Back in 2010, I featured a vegetarian restaurant from Penang that surely ranks as one of my most favourite veggie places in the world - Ee Beng. The main reason for deciding to return to Penang (apart from durians) was to visit this delightful restaurant once more. Upon visiting, I was keeping my fingers crossed that the quality of the food was just as excellent as it was when I
first reviewed it. So, without further delay, lets see how Ee Beng is doing in 2013...
Ee Beng Vegetarian FoodLocation: 18 Lebuh Dickens, Georgetown, PenangContact: (04)2629161Opening Hours: 12.00pm-9.30pm. Closed on Thursday The wonderful thing about Ee Beng is their diverse and captivating menu. I guarantee when you turn the pages of this menu, you will start drooling with curiosity over all the different dishes and cuisines available. Diverse is really the key word - Customers can choose from a wide variety of Chinese, Western, Malay and Japanese dishes here. They are particularly known for their Western dishes, which are really one of a kind. They also have a selection of daily specials (see pictured). For those that have been to
North South East West (Singapore), you may get the feeling that the menu is very familiar to that restaurant. The two are not related in any way shape or form, just a coincidence I guess.
Ee Beng won't just tempt you with food, they also have an elaborate drinks and desserts menu on offer. Being a tea enthusiast, I was instantly drawn to the tea menu, and was fascinated by all the different varieties available. Admittedly, by Penang standards, these pots of tea are pretty expensive. But overall I found them worth the money, as they made for a perfect accompaniment to our meals. Pictured is the
Lavender Tea, generally I love anything that has lavender infused into it. I always tend to feel a heightened state of calm, whenever I take lavender. There is a total of around 15 different tea types to choose from, all are the same price.
Price: RM8.90. 7/10Having lived in Singapore for many years now, vegetarian
Satay is something I've eaten on countless occasions, from a number of different stalls and restaurants. I can say without a doubt, Ee Beng has the most delicious peanut satay sauce that I've ever eaten. The sauce is rich, flavourful and chunky. It has a beautiful roasted peanut aroma, and was neither too spicy nor too greasy. There are a total of 10 pieces of skewered mock meats that are presented along with this dangerously addictive sauce. The mock meat is decent enough, but it is really the sauce that makes this dish so unforgettable.
Price: RM10.00. 8/10 Penang has a host of unique dishes that you will struggle to find anywhere else in the world. If you're visiting Penang, then one dish you must order is their special
Assam Laksa (also known as penang laksa). As we all know, one of the most synonymous dishes in Singapore is laksa - However, the Penang variety is significantly different to Singapore. Penang laksa lacks any coconut milk, and has an entirely different flavour, due to the sour tamarind and flowery galangal. I ordered the assam laksa from Ee Beng back in 2010, and strangely the flavour has altered quite a bit. Now, there is quite an overwhelming 'fishy' flavour. Still a decent dish though.
Price: RM4.50. 7/10 Next dish we selected was some sinful finger food in the form of
Vegetarian Fried Crispy Chicken. This dish reminds me a lot of the DFC that is available at
Thousand Vegie. Texture and taste wise this mock chicken is great to eat. The texture is crunchy, chewy and juicy. The flavour is quite impressive, with there being an almost cheesy aftertaste.
Price: $6.90. 8/10Next dish that sampled was the
Curry Vegetarian Lamb Noodles. I know that a lot of people are vehemently against mock meat, but for this particular dish the 'mock meat' in question is simply mushroom stems. The textural similarity between mushroom stems and meat is really quite astonishing, especially in the form of a curry. For this dish, I found that the 'lamb' curry was just too spicy for me. Admittedly, I am a bit of a weakling when it comes to spice, but still I would have preferred the spice level to be toned down a little. The vegetables are nice and fresh, the broccoli especially is shining with goodness. Decent dish overall, but definitely one that will be preferred by someone who can take a lot of spice.
Price: RM6.90. 7/10If you're visiting Ee Beng, then you definitely owe it to yourself to sample one of their wonderful Western concoctions. One of my personal favourites is their
Vegetarian Lamb Chop with BBQ Sauce. Customers can also select this same dish in black pepper sauce. The dish arrives on a sizzling hotplate, which really enhances the flavour and aroma of the entire dish. The mock meat texture is highly authentic, but perhaps the BBQ sauce is a little too heavy on salt. The other components include fries, carrot, broccoli and a mixed shredded salad. Not much I can say in opposition to this dish - Excellent value and outstanding flavour.
Price: RM9.50. 8/10Once again, I felt like experiencing a bit of
deja vu, and ordered another dish that I reviewed back in 2010 -
Vegetarian Chicken Cordon Bleu. The dish is comprised of nice fresh carrots and broccoli, fries, salad, white sauce and a huge slab of mock meat. If you're someone who hates the concept of mock meat, this will probably be culinary hell for you. This dish aims to replicate true cordon bleu, and thus has a layer of cheese (not vegan friendly) and mock ham nestled in the centre. This is a dish that has unfortunately deteriorated in quality over the years. Although I didn't eat it myself (my girlfriend had that honour), it was clear to see that the texture of the cheese has become almost watery, and leaked pitifully from the mock meat after it was cut. It is still a pretty decent dish, but not at the high level that it once was.
Price: RM10.50. 7/10Conclusion - Perhaps Ee Beng has lost some of its glow, but it is still one of the best vegetarian restaurants that I have ever visited. If you're heading to Penang, then this should be the number one priority on the list of veggie places that you need to check out. My personal highlight was the satay sauce, which was simply mind-blowing.Overall RatingFood - 8/10Ambiance- 9/10Service - 8/10Value - 10/10
