It has been ages since my partner and I visited Dragon-i. It is not my favorite place for Chinese food because I find the food too mild for my taste. What? Am I that fussy? hee..hee..
Oh no. I am no fussy pot. I am quite easy to please when it comes to food. As long as there is no strong smelling cheese, I am in. But if I had a choice, it won't be here. I actually wanted to go to Chilis but the queue was too long.
So there we were at Dragon-i. We were not the only ones, there were other people waiting for tables too. Fortunately for us, a table for two became available very shortly.
Once we placed our orders, this order chit was delivered to the table.
As you know, I can't read/speak Chinese. It's not my fault. My parents/grandparents did not send me to Chinese school. And I did not pay attention during Mandarin class. Now I regret 😞
For drinks, my partner and I had this cold drink with red dates, dried longans and winter melon. It was very refreshing.
For my mains, I chose the beef la mien (the other option is chicken). The soup was extremely flavorful with preserved mustard leaves and wood ear fungus. It was very spicy too.
The beef slices were very tender. I was very happy with my order.
As if the soup was not spicy enough, I had two helpings of the chili condiment.
Because we were both very hungry, we also ordered the dumpling (siaw loong bao). I find it very tricky to eat this because of the soup inside. I did alright with my first one but the soup squirted out all over my smartphone when I ate the second one. Haiz....so paiseh.
This is the ginger and black vinegar that goes with the dumplings. The leftovers, I poured into my soup. My partner laughed at me. hee..hee..
Our other side order were these deep fried soft tofu. I wonder how the chef managed to get this done. Outside is crispy (it stayed crispy for quite awhile) while the tofu inside was still very soft and moist. I thought the crispy coating tasted very familiar and it dawned on me that it tasted exactly like ngaku chips. Weird, eh?
Finally, my partner's order came last. It's some sort of steamed rice with meat. I took this photo after he had started eating. Since he was so hungry (and waited so long), I did not have the heart to snap the picture when the dish was served.
I have eaten something like this before at another restaurant (which has since closed down) near my office and I remember it was quite tasty.
Nah, I have the same thinking too. My PIL never fail to visit Dragon-I, when they are in Penang. Don't know why, I feel the food taste " ma ma dei" only.
ReplyDeleteHah..good lah, I am not the only one who thinks so :)
DeleteXiao Long Bao is my all time favourite...
ReplyDeleteI just ok ok only. Don't like the soup inside.
DeleteIt's not my favourite place either but the food is certainly acceptable. That dish your partner had, you get lots of these type of dishes in Steam Room. I had the same deep fried tofu you had but it didn't taste like ngaku to me....wahahahaha! When I had it, the coating tasted of salt and sichuan pepper to me...I enjoyed it very much. As for the XLB squirting all over you, perhaps you need to read the art of how to eat a XLB...haha! ;D If you visit Din Tai Fung, they show you how in the menu...kekeke! ;) By the way, do you like Chinese rice wine? If you do, they have a chilled drunken chicken dish here but only if you like a very intense wine flavour! It's so intense, you can get drunk on this...lol! :D
ReplyDeleteAiya..I have to go back to XLB school hah..hah... Eh, I did not notice that on DTF menu when I was there. Must look closer next time. Oh yes, I like Chinese rice wine. So fragrant. I saw that chicken on the menu and wanted to order but somehow I did not. Well, there is always a next time :)
DeleteI like to eat mild food but with all the condiments to be added into the food, the food won't be mild anymore. Due to its prices I haven't been to Dragon-i but I have been to Canton-i recently which is under the same group.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Canton-i and I find that it is suitable only for light meals.
DeleteCan order main dishes to eat with rice in Canton-i like normal Chinese restaurants like Sam yu that you have been to in PJ but price is more expensive I believe.
Deletei also cannot cakap cina ... so i'm quite hopeless in hong kong, etc :D the battered tofu looks nice ... i would love to watch your reaction if you bit into it and discovered that it had a bursting centre of yummy melted goat's cheese :D
ReplyDeleteAh, isn't it comforting to know that I am not alone :) What? Goat's cheese? I shudder at the very thought. hah..hah... I accidentally ate asparagus with goat's cheese once at a buffet and I almost fainted >.<
DeleteSerokkan dapat jalan-jalan cari makan...
ReplyDeleteYa, seronok :)
DeleteI also prefer to eat at Chillis or Tony Romas but their queue often reached the moon and back!!
ReplyDeleteI won't mind Dragon-I but prefers Canton-I as they have some difference in menu, taste and pricing too.
I have been to both but if I had to choose, it would still be Dragon-i.
DeleteBeen to the outlet once. 2 years ago during a family holiday. Not bad but service was quite long. Maybe many customers although not pack.
ReplyDeleteService is slow during peak hours. We waited quite long too for each dish to arrive.
DeleteMy Kuching cousin hates this place, the outlet at Mid Valley/Cititel Hotel - when she went to KL with her mum, the latter insisted on going every day for the herbal soup...and she could not get to enjoy all the nice things at Mid Valley/Gardens throughout their whole stay there. LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteI walked past a lot the last time I stayed there - did not drop by, not my kind of cuisine...and with the glass panel, all the hotel guests walking past and looking in, I would feel like an animal in the zoo.
LOL! No chance for your cousin to eat other food, poor thing. Not my first choice this one, but I don't mind since the food is acceptable.
DeleteThe other day when I was in Sg Buloh, I went to Dragon-i at 1U... ordered the small dragon pau too.. how I ate ah.. like this.. bite little bit of the skin and then let the juice come out on the spoon and then in to my mouth sekali gus.. hahahaa.. macam expert but then it is not this way at all..hahaha..
ReplyDeleteI forgotten the technique already. Now I remember, last time I also do like you. Gigit a bit for the soup to come out and then sip from the spoon. Quite leceh lah.
DeleteI wonder what you ate here the previous time. How can you think Dragon-i was mild tasting? A lot of their dishes are packed with flavors one...
ReplyDeleteI used to go there often enough and mostly had their noodles and also rice and dishes. Our tastebuds different kot.
DeleteI love the little pau. That was a great meal. Love what you both ordered.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good meal and since I was very hungry, I thought it was better than before LOL!
DeleteTheir xiao long bao is the only attractions to me, the rest just so so... But then very big portion la, so I guess still ok la the price...
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a happy new year 2017!!
DeleteTo me even XLB is just OK only, not really a fan.
DeleteWishing you and your family and Happy New Year 2017 too!
I'd have to go a little milder with the chili than you. Hope you had a wonderful Chrissy.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas was great, just relaxing and hanging around in the house. LOL!
DeleteIt's something like Hong Kong kinda 'cha chan ten' style with snacks and some main course. The xiao long bao looks good.
ReplyDeleteYa, HK kinda food. Just OK for me :)
DeleteFor the two I, I been to Canton-i but not Dragon-i, the tofu looks good and I like the rice your partner have
ReplyDeleteBut if let me choose, I think I will prefer Canton-i
Me opposite of you :)
DeleteThe beef noodle originally come with chili or you put in yourself?
ReplyDeleteI seldom visit Dragon-i too simply because the price is not cheap LOL
The soup was already spicy when it was served.
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