Penang Laksa House

482 Springvale Rd 

Forest Hill, VIC 3131
http://www.penanglaksahouse.com.au/

Penang Laksa House and I got off on the wrong foot. Why? Because it sits on the grave of one of my favourite places for yum cha and Cantonese dinners – The Treasure. Still, it’s there, so I may as well make the most of it and give it a go. The feedback may be lukewarm but stranger things have happened.

Though the outside is more or less the same, I could barely recognise the interior. The menu however is a bit too familiar for comfort. Despite there being classic Malaysian hawker dishes available, there is also a disconcerting amount of Cantonese dishes, and worse still, westernised Asian. It doesn’t come cheap either; at $26 for a prawn omelette, it’s overkill even in this economy. 

Penang Har Mee ($11.8)

Though I don’t have it often, Penang Har Mee ($11.8) is one of my favourite things to eat. Spicy and aromatic, I often liken it to bun bo hue. Though it was a bit pricey, the bowl of noodles served up by Penang Laksa House was satisfyingly large, and certainly looked the business.

Penang Har Mee ($11.8)

And thus, it was twice the shame when it fell short of expectations. Whilst all the right ingredients were there in generous amounts, I couldn’t believe something so fiery-looking could be so bland and generic. The soup had none of the aromatic briny tang of a good bowl of prawn noodles. It wasn’t bad eatin’, but it was a disappointment for sure.

Crispy Roast Pork Rice ($13.5)

Though I had wanted to try another traditional hawker dish, there wasn’t very much in the way of non-noodles, so we settled for a plate of Crispy Roast Pork Rice ($13.5).

Crispy Roast Pork Rice ($13.5)

Faring a bit better than the noodles, this pork was decently tender (but occasionally burnt) and the skin reasonably crunchy (but occasionally chewy). The accompanying rice, soaked in gingery pork broth, was a definite plus. At $13.5 however, it’s hard to find reasons to come back for this when any restaurant in Box Hill does better pork for much less moolah.

Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed with Penang Laksa House. Not only was the food borderline bad, the service wasn’t helped by the waitress who took away Chris’ chopsticks, which we found awfully presumptuous. Despite harbouring a grudge, I was desperate to like Penang Laksa House even partially as much as I loved The Treasure, but unfortunately it was not to be. Not when the most interesting part of our meal was when the power went out smack-bang in the middle of it due to one of Melbourne’s signature summer storms.

Rating: 11/20 – yeah no.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit. 

Treasure Restaurant

482 Springvale Rd
Forest Hill, VIC 3131

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY!! We are so, so lucky to have a restaurant as good as The Treasure literally up the road from our house. We normally head to The Treasure for a leisurely weekend Asian brunch (aka yum cha) session, as opposed to facing the yum cha moshpit at places such as Shark Fin. But today, we’re here to celebrate mum growing one year older, one year wiser, and one year prettier of course!

Interior

Not usually fans of Cantonese food, it’s testament to just how good the food here is when we list The Treasure as one of our favourite special occasion spots. Which is why it’s so strange that it’s literally empty at 7pm, with no patrons besides us and two other couples. We think it’s probably due to the out of the way location in the ‘burbs.

Complimentary Prawn Crackers

Complimentary House Soup

 

There’s a special place in our hearts for their complimentary House Soup, a delicately porky broth with just the right amount of richness, flavoured with all manner of Chinese herbs.

Spicy Calamari ($19.5)

We really really like the whole fried flounder, but in the spirit of trying something different, we ordered the Spicy Calamari ($19.5) instead. The ivory curls of calamari are tender yet springy, but it’s the spicy, crispy batter encasing them that’s the star of the show. Scattered with a handful of fragrant fried scallions and chilli, this dish is living proof that deep fried can be elegant too.

Chinese Mushroom with Bok Choy ($18.5)

 

The Chinese Mushroom with Bok Choy ($18.5) was like a cluster of shiny, black jewels resting on a bed of greenery. The mushrooms were tender, and just the first bite will fill your mouth with the most intensely aromatic juices. Interspersed with the crunchy bok choy, it’s good enough to convert even the most avid carnivore.

Chicken, Beancurd and Salted Fish Hot Pot ($19.5)

The Chicken, Beancurd and Salted Fish Hot Pot ($19.5) combined several of our favourite flavours for a potent umami hit. The quivering blocks of tofu were the perfect vehicle for the savoury sauce, and the occasional encounters with a sliver of salted fish, or a chunk of chicken, were a delight.

Pepper Lamb Cutlets ($24)

Whoever said Asians can’t cook lamb clearly hasn’t had the Pepper Lamb Cutlets ($24). Through the sweet glaze, you could feel the rasp of black pepper at the back of the tongue, bringing out the sweetness of the young lamb cutlet. The little medallion of lamb dissolved on the tongue, and the slightly fatty, sauce-drenched bone made for excellent gnawing, just to prolong the experience that little bit more.

Complimentary Red Bean Soup and Jasmine Tea

Complimentary Watermelon and Coconut Jelly

 

And when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, out comes bowls of complementary Red Bean Soup, a plate of Watermelon wedges, and wobbly squares of Coconut Jelly. The lush sweetness of the watermelon combined with the subtle, creamy coconut just can’t be beaten. 

The Treasure is a perfect example of simple food cooked well. There’s nothing on the menu that even nudges at culinary boundaries, and the yum cha selection in the morning is modest compared to most other places. But you get the undeniable feeling that every dish here was prepared with care. By sticking to what they know and perfecting it, The Treasure leaves no room for anything other than contentment. 

Rating: 15.5/20 – treasure