Lunch at GEM Restaurant in Penang

 

Just last month I went to Public Bank to take out all my Fixed Deposits from my account to put into RHB bank giving me 3.75% interests for 2 years - the highest FD rate in the country ever. After the banking transaction, my parents and I went to a nearby Indian GEM Restaurant that was just opposite Public Bank. Above is Chicken Thokku with spicy secret recipe in a thick gravy - which consists of Turmeric powder (for marinating), pepper and cumin powder, Aniseed powder, Ginger garlic paste and Garam masala powder. It is garnished with chopped parsley.

 

For starters, we had Indian crackers that can be eaten on its own or dipped in special green mint sauce or red chilly sauce. There were free flow of Indian crackers while waiting for our main course. After we had finished with the crackers, the waiters replenished the basket bowl with more crackers for us. I had a little, bearing in mind to keep some room for the main dishes later on.

 

This is Malai Khofta - the vegetarian alternative to meatballs. It goes very well with naans (tandoor-baked flatbread). It was potato balls in thick yellow curry that was very tantalizing to the palate and sumptuous. I don't mind ordering the same dish again for its tastiness. It was non spicy but creamy with milk and aromatic blend of spices to seduce the appetite. 

 

 

This was mushroom pepper fry which tastes just as good like the previous dishes. I am amazed how delicious Indian food can be at GEM Restaurant - different from the ubiquitous hot and spicy curry fares. The mushroom bits were crunchy and crispy. 

 

The snapshot above is mango lassi - Indian yoghurt drink mixed with mango ester or flavor in chemical terms. My parents commented that it was the best mango lassi they have tasted and it was thick and not diluted as served in some of the cheaper Indian hawker jaunts. I am not paid to promote GEM Indian Restaurant but to be honest, it has the best Indian food around with premium quality.

 

This is palak paneer - an Indian dish consisting of blended spinach and paneer cheese in a curry sauce. It is a popular vegetarian dish. The taste was so exquisite that I scooped the bowl clean.

 

To complement our main dishes, I ordered butter naan and garlic naan in equal proportion. Naan is a flat, leavened bread of northwest India, made of white flour and baked in a tandoor.

 

 

This photo is a combination of all the dishes ordered as they come together and served at our table. GEM Indian Restaurant is owned by Dato' K. Palaniappan which a string of titles which I don't know what they mean as stated on his name card - (DSPN, PKT, PJK, B. Com). He also has one other GEM Restaurant branch in Kuala Lumpur and two in India. The address of the main office in Penang is below:

GEM Restaurant (PG) Sdn Bhd.

66, Bishop Street

10200 Penang, Malaysia

Tel : 604 262 4070

Fax : 604 262 4070

Hand Phone : 6012 401 2007

eMail : p.krishnan@live.com

Web Site : www.GemRestaurant.com