Fullpann Steak House @ Seri Manjung, Perak

Question : Where would YOU go for a romantic/decent/fine-dining/pricey meal in Seri Manjung? Let's say, for Valentine's, birthday celebration, Parents' Day, or even company lunch/dinner where you know bingeing on Sitiawan cendol or Hock Chew cuisine or Nasi Ayam just wouldn't cut it? (Even more so for the last reason, when the bill's on your BOSS or company!! Hahaha ... but let's not digress here. Ahem).

Soft, yellow-hued lighting rendered the dinner experience with a touch of class. Bad for photography though.

Answer : Fullpann Steak House is a potentially suitable choice; the divine light comes a-shinin', when ideas are running low, and you know you wanna splurge on a memorable dinner, with steaks, chops, wine and all. (Sans the candles, but the soft neon glow may do just as well)

Only a handful of shots of the surroundings, as we were rushing like mad.

This dinner was a somewhat last minute decision. And with only about an hour and half to spare, we had to travel all the way from Teluk Batik to Manjung for a meal, and then rushed back and refreshed ourselves. The additional (yet ironic) barrier came in the form of TRAFFIC JAM (yup, this devil's everywhere!) along the road leading to the naval base (TLDM). And then to pour salt into our dejected, maggoty wounds (grumbling stomach aside, we were fatigued from the day's ordeal), a whole entourage of media was dominating at the very last traffic lights, blocking traffic flow to a screeching halt. Their purpose? That infamous Jom Heboh campaign at Teluk Batik. Uh-huh.

Japanese Chicken Chop @ RM14.50

But we're no mere pushovers, no sirree! We persevered, drumming tummies aboard a bullet train-speed Vios, and reached in the nick of time. About less than an hour for a meal at Fullpann. Impressive driving skills aside (hehe, not mine), the restaurant was thankfully inviting from the outlook, warm from the service rendered, and food arrived in a matter of minutes. OK, about 15 of them, but I ain't complaining!

KYT's Japanese Chicken Chop arrived first on our table, two deboned fillet of chicken cooked with a slightly sweet, more to savoury type of gravy, resembling Teriyaki sauce. It's a giveaway for sure, from the 'Japanese' moniker given to the dish. Served atop some broiled vegetables, a baked potato, and a buttered bun, the dish may not be mind-blowing, but yet delicious enough for the hungry soul. I nicked a piece, and the chicken was marinated well, and the seasonings seeped through the skin, thus the meat was not of the usual bland, frozen horror.

Roasted Spring Chicken @ RM20.90

Spring chicken's usually a miniature-sized chick, may NOT even be enough to feed a light eater with waistline of 25" and below. But at Fullpann, their spring chicken could almost passed off as a REAL, true blue one, even Fire Optics was havin trouble finishing his portion. And as expected, I stole a bite, but found the gravy to be a little too peppery, probably from heavy lashings of black pepper.

Braised Lamb Shank @ RM25.90

Memories of Secret Recipe's PREVIOUSLY impressive lamb shank still plays vividly in my mind now and then. Back then, a serving was priced at less than RM20. Now? The price jumped to about RM30, and the quality's sorely dropping.

Fullpann seems to take pride in their steaks, and lamb. The recommended lamb shank was surprisingly not served in a bowl (stew-like), but served on a plate, with some sides such as corn on cob, bun and greens. The gamey flavour's evident, but that's exactly how I like my lamb, with strong, pungent taste and meat falling off the bone. The thick, flavoursome gravy went really well with the shank, and I polished off the portion (trust me, the REAL serving was way bigger than it looks in the pic above) myself without hassle.

Spiralling, convulating, twisted lives we have. Share them over a dinner with some friends?

Though the setting may appear to be intimidating, fret not you'll need to pay an arm and a leg for a decent meal here. In fact, most items are priced below RM20, and they even offer set lunches at RM12 daily. (Refer to their site @ http://fullpann.googlepages.com/home). Will I return for another meal? You bet, especially with such blistering heatwave being rampant, I'll be willing to fork out a bit more for air-conditioning, and a relaxing meal. =P

Fullpann Steak House @ 34-35-36 G/Floor, Persiaran PM2/3, Pusat Bandar Seksyen 2, 32040 Seri Manjung, Perak. Tel No : 605-688 1700. Opens 7 days a week, from 12pm til 12am. Here's their MAP.