Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Ever since The One commercial center at Bayan Baru opened for business, many restaurants have come and gone. At the former location of Coffee Garden, a new restaurant has emerged: Big Ocean Cafe (海洋).
This business is owned by a couple who used to work in a hotel. Having decided that they want to try something different, they left their jobs and started this restaurant recently.
Big Ocean Cafe has a weekly set lunch menu which rotates every month. The meal choices are mostly rice dishes because these are easier to prepare; customers usually do not have much time to wait during lunch break. Since I come here for dinner, this menu is not applicable for me.
As recommended by the proprietor, my choice for dinner tonight is Tom Yum Hor Fish With Fish (RM7.90). The noodle is hor fun (河粉), which I think is a good choice because it matches the tom yum soup. The tom yum is very spicy; spicier than what I am comfortable with. But spicy is the hallmark of good tom yum, so I am not really complaining here.
But I really want to highlight is the accompanying crispy fish fillet. This is perhaps one of the best fish fillet that I tasted for a very very long time. I am not kidding here! The fillet feels very light and has the perfect crispiness which makes me crave for more. If I can, I am willing to eat this all day! I hope this fish fillet is available on the à la carte menu.
For my drink, my choice is the Mocha Coffee (RM3.00). It is made from an automatic coffee dispenser, so there is nothing really to shout about.
My verdict? You have to try the fish fillet to understand what I am talking about!
Address: 1-1-11A, Tingkat Mahsuri 4, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-643-6469
Business hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-9:30pm, closed on Sundays