Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant at Cititel Penang has a 50% discount on Cantonese Dim Sum.
I spent the last week of the year going to a few Cantonese Dim Sum restaurants for breakfast and tea.
None of Penang restaurants come close to offering the type of steamed buns, dumplings, and rice rolls celebrating Hong Kong Cantonese culture.
Penang restaurants are not snooty like Hong Kong – the service at Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant is attentive and pleasant.
Zhonghua Gourmet is located at the Lobby Level of Cititel Hotel, Penang.
You would never find the restaurant unless you stay here, as it is buried deep in the Cititel hotel.
It would be best if you walked from the main entrance of Cititel Hotel until the very end to find Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant.
I prefer to park at the hotel’s car park, take the lift to the Lobby, and walk half the distance.
Cititel Penang has three restaurants:
- Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant
- Kirishima Japanese Restaurant
- Main Street Café
The first time I visited was to attend a wedding reception.
The restaurant occupies the rear end of the hotel, right next to Main Street Cafe.
Over the years, I have had many meals at Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant, Cititel Penang, from wedding banquets luncheons to gatherings and family-style dinners.
If I’m not mistaken, the restaurant has been operating for over 20 years since the hotel opened.
Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant Cititel Penang gets full by 11.00 am
Cantonese Dim Sum
Many think that a Cantonese Dim Sum breakfast is pricier at a Hotel.
Zhonghua Gourmet’s Authentic Cantonese Dim Sum is reasonably priced and tasty.
Excellent value for money as they always seem to have a 50% discount offer.
We managed to get the special promotion with almost all items at RM3.50 per plate when we went.
We tasted steamed dumplings, several types of dim sum, and desserts.
We went at 9.00 am in time for the restaurant to open.
Getting in early was a great idea as my dining companion went the day before, and it was packed by 11.00 am.
The restaurant follows SOP.
We started with the Steamed Cantonese Dim Sum, Dumplings, and an excellent Radish Cake!
Overall, the interiors of the restaurant looked a little worn but clean.
I remember I had some meals during lunch, and the restaurant around 1 pm and the restaurant were packed with group tours.
However, the service was capable and friendly and the food priced reasonably, with a 50% discount offer.
We wanted to order the Cantonese Style Hor Fun and Scallops with Asparagus but were just too early.
BBQ Honey Pork Buns RM10.50
I’ve been looking for a good Char Siu Bao and haven’t found one to my liking.
The Bao is hot and steamy, full of Char Siu, but the pork is not tasty.
The three items we highly recommend from the Cantonese Dim Sum menu are
Shark Fin Dumpling In Superior Sauce RM12.50 – Most Recommended Cantonese Dim Sum Item
The piping hot soup dumplings are served with one big dumpling in a soup bowl with a plate piping hot.
One was returned to the kitchen as it wasn’t hot enough.
The dumpling filling included shark fin, sliced mushrooms, minced pork, prawns, and scallops.
The chicken broth was not oily or heavily flavored and complimented the sizeable single dumpling well.
We recommend this delicious Shark Fin Dumpling In Superior Sauce.
A must order.
Shark Fin Dumpling In Superior Sauce RM12.50
Radish Cake RM10.50 – Recommended
The deep-fried Radish Cake is crispy outside and tender, moist, and almost melting inside the mouth.
We loved this so much that we ordered two serves for the three of us.
Radish Cake RM10.50
Cantonese Dim Sum We Ordered At Zhonghua Gourmet for RM3.50 Each
We went on 31 December 2020.
We enjoyed the offer of RM3.50 for each item on this page of the Dim Sum Menu.
Check out the original prices below.
- Radish Cake RM10.50
- Shark Fin Dumpling In Superior Sauce RM12.50
- Fresh Scallop With Asparagus Dumpling RM12.50
- Stuffed Assorted Vegetable With Fish Paste RM10.50
- BBQ Honey Pork Buns RM10.50
- Steamed Fish Balls With Vegetables RM10.50
- Fresh Prawn or Shrimp Dumplings RM11.50
- Spare Ribs With Black Bean Sauce RM11.50
- Mini Egg Tart RM8.50
Some of the Cantonese Dim Sum that we had for brunch.
