Special thanks to Food Architect for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
The former premises of Café Muscolo is the home of a new restaurant and my dinner place this evening. Known as Food Architect Restaurant, this eatery is open for just a month now.
The proprietor behind this new restaurant used to operate Andy Warlord, a burger joint in Pulau Tikus. The proprietor, Andy (whose name is perhaps not so surprising), took a hiatus for a couple of years in order to seek culinary inspiration.
Since Food Architect is relatively new, its food menu is still undergoing continuous refinement. Therefore, one can expect more changes to its food menu in the coming weeks.
Beef is notably absent from the menu in order to appeal to a significant portion of the restaurant’s clientele. Nevertheless, pork remains solidly on the menu as this is one of Andy’s specialty.
The menu consists of Western-style dishes with elements of Oriental cuisine. Diners who prefer something heavier can opt for the All-Day Set Menu (RM25.00). The set consists of soup, any main dish (include FA Specialties), drink and dessert.
My dinner commences with a bowl of freshly made Mushroom Soup. In stark contrast to conventional creamy mushroom soup that most restaurants serve, Andy’s version is mushy in terms of consistency. In my opinion, the soup is sufficiently salty to serve as an appetizer, but it remains to be seen whether this level of saltiness strikes a chord with general dining folks.
FA Porky Puff With Bacon (RM17.90) pays homage to Andy Warlord’s signature dish. Made from 150 grams of genuine pork shoulder, the patty strikes a fine balance between lean and fatty meat. As soon as the knife cuts through the juicy patty, lovely porky aroma pervades the immediate vicinity.
In the pursuit of uniqueness, the “burger buns” consist of fluffy pastry puffs with delightful crisp on the crust. Also sandwiched between the puffs are pork bacon, cheese and Andy’s very own demi-glace brown sauce. To those who miss Andy’s signature pork burgers, the warlord is back again to satiate your cravings!
The next dish is Smoked Duck Ebiko Pasta (RM18.90). As the name implies, spaghetti is flavored by two major ingredients: smoked duck and shrimp roe (えびこ). The smoked duck is quite addictive on its own, while the roe provides a unique sense of saltiness. Also included are shimeji mushrooms (占地) that provide crunchy mouthfeel.
As for improvement, I prefer the spaghetti to be less cooked, so that the strands do not break off so easily. Despite the use of various ingredients, the pasta can use more flavoring, either in the salty or spicy directions.
The set meal includes a beverage choice: carbonated drink, iced lemon tea or iced peach tea. Alternatively, one can supplement RM5.00 to upgrade to any type of coffee, or RM6.00 for any type of smoothies. My cup of Cafe Latte (RM7.90) is prepared from Teemo Blend’s Arabica beans. Sourced from Ethiopia, Brazil and Indonesia, the coffee is reasonably enjoyable.
As for dessert, ice cream is served as part of the set meal. The vanilla is topped with chocolate syrup and crushed peanuts. The ice cream is quite compact, but not as dense as gelato.
Nearby office workers can also take advantage of the Set Lunch (RM15.00) which offers similar dining experience, but with a shorter list of main dishes to choose from.
Name: Food Architect
Address: 4, Kampong Malabar, 10100 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-261-2163
Business hours: 12:00pm-10:00pm
Website: https://www.facebook.com/foodarchitectpg
Coordinates: 5.41883 N, 100.33364 E
Directions: From Penang Road (Jalan Penang), turn right to Kampong Malabar. Food Architect is approximately 200 meters ahead on the left. Street parking is available on Kampong Malabar, Cintra Street (Lebuh Cintra) and Chulia Street (Lebuh Chulia).