Gurney Drive - Bringing Penang To You @ Causeway Point [Singapore]

"Bringing Penang to you" - I thought this was a rather bold statement given the love many Singaporeans have for Penang cuisine. Honestly, i could not remember much of its food as my last visit to the Malaysian state was eighteen years ago!

I was therefore hoping that this supposedly popular Gurney Drive restaurant would help to rekindle some of the memories.

Blended Ampla (Left) 

Bandung Chin Chow (Right)

Ampla is commonly known as Indian gooseberry and was said to contain the highest amount of vitamin C in the fruit family. The healthy drink had a flavour similar to blended bitter gourd and you either like it or detest it. Bandung Chin Chow was very well-received by the Gang of Four for its thick creaminess and was even awarded the title of "best bandung" by Alex!

Grilled Stingray

Don't expect too much out of this! The ones in Chomp Chomp would have beaten it with minimal effort. Having said that, i quite enjoyed the sweeter chilli which was also less spicy than the norm. 

Penang Side Dish Platter

Out of the mixture containing belachan chicken wings, lemon chicken, lor bak and cheese tofu, i was generally unimpressed with most except the cheesy tofu. To put it on a more comparable dimension, i am seldom put off by cheese tofu! 

For the lor bak, i found them to be strongly flavoured, meaty and couldn't quite decide whether i hate it or love it. I love the fulfilling bite of each piece but I could almost swear it was made of internal organs (the animal parts that i don't take).

Balacan Fried Rice

Presentation was so simple and plain; i was already condemning it in my mind. Bloody, it cost S$8.90 a plate and yet, it didn't exude the appeal that could have compelled me to eat it! 

To be fair, the rice was the star (although the side ingredients were so pathetically proportioned) and it didn't fail to spark an element of surprise; I particularly liked the strong pungent aftertaste typical of belachan. The best way to eat it (and not feeling short-changed) was to mix up everything!

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Did i manage to rekindle any memory?

Sadly, no. 

Location

1 Woodlands Square,

#05-12/13, Causeway Point

Price

Blended Ampla (Left) - S$4.80

Bandung Chin Chow (Right) - S$3.80

Grilled Stingray - S$8.20

Penang Side Dish Platter - S$13.90

Balacan Fried Rice - S$8.90

[Subject to GST and Service Charge]