Chinese Tea RM2.20 per person
- Jasmine, Ti Kuan Ying
- Chrysanthemum, Pu Er
- Cha Wang
Cantonese Dim Sum Item At Full Price
We ordered a few items that weren’t on promotion and enjoyed the taste.
Chang Fun with Shrimps RM9.50 & Chang Fun with Char Siu RM8.50
Since childhood, my must-have dim sum has been a smooth and tender Chang Fun plate with Shrimp and Char Siu.
The pure shrimp must be fresh, and the Char Siu is caramelized and tasty.
The other component is the light soy sauce spooned liberally over the plate of rice noodles and spicy sambal full of dried shrimp.
I find that I can’t get all the components in a single-serve.
Zhonghua Gourmet’s Chang Fun has the right texture, silky smooth with a bite, which I enjoyed.
The portion is pretty big, and it comes flavored with some Hong Kong X.O. sauce.
The shrimps are fresh, but the Char Siu is too meaty and not flavourful.
However, the sambal lacks the kick of dried shrimp.
Pan-Fried Chinese Pancake With Lotus Paste RM10.99 – Recommended
We loved these wafer-thin crispy fried Chinese Pancakes that are perfectly fried without oily mouthfeel.
Very delicious.
Washroom
Hotel Cititel Penang maintains a spotlessly clean toilet.
Package Deals
I have attended several functions and birthday celebrations before
Zhonghua package deal eight-course dinners are tasty, with dishes arriving promptly.
The duty manager is polite and attentive and ensures quality checking, popping by often that everything is A-OK.
Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant may not be trendy, but it serves delicious authentic Chinese cuisines.
One of the dishes I like at the Wedding Banquet, which is done well, is the Roasted Suckling Pig with Crispy Skin.
I would not hesitate to recommend Zhonghua Gourmet after trying many restaurants around Penang.
The food tastes above average for the price, attentive, pleasant service, so they have a loyal following.
Dining Area
The dining section of the restaurant can accommodate around 300 people in a banquet setting.
A small stage at the front makes the restaurant suitable for wedding events.
If you prefer to dine in private, there are partitioned rooms for small events.
Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant Specialities
Zhonghua Gourmet is a Cantonese restaurant specializing in Cantonese cuisine, especially fresh seafood
You can find marine delicacies like lobsters, abalones, scallops, and sea cucumbers.
Cantonese Dim Sum Promotions
For private events like wedding dinners, Zhonghua Gourmet has a range of course meals starting from RM568.00 per table.
On special requests, the restaurant also provides off-site catering services.
As for dim sum lovers, Zhonghua Gourmet offers a 50% discount on selected items for breakfast and lunch.
50% Discount on all Cantonese Dim Sum listed on the menu.
Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant Cantonese Dim Sum Review
Restaurant goers love the wide range of food in this family-style and kids-friendly eatery for its variety of dishes and Cantonese Dim Sum.
While everyone has their favorites, we unanimously agree that the best dim sum is these three items.
- Radish Cake RM10.50
- Shark Fin Dumpling In Superior Sauce RM12.50
- Pan-Fried Chinese Pancake With Lotus Paste RM10.99
The steamed items are fair, with the Chung Fun having a silky smooth texture.
The Translucent Shrimp Dumpling wasn’t fresh.
Overall the food is tasty without leaving us thirsty.
For our Dim Sum Meal, we had ten items.
Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant (中华海鲜鱼翅)
Address: 66, Jalan Penang, 10000 George Town, Penang
Contact: 04-818-2268
Business hours: 9:00am-2:30pm, 6:00pm-9:30pm (Sunday)
11:00am-2:30pm, 6:00pm-9:30pm (Monday-Saturday)
Website: Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant
Directions:
Cititel Penang is a 16 story building at Penang Road (Jalan Penang)
Zhonghua Gourmet is located at the far end of the main entrance.
To park, drive past the Lobby, turn left, and up the ramp to Level 2.
Parking is charged at RM6.00 per entry.
Zhonghua Gourmet rebates the parking fee for 1.5hours for customers dining in.
Blog Disclosure: This is a NOT sponsored blog post. All opinions are mine. The writer and friends paid for their meal.
