that was sweet, light, and flavourful. The waiter who served this asked whether we want the noodles to be cut with scissors, but I thought I heard wrongly and politely declined. C'mon, ever heard of people cutting noodles with scissors? Hehe ... Then we regretted, as we were sharing the bowl of goodness, and the ultra long noodles made it hard for us to share. Hmm ... me and my ego ....

Steamed Meat Dumplings (Xiu Long Bao) RM9

Then we had their signature Xiu Long Bao, 4 pretty decently-sized morsels served in dim sum tray. Dipped in vinegar with ginger strips, these babies were yummy, as I enjoyed sucking the soup out from the dumplings, then savoring the densed, flavoured pork meat filling. The skin was a bit thick though, and bland. I had to dip them in the sambal-chilli flakes concoction to enhance the flavour.

Total bill for 3 came to RM36, after 10% discount with CIMB credit card. The place was pretty packed, as I believe this is the ONLY outlet in Penang. (Do correct me if I'm wrong).

Location : Queensbay Mall, Penang. Coming from USM, use the Jalan Sg Dua road, and go straight. You will pass USM Sg Dua gate on your right, then Tesco Extra further down the road also on the right. Go straight til you reach Sg Nibong Bus Station on your left, and a big crossroad junction with traffic lights. Go straight again, til you reach a round about labeled Queensbay. Take a 3 o'clock turn, and soon you will reach Queensbay Mall. Dragon-i is located on 2nd Floor, Central court area.