Top 3 Affordable Eats at Homestyle Restaurant

Homestyle Restaurant Penang is one of the hidden gems restaurants in Lembah Permai.

The corner shop Chu Char style restaurant serves authentic Teochew and Cantonese cuisine.

If you stay around George Town, you can find many small restaurants with Cantonese cuisine (廣東菜), one of the most popular regional cuisines in Chinese cooking.

Before I started my food and travel blog, I’d been eating out with my associates, consultants, clients, and contractors over the years.

We enjoyed many lunches and dinners at homestyle restaurants for a bit of home comfort.

One of the things that I learned from my Contractor friends is where to eat – I’m sure they will enjoy a semi-enclosed eatery like Homestyle Restaurant.

Location of My Homestyle Restaurant

Homestyle restaurant is located in the residential neighborhood of Permai 32.

Permai 32 neighborhood has a lot going for it.

You can find small Cafes, Restaurants, bars, a small food court, and friendly eateries.

There is a small field. Overall the area is quiet, safe, and comfortable to hang out in.

The Chinese family-style restaurant attracts regulars, especially during weekends.

It is a little quieter during the weekdays.

The menu is comprehensive and has something suitable for all age groups.

So you will find families dining here.

If you can’t take the heat, so to speak, there is a fully air-conditioned section next door.

Most people prefer to sit at the al-fresco dining area, facing the park.

Homestyle Restaurant Penang

The first time I visited,  I went around where we ate at a defunct café.

Subsequently, I’ve been here a few times on my own, in between errands or to meet up with some friends who live in the vicinity.

I’ve been here a few times for a quick lunch run of Fried Rice.

Some friends who live around the community keep recommending their favorite food to me over the years.

I wanted to get a group together for a meal, but that’s now challenging with the COVID-19 lockdown.

My Home Style Food With Penelope

Penelope and I like to exchange recipes.

Since she cooks better than me, she’s the one who has been goading to try new places.

Left to my own devices, I will hanker down and eat all my meals at my favorite eatery every day, for every meal.

So it would be best if she ordered it, and I ate it and paid.

We managed to squeeze in a meal during RMCO.

We had another quick lunch in between appointments.

Penelope did the research beforehand, read reviews, and placed the order.

I forgot the recommendation from friends, and when she mentioned Eggs with Bitter Gourd, I was sold.

The Hakka in me perked up and smiled.

I discovered that my insane penchant for Yam, Minced Pork, Salted Fish, Fish Balls, and Preserved Radish is nothing but my Hakka DNA rearing its head.

I asked for Penelope to order;

• Yong Tau Foo
• Braised Pork Belly with Dried Green Mustard (Khew Nyuk)
• Hakka Salted Steamed Chicken
• Stir-fried beef with Bitter Gourd

She rolled her eyes at me and said, “You have had too many foodie moments.”

Cantonese Menu

The menu is quite comprehensive and has a good variety.

• Soups
• Stir-Fried Noodles
• Vegetables
• Pork
• Chicken
• Fish
• Seafood
• Desserts
• Beverages

Fried Rice RM8.80

I had this the first time I went, and it was delicious, full of wok hey.

For our lunch, we ordered

1. Eggs with Bitter Gourd RM14.80
2. Bean Curd with Brinjal RM14.80
3. Bak Kut The Soup RM22.80 (only available during lunch)

My home style  next meal I would want to order is the

Pork Tripe Pepper Soup RM26.80

I’ve been looking for a good “To Thor Th’ng” and can’t find any.

Homestyle Restaurant Cooking

Typical of good Cantonese cuisine, the restaurant uses its natural flavor as its hallmark.

The key ingredients used to enhance the flavor and bring out the essence of the food are simple;

• spring onion
• garlic
• sugar
• salt
• soy sauce
• rice wine
• corn starch
• vinegar
• scallion oil
• sesame oil

Homestyle Restaurant emphasizes preserving the natural flavor of the food they cook for their customers.

Top 3 Affordable Eats at Homestyle Restaurant

Eating at a homestyle family restaurant is like eating in your grandmother’s home.

Every dish looks so simple that you are inspired to cook it at leisure.

The simplest dishes are the hardest to prepare—just like Cantonese-style Dim Sum; it’s almost impossible to replicate the taste, right?

Out of the top three must-order items that my friends recommended, I jumped at the chance to order my favorite—the simplest: eggs with Bitter Gourd.

