BY CK LAM

Penang is blessed with a plethora of cuisines, and lately we discovered Figo’s Restaurant in Jalan Sungai Kelian housing area in Tanjong Bunga.

Listed on their menu is an assortment of sandwiches and heavier entrees with flavors of New Orleans, Texas, Mexico and signature dishes of Nyonya and Malacca-Portuguese.

The Mexican Oyster shots had the fresh oyster dropped into the glass of Tequila, Tobasco, olive oil, and served garnished with leafy cilantro and a wedge of lime. The oyster was fresh and the taste was accentuated by the alcohol. Indeed refreshing!

Figo’s has its own interpretation of the Malacca-Portuguese food, with the serving of the Devil Curry. This well known Malacca-Portuguese curry prepared with Chinese influences and a spicy outlook comes with choices of pork-ribs or chicken. This dish goes well with their thick and floury homemade bread. Options are also available for those who wish to have this curry dish with plain rice which in many ways brings out the full flavor of the gravy.

Next up was the Jambalaya Bayou Style with chicken, mussels and shrimps, sausage, pork and vegetable. I was smitten with the brown rice casserole which draws its flavors from the rich stock of the ingredients. Indeed a well made rice dish with generous portion for the price.

The heavier entrees were totally different. The Texas Barbequed Spare-Ribs with delicate smokiness was meaty in texture. Well marinated with lovely spices, the ribs were served with blanched broccoli, potatoes and carrot. The serving was large as well, delicious with the meat easily falling off the bone.

All mains come with a side salad with combination of tomatoes, cucumber, olives and lettuce. I like the salad as it balanced out the meaty dish. It comes with three choices of dressing and we enjoyed it with the Thousand Island dressing.

The Satchmo’s Pork Chop that we ordered was rather similar to the Pork Cordon-Bleu. The stuffed pork chop with ham & cheese was deep-fried coated with herb breadcrumbs and served with sides of potatoes wedges, broccoli and carrot. The flavor was great however the lean meat was a bit dry.

We flavored our meal with a poultry dish. The Cajun Spring Chicken was served grilled with potatoes, vegetables and a side salad. This dish is a tempting recommendation especially for chicken lovers. It was flavorful with the seasoning of variety of spices.

A satisfying snack was the Home-made Hamburger. The combination of generous amount of meat, bacon and lettuce makes a nice bite. The well seasoned juicy patty was served with crispy fries, salad, mayonnaise and BBQ sauce.

On the lighter side was an interesting dish which is akin to the local murtabak. The Chimmichangas El Grande had a crispy texture pastry unlike the softness of the murtabak and was less oily too. It was served alongside with piping hot crispy fries.

Anyway, do take note that certain dishes can be quite huge in portion, especially those with the sign ‘for two’.

Figo’s Restaurant
3 Jalan Sg. Kelian
Tanjung Bungah
11200 Penang

Tel: 04 8995091

Business Hour: 6pm till 10pm

Closed on Tuesday

Cash Terms Only

Written by CK Lam, food review writer and editor of http://www.what2seeonline.com ; featuring the Best of Penang Food. She constantly combs Penang for the best gastronomical delights and loves promoting Penang Cuisines, Culture and Heritage.