KEN HUNTS FOOD: Red Courtyard (红庭院) @ King Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Monday, February 27, 2017

Red Courtyard (红庭院) @ King Street, Georgetown, Penang.

Red Courtyard is a relatively new eatery in the banking district has a stylish and eye-catching color... the facade is painted in red hue with some sharp contrast of black. We understand from the restaurateur that red represents "China" and this indirectly, explains that Red Courtyard serves China-Chinese food. This new kid on the block serves a range of Hunan (湖南) classics such as Spicy Beef Noodles, braised Duck with Beer and Beef Steamboat. The Chef herself comes from Hunan and she uses recipes passed to her from previous generations; that reaffirms the authenticity. As far as the heat-intolerant is concerned, the fully air-conditioned restaurant provides a comfortable dining atmosphere. Private rooms are also available to accommodate larger groups. The Lunch crowd will be pleased to know that Red Courtyard offers set lunch from Rm 8.90 nett (promotion valid until further notice). Red Courtyard is the new tenant over Das Rad Cafe's previous location, at King Street.

Many Thanks to Red Courtyard for hosting us that afternoon.

Beef Steamboat 牛肉锅 (Rm 88- small/ Rm 168- medium/ Rm 248- large)

Beef Steamboat is not a common offering in Penang but here's another option for the aficionados. Red Courtyard's Beef Steambot was beyond amazing, the Beef bone broth was cooked for hours to fully accentuate the flavors. The clear, richly-flavored Beef broth carried a sleek sweetness, accompanied by the meat, Sirloin and Tendons, the Hot Pot was good on its own. But even better with the addition of the sliced Beef and a variety of crunchy greens. It is recommended to enjoy the meat with their home-made Hunan Chili dip, a spicy concoction of Chilies and pickled Mustard. It is also note-worthy that Australian Beef is used for most cuts. The small serving of Beef Steamboat includes a serving of Beef Hot Pot (with meat, Sirloin and Tendon included), two plates of Lettuce, Enoki Mushrooms, Cabbage and Bean Sprouts, it is good enough for 2-3 diners, extra orders of noodles/ rice will incur additional costs.

Spicy Beef Noodles 香辣牛肉粉 (Rm 11.90)

Braised Duck with Beer 啤酒鸭 (Rm 49.90- medium/ Rm 88.80- large)

Lap Mei Fan 腊味饭 (Rm 39.90- small/ Rm 78.90- large)

Red Courtyard boasts over its Beef Noodles, for its expertly cooked cuts of Beef and the mouth-watering broth with a spicy kick. They are very generous with their meat, each order of the Spicy Beef Noodles consists of meat, sirloin, tendon and Beef balls, coupled with the chewy noodles; the Beef noodles can be extremely satisfying either on a sultry hot day or chilly rainy day. If you visit on a working day (Mondays to Fridays) for lunch, the Spicy Beef Noodles will be served with a small serving of side dish... in our case, the appetite-whetter was Seaweed tossed with Chili oil. Rest-assured, the price outweighs the satisfaction. Non-Spicy or Spicier versions are also available, put in your remarks before you order and they will be able to accommodate.

Braised Duck with Beer is another proud creation of Red Courtyard, it was a dish with bold flavors. It has shades of the Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken but with a boozy twist. The Duck was pleasantly cooked with soft-tender texture and a faint Beer aroma. It was a little salty with a strong spicy punch on its own but perfectly spooned over rice. To go with the dish, we recommend Red Courtyard's Lap Mei Fan... a monstrous serving of rice over a variety of Chinese waxed meat. The restaurateur is serious on the waxed meat, all of them are imported from China; don't be surprised if they look slightly unusual. The large serving of Lap Mei Fan is good enough for 7-8 diners. All orders of Hot Pot require minimum 20-minute wait.

German-imported Beer- Skye (Rm 8/ can)

Red Courtyard is the only restaurant that you can buy Skye Beer in Penang thus far, the German-imported Beer is easy on the palate and has a light-crisp texture, with bitter end. It goes extremely well with the boldly flavored braised Duck with Beer or equally good with the Beef Steamboat... to cut through the greasy-dimension.