Penelope shrugs. “Told you,” she said flatly.

Homestyle Restaurant Eggs with Bitter Gourd RM14.80

You will ask why anyone would want to pay to eat this dish in a restaurant.

Quite simply, I will only pay for food that I can’t replicate at home.

Eggs with Bitter Gourd is one of those items I will order repeatedly.

The version we make at home is stir-fried Scrambled Eggs with Bitter Gourd.

I tried to make this the cheat way by blanching the Bitter Gourd and putting soft-boiled eggs on top with a swig of Soya Sauce and a dash of pepper.

The verdict: You are better off ordering this at Homestyle Restaurant.

First, the Bitter Gourd is not bitter at all but has a slight crispiness.

The egg is runny – who doesn’t like runny eggs? Except for John. LOL

The  Soya Sauce provides that extra umami kiss to the perfect eggs.

It is delicious, as the bitter gourd and egg taste so good together, even if you have never tried it.

I can finish a big plate of fluffy white rice with this simple must-try dish!

Homestyle Restaurant Royal Chicken RM41.80 (available Friday, Weekend, and Public Holidays)

I remembered the first time I tasted this “sexy” dish.

My GM, Marc, prepared a farewell dinner for me and whispered that he was making one of the four “sexiest” Chinese dishes.

I was excited to see what he had in store!

Gui Fei Chicken, also known as Empress Chicken, is named after one of the four famous Chinese beauties.

This dish was a favorite of Gui Fei, a royal concubine who became Empress and one of China’s most powerful rulers.

Concubine Yang Gui Fei, also known as Drunken Beauty.

The Chicken Dish is finished with a strong smell of Shaoxing wine, which is delicious and intoxicating.

Shaoxing wine is one of the most famous Huangjiu varieties fermented from rice.

Made in Shaoxing, in the Zhejiang province of eastern China, it is often used as a wine for cooking Chinese cuisine.

I remember once I saw some Chinese drinking it at a steamboat restaurant and liberally pouring the win in the pot.

The smell of the Shaoxing wine is both invigorating and intoxicating.

Homestyle Restaurant’s version of Gui Fei Chicken from their website is enough to make my mouth water.

Gui Fei Chicken is a highly praised dish that’s well-accepted by everyone, and I tried to replicate it at home.

My version (yes, it’s edible), the steamed chicken, was overdone at 15 minutes in a wok on a rolling boil.

I will order this dish from the Homestyle Penang menu the next time I crave Drunken Chicken.

The recipe looks simple enough.

It’s all about controlling the fire, the temperature, and how long it takes to steam the chicken.

That is the reason, Chefs are chefs, and we who try feebly are at best home cooks.

Steamed Gui Fei Chicken Recipe

• 2 chicken leg quarters
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• Ice
• Ginger-scallion sauce

1. Once the chicken is cooked, immediately dunk the chicken into the bowl of ice water.
2. The icing method makes the chicken skin seize up, giving it that firm and “bouncy” texture.
3. Serve with ginger-scallion sauce and steamed rice.
4. Either pour the ginger-scallion sauce all over the chicken or use it as a dipping sauce.

Curry Asam Fish (Price Depends on Fish)

Nyonya Gulai Tumis Fish is a big classic favorite in Nyonya households.

The tamarind-based fish curry is a sour and fiery dish, traditionally popular in Malaysia’s Nyonya and Hainanese households.

If you love fish curry, you’ll enjoy this fragrant version made with bunga kantan and daun kesom, featuring a delightful zing from tamarind pulp.

The curry asam fish dish is extraordinary, satisfying, simply delicious, and, shall I say, worthy of two bowls of rice.

Since this is a top recommendation, we will try it for a nice family dinner the next round.

Review of Homestyle Restaurant

We preferred to sit in the restaurant proper rather than the air-conditioned section next door—we didn’t want our food to get cold.

The service is brisk, and the supervisor is friendly with good recommendations.

The prices are reasonable, and the food tastes good.

So we will plan for a return visit for a casual family dinner or a special occasion when we are allowed to after MCO 2.0

My Home Style Restaurant  家式饭店
Landmark: Corner Shop Lot facing the park
Address: No. 2, 2A, 6 & 8, Lebuh Lembah Permai 4, 11200 Tanjung Bungah, Penang, Malaysia
Business Hours: 11.00 am – 2:30 pm, 5:15 pm – 9:30 pm
Phone: 04-688 9027
Website: Home Style Restaurant