Asian Fare: Flavours of China and Penang Hill

Over the past few days, Hazel and I were able to try out two restaurants that we hadn't visited before, Flavours of China and Penang Hill.

Flavours of China, of course, focuses on Chinese cuisine. However, while the prices were a little lower, the quality of food isn't as great as either Mann Hann or Luk Foo. We ordered their szechuan chicken with nuts, of which Hazel has become enamored lately, and Yang Chow fried rice, one of our staple orders in Chinese restaurants, with a side of pork siomai. The chicken was flavorful, and fairly tender, while the Yang Chow was a little short on the meat and veggies that it normally comes with.

Penang Hill, in Shangri-La Plaza, serves Singaporean cuisine, and, of course, the main dish to try is the Hainanese chicken rice. I ordered this, and wasn't disappointed. The chicken was tender and juicy, and the spices that accompany the dish, the thick, sweet soy sauce, the crushed ginger and the hot sauce, helped add a zesty flavor to the chicken. Accompanying it was a peppery hot broth, which I consumed with gusto. It wasn't Lolo Mao's, but it came pretty close.

I forgot the name of the dish that Hazel ordered, but it was rice with dried dilis-like fish, spicy kangkong, and a serving of chicken curry. It was too spicy for Hazel, who wasn't able to finish it all. I tried some of it, and I liked it, especially the kangkong, although I'm very partial to hot dishes.

Between Flavours of China and Mann Hann, I think I'd prefer Mann Hann, while Penang Hill is fairly comparable with Lolo Mao. Still, it was nice to try something new for a change, to broaden our dining horizons.