Special thanks to Hotel Equatorial Penang for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
Golden Phoenix (金凤楼) is the Chinese restaurant at Hotel Equatorial Penang. It is located at the same floor as nada lama and Kampachi, but faces the golf course to the east. The restaurant bears resemblance to a traditional Chinese inn (客栈). White walls with ceramic tiles line the sides of the dining area, while Chinese lanterns hang gracefully from the ceiling.
Golden Phoenix serves Hong Kong-style dim sum (港式点心) on a daily basis. There are more than 30 choices on the menu – covering steamed items (蒸点), fried items (炸点) and desserts (甜点). Starting this month, 10 new dishes have been added to the menu. These newcomers are the creative works of Dim Sum Chef Vincent Tan, who joined the crew about a year ago.
Lap Mei Gao Choy Gao (腊味韭菜饺, RM13.00) is a basket of 3 steamed dumplings filled with minced chicken and garlic chives (韭菜). Each piece is topped with a Chinese sausage (腊肠) and wrapped in green dough skin.
Hong Yao Shui Gao (红油鲜虾水饺, RM16.00) is served in orders of 3 pieces each. Whole shrimps are wrapped in flour dough skin, boiled in hot water, and then seasoned with chili oil (红油), chili peppers and soy sauce. The dumplings are then garnished with scallion for aesthetic appeal.
Lor Mai Fan (蛋皮糯米饭, RM15.00) presents of unique way of serving glutinous rice (糯米饭). Cooked with dried shrimps, steamed rice is enveloped in a thin egg crêpe (蛋皮), and then topped with crispy shrimps and chopped scallion.
Lo Pak Gou (香煎萝卜糕, RM12.00) is made from shredded daikon (白萝卜), rice flour, corn starch and chicken sausage. The mixture is steamed beforehand and allowed to cool down first. Then, a block is cut and fried in scalding oil to allow the surface to attain delectable crisp. Lo Pak Gou is garnished with shredded ginger (姜丝) for the extra aroma and crispiness.
Long Shou Guen (带子龙须卷, RM24.00) is distinctively known for its crispy coating of rice vermicelli. Beneath the outer shell is seafood paste made from scallops and shrimps. Caviar, mayonnaise and scallion provide the finishing touch.
Another deep-fried dish is Sin Jook Guen (鲍汁鲜竹卷, RM12.00). Rolled in tofu skin is a mixture of chicken, shrimps and mushrooms. The rolls are deep-fried to golden perfection, and then served with savory abalone sauce (鲍汁). Sin Jook Guen comes in orders of 3 pieces per basket.
Continuing the string of deep-fried items, Sa Lut Har Gok (沙律明虾角, RM16.00) is essentially flour skin with minced shrimp fillings. The dumplings are folded and sealed up by making pleats. Sa Lut Har Gok is eaten with mayonnaise, but I prefer to enjoy without any condiments. There are 4 pieces per order.
Moving on, Gao Bat Lei Bao (煎狗不理包, RM12.00) is a popular delicacy from Tianjin (天津). The name literally translates as “dog doesn’t care”. According to legend, the bun was popularized by a person nicknamed Gouzi (狗子) who lived during the Qing dynasty. He was so obsessed with perfecting his buns that he neglected his customers. This bun was hence called so.
Gao Bat Lei Bao is filled with diced chicken with seasoning. The bun is coated with black and white sesame seeds. Unlike conventional steamed baozi (包子), this type is pan-fried so it is slightly browned. There are 3 pieces per order.
Daan Tart (贵都鲜蛋挞, RM12.00) is essential in any Hong Kong-style dim sum. Inspired by pastéis de nata (Portuguese tarts) in nearby Macau, the egg tart consists of flaky pastry crust filled with sweet egg custard. As a healthier alternative, butter and milk are substituted for olive oil and soy. Each order of Daan Tart contains 3 pieces.
Mong Go Bou Din (芒果布丁, RM11.00), essentially mango pudding, is served chilled. Within its creamy consistency is pleasant sweetness of mango. Fresh strawberries and blueberries serve as icing on the cake.
Last but not least, Bao Yu Zai Siew Mai (鲍鱼仔烧卖) is a type of steamed dumpling topped with a small slice of abalone. This item is not listed on the regular menu yet, but is complimentary to customers who have liked and shared this Facebook post. To claim a basket of 3 pieces, simply flash your phone to show that you have qualified. This offer is valid for the entire month of July 2017. If the response is favorable, Bao Yu Zai Siew Mai will be appended to the regular menu at a later date.
Golden Phoenix’s dim sum is available from 11:30am to 2:30pm on weekdays, and from 8:00am to 2:30pm on weekends and public holidays. The food here is pork-free restaurant, but alcohol is used in the preparation of certain dishes. Despite the painstaking process of preparing dim sum, Golden Phoenix manages to maintain such a wide variety on a daily basis.
Name: Golden Phoenix (金凤楼)
Address: Hotel Equatorial Penang, 1, Jalan Bukit Jambul, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-632-7000
Business hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:00pm (Monday-Friday), 8:00am-2:30pm, 6:30pm-10:00pm (Saturday-Sunday)
Website: https://penang.equatorial.com/dining/golden-phoenix
Coordinates: 5.33731 N, 100.28522 E
Directions: Hotel Equatorial Penang is located near the intersection of Persiaran Bukit Jambul and Lebuh Bukit Jambul. Jalan Bukit Jambul is a small offshoot from Persiaran Bukit Jambul near this intersection. Golden Phoenix is located one level below the main lobby. The hotel provides multilevel parking for RM8.00 per entry.
