The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang

What2seeonline.com wishing all readers a very Happy New Year 2011!

Now is the arrival of the brand New Year with new resolutions and plans. For my first food review for this year, I would like to share with you a fabulous dinner that I had at The Forum Chinese Cuisine. Located on the 3rd floor of Island Plaza, Penang, this restaurant is notably known for their dim sum.

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com

The menu for the evening was a gourmet’s delight, with the few of us sampling several tasty cuisines by Executive Chef Wong Cheong Foo. Interestingly, the meal started with a platter of Baked Lobster Combination. It included three specialties, with steamed stuffed dried fish maw, pan-fried dumpling stuffed with chives and the baked lobster with cheese sitting right in the center of the plate.

The fresh lobster meat was well complemented with the cheese. It was a wonderful combination and all the three items were absolutely delicious.

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com
Baked Lobster Combination RM180+


The starter was followed up by the Double boiled Apple Soup with wild carp fish (sang yue). The light and clear soup was flavorful with the interesting combination of Chinese herbs and wild carp fish, coupled with the fact that it was prepared for several hours.

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com

Double boiled Apple Soup RM15+ per person


The Roasted Salted Chicken with Chinese herbs and wine arrived in a large bowl. The chicken was wrapped in aluminum foil with the right balance of salt and Dong Kuai (Angelica Root).

The heating up of the dish with the Mui Kuai Lo (Rose Rice Wine Essence) enhanced the taste of the chicken with a pleasant sweet rose fragrance. Each bite of the chicken meat was simply scrumptious.

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com

Roasted Salted Chicken RM45+


The evening merits a toast to welcome the new year. There were several bottles, including the 2008 M. Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone Belleruche, Don Reca Cachapoal Vina La Rosa 2007, and Katnook Founder’s Block Shiraz 2006 Coonawarra.

The great part is that at Forum, there is no imposition of corkage charges to any BYO wine!

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com

Equally good was the Fried Crispy Prawns coated with Golden Curry Sauce (RM80+). The flavors of the homemade curry using a blend of many traditional spices combined beautifully with the fresh and succulent large prawns (Ming Har). The thick sauce went well with the steam dumplings.

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com


From the seafood, we had the Pan-Fried Lamb Chop with black pepper sauce (RM60+). These tender chops served with the bone were perfectly cooked with suitable seasoning. However, the maximum usage of the seasoning overpowered the gamey smell of the meat, leaving the meat with strong black pepper flavors.

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com


Last but not least we had the Stir-Fried Lotus Root & Celery with sliced Almonds in Yam Ring. The dish was delicious with the contrasting textures of crunchy lotus root, celery and black fungus, topped with crispy almond flakes and deep fried salted squid. The outer layer of the yam ring was perfectly flaky and crispy while the yam paste remained creamy and smooth!

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com
Stir-Fried Lotus Root & Celery with sliced Almonds in Yam Ring RM35+


To top it all off, Executive Chef Wong Cheong Foo made us the Lap Mei Farn (Claypot Rice with Air-Dried Waxed Meat). We got an early start to this dish with the arrival of the preserved delicacies from Hong Kong for the coming Chinese New Year!

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com

Chef Wong Cheong Foo presenting the Claypot Rice with Air-Dried Waxed Meat RM80+


This simple treat of flavorful fluffy rice coupled with the waxed pork sausage (lap cheong), waxed duck and waxed liver sausage, sprinkled with chopped spring onions was most satisfying. My personal favorite was the waxed liver sausage with Chinese wine!

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com

The meal ended with an enjoyable surprise – Durian Pancake. It never crossed my mind that I would be experiencing such a delicious dessert in Forum. I enjoyed it immensely. The melting creamy texture and distinctive flavor of the pancake was pleasing and fragrant. It was served alongside a chilled bowl of mango puree with mango cubes and pomelo sacs (RM4).

All the dishes served were of lovely portions, with big flavors and the range of  dishes were unique and creative.

The Forum Chinese Cuisine, Island Plaza Penang by What2seeonline.com
Durian Pancake RM8


Forum is an ideal place to enjoy a meal with friends and family, in addition to organizing functions. They have a series of specially priced wedding packages meal ranging from RM428 nett to RM668 nett which is definitely worth checking out.

There are ample parking spaces for diners inside Island Plaza, at RM2 per entry after 5pm.

The Forum Chinese Cuisine 富临阁
03-01, 3rd Floor Island Plaza
118 Jalan Tanjung Tokong
10470 Penang

Tel : 04 899 0088

Business Hour :
11.30am-3.00pm, 6.30pm-10.00pm (Monday-Saturday)
9.30am-3.00pm, 6.30pm-10.00pm (Sunday & Public Holiday)

Thank you to Boon Leong for hosting this dinner.