KEN HUNTS FOOD: 煲粥婆养生砂煲粥 Claypot Porridge @ Kampung Malabar, Georgetown, Penang.

Friday, December 18, 2015

煲粥婆养生砂煲粥 Claypot Porridge @ Kampung Malabar, Georgetown, Penang.

For a seafoodlicious bowl of piping hot porridge, you can visit Claypot Porridge at Kampung Malabar, Georgetown. Do not be put off by the seemingly ordinary facade with Chinese characters; surely the place does not possess sophisticated setting but the fully air-conditioned restaurant with ample of seating space is more than suffice to be a casual family dining venue. The Porridge specialist has something up the sleeve. Their strength is to include fresh swimming Seafood into their silky smooth Porridge as well as an array of Chinese dishes with some recipes brought from China. A place where seafood devotees and porridge lovers could meet. 煲粥婆 Claypot Porridge is right next to the famous Hon Kei Porridge and a few shops away from Gou Lou Coffee House on the same street.

Many Thanks to 煲粥婆 for hosting us that evening.

Prawn and Crab Porridge/ 虾蟹粥 (Rm 12 for 100 grams of Crabs/ Rm 12 for 100 grams of Sea Prawns/ Rm 96 for the portion shown)

Prawn and Grouper Fish Porridge/ 石斑鱼明虾粥 (Rm 12 for 100 grams of Grouper Fish/ Rm 12 for Sea Prawns/ Rm 72 for the portion shown)

Clams and River Prawn Porridge/ 蛤蜊草虾粥 (Rm 16 per portion/ Rm 10 per 100 grams of River Prawns/ Rm 51 for the portion shown)

Seafood are sold by weight, diners are encouraged to select a minimum of 2 types of Seafood to be added for a more concentrated and flavorful pot of Porridge. The Porridge-base is free of charge with every Rm 50 spent; Rm 15 will be charged otherwise. Prawns and Crabs are often the popular choices if you must know. Every order of their Porridge takes approximately 35 minutes to cook so make sure you are not in extreme hunger if you are planning to visit the place.

We had 3 different combinations- their signature Crab and Prawns, Fish and Prawns and Clams with Prawns. Surprisingly, the last combination stood out. The seafood sweetness appeared to be bolder with Clams added in. No, not that the Crabs did not aid in this manner but we would prefer the Crabs to be standalone (as in Crab Porridge, not a mix of Crab and Prawn). The Porridge was served to our table piping hot with silky smooth texture. In case you are wondering, the flavor was multi-dimensional. The Chef played a nice trick by adding in Chinese Pickled Radish and Chinese Pickled Cabbage for the extra hint of sweetness and aroma. Our tips on how to enjoy the Porridge? Throw in a handful or two of fresh Parsley.

If the usual Seafood Porridge could not appease your appetite, try their Fried Porridge/ 炒粥 (Rm 15). Many interesting elements can be found there- Dried Scallops, Dried Shitake Mushrooms and Yam were some of the dominant ones. It was a thick rice-porridge concoction imbued with a delightful charred aroma. It was somewhat similar to the Chinese Sticky Rice dish commonly eaten during Chinese New Year. Hearty portion, delicious and inexpensive; one of the dishes that left me with the deepest impression.

Zhen Jiang Chicken/ 镇江鸡 (Rm 18)

Stir Fried Celery, Chinese Yam and Black Fungus/ 清炒西芹，木耳及山药 (Rm 15)

To share, go for their Zhen Jiang Chicken; a Gu Lou Pork-inspired dish with pieces of Fried Chicken evenly coated in a sweet and sour sauce. The dish derived its dark hue and acidity from Zhen Jiang Vinegar/ 镇江醋; the flavor was refreshing and saliva-inducing while the texture was meaty with crispy edges. It was a dish perfectly spooned over rice.

For a diet-balanced meal, greens are must; we were introduced to Stir Fried Celery, Chinese Yam and Black Fungus. It was a pretty straight-forward dish with expected flavors.