Special thanks to Will Western Delight for extending this food review invitation.
Will Western Delight used to operate a stall at Kafe Hing Long (兴隆饮食中心) next to Gembira Parade, but very recently moved to a proper shop at Centrio Avenue. Although open for only two weeks, this new location is very popular especially among youngsters. Most tables have been occupied by the time I arrive.
This eatery is named after the proprietor, Will, who is still involved in daily operations of the restaurant. Will started this business around 5 years ago in Island Glades, and has moved several times before settling at this permanent location.
One of Will’s crowd favorite is the Chicken Cordon Bleu (RM9.80). To prepare this dish, chicken is first wrapped by a slice of ham and a slice of cheddar cheese. The chicken is coated with bread crumbs, then deep-fried to give it a layer of delightful crisp.
In terms of taste, the cordon bleu is reasonably nice but I feel that the cheese tends to overwhelm the chicken. I think it will be more enjoyable if the choice of cheese were more compatible with chicken.
The Chicken Cordon Bleu comes with crinkle-cut fries, garlic bread and vegetables on the side. Although the garlic bread looks unassuming, I find it quite enjoyable thanks to the lovely taste of garlic butter.
Next, the Grilled Salmon With Sauce (RM16.50) is not a dish to be trifled with. The inch-thick slice of salmon is grilled just right, such that the flesh shines in solid orange while remains juicy overall.
The salmon is succulent throughout all layers; even the skin is enjoyable on its own. A small amount of BBQ sauce is poured over the salmon to enhance its flavor. Tartar sauce and lime are also provided, but I feel that the former is unnecessary here.
Sides of this dish are identical to Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Will Western Delight occasionally offers several specialty dishes due to popular demand. Tonight’s specials are Mixed Grill and Lamb Shank, both of which we have the privilege to sample.
For Mixed Grill, there is a choice of either beef (RM23.50), lamb (RM23.50) or pork (RM17.80). Beef is the choice for us tonight. The hearty portion of Australian sirloin beef is accompanied with chicken drumstick fillet and jade perch fillet.
Through patient heating on a gas-fired griddle, the beef is cooked to medium-well. Chicken and fish are reasonably good too. The meats are topped with black pepper sauce, which is one of Will’s signature sauces. A sprinkle of chopped thyme helps to improve the aesthetic and aromatic aspects of this dish.
With such a platter of heavyweights, adding more meats seems to be overdoing. But Will does not stop here. A slice of ham, a hot dog sausage and a fried egg are also included to give maximum value to customers.
The Mixed Grill includes the same side dishes as before, but also a piece of grilled corn on the cob. I enjoy the taste of sweet corn kernels especially when they are plump and juicy!
The other special dish today is the Lamb Shank (RM30.00), which is wildly popular among regular customers but is not always available. For those not familiar with steakhouse lingo, “Shank” is a fancy name for the meat around the knee of the lamb.
The shank consists of tender lean meat with fatty tissues along the rim. This makes the shank one of the most gratifying cuts of a lamb. The shank is braised slowly to allow the mutton to soften, then served with a special gravy made from chicken stock, grapes and Shaoxing wine (绍兴酒).
The Lamb Shank shares the same side dishes as the Mixed Grill, except that the serving of fries has been replaced with a generous heap of mashed potato. The mashed potato is made fresh by hand, making its texture quite rough but appetizing nevertheless.
Overall, Will Western Delight serves Western food with comparable quality as more established restaurants. In exchange for a more laid-back dining atmosphere, the pricing is made affordable to most people especially youngsters. Among all dishes tonight that I sampled tonight, I think the Lamb Shank is the most impressive one. I recommend this dish to be placed in the regular menu.
Name: Will Western Delight
Address: 163-1-3A, Jalan Permai 1, 11700 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 017-413-4330
Business hours: 5:30pm-10:00pm (Tuesday-Friday), 5:00pm-10:00pm (Saturday-Sunday), closed on Mondays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/willwesterndelight
Coordinates: 5.37274 N, 100.30024 E
Directions: From Island Glades, drive along Jalan Yeap Chor Ee towards Bukit Jambul. After Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Gelugor on right, go forward at the next set of traffic lights, but turn right after 250 meters. Centrio Avenue is located on the left. Will Western Delight is one of the shops in the middle. There are parking spaces in front to Centrio Avenue.