Special thanks to The Canton for extending this food review invitation.
Update: This business has ceased its operations.
The Canton (广饮广食农家菜) is a small restaurant at Jalan Rangoon. This air-conditioned eatery provides a comfortable setting for family meals. Its Chinese name “广饮广食” literally means “Cantonese food and drinks”, and is also the name of a gourmet television program in Hong Kong.
The Canton specializes in Cantonese-style home-cooked food (私房菜). Food recipe is inherited from the proprietor’s grandparents who were farmers. Many of the restaurant’s dishes are braised in claypots, where prolonged heating helps to enhances aroma and flavors of raw ingredients.
The Signature Curry Chicken (招牌咖哩鸡, RM11.90) is inspired by fiery flavors of Indian spices. Fortunately, this dish is well within the tolerable range of pungency of most people. Also included in the curry are potatoes and scallion (青葱). Overall, the curry chicken strikes a chord with my palate.
The next dish is Signature Braised Pork Ribs In Fermented Black Bean Sauce (招牌豉汁焖排骨, RM12.90). In this dish, pork ribs are cooked with douchi (豆豉), which results in a substantial degree of saltiness. The claypot also contains tofu, ginger, scallion and coriander (香菜). Overall, I find this dish acceptable but pales in comparison to the previous one.
Braised Trotter With Mixed Spices (五香焖蹄膀, RM12.90) has just been introduced to the menu recently. Pork is served in dark gravy using the restaurant’s signature spice mix. I personally enjoy eating pig’s trotter for its unique jelly-like texture. This dish also contains slices of juicy daikon (白萝卜) to serve as counterbalance to pork.
Scalded Fresh Vegetable (葱油菜心, RM5.90) is one of the few vegetable dishes on the menu. Choy sum (菜心) is the choice of vegetable due to its soft leaves and juicy stems. Fried onions contribute appetizing aroma especially when this dish is still hot. On the other hand, I feel that the amount of onion oil is way more than necessary; less oil would have been nicer.
Considering the fact that MSG is not used in cooking, The Canton’s home-cooked food is fairly delectable. The pricing is also pretty reasonable compared to other similar restaurants. Besides this shop, the proprietor also operates hawker stalls at Kuta Bali Cafe, Kedai Minuman Dan Makanan CF and Sg. Pinang Food Court.
Name: The Canton (广饮广食农家菜)
Address: 28, Jalan Rangoon, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 016-475-9774
Business hours: 12:00pm-2:30pm, 6:00pm-9:30pm, closed on Mondays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/TheCantonMalaysia
Coordinates: 5.41928 N, 100.32530 E
Directions: The Canton is located on the right side of the one-way Jalan Rangoon. It is approximately 150 meters from Burmah Road (Jalan Burma). Street parking is available along Jalan Rangoon and Lorong Selamat.
