Grand Vege Creative素膳: Oriental Vegetarian in Jalan Burma
The rain forced us to take shelter at Grand Vege Creative, a vegetarian store near the ever-busy Jalan Burma.
Two days prior, I had made a reservation for a table for two, expecting that we would have dinner on time after our tour at Penang’s floating temple. However, the rain eventually made us arrive an hour earlier than our booked time.
We were offered a seat near the entrance as we were the first customer to arrive at the restaurant.
The restaurant’s teal interior is an unconventional colour, but it speaks of elegance. Teal and red drapes flowing down at all corners like waterfalls; the auspicious red tablecloth resembles those from the fancy oriental restaurants. There are yellow flowers engulfing the hanging lights, creating an illusion of glowing flowers. It was the most brilliant decor I had laid my eyes on.
“I used to eat vegetarian dishes before,” Ruien said. “Now my preference has changed.”
I was not a big fan of vegetarian restaurants. My impression of vegetarian dishes was bland and faux meat. Of course, I was not against vegetables. The main reason lies in a good vegetarian cuisine that does not offer bland dishes.
Maybe this vegetarian store might change our perspectives.
What You Can Have There?
The owner brought us two menus. She opened one of them and enthusiastically introduced the dishes.
“We don’t add MSG, sugar, and salt,” she began. “Also, we don’t include onion and garlic in our dishes.”
How odd it was for an Asian delicacy without onion and garlic. Also, I could hear Uncle Roger’s triggered noises right after she told us about their MSG-less meal.
“For the nasi lemak rice,” she said. “We cooked for five hours.”
I had cooked nasi lemak before. Usually it could be done in less than two hours.
It was unfortunate that they had limited ingredients because of the Chinese New Year holidays. Even the mango sushi that I wanted was not available at the moment. I had to settle on the Kitsune ramen, while Ruien ordered curry noodles. We even shared a pot of chrysanthemum tea and a plate of gyoza.
Food was served. Ruien’s curry noodle was thick in yellowish broth; my Kitsune ramen had carefully aligned fried tofu skin and sesame seeds. The fried gyoza was a surprise. It was not the steamed version we saw on the menu, but we welcomed this beautiful dish on a plate along with homemade mayonnaise, a sambal paste that looked like adzuki, and a ceramic flower for decor.
“This is good,” Ruien’s excitedly pointed at her bowl of noodles. “Come and try this.”
I tasted a spoonful of her broth. At first, it was as smooth as a pumpkin soup. Soon, the spiciness kicked in; it melted on my tongue as if I was eating a spicy Nama chocolate. Plus, I could not feel the choking sensation in my throat or nasal cavity, unlike most spices.
“Wow,” it was the only word I could fully describe this experience.
The ramen was the substitute for the udon, which was out of stock (understandable). However, it kept the same flavour as the original. The dashi broth tasted less salty than any udon I had ever tasted. It was a filling meal.
The Experience
After dinner, we enjoyed the warm tea while waiting for the rain to stop.
The chrysanthemum tea was light, but we could smell the floral fragrance. The red goji berries and a soaked chrysanthemum swam freestyle in the yellowish pool, unaware that they were trapped in a glass pot.
As time passed, the heavy rain had turned into a light drizzle. It was time for us to leave as more customers came into the premises.
“It’s lucky that you came early,” the owner rushed towards the counter after she finished entertaining a group of guests. “Now it’s almost full house.”
I might come back for the sushi after the Chinese New Year period.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Date of Visitation: 6th Feb 2022
Address: 11-C, Lorong Abu Siti, George Town, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening Hours: Daily, 11am - 3pm (Lunch Hours), 5.30pm - 9.30pm (Dinner Hours)
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