KEN HUNTS FOOD: Saffron @ Lot 33, Prangin Mall, Penang.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Saffron @ Lot 33, Prangin Mall, Penang.

Three new tenants moved into the newly refurbished Lot 33, sub-basement of Atrium B, Prangin Mall. Previously unused sub-basement was given an overhaul and has reopened to the public lately. All of the restaurants are being managed by Cosmic; out of three, two restaurants caught my attention- Pizzaiola and Saffron. The former restaurant is a Pizza-specialist, expect to see a variety of quirky, fun Pizzas; one good example will be Nasi Lemak Pizza. The latter one has a better interior decor- comfortable seats, eclectic mix of colors which exudes a livelier atmosphere. The menu, on the other hand, was somewhat too limited. For mains, diners can only pick either Fish or Chicken, no other options.

Saffron's Marinated Chicken was not available on my visit so we settled with Chicken Roulade (Rm 17.90; Chicken Breast stuffed with Chicken Ham and Cheese being deep fried with a golden hue, served with Mustard Cream Sauce. Sides were Salad and Mashed Potato. It tasted alright, not overly hard to the bite with discernible cheesy flavor while the Mashed Potato was creamily soft with an agreeable amount of seasoning. However, we thought that the dish could be better with a more generous serving of Mustard Cream Sauce.

We were impressed with the food presentation but not quite the case for the taste. Meadow Chicken (Rm 18.90) was somewhat akin to Teriyaki Chicken- sweet with slightly smoky-burnt ends. Chicken Thigh was used, still tender and juicy but not good enough to wow me. The presence of pre-cooked Sausage gives me an impression that the restaurant lacks of innovation.

Do not be misled by the photo posted on the menu. A huge contrast- Caramel Creme with Sweet Ginger Sauce (Rm 8.50) was a disappointment. More effort needed when it comes to presentation; the texture was not as silky as expected. It should be apparent that the Caramel sauce was inappropriately done, probably the Chef was trying to be playful by adding in some butter and ginger. Also, I thought the price is a little steep for such a measly portion.