{"id":6341,"date":"2015-12-23T20:32:37","date_gmt":"2015-12-24T04:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/?p=6341"},"modified":"2016-05-30T15:16:01","modified_gmt":"2016-05-30T23:16:01","slug":"penang-garden-san-francisco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/penang-garden-san-francisco\/","title":{"rendered":"Penang Garden, San Francisco"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I was super excited to be having dinner in the heart of Chinatown in San Francisco. Penang Garden is on the north side of Portsmouth Square, a historical landmark in the neighborhood.  Although I have found the dishes  at this Malaysian restaurant less exotic than I expected, somewhat more Chinese than Malaysian, it is still quite a decent place for family dinner. <\/p>\n<p>First came the Roti, served with curry sauce. The roti pancakes seem different here &#8211; they are drier and flakier. I think I would prefer the ones found at the Indian or Malaysian places in Vancouver, which are more moist inside but with a crispy exterior. However I found the curry sauce very flavourful, and perfectly spiced. I didn&#8217;t realized until later that the curry sauce was the most exotic thing I was going to have that night.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6351\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6351\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-50.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6351\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6351 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-50.jpeg\" alt=\"roti\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-50.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-50-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-50-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-50-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-50-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6351\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">roti<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hog Maw and White Pepper Soup has always been a favourite of mine. Somehow when the flavours of hog maw (pig stomach), preserved cabbage, and white pepper are mixed together with the right proportions, the result has an incredible umami taste that is out of this world! Although I always thought this soup was a Cantonese dish, and I was a little surprised to see the dish on the menu here, I barely hesitated before I decided to try it. They definitely did a good job on this soup, although they could use a tad bit more of white pepper.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6350\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6350\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-49.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6350\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6350 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-49.jpeg\" alt=\"hog maw and white pepper soup\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-49.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-49-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-49-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-49-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-49-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6350\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">hog maw and white pepper soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6349\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6349\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-48.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6349\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6349 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-48.jpeg\" alt=\"hog maw and white pepper soup\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-48.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-48-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-48-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-48-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-48-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6349\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">hog maw and white pepper soup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Thai Pork Chops tasted very similar to Cantonese BBQ pork or BBQ rib. I was expecting a little more Thai flavour on it.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6348\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6348\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-47.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6348\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6348 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-47.jpeg\" alt=\"thai pork chops\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-47.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-47-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-47-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-47-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-47-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6348\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">thai pork chops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The fish in Fried Sea Bass with Sweet, Sour, and Spicy Sauce was perfectly deep fried, and the sauce was quite pleasing. Although being quite spicy, the sauce could use a bit more  exotic spices to add more depth to the taste.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6347\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6347\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-46.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6347\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6347 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-46.jpeg\" alt=\"fried sea bass with sweet, sour, and spicy sauce\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-46.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-46-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-46-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-46-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-46-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6347\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">fried sea bass with sweet, sour, and spicy sauce<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The new few dishes, <strong>Garlic Yu Choy Stir Fry<\/strong>, <strong>Lamb and Leek Stir Fry<\/strong>, and <strong>Seafood Food Rice Noodle Stir Fry<\/strong>, all quite well executed with fresh ingredients, and tasted great. But the cooking style and technique were very straight forward Chinese on them, and I wish I could taste more exoticness from Southeast Asian cuisine.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6343\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6343\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-42.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6343\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6343 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-42.jpeg\" alt=\"garlic yu choy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-42.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-42-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-42-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-42-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-42-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6343\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">garlic yu choy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6344\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6344\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-43.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6344\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6344 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-43.jpeg\" alt=\"lamb and leek stirfry\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-43.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-43-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-43-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-43-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-43-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6344\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">lamb and leek stirfry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6346\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6346\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-45.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6346\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6346 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-45.jpeg\" alt=\"seafood rice noodle stir fry\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-45.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-45-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-45-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-45-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-45-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6346\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">seafood rice noodle stir fry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>My favourite dish of the evening was <strong>Frog and Clams<\/strong>,  cooked in clay pot. It was warm, comforting, and packed with tons of flavours. Although the dish almost has a meaty quality to it, I could still taste how fresh and delicate the frog meat and the clams are.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6345\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6345\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-44.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6345\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6345 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-44.jpeg\" alt=\"frog and clams\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-44.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-44-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-44-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-44-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-44-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6345\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">frog and clams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Although being a very highly anticipated dish and raved by my cousin Cecilia, <strong>Coconut Jumbo Prawns<\/strong> was a rather odd dish to me. Visually the dish was stunning &#8211; the size of the prawns and their beautiful coconut coating totally wow&#8217;d me. First of all, the coconut flavour was too subtile, or almost undetectable. Then\u00a0the prawns were fried with their shells on, \u00a0and I found the shell texture were hard and\u00a0unpleasant when they are supposed to be eaten in a lettuce wrap. If I de-shelled the prawns first, they complete lost the crispiness. \u00a0It was indeed an awkward dish. \u00a0Maybe the prawns should be peeled before being cooked?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6342\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6342\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-41.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6342\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6342 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-41.jpeg\" alt=\"coconut jumbo prawns\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-41.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-41-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-41-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-41-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-41-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6342\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">coconut jumbo prawns<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6352\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6352\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-51.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6352\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6352 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-51.jpeg\" alt=\"Penang Garden, Chinatown\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-51.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-51-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-51-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-51-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-51-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6352\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Penang Garden, Chinatown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_6353\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6353\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-52.jpeg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-6353\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6353 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-52.jpeg\" alt=\"Penang Garden, Chinatown\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-52.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-52-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-52-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-52-174x131.jpeg 174w, https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-52-70x53.jpeg 70w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-6353\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Penang Garden, Chinatown<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Overall, the we had a very delicious dinner. But the dishes were tailored to please Chinese diners, especially Cantonese diners. But\u00a0for an international palate like mine, \u00a0I might need to find some place that&#8217;s more authentic.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Location and more reviews:<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"View Menu, Reviews, Photos &amp; Information about Penang Garden, Chinatown and other Restaurants in San Francisco\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zomato.com\/san-francisco\/penang-garden-chinatown\" target=\"_blank\"><img style=\"border: none; width: 200px; height: 146px; padding: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.zomato.com\/logo\/16848536\/biglink\" alt=\"Penang Garden Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was super excited to be having dinner in the heart of Chinatown in San Francisco. Penang Garden is on the north side of Portsmouth Square, a historical landmark in the neighborhood. Although I have found the dishes at this Malaysian restaurant less exotic than I expected, somewhat more Chinese [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[233,147,97,232,148],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/image-44.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6341"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6341"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6434,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6341\/revisions\/6434"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pickydiners.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}