KEN HUNTS FOOD: Basil, Le Bistrot @ Kek Chuan Road, Georgetown, Penang.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Basil, Le Bistrot @ Kek Chuan Road, Georgetown, Penang.

**Basil has ceased its business operations since then.**

Basil, Le Bistrot... a newly opened restaurant cum cafe tucked within the heritage houses along Kek Chuan Road, opposite to Dolce Dessert Cafe, is a subsidiary to the Valerie Group, which owns a bakery at the Lower Ground Floor of Gurney Plaza. Slightly different from Valerie, Basil, Le Bistrot seeks to serve up more than just bread and pastries. The owner wishes to serve a wide range of delicate Western dishes at very affordable prices; with a couple of playful and frisky dishes. The contemporary design of the restaurant exudes a pleasing sense of tranquility with its own personal touch- the exposed pipes and light-bulbs hanging in the air. Seating is rather limited at the moment, though they have plans in expanding the dining area upstairs; advance reservation is highly recommended should you are planning to visit the place in a large group.

Aubergine and Sunny Side-Up (Rm 18) is definitely an interesting yet comforting dish. Char-grilled Aubergines jeweled with a perfectly-cooked Sunny Side Up, served on top of a Toast. We enjoyed how the dish appeared to be light and easy on the palate but we thought the flavor was a little thin, an extra pinch of salt would be great. We did not seem to like the Toast as it carries a hint of bitterness (no idea why) and we thought it may be better for them to replace the bread with English Muffin. Despite not mind-blowing, this dish is perfect for the health-conscious.

Mushroom Croute (Rm 15)- Creamy Mushrooms served on a freshly baked English Muffin and topped with a deep fried breaded Egg with fresh greens as side. The Mushrooms were beautifully coated with a tantalizing Cream sauce and it worked perfectly well with the English Muffin. However, we thought the Mushrooms were overly salted and the Egg had not done much in its aid, as though they were two separate dishes. The dish has potential but it may require some refinement.

It was simply too futile to resist freshly baked Mushroom Quiche (Rm 6.50), albeit on the salty side but we were amazed by the generous amount of Mushrooms added which explains why the Quiche was packed with the aroma of Mushrooms. It may be monotonous for one to finish this entirely and I would prefer to have some fresh greens served as side.