For Taiwan Snack Food fans, Osmanthus Alley Restaurant serves lip-smacking Taiwanese Kochabi noodles and rice sets, simple stir-fry dishes, snacks, light eats – and a crowd favorite, Tang Yuan.
Osmanthus Alley is next to Wholey Wonder and part of Hin Bus Depot’s quirky cafe collection.
You can enter the outlet from its back entrance at Hin Bus Depot. The frontage faces Jalan Gurdwara.
Baby Fish and I went to eat in their 2nd month of operations.
The owners used to run a trailer cabin food truck at Hin Bus Depot, charmingly called the Mama Goose.
“Mama, they have expanded their menu,” Baby said, checking out the food.
I was more or less set on what I wanted to eat and drink.
“You decide, girl. I want..”
“Fried Chicken and your Black Coffee.” Baby Fish quipped.
“I think we can manage some room for the four items you choose.”
We were seated next to the counter, and I looked around the café.
Osmanthus Alley Deco
I checked out the restaurant’s Facebook page and discovered that the decor made with some driftwood art pieces is the chef’s handiwork.
Osmanthus Alley serves a variety of fusion cuisine with Taiwanese delights.
Baby read the menu and rattled off some suggestions.
The menu has several light Taiwanese snack items.
I remember my adventures in Taiwan years ago before I started this travel and food blog.
Salted Crispy Chicken was one of the items I enjoyed in Shilin Night Market in Taipeh.
Osmanthus Alley Restaurant Interior
What We Ordered at Osmanthus Alley Restaurant.
- Salted Crispy Chicken RM18
- Sesame Prawn Toast RM12
- Crispy Shredded Beef RM24
- Wasabi Prawns RM32
- Arissto Cappuccino RM7
- Arissto Long Black Coffee RM6
Belle suggested ordering the “Lion’s head dumpling” – a Shanghainese braised pork-meat ball.
I told Belle about my experience ordering Konigsberger Klopse (German Meatball in a creamy caper sauce) when I went to Europe in the 90s.
The single meatball that arrived was the size of a cat’s head.
A tennis ball is a better description (don’t ask me why I said that), but it is what 20 golf-ball-sized meatballs would look like – combined.
It was massive, and the quantity of ground sirloin, pork, and veal was delicious in the creamy caper sauce.
“No, Mama! We’re not ordering that, okay.”
“Er… OOPSY.”
So I cut it with my food narratives, and we drank our coffee and joked about other things we found funny instead.
First to arrive.
Wasabi Prawns RM32
Prawns, Apples, and Wasabi Mayo sound very interesting.
The deep-fried large, Crispy Wasabi Prawns and Apple Cubes coated in a creamy wasabi sauce is a good appetizer.
The Wasabi Mayo was a little spicy and sweet with a slightly pungent flavor.
Wasabi Prawns RM32
Sesame Prawn Toast RM12
I still think one of the snacks I used to make (a very long time ago) is Crispy Shrimp Toasts.
These toasts are crunchy, flaky, and sumptuous, with minced prawns’ sweet, mild flavor.
This is something my mom used to make back in the 60s.
Once we transitioned from lard to coconut and palm oil – she could fry things up for supper.
Osmanthus Alley’s version is to top bread triangles with a simple prawn mix, coat in sesame seeds, and fry to golden perfection!
Sesame Prawn Toast RM12
Crispy Shredded Beef RM24
We would order this dish over and over again.
The crispy shredded beef is tasty and has a robust black pepper flavor.
We’re beginning to think that Osmanthus Alley’s chef likes to sprinkle everything with white or black sesame seeds.
Crispy Shredded Beef RM24
Salted Crispy Chicken RM18
The Taiwanese Salty Crispy Chicken was more nostalgic than anything else.
At Shi Lin Night Market, I remember a rude encounter with Fried Stinky Tofu Cubes in a bag.
I was so hungry but felt wretched after taking a few Stinky Tofu bites that I couldn’t eat anything else.
When I came across the fried chicken, I felt it was the best thing I could eat!
Salted Crispy Chicken RM18
Menu
Apart from the Taiwanese light eats that we ordered, the menu offers various noodles and rice sets.
There are Taiwanese Desserts with exciting choices, like Black Sesame Tang Yuan in Rice Wine and Red Bean Soup, that we didn’t have room for.
Osmanthus Alley Restaurant’s Taiwanese Noodle and Rice Sets and Desserts. Photo: Osmanthus Alley Restaurant Facebook
Osmanthus Alley Restaurant Review
The eatery is a small family-run restaurant popular with locals who enjoy Taiwanese food, snacks, and desserts.
Osmanthus Alley Restaurant October 2020
Osmanthus Alley Restaurant
Hin Bus Depot, 59 Jalan Gurdwara
10300 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +6011-1181 2722
Operating hours: 11 am to 9 pm Mon-Tue, Thu to Sun.
Closed on Wed.
Landmark: A 3-min walk from Gama Supermarket & Departmental Store
Parking: Across the street near Hotel NEO+ Penang
Blog Disclosure: This is a NOT sponsored blog post. All opinions are mine. The writer and friends paid for their meal.
