Chez Weng @ Precinct 10, Penang

I guess I was labeled as fast and you are in for this invited review where the fastest respondents got invited for a food review at one of the latest restaurant in Penang which is Chez Weng! No its not a typo but "again" a French word meaning place, aka, Weng's Place! How catchy right?

So Chez Weng is located at the new hood haven which is Precinct 10 located in Tanjung Tokong right beside Island Plaza. With a simple design and eccentric deco, this is probably going to be another happening place. Read on to find out more!

The simple yet chic interior. There is also a bar area

Some of the wines available in their interesting rack

The fully filled up bar

Cutleries and plates all lined up

The soft lighting provided by the candles on the table

Their menu

To start of, we had pita bread served with olive oil dip and also some nuts. The olive oil gave it a base for the nuts to hold on to and this creates a fragrant taste to compliment the bread. Simple yet interesting

Pizza with Portobello mushroom, Garlic Confit and Truffle Oil. The pizzas served here comes in a thin crust and this was one of the pizza which I enjoyed as the mushrooms were really flavorful. To be frank, I have no idea what Garlic Confit and Truffle Oil was until I Googled it up :p Basically Garlic Confit is made by frying garlic in oil and then typically used as condiments.

Just look at how thin it is. There is more condiments than dough

This is the tomato, basil and mozarella pizza. The chef would pick the freshest ingredients and today cherry tomatoes were used as these were the best of the day!

There were also appetizers of Serrano Ham with slices of pear and bits of fresh watercress. The saltiness of the Serrano Ham is controlled by the sweetness from the pear.

A classic pizza of Pepperoni and Cheese! This one is beef which I skipped on that night. But they don't skimp on the pepperoni as you can clearly see

Another light yet refreshing appetizer called Prosciutto. This one is with Prosciutto ham which is more moist than the Serrano and I like how the chef have matched it with rock melon and cheese and the salad leaf called rocket!

Then there is also Prosciutto pizza where its filled with the Prosciutto ham and pear and rocket leaf. This is one of the pizza which really tickled my taste bud as I liked the saltiness from the ham so much! Yummy

Then we have duck confit. They use a whole leg of duck and according to the chef, even the duck meat was imported. Its served on a big layer of mash potatoes and there is also a sausage to go with it too. The duck has a slight crispiness to it probably from the way they fry it.

The Atlantic Salmon is also one of the better main course for the night. A huge slab of salmon, perfectly grilled and not over cook sitting on a layer of herb infused mash potatoes coupled with a good mix of vegetables on top make this a very appetizing a healthy dish. I can't emphasize again how well the fish is as it was really cook just nice! The butter sauce also complements it very well.

For meat lovers, rejoice as this is the pork belly! If you zoom in to the photo, that is one thick slab of pork belly with very little fat. Not like the typical "sam jang bak" or 3 layer meat which you typically find. The chef  ensures that we get the best cut of pork belly and he really takes the effort to trim the meat to its perfect form. He even removed the skin and with that, just look at the thickness! Now this pork belly is really tender and the chef highlights its natural flavor by not putting too much flavoring to it. And he uses a cooking style called Sous Vide where if you have watch enough food channel or cooking shows, its a method where meat is vacuum packed and then cook in a warm water circulator at the teamperature where the meat would be served. This process takes a long time, and depending on the size, can be 36-56 hours or more. Now you know why this pork belly is so juicy and tender. Again, its served with mash potatoes and vegetables and a sauce at the side!

OK, so this other dish I did not try but its the US Black Angus Tenderloin at 200gm! Again, employing the Sous Vide method and then lightly sauteed, my friends tell me that this slab of beef is to die for! Well, I guess I will have to take their word for it considering how good the pork belly was!

Next up is one of my favorite which is the Squid Ink Aglio Olio with Seafood. This pasta is imported and it already has squid ink mixed into it during the production process. We got to try squid ink in its pure form, and it really does taste link those Chinese ink which we use for calligraphy. It has a slight sweet saltiness to it which is what makes squid ink so yummy. Now the downside to using fresh squid ink is that your whole mouth will be black after having it. Yes, I tried a small dab for tasting and my tongue ended up blackish. The squid ink again is imported and this very substances is what makes this Aglio Olio stands out and gives it that unique flavor. This dish got the plate licked clean!

See the black pasta!

Australian Rack of Lamb is next, and again, using the same cooking method for meats, no need to mention how juicy it is. Its done medium and it looks abit red but its really just nice! I', also surprise at the amount of meat on the racks and this will surely be nice for meat lovers. Its served with a potato cake which is grated potatoes and then fried. Yummy yummy was all I can mention about it. There is also some sauteed vegetables at the side too. Again, you will see the nice clean trimming of the meat and I think I saw a coking show before which shows how the trim the meat into this shape and it looks just like that on TV. LOL.

We have now reach the desserts. Mine you, I was really filled with food but as always, there seems to be a separate compartment for desserts. To start of this is the Orange Vanilla Creme Brulee. Its served in its own bowl and has a nice sweet and aromatic taste to it. It has a nice sugar glaze on top and was a surprise to me!

Panna Cotta was next and actually I was abit shock by the size. It probably goes down in 2 modest bite but at least the taste and texture was good with the chocolate sauce at the side. This one feels kinda pricey to me.

Banana Strudel with Peanut Butter Icecream and Chocolate Sauce on the other hand is pretty good. The strudel has a nice outer layer and a very good mix for the banana inside.

Apple Pie with Cinnamon Icecream and Caramel Sauce is another one that is similar to the strudel but with a different filling and sauce. The aroma from the cinnamon complements the apple very well and I guess this is one of the classic combinations that can be found always.

Finally is the strawberry turtle! No, thats not the name its actually Chocolate Mousse with Marinated Strawberries, Cookie Crumble and Brandy Sauce. It really does look like a turtle swimming doesn't it? Well, the chocolate mousse is really well made and its so smooth to the taste. The crumble and strawberries just makes it all work together.

And finally the chef himself!

Pricing :

Serrano and Prosciutto ~ RM22++

All pizza ~ RM35++

Mains :

Duck Confit ~ RM38++

Atlantic Salmon ~ RM38++

Pork Belly ~ RM38++

Autralian Rack of Lamb ~ RM68++

US Black Angus Tenderloin (~200gm) ~ RM88++

Squid Ink Aglio Olio with Seafood ~ RM38++

Desserts :

All desserts mentioned above is RM16++ each

Address : 

10-C-18 & 19, Precinct 10, Jalan Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Penang, Malaysia.

Tel No : 604-899 9878

Operating hours : 11.30am – 11.00pm (Closed Monday)

GPS Coordinates : N5.44897, E100.30602

There are also more reviews of this place here at www.yourfoodreview.com